Ellie sat down with a haggard expression.
‘Even though I sent Sister Lucia, will it be alright?’
She was on her way to check on the disease in the slums and ask Sena for help.
She had been told that due to a significant matter in the Church, she must come immediately.
Ellie had no grounds to refuse.
“Then, wouldn’t it be best to do that?”
“Heh heh, that would indeed be for the sake of Justitia.”
The meeting proceeded quickly. Ellie bit her lip slightly.
‘I didn’t expect them to have understood so much already.’
They already knew about the “Black Death”.
However, one thing was puzzling—the response was too quick.
“Let’s eradicate the demon worshippers hiding in the slums.”
“The only thing for heretics is death.”
“Ellie.”
Andrea handed over some documents.
When discussing significant matters of the Church, the approval of the cathedral administrator was always required.
“Please sign here.”
‘Justitia, what choice should I make?’
Ellie had two choices.
One was to sign the document and kill those in the slums.
The other was to discuss this plan with Sena.
Ellie was a priest. The choice of killing someone was something she wanted to avoid as much as possible.
But, if they really were “demon worshippers” as these people claimed?
She would be missing the opportunity to nip it in the bud.
Waiting for Sena was also an issue. In this situation, how could he help?
Even if he could help, was it right to trust him? He was a Special Protection Target, but he was not a priest.
Ellie took a deep breath.
“I think seeking advice from Brother Sena is the right thing to do. We will decide on this matter then.”
Ellie decided to trust.
-I will pray for you, Ellie.
The boy who had prayed sincerely for her.
What was important was not the title of clergyman but the faith in Justitia. In Ellie’s eyes, Sena believed in Justitia more than anyone else.
“Ellie. This is troubling. This is the decision of the Silania Cathedral. How can you oppose it?”
“My decision remains unchanged.”
Even after that, the clergy continued to try to persuade Ellie.
Ellie said nothing, clasping her hands together and closing her eyes.
‘Please come quickly, Sena. I can’t hold out for much longer.’
As Ellie quietly prayed.
Bang!
A loud noise like an explosion answered her prayer to Justitia.
**
The commotion brought out the paladins and priests. Among them, a priest who introduced himself as Andrea greeted Sena warmly, saying it was an honor to meet him.
Sena felt uneasy. It was because of Andrea’s protruding belly. It might be rude to think this upon first meeting, but he had never seen a proper priest with a protruding belly.
“Before entering the church, could you please surrender your weapons?”
Andrea said with a smiling face. Sena raised his arm to stop Sylvia, who was about to flare up.
“If you don’t put down your weapons, there won’t even be a conversation.”
Chris was the first to hand over his sword to the paladins. Next was Sylvia. The last was Reston, who remained suspicious until the end.
“Take good care of it. If it rusts because you spill beer on it, you’re dead.”
“Paladins do not indulge in drinking and revelry like you.”
“…That’s kind of sad, isn’t it?”
They walked down the wide corridors of the church, passing the second floor and reaching the third. Andrea stopped in front of a door.
It was marked ‘Conference Room’.
‘Ellie!’
As soon as he entered and saw Ellie, Sena smiled brightly.
Thank goodness. She didn’t seem to have been deceived. But her complexion wasn’t good.
He calmed his excitement and adopted a serious demeanor.
From here, it was war—a war of words.
“Hello. I am Sena Birkender, a disciple of Cruyff Birkender. Thank you for inviting me. May I ask what the agenda is? If I can help, I will do my best.”
Sena sat down in the seat Andrea indicated. It was originally his seat, clearly the head seat.
The knights surrounded Sena as if to guard him, eliminating any blind spots.
“The agenda is the ‘Black Death’ spreading in the slums.”
‘As expected, they knew about it.’
“…What is the decision of the Church?”
“Heh heh, shouldn’t heretics be judged? However, those who are not heretics should be saved.”
‘So, they mean to kill those who are sick and not touch those who aren’t?’
“We plan to build a cathedral in the slums. After all, these events occurred because of their lack of faith, didn’t they?”
“Indeed, indeed. Ha ha.”
“Justitia will surely be pleased with this.”
It was only then that Sena understood their true intentions.
Hamus was a holy city because it had a cathedral.
They wanted to make the capital city, Jeodo, into a holy city as well, taking advantage of the current chaotic state of the Empire.
From their perspective, the Black Death had come as a savior at the perfect time.
Sena was enraged by this incomprehensible situation. However, getting angry wouldn’t change anything. He barely managed to suppress his anger and spoke.
“Bishop Andrea. I have something to say about that disease.”
“Oh, really? That’s welcome news.”
“…They did not distrust Justitia, nor were they tempted by demons. They simply contracted a disease that can be cured. I have verified this.”
“Hmm, even if they are not heretics, it doesn’t change anything, Brother Sena.”
A priest wearing glasses stood up.
“For the salvation of others, some sacrifices are inevitable, aren’t they?”
Exterminating those who were infected.
In the Middle Ages, that might have been considered the right approach.
It was an era where people were treated as sl*ves.
Expecting any ethical sense from such a time would make one a fool.
“…Do you all think the same? That those infected with the plague should die for the sake of others.”
‘After all, I am a fool.’
Ironically, Sena was aware of this and yet pursued an ideal.
He believed that such actions should not happen. If they did, he would use all his resources to prevent it.
‘And, even if the slums were exterminated, it wouldn’t solve the disease.’
People in the slums didn’t stay there exclusively.
There were prostitutes there. What about their clients?
There were also criminals hiding their identities. What about those who unknowingly interacted with them?
If it were a disease that could be resolved so simply, would it have consumed 60% of Europe’s population in that era?
“I think it’s wrong.”
Someone couldn’t hold back and let out a mocking laugh.
‘Think it’s wrong?’ It was nothing more than a child’s tantrum.’
As expected, everyone thought that Sena Birkender, hailed as a promising saint candidate, was an idealist who didn’t understand reality.
However, there was one thing they didn’t know.
Sena was one of the few people who could turn such ideals into reality.
Looking at each person’s face one by one, Sena spoke.
“I will not accept this. If necessary, I will use the power of my teacher and father, Cruyff.”
At the mention of Cruyff’s name, the expressions of the priests clearly hardened.
There was no one here who could defy the next-Pope’s order.
At that moment, Andrea stepped forward.
“Poor Sena.”
“How pitiable you are.”
Andrea wore a sorrowful expression, but couldn’t completely suppress the anger in his heart.
“Is this the Empress’s doing?”
“Is she desperately blocking the Church’s response because she doesn’t want the glory of ending the plague to be taken by the Church?”
“Has there ever been anyone who came out of Windsor Castle before 30 days? How is it that Sena is here? My, my.”
‘What is he talking about?’
It was at that moment when Sena was dumbfounded.
Seeing Sena’s face, Andrea was startled.
“You’ve been brainwashed.”
Sena gaped.
What is this pig priest saying?
Andrea shouted in the loudest voice he could muster.
“What are you doing?!”
“Quickly, remove them and rescue Sena!”
Boom. Like a flood, the paladins burst through the door.
There were enough of them to fill the not-so-small conference room.
Chris grinned.
“I knew he’d do this.”
“Surrender. Disgusting knights of the imperial family.”
“You? How dare you. We are the Empire’s strongest knights.”
“You have no swords. We do. Still think you’re the strongest?”
“Who said we have no swords?”
Without hesitation, Sylvia reached under her skirt.
She had a dagger in each hand and threw them to Chris and Reston.
Sylvia stuck her tongue out slightly at the bewildered paladins.
“You should have checked a female knight’s skirt properly.”
Reston, blinking at the warm dagger in his hand, murmured.
“…It’s warm.”
Sylvia, who glared at Reston with narrow eyes, suddenly smacked the back of his head.
Reston shouted indignantly.
“You shouldn’t hit the head! It’s already not great, and you’ll make it worse!”
“Just die, Reston.”
Sena clasped his hands and looked at the table.
The noise buzzed around him. He couldn’t hear it well, nor did he want to.
It’s a complete mess.
There was no reason left in the conference room. He realized that from now on, conversation would be meaningless.
Sena felt a certain impulse. It was like a fire igniting inside him.
He thought this:
‘I envy cats.’
Dogs get scolded, but cats can mess up things and just give their owners a ‘meow’ and get away with it.
…Maybe he should become a cat.
Why not?
He has already mimicked a cat before.
Sena pushed himself up from the table. His long silver hair flowed down over his shoulders.
He explosively released the ‘certain energy’ he had been suppressing in his body. He drew countless lines.
The blades held by the paladins split like tofu, shattering into pieces and falling to the floor.
A cat causing trouble. But here, the words Sena uttered were not ‘meow’.
“Shut up and invest everything in me.”
“I’ll solve it.”
A cold silence hung in the conference room. Chris struggled to suppress his laughter, his shoulders shaking as he snickered.
Sylvia rubbed her ears as if wondering if she had heard correctly. The phrase ‘shut up’ wasn’t part of Sena’s usual vocabulary. It was the first time she had heard him say such a thing.
“Didn’t you hear?”
Multiple priests appeared in the open conference room door.
At the forefront was Cruyff, waving his hand and laughing, followed by Seria and other familiar faces.
It was Cruyff’s squad.
“He said shut up.”
“My son.”
Cruyff patted Sena’s head, who was looking up at him with blank eyes.
**
On the rooftop of the Silania Cathedral.
Someone, backlit by the moonlight, was watching the currently chaotic church.
A dragon emblem was engraved on his cloak.
It was the symbol of the Duke House of Kairos.
Soon, a carriage bearing the church’s main headquarters’ flag hurriedly stopped in front of the church.
Granz watched coldly as Cruyff’s group entered in perfect order.
“…It failed.”
He stared at the empty glass bottle in his hand before letting it go.
Crash.
The bottle shattered into pieces.
‘Even after all this, I couldn’t get rid of them. Who would have thought the church could be this incompetent?’
Granz placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
At this point, he would have to take action himself.
“Where are you going?”
A presence. Granz slowly turned around, his eyebrows twitching.
A barefoot girl approached, smiling mysteriously.
“You will play with me.”
Astria was coming, sword in hand.
“Lord Granz.”
Granz also raised the corners of his mouth in response.
“It’s been a while since we dueled, Your Majesty.”
Though Granz was smiling, his eyes were somewhat cold.
‘How did she know to come here?’
‘Does she know?’
That he was the one who had spread the ‘Black Death’ in the slums?
Or did she recognize his purpose?
Complicated thoughts filled his mind as Granz spoke.
“Do you remember? It was I who taught you the sword, Your Majesty.”
Astria drew her sword, her face filled with a crazed glee and a cruel smile.
“Should I remember that?”
Astria’s sword flashed.
