'It's so cool.'
The Crown Prince touched his forehead.
He was just trying to track down the mastermind behind the attempted murder of the Saintess, but who would have thought he would discover heresy?
In fact, this was not the first time that heresy had been discovered.
Although Catalonia has been a monotheistic country for over two thousand years since its founding, there have been occasional attempts to evangelize and spread new religions.
But no heretic dared to harm the Saintess directly.
To approach the Saintess, one must first break through the temple's security, which would not be easy, and even if one did manage to do so, the Saintess herself possessed powerful holy powers, so it was only natural.
Nevertheless, they killed Saintess Margaret. Without a sound.
What this meant was that this Ibis church was completely different from the other idiots he had seen so far.
'Perhaps the disappearance of the goddess may have something to do with the emergence of this religion.'
And this terrible disaster that has befallen the empire...
The Crown Prince sighed briefly, anticipating a difficult future, and looked around the food on the table and the neatly decorated interior of the restaurant once more.
If a cult has amassed this much wealth, its leader is likely to be a high-ranking noble with a well-known name.
Even if that's not the case, he would certainly be under the protection of a high-ranking noble.
It wouldn't have been easy to hide such a large-scale organization for 13 years without some level of power.
The Crown Prince decided to stay here for the time being and track down their superiors.
It's been three days since the Crown Prince hid in the group of heretics like a wild beast hunting for prey.
It was pretty much the same as before.
With three hearty meals and a little free time, most of the rest of the day was spent on pastoral work.
“Everyone, have we ever received Hethel’s grace since we were born into this world?”
"No!"
“Yes. Hethel made us come from the lowest position and did not care about us who suffered because of it. While those who were favored by Hethel enjoyed all sorts of delicacies and luxuries, we had to fill our hungry bellies with a piece of bread or a potato.”
"You're right!"
“While those who were favored by Hethel filled their wardrobes with dozens or hundreds of garments that they could not possibly wear, we had to get through the four seasons with just one piece of straw.”
"You're right!"
“While those who were favored by Hethel enjoyed all the luxuries for their children, our parents had to work hard to earn a single fairy tale, and yet, unable to make a living, they had to abandon you in tears of blood.”
"You're right!"
“On the other hand, what about the goddess Ibis? She took you in her arms from the lowest of positions, fed you with nutritious food, and gave you nice clothes. She ensured you a warm bed and a comfortable life that you had not been able to enjoy before.”
"You're right!"
“If the goddess Ibis, not Hethel, had embraced this empire from the beginning, would your past lives have been so painful? Would your parents have abandoned you? Would you have become orphans?”
"No!"
“Yes, all this happened because we served the wrong god. If we had served the goddess Ibis instead of Hethel, this would never have happened.”
"You're right!"
“But our foolish and pitiful brothers still do not know this fact. How pitiful it is that they suffer from the calamity brought by Hethel and yet seek only Hethel’s mercy.”
"You're right!"
The pastor, who had been continuing to fan the flames of hatred toward Hethel and remind them of the graces of Ibis, spoke solemnly.
“Now, everyone. The goddess Ibis will soon be with us. What should we do then?”
“We must guide our brothers to serve the Goddess Ibis!”
“That’s right. We must lead them to the glory of serving the Goddess Ibis, who loves us with all her heart. The one who can truly protect us. We are the chosen ones!”
“Wow!”
Children who had to endure the hardships of the world without anyone to look after them were enthusiastic about the abundant meals, comfortable life, and the title of 'chosen ones'.
“Ibis! Ibis!”
The eyes of the children who shouted the name of the goddess whose face they did not even know were filled with awe toward the ibis.
'This is driving me crazy.'
The Crown Prince could not hide his despair as he watched the children who had become loyal followers of the goddess Ibis.
The fact that so many children were brainwashed into heresy in just a few days was one of the reasons he despaired, but the bigger reason was that the prey for that brainwashing was nothing more than a hearty meal and a warm bed.
That meant that the responsibility for all of this lay with the royal family, who had failed to properly care for the weak.
It was at that moment that the Crown Prince, who had been wiping his face with confusion, went out to the backyard to get some fresh air.
Ring ring.
He heard light footsteps following him.
'What?'
The Crown Prince's expression hardened at the mysterious sound of footsteps.
If it was just a coincidence, there would be no reason to approach so cautiously and muffle the sound of your footsteps.
But that was only for a moment, as the Crown Prince's sharp nerves calmed down again.
The signs following him were not human but beast-like.
As expected, a cat caught the eye of the Crown Prince who had turned back without paying attention.
It was a cat with a rather unique appearance, unlike the cats commonly seen on the streets, with red fur as lovely as a blazing flame and vivid green eyes that resembled the greenery of midsummer.
'It doesn't look like a lion because its fur isn't white.'
Judging from the bell-like thing hanging around its neck, it seemed like it was a cat raised by someone.
The Crown Prince tried to withdraw his attention for a moment, but then his gaze was fixed on the cat again.
It was so lovely to see her looking up at him with sparkling eyes and wagging her lovely tail that it was hard to leave.
'I think this is the first time I've seen a cat this close.'
The Crown Prince, who lowered his posture and met the cat's gaze, unconsciously reached out his hand.
'Where do cats like to be touched? The head? The chin?'
Be stroked the cat's crown and chin in turn, recalling the memories of petting the dogs he often took with him on hunting trips, and the cat flinched in surprise.
But that was only for a moment, and soon it began to grumble and writhe its body.
The sound was a bit strange, but with her languid expression and her refusal to back down, she didn't seem to particularly dislike it.
'So cute.'
The Crown Prince's lips softened at the sudden approach of the small life.
The Crown Prince, forgetting that he had been in despair, sat down on the floor and began to stroke the cat to his heart's content.
Round crown.
A bushy chin.
The area around the eyes doesn't have much hair.
The jaw muscles look a little tense.
The more he touched every nook and cranny, the louder the cat's growling became.
Later, he became more and more curious as he watched the delicate life form rubbing its face against his hand, asking to be touched more, and impulsively he picked up the cat.
He used to frown when he saw people doing this to animals, asking what kind of dirty thing they were doing, but now he couldn't do anything about it.
This was an act of God.
Affection for a lovely beast that follows him without any reason or reward.
The instinct that affection brings about.
The Crown Prince locked eyes with the adorable beast that was dangling from his hand and tilting its head in wonder.
And then, they kissed briefly.
Then, the cat, who had been tilting its head with an expression like, “What’s happening now?”, quickly jumped out of his arms with a thoughtful face.
And then...
“Hey, what are you sticking where right now! Are you crazy?”
What is going on?
The words coming out of the cat's mouth were actually human words.
Even the mouth was so foul that it reminded him of someone.
‘Yes, just like a Princess....’
The moment he thought about that, the crown prince froze.
Because the sight of the red-furred cat seemed somehow familiar.
'Where have I seen it?'
As he stared blankly at the cat, reminiscing, he soon realized something.
A few days ago, Shayne, who had transformed into a cat thanks to Delton's wit, was about to be discovered by a mysterious man having a secret meeting with the director at the daycare late at night.
The fact that the cat in front of him right now looked very similar to that image.
So, the person he has been fondling and kissing so happily until now is none other than Shayne.
“What the hell!”
The Crown Prince prince covered his mouth with a look of astonishment.
The Crown Prince touched his forehead.
He was just trying to track down the mastermind behind the attempted murder of the Saintess, but who would have thought he would discover heresy?
In fact, this was not the first time that heresy had been discovered.
Although Catalonia has been a monotheistic country for over two thousand years since its founding, there have been occasional attempts to evangelize and spread new religions.
But no heretic dared to harm the Saintess directly.
To approach the Saintess, one must first break through the temple's security, which would not be easy, and even if one did manage to do so, the Saintess herself possessed powerful holy powers, so it was only natural.
Nevertheless, they killed Saintess Margaret. Without a sound.
What this meant was that this Ibis church was completely different from the other idiots he had seen so far.
'Perhaps the disappearance of the goddess may have something to do with the emergence of this religion.'
And this terrible disaster that has befallen the empire...
The Crown Prince sighed briefly, anticipating a difficult future, and looked around the food on the table and the neatly decorated interior of the restaurant once more.
If a cult has amassed this much wealth, its leader is likely to be a high-ranking noble with a well-known name.
Even if that's not the case, he would certainly be under the protection of a high-ranking noble.
It wouldn't have been easy to hide such a large-scale organization for 13 years without some level of power.
The Crown Prince decided to stay here for the time being and track down their superiors.
***
It's been three days since the Crown Prince hid in the group of heretics like a wild beast hunting for prey.
It was pretty much the same as before.
With three hearty meals and a little free time, most of the rest of the day was spent on pastoral work.
“Everyone, have we ever received Hethel’s grace since we were born into this world?”
"No!"
“Yes. Hethel made us come from the lowest position and did not care about us who suffered because of it. While those who were favored by Hethel enjoyed all sorts of delicacies and luxuries, we had to fill our hungry bellies with a piece of bread or a potato.”
"You're right!"
“While those who were favored by Hethel filled their wardrobes with dozens or hundreds of garments that they could not possibly wear, we had to get through the four seasons with just one piece of straw.”
"You're right!"
“While those who were favored by Hethel enjoyed all the luxuries for their children, our parents had to work hard to earn a single fairy tale, and yet, unable to make a living, they had to abandon you in tears of blood.”
"You're right!"
“On the other hand, what about the goddess Ibis? She took you in her arms from the lowest of positions, fed you with nutritious food, and gave you nice clothes. She ensured you a warm bed and a comfortable life that you had not been able to enjoy before.”
"You're right!"
“If the goddess Ibis, not Hethel, had embraced this empire from the beginning, would your past lives have been so painful? Would your parents have abandoned you? Would you have become orphans?”
"No!"
“Yes, all this happened because we served the wrong god. If we had served the goddess Ibis instead of Hethel, this would never have happened.”
"You're right!"
“But our foolish and pitiful brothers still do not know this fact. How pitiful it is that they suffer from the calamity brought by Hethel and yet seek only Hethel’s mercy.”
"You're right!"
The pastor, who had been continuing to fan the flames of hatred toward Hethel and remind them of the graces of Ibis, spoke solemnly.
“Now, everyone. The goddess Ibis will soon be with us. What should we do then?”
“We must guide our brothers to serve the Goddess Ibis!”
“That’s right. We must lead them to the glory of serving the Goddess Ibis, who loves us with all her heart. The one who can truly protect us. We are the chosen ones!”
“Wow!”
Children who had to endure the hardships of the world without anyone to look after them were enthusiastic about the abundant meals, comfortable life, and the title of 'chosen ones'.
“Ibis! Ibis!”
The eyes of the children who shouted the name of the goddess whose face they did not even know were filled with awe toward the ibis.
'This is driving me crazy.'
The Crown Prince could not hide his despair as he watched the children who had become loyal followers of the goddess Ibis.
The fact that so many children were brainwashed into heresy in just a few days was one of the reasons he despaired, but the bigger reason was that the prey for that brainwashing was nothing more than a hearty meal and a warm bed.
That meant that the responsibility for all of this lay with the royal family, who had failed to properly care for the weak.
It was at that moment that the Crown Prince, who had been wiping his face with confusion, went out to the backyard to get some fresh air.
Ring ring.
He heard light footsteps following him.
'What?'
The Crown Prince's expression hardened at the mysterious sound of footsteps.
If it was just a coincidence, there would be no reason to approach so cautiously and muffle the sound of your footsteps.
But that was only for a moment, as the Crown Prince's sharp nerves calmed down again.
The signs following him were not human but beast-like.
As expected, a cat caught the eye of the Crown Prince who had turned back without paying attention.
It was a cat with a rather unique appearance, unlike the cats commonly seen on the streets, with red fur as lovely as a blazing flame and vivid green eyes that resembled the greenery of midsummer.
'It doesn't look like a lion because its fur isn't white.'
Judging from the bell-like thing hanging around its neck, it seemed like it was a cat raised by someone.
The Crown Prince tried to withdraw his attention for a moment, but then his gaze was fixed on the cat again.
It was so lovely to see her looking up at him with sparkling eyes and wagging her lovely tail that it was hard to leave.
'I think this is the first time I've seen a cat this close.'
The Crown Prince, who lowered his posture and met the cat's gaze, unconsciously reached out his hand.
'Where do cats like to be touched? The head? The chin?'
Be stroked the cat's crown and chin in turn, recalling the memories of petting the dogs he often took with him on hunting trips, and the cat flinched in surprise.
But that was only for a moment, and soon it began to grumble and writhe its body.
The sound was a bit strange, but with her languid expression and her refusal to back down, she didn't seem to particularly dislike it.
'So cute.'
The Crown Prince's lips softened at the sudden approach of the small life.
The Crown Prince, forgetting that he had been in despair, sat down on the floor and began to stroke the cat to his heart's content.
Round crown.
A bushy chin.
The area around the eyes doesn't have much hair.
The jaw muscles look a little tense.
The more he touched every nook and cranny, the louder the cat's growling became.
Later, he became more and more curious as he watched the delicate life form rubbing its face against his hand, asking to be touched more, and impulsively he picked up the cat.
He used to frown when he saw people doing this to animals, asking what kind of dirty thing they were doing, but now he couldn't do anything about it.
This was an act of God.
Affection for a lovely beast that follows him without any reason or reward.
The instinct that affection brings about.
The Crown Prince locked eyes with the adorable beast that was dangling from his hand and tilting its head in wonder.
And then, they kissed briefly.
Then, the cat, who had been tilting its head with an expression like, “What’s happening now?”, quickly jumped out of his arms with a thoughtful face.
And then...
“Hey, what are you sticking where right now! Are you crazy?”
What is going on?
The words coming out of the cat's mouth were actually human words.
Even the mouth was so foul that it reminded him of someone.
‘Yes, just like a Princess....’
The moment he thought about that, the crown prince froze.
Because the sight of the red-furred cat seemed somehow familiar.
'Where have I seen it?'
As he stared blankly at the cat, reminiscing, he soon realized something.
A few days ago, Shayne, who had transformed into a cat thanks to Delton's wit, was about to be discovered by a mysterious man having a secret meeting with the director at the daycare late at night.
The fact that the cat in front of him right now looked very similar to that image.
So, the person he has been fondling and kissing so happily until now is none other than Shayne.
“What the hell!”
The Crown Prince prince covered his mouth with a look of astonishment.
Comments
Post a Comment