Chapter 186: Confession
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 186: Confession
In the city's central square.
A large notice was posted on the public bulletin board.
A crowd gathered to read it.
—The investigation has revealed that Mr. Hobbs was a vampire hiding within the Holy Kingdom.
“Oh, my. I never would have thought that of Mr. Hobbs.”
“What do you mean, you never thought? I knew there was something off about him.”
“You said it. That Hobbs fellow, you could tell just by looking at his face, couldn't you?”
The usual suspects were quick to appear, from the ‘I-told-you-so’ types to those who judged a book by its cover, all seemingly waiting for someone's downfall to throw in their two cents.
The vampire's appearance had sent a great shock through the residents of Kassilon.
He wasn't an invader from the outside, but the head of a household who had even started a family here.
It was more than enough to sow distrust among the residents. For all they knew, the person standing right next to them could be a vampire.
As a result, people throughout the Holy Kingdom became more vigilant about their safety. The convent was no exception.
“Refrain from going out as much as possible, and if you must leave, please do so in pairs. Be especially mindful of your safety,” the Mother Superior said, having gathered the nuns.
While the appearance of a vampire in the heart of the Holy Kingdom was a shock, it was, paradoxically, fortunate that it happened here. This was a nation composed of clergy, the natural enemies of the demonic races.
They could respond even if a legion of demonic beasts invaded this very moment.
“Next. Sister Elize?”
“Yes, Headmistress.”
“Starting tomorrow, you will also listen to the voices of the pitiful and work to set order straight.”
“I understand.”
A new role had been assigned to Elize.
*
That night, Elize once again visited Karami’s inn. Although he had told her to come whenever she wanted, Elize had truly been stopping by every single day.
“Do you miss me that much?” Karami teased her, a daily ritual at this point.
“I just come because it’s suffocating being around the other nuns. Besides, this is the only place I can enjoy treats like this.”
“But you’re a nun too, Elize. Is this a case of kin-hate?”
“I’m half-vampire. I don’t have a taste for liking people who can kill me.”
“So you’re saying you like vampires, then.”
“Not that either.”
A sharp retort that allowed for no assumptions.
With an identity that was neither one thing nor the other, Elize was welcome nowhere. She was an outcast, set apart from everyone else.
“Then you should just make a friend.”
“A friend?”
“Create someone like you—half-clergy, half-vampire. Wouldn’t you feel a sense of kinship then?”
“…”
At that, Elize’s expression darkened.
The mood sank accordingly.
She stared intently at Karami, her red eyes narrowed to slits.
Karami tilted his head, his face a picture of utter confusion.
“Why are you looking at me so murderously?”
“…It’s nothing. And I have no intention of making friends. I don’t need them.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Elize took a sip of wine, and Karami followed suit, tilting his own glass.
“For someone who says that, this whole vampire commotion… that was your doing, wasn’t it?”
“It was. What do you think? The look on that man’s face when he realized his acquaintances, his family, even his god wouldn’t listen to him. Wasn’t it hilarious?”
“Isn’t that what you’d call making a friend?”
Elize immediately protested.
“It’s different, you know? You may not be aware, but vampires appreciate beautiful things. Haven’t you read the books? They only bite the necks of beautiful women.”
“And?”
“It means that by becoming a vampire, I have become beautiful. So I don’t befriend ugly people.”
“I suppose you’ll never make a single friend in your life without me, then.”
“Excuse me?”
Elize blinked, staring at Karami with an expression that screamed, What kind of bullshit is that?
He’d played along, only for her to take what she wanted from the exchange and leave him hanging. Annoyed, Karami decided to drop the conversation.
As if it didn’t matter, Elize continued excitedly.
“It’s truly hilarious. A vampire was hiding among them? Of course. They prioritized preventing the collapse of order over revealing the truth about an innocent man.”
Having exposed the Holy Kingdom’s true face, Elize flashed a triumphant smile. She took a sip of wine as if raising a toast to victory.
“I’m glad you seem to be in a good mood, but…”
“Then you should be playing along. Why the long face? If the Holy Kingdom is shaken, your… Master’s church can gain more power, can’t it?”
Karami put on a deliberately bitter expression.
“That may be true, but he was the head of a family. I feel sorry for the family he left behind.”
“Hah. I never knew a slave trader—and the Slave Reaper, no less—could be so soft-hearted. Your Master and I are both beings hated by the world. I suggest you drop the unfitting good-guy act sooner rather than later.”
“But I am a kind slave trader.”
Calling himself kind when she knew full well he was the Slave Reaper. The ridiculous joke wasn’t even funny. Elize didn’t bother to engage.
“Right. There’s one more thing I have to tell you.”
Karami had instructed her to report everything that happened at the convent without omission.
“Starting tomorrow, I’ve been entrusted with the duty of hearing confessions.”
“Oh…”
“And just so you know, don’t come.”
“Haha, of course. I know how to separate my public and private life.”
As if.
*
In a corner of the Cathedral, nestled in the shadows, was the confessional.
Elize sat inside, a small partition separating her from the other side. The sound of breathing from beyond the thin lattice screen was heavy.
“I stole bread from the market. I was hungry, and the image of my starving children wouldn’t leave my mind… I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t stop my hands.”
A low voice echoed from beyond the partition. The man continued, his breath trembling.
“I ignored the voices calling out to me and pushed away those who tried to stop me. Ever since, I can’t get the baker’s face out of my head. How angry he must have been… The guilt keeps me from sleeping.”
The man squeezed his eyes shut, his clasped hands trembling.
“God has heard your confession. As a father trying to feed his starving children, it must have been a choice you felt you had to make.”
“Then…!”
“Poverty is not a sin, but theft is a crime that clearly harms another.”
Elize cut through the man’s hope with the sharpness of a knife.
The man asked cautiously, “Can I wash away this sin?”
“Your conscience has already admitted your wrongdoing, so God knows the weight of it. What’s important is your actions from now on. You cannot remain a man who stole bread.”
“That is…”
“You must apologize to the owner and make an effort to right your wrong by repaying what you stole. Only when you have restored the disrupted order will you be able to cleanse your soul.”
The man on the other side of the partition began to sob. Elize let out a short sigh.
“Thank you, Sister. I will be sure to repay him so that I, and my family, can be free from this sin.”
The man offered his thanks and left.
Taking a short break, Elize slumped onto the chair like a slime.
This is so annoying…
The idea of her, a person without a shred of faith, absolving sins as a proxy for God was laughable.
Would this really purify anyone’s soul?
She’d be lucky if her own didn’t become more tainted.
Click, clack.
The door to the confessional opened, and the light sound of heels echoed.
It seemed a new sinner had arrived.
Elize took a sip of milk, then cleared her throat and composed her voice.
“Now. Confess the sin that has sullied your soul.”
“I’m troubled because I’m too kind.”
“Haaah…”
Elize squeezed her eyes shut.
That familiar, flippant voice.
That nonsensical drivel.
Anyone could tell it was him.
She had explicitly told him not to come, yet here he was.
“Sister. Did you just sigh? Could I have your affiliation and name, please? A nun, sighing during confession…”
“Of course not. Did you say being too kind is a sin? How could kindness possibly be a sin?”
“If one belongs to the Order of Balance, shouldn’t one maintain a balance between good and evil? But I am only kind, so it seems the balance is skewed to one side. I am concerned this may go against the doctrine.”
…Is that right?
For a moment, his words were so plausible she was almost swayed.
But Elize quickly snapped back to her senses.
She had almost been taken in by his ridiculous bullshit again.
“Maintaining the balance of good and evil does not mean an individual must perform good and evil in equal measure. God’s will is for the world to be in balance, and an individual’s actions are about fulfilling their role within that balance.”
“Is that so?”
“Evil already exists in the world, so your acts of kindness are precious deeds necessary to maintain that balance. Do not doubt your actions; continue on your path as you have been.”
A sound of admiration came from beyond the partition.
“I understand. I should just continue to live kindly.”
That lunatic.
Please, just go.
“I’m glad I could help resolve your conflict. Now, would you please make way for the next penitent?”
“Actually, I have one more concern.”
The corners of Elize’s mouth twitched uncontrollably. Her expression was so bizarre it was impossible to tell if it was a smile or a grimace of irritation.
“Another concern. What. Could. It. Be?”
“An acquaintance of mine is walking a twisted path. I am torn between maintaining my loyalty to him and keeping his secret, or revealing the truth.”
This was a somewhat normal question.
She had expected more nonsense.
Normally, prying into personal matters the other party hadn’t revealed was taboo.
But Elize was quick on the uptake. She deduced there must be a reason he was using the confessional for a conversation they could have had at the inn.
“Would you mind telling me what it is about? Perhaps I can help you make a decision.”
“You won’t tell anyone what I say?”
“All conversations that take place in the confessional are known only to me, you, and God. I swear that not a word will leak outside these walls. I swear this on Ordo, the God of Order.”
Only after Elize had made her vow did the man speak.
“My friend told me he is preparing a project.”
“A project… you say?”
“It seems he’s planning some kind of experiment. I don’t know the details, but he said he needs young nuns. He asked me to help him gather them, but as you know, I’m a kind person.”
Elize fell silent for a moment.
Then, she slowly parted her lips.
“…Your acquaintance’s name?”
“He is called Roman. A theologian.”
Roman.
Elize mulled over the name.
“I hope my friend Roman walks the right path.”
“…Yes. Let us pray together that he restores balance and establishes the correct order.”
It seemed she had work to do.