Faith, Accusations, and Bad Ideas
Arcanretia did not calm down overnight. If anything, it became louder. By morning, the city was already buzzing with arguments, rumors, and half-baked conclusions spreading faster than sense.
Ruko noticed it immediately when he stepped outside the lodging and saw groups of Axis followers whispering while glancing in his direction. No smiles this time. Just curiosity mixed with suspicion.
Kazuma leaned in beside him. "Yeah… they been like that since then and they're talking about you." Ruko nodded. "Figured, guess i attractedthe assholes now." Aqua, meanwhile, was enjoying the attention. She stood in the middle of the street, proudly accepting praise from several cultists who were kneeling dramatically. "Yes, yes, your goddess has returned! Feel free to donate later!"
Kazuma facepalmed. "She's gonna get us killed." The situation escalated when a group of senior Axis members requested a formal meeting. The moment Ruko heard the word formal, he already knew it wouldn't be good.
They were led into a wide hall filled with long benches and banners. The atmosphere was tense. This wasn't celebration—it was judgment. One of the elders spoke first. "Lady Aqua, we are honored by your presence. However… there have been concerns."
Aqua blinked. "Concerns about how amazing I am?" The elder ignored that. "There is a man among your group who speaks… differently." Ruko stood straight, calm. "If you mean me, I just said people shouldn't fight over prayers cause they're a fucking idiots."
Murmurs spread through the hall. "That kind of thinking causes doubt." "Doubt weakens faith." "Faith must be absolute." Kazuma whispered, "They're about to blame you for everything. Well its seems your problem now." Ruko replied quietly, "Let them talk and I'll kick your ass later."
The elder narrowed his eyes. "You suggest schedules. Rules. Limits. Those things go against Axis freedom." Ruko answered plainly. "Then your freedom is causing fights, injuries, and property damage which is quite stupid. That's not belief. That's bad management of a empty shell of yours."
The room exploded with noise. "How dare you!" "He insults the church!" "He's corrupting Lady Aqua!" Aqua finally caught on. "Hey! Stop blaming him! He's with me!" That only made it worse. "If he speaks for you, then you've changed!" "Our goddess wouldn't support any kind of limits!"
Kazuma muttered, "Now i started to hate this city from the beginning." Darkness shifted uncomfortably. Megumin crossed her arms, clearly annoyed. "They're arguing in circles." The elders called for silence. One of them pointed at Ruko. "You will participate in a faith trial."
Kazuma jumped up. "A what?!" "A test," the elder said. "To prove whether his words come from belief… or heresy." Ruko didn't react immediately. He just looked around the room, then nodded once. "Fine." Kazuma grabbed his arm. "Why are you agreeing?!"
Ruko replied calmly, "Because refusing will make things worse, even though these nutjobs is nothing but shits." The trial was announced publicly within minutes. By noon, a crowd had gathered in the central plaza. Axis followers filled every open space, excited and restless. Aqua was visibly nervous now, pacing back and forth. "I don't like this," she said. "They're being weird all of a sudden."
Kazuma sighed. "Welcome to consequences." An elder raised his staff. "The trial will be simple! Questions of faith! Answer correctly, and all doubt will be erased!" Ruko whispered to Kazuma, "Define correctly." Kazuma grimaced. "Yeah, that's the problem you idoit."
The questions began. "Is Lady Aqua always right?" Aqua gasped. "Obviously!" Ruko paused. "No." The crowd froze. Kazuma nearly choked. Ruko continued, voice steady. "She's powerful. She's divine. But she makes mistakes. Everyone does."
The cult erupted into chaos.
"BLASPHEMY!"
"HE INSULTS HER!"
"He must be punished!"
Aqua stared at him. "Ruko…" He looked at her. "You know it's true." The elders shouted for silence again. Their expressions were no longer calm. "Final question," one said coldly. "What matters more—faith or reason?"
Ruko answered immediately. "Both. Faith without reason becomes blind. Reason without faith becomes empty. Even though they're both help us to understand in certain way we can't." The crowd didn't like that answer either.
Someone threw a stone. Another shouted curses. Guards moved forward.
Kazuma stood in front of Ruko. "Alright, that's enough. We're leaving." Aqua raised her staff. "Stop!" The guards hesitated. Aqua looked angry now. "I didn't come here to watch you attack my friends. If this is how you treat people who think differently, then you're doing it wrong."
The plaza went silent. Some followers looked ashamed. Others looked furious. The elders stepped back, shaken but not defeated. "This is not over." Ruko exhaled slowly. "I know you piece a shit." As they returned to the lodging under heavy stares, Kazuma spoke quietly. "You just made an enemies of Axis."
Ruko nodded. "Yeah so what. Like i don't like this no good of a freedom aristocrat country anyway." Megumin smirked. "At least it's interesting." That night, whispers filled Arcanretia. Some called Ruko a heretic. Others called him honest. The Axis Church was split—and once divided, things only got worse. Far beyond the city, unseen eyes watched again. The mayhem was no longer contained.