Immediately after suppressing the Guides of the Lantern. The Squad Members were staring blankly up at the sphere made of priests.
They muttered.
"Why... did he clump them all together like that?"
"I guess you could save a circle or two in the magic circle that way..."
"Was that really the reason?"
"Gods... how ruthless."
Listening to them made me feel a little embarrassed. My mistake had been reducing the detection range to save resources while constructing the Gravity magic. I walked up to them and spoke.
"Um... could you possibly keep my name a secret?"
At my words, the Squad Members’ gazes all fell on me at once.
"The main branches have all been crushed, but we haven't caught the scattered cells yet. Until then, please keep what happened today a secret."
The Squad Members nodded repeatedly.
"Yes."
"... We will absolutely keep it a secret."
I believed them... but their stiff replies created a sense of distance. I liked it better when we were eating pemmican together under the name Howard. Just then, Sarah carefully opened her mouth.
"... Then what about this."
Her finger pointed to the entire cavern. The ceiling was torn away, revealing the open sky, and dozens of priests were clumped together like a giant ball, floating in midair. It was an incredibly surreal sight.
"How should we explain this? The commander will surely order an investigation."
I shrugged nonchalantly.
"Let's just say 'Howard Wallowitz' did all of this. From what I hear, he seemed to be a great mage."
"Will that work?"
"There's no other way, is there?"
"Hoo."
Sarah let out a short sigh as if in resignation.
"I suppose you're right. Howard Wallowitz... Understood."
The other Squad Members also nodded. We decided to postpone our return to the central base until tomorrow. It would be too difficult to lead the unconscious priests through the cold night.
As I was about to take out my personal tent, Sarah stopped me.
"You must be cold. If you don't mind, why don't you sleep with us in our tent."
"... But I'm not Howard anymore, am I?"
"... What are you talking about now?"
It seemed she was willing to overlook my one lie since we were comrades who had completed a mission together. I entered the large field tent with the Squad Members. 'It's a little cold.'
I said to Sarah.
"Would it be alright if I put on some heating?"
"... If you use magic, you won't be able to sleep deeply, will you?"
"Oh, there are ways around that."
I quietly took a few gold ingots out of my pocket-space pouch. The next morning. Sarah, having woken up, was staring blankly at the tent.
It was a bit dazzling since I hadn't removed the gold foil yet.
"So gold is something that warms a person just by being near it."
It was an answer that sounded like she'd sold her very soul to capitalism. Sarah asked me.
"Does this warming effect only happen when you coat something in gold?"
"Hmm..."
You could probably get a similar effect with just aluminum. 'But aluminum is probably more expensive than gold here...' I answered Sarah.
"Yes. I think it would be quite difficult. Would you like some gold if you need it?"
"... No. If I process gold this thinly every night, I'll eventually collapse from the rebound."
"I see. Then how about some help other than gold?"
Sarah tilted her head.
"Help?"
"The spells you use in combat, I think their efficiency could be improved."
I explained the general concept I had in mind to Sarah.
"I'm thinking of reorganizing the magic circle's structure to separate the loading and firing circles."
Current magic has various commands tangled up in each circle. I plan to tidy it up, like neatly organizing wires, to create something like 'Memorize'. In other words, you'll be able to freely stop a spell right before it fires.
"... Is something like that possible?"
"Yes."
Sarah's eyes widened.
"If there's a structural error, wouldn't there be a rebound?"
"Making sure that doesn't happen is my job."
She said, "Is it alright for us to ask for something like that?"
"Of course."
They're the ones responsible for the nation's defense in my stead, so they deserve at least this much.
"Sir Isaac."
"Yes... Whoa!"
Sarah gripped my hand tightly with her bandaged one.
"Please don't overexert yourself. We are already too deeply indebted to you."
A little blood seeped from the wound on Sarah's hand.
"No, no. It's fine. I'm just grateful for your military service."
"Really?"
"Hmm... To be honest, about half of it is for my own interest."
Sarah studied my expression carefully and replied.
"... My goodness, you really do think that way."
Ssk.
Sarah loosened her grip.
She said.
"Sir Isaac... you are unusual."
"Huh?"
"Mages from the Magic Tower usually don't have a very high opinion of combat mages."
I had heard rumors to that effect. I replied to her.
"The army and the Magic Tower. Perhaps misunderstandings have built up because no one has experienced both?"
"Once your mandatory service period is over, come visit the Magic Tower. We can hang out and clear up any misunderstandings."
"My mandatory service period ended a long time ago."
"Does that mean... surely not..."
"Yes. I've reenlisted for the long term."
Oh dear...
Just as we were about to leave after our conversation, a Squad Member hurriedly stopped me.
"Wait a moment! You've forgotten something very important, Sir Upperhills."
"What is it?"
Are there remnants hiding somewhere?
"Once we return to the base, you'll have to be called Howard again."
"Until we interrogate the priests and wipe out the remnants... I suppose so."
"Then, as a last thing, could I get your signature here..."
He took out a handwritten copy of Principia from his coat and held it out. Sarah stared at him with a look of disbelief. But he didn't back down.
"I'll never tell anyone how I got it. I swear. Please."
His eyes were filled with sincerity. I glanced around. The other Squad Members' eyes were filled with anticipation.
I said to them.
"If you have any of my other papers, bring them all. I'll sign them for you."
"...!"
Afterwards, I messily... no, I neatly signed them all.
After arriving at the base, I heard news from the other two locations. Both raids were reportedly successful. There were almost no casualties on our side.
With this, all the major forces of the Guides of the Lantern were gone.
How refreshing.
Gwendolyn said to me.
"All that's left is to interrogate the priests and find the remaining remnants."
"I see."
"In that regard, it's a great relief that you captured all the priests alive, Sir Upperhills."
"Huh? Why is that?"
"Sir Valerius killed all the priests."
"Wow. Is that allowed?"
"Hmm? Of course. They're enemies of the Empire."
"Ah."
I should remember. This is a medieval world where lèse-majesté laws are real. Criminals have no human rights.
I asked Gwendolyn.
"Then what will happen to the captured priests and followers?"
"Labor reformation. That's usually the case for criminals caught in the northern front."
"Oh."
That makes sense. The northern front is always short on manpower, so that's a profitable outcome.
"In the case of the priests, they'll probably work until they die, won't they?"
'In the case of the priests'.
"Are the followers punished as well?"
"Yes. The number of years is different, but they're put to work after determining the extent of their involvement in the crime."
It's an understandable measure, but it's certainly ruthless.
"Don't worry, they don't make simple accomplices work until they die."
They have some conscience, it seems. That cleared up all my questions. I said to Gwendolyn.
"Thank you for the explanation. Well then, I'll be..."
"—Oh, right. Sir Valerius summoned you, Sir Upperhills."
"Right now?"
"Yes. You should go see him."
I headed over to the tent where Valerius was. Valerius was sitting on a simple chair, reading Principia. Seeing the signature, I guessed it was from Sarah's squad.
Valerius spoke without even looking up from my thesis.
"I revealed my real name."
"... Huh? Why?"
"You said you were going to hide your name. If the instigator remains ambiguous after an incident of this scale, it will cause unnecessary confusion for the Empire’s Bureau of Magical Investigation."
"So... you're revealing your name because of me?"
"Yes."
"If you reveal your name carelessly, your friends or family could be harmed. You should have kept it hidden until the remnants were caught."
Valerius was silent for a moment at my question. Then, he chuckled and answered.
"I'll just have to catch and kill them all before that happens."
"Wow..."
That's admirable.
The way a Great Mage thinks really is different.
"Rest until the next caravan arrives. I'll be back after I've uprooted every last one of the remnants."
"Yes, sir."
The next day. We held an interim report meeting in the commander's office. Me, Gwendolyn, Sarah, and the commander were present.
Valerius had left to hunt for remnants. The meeting began, and the commander started his report to me.
"With this, all core members of the Guides of the Lantern have been suppressed."
The commander found it difficult to treat me normally. He seemed to think of me as some sort of 'imperial secret weapon'.
He continued.
"We have also identified the scattered cells by interrogating the priests, and we are now focusing on tracking them down."
How successful.
However, the commander's expression was still dark. He paused to choose his words, then continued with a troubled face.
"And... there is one more thing to report."
"What is it?"
"It's that some of the people we rescued still long for the Guides of the Lantern."
At those words, Sarah's expression noticeably darkened. 'Just as I thought...' Sarah said with a stiff face.
"The majority have admitted their wrongdoings and accepted the labor reformation sentence... but some still firmly believe that the High Priest will save them."
Sarah's gaze shifted slightly toward me.
She said.
"I apologize for asking this... but do you happen to have any good ideas?"
Thinking the High Priest will save them, huh. Fanaticism born of pure faith, not Brainwashing Spell, cannot be easily broken with medicine or magic. After all, the strongest prison is the one you build for yourself.
I answered her question.
"I have one, but it might be a bit intense."
"That doesn't matter. Please tell us."
I explained my plan to them.
A few days later. A temporary observatory was set up on a desolate hill near the military base. At its center was the reflecting telescope I had built.
There, the High Priest of the Guides of the Lantern, looking gaunt and haggard, stared blankly into the telescope's eyepiece. Behind him stood hundreds of followers and guards. The followers were waiting to hear what words would come from the High Priest's mouth.
The High Priest finally spoke. His voice was as dry as a withered leaf.
"It was true... it wasn't an illusion..."
Murmur, murmur.
That single phrase sparked an anxious stir among the followers. The High Priest stumbled back from the telescope. He asked me.
"If the doctrine was wrong, then my life... what was it all for?"
"That's what you should have asked your god."
A scientist doesn't know the meaning of life. Mages probably don't either. The High Priest's eyes lost their focus and darted around aimlessly.
"Gasp... gasp."
In the past few days, the High Priest had grown noticeably emaciated. It seemed his life force was fading from creating the Werewolf. The gaze of the old man, soon to be a corpse, fell on me.
To have his beliefs broken right before death. Is this a misfortune or a blessing? Personally, I hope the High Priest feels it's a misfortune.
That way, the victims might feel a little less wronged. The people murmured.
"So what happened?!"
"There are seven planets, right?! Please tell us, High Priest!"
"We believe in you, High Priest!"
Grrrind.
Sarah, standing beside me, ground her teeth. She commanded the High Priest.
"High Priest, sign, and repeat after me."
Flinch.
The High Priest's body trembled at Sarah's words. A piece of parchment was placed before the High Priest. On it was the assertion that there were not seven, but a total of eight planets in the solar system.
With a trembling hand, the High Priest left his signature on the parchment. Then he said.
"The planets of the solar system... are not seven, but eight in total."
At his words, some of the followers collapsed weakly to the ground.
"No way..."
"This can't be happening."
"High Priest..."
That day, their world collapsed. But not everyone accepted despair.
Tremble, tremble.
Sarah's younger sister clenched her fists tightly. 'The sisters are the same in this regard.' A moment later, she gritted her teeth and ran forward.
"Get out of the way!"
The guards hurriedly blocked her, but she struggled like a madwoman.
"You sons of bitches! This is a fraud! That damn spell-slinger tricked us!"
"That bastard! That motherfucker Howard is tricking us!!"
What a foul mouth. I spoke to her calmly.
"The construction and installation of this telescope were done in front of you, with your own cross-verification. What exactly is the fraud?"
"There can't be eight planets! The Providence of God is perfect! If there are eight planets, astrology will collapse!"
"Then I guess astrology was wrong."
"No! That must be a newly formed star. It's definitely not a planet!"
What is wrong with this person? We opened the observatory a week ago. You didn't look then, and now you say this?
It's a waste of time to have a serious conversation with someone like this. I signaled to the guards. 'Let's wrap this up.'
'Yes, sir.'
Immediately, the guards announced.
"This concludes the verification assembly. Everyone, follow the army's control."
"Aargh! No! It can't be!"
I spoke to the followers.
"The observatory doors will remain open for the time being. If you're curious about that planet's orbit, you can come and see for yourself at night after your work is done."
I turned and left the observatory.
Aaaaaaaargh!
I heard someone's scream from behind me. It was probably Sarah's sister.
After the verification assembly, I moved to a different lodging. It was the officer's quarters I had once said I was envious of. I heard that because of me, two officers had to share a room for a few days.
Poor them.
Of course, that's not my problem.
Sip.
I moistened my throat with warm goat's milk and looked out the window. Far in the distance, I could faintly see Neptune. It's not visible to the naked eye, but it would certainly be visible with a telescope.
Huhuhu.
"By now, the capital must be in an uproar about the appearance of a new planet."
I've fulfilled the second prophecy. Only one remains.
Knock, knock.
Just then, I heard a careful knock.
"Come in."
The door opened, and Sarah came inside. She approached me and bowed her head deeply.
"I am truly sorry about what happened today."
"For what?"
"My sister... for being so stubborn."
"No. Don't worry about it."
I said indifferently, turning my gaze back out the window. People are just like that. Even in a world where GPS could tell a person's location and time by correcting for the errors of relativity, the 'Flat Earth theory' survived.
In the face of overwhelming facts, human belief is not easily broken. Of course, if that person were your own twin sister, it would be heartbreaking. I said to Sarah.
"If anything, Squad Leader Sarah, you're the one who needs to steel your heart."
Persuading someone who has become a fanatic is an incredibly difficult task.
"Don't you feel it's unfair, Sir Upperhills?"
Sarah's voice trembled slightly.
"Even though you proved the truth... people refuse to believe it."
I was lost in thought for a moment. Is it unfair? In the capital, everyone will be lavishing praise on the new discovery.
With the princess's guarantee, the imperial family will also acknowledge it. This is progress that a handful of fanatics in the north cannot stop. Still, to be honest, it is annoying.
'There can't be eight planets! The Providence of God is perfect!' I held back because she has the same face as my comrade, Sarah.
Otherwise, I might have thrown a punch. I replied to Sarah.
"I'm fine."
Still, what can you do? This is my limit. I can change the world, but I can't change the hearts of everyone in it.
At my answer, Sarah lowered her head deeply.
"I... I think it's unfair."
"I didn't want to see my sister berating you, Sir Upperhills."
Sarah's eyes reddened.
"I thought that if my sister knew the truth, she would sincerely apologize to you. But... but...!"
I don't know what to say in times like this. It'll be okay? Let it go? ...
Nonsense.
As always, I'm a person who finds solutions easier than empathy. I said to Sarah.
"If you're really bothered by the fanatics, just try to endure it for three years."
"... What?"
Sarah lifted her head.
"Do you remember the final conjecture I wrote in Principia?"
"... You predicted the timing of a solar eclipse."
I nodded.
"Use that to spread a rumor. Say that a certain sage in the north has predicted the time of the eclipse and is spreading a new doctrine for the 'Guides of the Lantern'."
"If the sage's prophecy comes true, people will accept the new gospel instead of the old doctrine."
Sarah's eyes widened.
"Can we... do that? Isn't that different from the intention you wrote in Principia?"
"Eh, what does it matter?"
I chuckled and continued.
"The person who wrote that was Isaac, and I'm 'Howard Wallowitz', aren't I?"
"If you're really concerned, I'll go get Isaac's permission."