Chapter 22: The Devout Believers
Sometimes when I see John of Riverside fussing, I wonder why I brought him along.
But John, though a bit timid, is a man who gets the job done properly. The more I got to know him, the more he revealed himself to be like a rich broth. No matter how much he fusses, he does what he’s told when asked. Even now, with a sullen expression and nodding his head repeatedly.
“You want me to play the role of a priest? And even go ring the bell alone?!”
His reaction should not be understood as a strike or refusal because he can’t do it. Just as an excellent leader presents clear goals and processes to aim for results, an excellent colleague naturally demands motivation to enhance their own work performance.
So it’s my duty to motivate John to well up his enthusiasm. Thus, pointing to the scattered corpses of priests outside, I explained as concisely as possible.
“Don’t you just pull the hood down? Even if they say take it off, those holey-headed guys walking around already have holes in their heads, so you with your balding head can infiltrate without any discomfort.”
“No! Young Master!!!”
“Do you have any grounds to refute my clear argument?”
“Young Master… you overestimate me. How can just dressing up like a priest work when the priests are already killing each other?!”
I didn’t expect much when I said that. But surprisingly, John pointed out something I didn’t mention first. Was he hiding his abilities, or did he learn something by staying by my side for so long?
Perhaps he desperately racked his brains because he felt his life was in danger. Whatever it was, I was so moved by this new side of John that I almost shed tears.
Of course, John’s worries fortunately turned out to be unfounded, as a newly joined character nonchalantly approached with a shrug.
“Don’t worry. Luckily, Priest Sertell, who has agreed to cooperate with us, will provide detailed instructions.”
My introduction seems to have given John a little boost. Priest Sertell smiled a gentle, fatherly smile, as if ladling a rich soup full of chunky ingredients into a warm bowl, and spoke in a cordial voice.
“Those with a sword at their waist, more specifically on the right side. If they’re an ally, the hilt will be facing their stomach. If there’s no response, consider them an enemy. If considered an enemy, immediately draw your sword and kill them.”
“…”
“This is how to distinguish the villainous group behind this plot. I can finally use what I had to accept under their pressure. Truly, the arrangement of Lux Stella is unparalleled.”
This Sertell guy… he’s really something. If you rubbed his face on a steel plate, the steel plate would get scratched. But there’s a saying, “Even a dog barking is my dog.”
To be a true master, you must be able to smile even when a dog barks. So I gave him a pleasant smile and a little applause.
“Did you hear that, John? Go put on one of those priest robes from the corpses that you like and head towards the bell tower. Priest Sertell, you stand guard against any approaching enemies for now.”
“You’re not going to save those who came with you?”
Increasing our allies during this chaos – Sertell’s suggestion was extremely sensible, but now was not a time for common sense. I deliberately avoided Sertell’s gaze and let out a derisive snort.
“If we go with them, it’ll be seen as a mass escape attempt. At some point, one side will change their attitude and try to kill me or you. It would only increase our enemies, not allies. In fact, Sertell, it would be safer for me to rely on you in many ways.”
“Indeed.”
“So, I’ll ask you to keep watch while this friend changes clothes.”
“Understood. Young Master, don’t worry and get ready.”
Sertell nodded and played along, but his voice was utterly dry and emotionless. It was an intentional trap. Priest Sertell was sensitive to his own interests and made immediate judgments.
He knew that if he saved Sir Topa and the soldiers here, his position would be diminished. If I had gone to save them, his blade would have pointed at me instead.
Since there were no witnesses anyway, he would have considered killing me and achieving his original goal better than sharing credit. Only after he kept some distance from that deadly swordsman could I barely bring up the main subject.
It was just as John was gingerly poking at the blood-soaked robe, making a disgusted face.
“Listen carefully, John. When the bell rings, the entire monastery will turn into a battlefield. There’s a high probability that enemy forces disguised as raiders are nearby. Sertell doesn’t seem to have noticed yet, but…”
“Yes?”
I deliberately created a tense atmosphere by tapping the back of John’s head, as if scolding him for not performing well. This allowed me to have a longer conversation while avoiding Sertell’s gaze, under the pretext of reprimanding the underperforming John.
To summarize the content: seeing how the priests moved in an organized way to target the abbot and me, it seems to have been a carefully planned operation. This suggests a high possibility that someone had predetermined the timing or deadline.
So why set a timing and deadline? It could be simply dismissed as a pretext for harassment, but the targets are Bishop of Povius and Yubas. Since it’s assumed they have formed a common interest and are cooperating, it cannot be easily overlooked.
Moreover, those who desperately want my death would not want to tarnish their justification with a clear assassination involving murderous intent and conspiracies… There is a high possibility that they have prepared a real attack to obtain a solid justification and ensure my certain death.
I shared everything I suspected with John, leaving nothing out.
“The massacre happening right now is likely Yubas’s real main attack. Or more precisely, it’s close to the preparatory stage for the real main attack. By causing internal chaos in the monastery, they aim to weaken the defenses and break through in one fell swoop.”
“Oh my god…”
“In that case, they would need a simple and clear signal that anyone could understand. In the monastery, there’s no surer signal than the sound of the bell. The moment the bell rings, those who have been hiding their true intentions amidst this chaos will open the gates and welcome the raiders from outside.”
“Then… then what’s the point of doing this now?”
“Don’t worry.”
I gave John, who was already about to give up, an encouraging, confident smile.
“Have I ever let you die?”
“…”
John seemed to feel a lot of emotions at that moment. He moved his lips as if to say something, then his whole body trembled, and he just turned his gaze away. John, to be moved by just a few words like that.
Now I see he’s a man brimming with sensitivity, like our second eldest brother Therver. No, it would be more accurate to say he’s overflowing with honor and romanticism. I patted John’s shoulder and slowly stood up.
“I’m counting on you. Do your best. If you do, you’ll live to see the sun with me.”
***
“John, you must ring that bell!”
“My poor fate…”
After sending off the sullen John, I strolled down this eerie monastery corridor with Sertell.
Seeing the hallways decorated with scattered corpses, we wouldn’t need a haunted house. But by this point, those being attacked didn’t just sit idle. At some point, the hurried footsteps gradually grew louder.
Soon, when the footsteps intertwined, a metallic sound as sharp as a razor shook the shadows cast over the monastery. Sertell and I immediately made eye contact, sensing the changed atmosphere.
“Are we proceeding as planned?”
“As planned. If the sword fight reaches inside the sanctuary, we might be able to seize that chance to escape.”
“Understood.”
There were also moments when we encountered Sertell’s former colleagues. Apparently, the sanctuary and the abbot’s chamber were a little distance apart, as they frowned sharply upon seeing me, even in the shadows.
“What brings you here, Young Master…?”
“…The dead of night is quite dangerous, Young Master.”
As they said this, they placed their hands on their sword hilts in a deadly manner. Here, Sertell’s clever retort shined. Sertell glanced over his fellow priests and even sneered.
“The abbot summoned Young Master separately, so he sent me. But on the way, I spotted some with ill intentions. Deeming it dangerous, we’re just heading back.”
“You mean it’s already reached that point?”
“It seems there were some with ill intentions.”
“Good grief. We’ll go settle this right away.”
“I appreciate it, brothers.”
The “ill-intentioned ones” they mention are probably the priests who got their throats slit in their sleep. To them, I must already look like I got my throat slit too. They just didn’t openly show killing intent yet because they needed to take me to the abbot’s chamber to kill me.
After hearing Sertell’s excuse, the sword-wielding priests rolled their irritated eyes and turned away. For a moment, I saw Sertell place his hand on his sword hilt. I raised my hand to stop Sertell’s action.
After a while, when the priests who questioned us left, Sertell tilted his head.
“…Young Master, isn’t this an opportunity?”
“There might be cohorts nearby. If corpses suddenly appear, our movements will be suspected. Anyway, once the bell rings and the fight intensifies, we can have someone else dispose of them.”
“Indeed…!”
Indeed, what? This guy marvels even though he knows if we’re suspected, my neck will be the first to get slashed. Sertell can act recklessly because he bears little personal risk. Sertell just mindlessly behaves that way because the risk he shoulders is small.
Grumbling inwardly, I continued down the corridor. Along the way, I encountered corpses, headless corpses, and sometimes even people dying. The scene was so bizarre that I couldn’t help but ask a question.
“Isn’t there a doctrine of restraining from killing?”
“Do not hesitate in necessary killings.”
Hearing the reply, I realized Lux Stella might be an unexpectedly scary god.
“It’s my personal belief.”
Or maybe this guy is just crazy.
I felt it anew. I’m really not suited for these medieval savage seeds. I could only stick out my tongue in disgust at their madness, far beyond comprehension. I already missed the cozy modern era.
But then again, who am I?
“I hope you’ll do the same in the sanctuary.”
“Of course, Young Master.”
As a modern person respecting diversity, I decided to exercise tolerance and understanding by properly utilizing even a seed like this. Luckily, this world was the barbaric era perfect for people like Sertell to thrive in.
Finally, when we arrived at the sanctuary, I could see Lux Stella’s altar for the first time beyond the open doors.
The sanctuary had the typical elongated church structure with a high ceiling. Blue-green crosses were depicted on the glass windows. In the center of the altar stood a humble crucifix modeled after those blue-green crosses.
That blue-green crucifix was the idol of Lux Stella. Gazing at the cross, I instructed Sertell.
“Do you happen to have a dagger or something with a blade?”
“A dagger… you mean?”
“We are now one body. I cannot put all the risk on you alone.”
Well, sure, even warts and moles are part of one body until they’re clipped off. Still, Sertell seemed quite impressed by my words and immediately took out a dagger from his pocket.
“If that is Young Master’s wish, I’m happy to oblige.”
“Thank you.”
Taking the dagger Sertell handed me, I began stepping towards that cross, one foot after another. Conveniently, footsteps were echoing from all directions at that moment.
The priests who had visited my room and the abbot’s chamber must have noticed the situation unfolding. And with everyone’s attention on me now, John could more easily head towards the bell tower.
At last, all preparations were complete.
Gripping the dagger in reverse, I approached the crucifix, aiming straight at my own forearm. As the chilling blade touched my skin, I naturally opened my mouth.
“Lux Stella, the starlight of Inse.”
To the one I most wanted to speak to, I could finally deliver the words I most wanted to convey.
“O deity who plunged Ise into twilight and ushered in Inse’s dawn.”
When the old gods of Ise demanded offerings, Lux Stella demanded the future of life instead.
Thanks to Lux Stella, humans gained power differently from other races. By making vows, constraining their own actions, they could receive miracles without precious offerings.
Obtaining miracles was easier than one might think, through vows rather than resolutions. That was the real reason I aimed for the sanctuary, not just the excuse I told Sertell. To put it bluntly, this was closer to my true intent.
“Is a reign mesmerized by Ise’s relics truly your wish?”
-Now, seizing this opportunity, I will make the vow that everyone will try to impede.
