They Forced My Hand

"The evil heathens are encroaching on the Lord's domain... As the Lord's shepherd, when does Your Holiness intend to take up arms to defend His flock?" Saint John XII repeated Alexander's words to himself, and a storm rose in his once-calm heart.

As both a religious leader and a politician, he knew better than to take a politician's words at face value.

When Alexander said "the evil heathens are encroaching on the Lord's domain," he probably didn't mean that someone was literally about to invade the Papal State, the Lord's earthly domain.

The Papal State was a tiny country with little capacity for either offense or defense. Apart from the Gendarmerie, which normally served as guards and kept the peace, it had no military forces at all.

Even so, Saint John XII was certain no country would dare invade the Papal State.

As God's "earthly Divine Kingdom" and the "holy land on earth" to countless Christians, the Papal State enjoyed international prestige far beyond its actual strength. Any country that invaded it would face international condemnation.

A small country couldn't withstand that condemnation. A great power could, but why bother? There was neither gold nor oil beneath the Papal State. An invasion would earn it nothing but international hostility.

The Bear Nation was another matter.

As Blue Star's third-strongest power, the Bear Nation could attack almost anyone it pleased, barring the two powers above it. No country had yet dared provoke it.

So "the evil heathens are encroaching on the Lord's domain" must be an excuse—one he's using to invade another country.

Saint John XII considered it carefully. The more he thought about it, the more certain he became. If President Alexander is looking for an excuse to start a war, then his next line—"As the Lord's shepherd, when does Your Holiness intend to take up arms to defend His flock?"—makes sense too.

Alexander wants to invade another country, but as president of the Bear Nation, he fears international condemnation. That's why he wants to bring in the Papal State.

The country he plans to invade must be a heathen nation. Then he can wage war in the name of faith and win the support of God's followers worldwide. He could start the war himself and still have public opinion on his side... Is it an oil-rich country, or somewhere in sub-Saharan Africa?

To Alexander, the Papal State is just a banner. He probably won't ask it for money or troops. It couldn't provide either anyway...

Supporting the Bear Nation has obvious advantages and disadvantages. We'd gain its friendship and another layer of security. As its ally, we might even receive something trivial to the Bear Nation but enormous to the Papal State. On the other hand, we'd violate our neutrality and invite unwanted suspicion...

If we don't support the Bear Nation... President Alexander wouldn't make this move without preparing thoroughly. Saying no to him at a critical moment...

The longer Saint John XII thought about it, the less at ease he felt. Alexander might sound mild now, but the president was notorious for his hardline methods. Some who opposed him had come out well enough. Saint John XII doubted he would be among them.

After a moment's thought, he made his decision.

Saint John XII lifted the Cross from his chest and kissed it. "Those evil heathens have occupied our Lord's sacred lands for far too long. As the Lord's shepherd, I will drive them out."

He couldn't openly say he supported the war over the phone. The call might be recorded and used against him. Instead, he chose a more discreet way to express his support for Alexander's war.

On the other end of the line, Alexander was shaken.

So the Papal State has supernaturals too.

Good thing I called to sound him out. Otherwise, I'd never have known that the Papal State, which usually has so little presence, had supernaturals. I nearly chose the wrong side.

Then again, what else should I expect from the behemoth that's dominated Western faith since the Middle Ages? Its hidden strength is unfathomable. They're actually planning to wage a war between supernaturals and drive out the faith of the Norse Gods completely.

I can't side with the Norse Gods, but I can't oppose them either. Render unto God what is God's and unto Caesar what is Caesar's. The Bear Nation must not get dragged into a war between supernaturals.

Remembering that figure who shone like the sun, Alexander made up his mind to stay out of the war between supernaturals. Without his noticing, his tone changed. "Your Holiness, the evil heathens are threatening the Lord's children, demanding that they find Longinus, the Godslayer Spear. What should I do?"

Alexander wants Longinus, the Godslayer Spear?

He wants to use Longinus to lure the heathens into stealing it, giving him an excuse to start a war? Saint John XII quickly worked out what he believed was Alexander's aim, and his face tightened with reluctance.

Longinus was a holy relic. The Papal State possessed only a handful of them. But he had already decided to support Alexander's war. It was too late to back out now.

After thinking it over, he said softly, "I can lend you Longinus, the Godslayer Spear, for the time being." Lend it. You'll have to return it.

He's actually lending me Longinus?

Alexander froze for a moment, then understood. Of course. The Papal State is preparing for war and can't spare anyone to protect my country. So they're lending me Longinus to deal with the Norse Gods' supernaturals first. Once those enemies are defeated, the spear will naturally return to the Papal State.

"Praise God."

Alexander traced a cross over his chest.

The waters of the North Sea Fishing Grounds were as deep blue and murky as ever. A salty sea breeze blew past, raising ripples across the surface.

The Aegir, an Open Ocean patrol vessel, cut through wind and waves, sailing steadily across the sea.

On its pale gray deck, a man held the rail beside the ship's ladder. Golden sunlight fell over him, surrounding him with a faint halo. Cameras mounted throughout the vessel faithfully recorded everything that happened aboard and transmitted it back to the Iceland Presidential Palace.

In a conference room at the Iceland Presidential Palace, representatives of the Five Nordic Countries and the Bear Nation sat upright, watching the screen as they talked.

"Can he really defeat Jormungandr?" asked Fres, the president of Norway. This was Jormungandr—the great serpent, son of the fire god Loki and the enemy of the gods foretold by the great god Odin. Could a mere mortal truly kill it?