01x04 - The Fact That This World Is Far More Beautiful Than Heaven

[bunniefuu]

No matter when I look,

the night sky is always beautiful.

So why...

Why must our world be an ugly place?

It's because the Earth
is at the center of the universe.

But wouldn't that make it special?

To be at the center

is to be at the bottom.

At every location on Earth,

heavy objects fall downward.

That is because Earth's center

is the lowest point in the universe.

That's how God created things.

But why?

God made the Earth
a lowly place full of corruption

to remind us that humankind
is helpless and sinful.

The sky above looks so beautiful

because you are gazing at it
from this corrupt realm.

If Earth is at the bottom of the universe,

why don't the stars fall from the sky?

I don't know.

We humans can only comprehend
the realm in which we live.

The heavens are sublime, solemn,

sacred, and sweeping.

They don't mingle with the lowly Earth.

Sorry. Have I kept you waiting, Oczy?

Not at all, Gras.

The stars look so beautiful
on such a clear night.

It never fails to amaze me!

Every evening, the stars share
the rich splendor of their glow.

Don't you ever have a look?

With your eyes,
I'm sure the stars are quite vivid.

No, uh... I...

I don't like to gaze at the sky.

I see.

Oh, that's right!

Today marks one year
since you transferred to our chapter.

When work is done, let's celebrate.

My treat, of course.

Oh, uh... Thank you very much.

Now then. Let's get to work.

ORB: ON THE MOVEMENTS OF THE EARTH

EPISODE FOUR: THE FACT THAT THIS WORLD
IS FAR MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN HEAVEN

I'll do it.

Thanks.

We're members of the Civilian Watch.

I will serve as witness.

Please allow us to wear masks

so that we may avoid personal retribution.

Now, let's begin.

Commence the duel.

W-Wait!

It was Count Nastula
who I challenged to a duel!

Why does someone of my stature
have to fight you peasants?

Count Nastula hired us

to fight as his champions.

I believe you approved it too.

B-But if I...

If I lose, I'll die!

Correct. That's the way it works.

Gotcha!

N-No...

I don't want to die.

I know! I have money!

Let's make a deal!

You have nothing against me, right?

m*rder is a terrible sin!

You don't really want to do this, do you?

Well...

To be honest, I really don't.

I-In that case--

But this is my job.

B-Burn...

in...

hell.

I've handed over the body.

That takes care of tonight's work.

Still, your reflexes impress me.

You really do have good eyes.

Huh? Are you okay?

D-Do you think he went to heaven?

You're concerned?

I'm worried.

Doing this work, I've seen
many people face imminent death.

But not a single one
seemed to die in satisfaction.

They all passed away in terror.

As if they saw the entrance to hell.

Could it be that
only a handful of people go to heaven?

If so, a m*rder*r like me
will never make it.

Oczy.

What do you like best about our world?

Why ask me that?

It's inappropriate to like anything
about this corrupt realm.

Come on, that's not true!

Enjoyment can't be bad.

With nothing to look forward to,

our souls plunge instantly into darkness.

Things like love, dreams, and hope

should never be cast aside!

I guess you're right.

I'll rethink my outlook.

Oh, sorry.

I've made you nervous.

Please be frank,
and tell me what you really think.

But... my opinion doesn't matter.

Don't be so shy!

We've known each other for a year.

Don't hold back!

I believe expectations
are bound to be betrayed.

You'll be less hurt if you give up
from the very beginning.

Or rather, nothing enjoyable
ever happens in life anyway.

The only ones who can be happy

are a select few born with that privilege.

For those who aren't chosen,
even trying to be happy is useless.

Our world is sick.

And that's why

the only hope is in heaven.

Heaven is wonderful.

I wanna go now.

Just kidding.

In other words,

because there's nothing
perfect or eternal here,

you can't trust anything?

No, I--

I get it!

In truth,

I was just like you not long ago.

But then I found it.

Something worthy of absolute hope.

Wanna know what?

No, not particularly.

This time, you can feign interest.

I want to know.

- Hey, those guys...
- Yeah, they're assassins.

Here we are.

Two cups of wine, please!

Huh?

This tavern is frequented by the nobility.

Duelists like you should leave.

I'm sorry if we've offended you.

However, this tavern
is also open to us guild members.

So I hope you'll allow us to stay.

- You've got it wrong, Gras.
- Huh?

With people like him,
you have to be more direct.

I'm sorry for being born!

C-Cut it out! That's enough!

I'm sorry for being born!

See? If you apologize sincerely,
they'll forgive you.

Uh, right.

Thanks for that.

Now then. Let's pick up where we left off.

Left off?

Huh? You know!

We were talking about the hope I found.

Oh, right. Of course, I remember.

Here it is.

It contains my observations of Mars.

Mars?

What's that?

I guess we start there, huh?

You're aware that the constellations

are always arranged the same, right?

Their appearance never changes,

and every night,
they move from east to west

until morning comes.

But one day,

as I was looking aimlessly
up at the stars,

I noticed something incredible.

Among the fixed constellations in the sky,

some stars move!

They move ever so slightly
in a single night.

But if you watch for days,

their positions clearly change!

I was fascinated,

so I asked a monk.

The moving stars are called "planets,"

and I learned there are as many as five.

The one I found
had the most obvious movements of all.

It's a planet called Mars,
and it has a fiery red glow.

From that day on,

I decided to record
the trajectory of Mars.

And what did I find?

Mars moves through
the constellations in a circular path!

For one month, six months, or a year,

its circular orbit continues without fail.

Swaying grass,
flowing rivers, wavering flames...

There are many things that move in nature,

but none as consistently as this.

It is true perfection!

Then I realized something.

This world certainly is
corrupt and disorderly.

It could never match
the grand perfection of the sky.

Even so, we can still
gaze at that perfection!

Humankind can recognize perfect things.

And unlike the sun,
we can look at Mars directly.

The Earth gives us the best seats
in the house for observation.

Looking at it that way,
humankind and the Earth aren't so bad.

Thanks to that realization,
I feel positive about everything!

And now, after two years of observation,

the orbit of Mars
will complete its circle.

The grand finale will soon be here!

Oh? Wow.

That's a pretty big stretch.

That's a pretty big stretch.

It must take a lot of will.

The perfect circular path of Mars?

I envy you peasants and your ignorance.

I'm sorry to draw your attention again,

but nothing you say
will change how I feel.

Go ahead and laugh all you want.

No, I'm sorry for interrupting.

Feel free to enjoy yourselves.

However, you did choose
the wrong time to begin observation.

Otherwise, you would have noticed sooner.

Whatever you say.

Th-This can't be!

What's wrong?

Every day...

It moved every day for the past two years.

Lately,

I'd noticed that
the movements seemed slower.

But today...

Mars went completely still.

It hasn't moved at all since yesterday.

How could this be?

I waited two years,
and it was about to complete its circle.

Why?

Hey, Oczy!

Done with work?

No, I'm on my way now.

It must be tough

being paired with a weirdo like Gras.

Not at all.

He's a very optimistic person.

That's the problem!

Gras used to be

a fairly average guy.

He complained as much as anyone.

But at one point,

his entire family died of the plague.

That was when

he lost all hope
and tried to end his own life.

H-His life has been that tragic?

The biggest tragedy
was that he failed to die.

The Church forgave him for that sin,

but the truth is that
he regretted having survived.

He said, "Is this really my fate?"

But then, over the past year or two,
he's suddenly grown cheerful.

When I asked him why,

he said he'd been stargazing.

"The stars are a message
from my family in heaven," he said.

Be careful.

Unstable people like him
are unpredictable.

Things like love, dreams, and hope

should never be cast aside!

It bent.

It bent

in the opposite direction.

The perfect circle is broken.

It's hideously deformed.

Is this really

my fate?

Good evening.

Hello. Shall we go?

Will there be no stargazing tonight?

Well...

As you said,

maybe it's a mistake to expect
something from this world,

rather than from heaven.

Anyway, today's task is...

Now there's a change.

We're guarding the transport of a heretic.

A h-heretic?!

They may be communing with the devil.

- Better be careful!
- Huh?

Are you from the Civilian Watch?

I'm the inquisitor, Damian.

The men from the Watch are here.

Let's go, Nowak.

What are you looking at?

A charm.

I guess the boring shift begins now.

Is it okay to remove your mask?

There's no harm in being seen
by a heretic who's about to die.

Oh? I see.

How unfortunate that it should be raining.

It means I can't see the stars.

Aren't you two
interested in the night sky?

Stargazing can be quite relaxing.

We're not allowed

to speak with you.

Could you remain quiet?

Will you strike me if I don't?

To tell the truth,
I pity you too much to hit you.

Why defy the very church
that brings you salvation?

Why would you give up
your own place in heaven?

Unfortunately for you,
execution is unavoidable.

But you could still reconsider
and recant before you die.

How merciful of you.

But you're the ones who should reconsider.

Will the Church
really bring you salvation?

More importantly, does the heaven
they speak of really exist?

A heretic like you would never understand.

And what exactly do you understand?

You all turn blindly to heaven

as a way to escape
the hopelessness of this world.

We know what you're trying to do.

You're playing on our anxieties,

so you can push us toward despair.

No.

You're the ones pushing despair away.

The philosophy of today

was born when an elderly Athenian drank
from a poisoned chalice 2,000 years ago.

The Church of today grew from grief
over a young man's crucifixion



Humankind is known to produce new hope

from the ashes of tragedy.

Temporary relief from pain

will never change reality.

But primal suffering,

seething frustration,

or even your own despair

can be turned into hope.

Yet, you close your eyes to that despair

and turn instead to the thirdhand
guarantee of life after death.

Hope will never smile
upon people like you.

I've had enough of your drivel!

You know nothing!

Gras, get a hold of yourself!

Don't fall for the heretic's trap!

"Heretic," huh?

I know all too well why you fear
people who are called that.

It's not because you don't understand me.

It's the opposite.

Deep down,

you yourselves do not
fully believe in heaven.

You don't speak for me.

In fact, there is no heaven,
and death is the end.

Isn't that what you think?

It's not.

I understand why you worry.

Losing your appointment
in the afterlife is hard.

Don't say another word.

But in fact, you...

No, all humankind
should confront that possibility.

Stop it.

The simple possibility

that your beautiful heaven doesn't exist!

I asked you to stop!

Worse, you ignore the fact that this world
is far more beautiful than heaven.

What are you--

You want to believe it too, don't you?

That this world
is a wonderful place worth living on.

Forget it. That's enough.

It's ridiculous.

If we stop and think,
it's all baseless rambling.

I have evidence.

Is that so?

Well, you don't have it here.

No, it's right at this spot.

Right on that mountain you see now.

All the evidence

is in a stone chest
hidden on the mountainside.

Now, do you understand
the position you're in?

On this very night,
you two have been given

the momentary chance

to change your own lives
for the first time.

Will you stick to the comfort
of lifelong self-denial?

Or will you risk everything
for self-affirmation?

The choice is yours.

So, what will it be?

A-As if...

Huh?

Please.