episode_0093

“So, in conclusion—”

“Stop.”

Chris suddenly cut me off mid-explanation.

“Huh?”

“There’s no need to say any more. I already know exactly what you’re trying to say—better than you think I do.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

I still had so much left to say. About the help I needed from Elia, the people they could turn to for advice in my absence, those who could help them grow stronger, and even how to cut off potential threats before they could destabilize the alliance in the future.

If variables I could control ended up in their hands, I couldn’t guarantee the outcome.

And if those uncontrollable results spiraled in the worst direction—even if things didn’t reach the worst-case scenario—this world would meet the same fate as the first timeline.

Even I, who knew almost everything about the future, couldn’t begin to fathom how to face the Demon Lord directly when the time came.

I thought that the four of them, who had defeated even the Demon Lord’s high-ranking subordinates without much trouble, albeit with some difficulty, would be able to easily bring down the Demon Lord too—but what was the result?

We’re here right now because of that.

“We know you don’t trust us. And we get it—we haven’t given you much reason to.”

Chris took Cecilia’s hand.

“Lead the way, unnie. We don’t have time to just stand around talking.”

“Huh? Oh, right.”

Despite the gravity of the situation, the sight of Cecilia obediently shuffling after Chris was downright comical.

“We already know you don’t believe in us. And we’re not even going to argue about it because we fully understand why.”

“You do?”

“Of course. Even when we tried to do things on our own, we still ended up needing your help. And even then, we almost failed catastrophically. Unlike others, you don’t just see what we’re capable of—you see how far we can actually go.”

“Honestly, from Eric’s perspective, we must look incredibly lacking compared to the prophecy’s version of us.”

I didn’t bother uttering the sentiment Good, you understand out loud.

“But we’ve made our own resolve too. Since we’re still far from strong enough on our own, we’ll take your help. We’ll rely on others’ aid too. But even so, we won’t let you die. Even if we lose everything, we’ll make sure what you’re trying to achieve doesn’t fail. So—”

Chris pressed a finger lightly against my lips, as if saying No objections allowed.

“…!”

She probably thought it was a gentle gesture, but thanks to the sheer force behind it, I couldn’t even twitch my lips.

“Shh.”

“Chris…!”

Cecilia was looking at us with tears in her eyes, clearly moved. Meanwhile, I stared blankly at Chris, whose hand was still on my mouth. Her eyes were the same as always—willful, sometimes bizarrely rational yet other times emotional, the closest thing to sanity in the hero’s party.

And the person who had come closest to uncovering my secrets.

And now, she was declaring she would stake everything—to protect me, to uphold my will.

Faced with that resolve, I promptly gave her a sharp flick on the forehead.

With all my strength.

Thwack!

“Ow?!”

Even Chris hadn’t seen this coming. She immediately pulled her hand back from my lips to rub her forehead.

“We don’t have time—hurry up. The longer we drag our feet, the likelier we are to get caught.”

“Eh? I thought I just said something pretty impactful.”

“It was impactful. If you ignore the fact that none of you have actually accomplished anything yet.”

“Hmm?”

“Stop acting so full of yourself. You were literally seconds away from becoming a corpse without me. Save the grand declarations about protecting someone or fulfilling dreams for after we survive today.”

Not that I planned to entertain such embarrassing proclamations even then. My goal was to safely raise and graduate these four, Chris and Cecilia included—nothing more.

And to do that, I’d have to repeat this kind of situation countless times. I had absolutely no intention of indulging in pointless chatter like this.

“I mean, you didn’t have to hit me. I was just surprised!”

“Then you shouldn’t have shut me up.”

“Ugh…”

“This is the last time I’ll say any of this, so listen carefully and memorize it.”

The priests Cecilia could rely on, additional religious factions they could align with.

A new mentor for Chris to learn magic from, the chancellor who advised Elia, a companion to dispel Luciella’s boredom…

My mind was already filled with information on countless allies, weapons, and artifacts that could help them.

I couldn’t tell them everything, but what I could share, I would—it was my duty.

“…So that’s… got it?”

“Yes.”

“Got it.”

“Good. Now, as for what to tell Luciella and Elia when we regroup—”

“We remember that too, so it’s fine.”

Only after cramming all that information into them—like a parent drilling exam material the night before a test—could I finally relax and follow Cecilia in silence.

“We’re almost at the entrance to the relic chamber.”

“Thankfully, we haven’t run into anyone.”

“Ugh, seriously…”

“Hide!”

Just as I was about to grumble at Chris, Cecilia quickly shoved both of us back.

“Shh.”

Chris’s subtle hand movement and the appearance of a young nun from around the corner were almost perfectly timed.

“Hello, Luka.”

“S-Se-Sister Cecilia?!?!”

“Shh. Be quiet. Do you want to wake everyone up?”

“A-Ah, I’m sorry.”

“So, Luka, what are you doing here at this hour? Someone of your… special status should be resting in the dormitory right now, no?”

“S-Special? How did you—Oh. Right, you’re the Saintess. Of course you’d know. We received a revelation specifically for us.”

“A revelation?”

Luka, initially confused by Cecilia’s words, suddenly seemed to understand.

While I was still processing the abrupt shift, Chris whispered to me.

“That girl’s an Inquisitor.”

“Ah.”

That explained why she was wandering around at this hour—and why she was stationed within the church.

The sharpest blades were always kept close.

“They said someone might target the relics, so we’re to patrol the church’s hidden passages. If any heretics or intruders are found, we’re to execute them.”

“By execute, you mean… arrest?”

“Correct! You catch on quick. Once someone enters this church aiming for the relics, it’s already far too late for them. The best we can do is send those poor souls to the Goddess as swiftly as possible.”

“My, what a noble mindset.”

“Psycho.”

“Shh.”

“She’s literally saying she’ll kill on sight.”

“No shit. Keep quiet unless you want to get caught. You’re disrupting my mana control.”

I could see the panic in Cecilia’s eyes. Despite having Inquisitors under her command, she still hadn’t fully acclimated to their ruthlessness.

“So, Sister Cecilia, why are you here? At this hour, shouldn’t you be at the Rastall estate? Unless…”

“I had urgent business with one of the relics. Could you open the door for me?”

“The relic vault? But even for the Saintess—”

“You’re not doubting me, are you? Someone in your position should know better than to question your own duty.”

“N-No, of course not! But we received this order directly from the Pope!”

“The Pope, huh? Tell me, Luka—are there any other sentries stationed here besides you?”

“No. The entrance to the relic vault is known only to a select few. For guarding its location alone, I alone am enough.”

“Is that so?”

Relieved, Cecilia quietly summoned divine energy above her palm.

“See this, Luka? What does it look like to you?”

“Huh? Well, obviously… the Goddess’s blessing…?”

“As an Inquisitor, you know how potent and pure this blessing is. You know this light is the most reliable proof of a devout believer’s faith.”

“Of course!”

“Then believe me when I say I need access to the relic vault. Are you, a mere Inquisitor, really going to question me?”

“Ugh… Th-That’s…”

I muttered under my breath.

“Clever.”

“What do you mean?”

“Inquisitors can’t argue against that kind of logic. Not like they could anyway—the Pope and his priests just fabricated some half-baked doctrine to keep them in line.”

The Pope’s position was unshakable precisely because his divine power was undeniable.

He crushed dissenters—any who dared challenge his authority or attempted reform—under the weight of his overwhelming divine energy.

His words were truth, for he had the Goddess’s strongest blessing.

“Wait, does that mean divine power and faith aren’t actually connected?”

“Hmm, how to put it… It’s too complicated to explain now, but yeah, you’re right. Divine power is just divine power. The Goddess grants it, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the recipient is a devout believer.”