Chapter 53
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 53
However, the bundle Patrick brought back was part of a distribution ordered by the Lord himself. It was bound to contain food far better than raw grain.
At this moment, nothing in the back alleys could possibly be more valuable.
"But will that really work...?" Swallow questioned, looking at Patrick as he held out the bundle.
"Given the circumstances, I can't guarantee it will succeed. Still, isn't it better than doing nothing?"
"...Can't you just go instead?"
"Have a safe trip, Boss."
Cutting Swallow off, Patrick pressed the bundle of food into his hands.
Though his face was etched with discontent, Swallow couldn't bring himself to refuse food. He just scratched the back of his head in annoyance.
"Boss, first of all, be careful what you say. If these people share a deep bond, giving food to only one of them might backfire."
"Even if you say that, there's no way this will go well... but I'll try."
As Swallow stood up, Patrick offered one last piece of advice.
"And this should go without saying, but if you're going to give it to her, you must give her all of it. This is strictly a bribe to get information about the Rosary. If you have any thought of splitting it with her, forget it, Boss. You have the food you received from the tavern, so plan on surviving with that for now."
Swallow waved off Patrick's words dismissively. Scratching the back of his head once more, he let out a long yawn before finally replying.
"I'll try."
There wasn't a single shred of sincerity in his voice.
*
"Let's split this."
Those were the first words out of Swallow's mouth after pulling Rosalina aside.
"...What?"
Rosalina was still terrified of Swallow. She flinched and stumbled back when he abruptly thrust the bundle at her. She didn't look well at all.
He recalled Toth saying her condition had been poor ever since the 'Black Disaster' forced them into the back alleys.
Toth had said she'd only started showing signs of life after a few days of adjusting, but he and Patrick had just dragged her right back to square one.
"I said, let's split the food."
Swallow suggested casually, ignoring Patrick's advice as if it had never been spoken.
Rosalina remained frightened. Glancing at her as she struggled to even meet his eyes, Swallow plopped down onto the ground.
Her shoulders jumped at his sudden movement, but she finally took a cautious step closer.
"...Why are you only sharing this with me?"
He read her expression again. If anything, she seemed even more wary than before.
Her expression was a mixture of doubt and suspicion. Why give food only to me while everyone else starves? This inexplicable kindness terrified her.
Ah, this isn't going well, Swallow thought.
He'd walked right into the 'worst-case scenario' Patrick had warned him about.
Thanks a fucking lot, Patrick.
If he went back now, only for Patrick to say something like, 'Oh, I guess that method didn't work. In that case, Boss, let's try again from the beginning,' he swore he would pack his things and return to the Primordial Core right then and there.
Having made up his mind, Swallow silently untied the bundle. The food inside was humbler than expected.
Inside was thin flatbread, a large block of cheese, some dried fruit, and a magically treated leather pouch filled with water.
...I wasn't expecting much, but still.
It was basically just a better version of the tavern meals. Calling such low-quality food a gift from the Lord was almost an insult. Then again, it also meant the territory's situation was so dire that this was the best they could offer.
"If you're not going to eat, I'm eating it all."
Deciding that coaxing her with words was no longer working, Swallow grumbled and reached for the food first.
The first thing he picked up was the bread. It was a thin, round loaf. Unlike rye bread, it wasn't rock-hard.
Good, at least this bread isn't a lethal weapon. After muttering to himself, Swallow was about to put the bread in his mouth when—
"...Huh?"
At that moment, the girl's eyes widened, and Swallow realized something had gone terribly wrong.
Startled by her sudden, bewildered gasp, Swallow paused with the bread halfway to his mouth and turned to look at Rosalina.
With wide eyes, Rosalina stared at the bread in Swallow's hand. At the same time, the corners of her mouth slowly began to curve upward.
"This... this is the Sacramental Bread the Bishop gave us!"
Stepping closer, the girl picked up an identical piece of bread from the bundle and spoke.
Her expression brightened instantly, her lips blooming into a wide smile. In sharp contrast, Swallow's face froze. A smile lingered on the girl's lips as she laughed, a bright, genuinely happy sound.
That was no mere mood swing.
Where had he seen humans smile like that before? As he searched his memory, a few similar instances came to mind.
A few of the subjugation squad members who had invaded the Primordial Core had worn that exact same smile.
It was the smile of humans who had lost their will to fight. The smile of those who had gone completely mad.
His eyes met the smiling girl's. To Swallow, her eyes looked hollow. No, not empty. They were filled with something—something an ordinary person could never hope to comprehend.
"Sir Knight! Did you believe in Him too?!" Rosalina asked, her smile tinged with madness.
*
"We are shadow knights belonging to 'Loono's Mist', a shadow organization directly under the Imperial Family."
Were they truly trustworthy?
The Captain brooded in a secluded corner of the back alleys. He'd gained no useful information from his conversation with the fully armored knight—just smooth platitudes before he was forced to agree to their demand to "provide information."
Facing monsters who could slaughter them all in an instant, he'd had no choice at all.
They claimed to be a shadow organization, but... The Captain did not trust them.
These were the same people who'd tried to kill everyone in the alleys, who had driven them to the brink of death only to spare them on a whim.
Yes, they were only spared to provide information. A self-proclaimed shadow organization would never leave so many witnesses alive. The moment their work was done, they would erase every trace.
We—all of us 'witnesses'—will be murdered.
The Captain was certain of it.
And that was precisely why he'd chosen to cooperate so actively.
I will assist them while keeping as close an eye on them as possible.
They claimed their goal was to resolve the crisis in Hastin. If so, he would monitor their movements and slip out of town with his people when the two were busiest. He already knew Hastin was doomed; this just moved up their departure date.
"..."
As his thoughts trailed off, the sound of approaching footsteps broke the silence. The Captain looked up to see Toth running toward him through the dead of night, sprinting as if he carried urgent news.
"Captain!" Toth called out, only when he was close enough for his heavy panting to echo in the Captain's ears.
"Rosalina... pant... Rosalina..."
"Rosalina? What happened?"
"Rosalina is gone...!"
"What?"
The Captain frowned. It wasn't unusual for Rosalina to wander off, but Toth had never reacted like this before.
"She disappeared with that black-haired knight—the one in shabby clothes."
Gasping for breath a few more times, Toth finally managed to calm himself enough to finish.
"Captain... I think... she went back there again."
*
"I had no idea you were a believer too, Sir Knight."
Swallow followed Rosalina through the dark streets. A step ahead of him, her stride was light as they headed toward the outskirts of town.
"I tried so many times to convince them. To be saved with me. But they're all so foolish. No one would believe me. Isn't it strange? You think so too, don't you, Sir Knight? He offers salvation without any conditions, as long as you believe with all your heart."
After turning through one secluded alley after another, the girl finally stopped in an area cluttered with large stones.
"It always feels a bit spooky here. What do you think, Sir Knight?"
It was a spot tucked into the deepest corner of the district, one you'd never notice unless you were looking for it.
Amidst the pile of stones, a man-made stone structure came into view—an entrance leading underground.
The two descended the stairs. The entrance was pitch-black, but as they went deeper, the faint glow of magic lamps hanging on the walls began to illuminate the way. After a long descent, they arrived in a cramped, chaotic space that resembled a maze.
It had likely been a catacomb. The occasional rooms they passed were lined with wooden coffins, and the countless human bones visible through the gaps in their open lids left no room for doubt. Swallow finished his assessment and scanned his surroundings.
They walked endlessly through the tangled passages, guided by the dim lights, until they reached a wide clearing. The space was both eerie and solemn, softly illuminated by countless candles.
"..."
There was no need to ask Rosalina what this place was.
The clearing was already packed with people. At a rough glance, there were easily over forty people huddled closely together.
Every eye was fixed on a single spot. At the front, commanding their attention, stood a man in black priestly robes.
...Is that the Bishop?
Swallow followed Rosalina to the very back of the clearing. He felt a sharp glare on the back of his head and turned, but the Bishop quickly averted his gaze back to the congregation. Clicking his tongue, Swallow sat down on a crude wooden chair.
"The disaster that has befallen Hastin is a trial given to humans stained with evil deeds," the Bishop's emotionless voice echoed throughout the space.
"And He is an omnipotent being with the power to transcend and purify all trials. Furthermore, we, who have earned His trust, are all chosen and honorable humans. As He has handed down His oracle to us..."
Aside from some incomprehensible jargon, the sermon was nothing special—just a repetitive cycle of brainwashing. Every time the Bishop finished a sentence, the people stood and sat in unison. Praying by the light of magical lanterns, their movements were secretive and cautious, as if they were committing a forbidden act.
Religions existed in the Empire, but as Patrick had once explained, they were hollow shells established by the state to win public trust. The Emperor was the greatest entity in the Empire, far surpassing any god. Thus, the Imperial Family played a double game: officially recognizing religion while implicitly suppressing it.
Under such circumstances, it was natural for believers to hold secret rituals underground.
Swallow glanced at Rosalina again. She was already praying like the others, her solemn attitude making her indistinguishable from the rest of the congregation. As he watched her, their eyes met.
The girl whispered softly, her words meant only for him.
"This is how we are saved."
When Swallow remained silent, Rosalina spoke again, as if trying to convince herself.
"We can be saved."
We have to be saved. I want to be saved, she muttered, as if comforting her own soul.
The service didn't last long. Since everyone had slipped out in the middle of the night, they didn't have much time. After a few more swift rituals, the congregation stood up once again.
"It's time for the Eucharist."
The people at the front began to gather before the Bishop. Watching from the back, Swallow raised an eyebrow.
After a brief exchange with the Bishop, each believer received a piece of bread and some unidentified liquid.
The bread was the exact same kind he'd had in his bundle. In fact, it looked identical. No wonder Rosalina had misunderstood.
But then, why? Why was that bread in the Lord's Castle?
Just as he was sinking back into thought, a poke in his side snapped him back to reality. He'd already counted the people ahead of them; their turn was still a long way off. He turned to find Rosalina nudging him.