The Thieves' Confession

Zeroa stared at Rai.

Despite the long rows of heavy, cold iron bars lining the cell, he spoke as casually as if they were chatting in the academy yard. The other prisoners, already locked in their own cages, gaped in disbelief.

"Whoa, this food's surprisingly good. Saved me from skipping lunch."

Zeroa tilted his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. His face was far too familiar with this scene for laughter to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠feel out of place.

"You're smiling and pretending you can handle prisoner life? Don't the guards mess with you?"

"I helped with paperwork in the guard unit back then, so everyone's been kind."

It was a career he'd barely remembered until now.

Rai watched him chew his way through the bread, mulling over what else this guy might have missed.

"Yeah, good for you. But seriously… have you gotten lazy?"

"Lazy…? What do you mean?"

Zeroa blinked, genuinely confused. No one had ever called him lazy before.

Rai scooped up the last of his cold stew with a chunk of bread and answered flatly.

"You haven't trained? I told you—you lack talent, so you need double the effort."

The words hung in the air like an accusation aimed at someone already in chains.

Zeroa stared blankly for a moment, then let out a hollow little laugh.

"So… I'll walk out of here without any problems?"

Rai's tone suggested it was already a foregone conclusion.

As the investigation dragged on, Zeroa's hope withered. No new suspects had emerged, and if time passed like this, the only one left standing would be himself.

Even though he hadn't committed the crime, the guilt he once felt so proudly had started to chip away at him day by day.

He remembered the faces from the academy—Rai, Aslan, Philia, Abigail, Mia, Seiban, Vollin, Cuthbert, Delen… and then Aria.

Only after being thrown into this cell did Zeroa truly understand how much he'd been living in bliss.

Now that bliss felt impossible to reclaim, despair settled over him.

His earlier sense of injustice had vanished, leaving only regret and hopelessness.

But Rai had appeared.

The man who was stealing Zeroa's leftover bread was the same one who always showed up at the worst moments to save him.

He'd appeared when assassins targeting the princesses had left his life in danger, and he'd lifted him up when his own weak strength left him crushed.

He'd even accepted Zeroa's forced wish to stand beside the brilliant talents without question.

Rai's casual assurance had been far too believable.

Zeroa looked at Rai scraping the bottom of his bowl and asked in a voice thick with emotion.

"What kind of training should I do in this state?"

"Since you can't use mana, focus on building strength. Eat a little more too."

The prisoners in neighboring cells exchanged bewildered glances. A man sentenced to life behind bars was casually discussing his workout routine.

Rai finished his meal, brushed his hands, and stood.

"I'll set an intense schedule. Stay alert."

"Yes, I'll do my absolute best."

Life flickered back into Zeroa's eyes as Rai nodded and left the cell.

The moment he stepped out, Philia and Diana, who had been waiting at the entrance, joined him and headed toward Rye's house.

"We're lucky this isn't a military facility. The monastery design was easy to get."

"Surprisingly, you didn't object."

Rai glanced at Philia and smiled. She turned away with a sulky expression.

"I did object. I just backed off because you wouldn't listen."

"Thanks. Only you could do that."

Even as she received the thanks, Philia couldn't bring herself to look at him.

Her support hadn't come lightly. Rai had sworn that the plan wouldn't harm the church or its priests.

It was unthinkable for innocent believers to suffer just to clear Zeroa's name.

But when she heard his strategy, Philia had no choice but to accept it.

Though it would create a little commotion, the church would catch the real culprit, Zeroa would clear his name, and the clumsy perpetrator might even pay for his crime.

Seeing Philia turn away in embarrassment, Diana grinned and raised her hand.

"Raikkang, Raikkang. I don't need you? You only ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have Philia, huh?"

"You need me too. The permit?"

With a mischievous smile, Diana reached into her chest and pulled out a sealed scroll.

"Here's the permit. I twisted a few arms, but the archmages were so furious they forced the officials' hands. It's warm from my body heat—be careful not to burn yourself."

Rai accepted the scroll with a grin and tucked it away after checking the contents.

Philia watched with a strange expression, but Diana just laughed playfully and wrapped her arm around Rai's.

"What are you doing?"

"The scroll's gone, so I need Raikkang to fill the space."

Philia's face turned sour at the bold remark. She grabbed Rai's other arm and linked it.

"This makes walking awkward. Should I let go?"

"Mmm~? Is walking hard because of us? Or is something tangled between your legs?"

Rai finally fell silent, unable to answer, and simply kept walking.

Sing-song laughter rang out from Diana, who had one arm wrapped around Rai while Philia pulled him toward her much larger chest in competition.

When they reached Rye's house, Abigail, training in the yard, narrowed her eyes.

"You too, join in."

"Oh my, 4P? That's intense, Raikkang."

"Pervert? If you're gonna date, do it somewhere private."

Abigail's face twisted in disgust, but Rai shook his head.

"No, not that. Join us to help Zeroa."

"Why me?"

"You should never forget a debt. That's not something that helps anyone in this world."

Abigail clicked her tongue at the reminder.

Rai's words carried two meanings—one for her endless quest for revenge, the other for Zeroa's act of saving her during the princess's assassination attempt.

"I don't raise people who forget debts. Those idiots don't help the world anyway."

"Fufufu~ What should I do?"

Abigail stopped practicing and immediately surrendered.

"Your training's terrifyingly effective, Raikkang. Can I train with you too?"

"If you want."

Philia's eyebrows shot up at Diana and Rai's teasing.

"If I want?"

But Rai's gentle tone when he suddenly looked at her made Philia drop her gaze in a hurry.

Diana snickered beside him, but Philia didn't notice.

"Anyway, the jokes are over. Preparation's almost done, so let's begin."

Rai smiled and glanced toward the entrance.

Countless academy students, including Aslan, were approaching.

"Hoooh… ahahahah…"

The moan coming from the nun receiving Rai's massage was completely out of place in the sacred space where one prayed to the gods.

Rai stood before the Ketel Monastery, the shrine of Keslokea, the deity who governed order and stillness, and offered free massages to anyone who passed by.

"Come on, come on. It's not every day someone drops by. This is the mysterious technique from the far east—Qi Gong. One session and your blood will flow freely! You won't feel tired all day and you'll be flying around."

"There! Mister! Try it once and go. It's a secret, but it boosts vitality too. You'll get a big compliment from your wife tonight. The morning after is completely different."

Cesset was handling the crowd control.

The man who had been listening to her pitch nodded thoughtfully, then stepped into line to get a massage.

The Ketel Order had initially refused to lend the space in front of the monastery for free services, but the exotic eastern technique made them reconsider.

"The master here is an academy instructor. He wants to share this wondrous eastern technique with everyone for free. He hopes everyone who comes to the Ketel Monastery will feel joy and return home satisfied. Isn't this the best way to repay Keslokea's blessings?"

Even though the priests were hesitant, the next words convinced them.

"Actually, the master said he only wants to serve people right in front of Keslokea, so he came to us first. But we had no choice. We have to check other churches too."

Though the sects didn't fight each other, rivalry was inevitable.

The priests' doubts were swept away by one demonstration of Rai's massage.

People started flocking to the front of the monastery to receive treatment.

"Is there some special event today? So many people."

"More and more people are believing in Keslokea. It's unfortunate that the sacred space has become so busy."

The abbot apologized, but his tone was full of pride.

He was in an excellent mood.

A major donor had arrived at an inopportune time, and the front of the monastery had immediately become a sea of Ketel enthusiasts.

Most of them were lined up for the academy instructor's massage, but the donor's expression still looked impressed.

The donor following the abbot into the monastery spotted Rai near the entrance.

"We'll talk later, old lady."

"Still as disgusting as ever. A holy church and a massage? What kind of nonsense is this?"

Only their eyes exchanged messages—Selma and Rai passed by each other without a word.

The open prayer hall for ordinary believers was lined with long benches where several people could sit.

In the center stood the stone statue of Keslokea holding scales.

Though it wasn't mass time, the hall was quiet, and a few believers sat scattered, praying toward the statue, creating a solemn atmosphere.

A priest moved quietly between the rows so as not to make a sound.

He greeted a man and woman who approached with a bow.

"Good afternoon, Priest. I've come because ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I need to ask a highly knowledgeable priest about doctrine."

"What is it?"

The priest smiled kindly.

The couple looked comfortable together.

Keslokea, the deity of order and stillness, rarely blessed couples or those engaged in love.

Most people seeking blessings went to other gods related to love.

The priest smiled warmly at the unusually cute couple.

The tall, well-built man gazed at the woman beside him with loving eyes before turning to the priest.

"Can you tell if a person is a virgin?"

The woman and the priest both jumped in surprise.

"Hahahaha, Peter, Peter… even a joke? How could you say something like that to a priest…"

Piara's lips trembled as she tried to play it off, but Peter was adamant.

"If it's Keslokea, the master of order and stillness, then you can tell, right?"

"Eh?"

"I want peace. I want stillness. If it's Keslokea, you can put out the fire inside me. Use a miracle to give me peace. Can you tell if I'm a virgin?"

The priest stepped back in alarm as the serious-looking Peter approached.

When the priest couldn't understand why peace and virginity were connected, a green-haired man who had been praying in the distance stood up.

"Ah, damn it, I can't hear anything! Hey, a guy's complaining about virginity? Just love each other already."

Piara beside Peter nodded vigorously in agreement.

Aslan, the green-haired man, approached Peter with a furious expression.

"In this era, why do you care about virginity? So you're still a virgin?"

"I am."

"… … Ah, no, that's not the important part! Why are you so insistent?! The girl you're dating is going to feel sorry for you."

Aslan's words were cut off for a moment, but he shook his head angrily.

"What does that have to do with you?"

"What does what have to do with you? Do you think that girl is yours?!"

The tension between Peter and Aslan made the priest panic and try to intervene, but he couldn't stop them with his power alone.

"P-Peter, if you fight here—"

"Step aside!"

"Kyaa!"

Piara grabbed Peter's arm to stop him, but when he shook it roughly, she slammed her head and fell.

"Ah… Piara… are you okay…?"

"Hah! Now even a woman gets it? If she's not a virgin, do you plan to choke her throat?"

"You damn bastard."

"S-Stop! Sister Helen, please take this person to the infirmary. And tell the paladins and abbot too!"

The priest, still furious, called for another priest.

While the two were shouting curses at each other, Piara was carried inside by Sister Helen.

Once laid on the white bed, Helen used a miracle to heal her bruised head, but Piara didn't wake up.

After examining her body and finding no abnormalities, Helen sighed in relief and hurried out of the infirmary.

The empty, silent infirmary.

Piara suddenly opened her eyes, sat up, looked around, and walked to the window to signal with a mirror.

"Infiltration complete."

Diana, who had been observing the transformed military signal from afar for this mission, smiled and looked at the paladins beside her.

"Shall we do the sparring again?!"

"Lady Diana, your spirit is overflowing. Excellent. Our paladins won't lose either."

"I'm grateful for the chance to spar with you, Lady Diana. My sword had been getting rusty."

Diana, surrounded by the paladins in the practice yard at the center of the monastery, laughed brightly.

"Not at all. It's me who should be grateful for the opportunity to train with priestesses who wield holy power."

"Hahaha, let's build our strength while we train each other."

Diana smiled meaningfully and raised her sword.

"Yes, we should each get what we want."