How to Survive in the Roanoke Colony-Chapter 143: Heretics (4)

If he went there, he could live in abundance! Not being trampled under the feet of noble lords in a new world!

And after arriving in that new world...

"L-look, a person got stabbed and resurrected!"

"That's not... not a person! It's an angel!"

He found true faith.

"You should be our group's representative!"

"That's right! Aren't you the most trusted among the bricklayers?"

"E-everyone... thank you...!"

He even earned the title of 'assemblyman,' which he thought only nobles could have.

He was the happiest person in Virginia, no, in the world.

He lived every day with gratitude to Baron Raleigh and Nemo, who had given him land, faith, and honor.

But then...

"Let's save Nemo!"

"Yeaaaaah!"

"E-everyone, calm down! I-I'm an assemblyman!"

"Get out of the way! Didn't we say we're going to save Nemo?"

Daring to threaten this precious, beautiful, holy, excellent community?

Recalling that time, Hardy's eyes burned with anger.

Those people are damned traitors. Because they didn't follow the orders of their leaders.

And considering those leaders were apostles, and those apostles were the cornerstones of the holy church established by Nemo, it was all the more despicable.

Traitors! And moreover, heretics!

They must be clearly condemned as heretics! At the very least, they should be expelled from the community!

After boldly proclaiming this in front of people, many agreed and followed him.

Indeed.

This path was undoubtedly right, for the good of this community.

A sense of satisfaction rose within him, feeling that he was serving this holy community.

Hardy walked to the assembly hall with a pounding heart.

When he opened the door, various tribes were gathered. Natives, Englishmen, Moors, and Spaniards were mingling and making a commotion.

"He's speaking today?"

"Yes. He definitely said he would decide on the treatment of Oitotan and the others today. Weren't you there that day?"

"Goodness, I'm nervous..."

Of course, at the center of that commotion was 'His answer.'

How would he deal with the 'heretics'?

How would he punish those who defied the 'apostles'' orders?

People from all over the Chesapeake settlement quickly filled the empty seats. The six 'apostles,' various chiefs of tribes who had come from afar, and people scattered across Croatoan Island and Chesapeake Bay.

All of them were waiting for one person, one angel.

And the back door of the assembly hall opened. Everyone stood up, but a calm gesture made them sit down again.

It was Him.

He was looking down at everyone with His usual calm smile.

As He took His seat, the bell announcing 6 o'clock rang exactly from afar. It was time to begin the session.

Creaking.

"Today's agenda... actually, there's only one major issue."

As Hewett spoke first, Hardy swallowed.

Everyone was looking at him. Overwhelmed by his emotions, Hardy stood up and shouted:

"Nemo established this community according to the Lord's will!"

An obvious statement.

"Nemo saved those who were starving to death and cultivated everyone's foundation in this Virginia land. All of this is the work of the Lord."

That too is obvious.

"Therefore, it is our duty as servants of the Lord to protect this holy community!"

Adding obvious statements to obvious statements can only lead to an obvious conclusion. As everyone nodded, Hardy gained more confidence and developed his logic further.

"If we protect this holy community of the Lord, what are we protecting it from? Shouldn't we protect this community from the work of the devil?"

"Right!"

"That's right! The devils, humanity's ancient enemies, are constantly eyeing this community. Those Spanish heretics who worship the Pope!"

"And... those heretics among us who dared to disobey the apostles' orders are those who have been shaken by such devilish influences! They stole weapons! They stole food! They stole a ship and ran away! What else wouldn't they do?"

With so many forces targeting this precious community, we cannot afford to be lenient.

To protect this place, we must execute those heretics.

"We must stop the devil's power, even if it means killing or expelling them! If we can't expel them, we must at least condemn them as heretics! Isn't that the best we can do...?"

"Enough."

As his speech was suddenly cut off, Hardy coughed dryly. And.

The one who interrupted him was slowly rising from his seat.

"..."

"..."

Everyone looked up at him.

They looked up at him as if waiting for the Lord's words.

And...

"Did you say... we should execute those who have disobeyed the Lord's will?"

He speaks. Feeling an inexplicable pressure from His casual tone, Hardy nodded, trying to shake off his fear.

"Y-yes. We must guide those who have strayed from the Lord's will, and if guidance doesn't work, we must crush them. That is the Lord's will."

"..."

"S-such people are precisely heretics and infidels, aren't they?"

"...Aren't they?"

"..."

Silence.

"..."

And a heavy gaze weighed him down.

"..."

That weighty silence, without a single word, was overwhelming him more powerfully than any eloquent speech. It was perplexing. Why is He acting like this?

I only said the obvious things?

I only mentioned the most basic morals that Christians should uphold?

As he thought this.

Nemo shook his head.

As if to say he was wrong.

As if already looking into his thoughts.

"Who is the one to select heretics, and who is the one to identify infidels...?"

At that moment, He looked up at the sky and spoke as if reciting:

"Under heaven, who can know the infinite will of the Lord? Which creature is great enough to know Him completely?"

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His voice was calm and articulate, like singing a lullaby or teaching the alphabet to a child.

Carefully, but in an easily understandable way, He spoke:

"Let me ask you all."

He gestured.

"Do you truly know all of the Lord's will? Is there anyone who thinks they do?"

"..."

"..."

"...I suppose not. That's how we are. We are so small, and the almighty Lord is so great."

He smiled.

"We do not know all of the Lord's will. Unless He whispers to us directly, we cannot fathom His great intentions. So who can point out heretics and identify infidels?"

Again, obvious statements were piled upon obvious statements. But Hardy was shocked to see that the accumulated pile was reaching a completely different conclusion from his own.

Yet, as if entranced, he listened attentively to His easy and kind words.

"Is there anyone here who has directly heard from the Lord that Oitotan and the others are infidels and heretics?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"No one? Then how can we call them heretics, infidels, or tools of the devil's power and punish them? We can punish them for running away with assets belonging to their community. But we cannot judge someone in the name of the Lord, borrowing His will. Because..."

"...because we cannot know the Lord's will."

As a natural sentence flowed from Hardy's lips, Nemo nodded with a smile.

And then Nemo spoke:

"...Therefore, I leave their punishment to you all. But do not treat them as heretics or infidels, but as fellow members who have committed misconduct."

At those words, Oitotan, who had been shrinking in a corner, shrank even more. Hardy was secretly relieved by those words.

So they will be punished after all. As they should be.

Just not as heretics...

Everyone quietly nodded and agreed with His beautiful words.

With that, the meeting was adjourned.

Hardy finished his day with a satisfied face, relating what he had heard from Nemo to his family.

After finishing the day.

After lying in bed.

"...Wait a minute!"

Hardy was shocked by a sudden thought.

"Wh-what's wrong, dear?"

"No... j-just a moment, creatures dare not know all the Lord's will? So we can't distinguish heretics and infidels?"

"Wh-what are you talking about all of a sudden?"

That means even the apostles cannot know all of the Lord's will. Because they too are creatures.

The government formed by them cannot represent all of the Lord's will either. Because the Lord's will is infinite.

But then...

What is this community?

If we cannot identify heretics or infidels... what is the identity of this religion?

Is this really Christianity?

As his thoughts reached that point, Hardy's face turned bluish. Instantly, the color drained from his limbs, and all the blood in his body turned cold.

It felt as if his heart had stopped.

"...N-n-no!"

Our small, precious community is heretical!

Thus, one by one, those who had attended the meeting, including Hardy, woke up at dawn. They screamed in spiritual confusion.

Soon, the commotion spread throughout Virginia.