Establishing Faith?

"Growing revenue is better than cutting costs, is that it..."

Bronya murmured to herself.

Jing Yan smiled without answering.

Yarilo-VI had once been a major mining world, and before the Antimatter Legion arrived, it had maintained close trade relations with various other factions across the stars.

Since many interstellar visitors had come to do business on the planet, they had naturally brought with them cultures from beyond the stars.

So Bronya knowing a saying like that didn't strike Jing Yan as particularly strange.

"So what you mean is..."

Bronya looked at Jing Yan with a somewhat strange expression.

"Exactly."

"The Astral Express is actually a tremendous opportunity. Besides, the Astral Express isn't the only faction capable of jumping through space, but it can ensure that some non-hostile factions are able to visit your planet, Yarilo-VI."

"Furthermore, joining the Interastral Peace Corporation could bring considerable benefits to Yarilo-VI and Belobog. Of course, even if you don't do that, you can still gradually recover. After all, the Frost Wave has receded. Belobog may still have all sorts of problems, but they're only temporary."

Bronya found herself agreeing with Jing Yan's words.

"But what you just said about faith..."

"It's all right." Jing Yan smiled.

"This is a special Path, and there aren't many people in the universe who understand it. I'm dedicated to helping those who believe find inner peace and free themselves from worldly suffering."

At his words, Bronya's brow furrowed again.

Something came back to her.

Jing Yan had seemed to use a similar power on her before, interfering with her thoughts and will.

Seeing the hesitation on Bronya's face, Jing Yan seemed to understand. He smiled and continued, "Miss Bronya, I know what you're worried about, but there's no need to be. In fact, things like this are quite common throughout the universe."

"If you don't believe me, I can give you an example. The Aeon of 'Remembrance,' Fuli, has an organization under his command called the Garden of Recollection. The faith of this Aeon is the collection of memories from across the universe, whether they're remembered or have already been forgotten. Fuli gathers them all."

"If someone interferes with this organization's work, its members and Emanators will choose to erase the memories of those who resist. You can look into this. Even if you don't fully trust me, Miss Bronya, you can gather information from the people aboard the Astral Express and verify it for yourself. Then you'll understand that the powers and faiths of the Aeons come in all sorts of forms."

"Still, most Paths that don't have 'Destruction' as their goal are beneficial to people. What do you think, Miss Bronya?"

Bronya thought for a moment before asking, "Then, Mr. Jing Yan, what is this new Path you want to spread, and what will it bring?"

"It's what you need."

Jing Yan's words left Bronya stunned for a moment.

"Joy, hope, peace, happiness..."

"Aren't these things your people need?"

Bronya froze at his words.

Something occurred to her.

When Jing Yan had used this Path's power on her before, she had been completely unable to feel any hostility toward him.

That did seem terrifying—as though she had been controlled.

A person's emotions had an enormous influence on their judgment and the choices they made when thinking things through. Of course, Bronya was certain that she wasn't being influenced now. She wasn't, as before, inexplicably inclined to trust the man before her. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to talk with Jing Yan for so long.

She should have been unable to feel any suspicion toward him at all.

In other words, a person's feelings and state of mind could lead them to favor or judge someone unfairly.

This sort of state often arose when two people shared a deep bond. For example, there was Bronya's relationship with Cocolia.

Bronya knew perfectly well that Cocolia had been manipulated and brainwashed by the Stellaron. Cocolia had come to believe that the source of the Frost Wave that had once devastated Belobog—the Stellaron—could bring new life to the people of Belobog through the Fragmentum. She had ignored the danger of the Fragmentum itself and the harm it caused to most people, as well as the fact that only a tiny number of people transformed into Fragmentum Creatures could retain their memories.

Even knowing all that, Bronya had not chosen to oppose her mother right away, because Cocolia had raised and taught her from childhood. Instead, she had tried every way she could to change her mother's mind.

Even though, deep down, Bronya knew that her mother had cut off the Underworld and used the Stellaron to expand the Fragmentum—blatantly treating the people as expendable—and knew that her mother's thinking had been completely twisted, she still didn't want to oppose her. That was because Bronya loved and revered Cocolia.

And so she naturally took her mother's side. Even knowing that her choice might lead Cocolia to stubbornly press on and sacrifice even her own daughter, Bronya had still chosen this path, however slim its chances of success.

That was the influence emotions had on people.

Emotions were an outward expression of the bonds two people had built over years together. But...

If Jing Yan's Path could bypass all that and directly control a person's emotions, that would be terrifying too.

That was how it seemed to Bronya.

"I know what you're worried about," Jing Yan said with a smile.

"But you're the ruler of Belobog now, and the one who currently possesses the Path's power I mentioned is me, not you, Bronya."

"So are you worried that one day you'll become a tyrant, and your people will worship you blindly, immersed in the mindless, false happiness bestowed by the power of the Path, and be too afraid to resist you?"

"Is that what you're worried about?"

Jing Yan's words left Bronya stunned once again.

"Of course not, but..." Bronya still felt uneasy.

"Heh. If you're willing to become a Pathstrider of this Path, I can give you this power too."

"Of course, in my original plan, it was only meant to help the people of the Underworld."

Bronya's eyes lit up at his words.