Chapter 53: Each Other’s Concerns

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After the tour of the cathedral was somewhat finished, the three of them took a break to drink some beverages at the café inside the cathedral. Members of the cathedral such as holy knights or priests get a 50% discount so, Peko offered to treated them

“Riley, what did you order?”

“Orange juice. Don’t even think about it.”

Sugar, who was disappointed, sipped her strawberry latte noisily. Finding her cute, Peko smiled softly.

“Do you have any more questions? About the cathedral or anything else. I’ll do my best to answer.”

Rather than an unknown holy knight or a strict priest, a friendly female holy knight they already knew would be better. That’s why Cedric assigned her to the children. She was doing her best to live up to that expectation.

Sugar, while drinking her beverage, took her mouth off the straw and asked,

Sugar, focused entirely on her beverage, briefly stopped before turning to Peko.

“What’s going to happen to us?”

“Hmm…”

Where should she start?

“Depending on your testimony, things might change… but you’ll probably continue living here for the most part. Once you’ve been targeted by heretics… Did you see the kids running around earlier? They’ve all lost their families because of the heretics. You’re in the same boat.”

“…Will we receive the same education as those kids?”

The kids they saw earlier near the dining hall. Just looking at them, it seemed like some strange cult.

Peko, puzzled by Sugar’s lukewarm reaction, soon let out an “Ah!” of realization.

“Did you see the kids in the inquisitor training program? The ones who were especially bright and cheerful?”

“Yes… Do they make kids do that here?”

“It’s voluntary. It’s mainly for kids with talent and motivation. It’s like an elite course. Did they do something to you?”

“No, they didn’t. They just welcomed us… but it was a bit creepy.”

“Ahaha… They’re not bad kids. Coming here means they’ve gone through something sad. So, when they see a new face, they welcome them with all their might. I guess it was a bit overwhelming for you.”

“Yeah… I guess…”

“…It’s their way of living. Pretending to be cheerful is better.”

Peko swallowed her next words.

Children who survived while villagers were impaled alive.

Children who witnessed their mothers and unborn siblings being killed before their eyes.

Children who underwent unspeakable, cruel experimentation.

Children with shattered minds who clung to revenge and hatred, packaging it all with a smile and living on.

There’s nothing the adults can do. It’s already too late to save them, how can you tell children who breathe only for revenge to let go of that hatred?

There’s no need to convey such things to the children in front of her.

“Anyway… there’s a regular education program too. You can choose freely. Do you have anything else you want to ask?”

“I have another question. Can we go outside freely?”

“Ah…”

A difficult expression. That kind of reaction. Sugar clicked her tongue inwardly.

“Hmm… Well, of course! But you’re still young, so when you’re a bit older—”

“I know about my constitution. Tell me the truth.”

Riley, who had been silently listening, also took his mouth off his drink. It was time to focus.

‘Kids these days are quick’

Peko sighed and spoke.

“…Alright. The examination of your body revealed that you have a unique constitution that adapts to the magic of evil gods. Given the circumstances, it’s likely that the Shadow Cult wants to worship you as an idol. In that case while Riley might be safe, if you, Sugar, go outside it’s obvious they’ll make their move…”

“So, I can’t go out for the rest of my life?”

“Ah, no! That’s not it. If you think about yourself and the world, you should be cautious…”

“…”

Riley, who had been listening, narrowed his eyes. In contrast, Sugar had an unreadable expression while calmly stealing sips of Riley’s orange juice.

“Annoying, right? She always talks like she’s preaching.”

Just then, a deep voice came from behind. It was Cedric.

“Captain!”

“Kid… your name’s Sugar, right? Whether you go out or not is your choice. I won’t force you. Of course you’d want to leave. If it weren’t for the Advent, I wouldn’t have come back to this boring place either.”

“Captain!”

Hearing such words from one of the guardians, Peko was startled.

“There’s so much to see in this world. You should visit those places at least once. You want to play with your friends too, right?”

“Ah, there’s a place I want to go.”

“Where?”

“I want to go to Steele. With this friend, It’s my dream.”

“That’s a bold dream. Steele. Good.”

The academic city, the Sky Island, floated by the disciples of the Saint. The magical education institution, Steele, beneath it.

Though it has a very different atmosphere and character from the Holy City, they get along well.

“You want to become a mage?”

“Yes, very much so.”

“Good. Very good.”

Cedric, stroking his beard, nodded but soon put on a solemn expression.

“But don’t forget that choices come with responsibilities.”

He briefly made eye contact with Sugar.

“If you’re captured by them, it’s your life that’s ruined, no one else’s. Putting aside the possibility that your power could be misused to bring crisis to the continent. Of course, it’s our job as holy knights to prevent that but unfortunately, we’re severely lacking in power. We’ve saved many, but there are too many we couldn’t save.”

And we can’t follow you around all day to protect you—he muttered while sipping his coffee. Though it sounded cold, his calm delivery felt honest. Given his position, his words carried even more weight.

Peko, his direct subordinate, made a pained expression. Honesty is good, but could he at least choose his words more carefully?

“…Well, you’re still just a kid. You’re too young to be worrying about such things. For now, forget all that and live comfortably here. This is a blessed land protected by the Saint. It’s the safest place in the world.”

“And boring?”

“Yeah.”

He laughed heartily, shaking his bear-like frame.

“Get the report to me by tomorrow. As I said earlier, if you have anything to say, come find me separately.”

While talking to Sugar, he glanced at Riley and then walked away in the direction he was heading.

Watching his retreating figure, Riley turned her head back to see Sugar sucking down the orange juice like a storm.

“How does that even fit in you!”

Instead of answering, Sugar stuck out her tongue, the sweet scent of oranges emanating from her mouth. Riley trembled and snatched the drink back, seeing less than half remained. The straw bearing clear evidence of Sugar’s assault.

Already feeling troubled, thinking about how far they were from granting her true freedom, and now this prank. In his anger, Riley pinched and stretched Sugar’s cheeks.

Sugar’s scream echoed through the room.

Sugar entered her room alone, rubbing her tingling cheeks.

Riley said he needed some time to think in his room, so they decided to meet again later.

“…Haah.”

Finally alone, Sugar let out a sigh. She wiped the smile off her face and put on a serious expression.

It was because of what the holy knights had said earlier. They were right, and she couldn’t find anything to argue against. She had pretended to be cheerful to hide her feelings, but now that she was alone the gloom was unavoidable.

She was already marked by the cult. There was no telling when they might reach out to her again.

There were precedents in other worlds, weren’t there? Lives ruined, crises brought to the continent. Of course, in that world, she had no choice but to be a victim.

Yet now, she had a choice.

Live in the Holy City for the rest of her life for her own and the world’s safety.

Or seek freedom and venture outside the Holy City, fraught with danger.

What should she do? She had thought about boldly seizing freedom, but it was a difficult story unless the cult was eradicated.

Of course, this would be a different story if she became strong enough to face the cult herself.

If she grew stronger in the safety of the Holy City, like the protagonist wielding the Saint’s staff, becoming the New Super Sugar and wiping out the cult by herself!

‘But how many years would that take…’

She melted into the bed.

The overwhelming feeling. And guilt. Guilt towards her friend. Because of her powerless self, her friend had also been marked by the cult.

If it were the original Riley, who was almost an adult with a grimoire filled with pages, the cult would be a joke but her childhood friend was too young. And now that the cult knew about the grimoire, she couldn’t help but feel sorry.

She owed her friend so much. She was grateful for so much.

Teaching her magic. Growing up without becoming twisted. Coming to save her, even exhausting himself when she was kidnapped.

Thinking about that day still made her heart swell. The grimoire with few pages. The voice calling her name, saying it came to save her, the hand pulling her along, the figure protecting her until it was covered in wounds.

And the magic they used, holding hands without a word, understanding each other’s intentions and exchanging feelings.

It was a strange feeling. It still didn’t feel real that they had used such a massive spell. But the feeling of the hand she held that day was still vivid, so she knew it was real.

Lying in bed, looking at her left hand, a corner of her heart felt strange.

A fleeting memory.

The hand stroking her head, touching her cheek, smiling softly. The boy’s thin, blue gem-like eyes clearly came to mind.

“…”

Sugar quietly burrowed under the covers. Every time she recalled that memory, her heart wouldn’t calm down.

‘It’s nothing… It’s nothing…’

It’s just a sense of pride. She felt proud that her precious younger sibling had opened his heart enough to do such a thing for her.

So, isn’t this proof of growth? While it’s not exactly pleasant to have someone encroaching on her position as an older sibling, she should be happy about her younger sibling’s growth.

‘That’s right, as a sister, as a friend, and once as an adult, I should wish for that child’s happiness.’

She had promised to become family. Repeating these thoughts, she calmed her heart.

Then, a cold thought began to swirl in her mind.

‘If it were just her… if it were just that child alone, without the book’s magic…’

Even Louveci, with her unusual eyes, hadn’t noticed the book. If it were just Riley alone, wouldn’t he be able to hide his identity and live freely outside the Holy City?

He’s a friend with a thirst for knowledge. He must be filled with the desire to learn magic properly; there must be so many things he wants to experiment with, to see with his own eyes.

‘So, even if it means leaving me behind, he should go to Steele alone–‘

“…”

Ah.

This is strange.

Considering the debt she owes to that child, shouldn’t she wish for him to achieve what she wants and be happy?

But why does the thought of him leaving feel so unsettling?

‘I’m being too selfish…’

Curled up on the bed, Sugar was becoming consumed by her emotions.

She fiddled with her hair, taking off her headband and holding it in her hand.

An accessory made of a luxurious ribbon. A precious gift from her friend. It’s not something she would ever choose for herself, after all this is something a girl would choose for herself.

Her gender is ambiguous. She lived as a woman, but memories of a past life with a different gender flowed in. She’s fully aware that this body is that of a ‘girl.’ She uses it well, but it’s just that.

Still, it’s something she wears every day. She wears it because she appreciates the sentiment behind the gift.

She knows Riley occasionally glances at it. At this hairband, at the white hair that matches it. She remembers when she asked if she could cut her hair because it was too long, and Riley immediately said no.

Then, a faint smile would appear, and Sugar would fiddle with it for a long time before getting up. This isn’t like Sugar.

There’s no time to be gloomy. She needs to think about becoming stronger quickly so that ‘the two of them together’ can go to Steele.

Even if she can’t wipe out the cult, at least she shouldn’t hold her friend back. She should be able to fight alone.

Having made up her mind, Sugar put on her hairband and pushed open the door. She wanted to share this resolve with her friend. She wanted to say, “I’ve made up my mind, so don’t worry. I’ll show you I can handle it.”

She went straight to Riley’s room and knocked.

“Riley? Are you there?”

[…]

“Can I come in?”

[…]

The silence was strange. When she turned the doorknob slightly, the door opened.

“…Riley?”

She poked her head in to check, no one was in the room.

This was odd. He clearly said he had something to think about and went back to his room.

As she tilted her head in confusion, a commotion could be heard from afar.

“Wait!”

“Why do you keep running away!”

What’s going on in this quiet land? Even the Saint might jump out of his coffin. Sugar turned her head toward the noise.

Several holy knights, and in front of them, a child with their face hidden by a hood. They ran into the hallway where Sugar was standing and began a chase. Watching with interest, Sugar closed the door and stretched.

Then, at just the right moment, she started running alongside the child.

A natural intervention!

“You, who are you! Why are you following me!”

“Have you seen a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy? He looks like he could make girls cry just by his appearance.”

“How would I know!”

Perhaps Sugar’s behavior seemed a bit strange, as the child, exasperated, poured more magic into their legs and ran with a loud thud, thud. It was a move clearly intended to shake her off.

“His name’s Riley… really, you don’t know?”

“No! Who are you!”

“I’m Sugar.”

“I didn’t ask for your name!”

But Sugar kept following, and the child let out a sigh of defeat.

.

.

.

Around the same time.

A boy was knocking on a door, just as Sugar had done.

Of course, the owner of the room was different. The owner of the gaze that kept looking at the boy. The office of the guardian Cedric.

Riley had also noticed. He remembered him saying to come find him anytime if he had something to say and he vaguely realized that he had witnessed the grimoire that day.

[Come in.]

As he calmed his nervous heart, a response came. As soon as he opened the door, a bear-like man stood there.

“I’ve been waiting.”

Riley swallowed hard.