“Then it might be worth doing. We could get some sanctions against them, to show them what happens when they abuse the gods incarnate.” Rindo smiled.
Meanwhile, Ruri was just trying to keep up. “Legally…tax status…religious organization…”
“Erm, please forget about that for now, Lady Ruri. The point is, it is easy to scold the bad people in Kashu, so it would be a good idea to send in a report for Lord Liam’s sake.”
“Gotcha!”
Rindo decided to explain a side of the organization that would be easier to grasp.
“The International Church of the Living Gods Integrity Committee also corrects and stops cults that go too far. Those sorts of groups tend to bring about tragedy, historically speaking… And we don’t want that, do we?”
“I’d be freaking out if they did! Nobody asked for that!”
“Our ancestors thought the same and formed the Integrity Committee to try and solve such issues without violence. Its biggest peculiarity is that it doesn’t deal with insurgents. The Spring supremacist group Higan-Nishi was a cult, but they had crossed the line and begun harming the gods themselves, so we had to fight them. Fighting terrorism is the job of the special forces. The Integrity Committee solves things through conversation, guidance, and legal action.”
“I see.”
Rindo looked at the others present. The adults were keeping up. As for the kids, Itecho and Jude were giving them easier explanations in whispers.
“I think I remember hearing about this,” Rosei said. “Mr. Azami, you lived overseas for a long time, didn’t you? You know about a lot even beyond Yamato. Do you get that from your father?”
“Yes, I used to help him with work. I understand how you would find the Integrity Committee hard to understand, since Yamato solves everything internally.”
Itecho joined in, “That reminds me of when your father mentioned the shrines being stronger in Yamato.”
Rindo nodded. “Exactly. Yamato has many shrines, and among them are some dedicated to the gods of the Seasons and Day and Night, and their roots trace back to ancient times. The gods incarnate themselves are respected as incarnations of the gods, but their worship prioritizes nature itself. It was only more recently that faith in the gods incarnate was recognized. As a result, the shrines became the model for that faith. How should I put it? In any culture, there is a pioneer, and you have to respect those pioneers in order to get along within that culture… Does that make sense?”
“Like in show business?” Ruri offered. Her comparison was not so lofty, but she was not wrong.
“Yes, I hear that the feeling of respect is very important in that industry. You can’t be impertinent to those more influential than you or you’ll have a hard time getting work. They’re similar in that sense.”
Rindo glanced at Tsukihi. She seemed to be picking up what he was putting down.
“You are right,” she said. “A lot of rituals were even copied over. You have to be careful not to upset the shrines. To put it more simply, if a member of the shrines says, That group of gods incarnate believers don’t have it together! They’re a mess of an organization! word will spread across the communities quickly, they’ll get ostracized, and then they won’t be able to do anything.”
“And then they would lose followers, their creed would lose credibility, and the group would disappear. Isn’t that right, Captain Aragami?” said Rindo.
Tsukihi furrowed her brow.
“Yes. There is actually an overlap between followers of the Church and the shrines; many people worship nature and the gods incarnate. Obviously, since their objects of worship are related… So when the ire of the shrines spreads, the believers are also ostracized. To summarize, the shrines in Yamato act as the deterrent the Integrity Committee provides elsewhere, which is why the latter stays in the background… I hear they’ve accomplished more overseas.”
Tsukihi had clarified the matter in a way only she could.
Rindo watched everyone’s reactions as he continued. “Yes, they are more involved in countries with significant religious conflict. Part of their job is to stop them from causing trouble with other religions by using the existence of the gods incarnate as a shield. I would imagine they’re very busy in Kyokoku, given its strong roots in monotheism…”
“How did Kyokoku’s Church of the Living Gods get enough followers to build a place this expensive to begin with?” Rosei asked.
Rindo frowned.
“Is it hard to explain?”
“No… I just think it might seem silly to you, since you’re an object of their worship. The biggest theory is that there was an age where the story of humans obtaining divine powers and overcoming trials and tribulations to bring nature to the people was well received. They liked the drama of it.”
Rosei chuckled. “Drama… We’re not putting on a show here.”
“I’m sorry, that’s a poor choice of words…”
“I’m not mad. If that gave solace to the people back then, then sure, it’s fine.”
Rindo was relieved to hear that.
“Thank you for your charitable interpretation. And one more thing. This is a crude theory based purely on aesthetics, but they say the buildings for the Church of the Living Gods were more artistically pleasing than those for nature worship in Kyokoku. Hence why it became popular…”
Rindo feared that this time, somebody would definitely call out the disrespect, but only Ruri reacted.
“Whoa, seriously?! That’s such a funny reason.”
“Thank you for your generous reaction, Lady Ruri… Indeed, that would be funny. But wouldn’t you agree that the monotheistic churches of this country with their bells and statues are beautiful?”
“Y-yeah… They’re pretty. I do like the style.”
“And aren’t you impressed in Yamato, too, when you stand before a torii gate, for example?”
“Ooh, totally. I’ve got a few favorites, even.”
“The majesty and charm of these symbols is important for religions,” said Rindo. “They invite people to come visit. That’s another theory why the Church of the Living Gods spread in Kyokoku.”
Everyone hummed at the unexpected perspective. Accepting it felt odd, but nobody could entirely discard it, either.
Religious buildings did captivate people’s hearts, after all.
Admiring something beautiful had nothing to do with faith. Some people might come to believe that way; others might not.
Rindo realized the topic had gone off track and tried to correct course.
“…I derailed the conversation,” he said. “That’s all I have to say on the Integrity Committee. Like Captain Aragami said, we have no solid evidence for reporting that the Church instructed Lord Liam to push an engagement on Yamato’s Autumn with full knowledge of the disrespect it would entail. However, it is hugely important that we leave a record that such a thing happened. When it comes to civil trials, leaving a record of harassment or defamation can become useful evidence when things get more serious down the road. Even if it’s just a subjective opinion, it’s very important to record it. If you don’t mind, could everyone please report it to your Towns and ask if they can request an audit of Kashu’s Church?”
Nobody refused Rindo’s petition.
The adults immediately grabbed their phones, ready to take action immediately.
Meanwhile, Jude did not move and only asked Rindo, “Will that really get them moving…?”
Rindo smiled wryly. “I can’t deny that it’s a weak argument. Even if they receive an audit, it might only end with a warning. But like I said, it could become useful in the future. It’s better than doing nothing.”
“I worry it could make Kashu’s Church hostile to Yamato…”
“No, it’s the opposite. We’re already hostile to Kashu’s Church ourselves. They hurt our Nadeshiko.”
Jude blinked a couple times at Rindo’s frankness, then grinned.
“I see. Thank you for being so kind after all the trouble we caused you.”
“Don’t mind it. If I was in your position, I wouldn’t know what to do, either. It might take some time, but let’s try to improve Lord Liam’s situation. We’ll begin by creating this opening.”
Jude considered what Rindo said. “Yes.”
The conversation went back to small talk for a while after that.
Rindo ate a cookie and watched the Autumns, both of whom were quiet.
The kids look bored.