An Uncomfortable Meal (2)
"It has been a while, Bishop Andre."
The bishop nodded at the sound of his name, his smile deepening. His already narrow eyes curved into thin slits. The rosary hanging around his neck caught the streetlights, glowing faintly like a distant moon.
"I believe the last time we met was before the first expedition... just before you set off to defeat the Third Calamity? I trust you have been enjoying your vacation."
Vacation? Can't he see I literally just got back from work? Is he mocking me?
I wasn't in the mood for small talk, so I immediately changed the subject.
"What brings a bishop of the Holy Kingdom all the way to the Kairos Kingdom?"
The bishop twitched an eyebrow. His expression seemed to ask, Do you really not know? Well, did he ask about my vacation because he actually thought I was enjoying one?
"I would think the Hero would know better than anyone. Though, this street corner is hardly the place for an open discussion..." The bishop said, casting a brief glance around them.
Yes, I knew. It had to do with Isis's sudden departure from the Hero Party. Daphne's bewildered face, my own strained expression, and Bishop Andre's genial smile combined to create a bizarre tableau.
Bishop Andre glanced at Daphne, then offered a polite nod.
"Ah, you must be the Hero's new companion. A pleasure to meet you. I am Andre Zabin."
"I-I am Daphne Epiphone."
Daphne hesitated before returning the greeting, then slowly shrank back behind me. There was a subtle, suffocating pressure hidden beneath that gentle smile of his.
With a quiet sigh, I stepped forward, shielding Daphne from his view. Bishop Andre was a dangerous man, though in a very different way from others. I knew all too well what lurked beneath that pleasant facade. Glancing at the bishop's flickering shadow, I quietly braced myself.
"I imagine the Holy Kingdom has no shortage of urgent matters. I'm surprised you made the journey yourself."
"When it concerns the Hero, how could we send anyone of lesser standing? The Pope himself commanded me to look into it, so it is only right that I personally make the trip."
Bishop Andre let out a soft sigh. If not for his clerical robes, he could easily have passed for a weary office worker facing another night of overtime. But the weariness vanished from his face in an instant as he clapped his hands together. His mastery over his own expressions was truly remarkable.
"By the way, have you eaten? If you don't mind, I would love to share a meal and have a quiet chat..."
The bishop turned his gaze to Daphne. Behind my back, I felt her shoulders tense.
"What about you, Lady Daphne? As a member of the Hero Party, you are more than welcome to join us. I would be delighted to treat you both. I have already secured a rather excellent establishment."
Daphne shook her head instantly. A wise choice. No matter how one looked at it, this was not an atmosphere conducive to a pleasant dinner. She then cast a worried look in my direction.
"Go on ahead, Daphne. Tomorrow is the weekend, so get some rest and I'll see you on Monday."
Even as she stepped back, she seemed hesitant to leave. She looked like a puppy waiting outside the bathroom door for its owner. Only after I gave her a reassuring smile did she finally bow, turning back several times to look at me as she slowly disappeared down the brightly lit street.
I felt a prickle on the back of my neck. When I turned back, Bishop Andre was watching me with an intrigued expression.
"...Your personality seems to have changed a bit. Or is she simply someone special to you?"
"I don't recall us knowing each other long enough for you to comment on my personality."
I kept my tone deliberately sharp, but Bishop Andre remained unfazed. It was probably a response that aligned closely enough with the original Elroy's temperament.
"Well, fair enough. In any case, do you have some time? If it is truly impossible, I will not insist, but..."
As if I have a choice.
A cold shiver crept up my spine, clawing at the back of my mind. I couldn't let him see it, lest I arouse his suspicion. Forcing my expression to remain perfectly calm, I nodded.
"No, it's fine. I knew we would need to talk eventually."
Satisfied with my answer, Bishop Andre gave a small nod and turned around without another word. The rosary around his neck swayed, catching the light. Keeping my guard up, I followed a few paces behind him. As we walked, I recalled what kind of man Bishop Andre was in the original novel.
Andre Zabin. One of the bishops of the Holy Church, the dominant religion in I Will Never Go Back. He was characterized by his narrow eyes, short, neat blonde hair streaked with silver, and a gentle impression. He was tall—nearly the same height as Elroy—and had a slender build. On the surface, he seemed like nothing more than a typical supporting clergyman. But...
"The weather is quite pleasant tonight."
Behind that smile as he looked back at me lurked a butcher holding a crucifix. Some called him the Executioner; others called him the Inquisitor. Those who despised his organization sneered at them as the "dogs of the Holy Church" or the "Pope's hounds." But there was an official title for Andre Zabin and his faction.
Heretic Inquisitors.
A group that stopped at nothing to uphold the authority of the Holy Church. Murder was their specialty, torture was their hobby, and kidnapping and blackmail were as natural to them as breathing. Of course, the Inquisitors were the Church's most secretive branch, rarely operating in the open. Consequently, most people didn't even know they existed, let alone who their members were, and those who did often dismissed them as mere urban legends.
Well, I, at least, knew the terrifying truth. And now, I was about to have a private dinner with the leader of those monsters. As if I'll be able to digest a single bite.
"Ah, here we are. This is the restaurant I found. Quite charming, isn't it? It's a pity you've lived in the Royal Capital all this time without discovering such a hidden gem."
"...I haven't exactly had the leisure to go hunting for gourmet restaurants."
"How unfortunate."
Andre gestured toward the entrance of a small restaurant bearing a sign that read The Full Moon. Feeling like a man carrying kindling into a raging fire, I stepped through the door he held open.
"I stumbled upon this place a few months ago during a visit to the Royal Capital, and the chef's skills are truly magnificent. They even cater perfectly to my specific tastes. You have much to look forward to."
Andre spoke as he took a seat in a quiet corner, clearly familiar with the layout. Bishop Andre hadn't come to assassinate the Hero—at least, not today. If that had been his goal, I would already be dead. In the original novel, Elroy's death didn't happen at this point, so it was highly likely he had truly just come to talk.
Clack, clack.
A bottle of wine was placed on the table. Andre accepted it with a pleased expression and uncorked it immediately. It probably wasn't a particularly expensive vintage, but he didn't seem to mind.
Glug, glug.
Dark red wine filled my glass. Given the identity of the man pouring it, I had to actively fight the urge to associate the deep crimson liquid with blood.
"Ah, I nearly forgot to say. My sincerest congratulations on defeating the Third Calamity. Though I suppose it is a bit belated."
Andre raised his brim-full glass. Reluctantly, I raised mine to meet it.
"Save your congratulations. Praising me for that only makes me feel embarrassed."
Bishop Andre smiled, wetting his lips with the wine. Through the narrow slits of his eyes, his grey pupils locked onto me. I could only hope there wasn't a hidden blade lurking behind that gaze.
"My, how modest. Even so, the Hero who defeated the Third Calamity now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the legendary figures of old. If you find such mild praise embarrassing, you will have a difficult time ahead."
"Your preamble is getting long."
I cut him off flatly. It wasn't out of bravado, nor was I trying to provoke him. This butcher of men was far too clever to be rattled by a minor slight. Proving my point, Bishop Andre set his glass down, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Didn't you have something else you wanted to ask me?"
The bishop took another sip of his wine. The more abrasive my attitude, the more intrigued he seemed to become. What a freak. Though I couldn't tell if his growing interest was a good thing or a bad thing.
"I knew there would be friction between you and Isis the very first time I saw you."
"I'm sure Isis knew it too," I replied nonchalantly, prompting a hearty chuckle from the bishop.
"Hero, your public prestige is of utmost importance. That is precisely why we granted you such immense authority over the expeditionary force."
The bishop slowly swirled his wine. While I hadn't touched a single drop, he had already emptied a third of his glass.
"After all, you are not merely an adventurer tasked with vanquishing threats to the world. You are an envoy of the Kairos Kingdom traveling abroad, and to our Holy Church, you are the chosen warrior, the living proof of our myths, and the propagator of our faith."
With every word he spoke, another heavy title was piled onto my shoulders. Grimacing, I waved my hand to cut him off.
"Get to the point. What are you trying to say?"
"We cannot allow a mere mercenary to drive a wedge between the Saintess and the Hero. Surely you understand this?"
Clack.
Plates began to fill the space between us. A steaming cut of meat was placed before me, while a bean salad and bread were set in front of the bishop. He picked up his fork with an air of enjoyment, spearing some greens and popping them into his mouth. A vegetarian Heretic Inquisitor. The sheer irony of it was almost laughable. The bishop chewed politely, swallowed, and spoke again.
"Regardless of your reasons for banishing that mercenary, Isis should not have acted as she did. She should have remained by your side until the very end. This incident makes me wonder if we were perhaps too hasty in assembling the Hero Party before everyone was fully matured."
Right. Isis probably believed the Holy Church would never dare touch her. To some extent, she was right, but she had overlooked a crucial detail. While they couldn't touch her, Aryen—who was now nothing more than a wandering mercenary—was fair game.
"But do not worry. The Saintess will return to the party shortly. And we will see to it that the mercenary who enticed her away is properly punished."
Let's frame it as the mercenary coaxing Isis into leaving the party. We'll overlook everything else. That was the unspoken proposal the bishop was offering. His smile was gentle, which only made it infinitely more terrifying. It felt less like talking to a human and more like staring down a dagger poised to pierce my throat at any moment.
"It seems you have already found a replacement for that mercenary as well. So, you have nothing to worry about, Hero. We can delay the next expedition and give you time to reorganize the party once Isis returns."
In the original novel, there was an arc where the Heretic Inquisitors clashed with Aryen. They kidnapped Isis shortly after she reunited with Aryen, driving Aryen into a blind rage. He grew exponentially stronger and slaughtered the Inquisitors. That incident forced Aryen, who had wanted to live a quiet life, to actively begin hunting the Calamities. Consequently, the Holy Church's reputation plummeted, and Elroy's descent into ruin began in earnest.
I had to stop this. Even if I was preparing for contingencies, this was too dangerous. But how?
"However, we cannot afford to wait too long, so we will resolve this as quickly as possible—"
"Isis," I interrupted mid-sentence.
A potential way out of this situation flashed through my mind.
"She didn't leave the party to follow that mercenary, Aryen."
"...Oh?"
A strange light flickered in Bishop Andre's grey eyes. The Inquisitor's gaze felt like iron bars, locking onto me and trapping me in place.
"Then?"
Acting as nonchalantly as possible, I set my fork down on the plate, leaned back in my chair, and met Bishop Andre's gaze. I let a haughty look settle into my eyes, just as the original Elroy would have.
"I banished the Saintess myself."