The Goddess’ Church is enormous.
Even though it had lost its stronghold and been reduced to mere remnants, its power was still not something to be ignored.
Its ability to establish cathedrals and churches across the continent and dispatch priests remained intact, along with its social influence.
Regardless of the ongoing war, they could travel freely between countries and engage in public activities without being obstructed by those in power.
“We’ve arrived. I can see the city walls.”
“Already? That was faster than I expected.”
And Saintess Joan Allende was making full use of this influence to carry out her will.
“It’s thanks to our coachman’s hard work. His skill in managing the horses’ stamina is quite impressive.”
Her goal was simple: world peace.
It might sound like an impossible dream, but isn’t religion fundamentally about chasing ideals and utopias?
If she could stop the escalating war, that would be ideal.
Even if that wasn’t possible, at the very least, she wanted to ensure that people fought with some restraint.
After all, everyone was a child of the Goddess.
What meaning was there in killing one another?
That was the sentiment behind her journey.
“The countryside seemed to be in a terrible state. I wonder how things are here.”
“Well, this is the capital, so it should be a little better. All the goods and people from across the country gather here, after all.”
Leaving the Kingdom of Allein behind, Joan had crossed into the Kram Empire.
She sighed as she recalled the sights she had seen along the way.
The devastation was relentless.
“Even during the Great Famine, things weren’t this bad…”
There were no supplies.
Almost nothing remained except houses and people.
Farmers toiled with wooden plows and stone hoes as if they were in ancient times.
The metal rims of cartwheels had been stripped away.
Their clothes were more ragged than ever, and livestock were scarce.
Despite barns being built to house dozens of animals, they contained only one or two cows or horses at most.
It felt as though everything beyond the bare necessities for survival and farming had simply vanished.
If she asked why, she already had a guess.
The higher-ups had likely imposed heavy levies to sustain the war effort.
“Though… this does seem excessive.”
Joan knew that war always brought hardship.
It was worse than the history books described, but securing resources was inevitable.
The Kram Empire had battlefronts to both the north and south.
To keep their soldiers supplied, the government had likely squeezed the local populace dry.
‘Of course, there had never been a case where villages were completely stripped bare like this…’
But what could they do?
This war was unprecedented in scale.
If they didn’t win, their nation would collapse, so they were doing everything they could to gather resources.
“I hope things are as the bishop said.”
“I’m sure they will be. If all has gone according to plan, our guide should be waiting for us here… Ah, there they are.”
Lost in thought, Joan barely noticed when they had arrived at the city gates.
The iron gates swung open, and a finely dressed man emerged.
A steward dispatched by the imperial court.
“Welcome, Saintess! It is the highest honor to have you grace the Imperial Capital with your presence despite your busy schedule!”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. And your name is…?”
“Please, call me Aizen.”
Introducing himself, the steward climbed onto the driver’s seat beside the coachman and began leading Joan’s entourage into the capital.
Passing through several layers of iron bars and gates, the cityscape finally came into view.
As expected of the seat of imperial power, the capital was dazzling and splendid.
Despite the extreme warfare, the cityscape seemed to have preserved its former beauty almost entirely.
“It looks just as I remember. I visited five years ago but haven’t had the chance to return since.”
“The people seem relaxed. I can hear a lot of laughter, too.”
“Haha! The Empire has been winning victory after victory in the war. There’s no reason for people to worry about the war’s progress.”
As they took in the grandeur of the capital, the delegation members each voiced their thoughts—bishops, guards, and even the patriotically fervent steward.
Joan, though she didn’t say it out loud, was also surprised.
‘The atmosphere is completely different from the countryside.’
Perhaps the capital, being home to the high-ranking elites, had been spared from resource exploitation.
After all, in any nation, the capital and major cities are prioritized when it comes to food and supplies.
Still, it was reassuring to see that people were at ease.
Maybe, if they were this comfortable, they’d be willing to listen to her argument for waging war with morality.
Joan harbored a small hope.
At least, until they passed through the alley by the city gates and onto the main road.
*****
“Clear the way! We’re transporting criminals!”
“Stay back and don’t get in the way!”
Rough-looking men marched through the streets in formation, carrying signs with slogans such as “Long live the Empire,” “Fight for the Imperial Family,” and “The Goddess watches over us.”
In their empty hands, they clutched clubs or bladed weapons.
Ahead of them, several bloodied men, bound in ropes, were being dragged along.
Their faces were so beaten and swollen it was questionable whether they could even see.
If their faces were in such a state, their bodies were surely in no better condition.
Some limped, their knees injured, while others wheezed, barely able to breathe.
“What… What is that?”
“Are they arresting high treason criminals or something?”
What was even more shocking was that no one tried to stop it.
An armed group was parading through the city in broad daylight, yet no police or military officers appeared.
And the citizens?
They weren’t horrified or recoiling in fear.
Instead, they cheered, applauding and encouraging the brutality.
Some even threw stones or spat at the captives, joining in on the humiliation.
“Punish them even more! Just break their arms already!”
“Teach those ungrateful traitors a lesson!”
What could they have possibly done to deserve such ruthless treatment?
What crime was so grave that it warranted turning them into cripples and publicly shaming them like this?
Disturbed, the saintess turned to the steward for answers.
“Did these men attempt to assassinate His Majesty?”
“What? Ah, no, nothing of the sort. They are simply cowards.”
The steward glared at the captives with utter contempt.
“They deserted from the army. Given the sacred duty of protecting the nation and His Majesty, yet they dared to flee.”
“…Is that truly such a grave offense?”
“Of course! To be born a citizen and yet refuse to lay down your life for your country? Desertion is an unforgivable crime!”
“……”
Joan was at a loss for words.
Since when had desertion become such a monstrous crime?
The military was a harsh place.
A group where people worried more about survival than living—constantly beaten, suffering from poor rations and harsh living conditions.
That was why desertions were commonplace, and even when deserters were caught, the punishment was usually just forced re-enlistment.
Of course, they’d be beaten severely in the process, but they were never publicly humiliated like this.
“T-Then… what will happen to them now?”
“They’ll be executed as an example. Their corpses will be displayed along the roadside—just like over there.”
The steward pointed towards a row of large trees.
Once, their dense foliage might have provided shade for travelers in the summer heat.
But now, they looked like Christmas trees.
Except instead of stars, ornaments, and lights, they were covered in corpses.
Under the sweltering heat, the bodies rotted quickly, swarmed by flies and insects, creating a stench so foul that no one would want to go near.
“T-This is insane. They’re doing this right in the middle of the city?”
Joan wanted to scream.
But she held it in.
Reacting too strongly here would only make her seem like the odd one out.
Instead, she tried to shift the topic naturally.
“Those men… Which unit do they belong to? Their clothing doesn’t look like military uniforms.”
“They’re members of the citizen militia—a self-organized force patrolling the city, urging people to enlist, and assisting the military in catching deserters.”
In other words, government-sanctioned thugs.
Like the Hitler Youth operating on the home front during World War II.
“They’ll be sent to the front lines soon. They’re strong and healthy—no reason to keep them in the rear.”
“…I see.”
Joan no longer had the energy to respond.
Reacting to every disturbing sight in this twisted society would be mentally exhausting.
“You must be weary from your travels. I will take you directly to your lodgings. In two days, you will have an audience with His Majesty—until then, please rest.”
The delegation was soon escorted to a luxurious hotel near the imperial palace.
The royal family had reserved the entire building for their stay, ensuring a lavish welcome.
At the very least, with no other guests present, they could find some peace here.
“Saintess.”
“…Yes, Bishop?”
“It will be… difficult.”
As she unpacked, Joan silently nodded at the bishop’s words.
He didn’t specify what would be difficult.
But he didn’t need to.
It was painfully obvious.
Achieving their mission in this madness-ridden nation would be no easy task.
‘Please… let there be no more horrors to witness.’
Joan sighed internally.
She did not want to see any more of this nightmare.
What was war, that it could twist a once-normal country into this?
But unfortunately,her simple wish… would not be granted.