Chapter 159 - The Cult of Light

I eventually decided to meet with the envoy of the Photon Cult. Continually rejecting them wasn't going to get me anywhere, and I figured they weren't going to take "no" for an answer without a face-to-face confrontation.

For a cult that had been begging for an audience, granting it probably felt like they’d cleared the first hurdle. No doubt they had even grander ambitions hidden up their sleeves.

However, meeting them in person was the best way to uncover their motives, goals, and—most importantly—their weaknesses. I went into the meeting with the mindset that "to look is to be looked at," ready to stare into the abyss and see what stared back.

And so, here I am, facing the envoy of the Cult of Light.

"I am Stra, a High Priestess of the Photon Cult."

The person bowing respectfully before me was a young woman.

A woman, huh...

Putting that aside, her appearance was exactly what you’d expect: a "Saint" dressed in flowing, pure white robes (vestments?), radiating an aura of absolute purity. Her entire being seemed to scream, 'Not a single speck of filth shall be permitted in this world.'

Behind her, a massive crowd sat in rows. Every single one of them wore a stark white cloak pulled over their heads, making it impossible to tell if they were men or women. They looked like they were dressed to protect themselves from dangerous cosmic radiation or something.

What’s with them? There must be a hundred people here. Are they all with the cult?

"These are pious followers of the Photon Faith, whom I have brought from our headquarters," Stra explained.

"I believe I only granted permission for one person to have an audience?"

"I brought them along at my own discretion."

Don't go making decisions at your own discretion in my palace, lady. Who do you think you are?

Still, a large, organized group is an intimidation tactic in itself. Not many people can stay composed and say what they need to say while being stared down by a crowd. A weaker person would have been silenced by the sheer pressure.

I assumed this was one of their standard operating procedures. And their next move was even more predictable...

"If I may be blunt, this country is overflowing with sin," she stated.

"Uh-huh."

"God is greatly angered by this fact."

"I see."

Considering how incredibly rude she was being right out of the gate, I felt like I was the one who should be entitled to some anger.

"God prizes piety above all else. We, the Photon Cult, have spread His teachings to bring peace and order to the world. As proof, the nations that follow the Photon Faith have long been free from conflict; they are the very definition of peace. The people live in tranquility."

"And what exactly is the causal link between your faith and that peace?"

"However," she continued, completely ignoring my question, "this country still lacks a foundation of belief, as it does not yet follow the Photon Cult. Because of this, the hearts of the people will never be stable, and eventually, this will lead to great strife and war."

She was really pushing her agenda, steamrolling over my input. Formidable, in an annoying way.

"Therefore, what is the most righteous path for this country to take? It is to join the Photon Cult immediately and follow the teachings of Light with absolute loyalty. While declaring the Photon Faith as your state religion would be ideal, we understand if that feels hasty. For now, it would be most appropriate for you, the King, to join the faith yourself."

"Is that so..."

Self-righteous people always love to define "good" and "bad" on their own terms.

Honestly, everything she had done so far was within my expectations. People who try to force their views on others usually follow the same pattern.

"I have a few questions..."

"Are you saying you will not join? Does this country intend to defy the teachings of Light?"

It wasn't just that she'd take "no" for an answer—she was framing anything other than an immediate "yes" as an act of hostility without even listening to the rest of my points. A classic move to shut down the opposition’s speech.

But I haven't lived the kind of life that buckles under such cheap intimidation.

"Fine. If that’s how you want to play it, I’ll officially designate the Photon Cult as a heretical sect within my territories."

"!?"

"I’ll abolish any 'evil cult' that refuses to listen to the ruler and subject it to thorough suppression. If we can’t talk, then I have no choice but to respond with force."

They should know full well that I was the one who wiped the "Evil Kingdom" of Niosebuk off the map. They understood that if this turned into a contest of intimidation, it could genuinely lead to a total breakdown in relations.

If that was their goal, I was happy to play along. But if their goal was simply to bully me into submission, they’d want to avoid a total bridge-burning.

"...Very well. One of the teachings of Light is 'Tolerance.' I shall view this as an opportunity to demonstrate that tolerance and explain the wonders of our faith."

Nice pivot to save face, I thought.

"I shall answer your questions, then. What is it you wish to know?"

"I’m just wondering... Why now?"

In the past, this land was under a very different regime: the world’s worst military superpower, Niosebuk. Under the completely misguided banner of "Survival of the Fittest," they invaded and annexed neighboring countries, ruling through brute force and committing every atrocity imaginable.

I crushed them, following their own policy that "the strong will be destroyed by the even stronger."

But the Photon Cult must have existed back when Niosebuk was at its peak. So why didn't they try to convert them? (I'd already had Tamagushi double-check the records; the cult never made contact during the Niosebuk era.)

"If your teachings are so righteous, you should have been preaching to the evil and tyrannical Niosebuk. If they had reformed, perhaps the people whose happiness they destroyed would still be at peace."

"Forgive me, but do you believe that the words of humans can reach dogs or rats?"

"Excuse me?"

The Priestess, Stra, looked at me with pity in her eyes.

"It is the same. No matter how perfect and righteous the teachings of Light are, it is impossible to preach to those who do not understand human speech. The Niosebuk who once infested this land were nothing more than beasts in human form."

"So, it was impossible to guide them?"

"Precisely. Only the judgment of Hell awaited those beasts. They were far too sinful to receive the blessings of Light. Therefore, we kept our distance and remained bystanders."

Is that really the case?

If they claimed to be absolute justice, the saviors of all, shouldn't Niosebuk have been the primary target for their "salvation"? It’s the wicked who need to be taught what is right and guided toward the light. There’s a saying: "A good person can get to heaven on their own; it's the bad person who will go to hell if left alone who truly needs saving, okay?"

It felt like the Photon Cult was just ignoring the bad people who actually needed help and "preaching" to the good people who would be fine anyway, just so they could look like they were working.

"By your expression, it seems you have come to understand the nobility of our teachings."

Her ability to interpret every situation in her own favor was truly world-class.

"Now, declare it loudly! Proclaim the Photon Faith as the state religion, eliminate every last one of the wicked 'other' religions, and force every citizen to join the faith!"

"Excuse me?"

"But that is merely the beginning! We intend to use this land as a foothold to spread the teachings of Light to every corner of the world that has yet to fall under our sway. When the Light has reached every corner of the earth, this world will finally become an undeniable utopia!"

Yeah... no thanks.

This was such a blatant display of a desire for world conquest. She was basically saying, "We're going to use you to help us take over the world!"

I had zero obligation to go along with that.

"I’m going to have to pass."

"I beg your pardon?"

"As a ruler, I will absolutely not show favoritism toward any specific religion. Furthermore, in my Autonomous Region, 'Freedom of Religion' is guaranteed."

I am a reincarnated person from another world, after all. I’ve actively incorporated modern political ideals that are considered "progressive."

Specifically, Freedom.

Under my rule, freedom of religion, expression, academic freedom, labor, association, and even "freedom of sex" are all explicitly recognized.

"Everyone under my governance is free to decide for themselves which god to believe in. Forcing them to believe in a single god by the hand of the ruler is an act that goes against the very concept of freedom."

"That is incorrect!!" the Priestess snapped.

"That kind of 'freedom' is a sham! There is only one God in this world, the God of the Photon Cult! All others are phonies designed to lead people astray! Is it not the true duty of a King to eliminate them and make his people believe in the one true God!?"

"That’s right! That’s right!" "The King must accept the Photon Faith!"

The crowd behind her erupted in a chorus of condemnation. They’d clearly been brought along for exactly this reason.

"The God of Photon is the only true God! Only the Photon Faith is righteous!" "Destroy the false gods! Wipe out the heretical sects that deceive the people!" "If you do not accept us, this country is a land of evil that defies God!" "You're just like the evil Niosebuk! If you're different, prove your justice by accepting the Photon Faith!!"

They were really shouting whatever they wanted. This was their game: if you can’t win an argument, use pressure to get your way.

And I knew they had another move ready. If things got this heated, the only option would be to suppress them by force—at which point they’d be ready to scream "unjust oppression!" to the international community. They were essentially pawns meant to give me a bad reputation. They didn't care if they were arrested or even killed.

Fanaticism is a terrifying thing.

"Well? Being criticized by the righteous must be painful for a 'good' ruler, is it not? If you want us to stop, declare the Photon Faith as the state religion right here and now."

"Nope."

"You’re still putting up a front...!? Are you sure? At this rate, your country will be isolated from its neighbors as a heretical land that turned its back on the true teachings."

"No, it won't."

The mistake they were making was assuming they were still in their own backyard where they could do as they pleased. In their home turf, they used their massive following to get their way, but this was uncharted territory for them.

Even if they tried to turn the neighboring countries against me, they hadn't built the foundation to do so yet. That’s why they came to me first.

"The neighboring countries around me have no connection to the Photon Cult, and we don't have trade relations with the countries you control yet. Trying to apply pressure from those angles is a non-starter."

"Guh...!?"

Realizing she couldn't apply geopolitical pressure, she doubled down on the intimidation.

"The King must recognize the true teachings—!!" 

"Eliminate the heretical sects—!"

But I’m the guy who crushed the "Evil Kingdom" of Niosebuk single-handedly. Compared to Niosebuk soldiers with actual killing intent, a bunch of screaming cultists had less presence than a yapping puppy.

"That’s enough. No matter how much you complain or heckle, I will not give in to your whims. As I said before, my Region has 'Freedom of Religion.'"

Who believes what is up to the individual. That includes the freedom to believe in nothing at all.

"So, I won't technically restrict you from proselytizing here. Do as you like. However, you will receive zero support from me. That goes for every other faith as well. It’s a measure to maintain fairness."

If their faith was truly "the one true path," that should be more than enough for them. True faith naturally attracts people and supports their hearts.

"However, keep in mind that 'unlimited freedom' does not exist in this world. Because freedom is guaranteed under the state, freedoms that exceed the framework of the state are not protected."

To put it simply: follow my laws.

"Like most nations, my Region regulates murder and unprovoked violence. If you cause trouble with other faiths or use force to recruit followers, you will be warned. If you break the law, you will be dealt with ruthlessly. Keep that in mind."

"That’s absurd!?"

"It's not 'absurd.'"

"If things get too out of hand, after a discussion, we may designate you as a prohibited religion. So, bear that in mind. From here on out, it’s up to your own efforts. Dismissed."

"Wait!!"

"I said 'dismissed.' That means leave. Don't waste my time with more whining."

"You are wrong! The Photon Faith is the one and only true religion in this world! It is the duty of a ruler to accept it unconditionally! And yet, you expect us to mingle and compete with other heretical sects!? It is nothing less than an insult to the one and only Photon God!!"

Actually, the way you’re talking is an insult to every other faith out there.

"The details don't matter! Just recognize the Photon Faith as the state religion right here! That is the only justice! Now, recognize it! Make the Photon Faith the state religion! Otherwise, you will go to hell!"

She was completely unhinged now. Usually, she could break her opponents with pressure, but it wasn't working this time. Her composure had crumbled, and her vocabulary had devolved into repetitive threats. Still, it wasn't the kind of behavior you should show toward a negotiating partner.

I’d technically won the argument, but they weren't going to budge an inch.

It looked like I needed a new way to handle this.

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