The Secret Visitor
"Young master. Even among beggars, there are rules we have to keep. Do you know what they are?"
"...There are rules like that?"
"First, never beg in someone else's territory without leave. Second, never turn your back on a fellow in trouble. Third, never curse out a householder or raise a ruckus just because they refused you alms. And there are plenty more besides."
Wangcho counted them off on his fingers as he spoke.
"Of all those rules, the most important is never to touch another man's rice bowl. But there's one that matters just as much."
I tipped my cup and listened in silence. It was the kind of underworld talk I never heard in ordinary company, and I found myself genuinely curious.
"No cheating at gambling. One of our favorite pastimes is a good game of chance. Someone loses, someone wins, and we all savor the tension of it."
"...Do beggars even have money to gamble with?"
It might have been a rude question, but the curiosity got the better of me and I asked it anyway.
"Haha! I like how direct you are, Young Master Rix! That's exactly the point. The truth is, our gambling is gambling in name only. No one ever actually loses money."
"You mean you play without stakes?"
Even if you call it gambling, if no money changes hands it's just an ordinary game. If that was how the beggars did it, they could enjoy themselves whether they had coin or not.
"No! We do put money down. Where's the fun otherwise? It's just that we only ever play with the same regulars. The odds of winning and losing even out, so over the long run a man usually wins back whatever he lost. The point of the game isn't to make money—it's purely for the thrill."
"Ah... so that's how it works."
Wangcho's patient explanation made it clear. Put simply, beggars' gambling was less UFC and more WWE. Money was on the table and money changed hands, but nobody truly walked away poorer. It was gambling in name only.
"Young Master Rix. What do you think happens when a cheat slips into a game like that?"
"One man would clean everyone out. And then people would actually start losing money."
"Exactly! It's like you're sparring with wooden swords and the other fellow suddenly draws live steel and comes at you for real. That's why anyone who cheats at the table has to be paid back in full."
Wangcho's face was flushed red with drink, but his eyes were sharp as ever. His fist was clenched tight.
"I'll take care of the swindler myself. You just focus on the tournament, Young Master."
All at once his expression turned deadly serious.
So he can make a face like that, too.
I flinched and studied him, but the gravity vanished in the blink of an eye. Just like that, the easygoing look was back.
"Hahaha! Enough of the scary talk—let's drink!"
I raised my cup with Wangcho. For a while we traded stories, enjoying the food and the wine.
After the impromptu drinking party ended, I returned to the lodgings and went to sleep.
The next morning I woke feeling surprisingly fresh.
No hangover.
The liquor in this romance-fantasy world was low-proof. Even though I thought I'd drunk quite a bit, my head was clear.
"Young master. Breakfast is ready."
"Thanks."
I ate the meal Hanna brought and let my thoughts wander.
What should I do today?
There was still time before the second round of the main tournament. It had been a long while since I'd set foot in the imperial Capital, but as an exile from the main house I couldn't exactly roam around freely.
"Young master. A guest came by the lodgings last night. When they heard you weren't in, they left again."
"Someone came looking for me?"
Last night I had been drinking with Wangcho the Beggar King. While I was enjoying the feast, someone had come looking for me.
"The guest had their face covered with a hood, so I couldn't get a clear look. Shall I tell you what I could make out?"
"Yeah. Anything helps—go ahead."
"First of all, it was a woman. And under the hood I caught a glimpse of silver hair. She was about my height."
A woman with silver hair, roughly Hanna's height. The description brought one face straight to mind.
That's the Saintess, Angelica Evangeline.
Silver hair was extremely rare even in the Empire. If someone with that feature and Hanna's stature had come looking for me, it had to be the Saintess.
"Did you catch her eye color?"
"She was wearing the hood and kept her head down, so I couldn't tell. I'm sorry."
"No, it's fine. Nothing to apologize for."
Why would the Saintess come to my lodgings? The reason came to me easily enough.
She wants to recruit me into the Church.
The Saintess had made a fuss about how full of Divine Power I was and shown far too much interest. She was practically desperate to get me into the central branch.
"For the record, the guest said she'd come back the next day."
"So she's coming today, then."
"Yes, that's right."
"Did she say when?"
"She didn't. When I told her you hadn't returned, she just said she'd come again tomorrow and hurried off."
Hmm. So I effectively turned the Saintess away at the door.
I had snubbed her without meaning to. I couldn't very well leave the Saintess standing on the threshold a second time, so I would have to meet her today. The only nuisance was that I had no idea when she would show up.
I was still wondering whether I should just sit around the lodgings indefinitely when—
Thump thump thump!
Someone pounded on the door.
"I'll go check."
Hanna slipped out quickly. Certain it was the Saintess, I followed her toward the entrance.
Voices carried from the doorway.
"I'll ask the young master. Please wait a moment."
"Oh! It's Rix!"
Hanna was blocking the entrance. Behind her, a silver-haired woman in a hood beamed at me with pure delight.
"You remember me, right? Please don't tell me you've forgotten—I'll be so disappointed!"
"M-Miss! You can't just—!"
Hanna tried to hold back the Saintess Angelica, who was already trying to barge straight in.
"Ah. I'm sorry! Hehe. I got a little too excited."
The moment Hanna caught her by the arm, Angelica meekly gave up.
Like an innocent little kid.
She charged ahead without thinking, but the second someone scolded her she instantly realized her mistake. That was the impression Angelica the Saintess gave.
"Hanna, let her in. I know her."
"Understood."
Only then did Hanna release Angelica. Free at last, the Saintess stepped inside at once and shut the door behind her. She pulled off the hood and revealed her face completely.
"I came to finish the conversation we didn't get to last time."
"The invitation to join the Church, you mean."
"Yes, exactly! You're so quick—I like that!"
Angelica grinned from ear to ear. No matter how I looked at her, she seemed far more like a simple country girl than a Saintess.
"Rix, come to the Church with me. If you join the central branch you can live right near the Capital! Nice lodgings, delicious food, and everyone is so kind!"
How am I supposed to turn this down?
I needed to refuse the Saintess's invitation without making an enemy of the entire Church.
"Saintess Evangeline."
"Yes!"
"I have no intention of joining the Church."
"I knew you'd say that. If you just come with me right now to the—"
Angelica barreled ahead with her speech, then belatedly processed my words and stopped mid-sentence in an awkward freeze.
"What? You're not going to join?"
"That's right. I won't."
"B-But why?! Having Divine Power like yours and not belonging to the Church is a national loss!"
A national loss, even. She certainly didn't hold back.
"I have no desire to belong anywhere. Not the Church, and not any other place either."
"How can that be..."
Angelica looked so stunned she couldn't continue. Silence stretched between us for a moment.
Then the Saintess, who had been sitting with her mouth shut, seemed to reach some decision. Her expression hardened with resolve.
"...You must be saying that because you don't know how wonderful the Church is. I'll teach you all its good points!"
It felt awkward to refuse a free lesson. I could always turn her down after hearing her out.
"I'll listen."
"Great! Excellent choice! Then come outside with me!"
"...Excuse me?"
"I'll show you the central branch in person. Seeing it with your own two eyes is much more convincing, right?"
"You're suggesting I go to the Church with you, Saintess?"
"Yes! The people there will recognize your Divine Power right away. I'm sure they'll treat you wonderfully! Come on, let's go!"
Angelica set off with a light, bouncing step.
The Church, huh. This might be a chance to learn more about Divine Power in this world.
Angelica had said Divine Power was the force that let one commune with the god Cariel. And she had claimed I was overflowing with it.
"Very well. Let's go to the Church together."
I would go in person and dig into the true nature of Divine Power.