27 – 5. Peace Movement
“… “Is it a little strange?”
“It’s not strange.”
So, what should I say?
Yes, it was a bit late to accept it since it came from the mouth of a medieval native.
There were no places or things that made me feel nostalgic for my hometown in my past life, so all that remained were memories.
So, thinking about it in my head or at most saying it out loud was the only way I could remember the past and reflect on my morals.
For that reason, I never thought that no matter who spoke, I would hear words that I had only used in my past life.
I looked down at the girl who was tilting her head. They say that children are the mirror of their parents.
There are exceptions to everything, but one thing is clear: children are inevitably influenced by their parents.
And now that the girl’s parents were away, it was I who took on the role of guardian.
Is it because I had no experience raising children in my past life? I felt a little uneasy as I thought about this fact, which I knew but was not conscious of.
“Yeah, no problem. It’s nice to see something lively. “Then shall we get ready to go now?”
“… Yes!”
Anyway, it wasn’t a mistake, so I put Licia’s clothes on without saying anything and left the room.
I don’t know if it’s a positive change to see a child who was so gloomy when you first meet them show that way, but it’s probably not as bad as it is.
After eating a light breakfast and paying the bill, we headed out into the street.
Unexpectedly, there was a subtle tension in the air. An awkward silence hovered in a space that would naturally be filled with bustle and rich noise from the touts of customers in stores and the conversations of passers-by.
However, the most noticeable thing among them was not the merchants selling their goods with lowered voices, but rather those walking towards the church with an air of unwillingness.
They knocked on the door of the church, and the deacon who came out shortly afterwards asked:
“May God protect the path ahead. “What brings you here?”
“To make a pledge… came. Is it still possible?”
“Of course. You’ve made a big decision. Please come in, please wait a moment and I will get ready.”
The deacon smiled softly and led them into the church.
There was a glimpse of satisfaction and elation that was not openly revealed.
Although there was no new membership promotion like yesterday’s blessing, the church decided to continue accepting pledges.
We will not ask the reasons for those who have refused so far, but we will only provide them with a way to live.
A person who is forced to choose between being excommunicated and being banned from violence cannot possibly feel good.
I understood the atmosphere of the street in contrast to the church. Not everyone could live as frugally as I did, and not everyone could faithfully follow the teachings of the church.
But why now? While thinking about it for a moment, Lisia answered first.
“It means that the church is also becoming impatient.”
“What?”
“Oath rejecters and violators. “They are forcing a choice in order to bring under control only some of those who do not take the excommunication seriously.”
I pondered those words for a moment and thought about it.
Unless excommunication is some kind of magic that pierces a hole in the body, for it to actually be effective, it will have to rely on the authority of faith and religion. Otherwise, we have to rely on actual force at best.
For nobles, it gives political opponents a reason to attack, so it has no choice but to take it seriously politically, but for humans who can live without the law, does it mean that it is a shackle that they can either have or not have?
Those with bloated egos and twisted morals may have accepted it that way until now, but since Philach has announced that it will organize an army for physical means in earnest, the options are narrowed.
Being prepared for direct confrontation, deciding and chewing, and putting aside one’s pride and lowering one’s head.
And the reason why the attitude of the clergy, who usually accepted only moderate donations and moved on, changed.
“It’s because of the emperor.”
“I guess so.”
What else could there be? The hottest potato in recent times, it has to be the emperor.
Although there was a justification for protecting peace and establishing broken morals, perhaps this was the original intention of the Villach Church.
Maintaining peace is an excuse, and the Pope wants to increase his ability to confront the emperor who has declared a de facto all-out war.
In fact, the idea of resolving peace through violence… Isn’t it very contradictory?
Trying to understand that way of thinking only gave me a headache, so I just decided to accept it.
However, there was still something to worry about.
This kind of bold decision was bound to have significant repercussions. If you want nothing to happen to a group that is thirsty for violence, you will have to form a conscience search party.
And it seemed that Lisia had similar thoughts.
“I understand the reason, but wouldn’t that lead to an explosion of dissatisfaction? There must be a limit to stopping that with force…….”
“Okay. “It will be difficult to pass over quietly.”
When I came to Villach, didn’t a gang fight break out in the square for the same reason?
He was a master of observing people who overlapped the status of a thief and a knight. The fact that dissatisfaction and conflict were visible even before work began meant that they would be encountered in some form when church sanctions began in earnest.
But this is a story from Villach.
“But it’s none of our business.”
“I see… ….”
“This same thing might happen in the next city I stop by. But now we won’t have anything to do with Villach.”
I decided to forget about the past and took a deep breath to start with a new heart and new intention.
I brought Sancho from a nearby stable and put Licia on top of him. Perhaps because Sancho had eaten his fill again, he had gained a lot of the weight he had lost on the way to Villach.
As the knights and mercenaries headed toward the church, I headed directly south. There was nothing more to see in Villach, so it was time to leave.
The bigger the city, the wider the roads were, so the guards took a lot of money for management fees.
I handed him the coin while grumbling, and the guard let me out after confirming that I was not taking out any suspicious items.
It settled down and I finally got out of the city where I was almost exhausted.
I sat behind Lisia and headed toward the wide open field.
*****
There was a dull meeting where people wandered around here and there, asking for support, but couldn’t get an answer, so they turned around in a state of desolation and sipped beer without motivation.
They were told to leave the city after the church officially announced the excommunication of those who broke their oath.
It may be in an unseen corner of a mountain, but the threat that if he were to blatantly break his oath again within the city, he would be crushed by the newly created army of God was an added bonus.
“What should I do now?” ….”
“What should I do? I have to get ready to leave. “If I had to stay anyway, I wouldn’t have any work to do.”
“Let’s go somewhere far away and have a fresh start. The world hasn’t ended at all, so what? “You have to be strong and overcome.”
There were some people who accepted reality and decided to adapt.
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However, it was not possible for everyone to gather together a group of people who made their living fighting, so the majority was eventually able to reach a consensus on the conclusion that the tyranny of the church was the root of all evil.
“Until last time, whether it was looting or robbery, if you took a small amount and donated it, they would give it to you, right? “Why are they suddenly like that?”
“It’s not me. “That’s what old people with bald heads do, right?”
“It’s not me that’s wrong, it’s the world…” ….”
Peace. Yes, peace is good.
But honestly, the people who have been sitting on the sidelines until now are now trying to admonish you if you donate money… It looked like a Naeronambul.
Moreover, since he was a pope who joined hands with the feudal lords, no oaths were forced on their lands.
I didn’t know this when I didn’t know it, but after hearing the news from merchants coming and going, my heart was filled with resentment.
I am innocent… I don’t, but it’s unfair anyway! What is wrong with this world!
But that didn’t mean it could turn the world upside down. It’s not that there aren’t people who get drunk and have such delusions, but I had a drinking buddy by my side who helped me get my mind back on track.
“… “It’s been a while since we looted a church?”
“Plunder.”
“How about 4 to 6?”
“You crazy people, please come to your senses… ….”
The church has now gained practical force, and more than half of those who refused to take the oath and stood by have turned their backs.
They themselves knew that the thought of attacking such a church was an act of suicide, having been on the battlefield for a long time. I just didn’t want to admit it.
So, the only thing they could do was sip beer while feeling the bitter taste of life.
“Can I sit here?”
“What, are you excommunicated too? “Okay, come and have a drink with me.”
“I was not excommunicated. Not yet.”
A corner of the inn that others don’t pay attention to.
There were people who approached unemployed people in such a situation wearing black robes that half covered their faces.
“Don’t you want to turn Villach over once?”
“Yekki, what big trouble are you talking about?”
“It’s not like I’m going to tell you anywhere, but please relax your guard. “Why are you afraid when you have been excommunicated anyway?”
“… “Are you here to start a fight?”
“No, no. “Rather, I came to make a good offer.”
They all looked around to see if anyone would listen, lowered their voices, and made similar suggestions.
“Soon, a large group of bandits will attack the city. “There are a lot of former mercenaries, so he won’t be an easy opponent.”
“But… “There is a wall in Villach.”
“That’s right. So, I need someone to open the door from the inside.”
“… “Tell me a little more.”
“You can take as much money as you want for a new start. “We just need to avoid touching the one relic we are targeting.”