52. Hierarchy Adjustment
Two children had gathered in Sugar's room. They sat with their heads pressed together, pencils in hand, scribbling on paper.
While they had been wrestling in the courtyard, Cedric the Guardian had called them over. Now here they were, handing over paper and pencils.
'Come here, you brats.''Even so, you need to know about what happened that day. Write it properly while talking to each other. Can you write?''And if there's something you want to talk about, come find me.'
The last part seemed aimed especially at Ryly, but either way, they had to do something. So the two of them had gathered and were writing reports.
“I was checking on you while you were sleeping. There was the Dark God's power there. So I don't know how to write about it now.”
“Your power was also exposed.”
“Exactly…”
They conversed naturally while also writing on extra sheets of paper.
'How am I supposed to hide the book story? I have to hide it without leaving any traces.'
The thought was not to say it out loud. Ryly hesitated for a moment before drawing a circle, and Sugar continued writing.
'Then I can write that I escaped from the altar as is... and then just say “But suddenly Rubshi appeared...” to summarize. Suddenly one of the Apostles betrayed the cult and made us run away. Ryly just climbed the mountain to look for Sugar and got hurt with me—like that.''The magic I wrote at the end doesn't make sense.''That's just got to be written honestly. My magical properties were already exposed. It was like “it worked out somehow”.''I was curious. How did you do that technique? Is it still possible?''I didn't try it because they took my staff, but I don't know. Back then, I heard a voice and followed it, but now... I think I need to practice or have the environment set up.'
Ryly stopped writing for a moment. Thinking about something, he tapped the paper, then started writing the reply.
“Why did you offer your hand back then? I mean, how did you know for sure?”
Sugar glanced at Ryly's face once, then continued with the note.
“Even if I shot it straight, I knew it would have weak attack power. I thought you would help.”
“So I was thinking about how I could change your magic—”
Ryly stopped writing what he had been writing. Sugar tapped his arm. When he looked up, Sugar was standing from her chair.
“Hey, where are you going?”
“I'm hungry. Let's eat first and then write.”
“…”
Ryly stood up with a puzzled expression. Sugar had already opened the door and left the room.
More important than answering my question? That bit of food? With a sullen feeling, he followed behind. The girl whispered quietly.
“Of course, because I trust you.”
That's what she said! Ryly shut his mouth tightly.
***
Thinking about it, it seemed like he hadn't eaten anything for a week. Could a person live like this? Sugar marveled as she searched for a restaurant.
The Holy City's great cathedral was the largest on the continent, so first-timers often got lost. Of course, usually a guide would follow each one.
The two children hadn't entered as guests following the formal procedure, and there was no guide. So they roughly grabbed passing priests to ask for directions.
“Is that building a restaurant?”
It gave off the atmosphere of one. Moreover, the smell of food. It was around lunchtime, so it seemed bustling.
Sugar's eyes sparkled. Her saliva glands stimulated, she hopped excitedly.
Seeing that, Ryly sighed. No one around was running or acting recklessly. They chatted lightly but basically everyone was quietly moving around. He sighed at the contrast.
“Why! Normally kids can be like that.”
“Those ones?”
Pointing with his finger, he saw young children standing quietly in line, entering the restaurant one by one. Maybe they were victims of the heresy incident like Sugar and Ryly. Or perhaps children of the Holy Knights.
Either way, watching them, Sugar suddenly jumped out.
“Wait...! Where are you going!”
There was no time to stop. Was she trying to make friends? Boldly standing in front of the kids, Sugar chatted a few times and soon returned to Ryly.
But her expression was different from before. Dark and gloomy. She looked like she had been through something. For Sugar, rare.
“I got sorted...”
“What?”
“The kids are scary... No, wait, those aren't the kids...”
What did she hear? Looking at the kids, they were smiling shyly and waving.
Looking back at Sugar, she shook her head. And then just clung to Ryly's side.
“You're the only one for me.”
She rubbed her soft cheek against Ryly's shoulder.
Unexpected skinship. What to do in this situation? The boy who didn't know the answer froze his body.
“Yum, yum, yip, yip.”
Making some incomprehensible sounds, she kept rubbing her cheek.
What, what, what does this mean? What is this behavior?
The warm heat, the fidgeting movements were inexplicably sweet. Ryly glanced at Sugar. Frowning, eyes narrowed, cheeks flushed.
Sugar also looked up at his face.
“Why? It's a way to get close.”
Her face was calm while saying that. As expected, a strong one. No change in expression.
No, her cheeks seemed a bit red. Still, without any sign of embarrassment, she was bold.
“... Done.”
Ryly turned his head away sharply.
And without looking back, he entered the restaurant, so Sugar followed closely. While doing so, she thought.
'Hierarchy adjustment successful.'
She secretly made a V sign.
The incident in the courtyard earlier was a mistake. Seeing the boy's face, her heart was inexplicably racing. Somehow she had managed to gloss over it, but such a thing shouldn't have happened.
She was in the position of having to watch Ryly get embarrassed and flustered. The opposite couldn't be done.
Her mental age was high, and she was 'older sister' no less. As an elder, she shouldn't tease the younger one, no, no.
'Hoo hoo.'
You can't do this, right? I can't do it.
Even though it seemed like boasting, but anyway, Sugar was a bit strange from the beginning.
Joyfully entering the cathedral's restaurant for the first time.
***
“My goodness, Saint...”
Is this heaven? The food on the serving tray was modest compared to the grand buffet, but for Sugar who had only eaten thin orphanage soup every day, it was like a feast.
Meat stew, white bread, salad. With these three, it was enough to move the poor girl's heart.
“Ah...”
Drinking the stew, it seeped in. Feeling the warm brown broth seep into every part of her body, turning into blood and flesh. Even though digestion hadn't started, it was felt.
Then she tore the white bread and put it in her mouth. Soft and smooth bread like Sugar's cheek. The subtle butter scent was good. Slightly tearing and dipping in the stew, it couldn't be anything but paradise.
The salad was also fresh vegetables she hadn't eaten in a long time, and it was good. Each bite bursting with crispness gave a refreshing feeling.
Ryly also seemed to like the meal, quietly but busily moving his hands.
“Ooh~ It's Ryly~”
Sugar picked up a bright red cherry tomato with a fork, and Ryly, without a word, pinched her cheek. Sugar made a 'Gua wa wa' strange sound while steadily putting the tomato in her mouth.
At that moment.
“Finally found you... You were waiting for us.”
A female Holy Knight approached unsteadily in front of the two. She had a memory of her. On the day of the incident, the female Holy Knight with Cedric. She sat with a tired face somewhere and then slammed her face on the table.
“What brings you here?”
“The captain told me to bring you to the restaurant... I went to the room but you weren't there... I walked around the cathedral... Finally found you.”
The paths crossed.
“Ah... Sorry.”
“What is there to apologize for...”
After handling the heretic remnants and post-processing, upon returning to Seongdo, the cathedral tour. As a Holy Knight, it wasn't difficult, but the fatigue from the past few days made her drag her feet like this.
“Go ahead and eat something.”
“Ah... go ahead... Eat and then I'll guide you through the cathedral. You all seem to have almost finished... Can you wait a little? Or you can go play outside.”
Don't go too far- When options were given, they decided to wait to get closer. Then the Holy Knight returned with a tray piled high with food. Sugar thought she ate a lot, but it was a drop in the bucket. She put in such a large amount silently, almost absorbing it.
“This is a Holy Knight...”
“Why do you feel awe from there...”
When Sugar whispered next to her, Ryly interrupted.
The meal ended in 5 minutes. The three came out of the restaurant.
“How is life here? Is it okay?”
“It's warm and the food is delicious. But sometimes, there are people who don't understand what you're saying...”
Ryly nodded vigorously next to her. He must have been through it too.
“Haha... that's right. But it's a place where it can't be helped.”
Understood. The Saint spread magic, defeated the demons like on the continent. The hero's remains sent by heaven, where his descendants live. In such a precious land, maintaining their own forms and procedures to assert authority.
“But now there are many free-spirited Guardians, so it's much better than before. Originally, I couldn't even make a sound in the restaurant. When entering, I had to enter with my right foot first, head at this angle, utensils like this... I had to follow all these rituals.”
“I see?”
It seemed that because the Guardians were leading it, the atmosphere changed according to their tendencies. Either way, it was fortunate. If such rituals remained now, Sugar might have gone crazy.
“Were you here then too, Holy Knight?”
“Call me Peco. And, of course, I wasn't here then. It's quite old. The recent talk was passed on by other colleagues.”
Nodding, Peco slowly took the lead.
The exciting cathedral tour began.
“As you can see from the size, this is the main hall. Almost everything is here. The side building over there is the priests' quarters, and over there is the children's learning place.”
Seeing that place, Sugar's expression became displeased.
'Welcome, Sister! Are you here for lunch? Nice to meet you! We welcome you, Sister! Where are you from, Sister? Have you been baptized? Come with us!'
“...”
Recalling the scary kids from the restaurant, she turned her head.
Then, a high tower came into view. The white outer wall tower standing outside the cathedral. It was a place where one's gaze would naturally go.
“Ah, there. That's where the Saintess lives.”
When Sugar was looking, Peco explained.
The Saint's bloodline that has continued for two thousand years. Not the heresy nonsense, but the real Saintess.
Next to Sugar staring at the tower where such a person lived, Ryly approached.
As if asking what, he took her hand. An extremely natural action.
“What are you doing. Let's go.”
“...”
Sugar slightly rolled her eyes to look at the hand. When Sugar kept not moving, Ryly, thinking it strange, followed her gaze.
“... Ah.”
Was it something he didn't realize? Ryly shut his mouth tightly and slightly pulled his hand, but Sugar grabbed it harder. And she moved her fingers around to make a firm clasp. There was also a 'Hng-' sound from her nose.
Then Ryly, not to be outdone, held her hand and pressed his shoulder against Sugar's shoulder. Since he couldn't follow what Sugar did in front of the restaurant, he tried something similar.
Height difference. The boy who was slightly shorter than Sugar at first meeting was now taller than Sugar by a bit. Feeling the freshness of the high air, looking down slightly at Sugar while shoulder to shoulder, the little girl shivered.
This behavior was embarrassing, but watching the reaction, it was oddly pleasant. So, lifting the corner of his mouth, he smiled faintly, and Sugar murmured 'Onya...' while trying to bring the clasped hand to her mouth. Ryly, startled, put strength in his arm to resist, and on the other side, she also put strength.
Thus, the second round began. Holding hands amicably while saying to give up, they nagged.
Peco, who had been informed by Cedric beforehand about the two's relationship, watched with a tired face. Yelling for justice, but on the other hand, a full expression of the resentment of a late 20s woman who can't make a lover due to work.
***
The tower reaching to the sky.
The noble person living there sat quietly in the chair as usual. Since her face was covered by a veil, no one knew her expression, but the attendants who served her for a long time could still somewhat gauge her mood.
“Saintess... again, that person is running away...”
A priestess said with a sad tone, “The Saintess... again, that person is running away...”
The Saintess who knew the situation in Seongdo well nodded.
“Bring them.”
“I will obey...”
It wasn't particularly a bad mood. It was a thing that happened almost every day, so it couldn't be bad. Ione, the Saintess, wasn't someone with emotional ups and downs. Rather, she was like a stone.
She just closed her eyes, thinking about when her younger brother would listen.