85. The Will of the Gods
“Hahaha! I figured it out, Karl!”
“As expected, you’re straightforward! Even did a public confession!”
“What are you talking about? Please, I beg you, explain it in a way I can understand.”
Karl’s words made us all burst out laughing and stick our tongues out a little. Honestly, we were a bit grossed out by each other, but for this moment, we could endure it a hundred times over for a different purpose.
“...”
Then the Medal of Honor recipient’s face suddenly flushed red.
“You guys, are you not?”
“Probably because Selena seemed weird, so I secretly asked!”
“So?”
“Selena kept saying no, but there is that saying, right?”
“Strong denial!”
“Strong affirmation!!”
Then Karl’s reaction right after was clear evidence that our predictions were correct.
Suddenly, the guy pulled his greatsword from his waist and charged straight at us.
“Guys. Let’s talk seriously for a moment.”
“Eh! Marquis Friedrich! That’s not what you said!”
“As fellow marquis, let’s talk. Damn it all.”
“Maintain your dignity! Not to the next marquises!!”
The words of Marquis Remus came to mind. Karl was thought to be very cold and difficult.
But seeing him like this, he seemed surprisingly gentle and had many hidden weaknesses, so I wanted to befriend him.
A great hero who accomplished great deeds. A savior who saved countless people. However, to us, just a friend.
The appearance of that guy earlier was honestly shocking even for us to see.
I thought he might burst into tears at any moment. I thought he might shed tears of blood from his eyes. I had never seen him look so weak before. I had never thought that either.
Rather, the fierce aura he showed against the intruders during the festival was more like it.
At least at that moment, it was just a bit of worry and a bit of surprise. I had never been this worried before.
So today I teased Karl a little more than usual. Me, Wilhelm, Alexander, and Joachim too.
Others called him a war hero, but he himself said he was just an ordinary soldier who fought against the heroes.
Despite having countless medals on his chest, for Karl, the guilt inside was heavier.
“Uwaah! W-wait! My hair is cut off, Karl!”
“Right. I swung it to cut it.”
“Huh?!”
...But, it seemed I had gone a little too far with the line. Or was Karl a guy who couldn’t resist much out of embarrassment! Uwaaaah!!
“Run! Karl went crazy!”
“Guys. If you’re going to come nicely, it wouldn’t be bad, right?”
“Save me!”
“Don’t worry. It won’t kill you. I’ll just let you bleed a little without hurting you.”
“How is that not painful!!”
We scattered in all directions. But Karl was much faster and more agile than us, and above all, he was a skilled hunter who knew how to chase prey.
“You, why are you coming out from there! I told you to scatter!”
“Karl chased us here! Uwaaaaa!”
“Why is Alexander coming out from over there?!”
“It’s exactly the same as me!!”
After scattering, exactly five minutes later, we were herded back to one place again.
No escape. The plan to have one person distract while the other three escape failed.
In the end, we decided to ask the only person who could stop Karl, the ultimate means.
“I found it! It’s Selena!”
“Selena! Save me! Karl is trying to kill us!”
“...Karl is saying he’s going to kill you guys?”
“It’s not really like that… Ah, anyway! Could you please stop him?!”
Selena, who had been staring at us for a moment, smiled faintly. Phew, we survived. Thank you so much, Selena—
“Don’t worry. If it’s Karl, I’ll send him without pain.”
“S, Selena?!”
“I trust Karl.”
Is that something to trust or not! Kyaaaah!! Save! The greatsword is flying!
As we scattered again, Karl’s greatsword stuck with a thud! into the rock.
It was a rock that wouldn’t be affected even if we poured bullets or magic on it, let alone cold weapons. But when Karl stabbed it with his greatsword, in just a few seconds, it wasn’t cracking, but splitting apart with a crack!
No way, Karl! It wasn’t a joke, right? It wasn’t like he really meant to kill us, was it? Right?!”
“...Eh?”
But while Wilhelm was running away, he suddenly let out a cry and slowed down.
That guy went crazy. Too surprised, maybe he was about to ask for surrender. Thinking that, I turned my head—
“...Eh?”
The same cry as Wilhelm’s came out from my mouth.
Inside the boulder split in two by Karl’s greatsword, even though it was badly damaged and old, there was a sword emitting an unusual aura.
Sword of Saint Louis
The lost holy relic once used by Saint Louis. A miracle of the gods.
*
Let me give you one problem. It’s not difficult. It’s a probability problem.
If I shot a gun while passing by, what’s the probability that it would penetrate the enemy captain’s heart in one shot.
Or, if I just broke a rock a bit, what’s the probability of finding the church’s holy relic that disappeared inside it.
Hmm. Still, the former is a bit higher than the latter—
“...It’s nonsense. Just both are impossible anyway.”
No matter how I thought, something was wrong. This really didn’t make sense. It went beyond the level of ‘good luck.’
The day after I split the boulder in half after the illusion ended and decided to play a prank in return.
Just in case, I showed the sword that came out of the rock to the church side, and I thought the church side’s personnel’s eyes would pop out.
“Kuhek?! T, this. I, is it not?!”
“I, it seems correct. It seems correct! Yes! With this sentence! And this aura!”
“This is the care of the gods. The revelation of light! This, this must be called a miracle!!”
With the heavily damaged sword in front of me, the atmosphere was as if they were about to perform a ritual immediately.
The person was squeezing both hands tightly, shedding tears, and praying.
On the Bright Light Church side, although it was really rude to say, it felt like they were looking at a fake religion for a moment.
And soon, the Beolant Cardinal, whom I had seen yesterday, came to our accommodation near the hot springs.
The calm appearance was gone, and exhaling rough breaths showed a very urgent atmosphere.
“...Oh gods.”
A murmur came from the cardinal’s mouth. Probably, this was what they were looking for.
“Sword of Saint Louis.”
The sword used by Saint Louis, one of the first apostles who spread the name of light widely.
According to them, it was a holy relic that the gods themselves created with light, without showing any mercy to those who protected the believers and slandered and oppressed them.
“...Honestly, I don’t know if it was really created with light.”
Just looking at it, it was extremely old, full of wounds everywhere. Above all, it didn’t shine at all....
Of course, I thought this only in my heart. If I spat it out outside, even I would get hit by stones no matter what.
“Karl Adelheit brother.”
Beolant Cardinal, who had been stroking the sword carefully again and again, called my name.
His voice seemed to have moisture, and his eyes were really moist.
“You called, Cardinal.”
“Ho did you discover this, this? Ah! Absolutely! Absolutely, this is not a question with bad intentions. It’s just, just curious about through what path you obtained this―”
Since the cardinal was about to kneel, I quickly explained the situation.
The evening of yesterday after finishing the illusion and returning to the accommodation. I was playing a prank and just broke the rock.
Since there were rocks everywhere around here, I thought it wouldn’t be a problem.
But when the rock split, it jumped out from inside!
“I see. So... it was like that.”
“...”
Are you okay, Cardinal? You’re not saying something like ‘it’s gone’, are you?
It was something that was found so easily after searching for it for decades.
The reason I had to hear the painful words ‘blemish of the 4th parish’ was solved so easily, so you wouldn’t really be saying that, right?
“G, sorry. Your Highness.”
“Brother?”
“I never imagined that there was a holy relic sleeping inside this. If, by my doing, even a scratch was made on that precious thing...”
Actually, this was the biggest worry. The rock was already full of wounds, and if I had split it, it would have jumped out.
If even ‘This wound seems to have been caused by hitting the rock too hard with shock.’ came out, it would be awkward. I was afraid of hearing the heresy of damaging the holy relic.
“Hahaha.”
But that worry could be put aside immediately. The cardinal was smiling very kindly.
“Brother Karl. Saint Louis, who was the owner of this holy relic from the beginning, said. No matter how precious something is, in the end, it’s not more important than people. We, the first creatures of the gods, must be more glorious than anything.”
“...”
“And he also said. Everything has the will of the gods. Even if this old man sees it, finding this holy relic like this by brother is the will of the gods. How could I say anything else after seeing that.”
With those words, Beolant Cardinal, who had been desperately searching and carefully stroking the holy relic, slid it slightly to the side.
Then, he gently held my hand and continued in a voice full of moisture.
“Brother, you are the benefactor of our 4th parish. No, the benefactor of the church. What else could this be if not the will of the gods. We, the church that transmits the gods’ words, with the brothers and sisters of the empire, saved them only with faith and courage, and prevented even more sins. This must be a miracle.”
At the cardinal’s words, I unconsciously looked down at my chest.
“...”
Are you thinking of giving me the medal too? Please no. I can’t take it anymore.