Chapter 555 – 555 – Do Not Forgive My Sins

Chapter 555 – Do Not Forgive My Sins

In a land where polytheism—the belief and worship of multiple gods was acknowledged, being labelled as heretic meant being forsaken by all gods.

Simply put, in a society where faith formed the foundation a heretic was treated as less than human. Thus, those branded as heretics had nowhere to live.

Where could someone go if they were cast out of cities, which were the backbone of life?

They would either turn to banditry or flee to places like the oasis towns of the west or the eastern frontiers.

Of course, such a journey could never be easy; it was a matter of risking one’s life. A scholar who once acknowledged this harsh reality claimed that witch hunts and the persecution of heretics were the root causes of banditry.

However, he too was branded a heretic and burned at the stake, proof that even when truths were known, it was easier to turn a blind eye. Being branded a heretic essentially meant opposing the central faith of the continent and worshiping idols.

In other words, cultists were those rejected by all gods and religiously defined as enemies, the truest form of heresy.

Truthfully, any heresy beyond cultism was merely arbitrary a tool used however convenient.

Anyone who wasn’t fanatical in their beliefs or naively innocent already understood this reality. Ideally, heretics should have been rare outside of cults. But since when has the world ever been perfectly just or straightforward?

The term “witch hunt” didn’t come about for nothing. How many people on this continent had the courage to kill those truly deserving the title of “witch”?