The rest of the group listened to the conversation with interest.
Rosei and Ruri used to not speak to each other at first, and now their conversation was flowing naturally.
This trip had given them the chance to talk face-to-face, and this was greatly beneficial—perhaps not to Yamato as a country, but to the Four Seasons as an alliance.
Rosei realized he had derailed the conversation and cleared his throat. “…Back to the topic at hand… So Mr. Liam has no backing, then?”
Liam had been listening quietly despite not knowing Yamatoan, and he straightened his back as soon as he heard his name spoken.
“Unfortunately. If we can’t count on the other Agents…we have no hope of an alliance. At this rate, Lord Liam will end up engaged to someone, even if it isn’t Nadeshiko.”
Jude nodded quietly. He had to admit that it would be difficult to change their situation. A Guard was only a cog in the big machine, after all.
“If I overstep, they could dismiss me from the Guard role.”
The more he wanted to do something for Liam, the more he ended up leaning in to not disobeying the Church. It was a real dilemma.
“I can’t entirely say that arranged marriages are bad,” said Ruri. “I’m in an arranged marriage, and I’m happy… But he doesn’t want to, does he? Lord Liam, marriage, no?”
Liam seemed to understand what Ruri meant, and he shook his head before whispering into Jude’s ear.
Jude answered in his stead. “He says that he can’t think about something so far into the future… But the custom is to be betrothed at an early age, and they’re insisting on it… And if we think about what’s best for Liam, even if the marriage itself isn’t right, I think we should get him engaged, if just to get the Church of the Living Gods off his case.”
Itecho finally joined the conversation then. “And why do you think that?”
His voice was not threatening, but not kind, either. As someone with a strong desire to protect the Agents, he had to hear the reasoning behind this statement.
“The Church is a major source of funds for the descendants of the Four Seasons and the Archers of Oracle in Kyokoku. So those who obey the Church get better treatment.”
“…The worshippers are in higher standing than their idols?”
“Embarrassing as it is to admit, that is the situation in Kyokoku. One word from the Church, and any opposition faces retaliation. The descendants are made to abandon their lives before they come into custody; they are sent to related organizations such as the Four Seasons Tower, but they end up ostracized even there. The Tower and the Church are in cahoots to begin with. If Liam gets marked as a problem… If he had more backup, the story might be a little better, but as it stands, who knows what could happen to his family. Especially economically…”
“Wouldn’t that make a lot of people abandon ship anyway…?”
“That would be difficult, since all personal information from before they were found as descendants is erased. Not to mention we have an individual identification integrated circuit implanted in our bodies. A chip, as we call it.”
Everyone present lost their minds.
“That’s…unbelievable. They can track you?”
“Liam and I both have them. Do you not in Yamato? How do you find runaways, then?”
“There is mass surveillance in Yamato. Plus, we’re raised in a way that makes us unlikely to consider running away. It’s the opposite of your situation; we are treated so hospitably that living outside the Towns seems less feasible.”
“I see. There are many people in Kyokoku who only find out later in life that they are descendants of the Four Seasons… As you said, many consider running away. The Church and the Tower have considered a lot of methods to stop it.”
The tyranny was meant to discourage them from escaping.
“…It’s like the Towns,” Rindo commented.
Itecho agreed. “Yeah. It’s reminiscent of the Town system in Yamato. There’s an internal government, economy, and penalization system…as well as a hierarchy.”
“Then I can sympathize with what Lord Jude is saying,” said Rindo. “We live under tight control, too.”
The others who were still having a hard time imagining finally nodded.
Even with their distinct histories, the paths they followed were not so different. As the Towns didn’t function properly in Kyokoku, the Four Seasons Tower—and their sponsor, the Church of the Living Gods—took over authority. The Agents of Yamato had been at the Towns’ mercy until they rose up in spring, so they were able to understand Jude’s explanation about being unable to take any action. One wrong move, and the consequences would fall on more than just the Agents.
They had their hands tied. They could do nothing but obey.
“Lord Jude,” said Rindo, “is there no one who could shelter Lord Liam…?”
“Like I said, unfortunately not. I personally don’t have any backing, either.”
“…I see.”
Liam’s situation was worse than Rindo thought.
He had no one to rely on within the Four Seasons community, and if he angered the higher-ups, it could affect his family’s treatment. Not to mention, he was still a young boy. The only thing he could do was form connections with more powerful people.
His Guard lacked support himself, so he had been pushed to recommend the engagement, too. The boy was cornered, so he had hoped that connecting with other Agents could give him an opportunity. But going from what Jude said, that also seemed useless.
“What about other members of his family…?” Rindo tried again.
“Liam’s father seemed to be a descendant of the Four Seasons, but his parents were wanderers, so it’s been difficult finding any extended family. The father has been going around looking for his roots while he lives away from Liam.”
No luck. Rindo kept thinking.
“…Lord Winter…”
Liam joined the conversation as well, though awkwardly.
“Just call me Rosei,” Rosei interrupted. “I’ll call you Liam, too. The titles are annoying in Centrish.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
Liam’s face lit up a little. “…Okay. What would you do in my place, Rosei? And everyone else…? Jude, ask them in Yamatoan.”
“Liam and I are under supervision of the Church of the Living Gods. Things can’t go on like this if we want to protect him, so… We would like to ask for your opinions as to what we can do…”
Everyone hummed. Most of Yamato’s Agents had solid footing presently. The situation with the Town of Spring considering Hinagiku Kayo a nuisance was delicate, but she had Winter’s protection.
Liam needed some sort of protection, too.
Ruri scrunched her face in angst. “Maybe I have relatives around here…? Mind if I use my phone? I’ll ask my parents and Ayame.”
“…That would be the most realistic. Itecho, ask Winter, too.”
“Gotcha.”
Rindo was still pondering, until something occurred to him. “Umm, Captain Aragami, could you report this to the International Church of the Living Gods Integrity Committee?”
Tsukihi was surprised to hear that suggestion.
“I could, but I don’t think we have much grounds for appeal… To show that Lord Liam is being abused by the Church, as we believe, that is…”
“I realize that. But I think that making an appeal now could be effective, considering what may come next. Everyone, if you don’t mind, would you do it?”
The answer to Rindo’s request was divided. Some hadn’t known this International Church of the Living Gods Integrity Committee even existed. Ruri frowned in confusion, and Rindo hurriedly added:
“The Church of the Living Gods is the most prominent religious organization that worships the gods incarnate, but there are many others. The Integrity Committee is essentially an audit agency meant to investigate any corruption and immorality.”
“Is that made up of the heads of each country?” Ruri asked.
“No, it’s the descendants of the Seasons and the Archers. Although depending on the case, they may collaborate with national agencies. The Church of the Living Gods is a religion with a long history, and religions sometimes end up doing things that have strayed far from their original goals. The Committee was founded by fellow descendants to supervise the organizations and make sure they don’t try to take advantage of their believers or do anything that might prejudice the gods incarnate.”
“So, they’re relatives of the gods who scold the people who worship us but do bad stuff… But does the scolding go over well?”
“…That’s a difficult question… Fundamentally, they don’t use violence,” Tsukihi said. “And the handling of each case differs by nation. In countries with a state religion, the Gods Incarnate faith is considered a voluntary association, so the sanction options are limited. In the case of Kyokoku, their legal approval as a religious organization varies by state. A lot can be done if they are deemed noncompliant, given their tax status as religious organizations. What’s the case for Kashu, Lord Jude?”
“It can be registered legally. It is, in fact,” Jude replied, still rather taken aback.