Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 534

The Mestina religion is the state religion of the theocratic nation of Toga, which possesses the second-greatest national power after the Empire.

Over the years, Toga has focused on spreading this religion, making it the most famous and widely followed faith across the continent.

In fact, every country on the continent has a certain number of Mestina followers, but the religion's reputation in these nations is not particularly favorable.

This is not due to the teachings themselves, but rather because Toga has historically interpreted and politically exploited Mestina religion to suit its own interests.

Toga's past invasion strategies often involved first spreading the Mestina religion within enemy nations to create a large number of followers.

Then, under the pretext of a "holy war" declared through a divine oracle from the goddess Mestina, Toga would collaborate with these followers to destabilize the enemy nation from within and without.

Many nations, including the Empire, have experienced periods of chaos due to Toga's schemes, which has left a very negative impression of the Mestina religion.

However, to avoid both the risk of fanatical followers running amok and the potential for all-out war with Toga, no country has completely banned the Mestina religion.

That said, Toga's strategies could not work indefinitely, and its momentum eventually waned, leading to its current territorial limits.

In recent years, Toga has conveniently interpreted the Mestina teaching that "one must not enslave another person" to mean that "the term 'slave' in this passage refers only to humans and does not include other tribes."

Toga has been actively engaging in slave trading in collaboration with Barust, a practice that has drawn criticism from various nations.

However, the teachings of the Mestina religion themselves are not inherently bad.

"Cherish your neighbors."

"One must not enslave another person."

"If you wish to be loved, first learn to love others."

"Every life is born with one life, and death comes to all. Thus, the value of life is unrelated to one's birth, and everyone is equal from the moment they are born. However, as people grow, they often forget this."

"Rejoice in others' happiness and share in their sorrow. This is the most important heart for a person to have."

"First, resolve to achieve something. The method will follow."

These teachings seem to be about learning the 'morals' necessary for living as a human being.

The idea that "everyone is equal" likely resonated deeply with those living under harsh conditions.

Additionally, there are interesting aspects beyond the teachings, such as the adventure tale of Mestina Mater, who rose from an ordinary girl to a saint and then a goddess.

"When Saint Mestina looked down upon the ruined earth from the back of a soaring dragon, her tears fell as large raindrops, eventually causing a great flood that washed the earth clean."

"The nations that incurred Saint Mestina's wrath were swiftly destroyed by the breath of the soaring dragon."

The Mestina scriptures are filled with such moralistic fairy tales, designed to be enjoyable for both adults and children.

This might be a way to make the stories easy to pass down from parents to children. In a world with less entertainment than today, it's understandable why these tales became popular.

I recall that various religions from my past life's memories also had similar elements.

As I pondered this, I felt a vibration through my body, and my head began to spin.

The text before my eyes blurred, and a wave of nausea rose from my stomach.

"Ugh..."

As I hunched over, feeling queasy, Diana, sitting across from me, handed me a handkerchief with a worried look.

"Lord Ridd, are you alright?"

"Y-yes. Thank you."

As I pressed the handkerchief to my mouth, she gave me a disapproving look.

"If you get motion sickness so easily, reading in the carriage really isn't a good idea."

"Haha..."

The place I was currently in was the interior of a 'towed automobile' connected to a charcoal-powered vehicle.

To put it more simply, it was like a trailer house from my past life's memories.

What set it apart from a regular cargo bed was the spacious interior, equipped with a bed and sofa.

I would have been fine staying inside the charcoal-powered vehicle itself.

This 'luxury towed automobile' was a prototype being tested as an accessory for the charcoal-powered vehicles we planned to sell to nobles.

This trip coincided with my long-distance journey from Baldia to the territory of the Fox Tribe, serving as a test run.

Yes, our destination was Forneau, the capital where Amon, the new tribal chief, was striving to rebuild the Fox Tribe.

We had left Baldia just a few days ago.

We spent last night at the Narrow Fortress and were now within the Fox Tribe's territory.

Incidentally, the day before we left Baldia, I celebrated my birthday and turned nine years old.

"Yeah, I thought I'd gotten a bit stronger, but I guess not."

As I scratched my cheek and nodded, Diana shook her head with a sigh. Just then, the carriage jolted.

Diana glanced out the window to ensure nothing was amiss, then exhaled.

"However, the roads in the Fox Tribe's territory are quite rough. Even I, who rarely get motion sickness, feel a bit queasy."

"Indeed, the vibrations have gotten much stronger since we entered the Fox Tribe's lands."

The road from the Baldia family estate to the Narrow Fortress had been maintained by the Second Knight Order, so there was hardly any noticeable shaking.

Moreover, perhaps because I had traveled it many times, even I had become somewhat resistant to motion sickness, and I didn't suffer from severe nausea on the way to the Narrow Fortress.

That's why I thought it would be fine to read the Mestina scriptures inside the carriage.

By the way, when I  said, "I'm interested in the Mestina religion, so I'd like a copy of the scriptures," my father's suspicious look and frown were intense.

After much explanation that it was solely to broaden my knowledge, I finally received the scriptures, but my father sternly warned me, "When you read this, promise me you'll do so in the presence of myself, Diana, or some other trusted adult. I absolutely will not allow you to convert."

I thought the teachings might be dangerously persuasive, but they weren't as extreme as I expected.

Well, it's only natural for him to worry when the heir to a border count, tasked with defending the frontier, shows interest in a religion historically used as an invasion strategy by another nation.

As I held the scriptures and gazed at the cover, Diana furrowed her brow.