The Vampire's Tower
“Perhaps… you already know this as well, Sir Harnok. Before His Holiness ascended to the papal throne… he was one of the heroes who set out on the expedition to vanquish the Archdemon.”
Upon hearing Sister Celine’s words, Harnok nodded vigorously.
“Of course I know. The tale of the Archdemon Subjugation Expedition is well known even among my tribe. After all, our tribe’s great warrior took part as one of the heroes in that very expedition.”
“That is correct. His Holiness’s achievements from that time became the foundation upon which he rose to the papal seat. After ascending, he ruled with justice for the weak and the faithful, earning him the title of the Righteous Emperor…!”
As she spoke, Celine’s voice grew increasingly choked with emotion.
“But that is all in the past now… Until about ten years ago, he was still vigorous, but His Holiness is well over a hundred years old. Considering his age, it is perhaps more surprising that he remained so hale for so long… Roughly four or five years ago, his steps began to slow noticeably… Now he can hardly walk without a cane. And… and…!”
Tears began to fall from Celine’s clear eyes. The sorrow that dropped into the cold wind only grew colder.
“Even his mind is no longer as clear…!”
Memories raced through the nun’s mind like a desolate wind sweeping across the wilderness.
—Knock, knock!
Carrying a tray laden with tea, bread, and simple refreshments, Celine knocked gently on the Pope’s bedroom door.
“Your Holiness, it is Celine. You have not called for breakfast even though the hour has passed, so I have come to inquire. What are your plans for today’s schedule?”
Yet no reply came from within, even after several minutes. In all the years since she had been appointed as His Holiness’s personal nun, such a thing had never happened before. A sudden wave of anxiety gripped her.
Celine knocked harder and called out.
“Your Holiness? Your Holiness?! Is something wrong? Your Holiness! May I enter?!”
At that moment, a faint groan came from inside.
“Mmm……”
“Your Holiness!”
Hearing that sound, Celine could no longer wait. Forgetting all propriety, she flung the bedroom door open.
—Bang—!
“Mmm……”
The moment the door opened, Celine let out a sigh of relief. On the bed sat the Pope, who appeared to have just woken. His white hair hung loosely as he pressed a hand to his forehead. Though deep wrinkles lined his face from his advanced age, Celine could still glimpse within those creases the seasoned bearing of the legendary paladin who had once sealed the Archdemon alongside the other heroes.
“Your Holiness, you startled me. Have you only just woken? You must have stayed up late with work again last night. You must be quite exhausted.”
As Celine smiled and set the tray on the nearby shelf, the Pope’s voice reached her ears.
“Who is there……?”
“Pardon…?”
For a brief moment the nun was flustered, but soon she managed a gentle smile.
“Honestly, Your Holiness. It is I, Celine. Have you not fully woken yet?”
The Pope smiled as well at her words. But what followed was nothing to smile about.
“Hoho, Celine, you say? Celine is but an eight-year-old girl. Ah, yes. You must be someone with the same name. Where has Sister Betrea gone, the one who used to wake me?”
“What……?”
Celine had to forcibly steady her trembling hands. Otherwise, she feared she would drop the tray of refreshments she was holding.
“Sister Betrea……?”
The words would not leave her lips—that Sister Betrea was now over eighty years old and had been transferred to another monastery for recuperation, an event that had taken place fifteen years ago.
The Pope’s kind laughter echoed in Celine’s ears. His next words carried a voice filled with warmth.
“Hm? Now that I look at you… you truly resemble her. Come to think of it, when Celine grows up, she will likely become a lovely woman just like you. What a curious coincidence. Celine also has silver-blue hair and beautiful golden eyes, just like yours. Ah, yes—and when she smiles, dimples appear on her cheeks. They are so adorable. Perhaps it is because I have no grandchildren of my own, but lately I find such joy in watching that child……”
Yet the words that followed were cruelly cold, like the arrival of winter after summer’s bloom, when all life meets its end.
“Aaaah……!!”
—Crash—!
The plate slipped from her grasp and shattered into pieces. Sister Celine could not stop her tears. As the Pope’s worried voice—“I say, are you all right?! Why are you suddenly like this?! Betrea! Betrea! Come look after this person! Ah, no…! Is there no one outside?!”—fell heavily upon her, Celine’s tears only deepened.
After wiping away the tear-stained memory, Sister Celine slowly parted her lips. Her lips had already dried in the cold wilderness wind.
“……That very day I reported His Holiness’s condition, but the archbishops of the Council of Elders showed little interest in improving it. Rather, those old men bloated with greed saw it as an opportunity and suggested that His Holiness step down from the front lines to rest. Hah, ‘rest’ they said. In truth, it was no different from trying to drag His Holiness from the papal seat. And with shameless audacity, they even nominated themselves as candidates for the next pope.”
Celine swallowed lightly. Otherwise, her throat might have split from sorrow.
“His Holiness raised me in place of my late parents when I was very young. To me, His Holiness is no different from a parent, just as Sir Harnok is. ……I was too flustered to mention it earlier, but that is also why I came here. When I could no longer endure it and told the archbishops that tending to His Holiness’s condition should be the priority, they sent me here. ……I am sorry, Sir Harnok. Our coming here is, in effect, an exile. ……I should have told you sooner… I am sorry……”
—Whooooosh……!
A dry wind passed between the two of them. Only the soft patter of light footsteps and the heavy thud of deep ones echoed across the plain.
It was then that the barbarian suddenly spoke.
“What does it matter!”
“……Pardon?”
The nun lifted her head, which had been hanging in dejection. There stood the barbarian, wearing the now-familiar grin that bared his gums.
“Even if we have been effectively exiled, has our situation truly changed? We are clergy! As clergy, we need only hold reverence for the Lord and a heart to serve others! No matter where we are, our identity as clergy remains unchanged! We simply need to do what we must do!!”
“……”
Staring blankly at the barbarian warrior’s smile, the nun found herself smiling without realizing it. It was strange. Truly strange—yet she could not hold back the laughter that welled up.
Seeing the nun’s gentle smile, the barbarian’s grin widened even further.
“Yes, that is right. We are clergy. Correct. If we are clergy, then we must do what clergy ought to do.”
“Hmm… By the way, that means my being sent here was not by His Holiness’s command……”
“It is likely the same for you, Sir Harnok. You were sent here because your existence poses an obstacle to the elders.”
“That truly displeases me! I have done nothing but pray diligently every day and help the faithful! Of course, helping the villagers here and spreading the Lord’s word is good, but!”
Harnok grumbled and kicked a stone lying on the wasteland—one closer in size to a small boulder. The stone soared into the sky as if defying gravity. Watching it shrink until it seemed to become a star in the heavens, Celine had to suppress the urge to shout, “That is exactly the problem—!”
“Then is His Holiness safe?”
“Pardon?”
“You said His Holiness’s mind is no longer clear! Is he all right now?”
“Ah… well……”
Celine found herself at a loss for words. After she had reported the Pope’s clouded mind, he had naturally spent most of his time in his chambers, and only the most skilled head nuns were permitted entry. It had been encouraging that those head nuns had not yet been swayed by the archbishops when she was sent here, but it was difficult to guess his current condition.
Celine shook her head heavily.
“Do not worry too much! His Holiness is a man of unwavering integrity! If he could seal the Archdemon, how could he fail to overcome a mere illness!”
At Harnok’s hearty words, Celine felt a smile tug at her lips once more.
“Yes, His Holiness is indeed a man of unwavering integrity.”
“But the archbishops coveting his seat… that truly displeases me!”
The final words carried the growl of a beast. Since Harnok had his back to Celine while guiding the bat along its flight path, she could not see his face. Just as she was about to speak, startled by the sudden chill running down her spine—
—Screeeech! Chirp!
The bat that had been flapping steadily suddenly let out a shrill cry.
“Hm?”
“It seems the bat has found something……”
The bat, which had been flying in a steady direction, abruptly veered right and began flapping its wings furiously as if charging toward something. After exchanging a glance, the barbarian and the nun nodded simultaneously.
“It appears……”
“It has found something.”
Now gripping the rope loosely to allow freer flight, the bat sped toward a single point. The farther it flew, the more intense its flapping became.
“Hm? This place is……”
The location the bat had reached was not far from the rear of the mountain where the church stood. Though darkness had claimed all directions under the night sky, beyond the distant horizon the outlines of the strange structures they had seen earlier began to emerge.
And then it appeared in an instant.
At first glance, it looked like nothing more than a strangely shaped rock. Though somewhat round and elongated for a rock, no one could doubt that it was not a rock—unless viewed up close. Covered in all manner of reliefs that no ordinary stone would bear, standing alone in the wasteland in an uncanny manner, it was—a tower.