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A few days after I woke up, things started to take a slightly troublesome turn.

It all began when the church, which had remained silent until then, suddenly announced that it would begin accepting the injured.

They possess their own unique form of magic. Academically known as Faith Magic, it is a type of proxy magic that allows one to temporarily borrow the power of a specific deity by dedicating one’s faith to it.

People who had once broken free from the influence of the corrupt Luminism Church established a religion of their own. They dedicate their faith to indigenous supernatural beings and borrow magical formulas in exchange for their long-term devotion.

Faith magic developed as a result of this culture taking root.

It is overwhelmingly prevalent on the eastern side of the continent. This is because the Star Dragon Faith, the largest power in the east, is tolerant of other religions and does not deny the faith of others.

In this region, the gods that are the objects of worship are real… or rather, the fact that they reign as tangible entities likely plays a significant role.

Unlike the God of Light, whose domain of worship is partially hijacked by an enigmatic entity, it makes sense that corruption is less likely to occur when one considers that a mighty divine dragon is watching over them from right behind.

The original God of Light is apparently modeled after the Saintess who became the symbol of the first generation—a Female God. The faith focuses on aiding the weak, and the spells granted are meant to serve that purpose, with more emphasis on protection and healing than on attack.

Under these circumstances, the Luminism Church is overwhelmingly more effective than the Alchemists’ Guild when it comes to treating the wounded.

The people, who had been suffering from injuries and pain while venting their resentment toward the church that had abandoned them, instantly changed their tune when free medical treatment suddenly began.

Religion is a tricky thing; to devout followers of the God of Light, the Alchemists’ Guild is a den of evil.

Vocal believers and money-hungry complainers seized the opportunity to jump on the bandwagon.

Unprofitable institutions like orphanages and almshouses fall under the jurisdiction of the Papal faction, while hospitals and churches operated as medical facilities are under the Cardinal faction. The Sister and everyone from the Alchemists’ Guild seemed to be grinding their teeth in frustration at their opponents’ outrageous actions, yet they appeared unable to intervene.

As soon as the church began providing medical care, malicious rumors about the Alchemists’ Guild started spreading, and it seems some residents now view alchemists as enemies.

We might not be able to stay in this town much longer.

■■■■■

“Those guys are seriously crazy, nya…”

Noche, who apparently saw the public protest taking place in front of the Alchemists’ Guild, was slumped against the table, looking completely drained.

“I don’t understand why you’re so calm, nya.”
“Well, when things get this ridiculous, it’s actually kind of funny.”
“I’d have to say, even as an enemy, they’re quite impressive.”

Chytis Philip and Chytis George answered.

Given the state of the town, we can’t go out either, so we’re holed up in our room. Since I have some free time, I had someone bring me my alchemy supplies and have been leisurely brewing potions.

After all, the church only accepts followers of the Luminism Faith, and the infirmary is full of injured foreigners. If left unattended, this could potentially escalate into an international incident in the worst-case scenario.

I’m volunteering my services in the hope that I can do my part to support the alchemists working on the front lines, even if only a little.

Right now, I’m chatting over tea in the staff dorm lounge with Chytis Philip and Chytis George, who came by to pick up the potions I’d finished while they were on a break.

Well, if the Alchemists’ Guild were to withdraw, it would be the Kingdom of Roud that would be in trouble, if anything. Judging by the exasperated looks on the knights’ faces, the lord must be wringing his hands in despair.

“I know you guys were running around like crazy, nya. Even those usual grumpy ones were working hard, nya! Look, even our youngest’s been glued to her table the whole day, nya!! And yet, they’d been saying we’re slacking off and being stingy with the potions…!”
“Hearing you say that, Noche, makes all our hard work feel worth it.”
“Hahaha.”

Speaking of the protest slogans, just as Noche said, people seem to be saying whatever they want—that the Alchemists’ Guild skimped on potions and caused more deaths, or that the Alchemists’ Guild is to blame for this whole mess.

“So why are you so calm about it, nya?! The people in town are out of their minds, nya!”
“Isn’t it strange that the representative of the bereaved families happens to be connected to the church?”
“Yeah, strangely enough, he’s a merchant who’s on good terms with the priest. It seems he’d been fortifying his home even before the commotion started—none of his family members died, after all. He must be incredibly cautious.”

In other words, that’s exactly it.

“Haaaaa!? So it’s a setup, nya!?”
“If anything, credit where credit is due, the church really is open to the venerable folks.”

The church is used to manipulating people’s guilt and anger with their eloquence. It’s a skill that can save many people when used for good, but when wielded with malice, it can kick people down the slope to hell.

As an alchemist, I think it’s ridiculous that such a nonsensical argument is allowed to pass, but the reality is that it does.

It’s much easier to follow the great and noble people of the church than to think for yourself about what is right.

If the church were merely an organization that preached faith, it wouldn’t be this simple, but it possesses the easily understood power to heal injuries and illnesses through divine miracles.

No matter how corrupt they are, they’re not the kind of opponents you can handle easily.

“If you criticize the church, you’re in for a world of trouble.”

In this world, a large-scale information society has yet to take shape; most people know little more than what’s happening in their immediate neighborhood.

In a situation where external pressure is out of the question, a majority that champions justice can easily run amok with even the slightest push.

In this world, being ostracized is tantamount to death. Even we wouldn’t know what would have become of us if the Alchemists’ Guild and the Sister hadn’t accepted us without discrimination.

If it weren’t for the Unknown we found in those ruins, we might not even have had a way out.

As a result of everyone keeping their mouths shut to protect themselves, troublemakers are running rampant…and that’s how it works.

“I really do hate the Luminism Church, nya!”

It looks like even the Pope’s faction will have a hard time correcting this.