Chapter 211: Alexander (5)

Time passes so quickly, it can’t be held back. Faster than the mindset ready to accept the changes to come, the world had pushed the Harvest Festival right to Ithaca’s doorstep. Despite having a fairly long preparation period, people were engrossed in event preparations with tense and anxious faces.

The Harvest Festival was originally for the local priest to bless the crops from each region of the East this year, and it was an event to pray for a bountiful harvest next year. However, as the East grew in scale before anyone knew it, this event became one presided over directly by a Saint or Saintess, and the people of this region believed that by the Saint personally sprinkling holy water, evil things would subside and a bountiful harvest would come.

If a poor harvest came, they considered their faith insufficient, and if a bountiful harvest came, they believed God had answered their prayers. Thus, weaving such comforting thoughts like knitting, the specific traditions of today were formed. And now, the people of the East, including Lumia, intended to shed blood on this tradition.

“The shock will be great. Such a thing has never happened before.”

A man on the balcony said, holding a cigar. He was a man of stout build and a luxurious disposition, fond of jeweled rings. Yet, on the other hand, he was also a man who strove to help poor children by establishing an orphanage and to restore this corrupt city to its former state. His greedy-looking lips and sharp eyes sometimes made Lumia flinch.

Lumia glanced at the man and said,

“Are you afraid?”

The man nodded. The man, who always wore a stoic expression and rarely showed emotion, said this:

“Yes. I am afraid. Isn’t our opponent that Saint? Tales of valor I never paid attention to before now catch my eye as we approach such a major operation. Stories like him blowing away five demons in the Demon Realm in one go, or carrying the Hero Wolf while fighting off a demon army and escaping to a safe zone, are very famous.”

“But it’s something we have to do.”

“I know. That’s why I’m even more afraid.”

Lumia nodded. It was true that she was also afraid. With each passing day, the weight of this assassination operation continued to press down on her chest. The man looked at Lumia and said,

“Lumia Shin-gwan.”

“Yes. What is it?”

“Will we… not change? In a world without a Hero, do you think we can walk a different path than Saint Alexander?”

Lumia looked down at the floor. Could Evan, whom she believed in and followed, truly avoid falling into corruption like Alexander and Wolf? Aren’t demons beings closest to pleasure and indulgence? Who could guarantee that the same thing wouldn’t happen as with Wolf the moment they seized power?

“We won’t change.”

But Lumia said so with a smile. There was no logical reason. She simply believed in Evan. Because Evan had shown her the light and, as promised, brought her to the very brink of her revenge. After trusting him, she gained the strength to take revenge on those who had pushed her away. Since Evan had trusted her and come this far, it was only natural for her to believe Evan would succeed and wait. Seeing her eyes filled with the aura of faith, the man couldn’t help but smile.

“To speak of such things to a religious person, I’ve made a mistake. Yes. Lumia Shin-gwan-nim is right. We won’t change. We must strive not to change.”

The man said so and walked away. Lumia took a breath, looking again at the bustling preparations for the event. No matter how strong her faith, just imagining killing Alexander was daunting.

Alexander arrived the day before the Harvest Festival. When his heavy body, which made one wonder if the carriage wouldn’t collapse, emerged as if melting fat, people involuntarily gasped and had to avert their eyes. Lumia too couldn’t help but frown, seeing Alexander’s grotesque body growing larger day by day. As soon as he got down, he grabbed his mace like a seasickness remedy, then took out a scripture from his tightly cinched belt.

The scripture, as large and thick as a person’s head, felt just like a storybook in his hands. His retinue consisted of the bare minimum, as promised. Pretty maids to wash his body and prostitutes to ensure his happy slumber tonight. And cooks to attend his meals and two knights.

The two holy knights were knights in name only; they were actually trainees. Lumia was puzzled by their clumsy movements until she saw the trainee marks on their clothes, only then feeling relieved. Alexander, carelessly, seemed to have inserted his acquaintances even for such an important event. They were grinning like tourists visiting Ithaca or playing pranks amongst themselves. The captain of Ithaca’s Holy Knights, standing next to Lumia, glared at the trainees with a very displeased expression, and the situation was resolved when one of the two trainees who were playing pranks, the quicker-witted one, stopped.

Alexander wiped his sweat with a handkerchief and said,

“Well… It’s nice to meet you. Lumia Shin-gwan, you’ve worked hard preparing for the Harvest Festival this time.”

He extended his hand, and Lumia bowed her head slightly and clasped his hand.

“Yes. It’s nice to meet you. You must have had a hard time traveling such a long way.”

As she said that, Lumia inwardly recalled the atrocities this filthy priest had committed in the church. In fact, around the time he gained real power, Lumia hadn’t had absolutely no chance to rise to the upper echelons of the church. This was because, during her time as a priestess, Alexander’s faction had offered her sexual favors as well. At that time, she flatly refused, stating she couldn’t do such a thing as a clergywoman, and after that, her clerical career slowly declined like a wilting flower. Alexander seemed to have forgotten that he had made such an offer to her, so Lumia acted as if the incident meant nothing.

The two began exchanging pleasantries they didn’t mean, without making eye contact. Alexander disliked the sight of a demoted priest threatening him right under his nose, while Lumia was trying hard not to reveal any suspicion towards the man before her.

“Lumia Shin-gwan, you are truly on the fast track now. If things continue like this, you might soon ascend to the position of Saintess.”

“With Alexander Seongja-nim still so robust, I worry that I, being insufficient, might make mistakes. Please don’t say such burdensome things. Aren’t there many female devotees far more accomplished than I?”

“Hohohoho! That’s true! There are many female devotees in the capital who are as competent and beautiful as you, Lumia Shin-gwan-nim. Still, it would be wonderful if you, Shin-gwan, could work with me.”

“We live as religious people, believing in the same God in the same church, don’t we? We are already in the same boat just by praying.”

Alexander patted his stomach, laughing.

“Hohoho! Right. We’re in the ‘same boat’! Hohohohoho!”

“……”

The moment Lumia heard that joke, she failed to maintain her composure. She briefly showed a look of disgust before blinking hard and regaining her composure. Alexander, seeing her not laugh and avoid his gaze, coughed awkwardly for a moment.

“Ahem, ahem…!”

Lumia erased Alexander’s joke from her memory and got down to business.

“Have you reviewed the parade route? Since there were no specific instructions from the capital, we designated it arbitrarily, but are there any changes or requests?”

“Ah, changes… Yes. There are.”

At those words, the atmosphere froze. Lumia had to desperately hide her surprise. They said the capital had entrusted everything to Ithaca, so why change the parade route so suddenly at this timing? Lumia said,

“Could… could you tell me what the changes are right now?”

The knights, the nobles, everyone swallowed hard, watching Alexander and Lumia. Alexander stroked his wrinkled chin and said,

“As I came here, I saw that the parade route is too long. Look at the weather. Isn’t it too hot? In this weather, if we go such a long distance, people will surely collapse. Thinking of the citizens of Ithaca standing out in the blazing sun to see me in this weather makes my heart ache.”

It was a story about him not wanting to march a long distance because he was hot. There was also a hidden intention to shorten the parade distance, considering Ithaca’s public opinion, which was likely to be the worst. There wouldn’t be much of a problem if the parade event was shortened. The location designated as the assassination zone was very close to the starting point. People here and there let out sighs of relief.

“So, I’d like to skip the slums and finish the parade in the bustling downtown area.”

Lumia barely suppressed a twitch of her lips, wearing a slightly perplexed expression. When Alexander saw her make that face, he smiled even more pervertedly and said,

“Ah, yes. Understood. Then we will adjust the route accordingly. Are there any further changes needed?”

Alexander said, humming,

“None. Then, please carry on with your work. I need to rest well from now on to prepare for tomorrow. Come here. Baby.”

As Alexander reached out, a pretty girl with bobbed hair approached him flirtatiously. Alexander burst into laughter while firmly gripping the woman’s buttocks.

“Hehehe! Hohohoho! Cook! Hurry and prepare the food! Ah, Lumia Shin-gwan-nim. Since I have an event tomorrow. I’ll be using some of the ingredients here today. Hohohoho!”

“……Yes. Understood.”

Lumia said so and sent Alexander away. After shaking her head and seeing Alexander off, small curses could be heard from various places.

“Fucking bastard.”

“May you choke on the meat you eat and die, kyak.”