Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Meeting in the Tomb
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The sun peeked slightly over the rim of the very hole in Haji that was said to be filled tight with sunlight.
In the end, neither Priest Danel nor Bishop Davit showed up.
Among the three sitting in the underground ossuary, Autis was the first to rise.
"The time has come. Let's proceed as planned."
Jade reflexively stood up,
but Franco stayed seated. Then, out of nowhere, he spoke in a grave tone.
"I'm not doubting you, so don't take it the wrong way."
"What misunderstanding could there be between brothers of the Rom Priesthood? Speak freely."
Autis replied gently. Franco continued in a low voice.
"When Bishop Davit chose the two of us for this mission, I thought Brother Autis was a noble soul who had devoted himself to the Rom Priesthood and honed his spirit through long monastic life. But it seems that's not the case."
"If it's about the doctrinal debate, I apologize. I do have a tendency to lose myself in this castle when arguments break out."
"It's not about doctrine. Brother Autis, are you truly a monk of the Rom Priesthood?"
"I don't know why our affiliation matters in a matter like this, but yes, I am."
"Why wouldn't it? Protecting Priest Danel and ensuring Priest Jade escapes Rom unharmed—that's our mission. So this must surely stem from conflict with the Raphael Priesthood, right? Isn't that so, Priest Jade?"
Franco turned to look at him.
'Those two might be putting on this show together. Best not to mention the Grail at all.'
Jade replied quietly.
"I don't know much about this matter myself. I was simply waiting for Priest Danel at St. Vesta Cathedral, so I have to hear the details too..."
"The question itself is insolent, Brother Franco."
Autis cut Jade off.
As he raised his voice in displeasure, the atmosphere grew increasingly hostile.
"What we need to know about each other is our faith and trust—not our origins!"
Franco didn't yield an inch to Autis's size or presence.
"Fine, Brother Autis. Since you're not being straightforward, I'll have to ask more bluntly, even if it causes misunderstanding. I've lived nearly twenty years in monasteries across various ones, but I've never heard the name Autis. Which monastery are you from?"
"You're overconfident in your memory and information. As if you know the name of every monastery and every monk in Rom?"
"Just answer!"
"I will! I'm from St. Tarimo Monastery north of the Red Desert. It's a barren desert where a third of the land is red sand, but it's still within the Rom Empire. You won't claim ignorance of it."
"Good. You're being a bit more honest now. Then tell me which order's cathedral baptized you. And explain in detail how you came to Bishop Davit and received this secret mission. Then I'll share my own story in full."
Franco demanded in a firm tone.
Jade wanted to stop him.
'If he truly suspects something, he shouldn't voice it like this.'
There was no opening to intervene between the two excited men.
"I'll tell you anything you want, brother. I was baptized directly by Holy Emperor Dionysus."
Autis continued with a proud expression.
"Once, I nearly died from the plague. But light came down from the heavens, telling me it wasn't my time yet. That's when I gained enlightenment and resolved to devote myself to the Kaitelic Faith. There was a doctor couple pretending to treat the plague at the time—their names were something like Lapis, I think."
Jade had been wondering whether to calm the two excited men or just let things play out and watch. But soon, he found himself listening closely to Autis's tale.
"They extorted gold from patients under the guise of treatment fees and secretly kept a gold cross meant for Rotikan. Unable to contain my rage, I killed the pair and confessed my sin directly to the Holy Emperor."
As the story went on, Jade's expression hardened. His fear that their fight would escalate faded, as did his anxious fidgeting over when Priest Danel would arrive.
'What am I hearing right now?'
Listening to Autis's booming voice, Jade found himself unable to think.
"The Holy Emperor forgave me, though I deserved death for murder. Fortunately, that wicked doctor couple didn't believe in God, weren't Kaitelics, and were running a scam under the guise of medicine—perhaps God used my hand to punish them. But murder is murder, so I served in the monastery to atone and heeded God's word."
Autis turned to Jade and asked.
"Come to think of it, didn't Priest Jade live similarly in a monastery? I heard you committed murder..."
Jade just stared blankly at his face without responding.
"Was I wrong?"
Autis looked puzzled at Jade's expression before turning back to Franco.
"There, my story's done. Now it's your turn, Brother Franco."
Autis said it with the face of a debt collector retrieving his due.
Franco touched his lips and tilted his head.
"Strange. I happen to know that story. But I didn't know the man's name was Auris. The murderer who killed a doctor couple in the plague zone... Yes, that's right. That man went to St. Tarimo Monastery. And I heard he came to Rom briefly a year ago and died crushed under a carriage?"
"Who's spreading such nonsense? I was crushed by a carriage, that's true. But here I am, alive and well."
"That's why it's strange. A man who 'barely survived' being crushed by a carriage a year ago is standing here so healthy?"
"Absurd!"
Autis burst into laughter.
"What, you're questioning me even moving about unscathed? I survived the plague!"
"Then show proof of the carriage accident. There must be major scars on your body."
"You're turning this into a heresy trial right here! You want me to strip?"
"If you're confident, do it."
"How rude. I won't! Why should I?"
"Prove you're not someone else borrowing the name Autis."
"Oh, God! How can I prove I'm me?"
As their voices grew louder, footsteps approached from the stone chamber side.
Both men fell silent and looked that way. But Jade kept staring at Autis.
'What did I just hear?'
Three more men entered the narrow stone chamber where the three stood. All wore shabby monastic robes, but one lifted his garment to reveal a sword hidden inside.
"If you have weapons, take them out and set them down."
The man who drew the sword commanded with authority.
Autis and Franco obediently placed their daggers on the floor one by one. The man collected the two daggers and handed them to the one who followed. Then he patted down Franco and Autis's bodies to check, and searched Jade's as well. He found the book in Jade's robes, inspected it, saw it was a Bible, and returned it.
The man stepped back a couple paces and ordered.
"All three of you, kneel and pay respects. It is Benclaus, Emperor of the Rom Empire."
The two dropped to their knees in shock. Jade hesitated, somewhat dazed, then knelt belatedly.
The man at the very back stepped forward. He scanned the three as if seeking someone to scold and asked sternly.
"Where is Priest Danel?"
Jade kept his head bowed, waiting for the other two to answer. When no one did, he spoke up.
"He hasn't arrived yet."
"Then which of you is Jade?"
"I am."
"Lift your head."
Jade did as told.
Emperor Benclaus had a brown beard and eyes that seemed strong yet somehow kind. Of course, Jade wasn't fooled by such eyes. He'd seen devils with kind gazes and devils with wicked ones.
Priest Danel had warned that no one could discern hearts from appearances, and to beware those who claimed otherwise.
"You have kind eyes, Jade. I see why Danel chose you as his companion. Hard to believe you murdered a thirteen-year-old girl."
Jade didn't want to recall that time and stayed silent.
"And who are those two?"
Benclaus asked the others.
"I'm Franco. Bishop Davit sent me to assist the two priests."
Franco answered.
"I'm Autis. It's an honor to meet you. The reason I came to Rom was to see Your Majesty at least once, but I never dreamed it would be today. May God's blessings be with you."
Autis dragged it out unnecessarily long, and seemed ready to go on if given more time. He even tried to approach the emperor. The guard beside him thrust out his sword to block him. Autis had no choice but to step back.
Benclaus nodded toward Jade.
"I have words for you alone."
Jade passed the two guards and followed the emperor. Feeling eyes on him, he glanced back—Franco stared blankly, while Autis gazed at the emperor's back with an ecstatic expression like meeting first love.
Jade lingered on Autis's face for a moment before following the emperor's urging cough.
Fifteen paces down a narrow tunnel where one had to stoop to walk, there was an even smaller stone chamber than where the three had waited. It held only a broken stone coffin, no bones.
One guard followed and stood at the entrance. The other must be watching the two monks.
Benclaus lowered his voice as much as possible.
"How much has Priest Danel told you?"
"Almost everything."
"About my dream too?"
"Yes."
Benclaus glanced toward the opposite stone chamber and asked.
"Do those two know about the Grail expedition?"
"No. But they seem to suspect."
"Lately, the clergy whisper that even my breathing is related to the Grail."
The emperor sighed and suddenly launched into a complaint.
"Once, I ordered a change of my usual wine goblet because it no longer pleased me. I just wanted to drink from another cup. Nothing more! Yet a week later, a certain knight visited quietly and said, 'Just set the date, Your Majesty.' When I asked what he meant, he claimed my order to change the goblet was a metaphorical command to fetch the Grail."
It would normally be amusing, but Jade couldn't laugh.
'What did Autis say earlier? Did I really hear that?'
Even with the emperor before him, Jade couldn't focus.
"I'm tired of denying it. And now this really is about the Grail, so every action to avoid notice just fuels suspicion."
Benclaus began recounting last night's dream with a brief grumble. This time, a demon appeared in central Rom devouring people, and the gates of hell opened at Mount Besuo volcano.
"I wanted to hear Danel's interpretation of that dream... Pity. What would you make of it?"
Benclaus asked.
"A dream is just a dream."
Jade answered without hesitation.
The emperor stared piercingly at his face for a long while.
"If that's rude, I apologize. I haven't learned the etiquette for audiences with Your Majesty."
"I didn't mean it that way. Your eyes somehow resemble Priest Danel's. But slightly different. He fears me not through experience and knowledge; you seem not to know fear at all. It's not like the fearless warrior who braves death, nor the fool who knows no terror."
The emperor reached his own conclusion.
"You seem utterly devoid of the capacity to feel fear."
"I fear many things... but my fears may differ from others'."
"At least you show no fear toward me."
Jade nodded honestly.
"That's good for me. No time for formalities..."
The emperor spoke quickly, as if chased by his own words.
"I'll have the talk with you I wanted with Danel. Bishop Davit arranged this but couldn't come?"
"Cardinal Lorenzo showed up suddenly..."
"Damn Lorenzo!"
Jade startled at the emperor's sudden outburst.
"He moves as if he knows my every move. Who knows how many spies he has in the palace as his eyes and ears. You can't imagine the pains I took to sneak out here."
"No matter the effort, coming in person was too dangerous. Wouldn't it have been better to send a proxy?"
"Efficiently speaking, yes. If it were an order to crush Pharens Kingdom or destroy Rotikan, I wouldn't have stirred a toe. But this..."
The emperor paused briefly before continuing.
"It's the Grail, of all things!"
"Honestly, from my view, it doesn't seem more important than those two examples you just gave."
"Even the Grail? One of the four holy relics God gave humanity?"
"I've heard it drilled into me since childhood, but I never thought Your Majesty saw it as so vital."
"Hm, true enough. Before rumors of its discovery, I didn't even know if there were three relics or four."
"Plus, after failing the Holy Land Recovery War thirty years ago, you'd hardly want to relive that fallout over the Grail."
"You're the first to call the Holy Land Recovery War a failure to my face."
"My apologies."
"No need. It's true, I'm悩ing over it, and part of me wanted someone to say it straight. You're like Danel in that way."
"What did Priest Danel say?"
"He flat-out called the Grail issue a money problem, not God's word or sacred duty."
Just then, Jade heard strange noises from the opposite stone chamber. It was Franco and Autis's voices. He could tell they were arguing fiercely, but not the exact words. Naturally, their conversation shouldn't carry either, but Jade had a bad feeling.
'Those two are fighting again. But something's off. Continuing that quarrel with an imperial guard present? No way!'
The emperor's grumbling continued.
"The financial strain from that war thirty years ago lingers. It's like the son repaying the father's debts. The treasury minister even suggested mixing bronze into silver hass coins. Pharens started the dirty trick, but he worries if we don't match it, their coins will flood the world."
"I heard the Rotin Empire fell and Rom rose because they started mixing copper into gold coins."
Jade pretended to listen while straining to hear Autis's voice.
"You know your history! Most priests claim Rotin fell for persecuting Kaitelics."
Benclaus struck his chest in frustration.
"While we suffer financially, Rotikan preached donations for Holy Land recovery as the path to heaven, amassing wealth. They rake in the coin, Rom fights the wars. Launching a Grail expedition means repeating it all."
The stone chamber with the two monks and imperial guard fell completely silent.
Jade didn't see it as a good sign.