kscans

Chapter 32 - # The Empress Who Aspires to Absolute Rule by Law

Light descending from the heavens enveloped the serene marble corridor. Angels were painted on the ceiling, and words of prayer were carved into the platinum pillars.

This was the Pantheon Temple, a sacred sanctuary where the gods were once said to have touched the earth.

Amidst the cold air and the quietly drifting smoke of sacred incense, a single priestess sat upon a throne. Izabel Crawford. A reincarnator and the empress known as the 'God's Deputy.'

Her appearance was truly like that of an idol, clad in silver-white robes, her eyes holding a coldness and a light of reason that transcended human understanding.

"Sin must be atoned for."

With those words alone, the air froze.

Prostrated before her were human mercenaries who had defiled the sacred elven sanctuary of the holy spring.

"Trespassing into and plundering the holy spring 'Myuria.' Do you have any excuse?"

"We were only following orders...! The true mastermind is someone else."

"Even if you were under orders, the fact that you defiled a holy place does not vanish. We shall demonstrate justice through divine punishment."

"God will not forgive. I will not forgive. The judgment has been passed."

Izabel quietly raised her hand and pointed to the sky.

"I say to you, O sinful ones. O flame from the heavens, fire of purification. Descend now, in the name of God."

"Sanctus Ignis Iudicium."

The wings of the angels painted on the canopy began to glow, and pure white flames rained down from the void. The screams of the sinners echoed through the temple, and then silence fell.

At their feet, only ash and a holy mark remained.

No one could speak. This was the judgment of the 'God's Deputy.' Absolute rule by the order of law.

■ Flashback: The Past as Chika Saito

Kasumigaseki, Tokyo. From the outside, she was a top-tier civil servant. But in reality, she was just another cog in the machine, not treated as a human being. Her name was Chika Saito.

Her academic record was outstanding. Graduated top of her class from the law faculty of a former imperial university. Passed the bar exam and joined a government ministry. But from that moment on, her life turned from being 'evaluated' to being 'disposable.'

"You're a woman, so you serve tea." "You can't read the room." Her superiors said.

"Saito-san, even if a young woman like you talks about the finer points of the law, it won't fly in the field, you know?"

"You'll get promoted faster if you smile cutely instead of talking back."

"...Well, I guess that's impossible for you. You have zero charm."

Her colleagues whispered.

"Saito-san, why don't you go to that department? It's easy, you just sit at your desk all day."

"...Wait, you're still talking about 'convictions'? Exam brains are scary."

"And besides, you're so cold. Like, seriously zero humanity."

"Harassment? It's useless to complain. She's just bitter because no guy will pay attention to her."

She came to work earlier than anyone else, stared at law books later than anyone else, and did her job more correctly and more seriously than anyone else.

Still, she was never recognized. Because she didn't smile, because she wasn't considerate, because she wasn't feminine, because she couldn't read the room.

She was told these things, removed from projects, had her achievements stolen by others, and eventually, no one spoke to her anymore.

A person who is not liked by others for emotional reasons is made into an 'enemy' even when they speak the truth. Chika learned this through her daily life.

One rainy night. On her way home from working late, she was hit by a truck that ran a red light. As her consciousness faded, she made a single wish.

"I don't want to be swayed by anyone's emotions anymore. Emotions are just stupid errors. If I ruled the world, it would be more just, more efficient."

And when she opened her eyes, she was in another world. Chosen by a god, she had descended into this world as the reincarnator, 'Izabel Crawford.'

She aimed for the temple from the very beginning. By unifying faith and law and calling herself the 'God's Deputy,' she built a structure of absolute rule that no one could defy. She executed resistant nobles, sealed the royal family into a 'mere formality,' and mandated an education that forced the people to memorize the 'Divine Code of Law.'

"Those who do not know the law have no right to live. Those who prioritize emotion will be deemed 'savages.'"

So she declared, and she stoically began to repaint the world.

In her office, Izabel was quietly turning the pages of a document. A temple knight came running in.

"A report, Izabel-sama. Word has come from the eastern watchtower. An anomaly has been confirmed on the border of the Demon Lord's territory."

"The details."

"...A group, likely of monsters, is leading an army toward temple territory. Among them, there is an unfamiliar commander. An intelligent monster... of the Hobgoblin species."

"...Its name?"

"It is not yet known. However, its actions show planning, and the surrounding monsters seem to have sworn loyalty."

Izabel's brow twitched slightly.

"'An intelligent monster that leads an army'... sounds just like a 'reincarnator,' doesn't it."

A faint irritation welled up in her chest.

(Another one who would disturb the order has appeared. But I do not bargain with monsters. Those who must be judged will be judged through the proper procedures.)

"If it is coming close, there is no need to intercept."

"Excuse me...?"

"Judgment must be carried out in a public forum. We will make it obey the order of god."

Izabel Crawford stood up quietly.

"I shall judge that Hobgoblin. I will teach this 'nameless heretic' the reason of god."

Who will be judged? And so begins the quiet battle over the 'reincarnators' of this world.