Chapter 54: Salvation Church (4)
Chapter 54: Salvation Church (4)
'As expected, he's incredible.'
Pat, pat.
Rien, who had buried the sword, patted down the disturbed ground around her and inwardly admired him. She was now recalling Deon when he infiltrated the Salvation Church.
He had even thrown himself bodily to the ground as a performance just to infiltrate!
Falling and skidding along the floor, he reached the woman, and to anyone's eyes he looked like a destitute man who had starved for days and lost all strength in his legs.
She hadn't seen him go inside, but surely he would have gotten in. There was no reason to doubt it.
The problem was what would happen if his robe was pulled aside inside.......
'The Count will handle that himself.'
He was the Count, after all. Surely he would have prepared for that much.
With her absolute faith in Deon, Rien lightly dismissed the important issue, picked up a small nearby rock, and placed it over the spot where she had buried the sword.
With this, there would be no worry of losing the sword.
Now, all she had to do was enter the Salvation Church and meet the Count.......
"Oh dear, I'm sorry. It's difficult to accept any more new believers today......."
"......Pardon?"
"Your goal is the bread and water, right? I'll give you these here, so could you come back later? I'm truly sorry."
"......."
It was deliberate. She was clearly refusing to let her in on purpose.
Rien, who had inadvertently ended up holding the bread and water, stared blankly at the woman before her.
The woman, wearing an apologetic expression, was unmistakably the same one who had stood before Deon when he fell.
But why was the treatment different for the Count and her? Had she noticed something? Or was it discrimination? Well, the Count was good-looking... no, but he had been wearing a robe.
She didn't understand, but if she just kept standing here, she would only arouse suspicion, so Rien reluctantly turned around.
'I'll have to wait nearby.'
She would apologize for this incompetence—failing even a simple infiltration—once the Count emerged.
***
'Did you think I'd let you in?'
Come and try for the rest of your life. See if I ever let you in.
Saelin, the face of the Salvation Church and its de facto manager, watched with a beaming smile as Rien trudged away.
There was a reason she had let the man in earlier and turned this woman away.
'Because that woman had learned the sword.'
Her walk was that of someone trained in the sword. Restrained, powerful, and excessively regular.
Even if you assumed she was a fallen knight reduced to poverty, that made no sense.
A desperate pauper who had starved for days couldn't possibly walk with such strength.
'On the other hand, the man I let in a moment ago had a perfectly ordinary, everyday walk.'
He had even collapsed after his legs gave out.
When he had gotten up, the movement of one arm had been unnatural as well. He must have had a problem with that arm.
'And that blood.'
That was not the sort of thing that could be faked.
A person like that was unsuitable to use as a spy.
To steal important information, you'd need the skill to make off with account books. Could a man with a chronic illness that made him cough up blood, who couldn't properly use one arm, and who didn't even have strength in his legs from long starvation, possibly infiltrate deep inside and steal the account books?
Thus, the probability that the man was a spy was close to zero.
'I may as well gain one more follower while I'm at it.'
Saelin, who had no way of knowing that the man she had let in—Deon Hart—had taught himself the sword on the battlefield and thus had no formal swordsmanship, entered the building without a shred of doubt to see him again.
***
"Have some tea at least."
"Ah, thank you."
I reached out and took the teacup she offered. Of course, I didn't drink it right away without suspicion. Who knew what was inside.
When I quietly, naturally smelled it first, the woman seemed to notice that as well and smiled softly.
"It's just a common cheap tea. Nothing's been added, so please drink without worry."
"......Yes."
There truly was no medicinal smell, but... Ah, whatever. From her perspective, she would gain nothing from killing a mere destitute like me.
Carefully, I held the tea in my mouth and swallowed. The warm energy spread through my body and eased my tension.
If it had been winter, the effect would have been more than doubled—a bit of a pity. Tea was best drunk in winter.
"But, aren't you uncomfortable?"
"......Ah."
Reflexively, I touched the hood of my robe. I almost flinched and pulled back, but I managed to stop myself.
Was it my imagination? It seemed as though the woman's eyes had flashed for a moment.
No, now wasn't the time to worry about that.
'What should I say?'
If I took off the robe, there was a risk my identity would be exposed. Fortunately, because I rarely appeared in social circles, my face wasn't widely known yet, but red eyes were my symbol.......
What should I say?
"......It's fine. My appearance is unsightly, so......."
"What? If that's the reason, you can feel even more at ease taking it off. No one here will say anything about your appearance."
"Ah......!"
The sturdy hood that had been covering my face was pulled off in an instant.
I hurriedly fixed my gaze downward. I wanted to cover my face with both hands or bow my head completely, but objectively that would have been too much of an overreaction, so this was the best I could do.
......Damn it.
Even though I clearly saw the woman's hand reaching toward me, I couldn't bring myself to refuse.
Because if I refused, she would certainly become suspicious.
The robe came off, revealing my hair, which I had smeared with dirt into a dull color.
The woman's gentle voice fell from above my head.
"It's fine, so lift your head."
"......."
When I hesitated a moment, her delicate hands extended without delay. Both my cheeks were softly cupped, and my head was lifted.
My red eyes met her eyes, which were feigning kindness.
And at the same time, the sight of the suspicion in her eyes growing larger was vividly reflected on my retinas.
"Your eyes... are red?"
"......Uh......."
Even though I had braced myself, seeing her suspicion so plainly made my words stick in my throat.
My mind went blank, as if emptied, and no thoughts came.
At this rate, I was headed for the worst possible outcome.
'Get a grip!'
I couldn't lose my wits here. I hurriedly rolled my eyes.
It seemed true that their numbers had grown recently—I could see the back of the guard posted at the entrance. Inside as well, several armed men stood on watch.
'......I should have just waited for Lady Rien.'
If she had been here at a time like this, I would have felt reassured.
I couldn't even dream of escaping; the only thing I could freely use in this situation was my mouth. So I had to speak.
'What should I say?'
What could I say to dispel the suspicion that had already begun to form?
'Think.'
When that woman had urged me to take off my hood, what had I said to refuse?
The deadline for a natural answer was approaching. If the silence dragged on any longer, she would surely find it suspicious.
Time passed. At the moment the suspicion in her eyes was gradually turning to certainty, I opened my mouth.
Slowly, without the slightest hint of urgency, rather brimming with hesitation, I bowed my head deeply as if to hide my eyes.
"......I-I knew it......."
"......."
"It's unsightly, isn't it...?"
"......."
A brief silence descended.
Did it work? With my head bowed, I couldn't see her expression, so I couldn't tell.
Just waiting like this seemed like it might produce a not-bad result, but judging by the situation, it looked better to add a few more words.
Silence was proof that she was wavering.
Better to tip the scales decisively than to leave things ambiguous.
"I knew you would dislike them......."
I deliberately put misery, sadness, resignation, and a sense of injustice into my voice.
Acting wasn't difficult. Half of it was genuine, so it truly held sincerity.
"Who would like these eyes, that even my family abandoned?"
"Ah, no! They're not unsightly at all!"
'It worked!'
A voice that was both urgent and kind followed.
"You know Deon Hart, right? The Empire's hero, Deon Hart! They say he also has red eyes. Like you."
"Deon Hart... you mean?"
"Yes! O-of course, he also has a notorious reputation as a vampire or a murderous demon, but...!"
"......."
She didn't have to say that. I was a bit hurt.
Well, still, it was a relief that she seemed to have dropped her suspicion.
The woman also appeared to think her last remark had been a mistake; she shut her mouth briefly, then hurriedly changed the subject.
"Do you know what this place is?"
I did know, but not in detail. That's why I'd come here.
Setting aside the fact that it hadn't been entirely my own will, I shook my head.
"No. I just heard that if you come here, they give you something to eat......."
"Ah, many people come knowing that. It's common, so don't feel too self-conscious."
I wasn't feeling self-conscious. To the woman, me bowing my head because I was afraid she'd recognize my face must have come across that way.
The woman gave a benevolent smile and parted her lips gently, as if about to explain. I too pretended not to be eager, but I pricked up my ears and focused on what she was about to say.
'Right, this is how they pulled people in and made them believers. How well must she have spoken to grow their numbers like this?'
So, go ahead, try to persuade me too.
"This place is the Salvation Church."
"Salvation Church...?"
"Yes, it's a religious organization founded to save those suffering under the tyrant Eduardo."
Oh my god.
Your Majesty, the Emperor whom I revere, I didn't say anything. I merely listened. No, I didn't even listen. Actually, my ears don't work very well.
So please spare me.
Is this girl insane? Why is she spouting such dangerous remarks without a second thought? What if someone hears?
'Facial expression, manage your expression!'
I pulled my crumbling expression together.
Right now, I was a destitute who knew nothing. A destitute easily swayed by a few words. So how should I react?
"So that's why the bread......."
"Yes, the reason you all live so painfully is also because of the Emperor. If the Emperor governed properly, would you be living like this?"
"I... I see."
Your Majesty, whom I respect and revere without end! I didn't say anything. Another me just blabbered on my own. I know nothing about it!
'......But His Majesty might say that it was still the same mouth and body that blabbered, and kill me anyway.......'
But I couldn't help it. It wasn't as if I could shout out here not to blaspheme His Majesty.
And why does this woman keep dropping bombshell after bombshell? Doesn't she value her life?
Or could it be that she somehow noticed my identity? And so she is trying to take us both down...?
It wasn't impossible, which made it scarier. But judging by the woman's expression, it didn't seem to be that; she truly seemed to be aiming to agitate.......
A sigh escaped me.
'Her argument was clumsy. So clumsy it was absurd.......'
Saying that the reason the destitute existed was because the Emperor couldn't govern? Relief of the poor was something no ruler in history had ever accomplished.
At this rate, they'd blame the Emperor if they tripped and fell.
"The reason you get hurt when you trip is also because the Emperor didn't properly maintain the roads......."
'It was real!'
I buried my face in my hands to hide my expression. A faint sigh leaked out.
An utterly absurd argument. But to the poor, it would resonate differently.
What they needed wasn't the truth; it was a place to vent their resentment and anger at the unfair treatment they received because they were poor.
Simply put, this woman was throwing a tempting bait before those who needed something to resent, and drawing them in.
Under an organization called the 'Salvation Church'.
Even so, the woman's explanation didn't stop.
"You might think we're a pseudo-religion, but the Salvation Church is different from typical pseudo-religions. We don't seek money, nor anything else; we simply believe in 'salvation'."
"......If I believe, will you really save me?"
"Yes, of course."
"Who?"
In the end, all questions circled back to a single one.
'Who?'
Who would save us?