Chapter 17: Cowards (7)

[17] 2. Cowards (7)

“A false accusation.”

Bishop Atreus said, smiling faintly. A clean smile, without a hint of agitation.

“Certainly, the symbol engraved on that necklace is the one that the Heavenly God granted me. There’s no doubt about that.”

Atreus tapped the back of his hand.

“But any blacksmith in the city could engrave that symbol onto a metal plate.”

“Doing so would be considered blasphemy against God, and they’d have their heads chopped off.”

“The existence of cultists itself is blasphemy against God, do you really think they’d be afraid of that?”

And then, Atreus clasped his hands together and continued,

“I understand that you are in a time of doubt, Clara. And I know that, considering the circumstances, it would be hard to avoid suspicion.”

His tone was gentle, but there was an undeniable firmness to it.

“But I swear on the name of the Heavenly God that I have not colluded with those heretics. That necklace is nothing but a fake, created by those who envy my position and seek to bring me down.”

Please make a wise decision, Atreus added. Then he looked at Clara.

“…”

Clara said nothing, looking down at her hands. It was as if she had already made up her mind, and yet she also seemed troubled.

So Bishop Atreus glanced at the door.

It was bolted shut.

“You’re right, Bishop Atreus.”

Bishop Atreus turned his gaze back to Clara, whose face was adorned with a smile.

“Certainly, the circumstances in which I found this necklace were rather contrived. It was as if someone was trying to lure me into a pre-set trap.”

Bishop Atreus didn’t immediately rejoice. Instead, he said in a serious tone,

“You shouldn’t be drawn in, Clara. As the daughter of God, you must always make a fair…”

“But it doesn’t matter. I’m willing to be used if our goals align.”

Bishop Atreus’ eyebrows shot up. Clara clasped her hands together.

“Bishop Atreus, it’s true that all I have is suspicion.”

“What in the world…”

“But suspicion is enough.”

Clara placed her hand over her heart.

“Because my words are both proof and truth.”

The only human chosen by God.

What she calls black becomes black, and what she calls white becomes white.

Atreus still didn’t react. He simply frowned and asked,

“Do you even realize what you’re saying?”

“Of course I do, Bishop Atreus. I’m going to bring you to trial. As a saint.”

Only then did Atreus’ composure crack. He stood up abruptly, his face twisted in fury.

“You’re not a saint yet, Clara.”

“Didn’t you say that it’s only a matter of time?”

“Are you planning to ignore the sacred laws established by the Pope?”

“Sometimes, exceptions need to be made.”

And then, Clara’s lips curled into…

…An obvious sneer.

“If you’re innocent, the judges will be lenient with their righteous judgment. But why are you so upset?”

“…!”

Atreus’ saggy cheeks trembled. But only for a moment.

Soon, he sighed and nodded.

“Seize her.”

*BAM-*

Holy Knights came pouring out from behind the door, swords drawn.

Nine in total.

It was a number that was rarely mobilized, even to capture dangerous beasts.

With his back to them, Atreus glared at Clara, his disdain undisguised.

“You’ve lost your mind, spending your days gallivanting across the continent, waited on by adventurers, as if you’re invincible? Perhaps it’s because of your low birth that you’re so arrogant…”

*Splat-*

Blood and unidentifiable chunks of flesh splattered onto Atreus’ face.

His trembling eyes turned to the source of the sound.

Iron lumps, soaked in blood, lay where the Holy Knights had been standing.

Nine in total,

But their innards were mixed together, indistinguishable.

“Trying to harm the would-be saint.”

Atreus’ head turned like a rusty machine towards Clara, who was still sitting on the sofa.

“If a trial is held, your head will be hung from the highest pole.”

At that moment, Atreus’ quick wit, which had gotten him this far, shone through.

“I-I beg your forgiveness…!!”

He immediately prostrated himself on the floor, his forehead hitting the ground repeatedly.

“T-They took my family hostage… I-I had no choice…!”

Needless to say, it was a lie.

The cultists had simply promised him gold.

But in order to escape this predicament,

Atreus was willing to lie a thousand times, even if it meant enduring the humiliation of kneeling before a girl much younger than him.

As long as he survives, an opportunity would present itself.

He slammed his head against the floor, hard enough to draw blood.

“I’ll do anything to atone for this sin…!!”

“Anything?”

It was the first reaction Clara had shown.

Atreus’ senses were on high alert.

He said quickly,

“O-Of course…! I’ll even lick the feet of lepers if you want! I’ll even become a meatshield on the front lines! So please…” (TL Note: Lepers is someone who has leprosy. Look it up if you want, but it’s basically a skin disease?)

“There’s no need for that.”

A gentle hand lifted Atreus’ head, forcing him to look at her.

And in that instant, Atreus forgot all his survival instincts and was captivated.

A smile, like an angel and a temptress, the two extremes forced together, appeared on Clara’s face.

“You are a valuable person. You shouldn’t be wasted on such trivial tasks.”

Atreus, for some reason, felt his hands tremble. Clara’s eyes gleamed as she saw his reaction.

They were the same color as the light that filled this room.

“Atreus, you will not become a heretic, but a hero of the church.”

***

Hiding behind the building, I peered out cautiously.

The cathedral, built to satisfy the bishops’ vanity.

Holy Knight were stationed in front of it, like rows of tin cans.

Perhaps they’d received orders from the Bishop, but they were uncharacteristically alert. It would be difficult to sneak in even with an invisibility cloak.

And if I were to be caught, this time, I’d definitely become a cold piece of meat.

No, even if I wasn’t caught, I wouldn’t be able to avoid getting into trouble.

But Clara was in there.

“Sigh…”

I took a deep breath and gripped the hilt of my sword. I’m going to run out there on the count of three.

One,

Two,

Thre…

“Rem, what are you doing here?”

“AAAHH!”

I jumped up, startled. I hurriedly turned around, only to freeze in place.

“C-Clara…?”

“Yes?”

Clara tilted her head and asked,

“What’s wrong, Rem?”

Only then did I come to my senses.

“We need to get out of this city, right now.”

I approached her, my face grim.

“Remember the necklace we found in the underground passage? The symbol on it…”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that.”

“…What?”

Clara smiled brightly.

“I’ve already confirmed it. Bishop Atreus isn’t a heretic. And to prove his innocence, he’ll be heading to the Vatican tomorrow.”

My jaw dropped. I placed a hand on my temple and said,

“I’m sorry, I can’t follow. What are you talking about…?”

“I’m saying you don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

“Even if you say that, I can’t…”

“More importantly, Rem…”

Clara suddenly wrapped her arms around mine. The soft, full sensation against my arm took my breath away.

It was as if my racing heart was jumbling up my thoughts.

Only Clara’s voice was clear in my ears.

“Do you want to go have a drink?”

***

Pathetic.

That’s the word that describes my life, both past and present.

It was only natural.

Surviving in a fantasy world with disabilities?

Without family or any kind of support?

It was beyond just ‘a struggle’.

If it hadn’t been for Amy, Clara, or Parsley, I would have died on the streets a long time ago. Of course, they’ve also caused me a lot of trouble, but… still.

Because of that kind of life, I didn’t know nobility, and I wasn’t familiar with it.

…That was why I was sitting here, stiff as a board.

Unable to turn my head, I looked around, shifting only my eyes.

Expensive-looking furniture,

Waitresses dressed a thousand times better than me,

And bottles of alcohol that looked similar to the one Clevens had bought after embezzling our mission funds.

“Here’s your order.”

My discomfort peaked when the food arrived.

The snacks I knew were supposed to be chewy, whether it was meat or vegetables.

But what the waitress had brought me was a plate of strange, black spheres. And there were so few of them, they didn’t even look like they’d be enough for a light snack.

But I couldn’t openly show my displeasure.

“They say these are the eggs of a very rare fish. Try it, Rem.”

A woman with silver hair and red eyes.

My former master was sitting across from me, a bright smile on her face.

“…Thank you for the meal.”

I picked up a spoon and put one of the eggs in my mouth.

“How is it?”

…To be honest, I couldn’t taste anything.

After all, my tongue, along with my vocal cords, was fried when I was 18.

I tasted food more by smelling it than actually tasting it.

And the scent of this egg…

“…It tastes like the sea.”

It was extremely salty.

Clara’s eyes widened, and then she covered her mouth and giggled.

“It seems like it doesn’t suit your taste. I’m sorry. I was just so eager to feed you the most expensive dish.”

This is the most expensive dish?

This tiny thing?

As I stared at her in disbelief, speechless, Clara called over the waitress and ordered new dishes. Most of them were meat.

As I was watching her, I suddenly realized something. I looked around and asked,

“Are we the only customers? Why are all the other tables…”

“Ah, I rented out the entire place.”

Clara smiled brightly. I could feel my jaw drop.

“…The entire place?”

“It wasn’t that expensive.”

I knew how absurd that was. The rent for our mercenary guild building alone wasn’t cheap.

“And I wanted to have a drink with you, just the two of us. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time.”

My thoughts came to a halt at her words.

Old memories flashed before my eyes.

The girl was lying in bed, and I was keeping watch by her side.

[Rem, even when you’re old enough to drink, I want you to hold back.]

[What are you talking about…? ]

[No, I’m serious! We have to drink together first!]

[…Why?]

[Why? Because you’re my servant. A servant always shares their firsts with their master.]

“Rem.”

I looked at the girl who had now become a woman.

Clara smiled sadly.

“I have to go back to the Vatican tomorrow.”

It was as if her words had weight, and they hit me with full force.

“But the request…”

“My duty to the Church comes before any request. And it’s something that I have to do now.”

Clara lowered her gaze.

“And if I go back to the Vatican this time, I might not be able to come back for a while.”

I clenched my fists unconsciously.

That couldn’t happen.

There was a misunderstanding between me and Clara that needed to be resolved. I didn’t know why she had changed so much.

At least not until I did something about it…

“So, I want to repeat the offer I made earlier.”

Clara’s voice cut through my thoughts. Her sad, glowing red eyes came into view.

Although I had never said it out loud,

they were the eyes I loved as much as she loved mine.

“Rem, would you like to go to the church, to the Vatican, with me?”