episode_0038

“He also said he was obsessed with me!”

“I see… .”

Ian somehow shook off his creepy mood and grabbed Helena’s wrist.

I decided that I shouldn’t keep it in crowded places.

“You can stay still, so please be quiet.”

“Yep… !”

Everyone just stared blankly at Ian leaving.

Among the managers here, there was no one who could stop Ian.

When Ian reached a place where there were no crowds, he let go.

“I feel better now… . Huh?”

Rachel, who was being held by Helena, also came along.

Rachel looked back and forth between Ian and Helena with a puzzled expression.

“Rachel? Right?”

“Yes… .”

Helena also looked at Rachel with a complicated expression.

Now the eyes have returned to focus.

They both looked like they had a lot to say to each other.

Ian doesn’t know the relationship or the inside story of these two.

However, the person Helena tried so actively to save was Rachel.

‘I don’t know what it is, but it looks like you two need some time alone.’

You can wait about a day.

That’s about it to instill a deeper faith in Helena.

‘Two people… .’

“Helena.”

“Yes?”

“It will be difficult to leave today. There will be things that need to be sorted out. So, I will come pick you up tomorrow morning.”

“… ah. Yes!”

Helena immediately realized Ian’s intention.

“Thank you!”

“Thank you… .”

The two girls bowed together and carefully walked away.

***

Separated from the other people, I came down to the basement of the monastery alone.

The cells are full.

It was originally a place to reflect on one’s sins and repent, but now it has become a temporary torture chamber for Rajri.

Lazuri’s leader and Miriam were waiting for me first.

“Apostle.”

“Miriam. Sorry for not telling you in advance.”

“No. The Apostle must have been looking at a bigger future. Actually… .”

Miriam looked at Salome, then sighed and shook her head.

“As someone who has to manage this place thoroughly, I feel truly sorry.”

Who on earth is this Salome girl that was so fussy?

I wanted to know what your relationship was with Helena.

Salome, tied to the chair, was unconscious.

The floor was full of something hard with a red half-moon shape.

It’s a fingernail.

But Salome’s hands are clean.

When superior healing miracles and torture are combined, this is the result.

“Leader. Did you find out anything?”

“Salome is the daughter of the vicar.”

“Vicar?”

“Bishop of the Southeastern Region, Bertolt Schultz. Baptismal name Salome, real name Erica Schultz, is his daughter.”

Schultz… .

“Miriam, did you know?”

“Yes… . However, when dealing with nuns, we tried to avoid discrimination against background as much as possible… .”

“Lydia was different.”

The leader opened the door opposite Salome’s cell.

There was a half-naked Lydia, tied up and standing.

A fishy smell came out of it.

It seems like she suffered something more terrible than Salome.

“Lydia was afraid of the bishop and accommodated his daughter, Salome.”

“… … .”

Miriam bowed her head silently.

“And… .”

The leader paused for a moment and looked at Miriam.

She left the basement after a silent prayer.

“Lydia mentioned the Holy Unification Nation.”

“… I see.”

Seonghwang had an ambition to destroy the empire, turn Seonghwagyo into a nation, and rule the continent.

That is the plan for a new unified nation.

This is one of the threatening cards I used to get Seonghwagyo’s cooperation.

I wanted to maintain the empire in this episode, and I went to the Emperor and told him to quit before reporting the plan to the Emperor.

Fortunately, Seonghwang quickly agreed.

And one of the central axes of the divinely unified nation plan is Shultz.

“As you know, the leader, I handled that matter in advance.”

The leader knows that I am Philip and that I threatened Seonghwang about the Holy Unified State.

Lazri was also part of the plan, but Lazri personnel did not know the inside story and only followed along.

To this day, the only person in Lazuli who knows the inside story of the plan and success is the leader.

Therefore, the leader is on my side unconditionally.

“Yes. The Apostle prevented it in advance.”

“You don’t know whether it is related to the success?”

“So far it is.”

“What is Lydia’s purpose?”

“It was to accommodate Salome and interfere in the public exam as desired.”

“I guess he did it to ruin this project that Seonghwang had prepared. To reduce the influence of Seonghwang?”

“There is a high probability of that happening.”

So, are there still remnants who are trying to promote the plan for a new unified nation without the King’s knowledge? .

Why did things get so big?

“But the appearance of the Apostle forced Lydia to change her mind.”

“Because of me?”

“Yes. It is said that he decided that he could not be hated by the apostle, so he forced Helena, whom the apostle had his eye on, to be ranked first. The second person I looked at, Rachel, ranked second.”

“… her. You did all sorts of things because you were alone. But there won’t be any great privileges for ranking first in a public exam.”

“That’s right. I just committed this out of fear that my sins would be revealed.”

“Looking at the sending of such a shabby guy, it looks like Bertholdt’s foundation isn’t all that strong either.”

“There is a high probability of that happening.”

A moment of silence.

“Will the leader report to Seonghwang?”

“Yes.”

“I understand. For the emperor… I won’t tell you right now. If anything more comes to light in the future, please let me know first.”

“Yes. I will do that.”

If the emperor finds out about this, he may immediately try to suppress Seonghwaism.

It is inevitable that a civil war will break out at this point.

Above all, the role of Seonghwagyo after the war is also important.

… I hope it passes without incident.

***

“Helen… .”

It’s hard to tell when it’s been since we’ve had a proper conversation.

Rachel called Helena by her old nickname.

However, his attitude could not be said to be friendly.

“Ra, Rachel… .”

Rachel immediately got down on her knees when they were alone.

“I’m sorry, I, I really… . Ugh, sad… .”

Although she was taken aback by the sudden crying, Helena seemed to know Rachel’s feelings.

Rachel is neither harsh nor evil.

Just an ordinary girl.

Seeing Helena suffer, she too was hurt.

He had horribly despised himself for having no choice but to ignore Helena.

On the outside, he seems overly calm, but that’s because he’s detached from the world, not because he’s a cold-hearted person.

“Helen… . I shouldn’t have done that to you… . It didn’t work… . I’m really, really sorry… .”

Although Helena pushed Rachel away first.

Even Rachel felt a little hurt when she eventually moved away from Helena.

‘I’m really selfish too.’

Helena hugged Rachel and comforted her without saying a word.

Although I never hated Rachel in the first place.

For some reason, my heart felt light today.

“It’s okay, Rachel. Everything is okay.”

Rachel’s reaction was too sudden, but Helena was vaguely aware of it.

That it will take time like this.

“Helen… .”

“I know it’s not because you want to. So, I’m fine.”

Even after going through all the hardships, Helena smiled softly at Rachel.

A character that is infinitely good.

Looking at Helena like that, Rachel felt as if she had witnessed the incarnation of the Virgin Mary.

As Helena hugged the silently crying Rachel, she thought of Ian.

He held my hand.

That alone makes my mind peaceful.

‘Like Aria. ‘I also met someone who guided me.’

Helena recalled a passage from the Bible.

[The source of the guiding light is within, so do not rely on the outside, but rely on and follow yourself as the truth… .]

Helena has been living a life influenced by the outside world.

The time when I held Ian’s hand as if he were possessed was not much different.

But now that I have gained new enlightenment.

The light that bloomed in her heart pointed to Ian.

While training at the monastery, my faith was diminished, and my heart wavered helplessly without anyone to lean on.

I finally found a place to lean on.

‘But why is Ian here? What about the first party… ?’

That question came to mind later, but I couldn’t find the answer.

*

Vivian fell asleep with trivial thoughts in her mind.

What does it mean to be obsessed with Helena?

You didn’t say that to me.

I wonder how much I can pet Kati next time.

Ah, unlike usual, sleeping Marie looks like a baby angel.

So what does Ian’s sleeping face look like? .

With the crackling sound of the bonfire, everyone except Kati and Ian fell asleep.

“Kathi.”

“… … .”

“You said earlier that it was a misunderstanding. It’s not like that.”

“Growl… .”

“I did it to persuade Helena.”

“Haaagh-!”

“You know it all. If you want to bring him here, you need to say something like that… Wait, why am I explaining this… . evil! Did you really bite it?”

Kati quickly licked the bitten spot with her tongue.

It stung, but there was no bleeding.

In the first place, Carty doesn’t bite Ian that hard.

“Were you satisfied with just one bite?”

“Nyaung-.”

I passed it on and patted it, and it soon became loose again.

“Ugh.”

Even after soothing Katy and putting her to sleep, Ian didn’t fall asleep until late.

I had to go back to Spevia and figure out how to lead Vivian and Helena.

‘Vivian is refining basic projectile magic and teaching you how to assist your colleagues… . Let’s buy some books. Helena started with diet and built up her basic physical strength step by step. More than that, I’m worried about revealing Katy’s identity to Helena… .’

Now there is not one, but two.

Since you have to raise the cooperation between the two, there will be more to worry about.

‘… ‘There are two of them.’

I didn’t mean Vivian and Helena just now.

From afar, a powerful presence is felt.

Actually, I’ve been feeling it since daytime.

I even sensed it when Helena and Rachel were together.

A presence so clear and powerful that I don’t want to know, but I have no choice but to know.

Just feeling that makes the back of my neck feel chilly.

A presence that only four people in this world can exude, and that weighs down the surrounding air just by being there.

The two owners of that presence soon sat in front of Ian.

Just being close to the hostility between those two makes my fingertips numb and my shoulders feel heavy.

But there is no killing intent.

It is restrained aggression.

The two figures sitting in front took off their hoods.

A wizard with dark blue hair and blue eyes.

A nun with platinum hair and gray eyes.

“Ian.”

It’s been a while, a voice that was familiar, but now unfamiliar.

“It’s been a while.”

Sylvia and Aria.

The wizard and priest from the first party came to visit Ian.

“… … .”

I don’t know why or for what purpose they came.

I don’t even know how I found it.

But Ian did not avoid it.

If they find you, it’s impossible to escape in the first place.

So, I waited calmly and thought about how to respond.

I couldn’t ignore his nerves, but I also couldn’t let him run wild.

“You seem to be doing well.”

Sylvia muttered in a lonely tone.

She felt so sorry for herself.

I hated you so much before.

When I saw Ian now, the longing that I had been ignoring soared up.

However, hostility still remained.

I hated Ian so much for getting along without me.

“… Ian?”

Sylvia and Aria were taken aback by Ian’s reaction.

He looked down at what he was writing and didn’t react right away.

“… … .”

He was the one who put away everything he was doing whenever they came by.

Even when I asked him if he was busy, he said he wasn’t.

So, I just thought it was true.

But the current Ian didn’t do that.

The few seconds of awkward silence felt like hours.

When Ian finally raised his head, Sylvia and Aria were surprised again.

He, who always smiled softly, had an expressionless expression.

Sylvia knows that expression well.

‘I’m not angry. Really, expressionless without any emotion… .’

This is especially the facial expression shown when dealing with an object in a business-like manner.

‘I don’t have any feelings… .’

Sylvia knew that Ian would welcome her.

Deep down, he believed that Ian would be waiting for him too.

It was as if she was complaining that she had kicked him out.

I thought the fact that he left me was just a moment of complaining.

Ian blurted out indifferently.

“What’s going on?”

The two were shocked again.

It is an honorific that conveys a clear sense of distance.

It was not the tone in which Ian was comfortable with the first party.

“Aria.”

And, a name, not a nickname.

Aria was originally called ‘Ria’.

Aria swallowed her saliva.

A stone fell into Sylvia’s heart.

No way, you too… .

“Silvia.”

Sylvia’s heart fell along with the stone.

‘Silvia… ?’

His own name that came out of Ian’s mouth sounded like someone else’s name.

Even the way Ian looked at me felt like it was someone else.

‘My name is Sylvia…’ .’

A simple call became like a stake and was driven into my heart.

“… Ah?”

Tears flowed from Sylvia’s eyes.

Feeling out of touch with reality, she just let the tears flow.

A longing that I have ignored until now.

The loneliness that I denied was true.

The illusion and arrogance that had comforted me that everything would be okay even without Ian.

At this moment, it all poured out at once and got mixed up.

Even when Sylvia shed tears, Ian only gave her a glance.

It’s a cold look in his eyes that tells him to just look at the person in front of him.

A pure stare without any emotion.

The discomfort and discomfort I had felt ever since Ian left.

Those things that were vague and vague became clear the moment I saw Ian.

‘… ‘I missed you.’

Ian wasn’t like that.

‘I can’t do it without you… .’

That earnestness was funny.

I sent it away with my own hands and tried to hold on to the passing time.

Was that decision a calculated calculation?

Was it a complaint born out of childish emotions?

It doesn’t matter anymore.

The time to correct misunderstandings has already passed.

‘What did I do… .’

As is the meaning of regret.

I realize it too late.

To kick Ian out.

Breaking off a relationship.

What does it mean?

‘This Ian…’ ‘You have to see it.’

Sylvia couldn’t bear to look at Ian.

I just held my forehead and held back my tears.

More than any words or actions, I was most scared of the eyes that seemed to be looking at an inanimate object.

‘You said you loved me, but why are you looking at me like that? ?’

Sylvia’s consciousness kept going back to the past.

After the day I kicked out Ian, to the bottom of the alley where the two first met.

Sylvia couldn’t even get the words sorry out of her mouth.

“If I don’t have any business for you, would you please go?”

Until the end, Ian had no interest in Sylvia, who was on the verge of sobbing.

Looking at Ian like that, Aria swallowed her dry saliva.

Sylvia’s eyes are filled with Ian.

Although it is cold and scary, it is still a welcome face.

Another face overlaps that face.

The old Ian who smiled at himself.

And, on that day, Ian came to see him while he was begging.

*

“Are you hungry?”

Four years ago, Sylvia boldly asked back at Ian’s words.

“Who are you?”

Ian smiled awkwardly, trying to appear like a good person that didn’t match his appearance.

Sylvia, who was walking around on the street, couldn’t help but be suspicious of him.

Ian smiles awkwardly and Sylvia looks up with eyes full of distrust.

That was their first meeting.