Chapter 55: When Directions Don’t Align

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“But why were you running away? What did you do wrong to have the holy knights chasing after you like that?”

On the sacred ground, atop the cathedral roof.

Sugar, who had no further business there, decided to ask one more question before coolly disappearing. She had followed the hooded kid out of curiosity about why they were being chased.

Curiosity had to be satisfied, after all.

“I… didn’t do anything wrong. If anything, being born like this was the mistake…”

A heavy statement followed her question, Sugar scratched her head.

The kid, with a voice as thin as a girl’s, seemed to have their emotions burst forth and began pouring out their thoughts.

“I want to escape this suffocating city! But no one will let me go… There’s so much I want to do outside. Do you think I asked to be born like this?”

“…You can’t go outside?”

It wasn’t really directed at Sugar. It felt more like a cry to the world. Sugar responded, and the kid started bouncing around on the roof.

“Exactly! They all stop me from leaving! ‘You can’t go outside, it’s dangerous out there—’ They always use the same excuses! Meanwhile, they’re free to roam around as they please…”

“This is the safest place in the land, after all. They’re probably just worried about you.”

“I don’t need it! I don’t want to rot here forever just because it’s safe! What is this? I’m not some bird trapped in a cage… I’m a person too…”

“…”

“More than anything, I want to be free! I’d rather die outside than live like this!”

As the kid shouted fiercely, the holy knights arrived at the top of the cathedral at just the right moment. Among them was someone Sugar recognized.

“Your Highness! So this is where you were!”

“Sir Nova! Give me a break for once! Just let me go…!”

“I’ll give up on you giving up! Now, let’s go!”

Nova laughed heartily and effortlessly scooped up the kid. In the process, the child’s hood fell off, revealing the kid’s face.

Purple eyes.

A descendant of the Saint’s bloodline. However, since they were called “Your Highness,” they weren’t the Saintess. Especially given the treatment, it was clear they weren’t.

Sugar quickly assessed the situation.

“Hey! Kid!”

“Huh? Me?”

“Who else would it be? Let’s pretend today never happened! It’s an open secret anyway!”

At that moment, Nova, who had pointed at Sugar, issued a not-so-threatening threat before jumping off the roof with the kid in her arms. The kid’s screams of “Aaaah!” could be heard, but it didn’t seem like a big deal.

What a whirlwind of a person.

Sugar, stood there dumbfounded, soon snapping out of it. The sun was setting, so she needed to find her friend and have dinner together.

As she descended various thoughts crossed her mind.

‘There really are all kinds of people, huh.’

The kid’s fierce cry still echoed in her ears.

—More than anything, I want to be free! I’d rather die outside than live like this!

From the looks of it, that kid was probably related to the Saintess. In this world, purple eyes were a trait only those of the Saint’s bloodline could have.

The Saint who descended to this land two thousand years ago.

Where his only daughter had lived. The land where she buried her father became the holy city, and the tears shed in response to her father’s remains created the protective power that guards this land.

That power was passed down to her daughter, and then to her daughter’s daughter, and so on. Since it was inherited matrilineally, these female descendants were called “Saintesses.”

So, what about male descendants? Normally, daughters were born, but there was a slim chance of a son being born. These boys were called “Princes.”

A title chosen to avoid overlapping with the great founder. While they had some magical aptitude due to their bloodline, they didn’t possess any special powers beyond that.

As far as Sugar knew, “Ione” was the current Saintess protecting the holy city but a Prince? So, a male sibling of the Saintess?

Sugar tilted her head in confusion.

She remembered that in the original story, Ione had a younger sister. But now there was a younger brother instead?

‘Does she have two siblings?’

In the original story, the younger sister caused trouble by demanding independence as another Saintess, stealing various holy relics from the holy city.

Was the gender different from the original, or were there two younger siblings?

Either way, if someone like that were to leave the holy city it was obvious what would happen. There were plenty of people who would want to exploit the Saint’s bloodline.

Even the original protagonist who didn’t have a special bloodline got caught up in all sorts of trouble just because they were “chosen by the Saint’s staff.”

The status of the Saint, who ascended to the heavens long ago, was that significant.

And yet, that kid was spouting such reckless words. It was unacceptable.

‘Would I have been like that if I were just a kid without memories of my past life?’

Their situations were similar. Sugar, who was targeted by heretics because of her unique constitution that allowed her to adapt to evil gods.

Of course Sugar could leave if she wanted to, but she had decided not to for now. For herself, for her dear friend, and for the world. She had resolved to grow stronger before venturing out.

Yet even so.

“…”

The recent events kept stirring up various thoughts.

Sugar stood still for a while, frowning, before shaking her head.

‘Let’s go get dinner.’

Had Riley returned? She headed straight to Riley’s room.

But, as expected, he wasn’t there.

“Where did he go…”

She went to the cathedral lobby and stopped Peko, who was passing by.

“Ah, he was asking about the captain’s office earlier. Maybe the captain knows?”

So she went to Cedric’s office, only to get the response, “Who knows? He’s probably lost in thought somewhere.”

Honestly, shouldn’t someone be looking after these kids? Sugar grumbled as she wandered around the cathedral.

‘…Could it be?’

She had checked the dining hall, and he wasn’t there, so there was only one place left.

Sugar quickly headed to her own room. Gently opening the door and saw a lump on the bed. Bingo.

She approached and pulled the blanket down slightly, revealing golden hair. Riley was sound asleep, his face buried in the pillow. He was lying on Sugar’s bed, in Sugar’s room.

Look at this guy? She didn’t raise him to be the kind of boy who casually climbs into a girl’s bed.

Or did she?

Either way, how should she tease him about this? As she pondered, Riley muttered “Sugar…” and tossed in his sleep.

Did he just say her name in his sleep?

‘This brat! Look at this guy!’

‘What should I do with this mischievous little brother?’ Sugar quietly twisted her body beside the bed. If anyone saw her, they’d probably make a pitiful face.

As she did this, perhaps sensing her presence, the boy suddenly opened his eyes.

“…”

“…”

Their eyes met perfectly.

Sugar, twisting her body awkwardly. Riley, waking up on Sugar’s bed.

Whose shame was greater? There was no need to even ask.

Of course, it was the one who couldn’t resist the impulse and crawled into someone else’s bed.

“Did you sleep well?”

“…”

“How was my bed? …Did you like it?”

Sugar straightened her posture and delivered the line with a strange nuance.

It hit Riley directly.

“Ahhh—!!”

The effect was tremendous.

.

.

.

After retrieving her friend, who had thrown himself out the window, they went to eat dinner.

He hadn’t said a word the entire time. Except when eating, he kept his mouth tightly shut.

‘It’s not like I crawled into his bed. Why is he acting like this after what he did?’

Sugar clicked her tongue.

Still, as the older one, she decided to be understanding. The results of today’s hierarchy sorting had put her in a good mood, so she let it slide.

‘What can I do? My little brother likes me too much. I have to understand him.’

“Riley, I have something to tell you.”

“…”

They had eaten and come back, so he should have calmed down by now, right? Sugar wanted to share the decision she had made today before it got any later.

So, when they returned to the room and she brought it up, Riley nodded with a complicated expression.

Then Sugar took a deep breath and awkwardly began to speak.

She felt a bit nervous and embarrassed to share what was on her mind.

“…”

“Sugar?”

“Ah… I was just thinking. You know, about what the adults said earlier today.”

She was referring to the conversation about how it was dangerous for her to go outside now and how choices come with responsibilities.

“After hearing that, I thought about it a lot… But no matter how much I think about it, I still want to go outside. I want to go to Steele with you.”

As she spoke, making eye contact, Riley quietly nodded.

A school topping the list of the most prestigious of schools.

Why had she set her sights on it? It was a kind of stubbornness and challenge to herself to experience everything she could in this life.

If she was going to go, she might as well aim for the best. It wasn’t like graduating from a prestigious school was everything in life, but it would still make her feel proud in front of others and herself.

There was also the desire to break free from the fate of having to live in fear of heretics for the rest of her life.

Or maybe she just wanted to enjoy the original story’s setting firsthand.

A single goal intertwined with various desires. If she could go there with this friend, it would be nothing short of delightful.

“So… I just wanted to share my aspirations. I’ll work hard so we can go together. I’ll train hard until enrollment so I don’t hold you back. You know I like practicing magic, right? So if you’re worried, you don’t have to be. If you’re concerned I might not make it, I want to tell you not to worry.”

Then she smiled brightly.

“Will you watch over me by my side?”

A smile as bright as the sun.

The confident way she spoke was dazzling. She laughed awkwardly, going “hehe,” and it was a sight to behold, but…

Unfortunately, sometimes that light doesn’t align in the right direction.

The boy’s expression after hearing her words was strange.

“…”

“Riley?”

“Ah… yeah.”

“You don’t look so good. Are you okay?”

“…”

Just silence.

For a long time, he only moved his lips.

Seeing his less-than-positive reaction, Sugar’s heart grew cold. She had expected him to grumble but still agree.

“Listen carefully.”

Finally, Riley spoke. He spoke firmly, as if he had made some kind of decision, but the content was hard to hear.

“I can’t do that. I’m going to leave here for a while.”

“…What?”