episode_0008

After finishing her afternoon work, Licia was basking in the sun in front of the church.

It was the same chair she had sat on last time. Personally, she liked sitting there leisurely without any obstacles blocking the sunlight.

But it would be better if it was a bit chilly like in autumn, as it was already winter and it would be warmer inside. I don’t know why I bothered coming outside.

Anyway, pretending to check on her survival, I approached the girl and sat down next to her.

Licia looked at me and asked, “Did you come back safely?”

“I came back without any major injuries. I got some minor wounds treated roughly there and came back.”

“Thank goodness. By the way, I didn’t think you would actually come. I was worried you might not come.”

Well, promises are important.

Even barbarians cherish and stubbornly keep small promises.

And that’s the law of human nature.

When your wallet is full, kindness and mercy overflow from your face, everything becomes comfortable, and the world looks beautiful in 4K resolution.

But what about the opposite?

“I heard that the cost of living has gone up a lot. The world has changed a lot.”

“Haha… But we also have to eat and live, so I hope you understand.”

“In the past, with one silver coin, you could get three loaves of bread, meat for stew, fruits for snacks, and beer. But nowadays, there are more guards, making it harder.”

“….”

“What are you doing? Fill a bag with as much silver as you like.”

“Yes….”

Such scenes were not uncommon in this world.

It’s not just unemployed people turning into pseudo-thieves in corners of the empire. There are always these kinds of stories behind it.

Anyway, this could be attributed to the temporary generosity bestowed by the wallet.

I was curious about what the girl was about to say.

“It’s cold these days, why are you out here?”

“Um… Do you see that pillar over there?”

I followed Licia’s pointing finger.

I could vaguely see a shadow moving behind the pillar. Even though it was a child, it was impossible to completely hide if there were two behind it. Anyway, I could roughly guess the situation.

“You’ve been through a lot.”

“No, those kids have their reasons too.”

Licia smiled slightly. It was a sight that was hard to imagine when I first brought the girl here.

Still, it’s good to see that she’s doing well at the church. Perhaps it’s the power of acquaintances.

While thinking about such useless thoughts, I asked the girl a question that came to my mind.

“So, why did you want to see me?”

“If you’re planning to go near the Papal Palace, could you take me with you on the way?”

I drew a map in my head for a moment.

I’ve never actually seen a map because it’s classified information, but I’ve heard enough information back and forth. By combining them well, I could roughly come up with a picture.

The result of my rich experience and gathered information.

Alone, it would take several months with a child to reach the destination.

“Is it because of what I mentioned before, about the university?”

“Yes. According to what I’ve heard, the university is a bit north of the Papal Palace. Am I wrong?”

“No, you’re right. But the journey won’t be easy. The road is rough, and dangers may lurk anywhere. So it might be better… to stay in the safe church until you grow a little more.”

“I appreciate your concern, but I have a reason to go there.”

Only then did I sense something strange. Licia seemed to have an obsession with something.

It seemed like a longing for the place itself, rather than going there to study.

Behind the sharpness and maturity that she seemed to be trying hard to hide, it was inevitable that her age showed through.

While one might think that her academic fervor was exceptional, I had a feeling that it might not be so easy to think in that direction. However, since it wasn’t something she was trying to reveal herself, I decided to set that aside for now.

Nevertheless, the girl’s words were not entirely wrong. If she had to go, it would probably be safer for me to take her there myself.

Rather than falling into human distrust, it would be more accurate to say that the world was turning harshly for young girls.

In a world where morals and ethics had fallen to the ground, it was also a way to ensure some safety. It may sound a bit presumptuous coming from me, but the use of force was now a skill in which I had gained some confidence.

However, all of this was only possible under the assumption that I was going to the Papal Palace.

Honestly, the Papal Palace was too far away, and venturing beyond this familiar area would be a loss for me.

So, unless a major event occurred that required a large sum of money, there was no need to travel all the way there.

Lycia was not an ignorant child. However, she didn’t seem to have a selfish nature either. Just in case, I decided to inform the girl about it.

“I have no plans to go to the Papal Palace right now.”

“Yes, for now. But will that change in the future?”

“It might change later, but by then, I might have left to earn money in another city.”

“You might think that way. Then, how about we make a bet?”

Lycia held up three fingers as she spoke.

“Wait until spring, just three months. And if something comes up within that time, I’ll go with you.”

“…Sure, why not.”

I agreed without much thought.

If there really was such an event, then it wouldn’t hurt to have her accompany me.

Of course, traveling with a child would take a bit longer, but I thought it was worth it to take along a child who was eager to learn.

The girl nodded with a satisfied expression.

I knew that expression well. It was the look that soldiers who had something to believe in showed before battle, as they carried a sacred dewdrop in their hearts.

“It looks like you’re quite confident.”

“Well, we’ll see when spring comes.”

The girl continued to speak in a way that was hard for me to understand.

Since there was nothing urgent to do until spring, and it wasn’t the right season to travel, I decided not to worry too much about it.

I stayed in an inn near the stable, living comfortably and occasionally visiting the church to see Lycia and play with the church kids. For some reason, the boys at the church would say things like this to me.

“It’s not over until it’s over! Be prepared!”

“What on earth.”

For several months, I tolerated the church boys’ inexplicable teasing.

As the sky grew lower and the mountains fattened, the warm spring returned.

-Caw!

“Yeah… just eat everything and burst with bread….”

That guy was just gaining weight all year round. I really needed to make him exercise, even if it was by force.

Feeling a bit restless without much work to do, I stretched and headed out into the streets on a particularly refreshing morning.

Since there were no newspapers or radio broadcasts, the best way to hear about the world was to hit the streets like this.

“Freshly baked bread in the morning! Buy some bread!”

“Hey, your clothes seem to have some holes. I can fix them for cheap, how about leaving them for mending?”

“The merchant who came last year didn’t die and came back again! There are rare items flowing in from the far east, so why not take a look?”

After resting somewhere hidden for a while, the merchants who arrived in Bolle finally opened up about their goods and shared some outside stories. I also moved my feet towards the group where they were.

Normally, they would have been talking about things like hunting down heretics that many people want to hear about, or rumors of miracles happening and a saint being born.

But instead of the usual false and exaggerated rumors, they gathered together and only spoke of one piece of news.

“Finally, it has happened!”

“Soon the entire empire will become a battlefield! Prepare for that day!”

“Listen, what is happening that you are talking about?”

“You asked well. Fresh news has just come in from the southern papacy. You must be well aware of the deepening confrontation between His Holiness and the Emperor.”

“Of course, I am aware.”

“Don’t be surprised when you hear this. We have thought that something like this might happen someday, but never did we expect it to be today…”

“The preamble is long and frustrating. So, what is the conclusion?”

“His Holiness has declared the Emperor excommunicated!”

The duo of the publicly acknowledged souls, the Pope and the Emperor.

Between the trivial conflicts that were part of their daily lives, the countdown to an all-out war had begun. The name excommunication carried that meaning.

Priests scattered throughout the empire and beyond.

Empresses who saw putting pressure on the Emperor as a pleasure ingrained in their genes.

They were bound to clash at some point. And that moment was not far off. In short, it was an opportunity to gain wealth and fame.

But why?

Something felt off. It felt like something had been overlooked.

If the Emperor really had been excommunicated.

Yes, no matter what, I had to head towards the chaos at the heart of the papacy. In times like these, there was no room for trivial matters.

And near the papacy… there was the Imperial Theological University.

A phrase suddenly came to mind.

I turned my gaze towards Lycia, who was sitting in her usual chair, basking in the sun and photosynthesizing.

‘I’ll know when spring comes.’

She definitely said that.

The girl just smiled brightly without saying a word, looking in my direction.