◈ 536. [Side Story] Red Priests (3)
Of course, Rosetta came to the funeral.
This is because priests cannot be left out at events commemorating the dead. Rosetta was praying quietly in front of the tombs, dressed in a black priestly robe without any decorations.
Rosetta, hearing footsteps as I approached, stopped praying and smiled slightly at me.
“It’s a good funeral, Your Highness.”
“Are funerals good and bad?”
I asked because I was full of energy, but Rosetta answered smoothly.
“It is sad when a person dies, but it is wonderful to be honored properly.”
“… .”
“Even on the ecliptic, most deaths are trivialized. To treat all deaths with such respect… … You are doing a really great job.”
“That’s enough of the mouth-watering praise. No matter how splendid a funeral is, would you rather not hold it?”
“You are very right, but good deeds deserve recognition. I will also congratulate you instead.”
Rosetta took out a notebook and a pen from her bosom and brushed over and erased the items she had written in advance.
“We will reduce 100 heresy points.”
“Have I accumulated 100 points?!”
“If you continue to do good deeds, we will indemnify the remaining points.”
“There are even points left?!”
Rosetta covered her mouth and laughed, as if she liked my reaction.
Laughing at each other, I stood next to Rosetta and looked at the grave site together.
The tombs, which had continued to grow over the past hour, were lined up in an orderly fashion in fives and rows.
The hot sun was shining down on the tomb. A hot wind blew. Soon summer is near.
I saw Damian sweating profusely as he finished the funeral in front of the new grave. I muttered involuntarily.
“The priests are having a hard time. Normally, I try to save someone, but when that person dies, I have to struggle like this at the funeral.”
“If you deal with life, you have no choice but to deal with death. You touch a coin, but you can’t just look at one side and buy it.”
Rosetta winked at me.
“And it’s not just priests. Isn’t His Highness risking his death here to protect his life on the front line?”
“… .”
“This is what the world is all about. When the sun hits it, there is no choice but to cast a shadow behind your shoulders.”
A long shadow fell behind the tomb bathed in the summer sun. I let out a small sigh.
“It must be that worldly affairs are inherently two-sided or multi-faceted like this.”
“That is a very wise statement.”
“So you shouldn’t judge by looking at only one side.”
“He has a mindset worthy of an example of a ruler.”
“… So shouldn’t Janice’s work be looked at from one side as well?”
As I spoke, I looked at Rosetta’s eyes, and Rosetta smiled as if she knew I would come out like this.
“I guess you liked Janice quite a bit? Seeing how you put so much effort into covering it.”
“Isn’t that the same for you?”
“yes?”
“You covered Janice as well.”
Rosetta raised her eyebrows as if she didn’t understand. I crossed my arms and chined.
“At that time, why did you wait for me and take me with you when you were going to dispose of Janice?”
“… .”
“If you really wanted to kill that naughty man, you could have gone and hacked him up secretly. no? Why did you take me with you?”
I fired a strong shot at the silent Rosetta.
“Actually, you wanted me to stop you. yes?”
“… .”
“In the way of the Knights Templar, Zenith deserves to die, but he opened the way so that he could live in this city if he was dismissed from the priesthood. In a way, you could call it mercy.”
So my conclusion is.
“Rosetta. You pretended to dispose of your step-brother, but in reality you wanted to open the way. They used me there.”
“Haha.”
Rosetta, who shed a blank laugh, rolled her eyes at me without denying anything in particular.
“If everything is according to Your Highness’ words… … Nevertheless, would you be willing to go along with my shallow tricks?”
“I don’t know what your intentions are. But considering the contributions Zenith has made to this city, it is true that I want to protect his life.”
So yes. I promise to suit your shallow tricks.
At my words, Rosetta turned her head and looked at the tombs lined up, and said,
“It is as Your Highness said. Everything in the world has many faces, and depending on how you reflect it, it becomes a completely different look.”
“… .”
“The same goes for Janice. Looking at the conclusion alone, he’s a bastard who’s not good enough even if he’s beaten to death and dismissed… … If you look at the inside story, there is no other guy who has lived a priestly life like this guy.”
I furrowed my brow.
“What exactly happened 14 years ago?”
“It is an act of self-inflicted penance. It’s not an issue that I can discuss casually. Please listen to Janice herself for details.”
“… .”
“However, no matter what kind of unfairness he has, he must be punished according to the rules of the Knights Templar. In fact, the priests under my command are also requesting it.”
Goddess Church Fundamentalist Temple Knights.
Since they occupied the leadership of the church, it is only natural that they should hang themselves on the implementation of its principles.
And Zenith is a kind of traitor who has cleverly evaded the enforcement of this principle.
Inside the Knights Templar, voices demanding Zenith’s disposal grow louder, but Rosetta, who knows Janice’s background, tried to find a way out for such a step-sister somehow.
“I did everything I could for him. Your Majesty has prevented direct execution, and now the avenue for survival has been opened if you give up your life as a priest.”
“… .”
“Now it’s up to the idiot to decide. Will you understand this sister’s hardships behind the scenes and survive quietly, or… … .”
Rosetta smiled bitterly and shook her head.
“Even if you are covered with stigma, you will die as a priest.”
***
So I looked up where Janice was.
The last place he was seen after being kicked out of the temple and having nowhere to go is the barracks. It was a place used by mercenaries as a living facility.
the evening after the funeral. The place I went to find it was a place that smelled very musty, even in the barracks.
“Heuk Uncle smells… .”
In front of the room door, I pinched my nose. What is this rich… … The smell that only a old man can give off!
Looking at the nameplate in front of the door, I saw familiar names.
Blind Swordsman Nobody Warlock Chain.
They were two uncles who joined in the Battle of the Gorgon Sisters. No matter how many uncles there are, they can still smell like this… … ?
‘Blanket and pillow sunlight drying! Ventilate twice a day! I mean, wash your clothes on time! Should I eat this time and preach myself?’
Shout and slam the door! let’s open it
I could see five men in a dark room with the curtains drawn as if they were plotting something, startled when they saw me.
I screamed and yanked back the curtains on the window.
“What kind of children of darkness are you?!”
The evening glow came dazzlingly into the room. The five children of darkness touched by the light screamed and covered their eyes. no what are you doing
The five who had gathered together and conspired were none other than Lucas’ temporary party, ‘the uncles’.
Lucas Torkel Nobody Chain. and Janice.
“no wonder! It was the smell of a man that couldn’t be produced by just the two of them! It smells like this because there are five of them together! Sundry these children! Ventilation! laundry! Spray deodorant! I don’t know?!”
At my cry, Lucas protested with a very hurt face.
“No, I’m sorry, my lord! This means that I am thoroughly managing it every day! I’ve only been here for a brief meeting!”
Then the rest of the men clicked their tongues and shook their heads at Lucas.
“Everyone is like that when they’re young… .”
“I didn’t even know I was going to be like this.”
“You don’t become an uncle, you are meant to be.”
“You too… See you soon… … beard… … Worried… … .”
“no! It can’t be! I will never be an uncle!”
I pushed the screaming Lucas away and sat down on the floor, shaking my chin.
“So what were you doing to conspire against the enemy?”
“Rebels. Our loyalty to Your Highness is unwavering… … .”
Torquell spoke in a firm voice. You, this guy, earn 10 loyalty points.
“We, who are close to each other personally, were having a meeting to find out what Janice-nim should do in the future.”
“Is it? Isn’t the conclusion already reached?”
I turned my head toward Janice, who had a grim expression on her face.
“You don’t want to die, do you? Then, as a priest, shouldn’t you be expelled and start a new life?”
“… I don’t want to die. Being dismissed as a priest is another death sentence.”
Janice crosses herself, then closes her eyes tightly and puts her hands together.
“If this is the way to protect my honor and the honor of my comrades, wouldn’t it be better to apologize cleanly with death… … .”
“How about living here as a mercenary?”
When Thorkel begged for help, Nobody and Chain responded.
“Right! Living as a mercenary is also a lot of fun!”
“There’s a casino right next door, too.”
“alcohol! cigarette! gambling! And the battlefield where the monsters rush!”
“Isn’t life as interesting as this?!”
The two mercenaries giggled, clashed the bottles in their hands, and started pouring them into their stomachs… These don’t help.
“Anyone with the ability of Zenith-sama would be able to be hired by the lord as a private soldier.”
Lucas looked at me and said. I nodded. Well, actually, there are many ways to do it.
“That’s not what’s important. Hey Janice. What do you want to do next… … .”
I’m trying to speak.
Through the crack in the door I kicked open and entered, a round little boy was peeping this way. Recognizing the other person, I gestured.
“Hannibal! Did you follow me all the way here?”
“… !”
Hannibal was startled, but then he carefully opened the door and entered. Lucas was sober.
“Why is there such a child in the den of super uncles with only six such uncles… .”
“… Wait, six?”
I asked with an angry face.
“Are you including me?”
“Then I was included… Did you know that you could avoid the lord, who is a year older than me? … ?”
“Ooh ooh don’t be funny! For the imperial family, anti-aging is passive! I am not going to be an uncle!”
My head went blank for a moment, but then I came to my senses. This is not the time to kill time with uncle talk that has no productivity at all.
“Hannibal? There must be no reason why you came here. say it.”
“yes yes… That is… .”
Hannibal walked hesitantly to the center of the room and cautiously stood in front of Janice.
Hannibal clenched his small fists at Janice, who was blinking her eyes in wonder, and shouted in a trembling voice.
“My Zenith!”
“Huh huh?”
“You mean the child Zenith said she had with a foreign princess, and left her at the temple nursery!”
“uh… huh.”
“That child is… … .”
Hannibal shouted, pointing at himself with a tear-stained face.
“I think it’s me?!”
“… .”
A hellish silence fell.
A room in the barracks that smells musty where six men gather.
A boy who came out of nowhere casts ‘You are my father’, and everyone urgently exchanges glances to see who will move and break this situation first, looking for someone with the courage to step out first
.
The seventh man appeared, throwing the door open as if to smash it.
It was Kelly Bay who followed Hannibal. He let out the Lion’s Roar coolly.
“No, what kind of bullshit is this again!”
It was the moment when everyone’s hearts became one.
