Anyway, I decided to meet with someone who was an emissary of the Photon Cult.
I thought that continuing to reject them like this would get me nowhere.
The cult had long desired an audience with me, and allowing them to achieve that wish would mark the first hurdle they had overcome.
Of course, he probably has even greater ambitions beyond that.
However, only by meeting face to face may the other person's thoughts, goals, or even weaknesses become clear.
Let us put into practice the idea that "seeing" also means "being seen" and determine exactly who the Photon Cult is.
With that thought in mind, I went to the audience with the feeling of peering back at him from the abyss.
And now, the messenger in question is before me.
From the Order of Light.
"I am Stra, a high priest of the Order of Light."
The one bowing respectfully before me was a young woman.
A woman...?
Putting that aside, at first glance she was dressed in loose, pure white clothing (a robe?) and gave off an air of purity, being a saint.
It's as if his whole body is saying, "There should not be even a trace of pollution in this world."
If there was anything more to be said, it was that behind the messenger there was a line of people seated.
Everyone was wearing a pure white cloak over their head, so it was impossible to tell whether they were men or women.
The clothes seem to be designed to protect oneself from dangerous electromagnetic waves from space.
What's that?
It looks like there could be a hundred people in there, are they all related to the cult?
"They are devout followers of the Photon Religion, brought over from the cult headquarters."
"I thought you were the only one who granted permission for an audience?"
"I brought him here on my own initiative."
It's not something you decide on your own.
Who do you think you are?
However, having a large number of people together can be intimidating to others.
There aren't many people who can say what they want to say even when they are being glared at by a large group of people. If you are timid, this alone will shut you up.
This must be one of their usual tactics.
And another common tactic is...
"I apologize for the suddenness, but this country is overflowing with crime."
"Yes."
"God is very angry about this fact."
"Yes."
Shouldn't I be the one to get angry at such a rude thing he said to me when we first met?
"God respects the piety of the people. We, the Photon Order, have spread that teaching and brought peace and order to the world. As proof of this, the countries that believe in our Photon Order have long been at peace, with no wars. The people live in peace."
"What is the causal relationship between being peaceful and having faith?"
"However, this country still does not believe in the Photon Order, and lacks a basis for belief. This will mean that the people's hearts will never be stable, and eventually it will lead to a major war."
He ignored my question and continued talking.
That's tough.
"So what is the most correct thing for this country to do? To immediately convert to the Photon Church and faithfully follow the teachings of light. It would be a very good idea to make Photonism your state religion, but it cannot be helped that this would be called hasty. First of all, I believe that it would be best for you, as the king of this country, to convert to Photonism yourself."
"That's good..."
Self-righteous people like to judge people's good and bad based on their own opinion.
Well, to be honest, the other person's actions up to this point were within the realm of expectation. The behavior of people who try to force their ideas on others is generally a pattern.
"I have a few questions..."
"Will you not convert? This country opposes the teachings of the light?"
If you say NO...or even YES, they will become hostile without listening to the whole story, which is another aggressive negotiating tactic.
That's how they silence the other side's comments.
But I'm not so weak that I would succumb to such false threats.
"Very well, if you say so, then under my rule the Photon Cult will be declared an evil cult."
"!?"
"We will abolish the evil cults that don't listen to those in power and thoroughly oppress them. If they won't talk, then there is no other way to fight them than with force."
They must be well aware that it was none other than me who destroyed the evil nation of Niosebuku that once existed in this land, leaving not a trace behind.
It is easy to understand that if the situation turns into a battle of intimidation, it could lead to a real breakdown.
If that's what they're aiming for, then we should just go along with it.
If their goal is to use intimidation to make the other party give in, they'll want to avoid a complete breakdown here.
"...I see that as well. One of the teachings of the light is 'tolerance'. Let us take this as an opportunity to demonstrate that tolerance and preach the wonderfulness of the teachings of the light."
It felt like he'd managed to get away with it somehow.
"Well then, I'll answer your question. What do you want to know?"
"I wondered why now?"
In the past, this area was governed by a different system than it is today.
Niosebuku is the world's worst military nation.
Under the completely misguided banner of "survival of the fittest," Niosebuku invaded neighboring countries and annexed them, ruling over the people by force and committing all sorts of atrocities.
I beat them to a pulp and they disappeared, following their policy of "even the strong become weak and are destroyed in the face of even stronger forces."
However, the Photon Cult has likely existed since Niosebuku was at the height of its power.
Then why didn't they try to recruit Niosebuku?
Incidentally, I have already confirmed with Tamagushi that the Photon Cult made no contact whatsoever during the Niosebuku era.
"If your teachings are correct, then you should have preached to the evil and tyrannical Niosebuku. If they had reformed, then perhaps the people whose happiness was destroyed by them would no longer exist."
"Do you honestly think that dogs and rats can understand human speech?"
"teeth?"
The priestess, who was probably referring to Stra, looked at me with a pitying look.
"It's the same thing. No matter how perfect and correct the teachings of light may be, it is impossible to preach them to those who cannot understand human language. The Niosebuku that once lurked here was a beast in the shape of a human."
"So it was impossible to persuade him?"
"Indeed. Those beasts only deserve the judgment of Hell, and are too sinful creatures to be taught the teachings of light. That is why we kept our distance and watched from the sidelines."
Is that really the case?
If they claim to be the ones who are absolute justice and who save everything, then wasn't Niosebuku the very object of salvation that they needed to teach and admonish?
It is the bad people who need to be taught what is right and guided in the right direction.
There must have been a saying that goes, "Good people can go to heaven, so the people we really need to save are the bad people who will go to hell if left alone, right?"
However, the Photon cult's current statement is that they are leaving behind the bad people who really should be saved, and preaching about good people who can go to heaven without doing anything. Aren't they just pretending to do their job?
"That expression shows that you understand the value of the teachings of light."
His ability to interpret any event in a way that suits him is top-notch.
"So, please declare here and now that Photonism will be the state religion, all other evil heresies will be eliminated, and all citizens will be forced to convert to Photonism."
"what?"
"But this is only a stepping stone. We, the Photon Cult, intend to use this land as a foothold to spread the teachings of light to all lands that we have not yet ruled. And when the teachings of light have spread throughout the entire world, this earth will become an undoubted utopia!"
Hmm, this.
A very obvious desire to dominate.
What they're trying to say is, "We're going to use you to take over the world!"
Of course, I don't have the slightest obligation to put up with something like that...
"No thanks."
"yes?"
"As a leader, I have no right to take sides with any particular religion. In the first place, 'religious freedom' is guaranteed in the independent autonomous region I rule."
Even so, he is a person who has been reincarnated into another world.
We are actively incorporating modern political ideals that are considered to be progressive.
It's freedom.
Under my rule, ``freedom of religion,'' ``freedom of expression,'' ``academic freedom,'' ``freedom of labor,'' ``freedom of association,'' and ``freedom of sex'' are all explicitly recognized.
"All the people under my rule are free to choose the god they believe in. Forcing people to believe in one god or another through the hands of a government official is an act that goes against freedom."
"That's wrong!!"
The priestess said scathingly.
"Such freedom is an illusion! There is only one God in the world, the God of Photonism; all others are false gods that mislead people! Isn't it the king's proper duty to eliminate them and make people believe in the true God of Photonism?"
"That's right!" "The King must accept the Photon Cult!"
The crowd behind the priestess all raised thunderous cries of disapproval.
I guess they were the ones brought here to do this.
"The only true God is the God of Photon! Photonism is the only true teaching!"
"Destroy the other false gods! Wipe out the misleading cults!"
"If we do not accept this, then this country will become an evil country that rebels against God!"
"You're no different from the evil Niosebuku nation! If you say otherwise, then accept the Photon religion and demonstrate justice!!"
Don't yell whatever you want.
This is another one of their tactics: if they can't defeat you with an argument, they'll use pressure to get their way.
And there are sure to be even more preparations in store.
With things getting this complicated, the only thing left to do is to suppress it by force, but if they do that, I'm sure they're fully prepared to raise international condemnation, calling it "unjust oppression!"
In other words, they are just pawns to give us an excuse to criticize them.
It means I don't care if I get arrested or killed here.
The fanaticism that can lead one to that extent is frightening.
"What do you think? Surely a good leader can stand being criticized by righteous people? If you want them to stop, then you can declare on the spot that Photonism is the state religion."
"Oh no, Pompoko."
"Still enduring the hardships...?! Are you sure? If things continue like this, your country will be isolated from its neighbors as a heretical nation that has rebelled against the righteous teachings."
Of course not.
What you're all mistaken about is that this is outside your territory, where you can do whatever you want.
In your own territory you have been able to do whatever you wanted with the backing of your many followers, but this is completely uncharted territory for you.
Even though they say they want neighboring countries to completely reject them, they have not yet created the foundation to do so.
That's why he came to me, I guess, as a foothold.
"The neighboring countries around me have no ties to the Photon Cult, and we don't have any trade with the countries you're in. It's impossible to put pressure on them from that point on."
"Damn it...!?"
Realizing that they cannot exert situational pressure, they are increasingly trying to increase intimidating pressure.
"The King must acknowledge the correct teachings!!"
"Eliminate the evil cult!"
However, I am the one with the courage to destroy the evil country of Niosebuku all by myself.
Compared to the Niosebuku soldiers, who were filled with real murderous intent, the Photon Cult believers, whose only talent was yelling, were no more powerful than barking puppies.
"Enough already. No matter how much you complain or heckle, I'm not going to accept your selfishness. As I said before, our autonomous region enjoys 'religious freedom'."
Everyone is free to choose what they believe.
Or maybe you don't believe in anything at all.
"So basically, I won't place any restrictions on you spreading your faith in this land. Do as you like. However, I won't provide any support whatsoever. It's the same for any other faith. It's a measure to maintain fairness."
If your faith is truly correct, that should be enough.
People will naturally be drawn to correct faith, and it will become a teaching that supports people's hearts.
"However, please remember at the same time that unlimited freedom does not exist in this world. Freedom guaranteed under the state does not guarantee freedom that does not fit within the state's framework."
What that means is, you have to obey our laws.
"Like many other countries, murder and unjustified violence are prohibited by law in our autonomous region. We will warn you if you cause trouble with other faiths or try to recruit believers forcefully, and if you break the law, we will crack down mercilessly, so be prepared for that."
"That's ridiculous!"
That's stupid.
"If things get too outrageous, we may have the religion banned after further discussion, so keep that in mind. The rest is up to you all to decide. Now, adjourn."
"Please wait!!"
No, I said disband.
If that's the case, then just leave. Don't complain.
"You are wrong! Photonism is the one and only true religion in this world! It is the duty of those in power to accept it unconditionally! And you are telling us to mix with other evil cults and compete with them!? This is nothing but an insult to the one and only Photon God!"
Isn't that just an insult to all other faiths?
"The small details don't matter! Right here and now! We just need to recognize Photonism as the state religion! That is all that is justice! So, recognize it right now! Make Photonism the state religion! Otherwise you will go to hell!"
He says it all out of curiosity.
Until now, I'd been able to easily subdue people with pressure, but this time it just didn't work at all.
I understand that being upset can make your vocabulary poor, but that's still not a good way to behave in front of a negotiating partner.
I think I've managed to defeat him in the argument, but it doesn't look like he's going to give up even with a claw.
A new approach will be needed here.