Chapter 580: Can't I Just Stand on His Side?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 580: Can't I Just Stand on His Side?
"If you do that, the person who will look after that girl—the Saintess—will find you. When they do, just give them my name, Audin Pumrei, and ask them for the favor."
She was a child who had awakened divine power. If left to her own devices, she would be hunted by the Holy Order for the rest of her life.
Given her outstanding talent, she wouldn't be caught easily, but rather than letting her be chased forever, it was only right to hide her well. Besides, she needed to learn how to control the divine power she had awakened before she lost consciousness.
Audin knew the perfect person for this task.
"Who is that?"
He had mentioned his father, but Encrid knew no such person existed. Intrigued, Encrid asked, and Audin replied.
"My adoptive father, who is rumored to be dead."
The man who raised Audin was a legendary figure who had once risen to the position of Pope of the God of War. Though blind, he was said to be able to glimpse the future.
Audin knew the truth about his adoptive father, however.
His vision was so poor that he could only distinguish things directly in front of him, but he wasn't actually blind. Yet, he went around claiming to be blind at every opportunity. His reasoning was that if others interacted with him without knowing the truth, they would expose their every opening.
His poor eyesight was apparently the result of reading too many books by candlelight in his youth.
He had faked his death by being stoned after being branded a heretic. But the place where he was stoned was Legion, a corner of the city where Audin had been born and raised. It was also the city where his father had been born and raised.
Have you found the resolve to hold the shield of God?
He felt as if he could hear his father's voice echoing in his mind.
His father was undoubtedly still alive and well. After faking his death, he was likely living a very comfortable life, using his insight to glimpse the future and his divine power to help others. Saving children abandoned by the Holy Order, rescuing fugitives branded as heretics—that sort of thing.
He—Audin's adoptive father—was surely still living in the love of God and following the teachings of the Lord Father. He was the abandoned saint, the man who wandered the continent under the name of the Ragged Saint.
I am a bit late, aren't I? Audin spoke to his father in his heart.
When they eventually met, he would ask for forgiveness. Even so, his father would not scold him. He wouldn't even say he was late. That was the kind of man he was.
He would simply say, "Come here. It is good to see you again," and nothing more.
In any case, Audin had now broken his shackles with his own hands and stepped out of the prison of his delusions.
Fildin's illusion glared at him from the side. No—the glaring eyes soon curved into gentle crescents. Fildin smiled.
"Why didn't you do that sooner? Why would I ever resent you? It's not like that. Can I ask you just one favor? I hope you won't let any more children end up like me. You can do it."
Were those Fildin's actual words, or was it merely an illusion conjured by his own exhausted mind? Or perhaps it was a revelation bestowed upon him by God.
Honestly, it didn't matter. From now on, he intended to act as his heart guided him, just like Encrid, his captain.
"I will surely do so," Audin replied to the illusion.
It was the first time he had spoken to it since it appeared. Even though he was completely drained of strength and filled with exhaustion, the sheer will behind his words summoned a fragment of holy light, illuminating his body.
He shone as a solitary source of light in the darkness. The light felt as if God Himself were cheering him on. His will soon transformed into divine power, shedding a brilliant glow.
Encrid thought it was quite a sight to behold.
*
In any case, Encrid decided to take charge of the Saintess for the time being.
Apparently, the child was not mentioned in the revelation Overdear spoke of. In other words, even if they took her, it would be difficult to protect her.
Without even resting properly, Audin departed immediately with Overdear. Encrid picked up the Saintess in his arms and turned around.
"She will need more rest before she wakes."
Just as Audin had said, the girl showed no signs of waking up.
"Then I will find the Ragged Saint and contact you through the Border Guard."
Bert departed as well.
Those who remained returned to the city. Deutsch Fullman naturally offered up his own space. After soaking his body in a hot bath, Encrid politely declined a maid's offer to scrub his back.
"Oh, but I really don't mind. I want to do it. I can do it..."
As the maid hesitated, Sinar stepped in and nudged her away. "It is fine. That is my job."
"Ah, Sinar... is it true that you're over four hundred years old? Your age..."
When Encrid asked, the elf smiled. It was a rare smile, but strangely, this time only her mouth curved upward. There was absolutely no warmth in her eyes.
Encrid recalled the saying that asking a lady her age was akin to a sin. When had he heard that? It was something he had overheard back when he was escorting noblewomen to and from banquets.
"You cannot even understand an elf's joke."
"Was that a joke?"
"Of course."
"Then how old are you this year?"
If four hundred and forty-eight wasn't a joke, then even if elves and humans had different lifespans, wouldn't it be perfectly fine to call her a grandmother?
"An older woman is always charming."
Sinar turned away, offering that instead of a direct answer.
The amusing part was that when she said those words, Sinar's vital energy seemed to manifest as her sheer will. To put the weight of one's will behind the statement that older women are charming...
What an incredible talent.
In any case, she truly was an extraordinary elf. Putting her age aside, her confident attitude itself was undeniably charming. Encrid thought to himself as he surrendered his body to the hot water.
He also heard that several maids had gathered to wash the Saintess.
After bathing, he sat at the dining table and was served warm soup and tender, perfectly cooked pork, despite it being prepared in a hurry.
"It melts in the mouth."
When Encrid spoke, an attendant conveyed his words to the chef. In this city, Encrid was just as famous as he was in the Border Guard.
"It is an honor that you enjoyed it."
The chef, wearing a clean white hat, matching white clothes, and a purple cloth tied across his chest, stepped out briefly to say those words. The purple cloth on his uniform signified that his skills had been officially recognized by the Culinary Guild. In short, he was an exceptional chef.
Beside him, Sinar filled her stomach with greens and fruits, though her meal was also a highly refined dish, enhanced with dressing, crushed almonds, and cashews. It was good enough to make even Sinar nod in approval.
Deutsch had also assigned them the finest guest room for their quarters. After a restful night's sleep, they were now on their way back.
"Until next time."
Deutsch Fullman, a man of loyalty, spoke, and Encrid replied.
"If any trouble arises, contact the Border Guard. I'll help with whatever I can."
"I will do so."
Deutsch did not decline Encrid's offer. The Knight of the Iron Wall himself was saying he owed him a favor. In truth, Deutsch was already more than satisfied with just that.
With that, they boarded the carriage Deutsch had prepared for them in the city.
"We are departing."
The unconscious Saintess, Sinar, and Encrid settled into the carriage. The carriage slowly rolled along the road. And just as they were passing through a field of marigolds—the flowers of the Holy Mother, blooming in vibrant yellow—the Saintess opened her eyes.
*
Overdear had been born the son of a lord who owned orchards, and he had met countless people on his journey to his current position. Among them, there were a few whom he personally considered extraordinary, regardless of whether they were good or evil.
Yet, even to Overdear, Encrid was a type of human he had never encountered before.
A man who stood resolute in the face of threats and blades? They existed. He had seen quite a few. But he had never seen anyone so thoroughly consumed by madness.
They called them the Order of Madness, and that title was absolutely fitting.
He does not back down.
It felt as though he had witnessed an iron wall that would never crumble, no matter what. Had he held back? No. Yet, his opponent had no intention of retreating. Not a single tremor of hesitation could be found in the will he displayed.
No one could witness that and not be astonished.
Death, defeat, despair, frustration. It was as if such concepts did not exist in his mind at all.
"He seems to be an extraordinary man, that brother of ours."
The words slipped out of his mouth naturally. It was his honest impression. To be even more honest, he couldn't fathom what kind of person Encrid truly was.
He knew Encrid was one who moved forward. For once one rose to the rank of knight, they were inevitably divided into those who moved forward and those who stayed in place. This was something any knight who had attained a certain level of skill would acknowledge.
Some viewed becoming a knight as the end of their journey. They had overcome the limits of their talent but failed to overcome the limits of their mind. Conversely, there were those who continued to press forward even after becoming knights.
This fellow, Encrid, was clearly the latter.
In terms of sheer skill, the man walking beside him, Audin, was twice as good. And even if one looked at talent, Encrid's could hardly be called exceptional. Yet, he left the strongest impression. The flame of will blazing in those two blue eyes was something one could never forget after seeing it once.
"If you mean our captain, then yes. You are correct," Audin replied as he walked alongside him.
It was a quiet path. Both of them had bypassed the mountain and were walking briskly. Overdear's body was not in perfect condition, but walking this much was nothing to him, and it was even less of a chore for Audin.
As they trudged along a path covered in fallen autumn leaves, Overdear finally spoke.
"Will you return eventually?"
Overdear asked. Honestly, ever since he saw Audin's Holy Pillar, he had been coveting his talent. If possible, he wanted to keep Audin by his side and groom him as his successor. Of course, he would have to test his character first.
But Audin nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Yes, I will return."
To him, it was an obvious choice. Since his own will and intent were clear, the answer came without a moment's hesitation.
Overdear coveted him, but he knew that no matter what he said, it wouldn't work on Audin. Should he keep him even if it meant deceiving him? That wouldn't be easy, nor did he want to resort to such measures. Normally, he wouldn't hesitate to use any means necessary, but...
I don't want to stand on the opposite side.
He did not want to become Encrid's enemy. They said it was best to avoid dealing with madmen, but he had a feeling. As long as he worked for the Holy Order, the day would come when they would meet again.
Standing on the opposite side of that madman? He hated the thought.
Even though he had beaten Encrid and was confident he could subdue him at any moment, Overdear genuinely felt this way. A brilliant blue will shone. If Encrid had been within the embrace of the Holy Order, Overdear would have likely taken him as his disciple and passed down everything to him.
It was a lingering regret. If only he could control that madness and bring him under his command...
Oh, that would be spectacular.
But it would be no easy task.
I wonder if there's any way to bring him into the Holy Order?
He idly entertained such thoughts. If given the chance, he wanted to bring him into the fold somehow.
Through marriage?
Whether it was the Order of War or the Cult of Abundance, they tended to encourage marriage. What if he matched him with an exceptionally beautiful priestess?
Along with that thought, Sinar's face came to mind. An otherworldly beauty, exceptional even among elves. Priestesses—especially those called shrine maidens—never neglected to refine their bodies and minds, but even so, it wouldn't be easy.
In the end, no matter what, he couldn't easily drag Encrid to his side.
But that doesn't mean there is no way.
Overdear was certainly superior to the matchmakers from the Empire or the envoys from the South. His caliber was different. The answer he silently arrived at proved just that.
Can't I just stand on his side?
It was a simple truth. If you cannot draw the other person to your side, you can simply go to theirs. Then they would be on the same side, standing on the same line.
Of course, he would only do so if Encrid's will remained clear and his path remained righteous. Whether that would be the case could be discerned by observing this bear-like man walking beside him. For this very man would reveal what kind of person Encrid was and tell him where his will and intent lay.
Only then did Overdear nod deeply.
"Good."
"What is good? If you are harboring some devious thoughts, you had better drop them, Brother. At your age, that's just called acting foolish."
"Haha, it is nothing of the sort. Let us keep moving."
There was no real malice in Audin's words. Overdear recognized this and simply laughed.
To be honest, Audin didn't particularly like this paladin either, but he respected his resolve. Had he not shown the determination to purify the Holy Order, even if it cost him his life and stripped him of his future honor?
Naturally, Audin had believed that such a person must exist within the Holy Order, and Overdear was the very symbol of that belief. Just as Overdear saw Encrid through Audin, Audin did the same. Audin looked at Overdear, trying to find whatever purity remained in the Holy Order.
If Overdear merely desired to become another corrupt leader of the Holy Order, Audin was fully prepared to crush his skull at any moment. Fortunately, there was no need for the two of them to fight to the death.
Afterward, they focused on the plan they called the revelation, and they succeeded quite easily.
On the continent, this would later be known as the Reformation of the Holy Order—though that was a story for the future.