From the Navre Kingdom to the Allein Kingdom.
In just a few weeks, the Saint had studied a lot.
Mainly, she focused on the traces and writings of a person named Ishmael.
“Uhm… Saint? May I ask what you’re reading?”
“It’s a book. As you can see.”
The Wealth of Nations, Leviathan, The Social Contract, The Prince, and so on.
She had read every book she could find in bookstores, including those published and available to the public.
She even included writings like the 115 Articles of Refutation and the Great Charter that were suspected to have been written by him.
“It looks like difficult content. It must have been written by a very famous scholar.”
“…Well, yes. It’s by someone who even worked as a teacher at the Academy, so it’s definitely well-known.”
To be honest, she didn’t understand it well.
How could a Saint, who had spent her entire life reading the scriptures and studying the doctrines of the church, possibly understand political philosophy and economics?
Even when reading, she found so many words and sentences whose meanings she couldn’t grasp.
However, she could certainly feel a few things despite her lack of knowledge and education.
“Still, as you read, you can get a sense of the author’s intent. The thoughts they were trying to express.”
“That’s the purpose of reading a book, isn’t it?”
These concepts and ideas weren’t originally created by Ishmael.
The variety and depth of the content were too vast for it to have been made by just one person.
Producing such knowledge, which even an average scholar would take a lifetime to create, couldn’t be original creation.
No genius, no matter how brilliant, could have done this at such a young age.
‘He was still around thirty years old, right? He probably hadn’t even been active as a scholar for long.’
Moreover, the spectrum of his works was similarly diverse.
In some parts, he defended absolute monarchy, while in others, he praised constitutional monarchy.
The direction and goals were all over the place.
Considering that a person’s political views usually don’t change easily, it was hard to believe that he had done all of this research in just 2 or 3 years.
If she hadn’t known that he came from another world, she would have been amazed by his monstrous abilities.
However… knowing that, her perspective had to change.
He probably just borrowed and adapted the things made in his world, then presented them here.
He likely picked and chose according to his own intentions.
“Truly an amazing person. Even copying isn’t something that just anyone can do.”
Thus, the Saint, Joan, admired him.
She thought his talent and intelligence were real.
He had suddenly been brought to this world and, in the language of this world, created books from the ones he had memorized in his mind.
And not just one, but several.
He must have adjusted or edited various expressions and descriptions to fit this world.
Even in the 115 Articles of Refutation, it was clear that he had studied scriptures deeply.
He had learned the specialized knowledge of this world and reflected it in his works.
Although his research was different from actual studies, it was still something only a select few could do.
‘Without both talent and effort, this wouldn’t have been possible.’
It was amazing that he had achieved such results with only his personal abilities, without any special support.
Even though she had studied and practiced in the church her whole life, she still couldn’t memorize the entire scripture.
Such a person would certainly have been hailed as a genius in their original world as well.
“If only someone like that were on our side.”
She muttered softly, a wish that could not be fulfilled.
It would have been the best possible scenario, but that possibility was directly crushed by the goddess herself.
Anyone would understandably be furious if their lifetime of achievements and reputation were wiped away.
Especially someone who had been qualified to serve as an academy instructor; it was obvious what would happen.
No matter what words she used to plead, she would never be able to win him over.
The grudge of having his entire life taken from him would never disappear.
“Saint, we’re almost there. Please prepare to get off. The bishop should be waiting outside to greet you.”
“Already? We’ve arrived sooner than expected.”
“Thanks to the coachman’s skill.”
Still, she had to meet him.
If she weren’t going to, why would she have come all the way to another country?
“From now on, when you go outside, please try to wear simple clothes. The security has been bad lately.”
“This is the capital, though. Are you saying there are criminals everywhere?”
“Isn’t this a war zone? Beggars have been coming in from outside… The country is trying to handle it, but it’s still best to be cautious.”
“…It’s truly a chaotic time.”
“If the war ends quickly, it should get better, right?”
After unloading the luggage at the cathedral, the Saint changed into simple clothes, following the advice given, and headed outside.
She was searching for Ishmael himself and the traces he had left behind.
“After passing here, there should be an academy… but it’s closed.”
“It was shut down last month due to budget shortages. All the students and instructors were exiled back to their home countries.”
She had hoped to find something, so she went back to the academy, but unfortunately, it had been closed.
It seemed that the students who had been Ishmael’s disciples had all returned to their hometowns, so there was no gain in that attempt.
The instructors from Allein were still around, but there was little point in seeking them out.
In that case, she had no choice but to search according to the clues the goddess had given her.
“Could you guide me towards the market?”
With a minimal number of attendants, so as not to draw attention,She wandered the vast shopping streets of the capital of Allein every day.
Keeping her ears open for any voices, trying not to miss anything others were talking about,Desperately hoping that she would hear a voice she recognized.
She searched tirelessly, from morning until night, every day for several days.
She woke up earlier than the dawn merchants and stayed until all the shops had closed.
Then, when her stamina began to run out and both her body and mind grew tired.
Our baby’s parenting plan?
I wasn’t planning on getting pregnant yet… but if you want it, I’m happy to.
No, not that.
She overheard a conversation by chance on the street.
The voices of a couple casually talking about something that would make anyone blush were familiar.
It was the same tone she had heard a few months ago at the academy, from the person who had taught her.
‘Finally.’
She turned in the direction of the voice.
She shook off the guards who were following her and ran toward the source.
Like a baby reaching out to its parents, she ran toward the two people cloaked in robes.
Her chest collided with her body as the man’s gaze turned toward her.
“Found you.”
*****
A moment later.
“…It’s been a while, Instructor… no, Ishmael. And Kalia.”
The three of us—me, Kalia, and the Saint—had a face-to-face meeting at a café run by the organization to secure funds.
“It doesn’t seem like we’re close enough to exchange pleasantries. What brings you here?”
Kalia’s cautious reprimand was met with the Saint’s calm response.
“I wanted to apologize.”
“Apologize for what?”
“You hurled insults at me last time. You didn’t even know what kind of hardship I’ve been through.”
She bowed her head until it touched her knees, wearing a genuinely guilty expression.
“The goddess… I can’t curse, but I will speak to you without honorifics. I heard from the goddess that you were abducted to this world.”
Did that girl finally spill the truth?
Judging by the Saint’s disappointed look, it seemed she didn’t even manage to cover it up properly.
She probably proudly revealed the truth and got scolded for it.
It wasn’t particularly surprising.
She didn’t even know what self-reflection meant.
She still probably believes she is righteous and just.
“I’m sorry for calling you a betrayer who doesn’t appreciate the goddess’s grace, for calling you an Evil person who defies her. If I had known what you went through, I wouldn’t have said such things.”
“It’s okay. You can make mistakes when you’re young.”
“Ah, young? That’s true. I am young and foolish.”
As Kalia realized that her confession from the plains had been true, her eyes widened.
The Saint smiled bitterly, self-deprecating.
“I thought blindly serving the goddess was the whole of my life, thinking the world was all a bed of flowers in my head.”
“…You don’t need to be so hard on yourself.”
“No, this is my own reprimand. I lived like a greenhouse flower, unaware of how rotten the world had become. How could I possibly be righteous in front of you?”
She took a sip of the chicory coffee, which had replaced the imported coffee beans, and grabbed my hand.
She touched a scar that had appeared from forced manual labor, something I never thought I would experience.
“This… it’s fairly recent, I think. Maybe just about two years ago.”
“About the same. It happened when I first came to this world.”
“If Ishmael had continued to live his original life, you wouldn’t have gotten these scars, right?”
That’s true.
If I had continued my life as a professor, I would have lived comfortably, teaching and never had to face this fate.
But I wouldn’t have met Kalia.
“I’m sorry. I made you suffer. I dropped you into a world where we had no connection. I know this won’t make you feel better, but I will apologize on behalf of the goddess.”
“Ahem! That’s enough.”
Kalia cleared her throat, probably because she didn’t like how the Saint was fiddling with my hand, and she hugged me tightly, brushing away the Saint’s touch.
“Is that all you needed to say? If so, we’ll be going now.”
“Oh, there’s still more. I have a question I want to ask.”
She waved her hand dismissively, hesitating before speaking up.
“Ishmael…”
“Go ahead.”
“Do you still plan on continuing to disturb the world?”
“Of course.”
I’ll destroy the world the damn goddess created.
That was my only thought from the very beginning.
Whether I could return to my family or not,This world will definitely and completely be ruined.
“Why? Isn’t it too cruel to your own kind?”
“We’re not the same kind. I’ve never thought of it that way.”
To me, Kalia is more precious than those damn bastards.