Chapter oni-16: Justice?

Oni 16 – Justice?

「That is precisely the reason why I must avoid piling up a mountain of corpses for no reason.」

The pope’s words still reverberate in my ears. That old man, abiding by his own unshakable will, has continued to kill the very people he should protect by his own hands. So that the many will live the few will be killed. He has the will and power to implement that, without even hesitating for an instant.

To murder is wrong. Doubts like “how?” and “why?” have no point. The reason why to murder people is wrong, is not something that can be explained by theory. What must not be done must not be done. That’s all there is to it. Not because of some theory, but the reason why people are people is precisely because they avoid such actions.

However, then, what if you had to do what must not be done because you had people you wanted to protect? What if despite knowing that it must not be done, that there was no other available option?

What the pope is doing, are actions to transform the way the world should be for his own convenience. However, it is not being pursued for his own personal benefit, but out of genuine concern for the world. For the sake of the world, denying himself, even while sacrificing many, he is saving even more people.

Are such actions, an act of justice? Or are they, an act of evil?

Trying to save someone is surely an act of justice. To kill someone is surely an act of evil. In the case when it’s both of them, then how on earth do you determine the correct interpretation?

I don’t know. Is that something right, or is that something wrong?

I think she is probably also wondering about many different things from meeting with the pope. What’s on her mind is likely so mixed up that I couldn’t even guess.

She was originally born in a country that followed the Goddess Religion, and I heard that her hometown was destroyed by the Divine Word Religion. I had also experienced my goblin village being destroyed by humans, so I can well understand her feelings. That fury, strong enough that you could forget yourself in anger and hatred.

In my case I achieved revenge by my own hands. However, Sophia-san cannot do that. It’s not that she can’t even try, but more like that she won’t. Because, she realised just how determined the pope was in that conference. Nevertheless, having seen his unstoppable belief, I’m sure even Sophia-san would realise that it would have been totally meaningless to kill the pope in that place.

Is revenge an act of justice? I don’t know that. However, because I have experienced it myself, what I do understand is that without achieving revenge it is not possible to move on.

To this day, Sophia-san has lived without being able to achieve revenge. Isn’t it precisely because of that, that she has easily crossed over the line that people should not cross, and run down the path of injustice? The flames of revenge that remain in her heart, might have warped Sophia-san’s personality. I’ve come to think that way.

And now, if she tries to confront him as a target for revenge, she knows that she won’t be able to achieve revenge no matter what. Normally she would be able to gain satisfaction from sending him to his death. However, that pope is an exception. Even if he’s killed, there’s no meaning in it. If you want to achieve revenge against him, it will be necessary to break his spirit. I’m sure that Sophia-san also realises, just how difficult that would be.

While still barely having touched her food, Sophia-san stands up.

「How about you eat a bit more?」

I called out to her totally without thinking. Totally, out, I think. Because in Sophia-san’s eyes, I saw an unconcealable irritation.