Chapter 39: Movement

R​​e‍​a​d​ ​o‍n​ Ka‍tR‌ea‍d‍i‌ng‌C​a‍​fe​

When they arrived at the bustling streets, the atmosphere was festive in celebration of the Saint’s descent.

Everyone’s faces were bright. Between the buildings, ornaments of gold, silver, and purple hung beautifully. Some were made of glass, others of ceramic, and some were crafted from a mysterious material that emitted a soft glow.

Though the weather was cold, smiles bloomed on people’s faces. They carried gifts, food, and their own happiness, sharing it with family, lovers, and friends. The Descent Festival was that kind of day.

“Oh…”

“Is something there?”

When Sugar let out a gasp at the sight, the blind woman beside her asked.

“The streets are beautiful right now because of the Saint’s Descent Festival.”

“…Ah. So that day has come again.”

Louveci, who usually doted on Sugar, spoke indifferently this time. For heretics, it must be an unwelcome day. Especially for a religion that denies the Saint.

Though she was usually warm, whenever the topic of the Saint came up, her demeanor changed. Judging by her words and actions alone, she seemed like a normal person.

Of course, she had done immature things, like trying to cast a surveillance spell on Sugar during their first meeting—though Sugar still didn’t know about that—or provoking a young boy’s emotions. But mages were known to be willful by nature. At least, she hadn’t caused any direct harm so far.

Among the members of the religious order, she was one of the milder ones. Why would someone like her be in such a place?

If this woman hadn’t retired in the original story, Sugar’s bleak fate might have been different.

“…Why are you even in the religious order?”

The question slipped out before she could stop it.

At the sudden question that pierced through a century of life, Louveci quietly tapped her cane.

“That’s like asking… why do you live?”

“Do you have to get so philosophical? I was just curious about what led you to join.”

“Ah, the reason. The reason… Hmm, do you believe in fate, Sugar?”

“Ugh. If you’re going to spout nonsense, forget it.”

It wasn’t like she was asking if she believed in the Tao.

There were two kinds of nonsense. One was worth listening to. The other wasn’t.

Religious nonsense was most likely the latter. Especially nonsense related to the Shadow Order. Terrifying.

Sugar quickened her pace. Fortunately, a pharmacy came into view. Louveci followed behind, making a whining sound.

But unfortunately.

[Closed for Vacation]

[1/17~1/24]

“Ah…”

“What’s wrong?”

“The pharmacy’s closed. They’re on vacation for the Descent Festival.”

Louveci’s lips, which had been downturned in disappointment, now curled up slightly.

“Really. The Saint isn’t much help, is he?”

“Hey. That’s blasphemy.”

“My apologies.”

When Sugar scolded her, Louveci chuckled, not looking the least bit sorry.

Annoyed, Sugar infused her steps with magic and walked briskly. The sound of Louveci’s cane followed closely behind.

“Sugar. Why are you suddenly walking so fast?”

“I want to get to another pharmacy before it closes.”

It was an excuse, but there was some truth to it. So it wasn’t a lie. Without changing her expression, Sugar headed straight for another pharmacy.

[Closed for Vacation]

“They’re all on vacation…”

At this rate, she might not find a single one open.

‘He’s probably still coughing right now…’

What if our little brother’s fever gets worse? Everyone’s busy preparing for the sponsors’ visit. Will there be anyone to change the wet towel for him?

Anxious, she tapped her foot impatiently.

“Let’s go back. The other places are probably closed too. Let’s buy some fruit instead.”

Thinking she could at least peel an apple for him, Sugar turned around and spoke. Louveci tilted her head curiously.

“Louveci?”

Her always-closed eyes were open, and her empty gray pupils darted around. Why was a blind person acting like this? It looked like she was observing the sky.

“Hmm…”

“What do you see?”

“We should hurry back.”

Maybe it’s going to snow.

Old people always complain about their joints aching before it rains.

Sugar secretly chuckled and headed to the fruit stand. Louveci, now quiet, followed obediently.

Amid the lively festival atmosphere, the sound of a crow cawing could be heard from somewhere.

Fortunately, the fruit stand was open.

Fruits were especially expensive in winter. But with the increased consumption during the Descent Festival, they couldn’t afford to close. They had to make money.

“Hello. How many apples can I get with this?”

As soon as she entered, Sugar was about to hand her money pouch to the shopkeeper.

Louveci stepped in front of her.

“I’ll buy them, Sugar. Pick whatever you want.”

“Oh.”

It felt oddly familiar.

“What if I asked for everything here?”

“Uh… uh… really?”

“Really.”

Louveci’s hand began to tremble.

She had stepped forward boldly, but now that they were a bit closer, she thought Sugar wouldn’t make such an unreasonable request.

“W-well… I suppose it’s fine…”

“Heeh…”

“I might be treated like a burden… or even sold off… but for Sugar’s sake…”

She had already spent a lot of money on the café visit and buying the wand, and now this would be the third time…

“Just kidding.”

As if dispelling all those worries, Sugar stuck out her tongue and began picking a reasonable amount of fruit. Louveci slumped in relief. If she hadn’t had her cane, she might have melted on the spot.

“By the way, do you earn money too? How do you usually earn it?”

-“I’ve been working hard to earn money to buy you delicious things… and building altars…”

The words she had heard earlier suddenly came to mind, and Sugar asked out of curiosity.

“Just… taking on regular requests.”

It was a surprisingly ordinary answer, and Sugar nodded.

But then something occurred to her.

“Those… dark… you know…?”

She glanced at the fruit stand owner and lowered her voice.

“Of course, the regular ones at the request office! …Though there are some like ‘Capture the vicious criminal, dead or alive,’ but usually, it’s mostly monster extermination requests.”

Wow. That’s really unexpected.

Even with an outsider present, it didn’t seem like she was lying.

‘But wouldn’t the bounty on her head be more than the money she earns from requests…?’

A century-old apostle.

Even if she claimed not to do bad things, that probably only applied to civilians. She must have caused quite a stir among the holy city and sky island people. And with her long activity period, she must be quite well-known.

No one would guess that such an apostle was standing here right now. She must have used all sorts of tricks to hide her identity, and she herself had said that hiding her magic was her specialty.

Hmm. I’d like to learn that.

But given their complicated relationship, it was hard to bring it up casually.

Even though she knew Louveci wouldn’t kidnap her, revealing the depths of her magical abilities and unique magical properties was a different matter.

Teaching magic would naturally lead to understanding. Louveci would get closer to Sugar’s magic. That made her uneasy.

To Louveci, Sugar was just a child with pure magical energy. That was enough.

‘Louveci doesn’t know about the relationship between the evil god and my magic.’

The one who could tame the evil god, who couldn’t communicate properly.

The one the evil god loved.

If she knew, she wouldn’t be so relaxed. She’d be desperate to kidnap her. That calm demeanor would shatter, and she’d pounce like a demon.

So, Sugar quietly kept her mouth shut.

Besides, her sick friend would probably throw a fit.

‘How dare you learn magic manipulation from her without consulting me!?’

Pfft. Just imagining it made her laugh, and she happily picked out more fruit.

.

.

.

“This feels substantial. Thank you.”

Carrying a paper bag full of fruit, Sugar stepped out of the shop, feeling completely satisfied.

This abundance. This extravagance. The jewel-like shine of the fruit made her mouth water.

Louveci silently closed her wallet. For some reason, she had become quieter.

“Louveci?”

Was she upset? The prices were high because it was winter. But she had spent much less than at the café.

“Thanks for buying them. I’ll enjoy them.”

Regardless of their relationship, she was grateful for the gift. When Sugar thanked her again, Louveci quickly approached.

“Um, excuse me?”

“I’m glad I could help, Sugar. My desire to be of use to you is as vast as the darkness of the night sky.”

“What kind of metaphor is that? It’s unsettling.”

Even as Sugar hesitantly stepped back, Louveci didn’t falter. For every step Sugar retreated, Louveci took two steps forward, closing the distance until they were almost touching.

“Wait. Did you really hate buying me things that much?”

“On the contrary, I’m happy. I worked hard for this.”

“Your words and actions don’t match…”

Louveci kept guiding Sugar somewhere. Before she knew it, they were in a narrow alley between buildings. A dark, cramped path where only one person could walk at a time.

It was a stark contrast to the bright, festive atmosphere of the main street, adorned with gold, silver, and purple decorations.

“…Why are you doing this all of a sudden? What’s your intention?”

Louveci silently blocked the way forward, leaving Sugar no choice but to step back.

A strange standoff.

‘The escape route behind…’

She had her wand, at least. Pretending to hold the bag of fruit, Sugar slipped her hand into her pocket. Glancing sideways, she saw people walking into the alley from behind.

She clicked her tongue, realizing she was trapped, but something felt off. She turned her head to look back.

The people were staggering, their movements strange. Their eyes were unfocused, and drool dripped from their mouths.

Drunkards in the middle of the day? As she watched, she noticed the sound of multiple footsteps. It seemed more people were entering the alley behind Louveci. She could vaguely make out their shadows.

“What… is this…”

“Stay still.”

Louveci whispered softly and hugged Sugar tightly.

When Sugar tried to struggle, eerie sounds came from both directions.

Gurgling, choking—it sounded like strangling, but upon closer listening, it was oddly different.

Each person was uttering a single syllable. They were pronouncing something.

If she listened carefully, the sounds came together to form a coherent sentence.

-“Let darkness embrace the world.”

A religious greeting. Her heart sank.

Sugar poked her head out from between Louveci’s arms.

The people who had jointly spoken the sentence now opened their mouths wide and let out resonant cries.

Aaaaaah—

Uuuuuuh—

Kkkkkk—

They screamed as if their breath was being cut off. Their chests and abdomens swelled, filled with air.

It was as if they were singing their own mad song. A hymn to the evil god, perhaps.

The sound grew louder, and the swelling intensified. It was building toward a climax.

Then, the finale.

Bang—!!

In this dreamlike scene, Sugar could only blink.

The swollen people burst.

Instead of blood and flesh, dozens of crows emerged.

As Louveci leaped into the sky with Sugar in her arms, the crows also took flight.

They gathered around a central point in the sky, merging one by one.

The scene she had witnessed in the underground sewer vaguely came to mind.

“What is that?!”

“A demon! A demon’s apostle!”

Screams erupted from all directions.

Above the city, a massive crow formed from the smaller ones loomed menacingly.

Its pitch-black color, skeletal form devoid of flesh, contrasted sharply with the bright, festive square, making it all the more terrifying.

Chaotic shouts. People scrambling to escape.

Everything felt distant.

Sugar stood on the rooftop, staring blankly at the scene.

“…What on earth is going on?”

Though confused, her tone was surprisingly calm. When something too absurd happens, the mind sometimes sharpens instead.

“I’m not entirely sure either. It seems one of my colleagues got upset because I kept delaying bringing you in…”

“…Didn’t you say the religious order doesn’t harm civilians?”

“The people who just sacrificed themselves were all our believers. Devout followers under that colleague’s command.”

Ah, may we meet again within Him…—Sugar didn’t like the way Louveci prayed.

Even as she spoke, the giant skeletal crow’s razor-sharp winds tore through people’s clothes, flesh, and shattered windows. Chaos reigned.

“This kind of hostage situation isn’t fun…”

“Hostage situation? What are you talking about?”

“They know I don’t want to harm the citizens, so they’re doing this on purpose. They’re telling me to leave the conversion to them and come back quickly. To quit what I’m doing and retire already. But this just makes me more curious…”

Why are they in such a hurry… Louveci muttered, her face devoid of any smile. She looked annoyed.

As she tapped the ground with her cane, something invisible shot through the air with a sharp sound, striking the crow.

A deafening explosion.

The creatures screamed and scattered.

“Claude! I’m here! Stop bothering people and come after me! I’m going to run away, so keep wasting your time!”

After shouting, Louveci, with Sugar tucked under her arm, leaped toward the ground.

“…Are they really going to fall for that provocation?”

“Yes. Just as that colleague knows me well, I know them too. They react strongly to even the slightest provocation.”

No sooner had she spoken than a few crows began to gather, chasing after Louveci and Sugar. Louveci skillfully evaded them, taunting the birds as she fled. The wind against Sugar’s face stung from the speed. Louveci even chanted spells mid-escape, attacking as she ran—a true display of expertise.

“I’m sorry for dragging you into this, Sugar. I’ll make sure you get home safely, so don’t worry.”

As if to emphasize that her will had no part in this, Louveci muttered while holding Sugar tightly, her expression lonely.

“…”

Tucked under Louveci’s arm, Sugar used this moment to gather her thoughts.

Claude. She remembered the name.

A ruthless apostle. A mid-boss enemy. Someone she, as “Sugar,” really didn’t want to face.

And that person was chasing them.

‘There’s internal conflict within the religious order…’

She didn’t know the specifics of how the factions were divided, but Louveci was clearly on the opposite side of Claude.

Forcing Louveci to retire so aggressively, even though they were on the same team. Apostles were supposed to have a horizontal relationship, but this sudden action felt too coercive.

It was as if there was a reason Louveci had to retire.

‘Did the religious order’s atrocities accelerate after Louveci retired?’

Claude was one of the apostles with significant influence in the original story. A villain who committed cruel acts without hesitation. With Louveci gone, the religious order, led by Claude, indulged in their evil deeds freely.

“…Louveci. What exactly is ‘retirement’ in the religious order? Why are they going this far?”

“Ah, you wouldn’t know, Sugar. Retirement is when an apostle, nearing the end of their lifespan, returns to Him to be with Him forever.”

“…So, you’re offering your body as a sacrifice?”

“That’s too harsh a way to put it. It’s about expressing gratitude and finding peaceful rest, undisturbed by anyone.”

She said this while slicing through an incoming crow.

How intense.

At any rate, she understood the purpose now.

In the original story, the religious order schemed in the shadows to devour the continent.

At this point in time, they were probably still laying the groundwork. In the process, they must have seen Louveci, with her relatively mild temperament and moral compass, as an obstacle.

So they wanted to get rid of her quickly. Remove her from the picture.

Originally, Louveci would have retired without ever meeting Sugar, but Sugar’s injury, which kept her from going out, led to this situation.

“Ah.”

As she felt the growing dread of the snowballing situation, Louveci suddenly stopped. Sugar peeked her head up.

They were now in a small forest next to the slums. The same forest where Sugar had hunted giant moles for requests.

A line of people in black clothes stood blocking their path.