Chapter 5: The Commandment-breaking Bishop, Souji Lester (4)

Once she left the Spirit Kingdom, the power of Merula's magic dropped.

Whether it was because "high elves can only manifest their power in the Spirit

Kingdom," or it was because "having left the Spirit Kingdom, Merula lost the

protection of the spirits," she didn't know. If her power came back when she

returned to the Spirit Kingdom, she'd be able to demonstrate with a high probability

that it was the former, but those who left the Spirit Kingdom were deemed to be

traitors. If she returned, she would be killed without question, so she hadn't been

able to verify this.

Let's get back on topic.

Merula continued her travels, and the Orthodox Papal State of Lunaria, which had

a unique faith, like her own people, caught her attention.

The Spirit Kingdom worshiped spirits they couldn't prove existed. So what about

the Orthodox Papal State which worshiped the moon goddess Lunaria? Did this Lady

Lunaria, and the Lunalith into which her prophecies were said to be carved, actually

exist?

If she could figure out the relationship between the Orthodox Papal State, Lady

Lunaria, and the Lunalith, maybe she could gain some understanding of the

relationship between the Spirit Kingdom and spirit worship. With that thought in

mind, Merula snuck into the main church of Lunarian Orthodoxy in order to see the

Lunalith, which was said to definitely be there.

◇ ◇ ◇

"H-Hold on, please." Inugami interrupted the story there. "You don't mean to tell

me that Madam Merula managed to sneak into the main church, do you? That place

is famous for its tight security. It's not a place an amateur could sneak into alone,

right?"

"Well, you're right, but..." Souji said, scratching the back of his head, and then put

his hand down on top of Merula's head. "Normally, it'd be tough, but... Merula has

this special ability, you see."

Souji rubbed his hand into Merula's head and pushed it around, trying to

convince her to do something.

Merula batted his hand away in annoyance, then whispered something. The very

next instant, Merula vanished.

"Wha?!" Inugami cried.

She had been right there all this time, but now he couldn't see any sign of her

anywhere. However, Inugami's sense of smell could detect Merula's presence. He

couldn't see her, but she was most definitely still there.

As he watched Inugami look around restlessly, Souji laughed and put his hand

where Merula had been just moments before. "I'm sure it looks like she's gone, but

Merula hasn't moved from where she was. If I touch her, I can tell she's definitely

still... Guagh?!"

Souji suddenly fell out of his chair. Inugami tensed himself, wondering what was

happening, when suddenly Merula reappeared with an angry look on her face and an

outstretched fist. She must have punched him out of the chair.

"Don't take advantage of the situation to try and grab my breasts, you sexual

harasser!" Merula shouted down at the fallen Souji.

"Ow... Your breasts? I thought that was your side... Gwah!"

"Sorry for not being curvy enough!"

For saying something he shouldn't have, Souji got stomped on, too.

Inugami was dumbfounded, but he still managed to ask, "Madam Merula can

make herself disappear?"

"Yes. That's right," Merula confirmed. "I don't really understand how it works

myself, but I can make the colors of my body and clothing blend in with their

surroundings. When I was in the Spirit Kingdom, I could make those around me

vanish, too, but... now, just disappearing myself is the best I can manage."

Souji came back to life and added, "She's like a lizard, right?" teasingly, which

earned him another kick. However, compared to the color mimicry of lizards, hers

was perfect.

If Souma had been here, he might have pointed out that Merula's ability was one

that controlled the refraction of light, and that it produced perfect optical

camouflage. But unfortunately, no one present could make that observation.

Souji got back into his chair and said, "Anyway," trying to get back on topic. "Her

ability let her infiltrate the main church and make it as far as the Lunalith."

"Even if you can vanish, they should have been able to sense her presence and

smell her," Inugami said. "I'm impressed she made it all that way."

"I'm sure it was partially luck, but it's also a place that no one but His Holiness

and the cardinals have access to," Souji explained. "The security on the entrance is

tight, but once you get in, it's unlikely that you'll be discovered. Merula snuck in as

His Holiness and the cardinals were leaving. Mind you, because of her sneaking in,

security's been buffed up considerably."

He stared at Merula pointedly, and she looked away awkwardly.

How could a single woman on her own do something so crazy? Inugami was

taken aback. "You said security has been buffed up. Does that mean she was

discovered?"

"Yeah," Souji said. "She could deceive their eyes, but, of all the things she could

have done, she had to go and touch the Lunalith. When she did, it seems she saw an

oracle."

◇ ◇ ◇

According to Merula's account, the Lunalith had been in a vast room bereft of all

signs of life.

The room was dimly lit, and in the center of this room with its high ceiling was

occupied by what looked like a pitch black stone monument. It measured five or six

meters high, two meters wide, and less than a meter deep.

Looking at it up close, Merula could tell that the stone monument was giving off a

pale light.

So this is the Lunalith... she thought. It really exists.

This was the object of worship in Lunarian Orthodoxy, the one on which the

oracles of Lunaria were said to be carved. Though she had anticipated it would,

when she saw that it actually existed, Merula got excited. Immediately shifting into

researcher mode, she began to observe and analyze the Lunalith.

Currently, though the subject is currently emitting light, no text has appeared, she

thought. Yet, in Lunarian Orthodoxy, it is said that the oracles of the moon goddess

Lunaria come down to them through the Lunalith.

When Merula was in research mode, her thoughts became as analytical as a

researcher's could be. Even the femininity vanished from her words in her head, and

she started to put together her sentences like they were part of a research paper,

with all excess removed.

Merula circled the Lunalith.

Hypothesis: The oracles of Lunaria are carved in the Lunalith, she thought. If this

hypothesis is true, the oracles of Lunaria will be carved into the Lunalith in some

manner. It is unclear whether the oracles are in written or pictorial form. If this

hypothesis is false, the oracles will not be carved in the Lunalith. In this case, it could be

conjectured that they have set up this phosphorescent object that seemed meaningful

as the Lunalith, and that Lunarian Orthodoxy is using it to support their authority...

but...

Having thought that far, Merula shook her head.

It can be conjectured that the possibility of that is low. The method is much too

roundabout for it to be a way to build their authority. If they were going to enshrine a

monument that does not actually receive oracles, it would be far simpler to claim it

was some sort of tool used by Lunaria. In point of fact, there are many such examples of

other religions doing just that.

Merula circled around to stand (probably) in front of the Lunalith.

Let's test if the hypothesis is true. In this case, there are, broadly speaking, two

patterns that it could be divided into:

Pattern 1: The oracles are handed down periodically, or at random intervals.

Pattern 2: The receiver of the oracles performs some operation in order to have

them come down.

Merula looked at the object, her eyes fully calm as she thought about it.

In the case of Pattern 1, the pope or other such receivers cannot receive oracles at a

time of their own choosing. In this case, they would strongly reflect the will of the moon

goddess Lunaria.

In the case of Pattern 2, the pope and others can receive oracles at a time of their

choosing. In this case, it can be conjectured that the moon goddess Lunaria is not a

being that influences her believers at all times.

Then Merula slowly reached out towards the Lunalith.

The Lunalith is emitting light. This can be conjectured to mean that the Lunalith is

in an active state. If, in some manner, I could receive an oracle, the possibility of

Pattern 2 would be heightened. I guess that's how it'd be, yeah.

Merula's mind returned from the sea of thoughts, and she touched the Lunalith. A

moment later...

"Ah!"

The Lunalith suddenly shone brighter, and a number of golden lines appeared on

its black surface. Merula jumped back in surprise, but when she calmed down and

took care to observe, she was able to see a regularity to their patterns. Merula

conjectured that they were characters. Surely these patterns had to be the oracles

said to be inscribed in the Lunalith.

Merula attempted to decipher the oracle, but not only were the characters not

the ones in common use for official purposes across the continent, they were so

different from any of the writing systems of any country Merula had encountered in

her travels that she couldn't read them.

Merula was a little disappointed, but she quickly changed gears.

No matter what, I got an oracle to come down. The next issue is whether the

Lunarian Orthodox pope and his people can read this...

When Merula was thinking that, she suddenly heard footsteps from a number of

people approaching. Those footsteps were rough, and she could tell they were

running.

Oh, shoot... They noticed my infiltration because I touched the Lunalith?! Merula

hurriedly used her ability to vanish and moved up against the wall.

Right after she did, six heavily armed men stormed into the room. These men,

whose shields bore the emblem of Lunarian Orthodoxy, were members of the

Orthodox Papal State's elite unit, the Order of Holy Knights.

The man who seemed to be their leader looked around the room. "...I can still

sense their presence here. They're hiding somewhere! Two of you, cover the door!

The rest of us will search the room!"

This is bad!

Their leader had detected Merula. On top of that, once the entrance was shut

tight, it would only be a matter of time before she was caught.

Having come to that conclusion, Merula took off at a run. Before it closed, she

managed to push one of the holy knights aside and get out through the door.

"Ah! They got away! Throw towards the exit!" the leader shouted.

"Yes, sir!"

Under the directions of the leader, one of the holy knights who had been

watching the door pulled out the dagger stored in the back of his shield and threw it

towards Merula.

"Guh..."

She was unable to dodge, partly because the corridor was so narrow, and so the

holy knight's dagger stabbed into Merula's shoulder. The pain broke her

concentration, causing Merula to turn visible.

When the holy knights saw her, they shouted out in surprise. "An elf?! Stop!"

"L-Like anyone would..." Merula made herself disappear with magic again and

fled.

Because of her injury, she left a trail of blood, and though the chase dragged on

for a long time, eventually she was able to shake her pursuers by diving into the

small river that surrounded the main church.

However, because she got into the water while bleeding, she started to lose blood

faster, and Merula lost consciousness as she drifted down the stream.