Chapter 624: The Season is Autumn (13)
Chapter 624: The Season is Autumn (13)
“Did he resent you?”
“No.”
A denial.
There wasn't even a hint of hesitation. After all, it wasn't the truth.
I still remembered how Reto looked when I saw him not long ago. He had that same indifferent face as always and spoke in that somewhat obnoxious voice of his.
‘Is that so?’
At first glance, it seemed like a reaction from someone who didn't really care.
But I knew.
I knew the fact that he was still using all his connections to search for Celine’s whereabouts. How could he not?
To Reto, Celine was practically his younger sister.
Reto was merely pretending to be unfazed for my sake. He knew that getting angry at me wouldn't change the situation, and if he started blaming me, I would suffer twice as much as I already was.
He was a damn smart guy.
That fact made me feel incredibly reassured, yet equally guilty. Would I have felt less sorry if he had just lost his temper and cursed me out?
Reto would never do that, though.
My hand fumbled for the bottle. I desperately wanted to get wasted right then and there, but as a man whose wife was effectively holding him hostage, I couldn't bring myself to do it.
For now, the Saintess’s complexion still looked fine. But it had only been a few minutes since I started talking.
The alcohol hadn't even begun to kick in yet. No matter how weak her tolerance was, it wouldn't show this early.
In the end, instead of downing the whiskey, I could only let out a sigh.
“Reto doesn't blame me… even if something happens to Celine. He’s the type of guy who’d only throw out a single curse right before he dies and then move on.”
“That makes it even more painful, doesn't it?”
“Yeah.”
A pale pink gaze, filled with deep sympathy, met mine. The Saintess hesitated, wavering for a moment.
Then, she suddenly began pouring herself a full glass.
Right to the brim.
Before I could even react, another glass of liquor vanished down her throat. Before I could scold her, the Saintess spoke in a serious tone.
“Ian, I mentioned it before, didn't I? That the relic discovered in the Haster Family’s gold mine would be arriving at the Academy soon.”
‘The Haster Family.’
I froze for a second at the mention of my missing childhood friend’s surname, but my fluster didn't last long. The moment the topic shifted to business, my heart became unnervingly calm.
My brief rest was coming to an end.
“Wasn't that a story from months ago?”
“Yes, there were various circumstances in the meantime. It seems the power within the relic is far beyond what we imagined.”
“Well, it’s a fragment of the Seven Deadly Sins, so that’s expected.”
“To be precise, would it be more accurate to say that its dormant power suddenly awakened at a certain point?”
It meant the relic, which had been quiet all this time, was finally showing signs of resurrection.
But why?
There was always a reason for such a sudden change. Why did this unknown power, which had slept peacefully for hundreds of years, decide to wake up now?
As my thoughts tangled, several guesses surfaced one by one.
Celine’s disappearance, Seria’s departure from home, or perhaps the death of the vampire?
While I was trying to gauge which was the decisive variable, the Saintess continued.
“Furthermore, mysterious arson incidents have been occurring frequently across the continent.”
“The work of the Dark Cult, then.”
My answer held not a shred of doubt.
There were very few groups capable of inciting simultaneous unrest across the entire continent. It was either the Imperial Intelligence Agency or the Dark Cult.
And there was no reason for the Imperial Intelligence Agency to pull such a stunt.
That left only one suspect.
The Saintess seemed to share my suspicion, as she nodded quietly in agreement.
“That’s why the investigation into the relic was delayed. Moving rashly might have provoked the Dark Cult… but the conclusion has been reached that we can no longer postpone the schedule.”
“Why is that?”
“The relic’s power is growing day by day. Likely to a point where it will become unmanageable in the near future.”
It wasn't good news.
In fact, an ominous premonition thrummed in my chest. I swallowed a groan and downed the last of my drink.
Clack. The sound of the glass hitting the table echoed.
“Each nation has agreed to investigate the relic at the Academy. The Holy Kingdom is one thing, but the possibility of Dark Cult spies hiding within the Empire or the United Kingdoms cannot be ignored. So, the essence of this plan is for the three nations to gather and keep an eye on one another.”
“Who is being sent?”
“I don't know the details. However, I do know who is being dispatched from the Holy Kingdom.”
With that, the Saintess pulled a small document from her robes.
It was a long-winded report, but there was only one piece of core information within it.
‘Archbishop Aindel.’
He was someone I had seen from a distance at the summit of Mount Siendel.
It was also a name I had heard a long time ago.
During the bloody battle against the elves in the North.
‘Archbishop Aindel, he is dangerous…’
Right before he died, Leoric had definitely said those words.
I decided to keep the document the Saintess had produced, along with that name, tucked away in my mind. As my mood darkened instantly, the Saintess’s expression grew even more solemn.
“Ian, do you know who is being dispatched from the Empire?”
“Hmm.” I tilted my head slightly as I let out a low hum.
Naturally, I hadn't been told anything directly. However, at my level, there was quite a bit of information that reached me indirectly.
Especially if it was information related to the Dark Cult.
Soon, I arrived at the most plausible conclusion.
“The Alphenhauser Twins.”
“I see… Princess Iris must have pulled some strings.”
Her tone suggested she had expected as much.
Negotiations involving various political powers must have taken place behind the scenes. I was curious about the details, but I didn't press her.
My mind was already at capacity.
Besides, was I not a knight? A knight’s duty was to swing a sword; the battlefield of silver tongues should be left to those suited for it.
Right now, there was only one thing I needed to care about.
Slaying the enemies of humanity.
However, that wasn't the end of the news the Saintess had to deliver. She hesitated for a while before finally confessing what was weighing on her heart.
“Ian, actually, I…”
“You have to go back.”
My voice was calm.
But our relationship was not so shallow that she would fail to notice my expression darkening further. The Saintess’s fingers, which had been reaching toward me, curled inward regretfully.
“Isn't Archbishop Aindel the one who was leading the operation to root out traitors within the Holy Kingdom? Him coming here means that work is nearing its end… and you must be the one to provide the closure. No one would dare doubt you.”
That was what being a ‘Saint’ meant in the Holy Kingdom.
The chosen one of the Heavenly God, the Agent of God.
To doubt her was no different from doubting the will of the Heavenly God itself. Even if a bloodbath ensued for a time, the Saintess was the only one who could fully endure the backlash.
So, she had to go.
I knew this. I understood it, but I couldn't help the gloom that settled over me.
Alone again.
Sensing my dejected mood, the Saintess slowly stood up and approached me. Then, she went as far as to kneel.
It was the posture she usually took when comforting me. To meet my downward-cast eyes and to cradle my hands more tenderly.
“Ian…”
“It’s alright.”
I forced a smile, trying to comfort her instead.
A faint moisture was gathering in the Saintess’s eyes.
“We each have our own paths to walk. We must fulfill our respective responsibilities.”
Yes, this was the correct conclusion.
We had duties. To save humanity and protect the world, we had to endure a certain amount of sacrifice.
The Saintess surely knew this as well.
So, the conversation should have ended there.
It should have been the usual progression where we returned to our separate paths.
It was immediately after that I realized something was wrong.
Sniff.
My gaze drifted blankly toward the sound. At the end of it, I saw a trail of tears rolling down her cheeks.
It was the Saintess.
The question of why didn't last long.
The Saintess’s flushed cheeks told me the reason.
It was the alcohol.
Before I could think of a proper way to handle it, the Saintess lunged into my arms.
“I-Iaaaan… hic, waaaaah… My poor husband, what am I going to do… My darling didn't do anything wrong, he just did his best…”
“Uh, Saintess?”
“S-Should I not go?”
She cried out, gripping my hands tightly.
My wife’s pale pink eyes were already brimming with tears. The way they spilled over at the slightest touch was proof enough.
Was she serious?
By all accounts, she looked completely serious.
“No, no… Will you come with me? Yes, let’s go on a honeymoon to the Holy Kingdom. Good places, pretty places, wonderful places… There are so many places I want to see with you.”
“You know the situation. A relic of the Seven Deadly Sins is coming; where would I go…”
“Why not?!”
It was no use.
A drunken Saintess was not in her right mind. Her affection and pity for me had exceeded their limits, and her reason had long since been submerged.
This would go on forever if I let it.
So, I had to make a choice.
“My husband has suffered so much! He deserves at least a vacation! I, I want to go on a sweet honeymoon like everyone else too… Mmph?!”
My hand pulled the complaining woman toward me. It took only an instant for our breaths to meet.
A soft mass of flesh pushed between her lips. As our tongues intertwined, a subtle pleasure began to melt my brain.
When I grazed the back of her tongue, the Saintess’s breathing grew ragged. As the kiss—short yet long—continued, her body grew restless, and she pressed her thighs together.
The end of a moment that felt like eternity.
Our tongues parted, but our feverish breaths were still desperate for each other. A silver thread stretched between us.
To the dazed Saintess, I said:
“Take it off.”
Her answer, as always, was:
“Y-Yes…!”
The remaining hours of the night burned bright.
*
The next morning, the Saintess’s face was beet red from the memories of the previous night.
“Ahem, cough… Anyway, be careful. The Dark Cult won't just sit still. I bet even the Empire’s envoys don't know.”
“About Alphenhauser?”
As I admired my wife’s pure white naked body while she fumbled to put on her clothes, I drifted into a brief recollection.
So, Alphenhauser, huh.
A smirk escaped my lips.
“Don't worry. That’s unlikely.”
Alphenhauser, the symbol of the Empire’s financial power.
They even owned a separate building within the Academy. And the security of that building was beyond imagination.
Was it not the place known as the ‘Golden Fortress’?
There was no way that place would fall.
Yes, that was what everyone thought.
Until a few days later, when they saw the Alphenhauser base reduced to a pile of ashes.