The Dar Family's way had always been ruthless and treacherous toward outsiders, yet united within. So even at a meeting of the family's upper ranks like this, young people had a chance to speak—though speaking one's mind freely was impossible. Seniority was seniority.
Once this young knight-in-training had spoken, no one criticized him. The entire hall fell silent.
Everyone was thinking, weighing whether his proposal was reliable.
After a while, the knight presiding over this winter purge campaign said in a deep voice, "Thinking it over carefully, it does seem like a good idea. The Church of Void Mask is very united internally, and His Majesty is a generous deity who cares deeply for others. If we sought refuge with Him, we should receive good treatment."
"And the key is that His Majesty is strong enough! And He often takes action," the aged old knight said with a nod. "Everything else is empty talk. He is powerful—powerful enough to shelter our family. And He often acts to protect His followers. That is what matters most."
He paused before continuing, "You may be too young to have witnessed the scene when He flew into a rage and displayed His might by the Eastern Sea. Back then, storms churned across the entire main plane. Even in Dar Territory, we could see black clouds rolling across the sky, flying straight eastward. There were furious roars that shook heaven and earth, making even the mountains tremble. Later, He smashed through the vault of heaven in a single blow. Not long afterward, the Goddess of the Sea's divine kingdom fell into the ocean, while the God of Storms had already fallen before that... At the time, I was still a young knight's attendant, even younger than the youngest person here. Though separated by countless mountains