Um, Eliza. Master Hurt is....

　As I started to work on my food and settled down a bit, Akari called out to Eliza.

'I knew you didn't know, Akari,'

The name of Mr. Hurt, the wise man who prayed to us before, is the name of the wise man who didn't let us die.

What?

　Akari didn't understand what it meant.
　If he had saved her - or something like that - then he could understand it.

　But is there a prayer of thanks for not being killed?

This country waged war on the elven nation of Alheim a few years ago. I invaded Alheim as a soldier in the national army at that time.

'This guy is a guard now, but not long ago he was a company commander in the national army.

Really?

Yeah. He was pretty good, huh?


　Eric had taken part in the war against Alheim, started by the Fifth Prince of Apristos.

　But the war was one that ended without crossing swords with the elves or unleashing a single magic shot.

　It was all due to the fact that Hurt the Wise, who had married the hero of Alheim and the second princess, was there.

''Master Hurt, you know, he transferred a hundred thousand of our national army at once.

　The Appristos State Army spent twenty days marching to Alheim, but the wise man's magic made them transfer to this country in an instant.

''Juju, a hundred thousand people?

　Akari didn't understand how difficult the magic of transference was, but he could understand that it was very impressive that he was able to transport 100,000 people at once with magic.

'Being able to transmigrate at will means they could have dropped us over the ocean. Because it's war.......and we attacked first.

"It was later brought to my attention by the people that the royalty of this country seem to have started a war for the World Tree in Alheim.

　Initially, this country had explained to its people that it was moving the national army to rescue the fifth prince who was captured by Alheim.

　However, that was an outright lie.

''It was a war started for such self-interest, so it was all our fault. Harut-sama had a good reason to annihilate our national army. Moreover, he was a wise man who could use magic to move a distance of twenty days on foot in an instant.

It doesn't matter how far away they are, they're free to go wherever they want, which means that Master Hurt had all these people's lives in his hands.

　Eliza laid her own hand on top of Eric's as he sat next to her.

'I mean, I wasn't married to Eric at the time. We didn't have a lot of money.

The deal was that I would be paid for my service as a soldier. So I, uh... 'I'll marry you when I get home from this war,' I told Eliza.

When he was leaving, I wanted to stop him if I could. But I was convinced by the people around me that this was a war we could win.

I'll be honest, when they sent me back here for the transition, I didn't really understand the situation.

　In the beginning, many of the soldiers in the national army were afraid of Sylph, the spirit king who was with Hurt, but they didn't feel much of a sense of urgency about being sent back to Aplistos.

　And many of them thought that they would have to gather food and other supplies right away and march again.

But when I went back to my house where I was living at the time, I told Eliza about it and she cried. That's when I realized. That's when I realized that we had died.

　They could have died.

　A hundred thousand people would have died if Hurt had wanted to.

'So I quit the National Guard. "That's why I quit the national army," he said, "because I realized that there are some crazy Berkémon in the world. I didn't want to serve in a country that might continue to wage war against them.

I was going to get out of this country, too...

　The kings of this country hadn't given up on the World Tree even after the invasion of Alheimers had proved to be a failure. They were planning the next invasion.

　Eric, who had a certain amount of status in the national army, had been informed of this, so he was thinking of escaping with Eliza.

''Since the head of the country has been replaced, I decided to take a look at it for a bit. For what it's worth, this is a country I'm used to living in, too.

Does that mean the king has taken over?

'Ah. Two months after the invasion of Apristos, the Fifth Prince staged a coup d'état. Not me, but some of the National Guard soldiers took part in it.

"What?

　The king and his ministers wanted to place the responsibility for all the costs of running the national army on the fifth prince alone.

　When the prince returned to his country, he was immediately imprisoned and awaiting execution.

　Then he learned that the king and his ministers had wanted the World Tree and wanted to take him out of the equation at the outset.

　The fifth prince was not very resourceful, but for some reason he was well-liked. And his SS had the best military strategist in the country.

　That military strategist led the SS, his private army, and some of the country's soldiers to recapture the Fifth Prince, and even went on to occupy the royal castle.

　The people were informed that the prince had staged a coup d'état, but in fact, it was all carried out by a military strategist on his own initiative.

　The reason why a capable military strategist went to such lengths...


　This is because he was fascinated by Halt, who can use unusual magic without a hitch and even follow the spirit king.

''If you will allow me to spread the Hurt religion in this country, I will make you the king of this country,''

　The military strategist said this and suggested the fifth prince.
　He did not want to die, so he had no choice but to accept the proposal.

　After that, the fifth prince was transformed into a true believer in Halt through the imprinting of the military strategist...

　No people know about this.


　That's why "Haltism" is now spreading in Apristos as the state religion.

　The head of the church is the former fifth prince who became the king.
　Of course, behind the scenes, a military strategist is at work.

　The military strategist thought that Hurt was a god who had descended to earth. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to transfer a large army of 100,000 people.

　He was making preparations behind the scenes to present this country as an offering to him one day when Hult came to this country.

　That's why it's called 'Haltism'.

　Incidentally, the missionary work is going surprisingly well.

　Because the 100,000 people who invaded Alheim with the national army had experienced Hult's power firsthand.

　"Lord Halt is the God who came down to earth.

　This teaching has received tremendous support from the soldiers who have been transplanted by Hult.

　These soldiers tell their families and friends that it is because of Hult that they have made it back alive and well, and so Hult's teachings have spread at a tremendous rate.


'That's why we always pray to Lord Hurt at every meal. 'Thank you for bringing this man home to me.'

I see.

How's that?　Wouldn't Akari join the Hurt religion?

　Saying that, Eric held out a thick book to Akari.

　On the cover of the book...


　It depicted a beautiful young man with black hair and blue eyes, accompanied by the Wind Spirit King.