Beverick (2)
Beverick (2)
I kept groveling to Beverick. Even though he ignored me, I worked to get into his good graces.
Wasn't there a saying that persistence could accomplish anything?
But sure enough, within a week, my patience hit rock bottom.
"A spineless little maggot. Why is Irene worrying about something like you... tch."
One sentence shattered the resolve I'd worked so hard to rebuild. Ah. Devastating.
This fucking piece of shit was beyond saving!
"Ahaha."
You're fucked today. If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me. I tried to slap him with a hand bulging with veins.
But Mierkant stopped me. Stepping between us, he smiled like always.
"I need a hand, Beverick. Would you help me a little?"
"Make that bastard do it. Why me when there's a freeloader sitting around."
"It's something only you can do. Isn't he still a child lacking in learning? There's no child in this branch smarter than you when it comes to theology, so I have no choice. Help me out."
"...Hah. Seriously. Every last one of you is useless."
Mierkant winked at me. I let out a sigh at the wink that didn't suit him at all.
He could thank Mierkant for the fact I hadn't cracked his skull right then. Bastard.
I gripped the documents Matier had handed me and flipped through them. There was a reason I hadn't blown this open immediately.
Bishop Brody.
One of the real powers at church headquarters backing that bastard.
The name was famous. Even here, where the Sun God Church was treated like a den of traitors, it came up easily.
Apparently, he was one of the leaders propping up the collapsing Church of Ra. With backing that powerful, any evidence of Beverick violating church doctrine would probably be buried.
I knew how well-connected people in the upper class covered up crimes. I'd seen plenty of it in my previous life.
They'd quietly pardon the offense, of course, and send him somewhere out of sight for a while. I didn't even need to see it happen to know. Beverick knew it too, which was why he ran wild.
I couldn't just dump the evidence anywhere. I had to use it at the right time and place...
"Which means I have to set the stage..."
I ran through several scenarios, drafting and discarding plans over and over.
The move that would help me most.
Even as night approached, I didn't move. I sat in my room, lit a candle, and briefly organized my notes.
I was stuck. To get to church headquarters, I had to either remove that bastard or force him to cooperate—and either way, I'd have to sacrifice Irene.
Honestly, it still left a bad taste. The problem was that forcing the connection meant dealing with that bastard's considerable thuggery. On top of that, Irene had sided with me whether I realized it or not.
It weighed on me. It did.
But still... to break through the easy way...
Knock, knock.
I heard a knock.
"Come in."
I didn't need to look. It had to be Mierkant. He'd probably come to offer some warm words, telling me to be understanding about what happened that morning.
It wasn't just a day or two; he'd been at it for a full three days.
"I'm fine..."
"Zahard."
I glanced back. Irene, who had never once come to see me, was standing there.
I'd never seen Irene lean in and whisper like that before.
"If you're not busy, would you like to take a short walk?"
"......"
A late-night date, huh.
What change of heart was this?
. . .
Irene walked without a word. The reason she had sought him out before making her choice was nothing special.
She simply wanted to see him once. The child who had changed the church bit by bit, starting from the smallest things.
A child far too gifted for his age.
The moonlight was bright. The footprints behind her stood out clearly beneath it.
...She'd come a long way.
Truly far.
"Zahard."
"Yes?"
For the first time, she really looked at him. In the moonlight, he seemed more composed than she'd expected—calm and quiet. Unlike usual, he said nothing until she spoke first.
A child who could read the mood. She'd thought all men were nothing but beasts in heat, but this one was different. He didn't approach unless study was involved, and though he seemed to flatter, he kept his distance.
An apprentice priest.
Perhaps he was the one operating best within those boundaries.
"...Zahard."
She quietly spoke the name. Irene stopped walking as the breeze tickled her bangs.
"Is church life treating you well?"
"Well, yeah. Now that I'm full and warm, I guess studying comes a little easier."
"I'm glad. You seem to have adapted well."
"I'm the type who adapts well wherever I go."
Zahard scratched his head. Irene quietly watched him.
"Do you still want to go to Church headquarters?"
"Of course. I've learned everything I can here, haven't I? Honestly, I'm more interested in Holy Arts than doctrine. I'd like to learn more."
"I know. Your talent is remarkable."
"A rare compliment. I don't think you praise people very often."
"Once in a while is fine."
Irene demurely looked up at the moon. It was bright.
Perhaps brighter than the sun. No, was that going too far?
For some reason, a laugh escaped her. Now that she'd made up her mind, there seemed to be no way out.
Yes.
Let's not run away.
She had sought out Zahard to make that decision.
"...I come from a fallen noble family."
A past she had told no one but Mierkant.
Irene looked at Zahard. She wasn't telling him because she trusted or cherished him. She simply wanted someone to hear what had been weighing on her.
The reason she acted this way.
She simply didn't want to let him walk away with some foolish misunderstanding.
"I lost my parents when I was twelve. I was taken in by a relative, but life there wasn't pleasant. My only relative was a man, and he was very fond of me. In a bad way, of course."
That was probably when it started.
That was when every man began to look disgusting to her.
"I ran away. With nowhere to go, I sometimes relied on innkeepers for shelter along the way. Some were kind, but they were the minority. Most demanded my body, and each time, I ran again."
She wanted a sword.
She wanted power.
The power to fight back against that ugliness. But before she could learn to live as a mercenary, she met a man.
Through him, she learned.
How to live without ever needing to hold a sword.
"I met Priest Mierkant. When my heart wanted a sword, he placed a book in my hands instead. He is my benefactor. He taught me how to dream, and with his own hands he saved me from a fate that might have left me nothing more than a prostitute."
"...So?"
"What Priest Mierkant wants is the church's revival. It is also his atonement; he wants to bear the sins of this branch alone. What kind of person does he seem like to you?"
"Well, a kind person."
Zahard shrugged.
"Kind enough to be easy to stab in the back."
"Exactly. And that kind of person sees you as the future of the church. Honestly, I don't see you that way."
A small laugh escaped her.
"To me, you're just shrewd and greedy. You grill meat surprisingly well, and you're smart, but you have a wicked streak to match."
"Hey, if you're going to insult me, just insult me, and if you're going to compliment me, just compliment me."
"I can't do that. The you I've seen is exactly the person I'm describing."
Irene let out a sigh.
"I don't think you're the future of the church. But if Priest Mierkant believes in you, then I suppose it's only right that I believe in you too."
"Is that piety, or just repaying a debt?"
"I believe I'm alive today because Ra watched over me. But personal desire comes first. I... am more grateful to Priest Mierkant than I am devout toward Ra."
Yes.
That was the conclusion she had reached.
"I want you to go to church headquarters and learn more. I want you to become the church's savior, just as Priest Mierkant believes you can."
"...Earlier you were going on about my character. And you'd still make that choice?"
"Of course. You're sometimes vicious, shrewd, and have a tendency to use people as you please, but..."
Irene smiled faintly.
"If Priest Mierkant believes in you, then I can believe in you too."
"......"
Zahard said nothing. He shrugged, started to say something, then closed his mouth again.
The silence stretched on. Then he opened his mouth again.
"Why are you suddenly telling me all this? Has it been decided that I'm going to church headquarters?"
"Yes. It's been decided."
"...And the price for that? What do I have to do?"
"You don't have to do anything. Once time passes, you'll go to Church headquarters."
"But Apprentice Priest Beverick hasn't said anything about it?"
"You don't need to worry about him. I'll handle it."
"How are you going to arrange that? I heard an apprentice priest can't be dispatched without Priest Beverick's permission."
"......"
There was only one way.
Sell her body.
In a sense, it was the method of a prostitute. But if that was what it took to repay her debt of gratitude…
If she could open up a future for one child, couldn't that also be called the path of a priest?
"...I'll persuade him."
"How?"
"He's an apprentice priest too. If I appeal to his piety, the door will open."
"You'll resolve it through conversation? Is that possible?"
"It is."
Irene calmly looked at him.
"Have you ever seen me lie?"
"...No, but I think I'm seeing it for the first time now."
"It's not a lie."
"Why go this far? Isn't the price too high to call it repaying a debt?"
Looking back, that was true. But Irene suddenly understood why she found herself opening up to Zahard.
She had watched him for quite some time. They had talked and studied together, and sometimes she had even felt jealous and envious.
And in the end, she was grateful to him.
To the one who had completely transformed a place that had been like a gutter.
"...Who knows."
Irene smiled without realizing it. Thinking about it, she had already told a lie.
It wasn't because Mierkant believed in him.
She believed in the boy she had seen—the one who had changed this church.
That was why she wanted to give him a push forward.
"I suppose I've grown fond of you."
"......."
Zahard looked at her. Then he suddenly asked.
"You don't say 'point deducted' anymore."
"Because there's no reason to deduct, and no points left."
"So now I'm below even a bug?"
"I mention deductions, but I don't announce bonus points."
"What's my score?"
"Who knows."
Irene turned away.
"Zahard. Keep striving. Always strive, whenever and wherever. That's the one thing I want."
. . .
The bitter taste lingered in my mouth.
I'd heard too bitter a story, and I didn't much like it.
"Ah, shit..."
Me, you see.
I didn't particularly welcome one-sided goodwill. I preferred transactions. If both sides gave and took, I could get what I wanted without feeling uneasy.
That was just how it was. Think about it—wasn't that obvious?
I'd lived a life of conquering or being conquered. Honestly, my previous life was turbulent. It was never easy, and there were plenty of frustrating things.
No one gave goodwill for free. So I didn't trust people. Because I didn't trust people, others trusted me even less.
So I thought this life would be similar...
"Either of them would be easy to betray."
All this talk about whether or not to trust someone just because I'd changed one church. Seriously.
-Is there a problem?
"No."
-If that's your judgment.
Since things had come this far, I decided to grit my teeth and accept it. Sure. Why not?
Thinking it over, this wasn't a bad deal for me. I could just pretend I hadn't heard anything and head to church headquarters.
Actually, this was better. The problem I'd been agonizing over had resolved itself neatly.
The most important thing was clearing this world. Wiping out the Fallen would ultimately help Irene too.
Right!
That was all I needed to settle it!
I whistled. Leaving Irene, who had gone back first, I continued my night stroll. As I walked, my thoughts sorted themselves out, and my tangled head cleared completely.
Yeah, sure!
It's someone else's business anyway, so what does it matter!
Let's just stop caring! It worked out well, so that's that!
I headed back to the church. Unfortunately, I spotted a man and a woman together in the garden.
"I knew you'd decide that way."
A panting man and an expressionless woman.
"Keep your promise."
"It's what my future wife says, so of course. Don't worry. I'll send that maggot straight to Church headquarters."
Oh dear.
They were in the middle of the deed.
As the guy heading to church headquarters, I should get out of their way! Everything was working itself out!
Wasn't this all thanks to the goodwill I'd built up?
I turned my back on the garden. From behind me, I heard the man's whisper.
"Having our first time in the garden is special in its own way, isn't it?"
"...If we're going to do it, I'd rather do it in a room..."
"No. Did you forget you agreed to obey me?"
...Ha.
"Let's do it here. Here. Because that's what I like."
You perverted bastard. Just go inside and do it.
What the hell is this outdoor shit.
Ugh. I should just clear out quickly.
"Now. Take off your top."
...So here.
"And don't forget to call me master."
Time to withdraw.
"Obey, Irene."
Withdraw.
Withdraw.
"You're mine."
......
...
...Ah. Fuck.
"I should just live like that bastard."
I let out a hollow laugh. I turned back around and returned to the garden.
Beverick, sensing my presence, flinched in surprise. Irene, who had half taken off her top, hurriedly straightened her clothes when she saw me.
I stood in front of them. Beverick erupted in anger.
"Wh-what?! Get lost!"
"There's something I forgot to give you. I kept meaning to, but it slipped my mind."
"...What is it?"
"Well, it's this."
I reached out my hand. And slapped him across the cheek.
A choked sound escaped him. Irene drew a sharp breath.
Yeah. Fuck.
I really couldn't just keep taking from him.
And to just close my eyes and go to Church headquarters, I've already groveled too much!
"How'd that slap taste?"
"You son of a bitch!"
"Fuuuuuck?"
This isn't because of Irene.
Absolutely not.
"A man... talking back?!"
I didn't grow fond of anyone! I just don't like this bastard!