Ch.30Devotion Offered by the Sword (5)

    # The Veneration of the Sword

    A sword is a weapon that protects oneself and harms others. To voluntarily lay it down and step back means not only refusing to harm others but also abandoning one’s own defense.

    ‘I lay myself down before you.’

    The Veneration of the Sword carried such deep meanings of respect, admiration, honor, and worship. That’s why even emperors, generals, or nobles couldn’t demand it carelessly. An oath of loyalty was sufficient for obedience and respect.

    The ceremony itself often took place in highly dramatic circumstances. The case of Joannes II receiving it from his brother-in-law Niki Brien is particularly famous.

    But even that pales in comparison to the acclaim the Seven Heroes received from the entire world.

    * * * * *

    The statues of the Seven Heroes stood in the middle of the park’s field.

    The statues were enormous, gleaming with all manner of precious metals, jewels, and sacred fire.

    Yet all that splendor merely served to emphasize the greatness of the heroes. The sculptors knew exactly what to highlight and what to set aside.

    That’s why Kain could recognize The Knight of Chastity William even from a distance.

    He stood solemnly in full armor with a tunic bearing the symbol of the Mercy Knights, resting his two-handed hammer.

    Though his helmet was removed, the shining crown of thorns on his head revealed why he was called a holy knight.

    The statues were erected on a gentle field, with countless swords planted at their feet.

    Imperial swords, curved blades of heathens, rapiers from the eastern and southern kingdoms, daggers, broken swords, even halberds, spears, axes, flagpoles, and staffs.

    Though they had been planted in the ground for more than ten years, their blades remained bright blue. No one specifically maintained them. Those weapons knew how to produce sacred fire on their own.

    Standing close to the statues, Kain watched as flames rose from a broken wooden pole, burning away impurities without leaving any scorch marks.

    ‘Does God exist? Do miracles exist? If anyone doubts, come to the Veneration of the Sword Park. See. Cast away your doubts. Return with conviction.’

    Around the statues, people prostrated themselves, knelt in prayer. Some wailed, some sobbed, some tore their clothes to pieces, while others scattered gold coins into the air.

    But no one paid attention to others. Those here had traveled long distances to soothe the guilt gnawing at their hearts. Their burden of pain and suffering was so great that even setting it down was overwhelming.

    Everyone was simply engaged in collective monologues. Yet people found comfort in this. What they wanted wasn’t ears to listen, but a place to speak freely and openly.

    Not in a lonely room, but under the open sky, on solid ground, in this sacred place of holy fire, miracles, and the presence of the Seven Heroes who defeated the Demon King.

    For the sole purpose of speaking those words, they had come from far away, flocking from the corners of the world.

    That alone gave meaning to their journey, to their murmurings. Meaningful murmurings became sacred and devout confessions.

    Kain and Lily sat on a bench in the shade of a tree, away from the scene of fervor.

    In this wide and glorious sanctuary filled with families sharing lunch boxes, pilgrims catching their breath, and devout believers dozing off after crying themselves to exhaustion.

    They were the only ones who couldn’t even manage a small smile.

    They couldn’t smile. They couldn’t feel unrestrained happiness. Pure joy was beyond their reach now.

    Once you know, you can’t live as if you don’t. You can close your eyes, cover your ears, and pretend not to know, but it’s just empty deception.

    “I feel strange,” Lily said, her tone subdued.

    “Me too.”

    A soft chuckle. Kain looked at Lily. He was relieved to see her smiling, however faintly.

    But he was concerned that her hand kept touching her shoulder and neck. Since the incident with the vine of tongues, Lily had developed a habit of constantly wiping that area.

    Kain thought about saying something but decided against it, fearing it would sound like nagging. Instead, he shared his own feelings.

    “That statue standing there is clearly a hero to the world. But what we saw… no. Even before that monstrous form, what Father Haspel described… was far from the word ‘chastity.’

    Yet the people crying and laughing and confessing their sins over there know nothing about that. If we were to reveal the truth, what would happen to them? When I think about that…”

    Even with just what had been revealed so far, what Kain and Lily had seen was enough to divide this sanctuary. If the secrets Father Haspel had buried were revealed, the faith of those countless people would shatter.

    Lily seemed to have the same thought. She quietly leaned her shoulder against his. Kain somehow found the gesture pitiful. Like a bird resting briefly on a thin branch…

    ‘No, that’s not it.’

    Kain shook his head. He didn’t want to deceive himself, even at this sanctuary.

    ‘I just want something to lean on myself.’

    He took a deep breath and pushed the thought away.

    This was just a stray thought. He couldn’t let his guard down. Soon he would meet Inquisitor Heinrich. Even if he was recommended by Father Haspel, that was Haspel’s perspective, not Kain’s.

    He needed to stay alert. His judgment couldn’t be clouded. Emotions couldn’t dictate his attitude. Kain repeated these words two, three times.

    So he was able to listen quite calmly to Lily’s soft, delicate words.

    “When I first came to the Security Bureau, I vaguely thought I’d be doing something good. I even had that childish idea of illuminating darkness and upholding justice.

    But… I never knew it would be like this. I never knew it would be this deep and wide. I’m even afraid that I myself cannot be free from it.”

    Lily let out a quiet sigh.

    “I didn’t know either. But one thing is certain.”

    “What is it?”

    “It’s probably not going to be a pleasant story.”

    “I want to hear it.”

    “This isn’t the end.”

    Lily fell silent. Kain gazed at the seven statues and spoke in a monologue. Like the people wailing in front, but much more quietly. Intimately, so only Lily could hear.

    “This isn’t the end. The more we know, the more we dig, the more things we believed were beautiful and ideal gradually crumble. We’ll reach the point where we think, ‘Wow, things have been this bad all along, yet somehow we’ve managed.’

    But we can’t stop. We shouldn’t stop. Because our job is to uncover things people don’t want to know, things no one wants to reveal.”

    Lily’s hand fumbled, searching for Kain’s. He gently took her hand. Her wandering touch calmed down, holding still.

    “Still, I thought things would get better somehow. I kept thinking they would improve… That’s how I got this far. But at some point, I realized I was running through empty air.”

    ‘When did I think that?’

    There were too many instances to recall. When fighting assassins with his life on the line. When staking out in an alley in the drizzling rain. When beaten badly and thrown into a ditch, having a staring contest with the sky that seemed to mock him from above…

    Kain gathered the words he had spoken each time.

    “What am I doing? I’m pouring my life into this, but why isn’t the world changing? What meaning does my work have? That’s what I wonder.”

    About ten breaths of silence.

    Lily fidgeted with her hand. She turned it over and interlaced her fingers with Kain’s. As if embracing his palm. As if hugging his hand. As if wanting to touch more deeply, even if just a little.

    “I know this might sound presumptuous, but…”

    “What is it?”

    “Couldn’t we be meaningful to each other?”

    Kain couldn’t respond. He couldn’t look directly into Lily’s eyes. He felt that if he did, he would fall. Like he would burn up in a flame flower.

    “If we just think about protecting the person in front of us, our comrade. Isn’t that enough?”

    Inconveniently, the wind blew.

    It wasn’t a strong wind, but it was enough to scatter flower petals and carry their fragrance far away.

    There was an upside, though. He could pretend something got in his eye and blink. And it was easier to come up with a plausible joke.

    “You sound just like Director Verneith.”

    Lily withdrew her hand and lightly pinched the back of Kain’s hand.

    “I’m starting to dislike you a bit.”

    “I’m not joking. That’s something the Director used to say all the time. ‘Hey, you lot! We’re family, family! Family can fight, bite each other, and stab each other in the back, but like it or not, we’re still family!’ He used to say that habitually.

    And he really lived by it. You’ve seen how he jokes with me. I was trained directly by him when I was a rookie.”

    “Really?” Lily covered her mouth as she laughed. “I never would have imagined.”

    “Well. When all the new employees were lined up, he looked at me and said, ‘That kid looks really ill-mannered. Come here, you.’ And took me with him.”

    “That’s unexpected. I honestly thought he was just good at cursing.”

    “He’s a very caring person. I don’t know if it’s because of his age or if he’s always been that way. Part of the reason I tried to get along with Boehm and Bom like family was because of the Director’s influence.

    Oh, by the way, Blumberg Twin Trading Company was founded by Boehm and Bom? You might need to know that later.”

    “What?” Lily seemed genuinely surprised. But the surprises weren’t over yet.

    “And that story I told the monk earlier. That’s a real business we’re running. It’s a company operated by the Security Bureau, and they do their job well. We have several businesses like that. How else would we get money?”

    “Wow. So even these clothes…”

    Lily looked down at her elaborate outfit.

    “That’s probably from a business run by the southern branch. Fabrics and jewels, I guess. I may have painted things too negatively, but not everything you learn is depressing and sad. Sometimes you discover small things that are interesting and surprising. I suppose without those…”

    ‘You couldn’t last long.’ Kain didn’t finish his sentence. Wasn’t it himself who couldn’t last long?

    But he didn’t want to bring that up again. It would make him look foolish, and it would sadden Lily.

    “Let’s go. It’s time.”

    The two got up and dusted themselves off. Lily gently took Kain’s arm. Now they looked like a couple leaving the park after receiving comfort and solace.

    “I just had a thought.”

    “Yes?”

    “If we can’t erase sad and painful memories…”

    “Yes?”

    “How about layering good ones on top? I think that’s fair. Perhaps… it’s not too late? Maybe, as the professor said, we still have a chance to grasp happiness.”

    Instead of answering, Kain looked at the ground. He couldn’t say that he had once grasped it and let it go, and that he no longer had the courage or strength to grasp it again. Lily’s voice drooped again.

    “I’m sorry.”

    A misunderstanding. It wasn’t Lily’s fault. This needed to be corrected.

    “No. Thank you. For saying that.”

    Kain didn’t know how to express the thought, ‘But I think I’ve come too far.’

    Similarly, he didn’t know how to explain that a person couldn’t be meaningful to another person. He couldn’t speak about the sorrow of meaning left behind when a person departs.

    – Run away, Kairos.

    For once, the Shadow’s words were tempting. So Kain changed the subject.

    “Hmm. That outfit. It suits you well. You look pretty.”

    “Pretty…!”

    Lily’s ears turned bright red. But as if it were nothing, she cleared her throat and lifted her chin slightly. She straightened her shoulders and pushed out her chest.

    “A-are you stating the obvious? I-I’m a pretty woman when I dress up, you know.”

    Before they had walked five steps, her boldness crumpled.

    “Um. But. Don’t I look too plump? Are my shoulders too broad, or do I look too bulky and clumsy? Actually, this is my first time wearing such elaborate clothes, and it feels a bit overwhelming…”

    Well, she wouldn’t have had occasion to wear such clothes during her time with the knights. She certainly couldn’t have worn such luxurious clothes at the academy, and at the Security Bureau, she would have worn drab clothing.

    “Huh? Not at all. Height isn’t something you can hide anyway. So it’s better to just show it off like you’re doing now. You look more impressive being wrinkle-free, splendid, and dignified.”

    Lily kept brushing her blonde hair behind her ear. Her white, long, slender neck and shoulders were revealed. The areas she had been rubbing appeared red and chafed. Kain felt distressed.

    “By the way. The red cloth with yellow gold embroidery suits you well too.”

    The wounds were hidden by her glossy blonde hair. Kain deliberately smiled brightly.

    “Really? It was actually a combination I hadn’t thought of.”

    “Yes. I want to lock you up at the top of a high tower just like this.”

    Kain hastily looked around. Fortunately, no passerby gave them strange looks. It must have sounded like an ordinary conversation between a typical couple.

    “…Why does that conclusion come so naturally to you?”

    “Because I want to keep you all to myself.”

    “Jokes aren’t funny when you say them so seriously.”

    “I didn’t say it to make you laugh. Because it’s not a joke.”

    A chill ran down Kain’s spine, and he hurried forward.

    Lily’s lips twisted, but her smile was too bright to suppress.

    * * * * *

    The two entered the Inquisition building.

    All weapons had to be surrendered, and there was even a dress inspection. They said it was because of assassins who hid weapons in their clothes. Kain and Lily had left their weapons behind in advance, so there was no issue.

    However, the staff was quite ambiguous about the walking stick and it took some time, but with the explanation that he had sprained his ankle and was uncomfortable, they were allowed to pass with a prior warning that “it must never be used as a weapon.”

    The mendicant monk at the information desk did his job almost too well, and thanks to him, Kain and Lily were seated in the front row of the gallery, by the aisle.

    The chief judge, clerk, guards, inquisitors in red robes, and the plaintiff and defendant entered.

    After long and complex greetings and reciting prayers to the Two-headed Eagle, the clerk explained about the plaintiff and defendant.

    The man seated at the plaintiff’s bench had sharp features. A long list of titles followed, concluding that he was a wealthy count without a domain.

    Next to him sat a priest who looked like a slightly elongated version of the count—his half-brother, they said.

    The defendant was a woman in black mourning clothes. She was still young and attractive, though with faint wrinkles around her eyes, and carried herself with dignity. She was the count’s sister-in-law.

    So the count had personally accused his sister-in-law of being a witch.


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