Chapter 126:Consultation (5)

 

Even after the Archbishop of the Hea Church was dragged off to prison, numerous events continued to unfold.

 

Following the Hero party and Prin from the Jackson family, we made our way down to the city’s square.

 

Arwin, too, had left the mansion and was staying by my side.

 

She naturally clung to me, slipping our fingers together.

 

Ner raised her voice at this sight.

 

“Ah... Arwin-nim, Berg doesn’t need to do that right now...”

 

“...Do what?”

 

“Like... interlocking fingers...”

 

Arwin looked up at me, blinking quietly in affirmation of Ner’s words.

 

“...”

 

But then avoiding my gaze, Arwin moved forward.

 

She didn’t let go of my hand.

 

“...Well, for now...”

 

She muttered something quietly, fumbling through the situation.

 

I caught myself glancing at Sien without realizing, seeing her with an expression she only showed when jealous.

 

“...”

 

I closed my eyes and faced forward, ignoring her once again.

 

“...It’s the Pantora family.”

 

Arwin whispered beside me, looking at the trident emblem.

 

Lizardman soldiers bearing the trident emblem were forcing three humans to their knees.

 

Felix clenched his teeth at the sight.

 

They seemed to be associates of the Jackson family.

 

Perhaps they were sons who had participated in the succession battle.

 

Arwin whispered to me again.

 

“...Berg. I don’t think there will be a problem, but...”

 

“Hm?”

 

“...Be careful with the Pantora family. They are unpredictable, and you never know what faults they might find.”

 

Arwin, as a noble, advised me of the precautions.

 

I nodded in agreement with her words.

 

The Lizardmen of the Pantora family are unpredictable, as is typical of their kind.

 

This was something I had already considered.

 

“Moreover, the Pantora family has a very close relationship with the royal Draigo family. It’s even more reason to be cautious.”

 

I nodded again.

 

Though I wondered if this information was really necessary, it could potentially be useful.

 

The Lizardmen soldiers of the Pantora family were holding the hair of the human they had forced to kneel, flicking their long tongues menacingly.

 

They treated them as if they were mere toys.

 

And in response to such treatment, the humans trembled in fear, perhaps realizing the fate that awaited them.

 

-Aaargh...

 

Just then, Arwin gripped our interlocked fingers even tighter.

 

At the same time, a large, imposing Dragonian rode towards us on a horse in the distance.

 

A path cleared for him, and knights surrounded him for protection.

 

A gold crown sat proudly upon his head.

 

“...It’s the king.”

 

Arwin whispered again.

 

“Relax.”

 

I said to Arwin.

 

At my words, Arwin gave a small smile.

 

The king slowly dismounted his horse.

 

Prin, jumping out in front of him, kneeled down.

 

“I am Prin Jackson of the Jackson family, your Majesty.”

 

“...”

 

The king looked at Prin with a cold gaze.

 

“Are you the traitor who betrayed the Hero party?”

 

Prin hurriedly replied.

 

“No, your Majesty. I have always been by the Hero’s side. I even led soldiers to help the Heroes when they were surrounded and in danger.”

 

Hero Felix stepped forward to defend Prin.

 

“Your Majesty, it’s true. Prin Jackson has protected us, along with Berg, the vice-captain of the Red Flames group.”

 

-Swish...

 

Felix’s words cleared a path before me, creating a direct line between the king and myself.

 

Arwin acted confident, but her grip on my hand tightened further, perhaps not expecting the sudden attention on us.

 

I held her hand firmly to reassure her.

 

The king’s gaze met mine as he approached.

 

“So, you’re Berg.”

 

I nodded slightly, showing my respect, but said nothing more.

 

His eyes scanned me and Arwin, noting our intertwined hands, then shifted to Sien, as if he knew our story.

 

“...”

 

He clicked his tongue briefly, turned, and looked at the three humans being held on their knees by the Pantora family’s soldiers.

 

“So these are the traitors.”

 

A large man raised his voice.

 

“I am not! I fought alongside the Hero in the last battle!”

 

Another man also raised his voice.

 

“I did too, your Majesty! I gave my all to support the Hero-”

 

“Silence.”

 

The king growled in a low voice.

 

Everyone held their breath at his command.

 

The king then turned to the last man, who had remained silent throughout.

 

“So, your silence means you’re the guiltiest?”

 

“...”

 

The man did not answer, just closed his eyes and extended his neck.

 

The king smirked at this.

 

“Better this way, I suppose.”

 

As he spoke, someone ran up and handed the king a sword.

 

The king drew the sword effortlessly, ready for an immediate judgment.

 

“Any last words?”

 

His sharp gaze was piercing, seemingly ready to execute the man himself.

 

“...”

 

The human remained silent.

 

With a shrug, the king raised his sword and swiftly decapitated the man.

 

-Thump!

 

Everyone gasped at the scene.

 

Looking at Ner, she had her eyes tightly shut.

 

Arwin watched the scene quietly.

 

The king, having swiftly resolved the situation, handed the sword back to his aide.

 

He then turned to Prin.

 

“I see you’ve assisted the Hero party.”

 

“...”

 

His cold gaze twisted once more.

 

“But that doesn’t excuse keeping the Hero party in the Jackson territory for so long.”

 

“.......”

 

“Do you realize how much your family’s succession fight has twisted the course of the war? I sent numerous letters urging a quick resolution to the succession issue.”

 

“I have committed a grave sin.”

 

Prin prostrated himself in apology.

 

“No need for such words.”

 

However, the king swiftly cut off his plea.

 

“You’ll pay for your crimes.”

 

With those words, the king moved on, followed by a throng of people.

 

Some of the Pantora’s soldiers cleared away the body of the executed man and led the two surviving sons away.

 

Prin, who had been prostrate on the ground, rose and followed the king. The Hero party did the same.

 

Adam Hyung, too, sent a glance my way before beginning to follow the king.

 

****

 

Shortly after the disturbance settled, Sien made her way to the prison cell.

 

-Thump.

 

“Saintess-nim, are you alright?”

 

“...”

 

Sien kept collapsing in place as she headed toward the prison cell.

 

Her legs wouldn’t support her properly.

 

The incident she had witnessed earlier was clearly the cause.

 

Berg holding hands with an elf in front of the king.

 

“..............”

 

Had she ever imagined such a day would come?

 

A day where she and Berg were in the same space but couldn’t be together.

 

So close, yet feeling so far away.

 

It was unbelievable that he had married another woman.

 

The more she thought about it, the harder it was to accept that he was thinking of someone other than herself.

 

Closing her eyes, she could easily picture Berg smiling at her.

 

Sien had been with Berg since she was nine.

 

They had strolled the streets together, played pranks, laughed, and wandered around.

 

Even when her parents were gone, Berg was always there, no matter what.

 

Now, he was moving on to the next stage with someone else.

 

The thought of him whispering sweet words to his wives made her feel like her insides were turning.

 

“...”

 

The more she thought about it, the angrier Sien felt.

 

She knew that all of this was her fault.

 

...But that didn’t justify the Archbishop’s deception.

 

Sien steadied herself against the wall, rising to her feet.

 

Descending the stairs, she saw the Archbishop sitting in the prison cell.

 

-Clang!

 

The Archbishop grasped the bars at Sien’s arrival.

 

Stripped of all his garments, wearing only his underclothes, he looked pitifully meager without the regalia that symbolized his rank.

 

“...”

 

This sight only added to the pain in Sien’s heart.

 

Even a high-ranking Archbishop was just a man.

 

Yet, as a child, Sien had been so frightened by a mere bishop that she left Berg’s side.

 

Part of it was the vision of Berg dying, but she also feared that the church’s clergy might harm Berg if she stayed.

 

Sien let out a hollow laugh.

 

Now that her relationship with Berg was over, she realized how trivial her fears had been.

 

Sien walked slowly towards the Archbishop.

 

“Saint...Saintess-nim... You must listen to me... I had no choice but to do it...”

 

Sien, biting her lip, ordered the Paladin Commander who had followed her.

 

“...Ensure... that the vice-captain of the Red Flames doesn’t come near.”

 

The Paladin Commander mulled over her words for a moment, then relayed Sien’s command to his subordinates.

 

Several paladins stepped out of the dungeon where the prison was.

 

Once safety was secured, Sien’s eyes flashed.

 

“Paladin?”

 

“Yes, Saintess-nim.”

 

Sien, unleashing the anger she had been holding back, spoke.

 

“...Beat that vile man. Severely.”

 

“But... Saintess-nim...”

 

“I will not repeat the command.”

 

The Paladin Commander, hesitating at first, finally moved.

 

Opening the cell, two paladins entered.

 

“You mustn’t do this! Saintess-nim...! Let’s talk first...!”

 

“First...!”

 

Sien spoke through clenched teeth, her voice sounding as if she might burst into tears any moment.

 

“...First, you will be punished. Then, I’ll listen to what you have to say.”

 

Immediately after, screams and shouts echoed in the dungeon, along with the thudding sounds of someone being beaten.

 

Watching the Archbishop being severely beaten, Sien felt a sense of guilt, but also a burning anger remembering how much he had deceived her.

 

She had always believed Berg was living well.

 

That he had overcome his pain for her and found peace.

 

That he was living a safe life as a farmer.

 

But all of that had been a lie.

 

-Thud...!

 

“Sto...Stop.”

 

Several of the Archbishop’s teeth fell out of his mouth.

 

Only after seeing his broken bones did Sien command them to stop.

 

“...”

 

The atmosphere among the paladins had changed, surprised by this side of the usually gentle Saintess they knew.

 

“Sain...Saintess... please... let’s talk...”

 

The Archbishop, now bloodied, pleaded.

 

“...........”

 

Sien, her heart still unsettled by the revenge, covered her face with her hands.

 

Tears began to flow again.

 

Perhaps she knew that no matter what she did, Berg wouldn’t return.

 

The retribution was bitter, failing to bring any sense of relief.

 

She didn’t want to resort to violence.

 

It was never her way.

 

She just wanted to rest in Berg’s arms, to be comforted as she used to be.

 

That was what she truly longed for.

 

To feel the warmth of Berg, who had become her home since she was a child.

 

Watching Sien cry, the Archbishop saw an opportunity and spoke.

 

“Saint...Saintess-nim... it wasn’t my wish to tell such lies...”

 

Sien still buried her face in her hands.

 

She was scared of her own unraveling.

 

She wished Berg would quickly ease her anxiety.

 

The Archbishop continued.

 

“Tru...truth is, we too thought that the human...”

 

“-It’s Berg!!”

 

Sien shouted out.

 

Her sharp cry startled the Archbishop into silence.

 

But then, seemingly seeking a way out, he spoke again.

 

“Be...Berg was thought to be dead... that’s why... why I told such lies...”

 

“.........”

 

At his words, Sien froze momentarily, and the Archbishop quickly continued.

 

“I’m not saying this without evidence...! We diligently sought the truth... we tried hard to find out... cough, cough...”

 

The Archbishop, coughing up blood, spoke further.

 

“But... the more we learned about Berg, the more we believed he was dead. After parting with you, Saintess-nim, they said Berg, a man, roamed the slums. He spent his days drinking, fighting with many, and accumulating grudges...”

 

Sien asked weakly.

 

“...Yes?”

 

“It’s true. There’s no reason for me to lie anymore... Please... you have to believe me...”

 

Sien pictured Berg, broken by her departure, bitterly resenting her, endlessly suffering.

 

‘...Ah.’

 

The thought brought fresh pain, as if her heart was being torn apart.

 

“He lived like that... and then, I heard he was assassinated. There were witnesses, and they found the person who hired the assassin.”

 

The Archbishop, appealing to her emotions, revealed even more details.

 

“They say the price for the hit was a piece of jerky and a single coin and a book of fairy tales. For that... Berg died...”

 

-Thump...

 

Sien’s legs gave out, and she collapsed.

 

The Archbishop, coming closer to the bars, spoke.

 

“But how could I convey such a cruel truth to you, Saintess-nim?”

 

“...”

 

“How could we tell you, knowing it would break your heart? To say that the man you held dear in your heart was killed for mere jerky and a coin...”

 

“...Ah... Ah...”

 

Sien clutched at her hair.

 

Now she saw the life Berg had led after their separation.

 

The pain he must have endured, how hard and tormented he must have been.

 

How desperate he must have been in the moments he begged her not to leave.

 

The guilt of leaving him alone in the slums overwhelmed her.

 

“That’s why... that’s why I lied, Saintess-nim... To make it bearable for you... Because of that, you’ve been reunited, haven’t you? If I had told the truth then... you might not have made it to this moment...”

 

“................”

 

Seeing Sien’s silence, the Archbishop, gaining a bit of courage, carefully sat up.

 

“Saintess-nim... I did it for your sake-”

 

“-Be quiet...”

 

Sien interrupted him with a quiet, firm voice.

 

However, Sien easily dismissed his efforts.

 

Wiping her tears with both hands, she stood up.

 

Perhaps the Archbishop wasn’t wrong in his words.

 

If Berg had indeed been destroyed by her decision and died as a result, Sien might not have remained in this world any longer.

 

But that didn’t justify the Archbishop’s deception.

 

The fact that he lied and used her, fearing she might abandon her duties as a Saintess if she knew Berg was dead, remained unchanged.

 

From the beginning, the church had held Berg as a hostage.

 

Now, his claim of having done it for her sake didn’t easily convince her.

 

Sien spoke through clenched teeth.

 

“...Thinking Berg was dead... isn’t that just a reflection of the church’s incompetence?”

 

“....Ah.”

 

“And before the lie that Berg had become a farmer...! Isn’t it your fault for believing a living person was dead?”

 

“..........”

 

Sien steadied her breath.

 

“Yes. Whatever it was... I admit that the lie about Berg being well helped me endure.”

 

“....”

 

“...But that doesn’t change the fact that you casually lied to a Saintess of Purity. And for this, even a life sentence wouldn’t be enough to atone for your sin.”

 

She used her status to ensure the Archbishop couldn’t wriggle out with words.

 

“Using me as you pleased with that lie, trying to manipulate me...! And the fact that you used Berg’s name as a hostage...!”

 

“.........”

 

“All of it is a grave sin...!”

 

The Archbishop had no words to respond to Sien’s accusations.

 

Finally, Sien whispered quietly.

 

“...I really... really want to punish you severely... Archbishop....”

 

Hatred surged in her voice.

 

“I really want to torment you... I want to hurt you so badly...”

 

The Archbishop trembled.

 

His pants began to dampen.

 

Sien said,

 

“...But I’ll let you go. I’ll spare your life.”

 

Regardless of the Archbishop’s misconceptions, the fact that he didn’t inform her of Berg’s supposed death at the time was, in a way, fortunate.

 

Had that not been the case, Sien might not have shown even a shred of mercy to him.

 

Moreover, such savage ruthlessness did not exist in Sien.

 

It was all because Berg had shielded her from the stains of the world during her formative years.

 

It was because of Berg, who had taught her smiles and happiness.

 

“...But don’t ever think of returning as the Archbishop. From now on, live out your days alone, unseen by my eyes. That’s the only mercy I can offer.”

 

But even that might have been a death sentence in its own right.

 

She had told a clergyman who had devoted his life to the church to live the rest of his days alone.

 

She had stripped him of all his status and power.

 

“...If you ever come into my sight again... I won’t be lenient.”

 

With those words, Sien turned away.

 

She staggered out of the dungeon.

 

When she emerged outside, bright sunlight bathed her.

 

The sunlight reminded her of the days she spent with Berg.

 

-Thump.

 

She found herself sitting down again, right where she stood.

 

But this time, getting up seemed much harder.

 

Perhaps it was because she had heard snippets of Berg’s life.

 

Knowing how broken he had been might have been the reason.

 

“...Berg...”

 

She whispered his name.

 

A name that once brought only happiness.

 

She didn’t care if the paladins saw her.

 

Leaning against the outer wall of the dungeon, she simply let the tears flow, powerless.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

 

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