Episode 208: Hades' proposal
In the inner room of the Magia Cathedral, a certain kind of commotion was occurring.
There are several reasons for this.
However, the biggest reason is the scandal at Lumen. To be exact, it was a major incident in which the president was involved.
"Many holy knights also use Lumen's canes. This is not a good situation."
“It also makes us doubt what we see.”
"That is certainly a big problem. They have received a large amount of investment, and in recognition of their achievements, they have given them the right to accompany them on an expedition to the continent of Dibro. This is an unprecedented scandal."
"We can't just judge the president of that company and call it a day."
Lumen's president is now a major criminal.
Evidence is being discovered one after another, and the opinion that the reports are true is becoming stronger. If it was just illegal gambling, it would have been better to put the responsibility on the president alone and replace it, but the deal with the black cat made that impossible. It is also a trade in illegal substances called magic stones. There is no room for defense.
Only a copy of the transaction document has been found so far, and there is no evidence that he is in possession of the magic stone. However, by now the Holy Knights and Inquisitors will have gone to confirm it. If discovered, the company Lumen itself would have no choice but to disappear.
"It has something to do with the people's faith. There's nothing we can do about it. We'll have to make sure that holy knights don't use Lumen canes from now on."
"Should we go that far? Isn't that a bit too harsh?"
"What are you talking about? You're being naive! If we forgive such an incident, God's majesty may be lost. We must do what is right, even if we are feared."
“Wouldn’t that be putting the cart before the horse if the people’s hearts were to become alienated?”
"No. Recently, there has been a trend in the world that prioritizes the economy over the teachings of the church. It wouldn't be a bad idea to crack down on this area once and for all."
Demonism has been a group and teaching that protects people since ancient times.
Find the child of prophecy and use its power to manage people. Weak people will be able to live a life faithful to God by being completely controlled. Placing holy knights to protect people, punish heretics, and eliminate evil.
Those are the thoughts of the Demon Religion's supreme will.
Although it resembles the idea of communism in that it aims to control all people, demonism allows economic activity. The reason is that we recognize people's desire to improve.
However, too much ambition can lead to rebellion.
An example of this is a dark organization or an incident like this one.
"Are you planning on sacrificing an entire company?"
"There's also the issue of employment. We can't just go bankrupt so easily. Lumen is a large company, so there are many difficult things to do. The economic loss will be huge. We can't just impose sanctions like in the past. No way.”
"More and more people are abandoning their faith because they have such a naive face. It's deplorable."
"That doesn't mean you can't just suppress them with force. It's the same as the great empires of the past."
“It hurts that a while ago a priest who was able to see through lies died in an unknown manner.”
"Isn't there a suspicion of assassination?"
``The official opinion is acute heart attack during sleep.''
"Wait, wait. I'm off topic."
The bishops of Magia Cathedral are not only the administrators of the cathedral, but also the supreme will of the demon religion. Because its highest will body is located in the Sacred Grineer, this country practically controls the continent. They can interfere with other countries through their local cathedrals, and if they are private companies, they can easily be destroyed. It has multiple secret technologies, and there are also internal organizations that have not been publicly disclosed. Sacred Grineer was now set apart from other countries.
In other words, people who can freely manipulate the world are gathered here. The bishops gathered here make a decision, and if the Pope approves, they can destroy the country with a forbidden spell. It is not difficult to destroy a single company not only by physical means but also by manipulating public opinion and manipulating the economy.
However, whether or not to implement them will depend on the bishops. In most cases, the bishops of the Magia Cathedral are chosen to have a balance of right-wing, left-wing, and neutral ideologies. For this reason, strong powers were rarely exercised, and debate still continues.
"After all, we can't just impose sanctions on the president and be done with it. Even if it's a secret matter, it has spread to the point where it can no longer be hidden."
The pope and bishops groaned.
It's difficult to judge just because of contact with a dark organization that is forbidden by the demon religion. In particular, trading in prohibited substances such as magic stones is absolutely not allowed. At this point, the president's punishment is final. However, in addition to this, the fact that Lumen's subsidiary was involved in the management of underground gambling halls was troubling. As a result, responsibility has expanded rapidly and investigations have become difficult to understand. They must also investigate the customer list of the underground gambling parlor that was discovered and arrest him. I also need to find out if there is anything else going on.
We are now in a situation where the church has to intervene in all corporate groups, including Lumen.
It's too big to dismantle all at once.
However, if you take the time, the evidence may be erased, and you won't be able to prove it in the first place.
That was the part where it was difficult to judge.
"If someone were to take this opportunity and buy it...we could proceed with the investigation while minimizing economic loss."
“It would be fine if we requested cooperation from the acquired company.However, I doubt that any company would be interested in such things.The acquisition price would have been significantly lowered due to this incident, but...”
"I think it has the added value of being able to absorb Lumen's technology, so why don't we put it up for auction?"
“Are you kidding me?”
"I'm very serious, but..."
``If it was a small company, we could have disguised ourselves as the buyer and processed the transaction ourselves, but if it was a large group like that, we wouldn't be able to operate it for more than a few months.Our funds aren't unlimited either. An auction might not be a bad idea."
"Or how about distributing Lumen's patents? In exchange, have them buy out the relevant departments."
“How many patents do you think you have? The procedures will take years!?”
There must be some impatience among them.
We can't quite agree on an opinion.
The Pope kept his mouth shut while furrowing his eyebrows, which made him unable to proceed any further. In a situation like this, the final decision should be left to the Pope, but the Pope is not acting. No, I can't move properly.
(If possible, I would like to gather a little more information and discuss it...)
Last night, I received a secret communication from Richtrei on the continent of Dibro.
The content was that they had achieved great results, asked them to return to Japan to bring back their achievements, and sent additional personnel to maintain the temporary port they had built.
As the Pope, I have to start working there as soon as possible and send reinforcements as soon as possible.
There is no time to focus solely on this scandal.
All I can say is that the timing is bad.
When the Pope spilled his mouth like that, the communication device suddenly rang. The bishops all stopped their discussion and turned their attention to the source of the sound. They were the highest authority in the demon religion, and their communication devices were made available during meetings in case they were notified of an urgent matter.
"Please be quiet for a moment."
After refusing, the Pope turns on the communicator.
Then, an alarming report was heard from the installed speakers.
``Excuse me while I'm in a meeting. We have received an urgent message from the Hades Group...''
"Hades, huh?"
The Pope wasn't the only one with a surprised look on his face.
It is safe to say that it is highly unlikely that a general company will send a message through this emergency communication. Especially in a situation like this, it's even more impossible.
Some of the bishops even showed their irritation.
(However, it cannot be ignored either.)
The other party said it was an emergency call.
The calm-tempered Pope obediently granted permission.
“What the hell?”
“Ha! Actually, there is someone who claims to be a messenger from the president of Hades Group, and I was told that they are considering acquiring Lumen...''
“Is that true!?”
Not only the Pope but also the bishops were in awe.
I realized that this was an opportunity that came my way, even though I wasn't expecting it. The bishops nodded silently and sent a look indicating that they should accept the request. The Pope, who received it, nodded in return and opened his mouth.
"I understand. The reason why you contacted us is probably out of consideration. We have captured former president Porneus, who owns the company. Once his charges are confirmed, we will confiscate his assets and sell them to Hades. Please let me know. I will summon you soon to finalize the details."
“That’s what I will tell you.”
Truly a blessing from heaven. God's guidance.
It's a relief that this big problem was resolved so easily. They are deeply grateful. He didn't know that that guidance came from his absolute adversary, Hades and the ``Hawk Eye.''
◆◆◆
The inner chamber of the Magia Cathedral is not only a place where the high-ranking priests work, but also a quarters for the Holy Knights. In particular, the highest-ranking Holy Knights wait in this location unless they are sent to another area.
Almost all powerful monsters have been exterminated on this continent of Slada, and it is rare for someone as strong as an S-rank holy knight to move. One of the S-rank holy knights, Sink, who had too much free time due to such circumstances, was swinging his sword alone at the training center.
"... Fu!... Fu!... Fu!"
He exhaled regularly and swung the sword down at the same time.
In order to get closer to the ultimate flash that his teacher, Hirain, had achieved, he was practicing the basic kata. It looks like it's being swung so beautifully that there's no need to practice anymore, but from the sink's point of view, it seems like it's not satisfying. He continued swinging his sword, not caring about the beads of sweat dripping down his forehead.
"Kensai" sink.
That is the title given to him. However, for Sink, being a swordsman meant high rain, and he felt inferior because his sword skills had not yet reached that level.
(No, I can't reach my master's sword yet)
Hold the blade straight and lower it from top to bottom.
It's the simplest move.
The sharpness can be heard from the sound, and it can be said to be top-notch.
However, it does not reach the top level. Compared to the world-leaving slash that High Rain showed, it seems like there is a world of difference.
(No, I have to throw away my thoughts. Cut. That's all I have to think about.)
The sword becomes sharper.
Smooth and fast slashing without any blurring is what I'm after. We aim for something so authentic that you won't even notice that the blade has passed through it. That's all I remember.
He's still good because he has something to aim for.
High Rain, who ran ahead, must have put in even more effort than Sink. He must approach a true swordsman who continued to aim for something he did not know what the future held, believing that it would definitely exist.
Put that kind of intention into it.
(--This is it)
Just a little. There was a thin layer of progress.
Sink was satisfied with his sword technique, which was slightly sharper than before. By repeating this daily small progress, you will eventually reach the high lane. Fortunately, since I've awakened, I don't have to worry about my lifespan.
I erased the magical sword and finished today's training.
"Are you finished?"
"Oh! Serua-sama, you were there. I should have called out to you."
“I was so focused on it.”
The person who called out to Sink was Serua Noir Hiren. She is a Holy Knight, also known as a ``Saint.'' She was originally the Princess of the Faron Empire, but that title became a thing of the past after her country was destroyed by the ``King''.
“Is there something you need to do?”
"This is a message from the Pope. We will be going on the next continental expedition."
"It's surprisingly fast."
It was already decided that Sink and Serua would go next. Both the holy blade and the holy light cause the phenomenon of magical power collapse, which is a special effect against monsters. There are probably no holy knights who are better suited to investigate the continent of Dibro than these two.
However, since the two of them are trump cards, it was decided that Richtrei would be sent for the first investigation. Therefore, it would have been several months before it was released.
"Have you heard the reason?"
"It seems that Mr. Richtley is returning. He has obtained great results over there. This is still a top secret, but he has discovered the remains of the ancient people."
"I see. That means returning home is a priority."
"Therefore, please prepare Sink as well. We will leave in three days when the second fleet is ready. Kanon is preparing my portion now, so Sink as well."
"Okay. I'll be right away."
Sink left the training center with Serua.
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