Creon said he wanted to see Shea.
　But it's a wish that will never come true.

　A dead person cannot come back to life.
　This is the immutable truth.

That's right. Yes, that's right. ─ Yes, that's right, that's why I'm just saying it's a wish. It's just that I still wonder why Shea had to die.

It's...

　When I'm at a loss for words, Creon says as he leans on my shoulder.

'It's because we didn't have the power to protect Shea from the demons. That's true, but that's not the point. But that's not the point.

What do you mean?

The question is, why would God let a little girl die?

It's not that Shea was not killed by the gods. She was killed in the ruins at the hands of a demon.

The Imperial Church says that the Almighty God sends his alter ego, the Holy Spirit, to create this world and guide it to its proper form. Man, plants, trees, and beasts are all created by God. And after all forms have been destroyed, they will return to God and the Holy Spirit, to the afterlife.

What do you mean by that?

　We trudged through the cracks in the ruins, our voices bouncing off each other's walls and echoing off the road.

　Even children who live in this country know the doctrine of the Imperial Church.
　After all, more than ninety percent of the subjects in this country are members of the Imperial Church.

What I want to say is this. If God is all-powerful and made everything in the world, why did he allow an innocent girl to die?　There was no reason why Shea had to die. If there is a God, why would he abandon such a sweet boy?

　I'm at a loss for words.
　What Creon was saying was a historically well-repeated objection to the doctrine of the Imperial Church.

　If there is a God of universal justice, how can evil and unreasonableness be tolerated?
　The clergy of the imperial church have been twisting their heads to answer this question all along.

　At the same time, they had thoroughly suppressed those who had such doubts and suppressed doubts about the faith.
　Now was no longer a time when one could be executed for simply challenging the Imperial Church.

　But even if it were, the words of the great nobleman in the heart of the Empire were not gentle.

''Complaining to God won't bring Shea back.

'I know, I know. But even you, Sophia, would want to curse the gods in the same way if that Princess Filia, Her Highness, had been cruelly murdered. And you would surely want to put the scales back in their rightful place.

"Fix the scales?

Weak adventurer's ramblings. Forget it.

　Creon said in a calm tone.
　'Fixing the balance in the right position, which means that the balance is in the wrong position now.
　I don't know what that means.

　As I was about to ask Creon, a dog-shaped demon race jumped out of a cave in the corner of the passage.
　Even though it was a dog, it was in the form of a fierce large dog, and from the amount of magic it contained, it would pose a great threat to an ordinary adventurer.

　It has sharp fangs pointed at us.

　I chuckled as I lowered Creon to the wall in place.

'You're probably still recovering from the poison, so Creon can wait there.

I'm not happy about it, but I'll let you.

　After confirming that Creon had complied, I drew my treasure sword tetracord.
　Then I take a swing of the sword.

　The wind magic caused by the treasure sword causes the demon dog to slam into the wall.
　I also flashed my sword in a single flash.

　The next moment, the demon tribe let out a loud roar and fell to the ground.
　No matter how much of a threat they were to an ordinary adventurer, they weren't much of an enemy to me, who was a cadre of the Knights of St. Sophia, even if they were.

　Naturally, it should be a weak enemy for Creon as well, but Creon, struck by neurotoxin, is unable to defeat even such a demon race.
　That's why Creon wouldn't have been able to come back alive if I wasn't there.

''I never thought the day would come again when I would be able to save Creon in this way.

'Me too. I don't want to rely on you ever again, but I'll thank you this time.

　Creon got up slowly.
　It seemed like Creon didn't want me to help him.

　Well, maybe it was because he was the one he'd banished.

　Creon spat evasively.

'If it weren't for the traitor in our midst, I wouldn't have made such a blunder.

Me?　Like I said, I wasn't trying to kill Creon.

I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about another real traitor who tried to take my life.