Chapter 28 - Adjustment - 3

CREEAK

The door to her quarters opened.

Waiting outside, Bera froze as Renée emerged through the open doorway. The sight of her in pure white ceremonial robes had stopped him in his tracks.

Fabric embroidered in gold enveloped her body. Even at a glance, the ceremonial attire appeared to consist of several layers. Both the ornate outer coat and the pristine white priestly robes peeking out beneath it should have seemed excessive, yet somehow Bera found nothing excessive about them at all.

They suited her that well. They looked as though they had been made for Renée from the very beginning.

'... No.'

Perhaps even those robes were not enough. Perhaps even they fell short of conveying her nobility.

As these thoughts passed through his mind—

TAP. TAP.

Holding Hella's hand and using her cane, Renée approached him.

"I'm sorry. Have you been waiting long?"

Her words roused Bera from his daze. His lips moved slightly as he answered.

"No."

The reply was curt and abrupt. He reached out, took Renée's hand from Hella, and added,

"Then let us go."

"Yes."

Renée felt her fingertips tremble slightly as Bera's hand settled over hers, then began walking under his guidance. The tapping of her cane and the sounds of their footsteps fell into rhythm. Beside her, Bera continued describing the layout of her quarters for her benefit, since she could not see.

"If you turn right after leaving your room and walk about twenty paces, you will reach the exit leading to the Grand Temple's flower garden. In the opposite direction is the eastern exit, where the holy knights' barracks are..."

His words were stiff. But Renée knew this straitlaced knight rarely let emotion enter his speech. This stiffness was Bera's own way of being kind.

"... The corridors in your quarters generally run in straight lines. All decorations and other objects that might impede your movement have been removed, so you need not worry about them."

"I see."

When she nodded and murmured her acknowledgment, another explanation followed.

"There is an outdoor garden in the middle of the flower beds we are heading toward. His Holiness is waiting there."

"Oh, there's a garden among the flower beds, too? It must be enormous."

"Yes. I understand it is much larger than the building housing your quarters. The apostle of abundance, who is currently away on an assignment, created the flower garden as a hobby."

An apostle.

The word brought a thought to mind.

'Come to think of it...'

Bera was an apostle, too. She had heard that before arriving in the Holy Empire, but for some reason the fact still felt strange. To Renée, Bera seemed less like an apostle than a steadfast knight out of a story.

Still thinking it over, Renée voiced a question to Bera, who had finished his explanation and fallen silent.

"Do all the apostles go away on assignments?"

"Not all of them. It depends on their duties. For example... Trebo, the apostle of wisdom, is responsible for maintaining the Demon-Sealing Barrier surrounding the Holy Empire, so he does not take assignments outside it."

"Oh, then what is your duty, Sir Knight?"

"To protect you, Saintess. Unless something extremely urgent arises, I will probably remain by your side."

Remain by her side.

At those words, Renée gave a start.

"... Saintess?"

"Oh, it's nothing! I just missed my footing!"

"My apologies. I will slow down."

"I'm fine!"

Her voice came booming out. Realizing she had become flustered and shouted yet again, Renée felt her face grow hot. She squeezed her eyes shut.

Why was she acting like such an idiot? At this rate, wouldn't her declaration that she was blind, not stupid, look like a lie?

She scolded herself for getting nervous at every turn and tried to settle the fluttering inside her.

Their conversation went no further. Renée lacked the presence of mind to say anything else, and Bera was not one to speak unnecessarily.

After they had been walking for quite some time, he said,

"We have arrived."

Startled by Bera's words, Renée straightened her back. The voice that followed—

"You're here."

—belonged to an old man, deeply marked by the years.

"You have endured much to reach us, Saintess."

At his next words, Renée bowed her head and offered a greeting in a voice tinged with nervousness.

"Hello..."

She swallowed hard. Countless thoughts flashed through her mind. Had she breached etiquette? Would he find fault with her?

While all manner of worries crowded her thoughts, Bargo spoke again.

"Please, come and sit here."

His words were gentle.

Renée began to think Bargo might be kinder than she had expected. Bera, meanwhile, felt his face crease into a scowl at a side of Bargo he had never seen before.

Had the man truly gone senile? Why was he behaving so unlike himself?

As Bera stared at him with a frown, Bargo clicked his tongue and addressed him.

"What are you standing there gawking for, you brat? Hurry up and escort the Saintess. Bah, tsk. When it comes to being slow, you really are the best on the continent."

GRRRK

Bera ground his teeth.

"... My apologies."

"There you go apologizing again. Are you throwing apologies about for sport? No matter what I say, you toss out another one."

"Pfft...!"

A laugh escaped Renée at Bargo's words. Cold sweat beaded on her skin at the involuntary sound. Feeling Bera's grip on her hand tighten slightly, she hastily tried to apologize.

"I-I'm sorry..."

"... It is nothing."

With that reply, Bera seated Renée across from Bargo, then stood behind her and glared at him.

"Those eyes of yours have no manners."

"I have many shortcomings."

"Yes, and may you stay just as deficient all your life."

Bargo's and Bera's gazes clashed, neither yielding an inch. As Renée grew visibly flustered listening to them, Bargo noticed and soothed her in a gentle tone.

"Oh dear, what an unseemly display to put on before you, Saintess."

"Not at all!"

Renée wanted to flee. The atmosphere was far more hostile than she had expected, and her legs trembled. Had she not been blind, perhaps she would have bolted then and there.

As the thought cast a deeper shadow over her face, Bargo looked away from Bera and continued speaking to her.

"You have no reason to be afraid, Saintess. This is a place where those who cherish you more than anyone are gathered, so please relax."

"I-is that so...?"

"Of course. I heard a great deal happened on your way here. You suffered much because of that useless brat."

The insult made Bera's expression grow more menacing. Bargo chuckled at the sight and continued.

"Now, how has life in the Holy Empire been treating you?"

"Y-you don't need to speak so formally to me..."

"If you do the same, Saintess, then so shall I."

Renée pressed her lips tightly shut.

She understood at once: Bargo was showing her respect. There could be no doubt. After seeing how he treated Bera, she would have to be an idiot not to recognize it.

Why was he so kind? Was it because she was the Saintess, after all? Was this sacred mark truly so remarkable?

Her mind tangled with these thoughts, Renée pondered them for a while before shaking them off and speaking. Today's meeting was meant to explain her future duties, after all. Such questions would have to wait.

"Um... first, may I ask about my schedule from now on?"

Having ventured the question cautiously, she quietly waited for his answer.

Bargo looked at Renée as she waited with her head slightly bowed and spoke with a gentle smile.

"You feel bewildered, don't you?"

"Pardon?"

"I imagine you must, having come here without understanding what any of this means. You must feel some resistance to it, too."

Renée flinched at the unexpected words. Though she felt the conversation was somehow veering off course, she nodded and answered.

"Yes, I suppose..."

"Heh heh, I understand perfectly. How could I not, when I was much the same? That was how I felt the day I first received my sacred mark. I found some pitch-black spot on my arm and immediately let fly a stream of curses at the sky."

Renée lifted her head at this utterly unexpected, shocking story.

"Th-that's quite something."

"The folly of youth. I was a little brat who hated bothersome things more than death itself, so I spent all day thinking of ways to remove the sacred mark. Hmm. In the end, I failed to remove it and ended up becoming Holy Emperor, so I suppose all that thinking came to nothing."

These were words she had never imagined hearing from a Holy Emperor. The strange feeling they gave her drew a veil of curiosity over her earlier nervousness, and she asked another question.

"But is it all right to say things like that? What about, um, divine punishment...?"

"If such a thing existed, I would have died more than a hundred times already. There is no divine punishment. The gods up in the heavens would not react even if I hurled filthy curses right in their faces."

Then, still smiling gently, Bargo added,

"I imagine you feel terribly burdened. Other sacred marks may be no different, but yours is the Supreme God's sacred mark, is it not? You must become someone worthy of that mark. You must become someone worthy of the name Saintess. You have been thinking such things, haven't you?"

Renée flinched. His words had struck right at the heart of it. Bargo had put his finger on the thoughts that had filled her ever since she decided to come to the Holy Empire.

Astonishment welled up inside her at how he saw straight through her, when they had barely exchanged a word. She nodded.

"Yes, a little..."

"You may set that burden down. As for the sacred mark... think of it as something you were lucky enough to find lying in the road. All you need to do is relax and consider what you want to do. Let us arrange for you to receive the revelation once you have discovered that."

He chuckled again.

It was a curious feeling. How did he know every word she had left unspoken, every feeling she had never shown? Was the position of Holy Emperor reserved for someone who could read minds?

The silly thought drew a small, involuntary laugh from Renée. She nodded slightly and answered him.

"Yes."

"I hear the priests are helping you with your daily life. As for instruction in the sacred arts... yes, Trebo would be a good choice. He will teach you well."

As Bargo continued, Bera's eyes widened. He had remained silent until now, but those words horrified him. His gaze snapped toward Bargo.

Was he sane? Did he truly mean that? Was entrusting Renée to that lunatic really the right decision?

Bera stared at Bargo with all those questions written plainly in his eyes. Bargo met his gaze with a sly smile.

At the sight of that smile, Bera understood.

The old bastard was trying to screw him over.