[59]
The church never sleeps, even at dawn.
Even now, it was teeming with priests engaged in early morning prayers.
“They say Empress Astria has imprisoned Sena Birkender in Windsor Castle.”
Though their prayers seemed to have a slightly different tone.
“As planned.”
“Yes, as planned.”
“This makes it easier to secure Sena Birkender.”
The priests laughed joyfully.
They had been worrying about how to deal with him, as he had fled to the only place beyond the church’s reach—the imperial palace.
Thankfully, an excuse had presented itself.
“While the Empress may not know Sena Birkender’s ‘true’ value, she is aware that he is an excellent physician. Will she release him easily?”
“She will have to. Unless she wants her grip to be pried open.”
Bishop Andrea swirled the half-filled glass of red wine in his hand.
“Above all, that kind saint will never stand by the Empress, who seeks to obliterate the slums.”
He sneered as he spoke.
“That’s why he should have been handled more delicately.”
“A laughable empress. She’s so drunk on victory, picking knights, unaware that the most precious treasure is right beside her.”
The priests laughed uproariously, standing before the statue of Justitia holding scales.
“By the way, we must express our gratitude this time. To our collaborators.”
“Erasing the slums that have long been an eyesore, and delivering our Special Protection Target to us.”
“Oh, may the blessings of Justitia be upon that traitor.”
At the priest’s jest, another priest, who had tooth decay, laughed so hard he held his stomach. After laughing for a while, he wiped his tears and spoke.
“Not just Sena Birkender, who will come to us, but I also look forward to the holy temple that will rise on those filthy lands.”
“No matter what you belittle, it won’t exceed the value of the saint.”
Andrea gulped down the red wine. Red droplets spilled onto his bloated stomach.
Having drained the glass in one go, Andrea spoke with a face filled with desire.
“Once we have the saint, our Church of Justitia will have nothing to fear.”
“But, the variable is still Cruyff, isn’t it?”
“How could he possibly reach the capital from Hamus in a day? Everything will be over before then. Still…”
Andrea acted as if Sena was already in his grasp, but he did not forget to be cautious until the end.
“Until ‘education’ is complete, do not make any mistakes with the saint. You must deceive him well. The saint is naive but has an extraordinary sense of smell.”
“Haha, who among us is not devout?”
“Indeed.”
The saint would surely be a delicacy. More so than this wine. Andrea thought as he licked his lips.
At that moment, the door to the prayer room burst open. All eyes turned towards it.
A woman in shabby clothes bowed politely.
“The manager of Silania Cathedral has returned from the slums.”
“Faster than expected.”
“Oh dear, we’re not ready yet…”
When everyone looked at Andrea, the decision-maker, he raised his wine glass theatrically towards the sky.
“Raise the curtain.”
“Justitia is pleased.”
Andrea seemed to see the mouth of the statue of Justitia reflected in the glass curling into a smile.
**
-Prick. Do as you please.
Five hours. It took five hours.
In the end, Sena managed to persuade Astria.
– Do not expect any help.
‘Petty. Stubborn. Prick.’
Even at the end, she was nasty. Despite being upset about having her decision overturned, she declared she wouldn’t provide any help.
Sena resented Astria. Once everything was resolved, he would make sure to repay her with all his might.
“Did you know? Convincing Her Majesty is unprecedented in history.”
“Ahem, well, it wasn’t particularly difficult.”
“What method did you use? Please, enlighten me.”
Chris asked with genuine curiosity, but Sena’s hair stood on end as he recalled the earlier incident.
-…Finish it quickly. I want to have a child who resembles you soon.
Blush.
Sena clutched his reddening face.
The shame of earlier resurfaced.
But what could he do? No matter how he explained, Astria remained expressionless.
Sena, thinking this was truly his last chance, had to do his best.
So, he briefly acted like a cat. Meowing, and meowing.
‘Get out of my head!’
Even if the world ended, it was an absolute secret that had to be kept.
“That, that’s because I’m logical. You know I’m smart, right?”
“Hmm. It’s hard to believe Her Majesty changed her mind just because of that.”
Chris smirked, looking at the slightly visible red mark near Sena’s neck under his robe.
Suddenly, he recalled a past incident with Astria.
-Did you get hurt, Sir Chris? Your neck is red.
-That’s called a kiss mark.
-A kiss mark?
-Don’t you know? It’s a procedure that always occurs when expressing affection between the opposite gender.
-How fascinating. Explain in detail.
Sena hurriedly covered the mark with his hand. Was it slightly visible through his robe?
‘For someone who thinks holding hands can make babies, where did she learn this?’
The sensation and feeling from earlier came back vividly. The blood rushed to his head, making him dizzy. Why does she have to take every first experience from him?
Unforgivable. Giving his body was the last time. There would be no next chance for Astria.
…Even thinking that, all that returned was a sense of shame.
To forget, Sena changed the subject.
“Th-then why are you all here? You said you wouldn’t help with anything.”
Sena glanced at Chris and Sylvia. Even Reston was there.
“Believing that shows you still have a long way to go, Sena-nim. Her Majesty says such things but does what needs to be done.”
“… Okay?”
“We are under orders to protect you with our lives. Two Teutonic Knights and the Empress’s Guardian Knight. Quite the luxurious escort.”
Reston yawned and tapped Sylvia’s shoulder, then gestured towards Sena.
Sylvia had been silent from the beginning. She kept looking at the ground, avoiding Sena’s gaze.
Sena stared at Sylvia, who seemed to have something to say. Sylvia swallowed hard and approached Sena.
“Senior.”
“For protecting me then, I…”
“Thank, thank you…”
Sylvia kept moving her lips but then lifted her head. Looking at Sena’s innocent face, Sylvia suddenly burst out.
“I’m not thankful! What were you thinking, acting like that?”
She suddenly got angry. Sena scratched his head. It seemed she was about to thank him just now.
She was still a dishonest junior. Sorry sorry. Sena replied casually and looked ahead.
Even though it had only been two days, it felt like returning after a long time.
“Where are you going?”
“To the church.”
“That’s unexpected. Isn’t that the place you hate the most?”
“Yes, but… I can’t delay any longer. Not for my petty pride.”
Sena smiled bitterly and moved forward.
Thud. Thud.
In the quiet dawn air, only the sound of the three walking could be heard.
‘It feels eerie.’
It was when the church came into view.
“Sena, step back for a moment.”
Chris stepped in front of Sena, placing his hand on his sword hilt. Sylvia and Reston did the same, drawing their swords and forming a protective formation around Sena.
Surrounded by three knights in an instant, Sena blinked. Quite a luxurious escort indeed. But, was there really a threat? This was the capital.
“There.”
Sena saw a figure walking towards them behind Chris.
It was Lucia, covered in wounds. Staggering, she was holding an unknown person’s head in her right hand. She discarded the head into the air like trash.
“Brother Sena.”
“Sister Ellie is calling you.”
“Go to the church quickly.”
**
Sena hated the church.
But it wasn’t like that from the start.
Although he had initially rejected Cruyff’s offer to become a priest, it was simply a matter of personal belief. It wasn’t because he hated the church.
Sena merely thought that when one falls into the depths of despair, the only thing that can pull them out is their own strength, not faith.
Isn’t that right? If something goes wrong, they say, ‘Oh, I must have lacked faith.’ If it goes well, they say, ‘It’s thanks to Justitia!’
No. If something goes wrong, it’s your fault. If it goes well, it’s also your fault. Even if God exists, it would be the same.
Not that he thought those who believed in God were wrong. It was just his personal belief. Forcing this belief on others wasn’t right. Everyone has their own way of living.
So, Sena didn’t hate the church. At least until he was ten.
-Cruyff, can a priest kill people?
At first, he tried to think positively.
Every organization has its bad apples. Don’t judge the whole by a part.
However.
He saw a priest r*ping a child, claiming it was a way to repent. He saw the church declare that priest innocent after he reported it.
At that time, Cruyff was just another clergyman. He wasn’t in a position to exert direct pressure on the main church as he is now.
That priest was released without any punishment.
Sena still remembers the face of that priest looking down at him with a mocking smile.
It made him lose all affection.
Since then, Cruyff never once pressured Sena to become a priest.
Sena despised priests.
They use God to satisfy their own desires.
A priest is someone who believes that no matter what wrong they do, a single repentance will absolve them of all sins.
Of course, there are occasionally good priests. Ellie was one, Cruyff was one, and Seria was one.
But.
Sena decided not to make the mistake of judging the whole based on a few.
“It’s a trap.”
“I basically don’t trust priests who speak while holding someone’s head.”
“Me too, Senior. Let’s go back to the palace. It’s very late.”
Lucia had already left. She didn’t offer any explanation for her message to come to the church because Ellie was calling.
Sena leaned quietly against the wall in front of the church.
“Now or tomorrow morning, it doesn’t really make a difference for healing the sick, does it?”
Sylvia spoke soothingly, her eyes filled with concern.
“I know you’re stubborn, but let it go this time. No matter what you say, we can’t let you go in there. That woman is a warrior who could match a Master, yet she was covered in wounds. Something is definitely happening.”
Chris spoke informally, a sign of how serious the situation was.
Sena took a deep breath, filling his lungs with fresh air.
He turned to Chris with a strange smile.
“Chris, are you not confident?”
“…”
“Confident in protecting me.”
A silence hung in the air. Sena spoke again after a long pause.
“I trust you. You all should trust me too.”
As soon as Sena finished speaking, Chris moved swiftly towards the church’s main gate. He drew his sword with a smirk.
He summoned his Aura and struck the ground with it.
Craaack!
The ground cracked, and part of the building crumbled.
Startled horses ran away.
Under the moonlight, Chris lifted his sword to his shoulder and looked back at Sena.
“Will this do? For the first question’s answer.”
Well, he didn’t mean for him to go that far.
He hasn’t gotten rid of that reckless streak yet.
Sena smiled awkwardly.
