Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Book
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'The door isn't even locked. This doesn't feel good.'
Jade pushed open the massive iron door and stepped inside the keep.
It was night, and not a single torch or oil lamp was lit, leaving the corridor pitch black. But Jade, accustomed to darkness from his time in prison and the monastery, advanced without hesitation. Daneel followed close behind. The only sound was the soft rustle of their cloth shoes against the stone.
Not a single guard had tried to stop them on the way here. He pushed hard with both hands against the heavy wooden door leading to the lord's council chamber.
The large council room must have been clean and dignified just moments ago, when Father Daneel had met with Lord Valtion. Now it was a chaotic mess. Banners that should have hung on the walls were torn and scattered on the floor, guards lay collapsed everywhere, and the table and chairs were reduced to splintered wreckage.
Lord Valtion knelt with his throat gripped in the hands of an old woman. Her arms were as thin as if she couldn't lift a single sword, yet Valtion offered no resistance.
Lord Valtion's wife, Anna, was suspended against the wall with arms outstretched like a cross, as if bound by invisible ropes. Her face was drained of color as she strained to scream, but no sound came out.
Anna's son and Valtion's heir, Ricardor, sat motionless in a chair. Nothing visibly restrained him, yet he couldn't move. If not for his open eyes, one might think he had passed out while awake.
As Jade opened the door and entered, all four turned their gazes toward him. Ignoring them, Jade first checked the fallen soldiers. Placing a hand to their necks, he felt pulses still beating.
'Looks like you had no intention of killing them.'
At Jade's words, the old woman released Valtion's throat. The imposing Lord of Jerba, who had been so intimidating when seizing Jade, now seemed utterly diminished before this frail elderly woman.
'This poor, powerless old thing plans to discard her useless flesh and take over Lord Valtion's body. Then I'll become a strong, mighty lord and rule Jerba for decades to come. These soldiers will soon serve the great lord that I become, so I can't kill them. In times like these, soldiers like Jerba's—hardworking and cheap—are hard to come by.'
The old woman said.
Valtion tried to crawl away across the floor, but she kicked his rear with her foot, sending him sprawling face-first, smashing his nose.
Blood streamed from his nose as Valtion crawled toward Jade.
'H-help me.'
Jade, still staring at Ricardor—who remained frozen with eyes wide open—asked,
'What did you do to Ricardor?'
'I was agonizing over it. Take Valtion's body, or Ricardor's? If Ricardor were fifteen, I'd have chosen the younger one without hesitation. But now... he's too young.'
'If you had the power to possess a human body, couldn't you have done it ages ago? Why go to all this trouble now?'
'If only Valtion had listened to me. But he didn't. Ignoring the precious advice of a citizen right beside him, while meekly obeying orders from the Rom Empire's emperor hundreds of miles away! So now I'll kill you myself. By taking a strong body!'
Jade walked toward the old woman as he spoke.
'Sometimes I can't read the thoughts of your kind. If you wanted me dead, why not finish me in the dungeon? Why this elaborate hassle? Probably because it requires innocent sacrifices. Killing just me isn't a big deal, but destroying a whole family? That's a grand tragedy.'
The old woman thrust up a single index finger.
'Actually, I did try to kill you. My sister even went to do it herself, but failed. I didn't know until just now, but I see it clearly. You're protected from the powers of beings like us, aren't you?'
Jade stepped past Valtion. Valtion reached out a hand for help, but let it droop as Jade passed by. He hadn't fainted yet, but didn't seem fully sane either.
Anna had passed out in her suspended pose from exhaustion and terror. Jade wished Ricardor had fainted too, but unfortunately, he hadn't.
'What is this holy power protecting you, priest?'
The old woman sneered.
Jade pulled a book from within his robes.
'This book.'
'The Bible? That's it?'
The old woman continued, sounding surprised.
'I've killed over ten Catholic priests, all carrying Bibles, and it meant nothing. Priests with Vatican relics, ascetics called saints—they all fell without resistance.'
Jade ignored her words and approached. The old woman raised one hand. Long beast claws had grown from her fingers, unseen before.
'I was wondering if you were a greater demon with a name. But you let it slip yourself. Duor is your sister. If you were greater, you'd call Duor your subordinate.'
'Why's that?'
'It means you don't even have a name. In other words, no need to waste brains or effort killing you.'
Jade held the book open in one hand. The pages turned on their own, stopping midway. In that instant, Jade seized the old woman's face. A sizzling burn echoed as if touching red-hot iron, white steam rising from her face.
The old woman screamed, slashing at Jade's forearm with her claws. But instead, her claws shattered.
Jade spoke to her in a voice thick with rage.
'This is my answer to your confession earlier. Be gone!'
White flames erupted from her face, consuming her skin, spreading down her neck to her chest and arms. The fire leaped to exposed bone where flesh burned away, scorching her skull and vertebrae.
Her clothes didn't burn amid the blaze, slipping off her body. The flames continued down her spine and pelvis, femurs and tibias.
In an instant, nothing remained but a handful of gray ash and her tattered garments.
Jade closed the book. The hand that had gripped her face held nothing. He clenched and unclenched it slowly. His fingertips trembled.
Glancing at the wall, he saw Father Daneel cradling Anna and gently laying her on the floor.
'I'll take care of her.'
Jade gave him a slight nod, then approached Ricardor.
'You alright, little lord?'
Ricardor still sat in the chair, having watched the entire scene unfold.
Jade knelt on one knee, brushing sweat from the boy's forehead. Ricardor chewed his lips, trying to speak, then bolted from the chair and threw his arms around Jade.
'I'm sorry, Father. I opposed it. I desperately opposed it. I said over and over you're not that kind of man, Father Jade. But the more I did, the more your crimes piled up. And I got branded a wicked child tainted by heresy too. I got scared and stopped defending you.'
'Ricardor...'
'I'm a bad kid. Punish me. Even now, that old lady terrified me so much I couldn't move. I couldn't stop her casting magic on Mom, couldn't do anything. I'm a coward. Punish me.'
Jade patted the boy's back reassuringly, then gently pulled him away. Too frightened to cry before, he now sobbed in relief.
Jade wiped the boy's tears as he spoke.
'No punishment needed. Because anyone would be scared in a situation like this. And courage comes after facing something truly terrifying. Now you have a chance to show yours.'
'A chance?'
'Go take care of your mother. Worrying about her despite this fear—that's real courage.'
Ricardor nodded firmly and ran to Anna.
Jade turned to the fallen Lord Valtion. He lay gasping, eyes wide with fear. Jade rose without a word.
Ricardor sat beside Anna where Daneel had laid her. Daneel had the boy grasp his mother's hand, then said,
'Mom will be fine. She'll wake in about an hour—stay with her till then.'
Ricardor nodded. Daneel smiled, ruffled the boy's hair, and stood.
Jade confirmed Daneel rising, then slowly headed back to the entrance.
Valtion called after his back.
'Did I just witness the power of a demon... or an angel?'
Jade paused briefly to reply.
'You saw nothing.'
He left the keep without stopping.
As Jade exited, he massaged his hands alternately. They still tingled and shook from burning the old woman.
'Aftereffects, huh? Not used to it yet?'
Daneel asked from behind.
'It feels worse than before, actually. That scream she let out—hurt so bad I wanted to scream myself.'
'This is trouble. If a lesser demon causes you that much pain, what about greater ones? And charging straight at it like that? Even watching from behind made me dizzy.'
Daneel scolded.
'I can only use direct contact. And...'
Jade shrugged and continued.
'Anyway, I'm not cut out for this. Watching that old woman die, it didn't look like a demon vanishing to me—it looked like an ordinary old person dying.'
'That wasn't human.'
'I know. But it looked that way, and that's what I saw.'
Jade passed through the unguarded gate.
Jade offered the book to Daneel.
'Here—returning this book now.'
'Quitting priesthood is your choice, but I won't take that book. Keep it.'
'Why?'
'You have work for it.'
Jade fell silent. Daneel walked on wordlessly.
Instead of the village, they headed toward the river. An old ferryman waited at the dock.
'Not wise showing your face to the ferryman.'
At Daneel's words, Jade pulled his hood low over his face.
The ferryman spotted Daneel approaching and rose.
'You kept me waiting.'
Daneel said gladly.
'Truth be told, I was agonizing over it.'
The ferryman glanced uneasily past Daneel and Jade's shoulders as he continued.
'In this deceitful world where cheats abound even for obvious deals, I worried: someone paying extra upfront? Must be a trap. Maybe I should bolt.'
'But you didn't.'
'Flee after taking five hass, then get banned from business here tomorrow? Could get two more hass instead...'
The ferryman subtly reminded of the bonus.
'You kept your word, so I'll keep mine.'
Daneel paid in silver and boarded. Jade followed.
The ferryman paid little heed to the hooded Jade. Or rather, tried not to.
The boat cut through the darkness, crossing the river. Silent aboard, only after disembarking and sending the ferryman off did Jade speak.
'Preparing a ferryman in the dead of night—what were you worried about?'
'Pursuers, maybe. Could be waiting at the big-ship port, or on the main road I first came by. Or not waiting—just run into them. So I took a different path.'
'Brought bad trouble, huh?'
'Bad trouble? Depends on perspective.'
'What kind?'
'To some, a holy destiny. To others, risky but profitable business. To some, an annoying duty.'
'You didn't come to save me—you came to dump that annoying errand on me?'
'Not quite. Saving you and assigning the task. Emperor's request timed perfectly, you know?'
'I never believe Father Daneel when he says "perfectly timed" or "coincidentally."'
Jade had a bad feeling—like he should toss the book in the river now. Or take the ferry back to St. Antonius Monastery, or even the lord's dungeon. But the boat was gone, and curiosity won.
'What errand?'
Daneel replied.
'Finding the Holy Grail.'
Jade let out a deep sigh.
'Shouldn't have asked.'