The Collapse of Everything (2)

Ceres’ carriage was excessively luxurious.

It was so lavish that it was obvious everywhere that it was the Regent’s carriage, and if it moved, it was bound to attract the attention of the entire neighborhood.

However, as the saying goes, to hide a tree, hide it in a forest. Rather, no one would imagine that Yona, Alec, and Kaiyak would be in this carriage.

Yona, declared an enemy of the church by the Celestine Church.

And Alec, who had become an apostate.

Kaiyak, not accused of apostasy but of concealing apostates.

Who would think these three people would be openly riding in a Celestine Church elder’s carriage?

That’s why it was rather safe.

“…It’s a bit disheartening to be glared at with such fierce eyes, Yona… no, Saint.”

“Cut out that flattering talk.”

Yona glared at Ceres with cold eyes.

Ceres, sitting opposite her, seemed unaffected by Yona’s gaze,

Rather, she brushed off Yona’s gaze nonchalantly and gave a polite smile.

“Even so, Saint. You can’t go around alone after destroying the Celestine Church like that, you’ll definitely need my cooperation.”

“……”

“Besides, I told you, didn’t I? Once the goal is achieved, I’ll gladly give you my life.”

“I don’t need a life like yours that you’re offering. What value does that have?”

From Yona’s perspective, Ceres was definitely someone she wanted to kill.

It grinds her teeth to think that she had been deceived by that kind face from their first meeting until now and had been dragged along.

But a life offered voluntarily has no value.

It’s only valuable if Yona breaks it herself amidst pain and screams.

—Already, she had dirtied her hands once.

“Hey, the child can hear you.”

At those words, Yona closed her mouth.

Although Ceres was smiling brightly, Yona had no choice but to close her mouth as her words weren’t wrong.

Looking down, there was Rubina, lying with her head on Yona’s thigh, eyes closed and breathing evenly as if asleep.

“If you keep saying such scary things, who knows when she’ll get better?”

“……”

Following Yona’s touch, Rubina’s hair flowed softly.

That soft hair that had undoubtedly been well cared for.

But the care it had received until now had become a distant thing.

“It’ll be alright. Don’t worry about it.”

“…Okay.”

At that gentle voice, Yona raised her head to look at Alec.

Alec, who might not have been here now.

But because it was Alec, Yona wanted to take in as much of him as possible with her eyes.

Although Alec’s appearance with abundant black hair was somewhat unfamiliar,

The look in his eyes as he gazed at Yona, his expression, and even his way of speaking were all Alec.

Everything was— Alec.

“She’ll get better soon.”

“I hope so.”

In contrast, Rubina had lost a lot.

She had to go through hardship again, and was it because Yona had become an even more frightening existence?

Rubina had closed her mouth.

More precisely, she was unable to speak.

Yona roughly knew about these cases.

She thought it might be that kind of aphasia that occurs when one receives a shock that’s truly difficult to accept—

Yona thought so, but she wasn’t a doctor, so she wasn’t certain.

She just hoped that as time passed and Rubina came to accept Yona, she would get better.

Besides, if she had been left in church territory, wouldn’t something worse have happened?

With that thought, she didn’t regret bringing her along, but still, she couldn’t help feeling heartache.

“So, is there an absolute reason we have to go to Semek… no, Albre?”

Alec’s voice asking Ceres could be heard.

Yona was also quietly listening to that conversation while combing Rubina’s hair.

Their current destination was Albre.

Originally, they were heading to Semek, but it was a clear fact that Semek would now be swarming with cathedral knights.

The plan was to head to Albre, which is a bit further up from Semek, and then sneak into Semek from there.

There might still be traces of vampires left in or around Semek.

Although traces of vampires weren’t detectable by holy power or magic, perhaps Yona, who had become the saint of the demon realm, might be able to find those traces.

“We have to go. Vampires have powerful life force. They’re humans over a thousand years old, so if you absorb a vampire, it will be of great help. Of course, they’ll be formidable opponents.”

Yona’s gaze turned to Ceres.

Her orange eyes were deeply sunken.

At some point, her originally golden eyes had turned orange,

Even now that she could properly handle demonic energy, the color of her eyes didn’t return to normal.

“To be honest, I don’t have much hope. Semek and its surroundings have probably been thoroughly combed by the cathedral knights, so any traces that were there might have disappeared. If they’ve even done purification work, well, there’s nothing to say.”

Ceres was rambling on as she pleased.

Yona was quietly glaring at Ceres without giving any response.

The day after Alec woke up.

Ceres, who had brought the carriage, suggested that she accompany Yona’s group.

“—Are you crazy?”

Yona’s eyes began to burn again.

It was absurd that even though killing Ceres right here wouldn’t be enough to satisfy her anger, Ceres was smiling brightly and suggesting that she accompany them.

“Isn’t it true that you, Saint, want to bring down this Celestine Church?”

Demonic energy rose vigorously from the pitch-black nun’s habit.

The nun’s habit Ceres had given her had long since turned black, and the pure white and golden colors symbolizing the Celestial God were now colors that couldn’t be found on Yona.

“If that’s true, there’s no one who can help as much as I can.”

“You want me to believe your words?”

“You should believe me.”

“On what grounds?”

Ceres’ soft voice contrasted with Yona’s cold tone.

However, the confidence hidden in that voice was clearly that she believed without doubt that Yona couldn’t harm her now.

“Without me, you wouldn’t have been able to rescue Alec like this. It’s because I cooperated that you rescued him safely.”

“…You, you’ve got some nerve.”

This must be what they mean when they say you’re so dumbfounded you can’t speak.

“Oh my. Besides, you’ll need my cooperation to easily achieve your goal, Yona— no, Saint. My wealth, social status. How do you plan to achieve your goal without these things? By warming yourself by a bonfire in the mountains? By hunting and roasting wild animals? Without salt? Wow, and with Rubina too?”

At those words, Rubina, who was holding Yona’s hand, flinched.

Because of that, Yona also felt the heat that had risen to the top of her head suddenly dissipate.

Thinking calmly, Ceres’ words weren’t wrong.

Although her desire for revenge against Ceres was overwhelming, Ceres wasn’t the only target of her revenge.

If she wants to bring down the Celestine Church, it’s impossible without collaborators.

No matter how much Yona has become the saint of the demon realm, even so, she can’t face the Celestine Church alone.

“After that’s done, you can take my life if you want. I’ll offer it, so take it by all means. In exchange, I’ll help you bring down the Celestine Church.”

Ceres’ eyes flashed strangely.

“I’d like to ask you instead. Please let me help you. The collapse of the Celestine Church is a long-held wish of mine too.”

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

“…Nothing, I wasn’t thinking about anything in particular.”

It was evening.

Until now, they had been eating meals in the carriage, but since they were currently crossing a quiet mountain path, there was no need for that, so they were eating outside for the first time in a while.

Kaiyak had taken Rubina to feed her.

Two softly burning bonfires were set up, and Yona and Alec sat side by side at one of them.

“…Thank you for lifting the ban.”

“……”

Yona already knew that Alec was a holy knight.

She could also feel that his holy power was formidable.

Even at this moment, sitting side by side, there was a slight tingling sensation around Yona’s left arm adjacent to Alec.

Nevertheless, she had no intention of moving away.

Yona would become anxious as soon as Alec was out of her sight, even for a moment.

“Maybe it’s because it’s been so long since I felt this sensation, I can’t get used to it.”

Alec smiled awkwardly as he brushed back the black hair covering his eyes.

Yona was stealing glances at Alec from the corner of her eye with her head slightly bowed.

“…Are you, not disappointed?”

“What disappointment?”

“Because I… became an apo-apostate. Because I became… the saint of the demon realm.”

“Huh… why do you think that?”

Yona was at a loss for words at Alec’s question in return.

Because she became the saint of the demon realm.

Someone who now stands on the opposite side of Alec, a cathedral knight—

No, a demon?

It’s a situation that makes her smile bitterly, but that’s how it had become.

So it wouldn’t be strange if Alec was disappointed.

Alec being disappointed in her.

Alec hating her.

—Just the thought of it made her chest feel constricted.

It felt hard to breathe, and her vision seemed to blur.

The world felt like it was spinning round and round.

“I’m not disappointed. What right do I have to talk about disappointment?”

In that moment, the spinning world stopped.

The world standing straight was telling Yona that this was reality.

Alec was smiling.

Constantly brushing back the hair falling in front of his eyes, Alec was smiling.

“You went that far to save me, why would I be disappointed? I’m not one of those monsters. I’m human.”

“I-I see…”

“Yona, you were true to being a clergy. You sacrificed yourself for me. Whether it’s the demon realm or whatever, sacrificing oneself for others is what’s sacred.”

She tightly closed her lips.

To speak now, her heart was too full.

“You were true to being a clergy. So I’m not disappointed. You’re Yona. That hasn’t changed. Mm, it’s more than okay.”

Yona’s tightly closed lips trembled.

Feeling like she might cry at any moment, Yona covered her face with her cold hands.