Scenario:Alanaan - Teachings of the Church
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Teachings of the Church
Alanaan thinks back on the incident when he accidentally killed both a shopkeeper and bodyguard in order to save the life of a young follower who had been accused of theft. But when he sees the young man continuing to steal without remorse, Alanaan proceeds to end his life as well, proclaiming that evil deeds committed for the sake of good are righteous.
Alanaan: The Church of Renatus worships the sun goddess.
Alanaan: The evil that dwells within the hearts of men is purged by the sun goddess's blessed light.
Alanaan: And we are reborn as righteous people, free of impurity.
Alanaan: With the protection of the sun goddess, we are able to survive in this chaotic world.
Alanaan: However...
Alanaan: Our greatest desire—a paradise created for the righteous by the righteous—will never come into being through proselytizin' alone.
Alanaan: As much as it pains me to say it... This world we live in is overflowin' with evil.
Alanaan: What is good? What is evil? We must begin by askin' ourselves the answers to those questions.
One evening Alanaan is wrestling with the concepts of good and evil.
But his thoughts are interrupted when a letter arrives at the Church of Renatus.
Letter: Dear Father Alanaan—
Letter: A member of your church has been caught stealing from my shop.
Letter: I don't know what sort of punishment your doctrine calls for in situations like these.
Letter: But this is a perfect opportunity to expose the true colors of the so-called righteous followers of the Church of Renatus, as well as the church itself.
The letter goes on to list a number of criticisms of the church.
Alanaan: …………
Alanaan sighs and holds his head in his hands.
Alanaan: (I can't believe that young man strayed from the path...)
Alanaan: (No, I was foolish. It's my fault that the teachings weren't able to reach his heart.)
Alanaan departs immediately for the shop belonging to the author of the letter.
A young man's anguished cries can be heard coming from inside the building.
Bodyguard: Take that!
Young Follower: Urgh! Aaahh!
Bodyguard: And that!
Young Follower: Guh...
Shopkeeper: Heh heh heh... Music to my ears.
The bodyguard continues to bludgeon the captured young follower in the name of punishment.
But the scene is so gruesome that it's hard to imagine that the bodyguard isn't enjoying himself.
Young Follower: P-please, have mercy...
Bodyguard: If you're just gonna beg, maybe you shouldn't have screwed up in the first place!
Hyah!
Hyah!
They hear the sound of footsteps, and suddenly a breathless Alanaan bursts through the door.
Alanaan: Huff... Huff...
Shopkeeper: My, my. That was fast.
Young Follower: Urgh... F-Father...
Alanaan: What in the!
Words fail Alanaan as he spots the young follower's broken and bruised body.
Alanaan: (They really did a number on him...)
Alanaan: Stealin' is definitely inexcusable. But was it really necessary to go that far?
Shopkeeper: Heh heh heh. I'm shocked. You've got a lot of nerve to criticize my actions.
Shopkeeper: His evil deed started all of this, and you have the audacity to berate me?
Alanaan: ...
Shopkeeper: Where's my apology? That seems like an appropriate place to start. How about it?
Alanaan: Certainly... I suppose that's reasonable.
Alanaan: (This kid was raised in the church's orphanage, so I imagine I have some parental responsibility for him...)
Alanaan: I apologize profusely for the trouble this young man in my tutelage has caused.
Shopkeeper: Yes. He has indeed been a terrible nuisance.
Alanaan: ...
Shopkeeper: My, what a scary expression. I guess it's only natural that this young man turned out the way he did, considering the priest he studied under.
Alanaan: You've made yerself clear. But right now I need to treat him.
Alanaan: I'll make sure he receives the teachings once again.
Alanaan starts to move toward the young man, but the bodyguard steps in his way.
Alanaan: Move.
Bodyguard: Hold on, Father... You're not taking him anywhere yet. First he needs to pay back what he owes.
Alanaan: ...
Shopkeeper: Oh, that's right.
Shopkeeper: Hm... I incurred a number of damages myself. I imagine ten million rupies will just about cover it.
Alanaan: Heh. That's absurd. I imagine you already know what my answer's gonna be.
Alanaan: My church doesn't have that kind of money.
Shopkeeper: Oh, now this is a problem...
Bodyguard: If he doesn't have any money, maybe you can help him make some.
Shopkeeper: That's reasonable.
Shopkeeper: In that case, what do you say you let me take that church off your hands, Father?
Alanaan: What! The church?
Alanaan: Listen to me—the church is a place of salvation. It's a house that belongs to everybody. Don't be ridiculous!
Shopkeeper: You have no money to give, and you refuse to hand over your church...
Shopkeeper: I've heard that you seek a paradise for the righteous by the righteous. But it seems you intend to create a paradise for the wicked by the wicked instead.
Shopkeeper: And I suppose respectable merchants like myself will just have to roll over and accept it.
Shopkeeper: Dear me... The Church of Renatus certainly is corrupt.
The shopkeeper hurls insults at Alanaan, his face twisted into a vulgar grin.
Still Alanaan raises no argument, instead bowing his head before the man.
Alanaan: (I don't have time for this silly argument. I have to get that young man to a doctor.)
Alanaan: You'll get yer money—I'll make sure of it. But I can't pay ya right now. You'll have to give me more time.
Shopkeeper: Humph. I suppose that means our negotiations have broken down.
Bodyguard: ...
Upon hearing the shopkeeper's words, the bodyguard aims a glimmering dagger at the young follower.
Young Follower: E-eek!
Alanaan: What do ya think yer doin'!
Bodyguard: Exactly what it looks like.
The bodyguard grins and raises his dagger.
Alanaan: Stooop!
Bodyguard: What the!
Alanaan flings himself at the bodyguard.
Alanaan: ...!
Bodyguard: D-damn you! Let go!
Alanaan: O-over my dead body!
No matter how much the bodyguard punches and kicks, Alanaan refuses to let go.
The pair continue to wrestle, slamming into the walls and furniture around them as they struggle for control of the dagger.
Bodyguard: I told you to get off!
Alanaan: Aaargh!
Suddenly the conflict comes to an abrupt end.
Bodyguard: Urgh...
Alanaan: ...
The next thing they know, the dagger is protruding from the bodyguard's abdomen, held by Alanaan.
Alanaan: Huff... Huff...
Bodyguard: You... bastard...
Alanaan: How...
Alanaan gasps and immediately lets go of the dagger protruding from the bodyguard's stomach.
Alanaan: A-are you all right? Hey!
Bodyguard: ...
Alanaan shakes the man's crumpled body, but there is no response.
The bodyguard has already breathed his final breath.
Alanaan: I-I never intended to kill him.
Alanaan: I was just tryin' to stop him...
Young Follower: ...
Shopkeeper: Y-you son of a... Look what you've done...
Alanaan: No! I told you, I didn't mean to kill him!
Shopkeeper: E-eek... Stay away from me!
The terrified shopkeeper unsheathes a sword leaning against a nearby cupboard and swings it at Alanaan.
Alanaan: Ngh!
Alanaan: (I'm gonna be killed at this rate!)
It happens in an instant.
Alanaan manages to dodge the shopkeeper's sword by the skin of his teeth.
Alanaan: Hyaaah!
Shopkeeper: Urgh!
The next moment, Alanaan pulls the dagger out of the bodyguard's stomach and slashes it across the shopkeeper's neck.
Alanaan: Huff... Huff...
Shopkeeper: You preach of... piety... But... Y-you're nothing but... a murderer...
The shopkeeper collapses to the ground, blood pouring from the wound on his neck.
Alanaan stands in a daze, covered in the man's blood.
Alanaan: Huff... Huff...
Alanaan: (I... I was just protectin' myself...)
Alanaan: (But... was there really no other way? Did I have to take his life?)
Alanaan: (Why did my body automatically move in for the kill?)
Alanaan: (All that talk about good deeds... Hahaha... And now here I stand with blood-stained hands...)
After watching the series of tragedies unfurl before his eyes, the young follower suddenly shouts out with glee.
Young Follower: Heh... Hehehe... Yes! I'm saved... Saaaved!
Alanaan: ...
Young Follower: Why do you look so upset? You saved me!
Young Follower: They would have killed us both otherwise!
Alanaan: Th-that's true...
Alanaan: (I... saved his life...)
Alanaan: (That's right... At the very least, I managed to protect this young man...)
Alanaan: (That means... what I did wasn't really an evil deed. Right?)
Alanaan: Come on, we need to get you patched up. Those wounds o' yers need treatin'.
Young Follower: Heh... Hehe...
Alanaan: Hey, are you listenin'?
The young follower completely ignores Alanaan and wobbles over to a safe in the corner of the room.
And then he does the unthinkable.
Young Follower: Hyaaah!
The young man picks up the fallen sword and uses it to break the lock on the safe.
Young Follower: Rupies... Rupies...
He then drags his body closer to the safe and begins to rake its contents into his bag.
Alanaan: What in the skies... are you doin'?
Young Follower: Isn't it obvious? I'm collecting funds to cover my medical expenses.
Alanaan: Medical expenses?
Young Follower: Yeah. And... Oh, I know. Maybe I'll charge a little inconvenience fee on top of that!
Alanaan: (What is he talkin' about?)
Alanaan: Hey!
Young Follower: What?
Alanaan: That money belongs to the shopkeeper. It's not yers to take.
Young Follower: Tch. Who asked you?
Young Follower: What does it matter now anyway? The person this belonged to is dead!
Young Follower: Actually, I guess it would be more accurate to say he was killed...
Young Follower: By you!
Alanaan: ...
The young man's words pierce Alanaan's heart like a pointed blade.
Alanaan: I was just... t-trying to save you...
Young Follower: Huh? Now hang on just a second. I don't remember asking you to kill them.
Young Follower: Stop trying to pin this on me. You're the one who killed them, aren't you?
Alanaan: Yer not going to... repent for what you've done?
Young Follower: Ahaha! Repent? Sure, I'll repent.
Young Follower: O great sun goddess, I ask for your forgiveness! I have participated in the sinful act of stealing! What a fool I am!
Young Follower: Perhaps my faith wasn't strong enough... No, that has nothing to do with it.
Young Follower: Even this priest with his oh-so-devout faith ignored the doctrine and killed another person.
Alanaan: ...
Young Follower: You should repent with me, Father. No... I suppose no amount of repenting will save you now.
Young Follower: O great sun goddess! Deliver your divine judgment upon Father Alanaan, a sinner!
Young Follower: I implore you! Deliver your judgment upon him!
Alanaan: You...
Young Follower: Hey, why'd you kill them? Why'd you do it?
Young Follower: Was there really no other way? What is good? What is evil?
Young Follower: Come on, say something. You're a priest, aren't you? Shouldn't you answer when one of your church's followers asks you a question?
Alanaan: ...
Alanaan: (I've lived my entire life in accordance with the doctrine... But it's all vanished in an instant...)
Alanaan: Haha... Haha...
Alanaan: Ahahaha!
Alanaan: ...
Young Follower: Aw, nothing to say?
Young Follower: I guess that makes sense. You have no words of guidance to offer. And it's not like they'd carry any weight even if you did.
Young Follower: You're no more than a murderer now, after all.
The young follower spits out the words and resumes stuffing the contents of the safe into his bag.
Alanaan simply stares at the young man, his expression heartbroken.
Alanaan: ...
Alanaan: (I wanted to save him... That's all I wanted...)
Alanaan: (Great sun goddess... What should I have done differently?)
???: ...
Alanaan: ...
What is good? What is evil? The questions continue to swirl in Alanaan's mind, until he finally arrives at a conclusion.
He had tried to put a stop to an evil deed. And that in itself was a righteous deed.
And yet, unintentionally, someone died. Yes, it was a simple accident.
Alanaan: (It's true that I killed the shopkeeper. But he and his bodyguard were aimin' for my life.)
Alanaan: (He was a truly evil person... That much is certain.)
Alanaan: (It's pointless to expect so much from reformation alone.)
Alanaan: (This young man desperately stuffing money into his bag before my eyes is a perfect example.)
Alanaan: (Despite committin' a sin and facin' punishment at the hands of the wicked, he's immediately committin' another sin.)
Alanaan: (In other words... there are people out there who don't respond to mere teachings.)
Alanaan: (In order to become a righteous person, one must put in the effort.)
Alanaan: (I suppose that goes without sayin'. People aren't inherently good after all...)
Alanaan: (We must put our faith in the sun goddess and purge the evil residin' within ourselves.)
Alanaan: (Those who are unable to do so will undoubtedly continue to commit evil deeds in the future.)
Alanaan: (In that case, their evil deeds can only be prevented by... eliminating them from this world.)
Alanaan: I have prevented these men from committing evil deeds in the future.
Alanaan: The evil deeds one must commit for the sake of good are... good deeds themselves.
Alanaan: Evil deeds committed for the sake of good... are righteous.
Alanaan: ...
Young Follower: Aha! Ahaha! Rupies! Rupieees!
Alanaan looks at the young follower consumed by greed and breathes a deep sigh.
He then takes the shopkeeper's sword and slowly raises it over his head.
Alanaan: Hey.
Young Follower: Huh?
Alanaan: Haahh!
Young Follower: Urgh...
Alanaan: Forgive me...
Alanaan ruthlessly brings the blade down upon the young believer.
In Alanaan's eyes, it is a necessary righteous act.
Alanaan: Haha... Haha...
Alanaan: Ahahaha! Ahahahaha!
Alanaan: Evil deeds committed for the sake of good...
Alanaan: Are inherently good themselves!
???: ...
Shortly afterward, Alanaan sets fire to the shop to erase all evidence of the murders.
With the young man's bag in hand, he walks away from the blazing building, the flames burning brightly behind him.