Chapter 233: Spoiler(5)
Chapter 233: Spoiler(5)
Despite the playful teasing from those around me due to the unexpected spoilers, my daily routine didn't change much.
During the week, I worked hard as Elena’s slave—no, her teaching assistant—while focusing on my writing. On the weekends, I exercised with Adelia to improve my physical stamina.
In particular, the time I spent with Adelia increased after I took a beating from Nicole. While she seemed happy about it, she also appeared somewhat overwhelmed.
She would say things like, "Wouldn't it be better to spend time with Mari or Cecile instead of me?" or "I'm perfectly happy just exercising together on the weekends." It seemed she still viewed herself as being beneath me.
Of course, I ignored all of that. Mari and Cecile had already agreed to step back during the weekends, so I could focus all my attention on Adelia.
Thanks to that, Adelia’s expression grew brighter as time passed, and her characteristic, confident smile returned. Every time I saw it, I couldn't help but think that her smile had a way of warming the hearts of those who saw it.
While Nicole’s pressure—or rather, her lack of subtlety—had brought us together, it was still a stretch to say we were fully "connected."
There were still secrets I hadn't told her, and those around me agreed that we should be cautious about that particular matter.
Still, Adelia seemed happy just to be by my side, a smile never leaving her face. Perhaps all women in love turn into children; despite being older than me, she frequently showed glimpses of adorable behavior.
"Come on! Just one more! Just one more rep! You can do it!"
"Ugh... Argh...!"
Except, of course, when we were training. Right now, I was in Adelia’s dormitory, doing squats under her energetic encouragement.
A barbell that looked heavy even at a glance was perched on my shoulders. It was so massive that I had to use mana to reinforce my body just to hold it.
Considering my body could easily lift a 100kg sack of rice, the fact that I was struggling this much should give you an idea of how heavy it was.
I usually trained my lower body through squats quite consistently, but for some reason, Adelia was pushing me much harder than before.
I didn't know if she was thinking about the "nighttime duties" we would eventually share or if she was doing this because there were more women around me now, but it was absolute torture.
Still, it was better than actually dying during said nighttime duties. Moreover, the rate of improvement was so massive thanks to the divine power I received from Luminous that I couldn't afford to stop.
"That's enough!"
"Phew!"
Thud!
As soon as Adelia gave the word, I dropped the barbell like a piece of luggage. It was so heavy I felt a slight tremor in the ground.
As I collapsed onto the floor, Adelia approached me, pulled a white handkerchief from her pocket, and began to wipe away my sweat.
It was the very handkerchief I had given her when she was in despair during the exhibition—a deeply meaningful item to her.
She looked at me with light-blue eyes filled with both pride and warmth as she encouraged me.
"Well done. Rest for ten minutes, then we'll move on to the next one."
"...Can't I rest a bit longer?"
"No. Your body is in its peak growth phase right now. You have to push through until then."
Adelia might blush and get flustered at even the slightest flirtation from me, but she was uncompromising when it came to exercise.
She had entered the path of a knight almost by force due to her family environment, but her heart was sincere. It was to the point where even if I pleaded, she would only let it slide for a moment before coldly refusing.
Thanks to her, my physical strength increased exponentially every week. While the divine power Luminous poured into me played a part, Adelia deserved the most credit.
Exercise is always twice as effective when someone is there to help. According to her father, Adelia was someone full of grit who prioritized efficiency.
'So that's why her body is...'
While Adelia was wiping my sweat, I glanced at her physique. She was wearing an outfit custom-made for exercise, provided by her family.
Like the one Nicole wore, the pants were training gear, but the top was a tank top that left her midriff and arms exposed.
I had caught a glimpse of it once before, but as expected, her body was the picture of health.
In particular, her abs, which were defined far beyond the standard "eleven-line" look, made me want to reach out and touch them.
"...What are you looking at?"
"Ah."
Perhaps I had been staring too blatantly, as Adelia asked me in a hesitant voice. Only then did I pull my gaze away from her abs and look at her face.
She blushed slightly, looking embarrassed, and shyly covered her stomach. She had clearly noticed where I was looking.
In the past, I would have turned my head away in embarrassment and said nothing, but not anymore. Now that I had accepted her, what was there to be shy about? We were going to see everything there was to see soon enough anyway.
More than anything, my gaze wasn't lecherous; I genuinely thought she was incredible. I wasn't lying.
Women naturally have much less muscle mass than men, so the fact that she had developed such abs was a testament to her immense effort.
So, without any ulterior motives, I spoke my mind.
"I just thought you were amazing. Even my sister wasn't at this level."
"...Really?"
Sensing the sincerity in my voice, Adelia slowly moved her arms away from her stomach.
Then, after glancing at me, she made a suggestion in a slightly trembling voice.
"D-do you want to touch them?"
"...What?"
Did I hear that right? I looked at Adelia with a stunned expression, seeing her face turn a deep shade of crimson.
But immediately after, she covered her face with both hands and collapsed onto the floor, hanging her head.
"Aaaah... that's not what I meant... What is wrong with me..."
"..."
I couldn't help but smile at the sight of her being mortified by her own words.
Still, she must have summoned a lot of courage to say that. I reached out and gently stroked the head of the woman collapsed on the floor.
Adelia flinched at my touch. But soon, she relaxed her body and began to enjoy the sensation.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
"...Thank you."
As soon as she replied, I smiled and slowly lowered my face. Since getting closer to Adelia, I had developed a new hobby.
I leaned my face close to her ear and whispered softly.
"I'll be able to touch them as much as I want soon enough anyway, right?"
"...Eek!"
My hobby was teasing Adelia. She let out a high-pitched shriek, clearly understanding the implication of my words.
I couldn't stop because she always gave such a fresh reaction whenever I played a prank like this.
I chuckled at the sight of her ears turning red and slowly lifted my head. Adelia still showed no intention of looking up.
'She really is cute.'
If I continued to show her affection like this, bit by bit, she would surely choose me even after I revealed that I was Xenon. In truth, there was no reason for her to become royalty of the Ters Republic.
Becoming my woman would put her in a much higher position than becoming a member of the Ters royal family.
'But I don't know why that Hiriya woman keeps sticking to me lately.'
I thought of Hiriya as I continued to stroke the head of the still-dazed Adelia.
Ever since her defeat in the duel against Adelia, Hiriya had been approaching me for some unknown reason.
That was also why we were exercising in Adelia’s dormitory today. Whenever we trained at the public training ground, Hiriya would eventually appear and wedge herself between us.
She wasn't just some common noble; she was a princess of another country, so I couldn't openly show my distaste. She was showing an excessive amount of interest, even though I already had official fiancées.
'It's not like she's trying to seduce me with some half-baked attempt.'
She was probably just annoyed that Adelia and I were close. Regardless, now that we had started exercising in the dormitory, I would rarely have to deal with her.
For now...
"Adelia? When are we starting again?"
"You... you did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"It's because you're so cute."
"Aaaah..."
I decided to enjoy the peaceful weekend. Spoilers or not, as long as my current life was happy, it didn't matter.
'I wonder if Kate will come back, though.'
The Holy Theocracy of Savior was currently in a state of utter turmoil. It wasn't just simple confusion; it was no exaggeration to say that its very foundations were being shaken.
It wasn't just a common priest, but a Cardinal who had been found colluding with demon worshippers. Furthermore, it was revealed that demon worshippers were exerting a far greater negative influence on the world than expected.
The people of Savior began to doubt the Holy Theocracy itself due to the existence of the fallen Cardinal, and they were even suspicious of ordinary priests.
If even a Cardinal had joined hands with demon worshippers, what about the regular clergy? They questioned if the priests were truly following the doctrines taught by Luminous.
This led to the birth of a new cultural practice called "Mass," where clergy and ordinary citizens gathered together to pray.
While private prayer could be done at any time, Mass was treated as an "obligation" and was conducted regardless of social rank.
This managed to put out the immediate fire, but incidents where priests were struck by divine punishment directly from Luminous occurred frequently during Mass.
Faced with signs that the corruption of the clergy was deeper than initially anticipated, Savior even declared a "Holy War."
So, what was Kate—the Cardinal and Grand Inquisitor who had been the catalyst for all of this—doing now? She was currently held in solitary confinement for committing an act of violence within the sacred Papal Court.
However, given her contributions, her release was a foregone conclusion.
Creeeeak—
A pitch-black solitary cell where only a single point of light entered through a small hole. As the thick iron door of the cell opened, someone appeared.
It was Deimos, an old man with thick, bushy eyebrows that almost covered his eyes and an equally lush beard.
He was a Cardinal of the same rank as Cardinal Bark and was one of those who had witnessed the divine punishment Luminous had personally delivered.
Deimos looked around the interior of the cell, which was illuminated by only a single beam of light, before shifting his gaze toward the center.
There, he saw Kate, kneeling in a reverent posture and offering a prayer, bathed in that single beam of light.
"...And so, grant us Your light. Give us the strength to bring hope to the righteous and to strike down the corrupt with Your iron hammer."
She continued to recite her prayer, unbothered by Deimos opening the door. It was one of the ancient doctrines passed down to Inquisitors.
It was a prayer that felt particularly appropriate for the current situation.
Eventually, as Kate finished her prayer, Deimos called out to her in his aged voice.
"...Cardinal Kate."
"Yes, Cardinal Deimos."
At the call, Kate slowly stood up and turned around. Since she had been provided with regular meals even while confined, her beauty remained as striking as ever.
No, Deimos could tell. The divine power radiating from her was several times stronger than before.
Perhaps she had gained some form of enlightenment after the series of events, as the scent of lilacs permeating the cell had grown even more intense. It was strong enough to make his nose tingle.
According to the guard, she had done nothing but recite prayers all day, except for meal and sleep times, showing just how much her faith had deepened.
"What brings you here?"
"It is an order from His Holiness. You are free to leave now."
"I see. Thank you."
Kate bowed her head with a gentle smile, appearing truly grateful. Deimos flinched involuntarily at the inexplicable sense of reverence he felt from her smile and actions.
She had always possessed strong divine power due to Luminous's blessing, but for even him, a fellow Cardinal, to feel such reverence was no ordinary matter.
Kate now possessed divine power that far exceeded that of a typical Cardinal. Between that and the lilac scent filling the cell, something was definitely different.
Deimos let out a low hum, cleared his throat a few times, and then spoke in a quiet voice.
"What do you intend to do now? Will you return to your pilgrimage to find Xenon as before?"
"Yes. I must."
Kate stated that she would resume her pilgrimage to find Xenon. Since she had stopped midway, it was a natural plan.
However, Deimos suspected that she had already found Xenon. What she had said during the incident with Cardinal Bark lingered in his mind.
'How dare you doubt him...'
One couldn't say such things without having met him personally. Of course, she could have been referring to Luminous, but through his long years of experience, Deimos could sense a subtle distinction.
However, he wouldn't ask directly. Not only did the chaos in Savior need to be quelled, but he was also too old. Such complicated matters should be pushed aside in favor of reality.
Still, he couldn't suppress his curiosity. What exactly did Kate intend to do once she met Xenon?
Stroking his thick beard, he asked in a cautious tone.
"May I ask you a question?"
"I will always welcome a question from Cardinal Deimos."
"If you meet Xenon, what do you plan to do?"
At that question, Kate blinked her green eyes slowly before breaking into a gentle smile. She even clasped her hands together neatly.
Was it just his imagination, or had the single beam of light behind her grown stronger? Deimos stared, entranced by her incredibly holy appearance.
Flash—
The single beam of light that had been shining into the dark cell grew more intense, eventually illuminating the entire room.
It was a holy and beautiful sight, as if all the surrounding darkness was being driven away.
While Deimos stood speechless at the indescribable scene, Kate spoke with a soft smile.
"My original goal was to receive his seed and please Lord Luminous. However, that was my arrogance and a misunderstanding. He was not a 'light' that someone like me could ever hope to contain. He is a light so beautiful, brilliant, and holy that it is blinding."
"..."
"So, I want to go to him and tell him something."
Finally, she unclasped her hands and slowly moved them downward. Past her ample chest, past her solar plexus and navel, and finally to her lower abdomen, where a child would grow.
Kate looked down at her lower abdomen with shimmering green eyes and continued, gently stroking herself.
"Just as a plant grows when a seed is planted in the earth."
It was a purity untainted by even a speck of filth, yet for that very reason, it was a terrifying 'madness.'
"I want to ask him to spread the Seed of Light far and wide."
She didn't even realize that something was wrong.
"Including to me."
It was the image of a true fanatic.