65. Friend of the Heart, Composition
People often underestimate the Christian-feeling stereotype churches found in medieval or medieval-inspired worlds.
Actually, I did too. I thought these guys were just ripping off donations. I guess that’s why I had some minor or major prejudices.
The first misunderstanding. The church never has an absolute position against secular power.
The fact that Yubas, which had been an ally, started acting on its own and didn’t know what to do about it is proof of this. The church is a community united by faith, but doctrine alone cannot defeat a nation, a community united by ethnicity, tradition, or interests.
This is a reality that will never change.
And that’s where the church’s dilemma lies.
In order to stand up to the remnants of the Other World, a strong and unified human force is needed. However, the unified human force is strong enough to ignore the control and advice of the church, and for very realistic reasons, turns away from faith.
Yubas was a prime example.
Interest is the driving force of human passion and the lifeline of the Other World, which has enslaved humans as livestock. It was only natural that when the locals saw that Lux Stella required annoying vows and harsh evaluations, the gods of the Other World would coolly perform miracles if they just offered sacrifices.
The second misunderstanding. The authority of the church is maintained when it does not conflict with the secular world.
This is my conclusion after observing and experiencing the various incidents so far. The Church knows better than anyone where its authority comes from. The moral authority that can lead the faithful, or to be precise, the people, is the true asset of the Church .
The reason why secular lords cannot simply ignore the Church and must compromise is also because of the support that the ruled class sends to the Church.
What does this mean?
Paradoxically, it also means that the Church is swayed by public opinion. The moment it fails to represent the people, the influence of the Church begins to decline rapidly.
From the stance of secular lords, there is no need to listen to the Church if the people do not follow it.
This is why the Church is pathologically vigilant against the clamor of heresy that deceives the people, and why it has been catching the people’s grievances in advance and speaking out against the lords.
The reason for being cautious in declaring extreme measures such as the use of force or excommunication was to avoid the people saying, [What are you doing now?]
If I say this much, you will gradually feel it.
The Church was born with a contradictory reality from the beginning.
It must lead the people by presenting moral principles, but it is subject to public opinion, and the more it gathers people to prevent this, the more the risk of the return of the Other World increases.
From the perspective of the local humans, the faith in Lux Stella is declining day by day because it is noble but does not easily give power, while the gods of the Other World continue to exist because they treat humans as livestock but willingly give them power if they pay the price.
The only way is to promote the miracles that Lux Stella can perform by saying that our God is cooler than the gods of the Other World, but even that is hidden by emphasizing mysticism.
However, if it becomes secularized, it will start selling indulgences like a corrupt religion at the end of the real Middle Ages, and if it returns to faith as a fundamental principle, I can see a future where people will wear suicide vests, so it’s really suffocating.
In the end, considering this reality, there was no other way than to compromise with secular power to a moderate extent and to steadily produce devout leaders.
Perhaps…
Karina before my eyes is also being raised for a similar reason… She is a product of the joint parenting policy of the secular world and the Church. The reason why I came to do this long contemplation and thinking was because of Karina.
“It’s not fun.”
From Noble mtl dot com
I thought as I glared at Karina, who had put down her quill after scribbling on the beautifully aligned diagram with all her might.
Just in case. It’s just a hypothetical story.
Maybe His Holiness the Pope didn’t just leave Karina’s education to me…
I had to try my best to calm my trembling eyelids after the result of giving her a tutorial while dividing my time to review the financial situation and happily thinking about how to allocate the budget.
Yes. It’s something I expected to some extent.
I took the diagram from Karina as gently and kindly as I could.
“It seems that we can’t be friends.”
“…Huh?”
“Well, there’s no need to be friends just because we met. It’s natural for people to do so when they have different interests.”
There is a saying. It is a great proverb that means that those who know how to play together are friends.
Even if I am a one-eyed person who has closed one eye to adapt to the one-eyed world, there is a line. I couldn’t have a casual friendship with someone who couldn’t feel joy and happiness from seeing the positive and negative charges expressed visually.
“Uh? …Uh?”
Then, Karina groaned strangely, alternately looking at the diagram being organized and the day it was organized.
Oh me… Shouldn’t I go when I’m done? I feel like I’m going to explode inside when I see someone shamelessly clinging to someone who wants to have some private time.
What are you staring at? Get lost.
I desperately held back the words that tickled my throat.
“What are you staring at? Get out of here and stop bothering me.”
At that moment, Karina made a sad face for the first time on her face that always had a smile, and snatched one of the diagrams I had piled up.
“Wow! It’s so fun!”
“What is it? Can you see at a glance the customs revenue according to the boundary of the ministry that has been collected for almost a year? The diagram clearly shows the animosity and conflict between Yubas and the Church, the most powerful forces within the system, and on the other hand, it shows that Yubas still relies heavily on trade through Illenfoot…”
“Wow, really?”
The moment I heard the question filled with enthusiasm and curiosity, I realized why His Holiness had sent this woman to me.
This is a destiny given by God, and it is the present that everyone, including me, has wished for.
I think I’ve finally met my match.
***
Karina de Bien, Magister Tribunus Norfang, was a woman of greater intelligence, culture, and ambition than I had initially given her credit for.
I admit that when I first met her, I was somewhat narrow-minded and judgmental. I allowed myself to be blinded by the negative connotations of the word “naive” to the many positive qualities she possesses.
But look at her now.
Karina was filling in the empty squares of a medieval version of Sudoku, a smile playing on her lips as she muttered under her breath about how she had wasted half her life until now.
At times, she would look up from her game, a worried expression crossing her face as if she feared someone might interrupt our delightful time together… which I could completely understand. Humans are creatures of greater pessimism than they realize.
When we experience moments of intense happiness and joy, we can’t help but fear that it might all be a dream, that someone is about to come along and spoil it all.
I’ve been there, too.
I watched over Karina as she did, my eyes wide with amazement, much like a loyal friend who stays awake all night to protect his buddy who’s enjoying a hearty breakfast.
“…Why are you still here?”
“Thanks to the diligent oath I swore to the radiant Star of Humanity. The Star of Humanity believes that even diligent enjoyment of leisure is a form of keeping one’s oath. How benevolent and generous is our deity.”
“….”
From my perspective, it was hard to understand the people of this world. They have a god who blesses them with miracles and divine favor just for having fun, and they don’t believe in it? The Lux Stella would strike them down where they stand.
Yet Karina seemed to be an exception. As befitting a Stigmata wielder, she grasped the meaning behind my words in an instant and expressed her amazement at this incredible miracle.
“Th, then you don’t sleep?”
“Karina, we’re friends now. Not just ordinary friends, but bosom buddies. You can relax and be yourself around me.”
“You don’t sleep?!”
As a child, I used to rub my sleepy eyes and lament why people had to sleep when I could be playing computer games instead.
Why do people have to sleep? Why do we have to succumb to slumber when we could be doing something we enjoy?
That childhood sorrow was finally lifted when I transcended the boundaries of the world and experienced a second coming-of-age.
“Why do you sleep when you don’t have to?”
“…!!!!”
Karina looked genuinely shocked.
Oh, that’s right. There was something I had to ask her about since she mentioned oaths.
“By the way, what oath did you swear, Karina?”
“I, I swore the oath of oral tradition, not diligence… and I think it’s about time I… got some sleep~?”
My heart ached as I watched her eyes dart around anxiously.
To not be able to fully enjoy oneself because one’s body couldn’t keep up… it was a pain that I, who fully benefited from the blessings of the Oath of Diligence, could scarcely imagine. Fortunately, my upbringing in the 21st century had instilled in me a sense of empathy and understanding, allowing me to sympathize with her plight to some extent.
“Then I suppose we should discuss laws that are widely known and disseminated among the people, rather than the customs duty tariff.”
“Huh?”
“I happened to learn about the unique customs of various regions in the Diocese of Powys during my recent tour… Since I still remember the draft of the customary law that I presented to His Majesty, we could compare it with the customary law of Illenfoot by examining case studies. It would be a productive and enjoyable way to spend our time.”
“Y, you remember it? You, you’ve only been back from your tour for a few days?”
Oh dear. This kind of exaggerated reaction is only found in isekai stories.
If one were to indulge in such excessive praise for too long, it could warp one’s perception of reality. I had no choice but to cut Karina off before she could react in a clichéd manner.
“Anyone can do it if they take notes and memorize them. It’s not something to get so worked up about, especially since I’ll be asking His Majesty to compare my draft of the customary law with the original to make sure I remembered it correctly . So please, don’t worry too much.”
“A copy???”
And just as I was about to answer Karina’s question, I realized something as my gaze fell upon her fingertips, those slender, pale fingers that created a beautiful scene.
“By the way, Karina, I see that you can read and write. Your handwriting is so neat and legible that it would be easy for anyone to understand….”
Hmm….
Come to think of it, even writing as a scribe is all about money. It’s dangerous to show the original document to someone you can’t trust. Someone who can write quickly in a neat and pretty font that’s easy for anyone to read, without any room for misunderstanding, would be the perfect fit.
“My Lord Bishop!!!”
“What?”
At that moment, Karina, who seemed a little tired, suddenly jumped up from her seat with explosive potential.
“We, the woman His Grace told us to meet!”
“Miriam Orn Yubas?”
“Yes, let’s go meet her! His Grace’s instructions should be our top priority, shouldn’t they!!!”
“Hmm.”
If this were in the past, when I saw Karina with a narrow perspective, I might have readily agreed. But how can I think of a person as a mere trinket?
Karina is the heroine of the times, fully capable of wielding her own power. She was a talented person who would be a great help in compiling a draft of customary law that would benefit all the people, without any additional costs… unnecessary expenses .
No matter how noble His Grace’s intentions may be, my egalitarian thinking revolted at the idea of seeing a woman as a mere pawn.
However, Karina continued to press her case.
“Your Grace! I think you should not confuse the importance of matters!!!”
“Ummm.”
If our vassals were to be careful together, it would be necessary to have a written copy of the draft of the customary law… if we were to compare it with the customs of other regions day by day and find a better improvement plan, it would be great to have a copy to carry around….
But if I were to throw it to the staff, Karina’s enjoyment would be reduced, which would be a disservice to her as a friend.
“Your Grace!!!”
“Alright. Let’s go, let’s go.”
However, I couldn’t just stand in the way of a friend trying to make other friends.
Who knows?
Perhaps our Miss Miriam might enjoy similar hobbies.