Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 535

"Lord Ridd. You were reading so intently, do you have an interest in Mistina religion?"

"Huh? No, no, not really. I just heard that it's relatively popular in Zubera, so I thought I'd familiarize myself with its content."

"I see. That's good then..."

"Diana, do you not like the Mistina religion?"

When I asked, she nodded and said, "Yes."

"The Mistina religion is monotheistic and fundamentally does not recognize other faiths, which often leads to conflicts over trivial matters. Devout believers tend to distrust their own country's teachings and ways, and most end up leaving to settle in Toga. While it's manageable if it's just ordinary citizens, I've heard that in the past, even technicians and those privy to state secrets have left. The missionaries of the Mistina religion claim to save and guide people, but it's sophistry. They merely use their teachings to steer people toward their own selfish goals."

Her eyes clearly harbored a deep aversion to the Mistina religion as she spoke fluently and assertively.

"Um, did something happen with the Mistina religion in the past?"

"...Yes. When I was young, the parents of a close friend became deeply involved in the Mistina religion, causing various problems, and eventually, they abandoned the empire. Since then, I haven't had much positive feelings toward that religion."

"I see. That must have been tough."

Diana's expression turned somewhat lonely. She must have been very close to that friend.

Though it's not the same as religion, I've had a similar experience when recalling memories from my past life.

Back when I was a company employee, a friend from university contacted me after a long time, saying they wanted to meet.

Excited about the reunion, I happily went to see them, only to be told, "I've found a great job and met some amazing people, so I wanted to share it with you," and then invited to join some business membership.

I immediately sensed something fishy and declined, advising them, "Are you sure? You should really look into it properly and not be blinded." But they didn't listen.

After that, they kept trying to recruit me, but I continued to refuse. Eventually, they said, "You're crazy for not joining such a great business," and that was the end of it.

It was sad because we had such good times together during our student days.

While religions and teachings that help people learn how to live and understand morality might be necessary, religions that stray from rationality can be dangerous in many ways.

Since Toga was strategically proselytizing with the intent of invasion, it's better to be aware of the Mistina religion and remain cautious.

As I was lost in these thoughts, the charcoal-powered vehicle suddenly shook violently.

"Whoa!"

"Lord Rid!"

At the moment when my body was about to float, Diana hugged me tightly.

And then, we both fell onto the floor of the vehicle.

"Ugh!"

She groaned but tightened her embrace to protect me.

When the shaking subsided, I quickly got up.

"Diana, are you okay?"

"Y-yes. I just hit my body a little. I'm not injured."

She said this and slowly stood up, straightening her disheveled clothes.

From what I could see, she really didn't seem to be hurt.

I couldn't help but sigh in relief.

"That's good. If you got hurt, Rubens would be mad at me."

"Not at all. Protecting you is my duty. He... no, my husband would surely say I did well."

When she said "husband," she blushed slightly.

By the way, Rubens and Diana got married after the battle at the Narrow Fortress.

They just had their wedding ceremony the other day.

Since I didn't want to separate the newlyweds who were so happy, I told Diana she didn't have to come on this visit to the Fox Clan's territory, but she shook her head at the suggestion.

"Thank you for your concern. However, I am a servant of the Baldia family. I appreciate your kindness, but I wish to continue performing my guard duties as usual."

I also asked Rubens, and he agreed.

Moreover, Diana was very determined, so that's why she's accompanying us.

"Still..."

Diana, who had been blushing, suddenly clouded her expression.

"For the vehicle to shake like this, what could have happened?"

"Yeah. They wouldn't drive like this on purpose, so maybe something happened outside."

The driver of the charcoal-powered vehicle pulling our trailer is Capella.

He often drives the charcoal-powered vehicle at Ellen and Alex's request, so his driving skills are the best in Baldia.

Looking out the window, the following charcoal-powered vehicle had also stopped, and the knights on the cargo bed were preparing for battle.

Wondering what was going on, there was a polite knock on the car door.

"Lord Ridd. Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

When I responded, the door opened, revealing a burly, bald knight.

It was Dynas , the captain of Baldia's First Knight Order.

Actually, since my father couldn't come himself, he instructed Dynas to accompany me on this visit to the Fox Clan's territory.

Moreover, during his absence from Baldia, my father and Rubens would share the duties of the Knight Captain.

Or rather, it's probably in anticipation of eventually appointing Rubens as the Knight Captain.

"My apologies. Some strange fellows have appeared and are blocking the road, demanding that Lord Lidd come out. They don't seem like ordinary bandits. What should we do?"

Dynas , usually boisterous, was now polite and reserved.

Wow, as expected of the Knight Captain. He knows how to act appropriately.

But just as I thought that, he narrowed his eyes and grinned, showing his white teeth.

"Well, if this were within the empire, we'd scatter those guys without a second thought. But since we're in the Fox Clan's territory, we're holding back."

His words were quite pointed, and I noticed a faint blue vein popping on Dynus's forehead.

It seems he's holding back a lot of anger.

"Ah, haha. Well, let's go meet them for now."

"Eh, you're going to meet them?"

Diana tilted her head, her expression still clouded.

"Yeah. If they're demanding I come out, it means they understand that the group blocking the road is from Baldia. That means there must be someone behind them who provided the information. Also, causing a commotion here could give the Fox Clan's nobles an excuse to cause trouble."

It's easier to deal with them calling me out like this than having things move behind the scenes.

But using such methods probably means the ones waiting are just pawns.