Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Chapter 32: Homeward (1)
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Sara, who had been cheering by herself, suddenly hardened her expression and asked Sears seriously.
"But do you know what a saint is, Mom?"
At her words, the people around burst into laughter.
The tense atmosphere melted away in an instant.
Sara didn't understand why everyone was suddenly laughing, but since they were all laughing, she giggled excitedly too.
"Thanks to my granddaughter, we got a good laugh."
"I agree, Marquis."
Philros wiped away tears while rubbing his belly.
The others were much the same.
Philros looked at Jamie with a much more relaxed face.
Thanks to Sara, the mood had lightened, but they still couldn't quite believe their ears.
Jamie chuckled inwardly at their reactions.
'They don't believe it.'
It might be irreverent not to believe Riki, who was an apostle, but it was undeniably unrealistic.
'Showing them directly is a bit embarrassing.'
But nothing was as convincing as seeing it with their own eyes.
Jamie awkwardly held out his left hand.
"......Scales of Justice."
Philros muttered as he saw the familiar symbol clearly etched on the small palm.
As the second-in-command Holy Executor, there was no way he wouldn't recognize the emblem of his own church.
No, everyone present felt the same.
"I-is it real?"
Even Ras, seeing it with his own eyes, could hardly believe it.
The talkative Airak was speechless.
The Marquis and Sears exchanged complicated glances.
They couldn't easily decide how to process this situation.
Normally, they should be overjoyed, but Jamie's status and abilities were far from those of a saint.
He was the heir to the Welton Count family, which dominated the eastern nobility of the Seldam Kingdom, and a challenger to the 9th class, treated as the supreme realm.
Even if the latter was just potential, the former was a guaranteed position.
"Jamie as a saint......"
The Marquis furrowed his brow.
Becoming a saint meant renouncing all status and becoming the goddess's complete servant.
At least if his home territory believed in Pyro, it could be mitigated somewhat, but Hice hadn't established any religion since the Zenith Church.
"That part is fine."
Sears spoke up, her face still complicated.
She looked at Ras and said,
"Hice will accept the Pyro Church."
"Madam, is that true?"
When Airak asked in surprise, Ras answered instead.
"I was going to bring it up, but the incident interrupted me."
"What is it?"
"Before leaving Hice, I received this from Count Welton. The Archbishop read it first, but with everything happening......"
What Ras pulled from his bosom was a neatly preserved letter.
"You read it. Among us here, aren't you the highest-ranking in the church?"
"Then, if you'll excuse me."
Philros quickly read the contents of the letter he received.
Then he widened his eyes and looked at Sears.
"Is this real?"
"Exactly as it's written."
"What's it say?"
Airak snatched the letter from Philros and read it aloud.
"Our family intends to convert to the Pyro Church and hopes to establish a Pyro Church temple in our territory of Hice."
There was more content, but that was the core.
The Marquis looked surprised that Count Welton had made such a choice.
"Did the Count really make that decision?"
"There are various reasons, but it's undoubtedly true."
"Then that's fortunate, but......"
If the Welton Count family joined the Pyro Church, Jamie's situation would be somewhat alleviated.
But a saint was ultimately the goddess's property, so renouncing status was inevitable.
Sears's head throbbed at that point too.
"It's okay."
The adults turned to Jamie with puzzled faces at his sudden words.
"The goddess said I don't need to do that."
"What do you mean?"
"She told me to do my job. I don't even need to go to the main temple; I can act freely. So I don't have to give up my status."
"......Is that possible?"
Airak questioned it, but since Jamie had received the saint's mark, he couldn't doubt it further.
"A saint acting independently."
Philros let out a hearty laugh and quietly bowed toward Jamie.
Ras and Airak did the same.
Jamie looked at them calmly.
"The sword that upholds the goddess's justice, Holy Executor Philros Oran, greets the newly appointed saint."
"The sword that upholds the goddess's justice, Holy Executor Airak Tedli, greets the newly appointed saint."
"The sword that upholds the goddess's justice, Holy Executor Ras Armetic, greets the newly appointed saint."
Normally, one would be flustered, but Jamie responded as if it were natural.
"Nice to meet you. Let's get along well."
The Marquis's mind grew complicated again at Jamie's demeanor.
The three Holy Executors left first, saying they had much to do.
"We should head back too......"
As the Marquis was about to suggest everyone return, a priest came running urgently.
"Wait a moment!"
"What's the matter?"
"Huff... huff... huff!"
Perhaps out of shape, the priest was panting hard despite running just a short distance.
The Marquis and Sears waited for the priest to catch his breath, and once he had calmed somewhat, the Marquis asked.
"So, what urgent matter brings you here?"
"It's that Sir Baylor Onyx has awakened."
Everyone except Sara reacted with surprise.
Sara, uninterested, had wandered off to watch ants nearby.
"He just woke up now?"
"Yes."
"I see. What shall we do?"
The Marquis turned to his daughter.
She had said she wanted to thank Baylor for Jamie's sake.
But her expression suggested she still found it burdensome.
"We have time. He's probably still tired, so we'll come back tomorrow......"
"I'll go."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes. I should at least say thanks. He's my son's benefactor."
Sears placed her hand on Jamie's head as she spoke.
The Marquis smiled warmly at his daughter's resolve and nodded.
"I can see the boy anytime, so you two go ahead. I'll take Sara back first."
"Got it."
"Jamie, stop by Uncle Baylor's and then come back holding Mom's hand."
"Yes, Grandpa!"
"Such a good boy."
The Marquis ruffled Jamie's hair, who had answered so spiritedly.
Jamie regretted not answering a bit less spiritedly, feeling inconvenienced.
"This is the room."
Riki guided them to Baylor's room.
"I'll head out first."
"Thank you."
"No problem. See you later, Jamie."
"Yeah, see you."
Riki waved to the two and disappeared around the corner.
Sears looked at the door with slight tension.
She wondered if entering was right, what to talk about, if their broken relationship could be mended, if it was even necessary—thoughts swirled.
She had been greatly disappointed in him.
Though time had diluted those feelings, treating him as before was impossible.
'Just say thanks and leave.'
She raised her hand to knock, but her arm wouldn't move.
It was just knocking—what was so hard about—
"Mom."
At that moment.
Jamie tugged at Sears's skirt.
Looking down, her son nodded as if to say it was okay.
Seeing his face, her complicated emotions settled in an instant.
Sears smiled at her son and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Baylor's voice came from inside.
Sears opened the door while holding her breath.
Baylor, reading a book on the bed, looked at Sears with calm eyes.
His past ruthless image overlapped with the current Baylor. Though he seemed like a different person, Sears felt a familiarity.
"Hello."
As Sears stood frozen at the door, Jamie strode inside.
"Feeling better?"
"Much better, thanks to you."
"Good thing. I was worried you'd die."
"Saying that so casually to a patient? Oh, because you're a kid?"
"Kids can do anything."
"Clever little rascal."
Sears was flustered seeing her son talk so casually with Baylor.
Were they close enough to be this comfortable?
As Sears alternated glances between them in confusion, Jamie beckoned her.
"Mom, come here."
"Uh, yeah. Okay."
Sears cautiously walked to her son's side.
Baylor gave her a small smile and said,
"I saw you a few days ago, but it feels like ages."
"......Yeah."
"What brings you here?"
At Baylor's question, Sears hesitated briefly, then placed her hand on her son's shoulder and answered.
"To say thank you."
"For what?"
"You saved my son. Truly grateful."
"I saved my life thanks to Jamie too, so we're even."
He had saved Jamie from Demon Baron Rueta, but without Jamie, he wouldn't have survived the battle with Savl.
"Still, as a mother, I felt I should thank my child's benefactor. Rest well, then......"
Sears hurriedly finished her greeting and tried to leave.
But Baylor's next words stopped her.
"Jamie. I need to talk to your mom alone for a bit. Could you step out?"
"Sure."
Jamie readily agreed.
"Wait. What do you—"
"I'll wait outside, Mom."
"Jamie!"
"You're old friends."
At the word "friends," Sears's eyes trembled.
Jamie said to her,
"Clear the air."
With that, Jamie closed the door and left.
Silence filled the room.
Baylor broke it.
"You have a good son."
"Yeah. He's very lovable."
Alone now, they dropped formalities, speaking casually as in the old days.
"Jamie is an extraordinary child. Too extraordinary to describe with just 'extraordinary.'"
"Thanks for thinking well of my son."
"Your son will one day command the world."
Sears only showed a faint smile.
"Is the Count well?"
"He's always fine."
"Good. He beat me, after all."
"Still dwelling on that day?"
The duel over Sears.
The day Count Welton won overwhelmingly.
Baylor had vanished from Uptown in tattered form without a word.
"Ridiculous to say I dwell on it."
Back then, he hated Welton Count enough to kill him. He'd even planned assassinations.
Those were his rock-bottom days.
"But someone told me worries are ultimately futile. Better to reflect on oneself."
After the duel, he lived like a demon for three years.
Even after avenging his family, he was consumed by madness and bloodlust.
"At first, I thought it nonsense. Tried to kill the one who said it."
-As long as you can't let go of your worries, you can't beat me.
He lost.
More miserably than to Count Welton.
That's when change began.
Baylor challenged him repeatedly.
Each defeat prompted self-reflection, finding flaws in his swordsmanship, then in himself.
Discovering flaws sparked curiosity about their cause.
Why did I become like this? How to fix it?
He pondered for two years, undergoing great changes.
"That's when I truly became a Sword Master."
He'd reached Sword Master level during his demon days, but it was fake.
"Then I learned the root of my flaws."
Baylor took something from the bag beside him.
Sears covered her mouth upon seeing it.
"Remember this?"
"This is...... the one Mom gave......"
"Right. The music box your aunt gave us when we first met."
The battered old music box showed a prince and princess dancing hand in hand.
But no melody played.
It had been neglected too long.
"Seeing it brought back old memories."
Days like siblings.
Baylor and Sears were inseparable.
Always together, going everywhere as one.
"It was all my fault."
After his family fell, Sears was his only support.
It started as mild obsession.
But it grew with time, disturbing his sleep.
Eventually, he wanted to kill every man she met.
He barely remembered those days, but regretted them all.
"But I lacked the courage."
He went to Hice many times, intending to kneel and apologize before Welton Count and Sears.
But knowing his wrongs prevented it.
"I'm...... truly, truly sorry."
After hearing everything, Sears was silent for a long time.
She stared blankly at the music box in Baylor's hand.
-Wow! Such a pretty sound! I want to dance like a princess too!
-Haha. Sears is pretty, so you'll marry a prince someday.
-Then can I be a pretty princess?
-More like a queen.
-Queen! When I become queen, I'll invite you to the palace!
-Looking forward to it.
They danced on the grass imagining prince dances, Baylor clapping.
They played like that often.
'I danced, and brother clapped.'
As they grew, they stopped, but occasionally listened to the music box together.
Now, faint melodies echoed in her ears.
Sears smiled at the old memory and spoke.
"Next time...... come visit Hice. We'll be waiting."
"I will."
The two smiled at each other.
Jamie, outside the door, shrugged while watching birds outside the window.
'Emotions are still beyond me.'
Still, a happy ending was fine, he thought on that day.