Chapter 23 : Why is this here? (3)

“Excuse me? Why?”

I asked Bliss with a puzzled expression. 

My voice contained a hint of anxiety.

What is it? 

What is the reason you were waiting for me?

“The hero said that he would now decide on the next quest, so we were waiting for everyone to gather.”

Oh, is that so? 

They could just decide without me. 

How bothersome.

“Then let’s go.”

Realizing that she had no significant intentions, I hurried my steps toward where the hero was.

That was when Bliss stopped me with an extremely serious expression.

“Ruina.”

“Yes… Huh?”

“After dinner, would you like to pray together?”

Bliss’s suggestion to pray together after dinner left me pondering how to respond.

As much as I wanted to decline, I couldn’t say no.

“Um… I’m okay with that.”

There was no way I could refuse. 

Damn it.

“Yes! Then it’s settled that we will do it together!”

“Sure…”

I replied weakly with a smile at Bliss. 

She then beamed at me and led the way, and we soon arrived at the hero’s location.

The hero was in the kitchen of the lodging. 

He was at a large table in the kitchen where the hero, Agnes, and Olivia were seated.

The remaining three empty seats were for me, Bliss, and Reina.

“Oh, Ruina, you’ve arrived.”

The hero welcomed me warmly. 

I responded appropriately to the hero’s words and sat down at the empty seat.

“Then let’s decide on the next quest. Bliss, you mentioned earlier that a few requests have come in from the Holy Vatican today, right?”

The hero spoke while looking at Bliss.

“Yes, there are several requests that have arrived for the hero who completed his tasks.”

After nodding at the hero’s words, Bliss took out several sheets of paper and pushed them to the center of the table.

We all focused our attention on the papers she presented.

“There are a total of five requests: three for monster extermination and two for investigation.”

Several sheets of paper pushed to the center of the table. 

Olivia and Agnes each took one sheet.

What remained was just one piece of paper.

Huh? 

So, aren’t there four sheets of paper?

“Um? Aren’t there four sheets here?”

Agnes, perhaps feeling the same confusion, asked Bliss while looking at her.

“Yes, that’s correct. I intentionally showed you four sheets first.”

“Why is that?”

“The last one is currently the most closely monitored request by the Holy Kingdom. Moreover, it is also the most challenging one to resolve.”

“What is it? Let’s take a look.”

“It is this.”

Bliss took out one more sheet of paper and handed it to Agnes.

“Um… An investigation into the poor harvest in Birren? Why is this a difficult issue to resolve?”

“This request concerns a problem that has been ongoing for several years.”

I felt puzzled by her answer. 

No matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t find a reason for the Holy Vatican to care about this issue; they would be pleased to hear about it instead.

Even if the poor harvest had persisted for years, it was an issue for the royal family, not something the Holy Kingdom should be concerned about. 

Rather, they should be pleased about it.

People tend to seek God when they are in trouble.

“Why is the Holy Kingdom concerned about this? Is it because of the poor harvest?”

The hero seemed to feel the same doubt as I did.

“No. The reason the Holy Kingdom is paying attention to this incident is not because of the poor harvest.”

“The Holy Kingdom is focusing on this incident because… there is a religion that is trying to push aside the beliefs of the local people towards their origin religion amid the chaos caused by the poor harvest and expand their influence.”

Once Bliss finished speaking, there was a moment of silence. 

The reason was very easy to infer.

I wondered if everyone was thinking the same thing right now.

“Is it a cult?”

The hero cautiously asked Bliss. 

But perhaps it was not so; Bliss shook her head and replied.

“Nothing has been definitively labeled as a cult yet. It’s just suspicious.” 

“For now, this religion is one that has not been known even in the texts of the origin religion, so the Holy Vatican wants to confirm its doctrines and purposes before deciding if it is a cult or not.”

Ah, so the Holy Vatican isn’t sure yet.

“So you want us to investigate? Is that all?”

“No.”

“You’ve all heard of Birren at least once, right?”

“Yeah.”

Birren is one of the cities known for being the most prosperous in this country. 

The reason they are wealthy is because their land is fertile. 

The land of Birren, often referred to as blessed land, produces larger and better-quality crops than other regions.

The amount produced is so substantial that the revenue earned from it is enormous.

“Birren is currently facing an unprecedented crisis.”

“Why?”

“The land has dried up. Crops are not growing in Birren right now.”

“Then how have they been holding on until now?”

Olivia asked with a questioning tone.

“Until now, they managed to survive on the money they had saved up… but now they have run out of means to endure.”

“Already, some people in the territory are starving, and many have died of hunger.

Despite the desperate situation, they hoped that this time would be different and endured. But what is anticipated now is…

They are going to face the largest poor harvest of the year.”

Oh no, from Birren’s perspective, this is a completely hopeless situation. 

They must have endured with hope, expecting this year, but now they’re facing the largest poor harvest. 

How unfortunate!

Will they be able to survive now?

Perhaps next year, the city of Birren may disappear from the map.

“So what? Isn’t this a good thing for you?”

Olivia snapped at Bliss in a voice tinged with suspicion.

“No. We are not in a good situation either. They were already followers of the origin religion.

As you all know, a certain degree of misfortune and crisis strengthens faith. 

Thanks to this, our origin religion has been able to expand its influence in Birren in recent years due to the misfortunes there.

But what happens if the misfortunes are not resolved and multiple issues overlap?”

Bliss looked at us as she spoke.

“If people believe in God and their misfortunes are resolved immediately, their faith becomes twice as strong. 

However, if misfortunes remain unresolved and grow stronger over time…

People begin to doubt the God they believed in. 

Why, in times of starvation, does God not grant us a bountiful harvest?

We have given our faith, yet has God forsaken us?

And if this process continues for a long time, their thoughts converge into one.”

“Does God really exist…?”

I muttered quietly.

Bliss nodded.

“That’s right. This is also when faith becomes the weakest.

And this new religion is unfortunately expanding its influence at this time. 

Given the timing, its spread is rapid. The Holy Kingdom does not view this favorably.”

That makes sense; Birren is not a small village but a city. 

The fact that many people are following a different religion is not something the origin religion would take lightly.

Right?

Bliss turned her head toward the hero.

“So the Holy Kingdom is requesting your assistance, Hero. You represent the origin religion.”

“So what’s the conclusion?”

In response to the hero’s question, Bliss answered.

“The conclusion is that the Holy Kingdom wants you to stop the spread of this non-origin religion in Birren.

It doesn’t matter if you take on an easier task. 

This is an issue that is difficult for a single person to solve.”

As Bliss finished speaking, silence fell once again.

Everyone was probably thinking about this matter.

Even I thought it was certainly not a common occurrence. 

How could fertile land suddenly dry up overnight? 

Well, it’s not our problem, so it doesn’t concern me. 

That’s why I’ve been looking at it as if it were someone else’s business since earlier.

What decision will the hero make?

This is definitely a request that is difficult to resolve alone. 

The reason the Holy Kingdom sent this request to the hero is likely due to the influence that comes with the name of the hero.

Will the hero accept this request? 

Or will he simply give up? 

I was incredibly curious.

And my question would soon be answered.

“I will make the next request for Birren.”

It seems the hero has decided to accept this request after all.

“Just as expected from the hero.”

At the hero’s response, Bliss’s previously expressionless face broke into a smile.

“Do you know anything about that religion?”

“I only know the name at this point.”

In response to Olivia’s question, Bliss replied with a tone of regret.

“At least let us know that.”

Nodding at Olivia’s urging, Bliss continued.

“According to the information I received from the Holy Kingdom… the name of that religion is…”

And then her words were:

“It’s called the Church of the End.”

This took me by surprise.

“Huh?”

It was an involuntary exclamation. As soon as I spoke, the gazes of five people were directed toward me.

What a huge mistake.

Damn it, I couldn’t help but let my voice slip out in response to Bliss’s statement.

But there was nothing I could do. It was just that ridiculous.

The Church of the End, the name I had heard yesterday from the goblin chief, described by him as a suspicious, bizarre, and undoubtedly cult-like religion. 

Moreover, it was an unidentified religion not even mentioned in the texts of the origin religion.

And I had thought it was a religion that had little to do with me and had pushed it aside.

Why is this coming up here?