Chapter 98
As I was preparing to return home for vacation, Brother Rutis came looking for me.
“Going back to our home country and returning to the Academy sounds like a hassle. How about we just stay here until graduation instead?”
Then, he made a rather intriguing proposal. Staying at the Academy even during the holidays? If that were possible, I wouldn’t ask for anything more.
Moreover, Brother Rutis had a reasonable argument for it. People like myself, Brother Rutis, and Brother Lather expend quite a lot of resources just moving around, especially if it involves crossing national borders.
Rather than unnecessarily wasting resources every vacation, it would be wiser to save them by staying at the Academy. Since I had already obtained the status of an Academy student, it wouldn’t be impossible to advocate for this.
“Now that I’m in the Empire, touring the sights wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
“I knew you’d like that!”
Brother Rutis nodded contentedly at my agreement and went on his way. That day, a temporary alliance was formed between three individuals from foreign lands.
Not long after, I received a call from my Master, who was back in my home country.
— …Well, taking this chance to broaden your horizons might be a good idea.
“Thank you for understanding, Your Grace.”
— The Empire has many faithful compatriots. Don’t forget to maintain good relations with them.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Fortunately, my home country approved my decision. Given that the two brothers and I had made the firm commitment to stay, there wasn’t much they could do. If they gave us a forced return order, it would only signal an internal issue.
Additionally, the Empire is known for its diplomacy. As a future Saint, staying here and networking with high-ranking officials should be a golden opportunity.
— The Pope will surely worry, so make sure you call often.
“Haha, understood.”
With that, my Master wrapped up the call. Now, I just needed to think about how to spend my vacation with Sister Louise.
“You can just stay at my mansion!”
But before we could plan anything, it was decided that the entire Pastry Club would stay at the Advisor’s estate instead.
Hmm, this was unexpected.
Among those going to the Advisor’s estate, two individuals who weren’t in the Pastry Club also decided to join, leading to this unanticipated situation of living at the Advisor’s mansion rather than the Academy.
Honestly, this surprise was a pleasant one compared to the worst-case scenario of having to return home for vacation without meeting Sister Louise. No harm done, after all.
However, on the day we arrived, the Crown Prince’s welcome speech made it evident that he was not pleased about our unexpected visit—it was quite understandable.
‘But surely, the compensation will suffice.’
Although we hadn’t formally communicated this to the Empire yet, plans were underway back home to ordain several priests from the Empire. Once the Crown Prince catches wind of that news, his displeasure should turn to a cheerful welcome.
We certainly weren’t planning to stay in the Empire without bringing some sort of gift in return. It’s simply common sense to present a gift to your host, and Brother Rutis and Brother Lather agreed.
So began our uneventful life in the Capital. Now, I just had to figure out what kind of schedule I would spend with Sister Louise.
— The Twilight Cult has started moving.
That was the plan.
“The Twilight Cult? You mean that one?”
— Yes.
My expression turned serious at my Master’s stern demeanor. The Twilight Cult, that odious name.
The wicked deeds of those heretics plagued my mind. Those foolish beings who denied our Lord Enen and screamed out the names of gods that didn’t exist. They were brutal, merciless individuals who despised the children of Enen, wielding violence indiscriminately.
And they were the ones who harmed my homeland, my family, and my neighbors.
“I take it their target is me.”
— Probably. I’ve already informed the Empire. They fear the Twilight Cult as much as we do.
“Then—”
— Don’t even think about doing anything reckless!
My Master cut me off sharply before I could even finish my thought.
— If you get hurt, our Sect will take a devastating blow. Keep calm; there’s no place as secure as the Capital.
“But this involves the Cult…”
— I’m not saying we’ll back down. Naturally, a portion of the forces stationed to protect you will participate in the effort to eliminate the Twilight Cult.
“…”
— Tannian.
“Understood.”
Only after my Master confirmed he wouldn’t involve himself in the Twilight Cult suppression did he finally ease his fierce glare. He had repeated his warnings several times before cutting off communication.
But how could I remain idle? The Twilight Cult is my enemy—the traitors denying our lord, the beasts that threaten peace. That dreadful Twilight Cult!
Of course, if I were to be harmed or killed by the Twilight Cult, the fallout would be enormous. I understood that staying in the Capital was the most secure option available.
But is that really the right choice? While it may be efficient and safe, is it truly the correct thing to do?
My Master is a Cardinal. Being a Cardinal requires more than just belief; you also need political savvy. And from a political standpoint, yes, I should stay put.
“The Saint walks toward the light simply because the Saint seeks the light—not for the sake of the Sect, nor the future of the Holy Kingdom.”
That was the teaching handed down from the first Saint of the Sect. Every candidate for sainthood recites this before the Pope while walking the path of the Saint.
And I am a candidate for sainthood. Whether something is efficient or not is irrelevant.
‘It is right for me to take action.’
The Twilight Cult targets me. As long as I remain in the Capital, they will try to infiltrate it, and in doing so, innocent compatriots could be harmed.
I should wisely slip away to the forest. They will likely come rushing in, thinking it’s a prime opportunity.
‘I’m so sorry, Master.’
But what can I do? It’s not like I can predict the future and avoid a random encounter in the forest.
I can’t foresee every twist and turn of fate, so I hope for leniency.
*
I stared at Tannian for a good while. Was he trying to leisurely enjoy a forest retreat, or was it just me? His expression seemed… different than usual.
Besides, Tannian isn’t the type to take the lead in action. If anything, it would be Rutis asking about the location of the forest. Tannian simply wasn’t proactive. If I didn’t know the dynamics of our members by now, I’d have wasted my first semester!
A Tannian behaving unusually, combined with a report of the Twilight Cult’s approach?
“Is it the Twilight Cult?”
I sighed and asked. Really, how could Tannian not know? The Holy Kingdom had informed the Empire about the Twilight Cult, so there’s no way he wasn’t in the loop.
“Oh, so you knew?”
“Do you think I wouldn’t be aware if a member is in danger?”
Tannian laughed awkwardly at my response. It’s not like I was the one going out of my way to stay in the Empire. If he had any decency, he’d feel at least a little bad!
For a fleeting moment, I wanted to smack him, but I calmed down a bit once I sensed he had a reason for wanting to check the forest.
Is he planning to lure them out?
If Tannian were in the Capital, the Twilight Cult’s aim would be to infiltrate. Conflicts would be inevitable, and there could be civilian casualties along with military ones.
If he headed out of the Capital, there wouldn’t be any civilian casualties.
Sure, I understood his desperate sentiment. And his notion of doing what a Saint candidate ought to is somewhat admirable.
“Don’t do it!”
But, seriously, it’s just right for Tannian to remain where he is. With the target of the assassination in a secure place, that’s already worrying; him being on the front lines? No way that’s acceptable!
We weren’t planning to defend in the Capital; the aim was to intercept ahead of their arrival. The Intelligence Ministry, War Ministry, and even the Mage Duchess were all gearing up, poised to take them out. What Tannian feared wouldn’t happen.
“They won’t even reach the Capital! Raise your hand if you think angering the Twilight Cult makes the bravest people around show their teeth!”
I lightly patted Tannian on the shoulder a couple of times. Sure, Tannian’s request was a tall order, but given his position, I could understand it. Yep, that’s how a true saint should act. That’s the image of a saint I have!
If only he showed this side of himself more often rather than acting like a love-struck fool who lost his common sense, intelligence, and conscience!
I mean, that could probably be more effective, you know?!
Just imagine if Louise saw this side of him; she might just swoon!
However, Tannian’s stubbornness to appear saintly wasn’t something I could easily suppress with mere words.
“Of course, I’m not saying I’ll go fight myself.”
“Can you fight?”
“Hehe, even a Saint has some level of combat ability!”
Light laughter escaped Tannian, but the gravity returned as he straightened his face.
“The reason the Twilight Cult is so threatening is because of their stealth.”
“Absolutely relevant. It’s basically their competitive edge.”
The fact that those guys are still roaming the continent is really straightforward: they’re too stealthy and nimble, making it practically impossible to eradicate them completely.
They pop up out of nowhere, cause chaos, and then vanish into thin air. Whoever their god is must be handing out way too much power for the little number of believers they have!
Not to mention, it’s pretty rare for us to anticipate they’d be aiming for the Capital.
“What if we could strip away that stealth?”
That’s why Tannian’s words had my full attention now.
“Strip away their stealth?”
Sure, our plan had been to lay traps along the routes we assumed they might take and have the Mage Duchess unleash area-wide bombardments once they appeared. But since they were invisible, the intent was to blow up probable locations where they might appear.
Of course, such a naive method would have plenty of downsides. We’d need to rebuild any areas destroyed by the Mage Duchess, and the flashy explosions would certainly catch the civilians’ eyes, possibly leading to panic.
But what can you do? It was blunt yet assured. If even one of them made it to the Capital, my head would be so on the line. But removing the stealth? That would turn them into sitting ducks!
“Why do you think the Twilight Cult is targeting the Saint?”
“I assume it’s for the symbolism or maybe—”
“It’s because of our compatibility.”
Tannian confidently commented this, then glanced around before whispering—
“Is that really a possibility…?”
“They wouldn’t be targeting me for nothing.”
If Tannian were a game character, I would be stunned by how the developers messed up the game balance.
Is he actually the son of a god? A perfect counter against the Twilight Cult!?
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