Ch.1010. Uncomfortable Meal (3)

“I personally banished the Saint.”

Crunch.

Was it just my imagination that the sound of Bishop Andre spearing his salad with a fork seemed unusually loud? The bishop’s expression remained unchanged as he brought the salad to his mouth. They can’t directly harm the hero right now anyway. With the entire kingdom believing I’m the hero, and with that hero currently on vacation, suddenly replacing me would look suspicious.

“Is that so? You personally banished Isis. That’s the first I’m hearing of this.”

Bishop Andre took another sip of wine and smiled. Then, like someone about to propose a business deal, he rubbed his hands together and placed them neatly on the table.

“Of course, I know it’s a lie. Since leaving the hero’s party, Isis hasn’t attempted to make contact with the church even once. Still, your acting is quite good. If it weren’t me, everyone would have been fooled.”

Trying to deceive him was futile after all. Well, if he had actually believed me, that would have created its own problems. I knew from the start that Bishop Andre wasn’t the type to be fooled by a simple fabrication.

“Well, the Kingdom of Kairos probably only knows that the Saint has left the party, at least for now.”

Bishop Andre raised an eyebrow as he placed his now-empty wine glass on the table.

“So, why tell me such a lie? I gave you an opportunity to free yourself from responsibility for the hero party’s selection, and I don’t think you misunderstood me… To my ears, it sounds like you don’t want to accept my offer.”

That opportunity, if I grabbed it wrongly, would not only incur the protagonist’s wrath but would also allow the Blue Orthodox Church to put a leash around my neck. The fact that they’re not sharing information about how Isis ended up leaving the party with the kingdom is to put me in their debt… no, to shackle me.

“Since you seem to understand the situation well, let me change my statement. Let’s say I banished both Isis and Aryen.”

I expected him to show at least some discomfort at my words, but not at all. The bishop showed no sign of being shaken. His gaze, which swept from my face down to my feet, was cold. I too couldn’t afford to show any weakness here.

“If we go with that, the Blue Orthodox Church won’t suffer any disgrace. And the cordial relationship between the kingdom and the holy nation won’t be strained.”

“How amusing. Truly hilarious. Are you really willing to destroy all the achievements you’ve built up just for that one thing? Do you expect me to believe that?”

“I would really appreciate it if you did.”

Just slightly, Bishop Andre’s mask slipped. I wasn’t particularly trying to amuse him, but the bishop seemed to be genuinely enjoying this situation. Yes, showing interest rather than hostility might be better.

“Banishing a mercenary from your party is within your delegated rights. You might face criticism for being autocratic, but ordinary people who aren’t involved will just think, ‘That’s how it is,’ and move on.”

Except for the fact that the banished one was an important part of our fighting force. And except for the fact that he’ll become the strongest being in this world later.

“But Isis leaving the party on her own is a different situation. A Saint who has abandoned her faith and mission. How do you think people will view that? Both the Saint and the holy nation would be in a very difficult position.”

Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the bishop spoke again.

“Of course, I’m on your side, Hero. And my proposal is one that doesn’t disadvantage the holy nation either.”

Bishop Andre put down his fork and wiped his mouth with a napkin. That action looked like he was trying to pull down the corners of his mouth that were trying to rise.

“But I’m curious about why you’re doing this. It’s just personal curiosity. Would you care to answer?”

The bishop’s question seemed like he was testing me. Feeling that avoiding an answer here might complicate matters, I decided to end my resistance and came up with a suitable response to the bishop’s question.

“I am the hero. What people expect of me is to defeat The Seven Calamity, and if I defeat the calamities, I can be forgiven for whatever I do.”

Because the hero bears a different weight of responsibility. Because I’m the one who must save the world from threats.

“But the Saint is different. A single blemish on the Saint’s path would be almost impossible to recover from. Even if she contributes to defeating the calamities, that can never be called the essence of a Saint. What people expect from a Saint is compassion.”

One who bestows blessings and love, realizes miracles, heals people. A being who must remain purely as a saint, untangled from any conflicts with others.

“I don’t know if Isis would want this, but I think it would be better if she remained as the Saint for the time being. Because even if the calamities die, the places they’ve swept through don’t disappear. At that time, a compassionate Saint would be more needed than a hero who only knows how to wield a sword.”

So, let’s not do anything unnecessary.

“For that to happen, it would be better for everyone if the hero, not the Saint, takes the blame for the muddy waters.”

No response came. Bishop Andre didn’t even ask if my answer was sincere or not. He just put on that smile like a mask and poured more wine into his empty glass. Then, after quietly looking at me, he raised his glass.

“Whether you’ve changed or you’ve been hiding this aspect of yourself all along, I’m not sure…”

Sip.

The bishop moistened his throat with wine again. With the wine, the glimpses of his true colors that had been showing in his words and expressions quickly disappeared.

“I’ll accept your explanation for now. It might be quite rewarding for me, as a believer of the Blue Orthodox Church, to watch what choices the hero will make from here on.”

After Bishop Andre’s words, silence fell. I didn’t have much of an appetite, but I couldn’t just sit there staring at the bishop chewing his salad. I picked up my fork again and started moving my hand. The meat was annoyingly delicious.

“Isn’t the taste good? There’s a reason I call this place a hidden gem of the royal capital.”

Breaking the awkward silence, the bishop spoke first. Feeling like he was mocking me for eating late, I nodded grudgingly. Despite my irritation, I couldn’t deny the taste. Even as I dipped the meat I had cut and brought it to my mouth, the bishop continued to nibble on his salad.

“Why don’t you eat meat?”

“Because it’s pitiful.”

“…Pardon?”

“It’s not for religious reasons, but out of compassion. I’m quite fond of animals, more than you might think.”

A madman is a madman after all. Well, someone who doesn’t know the priest’s true identity might nod and move on. But for me, who knows Bishop Andre’s true identity well, he just looks like a madman. Regretting my unnecessary question, I quietly chewed my meat. The sound of me gnawing on meat and the bishop crunching his salad overlapped strangely.

“Soon, the royal palace will summon you.”

I raised my eyebrows. Suddenly summoning the hero at a time like this couldn’t be for anything good. Thinking about the royal palace where all sorts of schemes and dirty tricks would be exchanged, I felt a headache coming on.

“From what I heard last time, they’re planning a hearing. The ministers of the palace, seeing a chance to raise their voices after a long time, would have pushed for it aggressively.”

The bishop spoke in a dry voice, picking up the last chickpea left on his plate.

“It seems the people at the palace still think of me as just a political tool.”

“They say that when one becomes a politician, they use everything they see as a tool for their own safety. It seems you are no exception to them.”

The bishop spoke as if it wasn’t his business and put down his fork. Somehow, his eyes seemed slightly different from when I first met him on the outskirts of the royal capital.

“If you can answer roughly like you did today, you’ll be able to shut them up.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

The bishop smiled brightly.

“After our brief conversation today, I’ve come to like you more. I really think I might have misjudged you all this time.”

When I grimaced, the bishop burst into laughter. What nonsense is he spouting? I wiped my mouth with a napkin and stood up. I didn’t want to go for a second round with that person or walk home arm in arm with him.

“I’ll go first. You’re paying for the meal, right?”

“Yes… well.”

“Thanks for the information. Goodbye then.”

I downed the remaining wine in one go and turned around. My mouth felt bitter, just like my mood. I took one last look at Bishop Andre and fled the restaurant. Thanks to him, at least I could clearly decide what I needed to do first. I sighed and stepped into the dark alley.

==

“How strange.”

Bishop Andre smiled, looking at the spot where the hero had disappeared. With those narrow eyes, he looked like a snake sitting in a chair, smiling.

“He wasn’t this clever before.”

Under the pretext of relieving the hero of selection responsibility, he had planned to put a shackle on the hero’s foot and regain control over the Saint. While Isis’s mistake would certainly damage the Blue Orthodox Church, having the hero in debt was definitely an advantage. But the hero chose not to take on the responsibility and shackle, and also decided to leave the Saint alone.

“Was defeating the third calamity that influential?”

Moreover, from the moment the hero met the bishop until he left, he never let his guard down even once. When they met before, he doesn’t remember the hero being this cautious. Was I too relaxed? The bishop tapped the table happily while savoring his wine.

“Well… as the hero said, I’ll just observe for now.”

It won’t harm the church. That’s why he could stay still even if the hero acted outside his control range now. The bishop took a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth. A bright yellow light rose from the tip of his knobby index finger. It was the holy fire of the sacred technique. He brought his finger to the tip of the cigarette, and when he took a long drag, the cigarette lit up.

“May God’s blessing be with the hero on his path.”

Smoke escaped from the bishop’s mouth like a curtain.

==

It’s the weekend. The weather was disgustingly good.

Even a hero should rest on such a weekend—yeah, right. Today, too, I dragged my heavy body out of the house and was talking with a soldier at the checkpoint leading outside the royal capital. The original plan was to rest well, but after my conversation with Bishop Andre, my thoughts changed. There was no time for a hero to rest.

“Thank you for your hard work even on the weekend, Hero.”

“You too, guard.”

Today, Daphne, who usually accompanies me, is not here. There’s no protective magic enveloping me either. Today, it’s just me and the Holy Sword hanging at my waist.

…Let’s go.

I drew the Holy Sword and began walking into the quiet forest where a gentle breeze was blowing.

Today’s goal:

Unlock the first stage of the Holy Sword.