Chapter 54: Proposal

R̈éàd̃ ̂òǹ ̀K̂ãt̀R̀ẽ​äd̀ïn̈ĝĈãf̈è

“Shall we go outside to talk?”

At Cedric’s suggestion, Riley also nodded, thinking it would be better to talk in a place without people.

But the way they went out was a bit strange. In the blink of an eye, Cedric approached Riley, tucked him under his arm, and leaped out the window.

They soon arrived at a secluded forest outside the holy city. Riley, feeling a bit queasy, held his stomach as Cedric pulled out a wand from his robe and immediately cast a barrier spell. It was just big enough for two people blocking the light and sound from getting outside.

Once the preparations were done, Cedric turned to Riley.

“Now, go ahead and speak. Start however you’re comfortable.”

Riley took a deep breath and calmly began.

“…Can I become a holy knight?”

Cedric was slightly taken aback by the unexpected question.

“Anyone who believes in the Saint has the qualification. Of course, you’d have to pass the entrance exam. But from what I see, you’re not cut out to be a holy knight.”

“Why is that?”

Riley frowned slightly but soon relaxed his expression and asked calmly. He was managing his expression, being mindful of the person of higher status.

“The holy knight’s top priority is to protect the Saintess. The bloodline of the Saint. This never changes, no matter the era. Next are the citizens. If there’s a choice between one family member and a hundred citizens, you’re expected to choose the latter. It requires a self-sacrificial spirit to the point of giving up your own life.”

“…”

“But can you do that? From what I see, if your girlfriend were in danger, you’d probably rush to her side.”

Cedric recalled when he first found these kids. The boy was covered in wounds, while the girl was relatively less injured. The story was clear just by looking at them.

Riley frowned again and retorted.

“She’s not my girlfriend… Anyway, isn’t it natural for someone to prioritize their family?”

“But one of the holy knights I know actually sacrificed her beloved husband to save a city of tens of thousands.”

“…”

“Cruel, isn’t it? That day was truly… truly… Sigh. Honestly, I don’t want to force that kind of thing on anyone either. I understand your intentions. You want to get stronger to protect that girl, Sugar, right?”

After a moment of silence, Riley nodded as if he had made up his mind.

“…Yes. I want to set her free. If I become strong enough, I can stay by her side and protect her even if she leaves the holy city.”

-But I can’t follow her around all day to protect her.

He got the idea from what Cedric had said earlier. That’s why he mentioned wanting to become a holy knight. If he became a holy knight and stayed by Sugar’s side, he could protect her from the hands of the heretics and even defeat them, allowing the white-haired girl to move freely.

“How old are you?”

“Huh? 11… no, I’ll be 12 this year.”

“A kid like you…”

Cedric laughed as if it were absurd. Then, stroking his beard, he looked down at the bold boy.

“Alright, I can make you stronger. Even if you don’t become a holy knight, you can achieve what you want. But, I’m also curious about something.”

“…”

As if asking for it, Cedric held out his palm to Riley.

Riley clenched and unclenched his fist but soon summoned the book. It was already discovered. It was better to speak before things escalated.

“Good. You must have been scared to reveal it. I admire your courage.”

Cedric patted Riley’s back with a hand as big as a frying pan.

“Can I open it?”

“…I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“You brat. I’ve confiscated enough forbidden books to know.”

With that, Cedric confidently opened the book and flipped through the pages.

-Thud!

After about 3 seconds, he hurriedly closed the book.

“…”

“Hey… where did you get something this horrifying?”

“It’s been by my side since some point.”

“Do you understand the contents?”

“Well… it contains various languages, but the moment the page is written, it automatically gets absorbed into my mind. So, I can understand the content.”

“From what I saw, it was filled with curses. Ones that activate just by being recognized.”

“It’s unrelated to my will—”

“Right. It’s not your doing. The book’s own defense mechanism… Where have you used this book? Have you used it to fulfill your own desires?”

“…”

“You can speak freely. This isn’t an inquisition. Even inquisitions require procedures. If I had that intention, I would’ve thrown you into the dungeon already.”

Reassured by his words, Riley let out a sigh as if exhaling. Memories of the past flooded in—short yet not so short, chaotic recollections.

And the realization that the person he was before meeting Sugar and the person he was now felt like two different people. It was strange to think that he had changed so much because of her. He didn’t want to admit it out of pride, but it was a fact he couldn’t deny.

Tracing back to that time, he quietly began to speak.

“At first… it was just to seek knowledge. I killed wild animals and filled the pages with their content.”

So that’s how the pages were interpreted. Cedric nodded.

“Back then, I just wanted to know. I wanted to reach a higher level… But then, I got stuck and even considered killing people.”

“And then? Did you kill? Or not?”

“…I killed.”

“Why?”

“To save that girl…”

Cedric couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh. What was he making such a big deal about?

“Is that it? Was that the only time you killed?”

“Yes. You can confiscate the book. I’ll help you uncover its mysteries as much as I can. If I need to be punished, I’ll accept any punishment except being thrown in prison. So… please help me get stronger.”

The boy bowed his head deeply.

Cedric, who had been silently watching Riley, soon gave him a light knock on the head. With the strength difference between the two, it was enough to make stars appear before his eyes.

“You fool. Why should you be punished for killing a few heretics? Should all the holy knights go to prison then? What about the inquisitors? Are they all criminals?”

“But I… used a forbidden book…”

Riley muttered, clutching his dizzy head, as Cedric handed the book back to him.

“Take it back for now. Put it away.”

Since he said so, Riley did as told. And just like that, the book disappeared without a trace.

“Alright, as far as I’m concerned, I saw nothing today. Just a precocious kid with some magical talent who asked to be my disciple, and I thought it’d be nice to train him.”

“Huh? Wait, hold on. Are you saying you’ll keep it a secret? And disciple? What…”

Riley was utterly bewildered. Partly because of the physical blow he’d just taken, but also because of the sudden turn of events. He couldn’t keep up with the abrupt shift in conversation.

“Yeah. So, you don’t want to be my disciple?”

“No… it’s just the duties of a Guardian…”

“They’ll manage fine without me. I’m hardly ever in the holy city except during the Advent season. I’m always out and about, so the folks here love dumping tasks on me. ‘Oh, Sir Cedric is out there—Sir Cedric happens to be passing by—’ Ugh, it’s exhausting.”

“So, I’d be accompanying you on your travels?”

“Exactly. Or do you want to train around the holy city with that horrifying book in hand? If another holy knight finds out, I won’t be able to help you. I won’t be able to stop what happens next.”

“Ah, no. That’s not it. It’s just too sudden.”

“Don’t worry. Your situation is better than that girl’s. You can almost perfectly hide that book, can’t you? Even the Saintess doesn’t seem to have noticed…”

The massive light enveloping the holy city, the barrier that filters out evil—even that couldn’t detect it.

‘Well, given her personality, she might’ve known and just let it slide.’

After a moment of thought, Cedric continued.

“Anyway, I can manage taking one kid like you along. You’ve got a few years before you’d even be eligible for Steele Academy, so… Hmm… Good choice, Steele. It’s not as safe as the holy city, but it’s decent.”

As the middle-aged man rambled on, Riley’s mouth hung open.

It wasn’t a bad offer at all. A powerhouse at the helm of the holy city, offering to teach him—it was a rare opportunity. And on top of that, he was willing to turn a blind eye to the forbidden book. It was almost too good to be true.

Nothing but good news.

But that raised a question. The boy, who had suffered much in the past, was naturally suspicious. A kind of defensive distrust. It had softened for one girl, but for others? Not so much.

“…Why do you trust me?”

Why would he keep the existence of such an evil book a secret and even extend a helping hand? With that question in mind, Riley asked, and Cedric answered plainly.

“As an adult, it’s only natural to guide a child with such dangerous power in the right direction. …Honestly, it’s a hassle, but since I’ve seen it, what can I do? I have to take responsibility.”

“…”

“Besides, you’ve shown that you care deeply for that girl. How could I not trust you? The Saint himself, despite seeing the foolishness of humanity, willingly gave them his faith. How could I not respond to your earnest heart?”

‘I’ve grown old, huh?’ His tone was almost sentimental.

Riley stayed silent, listening, before finally muttering one sentence.

“…That’s not it.”

“What’s not?”

“The caring and loving part. That’s not it.”

“Ha… Sure, let’s go with that. Anyway, think about today’s events.”

Cedric grumbled as he led the way back to the holy city.

“…Thank you.”

Riley muttered his thanks from behind and followed Cedric. He’d been told to think it over, but honestly, he’d already made up his mind. Turning down an opportunity like this would be foolish.

He imagined the future ahead. Excitement and worry tangled together, making his chest feel strange.

If he had to say, the worry was greater. According to this protector, he’d be living outside the holy city. That meant he’d be separated from Sugar, he had thought he’d always be by her side, yet now he’d have to be apart from her for a while.

Of course, it was for her sake, but would it be okay?

Would she be fine without him? She was the kind of girl who’d do who-knows-what if left alone. He needed to be there to stop her.

Thinking about being apart made his chest feel… strange.

“…”

Riley frowned slightly, trying to ignore the discomfort growing in his chest as they returned to the holy city.

***********************

Knock knock—

“Hey… Sugar. You there?”

As dusk fell, Riley, having returned to the holy city, quickly headed to Sugar’s room. He needed to tell her about the conversation he’d had with Cedric earlier. And he had to quickly write down his testimony about that day’s incident.

So, he knocked, but there was no response.

“I’m coming in?”

Still, silence.

When he opened the door, no one was there.

‘Did she go to eat dinner?’

She was always so punctual, she must’ve been waiting for him but when he didn’t show up she went ahead. Or maybe she came to his room, found it empty, and went straight to the dining hall.

Having roughly guessed what happened, Riley sat down at the table. There, sheets of paper for the report were scattered about. The papers they’d used to communicate were safely hidden in his pocket, so he wasn’t worried.

For some reason, he didn’t feel like eating dinner, so he decided to write his testimony instead. But as he picked up the pencil, the words just wouldn’t come.

He didn’t feel like doing anything. His mind was a mess. His head was starting to hurt, thoughts swirling around his head.

He just felt… lonely.

He just wanted to see Sugar.

“…”

He slumped onto the table.

With his face buried like that, it became hard to breathe, so he turned his head slightly to the side, and there it was—Sugar’s bed.

The bed where the sweet-smelling girl slept. Where her white hair and soft skin would rub against the sheets, leaving behind her scent.

Riley stared at it for a while before burying his face back into the table.

Then he looked at the bed again. And back to the table. This cycle repeating every few seconds.

Finally, he started banging his head against the table. What on earth was he thinking?

A boy constantly tormented by his feelings for one girl.

.

.

.

Around the same time.

The very girl who had turned said boy into such a mess was currently on the roof of the cathedral.

She’d been escaping a holy knight who’d been tailing her, and before she knew it, she ended up here.

“Why… do you keep following me…?”

“I asked if you’ve seen my friend!”

“I said I don’t know… How many times do I have to tell you…?”

“Ah… whatever. What a waste of time.”

“You’re the one who followed me!”

No matter where she went, she had a knack for driving people crazy.