At last.
At long last.
I first learned of the peril facing the world forty years ago.
I was ten years old at the time.
It was a divine revelation. The voice of God spoke to me, commanding me to save the world.
It wasn't a delusion. It was unmistakably the voice of God. My prayers had reached the heavens.
And so, I took action. To save the world, I had to assemble an army capable of striking down evil.
In practical terms, that meant studying. Without an education, one cannot achieve status, and the world is a place where no one listens to a word you say—no matter how noble—unless you have a position of power.
Take, for instance, a government official and a commoner. Even if they say the exact same thing, the official is the one who will be trusted. People require the assurance that comes with status; they need to believe that because a person of importance is speaking, it must be true.
Furthermore, connections are vital. Ties to influential people are essential. It was fortunate that I was born into the nobility, if only just. Although I was merely the third son of a Baron, I had at least a few opportunities to cross paths with the powerful. A commoner would have found such doors closed regardless of their efforts.
I entered the administration at twenty, and by thirty, I was entrusted with the governance of an entire city. Now, at fifty, I am the Prime Minister.
Of course, I didn't focus solely on my career. I worked hard in my private life as well. I married at twenty-five and fathered five children. My eldest son married the daughter of a powerful noble and has already blessed me with a grandchild. My second son has a bit of a profligate streak, but he proves useful in key moments. My third son is a knight who has fought on various battlefields; people call him a Hero candidate and the like, but from my perspective, he still has much to learn.
My eldest daughter was a bit uncouth, and I worried that no one would ever take her as a bride, but it worked out in the end. It seems there really are eccentric people in this world. Ah, no—I am truly grateful to her husband. I mean that. My wife was quite worried about her, so it was a great relief.
My second daughter is introverted and does nothing but read. She seems interested in Magic, but apparently, she lacks the talent for it. It’s a pity. However, our House is wealthy enough that she can study to her heart's content. Personally, I would like her to give up, but that isn't the sort of thing a person can do just because someone else tells them to.
Now then, while others might whisper behind my back that I have reached the pinnacle of prosperity... I have never forgotten my original purpose.
To save the world. To that end, I would assemble an army to strike down evil.
I worked tirelessly. The fruits of those forty years of labor were now right before my eyes.
The meeting room was pitch-black, save for the flickering light of a Candle. Thirteen men and women, myself included, were seated around the conference room's round table.
"Chairman, you’ve forgotten your mask."
"Ah, my apologies."
To prevent our true identities from being discovered by the forces of evil, it was mandatory to wear a mask to hide our social status. We had adopted a triangular mask that covered the entire head, designed for breathability and ease of conversation. Since it would be confusing if everyone wore identical masks, numbers were printed on the foreheads.
I was No. 1.
Lately, I had begun to feel this was all a bit... strange. It was odd. I had been full of enthusiasm when we first adopted the masks, but those feelings had long since evaporated. Still, it wasn't enough to make me call for their removal. I suppose I’d grown attached to them in a way.
The meeting was led by No. 2, the Vice Chairman. In reality, he was a high-ranking official of the Korin Religion. His sense of justice was fierce, and I was often moved by his refusal to tolerate evil.
"Any city that harbors evil should simply be destroyed," he declared.
I couldn't help but feel that his stance toward evil was becoming a bit too extreme.
"Regarding the Magic Legion, preparations are complete," reported No. 4, the officer in charge of the unit. "We can mobilize two thousand troops immediately upon your command."
The Magic Legion was a combat force centered around powerful magic users. Originally, I had only intended for them to be a small group of Escorts, but somehow they had grown to this size. If they were to mobilize at full strength, the number would apparently reach five thousand.
"There are currently eight confirmed Heroes," reported No. 8, our intelligence officer. "However, five of them have significantly decreased their activity. The cause is unknown."
"Decreased their activity? Do you mean they aren't fighting anymore?"
"Yes. More than that, it’s as if they’ve simply stopped going out. For some reason, some of them have even started businesses... Honestly, we are quite perplexed."
"It’s likely a waste of time to try and understand the whims of Heroes. Their incomprehensibility is their greatest strength."
"Indeed. Well, let the Heroes do as they please. Our primary target is... the Saint."
The Saint. She is one who can hear the words of God and is often an object of worship. If she can hear the voice of God, then she is one of our own. I had intended to contact her, but the Korin Religion Headquarters beat us to it. It was a shame we couldn't bring her into the fold.
"The building where the Saint is being sheltered has been identified," someone noted. "The Escorts are few. We can do it."
I wondered what they meant by "we can do it." I didn't think a forced entry was a particularly good idea.
"My army will handle it. Fufufu."
While the Magic Legion was the organization's official force, some members here possessed their own private armies. No. 11, who had raised his hand with such confidence, was... wait. No. 11 was the Prince of our country. The Prince didn't have a private army.
Which meant... surely he didn't intend to mobilize the Royal Guards? Between the budget concerns and the political fallout, the Minister of Military Affairs and the Minister of Financial Affairs would be clutching their heads in despair. The Royal Guards were already incredibly expensive just to maintain their polished appearance.
And wait—wasn't the building where the Saint was staying located in another country? Sending our nation’s Royal Guards there would be a massive international incident. Was that really okay? I looked at the Prince... or rather, No. 11. "What is the basis for your confidence?"
"Because we are on the side of justice."
...
It was strange. A short while ago, I would have been satisfied with that answer. But now, I found I couldn't accept it. Had something changed within me?
"Enemy attack!"
A sentry guarding the perimeter of the room shouted. Every member except for me drew their weapons.
I hate to say it at a time like this, but... were the weapons they were holding always that... atrocious? Or rather, didn't they look a bit villainous? Was it really okay just because they were supposedly "weapons of justice"?
I see.
The organization I had spent forty years building was dismantled in an instant. It was done by a group of only five or six attackers.
I had no idea who our opponents were. They effortlessly blocked the "powerful" spells our Magic Legion took such pride in and unleashed attacks that rivaled a Dragon's breath.
And yet, no one died.
As the attackers struck us down, they spoke. They told us to wake up.
It was a strange thing. My organization was gone, yet I felt a peculiar sense of clarity.
Had I been wrong all along? Was the voice of God I heard forty years ago a mistake?
O God. Please, let me hear your voice one more time.
"Situations change... so, sorry."
Those were the words of God, relayed to me by the Saint some days later.