The Collapse of Everything (4)

The cold of midwinter was especially harsh in the forest.

A night where the winter wind howled with a desolate sound, shaking the bare branches of the trees.

However, the inside of the carriage was kept warm with light-emitting stones, so no matter how fierce the winter wind was outside, it didn’t matter.

Alec looked down at Yona sleeping with a frown and chuckled.

The carriage’s seat, laid flat, was spacious enough for Yona and Rubina to sleep, but because Rubina was sleeping using Yona’s arm as a pillow, Yona’s expression was full of irritation, perhaps due to her arm falling asleep.

“Alright…”

Bringing a small pillow, he first gently lifted Rubina’s head and removed Yona’s arm.

Then he supported Rubina’s head with the pillow, and folded Yona’s arm comfortably, finally making Yona’s expression more peaceful.

‘She really dotes on Rubina, huh.’

It’s not incomprehensible, which makes it even more heartbreaking.

Yona says she wears the nun’s habit because it’s efficient for using holy power—

Yona, who always wore the nun’s habit even in villages, not just during combat.

The nun’s habit she’s still wearing now.

The nun’s habit that would rather hinder Yona, who now handles demonic energy instead of holy power from a human perspective.

The nun’s habit that she wears after mending it, even though it’s worn out, torn, and in tatters.

Alec wasn’t unaware of its meaning.

She had voluntarily given up the clergy she was so attached to, and now she’s even wanted, so how must she be feeling?

He thought it might be compensation psychology.

Rubina must be seen as almost the only being she can be attached to now.

So, it must be like that.

After pulling up the blanket to cover Yona and Rubina, Alec straightened his back.

—Now.

That’s that, and now it’s time to do what needs to be done.

“Regent.”

“Yes?”

Ceres looked up at Alec with clear eyes.

And Alec, looking down at Ceres like that, said quietly.

“Let’s talk for a moment. We have a lot to discuss, don’t we?”

Alec’s expression was hardened.

“It’s cold, can’t we talk inside?”

Shivering preemptively, Ceres joked, “Ooh, it’s cold—”

But Alec, walking a few steps ahead, didn’t even answer her words and kept walking, and Ceres looked at his back, clicked her tongue silently, and followed him.

The place where Alec stopped was quite far from the carriage.

A distance where sound wouldn’t reach the carriage unless they shouted.

Alec, who had moved to such a distance, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

“Regent.”

“Yes.”

As Ceres answered, Alec turned around.

His usually gentle eyes were nowhere to be seen, replaced by sharp, raised eyes emitting a fierce light.

“Oh my, how scary. Why such eyes…”

“Regent. No, Lady Ceres. What title should I use to address you?”

It was a somewhat sudden statement,

And it also cut off Ceres’s words midway.

But Ceres didn’t seem to care about that, and was rather smiling broadly.

“We’ll be going on a long journey together anyway, so feel free to call me comfortably. You can just say Ceres casually.”

“Regent.”

“…That feels so distant.”

Maybe I should have just said to call me Ceres.

Ceres grumbled in a small voice, but Alec didn’t care.

“Regent. Our Yona is naive about the ways of the world, but she’s a good kid. You know that, right?”

“…Well, if you say it like that, I’m not sure how to respond.”

“She’s a good kid. Don’t you know?”

At Alec’s repeated questioning, Ceres seemed quite embarrassed.

If she said yes, it might sound like an insult, and if she said no, that might also sound like an insult.

It was a truly ambiguous question to answer.

“…She’s good, yes.”

“Then why did you do it?”

“Pardon?”

It felt like the atmosphere had changed in an instant.

Although Alec’s expression remained the same, the aura emanating from him as soon as Ceres answered became sharp like a honed blade.

“My ban has been lifted now. Although I can’t yet convert to follow Yona, it also means I’ve returned to being worthy of the name Johannes Spielvan, the cathedral knight. You shouldn’t see me as that adventurer from before.”

“Oh, yes. And?”

Ceres could now slowly start to predict what Alec was trying to say.

Rather, such frankness was part of Alec’s charm, even more so.

‘Not bad.’

Thinking this, Ceres was looking at Alec while unable to erase the smile from her face.

“I’m not soft like Yona. Yona might have judged that she needs your help because she doesn’t know the world, but I don’t think so. I can take care of Yona.”

“Then why didn’t you do that?”

“Because Yona and Rubina would suffer too much, so I’m just letting it be… I got a bit sidetracked, but Regent. What’s the purpose of that plan of yours?”

“Purpose… I told you, didn’t I? For the day when the False Celestial God returns. For that day.”

Ceres had said she would resurrect the False Celestial God.

And for the resurrection of that False Celestial God, Yona was chosen as the saint to maintain that divine status.

“…Why was it Yona? Was there a reason for that? Why specifically Yona?”

Alec’s voice trembled slightly.

Why specifically Yona?

The question of whether it would have been fine if it were someone else came back to him like an arrow—

Honestly, it was.

If it had been someone else, it would have been fine.

At least, although it’s not something a former cathedral knight should say, if it had been someone else, Alec would have ended up just feeling sorry for them.

But because Yona was chosen, because that naive idiot girl who doesn’t know what to do with herself when praised was chosen, because of that—

“Because the most valuable clergy was the Saint— no, now… Ah, the titles are confusing. Anyway, it was Yona.”

“…What did you say?”

That answer was truly unexpected.

Ceres looked at Alec like that and grinned.

Then, with her hands behind her back, she approached Alec and slowly circled around him.

“Yona was the most valuable clergy in our eyes.”

“Our…?”

“Alebian and me.”

“What exactly is your identity?”

Questions arising one after another.

Alec was confused by the questions that kept coming out like sweet potato vines the more he dug.

“You don’t need to know that yet. Anyway, Yona was the most valuable in our eyes. In other words, yes. Is she a clergy who just wears the name and stands back pretending to be holy while being arrogant? Or is she a truly holy clergy who willingly gives even her life for everyone?”

Ceres, now standing directly in front of Alec, tilted her head slightly and looked into his face.

“You must have seen it. In Evian, that Pomet— oh right, the name of that goat-headed monster was Pomet. Yona bravely rushing at Pomet. I regret not seeing it myself.”

• • …No, I think there’s one way.

 

• • But I might die.

 

• • Still, I have to do it, what else can we do? Who else would do it?

He couldn’t not know.

If it hadn’t been for Yona, the adventurers there might have all died from that goat-headed monster.

There, Yona alone rushed at the monster from behind and attempted to purify it entirely— and succeeded.

“Yes, that’s why. As you’ve seen, the Celestine Church is corrupt. In a situation where it’s doubtful if there are any proper clergy left after all the corruption, a clergy like Yona who is brave, devout, and knows how to risk danger for others. Such a clergy was the one qualified to become the Saint of the False Celestial God.”

“…You’ve been watching since then?”

“Since then? We’ve been watching from the beginning. Oh, of course, it was Alebian who saw from the very beginning.”

Alec clenched his fist tightly.

He felt acutely that everything had been in the palm of Alebian and Ceres’s hands.

“…Why are you going this far? For such a thing, for such a thing to ruin Yona’s life…!”

“Such a thing… you say. Don’t you think Yona would be much better off being treated as a saint in the world of the true Celestial God that will come after completely destroying the Celestine Church, rather than being treated as a lowly healer who is despised and discriminated against? Don’t you think so?”

“That’s nonsense…!”

“Oh my. Calm down. Don’t raise your voice, don’t raise your voice.”

“Do I look like I can calm down right now? You people who have treated Yona’s life like a toy, how dare you use such sophistry—!”

“Shh.”

Ceres smiled brightly and put her finger to Alec’s lips.

As Alec shuddered at that ice-cold feeling, Ceres smiled again at the sight.

“Don’t use such strong words. You must have known well anyway, right? That if Yona continued like this, she would only be used by others. Besides, all the plans I’ve made, all of them, I will personally help with by staying close. Of course, even if I can’t always be with her, I guarantee maximum support. Isn’t that better?”

“……”

“You must know since you’ve experienced it directly. Can you say that the Celestine Church, the current Celestine Church, is normal?”

No.

He couldn’t say it.

His faith in the Celestial God was still strong, and his belief was in the Celestial God as Johannes Spielvan—

Even he was aware that the current Celestine Church was wrong.

That it shouldn’t continue like this,

That change was needed,

That it absolutely couldn’t stay like this.

“So, Alec. The Celestine Church needs to fall once. Doesn’t it need to die once before we can decide whether to revive it or not? Of course, I intend to prevent it from being revived, but still. If I come to acknowledge that there is hope for the Celestine Church until our goal is achieved, I might reconsider, but well. I don’t think that will happen, do you?”

“That’s.”

“Tell me. In this situation, assuming Yona, with my help, absorbs all the other demons and the False Celestial God is resurrected. Is there anything better for Yona than that? Refusing to participate in my plan and being caught by the Celestine Church with Berbaria inside her as she is now, or turning herself in. Which do you think would lead to a better result? Of course, if she turns herself in, it would only be death by burning.”

Alec didn’t say anything.

Perhaps he had nothing he could say.

But one thing was certain.

“…I will move in the way that benefits Yona more. Regardless of who it is, I don’t need anything other than Yona. And that includes you, Regent.”

“That means—”

“I won’t say I’ll help with your plan. I will help Yona. If Yona chooses to go with you, I will do so as well. Conversely, if Yona shows hostility towards you, I will become Yona’s hunting dog and tear out your throat. If you trouble Yona, I will become Yona’s dagger and pierce your heart. If you become Yona’s enemy, I will become Yona’s judgment and punish you. With this body, without fail.”

“…That won’t happen, so don’t worry. In the end, both you and Yona will thank me.”

“That remains to be seen.”

Leaving only those words, Alec turned to walk towards the carriage.

As he passed by Ceres, who was standing with her back to the carriage, Alec whispered softly.

“Remember. I am always on Yona’s side. Don’t make Yona cry.”

Leaving only those words, Alec returned to the carriage.

Left alone, Ceres shivered as she faced the winter wind.

“Ah— It’s cold.”

Ceres murmured quietly and softly.