Chapter 280: Captured The Barbarians! (1)
At that moment, inside the Cathedral of Rien.
The stained ss, depicting holy wars and miracles, cast colorful lights across the interior of the church as the bishop stood on the tform, guiding the praying congregants.
This was a ceremonial event for the people. The worshippers prayed for the well-being of their families and those around them, while the clergy, who led them in faith, called upon God’s blessings through their prayers.
[+1 Luck]
As the prayers concluded, it was time for the offering. Each person brought their valuables and pushed them into the ck box.
Clink—
Unlike with the prayers, no matter how much wealth was ced in the offering box, nothing changed for them personally. The donations collected in the cathedral were solely used for the development fund of Lucerne.
They were used for the operations of the Holy Knights or to fund the activities of high-ranking clergy dispatched to the frontlines. It was also used for the maintenance of the cathedral and charitable activities for the poor.
Clink—Yet, despite knowing the money wouldn’t be used directly for themselves or their families, people willingly offered their wealth.
This was not only due to their faith but because they believed that their actions would ultimately lead to the prosperity of humanity.
The Holy Knights drove out the heretics, the maintenance of the frontlines ensured the safety of the nation, aid for the poor prevented internal unrest, and the maintenance of the cathedral provided a ce to gather and worship.
Of course, the cathedral wasn’t built solely to gather faith.
People could pray at home or in the fields, and they could preach on the streets if they wanted to.
So, one might wonder, was a cathedral really necessary? But there was one thing that could only be done inside the cathedral.
Confession.
In the specially soundproofed confessional, people confessed their sins, preventing the spiritual corruption of believers before it could take root.
Since corruption stems from impure hearts, Cardinal Deviale Zeviel once again listened intently inside the confessional today.
“Recently, when we have sex, my brother’s reactions haven’t been the same as before. Could he have met another woman?”
“……”
“What if he has found another woman? Though my father-inw has recognized me as his legitimate wife, his intentions seem lewd.”
“……”
“And it’s no wonder, since my father-inw spends more time with Lucia than with me. I’ve also heard recently that Lucia is not rted to my brother by blood. So, even if they were to be together, there wouldn’t be any major issue. Lately, her actions have been making me suspicious. ‘That sneaky cat, does she dare to covet my brother?’ By the way, Lucia is my cousin. Well, maybe she’s not my cousin anymore, huh?”
……But today, the confession was particrly disorienting.
‘So the Hero’s younger sister isn’t rted by blood, and they’ve been… fulfilling their desires multiple times a day…’
Whoosh! Cardinal Deviale grabbed his head as a wave of dizziness hit him.
‘Should I really be hearing this?’
Adultery, massacres, assassination, bribery, treason…
In all the years he had been with the Church, he had heard countless confessions, but today’s confession was by far the most unsettling.
And it was no wonder because the one confessing was Siriel Prient.
Siriel Prient.
The only daughter of Hugo Prient, and the one destined to seed him as the First Sword of the Empire and the new face of the knights.
And,
‘The fiancée of Hero Shiron Prient.’
Deviale screamed silently. He felt like he had just heard something he wasn’t supposed to.
Every move of the Hero, who was destined to be humanity’s savior, was something he had wanted to hear and witness firsthand. But now, he felt a sharp pang of guilt, as if he had unintentionally glimpsed a part of someone’s private life that he shouldn’t have.
It felt as though he had invaded someone’s privacy using his position as Cardinal, and that weighed heavily on him.
“I suspect that while I was away, my brother might have had rtions with Lucia. But every time I imagine it, I feel like I’m a filthy, dirty, and vile woman.”
However, despite Deviale’s growing difort, Siriel’s confession continued unabated. The confessional was surrounded by wooden panels, so the face of the priest listening could not be seen.
Whether Deviale pulled at his hair or sighed in moral conflict, it didn’t matter to Siriel.
“Cardinal, what should I do?”
“…Lady Siriel. The confessional is not a ce to seek answers.”
Deviale, despite his difort, responded kindly.
“As your Cardinal, I must say this: the confessional is for confessing your sins to the Lord and finding peace of mind. And I am not as wise or righteous as you may think.”
“But my brother said that if I have concerns, I should just spill them in the confessional. He also said that seeking advice from an elder is not a sin. If I can’t even do that, what’s the point of growing older?”
“…Did Sir Shiron say that?”
“Yes.”
Siriel replied cheerfully.
“Oh, and of course, I could talk to my parents, but they would obviously take my side. I’m hoping that as a Cardinal, and since you’re also close to my brother, you could provide neutral and fair advice.”
“…”
“So, quickly, won’t you?”
Deviale shuddered at the pressure from across the confessional.
Should he just give a vague answer and move on? That sphemous thought crossed his mind, but the problem was that this confession involved the Hero.
If he answered, he felt the weight of responsibility as a mere servant of the Lord, influencing the life of the Hero, who was God’s hammer of judgment.
If he didn’t answer, he would be turning a blind eye to his duty, and that brought with it a sense of guilt.
Pride and sloth.
Caught in this dilemma, Deviale finally opened his mouth.
“For now, let it pass without paying too much attention.”
“What?”
“I do not know Sir Shiron as well as you think, nor have I fully rid myself of worldly desires, despite my devotion to the Church.”
“I see.”
“Yes, I am but a mere human. Please bear that in mind.”
Before continuing, Deviale lowered himself as much as possible. This was to minimize the influence he had on the lives of Siriel and Shiron.
“As a priest, it’s not my ce to say this, but doubting your fiancé and feeling jealous of other women is a perfectly natural reaction. So, don’t trouble yourself too much.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes, and to speak in more general terms, it is also natural for males to desire multiple females. That’s why, here in Lucerne, we don’t reject believers who take multiple wives. Of course, we advise restraint if it leads to excessive jealousy.”
Both greed and jealousy were natural emotions. While excessive amounts could lead to corruption, Deviale believed that humans couldn’t be perfect.
It was precisely because they weren’t perfect that they devoted themselves to religion. If everyone were perfect, who would need the Church?
“You don’t need to turn away from what’s natural.”
“I see.”
Hearing her agreement, Deviale let out a sigh of relief.
A lifetime of celibacy, and now he was being asked for romantic advice. On top of that, it was about the private life of the Hero, who was the object of worship—it was enough to make him want to tear his hair out.
But this ordeal seemed to be nearing its end. He could hear her voice agreeing from the other side.
Just as he was about to feel a sense of relief and leave the confessional,
“But if I keep spreading jealousy among those around me, won’t it cause trouble for my brother?”
“…Wasn’t it over?”
“Is there a time limit, by any chance?”
“No, please continue.”
Deviale, with a defeated expression, sat back down in his chair. Confirming that he was seated, Siriel resumed speaking.
“Honestly, when ites to my love for my brother, I’m confident that I won’t lose to anyone. So, I want to make sure I support him well, too.”
“……”
“And getting jealous of other women just feels wrong. I’ve already secured my position as his legitimate wife, so it would be unseemly to get jealous of the concubines.”
“……”
“Cardinal, are you listening?”
“Of course.”
“After all, I think I’ll only feel at ease if I’m the first to get pregnant and secure the eldest son. But the thing is, I’m worried because I can’t seem to get pregnant.”
“Then, rather than the confessional, wouldn’t it be better to visit a midwife?”
“What are you saying! A child is a gift from God, isn’t it? Of course, I should be in the confessional!”
“…Yes. Please continue.”
Deviale rested his forehead against the partition. He spent the entire day listening to Siriel’s concerns, all while dealing with a growing sense of dizziness.<hr>
Meanwhile, Lucia carefully opened the door to the annex and tiptoed down the hallway. She then extended her senses, searching for a powerful presence.
“Hey, hey. Seira.”
The person she was looking for was Seira, her old and close friend.
Despite her grand ims of being a great mage, finding the elf, who was as idle as Lucia, was easy.
“You’rete, aren’t you?”
The elf, lounging in a rocking chair by the firece, greeted her.
“Shh!”
“…?”
Seira tilted her head as she watched Lucia raise her index finger, signaling for silence.
“Be quiet and follow me.”
“What?”
“Bring your staff, too.”
“…What is this about?”
Without answering, Lucia simply gestured for Seira to follow. Seira grabbed her staff and followed after Lucia.
They eventually arrived at a hotel room in the city. Lucia hadn’t spoken a word the entire time they walked from the mansion to the city.
“Why a hotel?”
“You’ll understand once you see.”
Lucia looked around cautiously before inserting the key into the door and turning it. Seira crossed her arms, wondering what kind of nonsense Lucia was up to this time.
“……”
But the moment the door opened, an overwhelming murderous intent surged toward Seira, and Lucia quickly mmed the door shut. Inside the room, a woman was tightly bound to a chair.
“Mm! Mmph mmph! Mm!!”
“What’s that?”
“I captured a barbarian!”
Lucia dered proudly. Despite the dangerous aura filling the room, her nose was upturned with pride, and her shoulders puffed with confidence.
“A barbarian?”
“Yeah, I found her while I was on my way to send off my friends. She was plotting a terrorist attack, so I captured her.”
“Really?”
“MMPH!!!”
The gagged barbarian struggled and thrashed, but Seira remained unshaken. After all, capturing hostages was something they’d done plenty of times before, including the recent abduction of Verian, an incarnation of the Seventh Apostle.
However, there was something bothering her.
“Didn’t you used to really hate the word ‘barbarian’?”
“…That was a long time ago.”
Lucia said nonchntly, but Seira noticed her shoulders tremble slightly.
Lucia, having shaken off any unpleasant feelings, stared at Yoru.
“Recently, I’vee to understand why people make a distinction between the civilized and the uncivilized.”
“Really?”
“Seriously! I told her I’d bring her somewhere and to sit quietly, but she just couldn’t understand and started making a ruckus. So, I hit her a few times, and even now, she’s still like this.”
She just doesn’t get it!
With a hand on her waist, Lucia shook her head in frustration.
“So, why did you call me?”
“Could you cast a soundproofing spell? I took the gag off, but she kept screaming, and it’s getting annoying.”
“…Sigh.”
Seira sighed and waved her staff. Neither Lucia nor the barbarian seemed to have much respect for her as a grand mage—they just treated her as a convenient tool.
“By the way, why did you tell me to be quiet?”
“By the way, is Shiron home?”
“No, he hasn’te back yet.”
“Thank goodness…”
Lucia let out a sigh of relief and clutched her chest. Seira turned her gaze toward Yoru.
“Hey, Kyrie.”
There was no need to ask why Lucia was relieved. Having gone through so many hardships together, Seira already knew what she was thinking.
“She looks a lot like you, doesn’t she?”
“Right?”
Not in her reincarnated form, but in her previous life, Yoru resembled Kyrie.
That filthy sewer.
Back then, it was too dark to see clearly, but now Seira could confirm it.
‘She’s so beautiful… What if that bastard tries to…?’
It wasn’t baseless confidence; it was a rational deduction. Before being a Hero, Shiron was a ughterer, and the only reason he would keep a terrorist alive was for that.
It’s Yoru!
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