Evian (2)

It was a path where they should avoid passing through villages as much as possible.

When riding in Ceres’s carriage, at least that carriage was a symbol of power readily accepted within the Capatia Empire, so there was nothing to be concerned about.

But compared to that, Alebbian was utterly shabby.

She had the title of professor in the magic community including Evian, but that was all, and it was incredibly shabby compared to Ceres’s status as the regent of the Grand Duchy of Capatia.

“You really are useless. You’re only good at sneakily watching people.”

Every time Yona’s cold gaze turned towards Alebbian, Alebbian’s neck shrank.

It was also due to the fact that she hadn’t engaged in any external activities outside of Evian and the magic community, making it awkward to even make excuses.

‘…I should have listened when Ceres told me to do some external activities…’

Isn’t that what being an Observer is about?

As for the Instigator, it’s their job to always make plans and constantly check if those plans are going awry.

Ceres did so because it’s her job to always look around, form hypotheses, and make contingency plans.

But Alebbian was not like that.

Given her characteristic as an Observer, it was naturally difficult for her to move around here and there.

As it’s her duty and role to steadily watch over the targeted person from one place, isn’t it natural that she didn’t blend into human society?

But Alebbian couldn’t even explain this.

She had no choice.

The current Yona wouldn’t take kindly to anything Alebbian said, so it was better for Alebbian to just endure.

Of course, Alebbian didn’t know.

That while Yona did have negative feelings towards Alebbian, they were somewhat less than towards Ceres.

That if Ceres were here instead, Yona would have been worse.

“I really want to lie down on a comfortable bed and sleep… Right, Rubina?”

For some reason, Rubina, who was sitting quietly beside Yona instead of James and crunching on snacks, looked up blankly at Yona.

Yona’s appearance reflected in those black eyes was truly disheveled.

Most of them hadn’t been able to wash for days, stuck in the carriage, so their appearance wasn’t particularly good.

“Our Rubina, what should we do about being bored?”

Yona lifted Rubina up and sat her on her lap.

Alec, who exuded holiness without even being conscious of it, gave an unpleasant tingling sensation when sitting close.

But Rubina wasn’t like that, and somehow, Rubina seemed to be getting cuter as the days went by.

In the meantime, the carriage left the mountain path and entered the main road.

Although it’s called a main road, it wasn’t particularly well-maintained, but at least the jolting was reduced just enough for carriages to pass.

Fortunately, there seemed to be a village not far away, which meant they could replenish food supplies including drinking water.

“Alebbian, buy plenty of meat. People need to eat meat, how can you use strength without eating meat?”

The last time Alebbian bought groceries, there were a lot of vegetables.

Alebbian had been thoroughly scolded, being told that even if you’re an elf who gains strength from grazing on grass, how could you be so thoughtless.

And then James and Kaiyak had gone out to catch some wild animals and fish to supplement their meals.

“…Understood, pretty one.”

“You really have no thought at all. How could you be a priest like this… Ugh, let’s not even talk about it.”

Yona pouted her lips and leaned back heavily on the carriage seat.

While Alebbian headed to the village after parking the carriage on a hillside overlooking the village,

They each got out of the carriage and stretched, loosening their stiffened bodies.

Although they would camp outside when sleeping at night, that was that, and it felt much better to loosen up their bodies in the sunlight even at this late hour.

“So, have you thought about it?”

Alec approached Yona, who was stretching widely, and spoke in a subtle voice.

“……”

Yona glanced at Alec like that, but didn’t answer.

However, compared to when he first brought it up and Yona had vehemently objected, this was still somewhat better.

Seeing Yona’s reaction, Alec thought that just a little more persuasion would do.

After meeting Eize, Yona’s anger towards the Celestine Church – the dark red burning anger – was greatly subsiding.

Although he hadn’t looked into Yona’s heart, so it wasn’t certain, Alec could be sure.

Anger is originally like that.

Even if it burns fiercely as if to burn everything down, as time passes and years go by, that flame subsides as there’s nothing left to burn.

The flame called anger, unless it burns so fiercely as to eventually consume even itself, is something that will extinguish someday.

Alec was in the midst of whispering all sorts of sweet words to her to extinguish her anger.

There was no need to talk about Ludvic at all, starting with Bigrind’s story.

“Yona, think about it. It’s clear that Saint Bigrind protected me. Look at me, the fact that there wasn’t a summary judgment is proof of that.”

It was all too clear that there were charges of helping an apostate escape.

It wouldn’t have been strange to be subjected to summary judgment, but the fact that it was dragged out to a trial was undoubtedly thanks to Bigrind’s influence.

“But there was still a trial in the end. There, you must have been sentenced to be burned at the stake. If Bigrind really wanted to protect me, she should have stopped that too.”

“Does that make sense? What saint would protect an apostate? There can’t be anyone without fault.”

“…No, why does it turn out like that?”

“It’s clear that Saint Bigrind believed you would come to save me and tried to buy as much time as possible.”

The truth of this is unknown.

Alec is just spouting whatever comes to mind.

It’s persuasion with the purpose of extinguishing Yona’s anger and getting her to give up on this too dangerous journey, to live as quietly as possible.

‘…It might be so.’

Alec might not know, but Yona does.

The image of Bigrind who tried to communicate somehow, and cried out that it wasn’t so.

But at that time, Yona was so angry that she was determined to kill everyone without discrimination, so she just didn’t realize it.

“Besides, look, look at Teacher Eize. How benevolent is she? You’ve said it before too.”

“What? That the best defense is offense?”

“No, not that. You said that as you get closer to the church territories, the number of crazy people increases, right?”

“Ah… that.”

In fact, Yona had never even left Evian, let alone been to the church territories, so how would she know?

That story was also something she heard from Eize.

Eize even said—

“She also said that the church territories are a place where only crazy people can live…”

At Yona’s muttering, Alec nodded frantically.

Yes, that’s right.

The Yona that Alec knows has such a simple thought process that if persuaded with such plausible words, it will surely work.

That’s one of the few ways to move Yona.

“Right, wouldn’t the guys who are pope or whatever there be a bit crazy? There’s no reason for you or us to go crazy trying to deal with crazy people. Right?”

“Hmm…”

“Priests like Teacher Eize are the average, you know. Right? You’ve seen it too, remember how much those cathedral knight uncles loved you every time you went to the cathedral?”

That wasn’t wrong either.

Every time Yona went to the cathedral, the cathedral knights guarding the entrance loved Yona so much.

Patting her head was basic, they even secretly gave her some snacks.

Considering how precious such sweet treats are in this world, they were all people who treated Yona extremely well.

Such people who were literally not ashamed of the name of clergy.

“So let’s not think about overthrowing the entire Celestine Church or anything like that. I told you, right? Let’s just go to the Katus Empire, and through there, escape to the southern continent.”

Persuasion that had been steadily carried out in Alebbian’s absence.

To enter the Katus Empire, and from there go straight down through the Great Desert to the southern continent, hide somewhere there and live.

Alec and Yona, and even Rubina.

Alec’s persuasion that how happy they would be living like this, the three of them.

That persuasion was now showing quite an effect.

Now that the flame of anger has subsided quite a bit, even though the demon Berbaria has taken root, as long as it’s not clearly an antagonistic relationship.

And although the idea of being the Saint of the demon world that they desire is still concerning—

‘If I say I won’t do it, that’ll be the end of it… They said there’s no god yet either…’

Yona was contemplating.

It’s true that she was angry when Alec was badly hurt, and it’s true that she wants to burn down and overturn the entire Celestine Church.

Her feelings of not letting Ceres and Alebbian, who had used her, get away with it remained the same.

But beyond that, the option of living cozily with Alec and Rubina, just the three of them, looked truly sweet.

If she could just grasp it in her hands, it looked so sweet that there might not be anything better than that.

“I said I’ll think about it for now. Don’t push too much.”

She had practically forgotten about the goal of returning to being a man, but that needed to be sorted out too.

Although she had practically given up on the goal of returning to her original world, that also needed to be sorted out.

Alec, seeing Yona contemplating, inwardly rejoiced.

It was just a little more now.

If he persuaded just a little more, Yona would surely do as he said.

Alec – Johannes Spillbane as a cathedral knight of the Celestine Church – didn’t matter at all.

As long as he knows that the path Yona was aiming for would be a painful and difficult path beyond his imagination.

Alec no longer wanted to see Yona struggling.

If they can escape, they escape.

While fleeing from the battlefield is shameful, fleeing for Yona’s sake doesn’t matter at all.

If he could spend a peaceful lifetime with her even by escaping like this, he would gladly do so.

Alec firmly resolved.