Chapter 21 (1/2)
SS Chapter 21
Chapter 21. Goodbye
Tl: Warriormonk
Editor: Isleidir
They had moved to a location a bit further away, but the atmosphere between them remained just as awkward. Bishop Rain’s face was scrunched up, a result of him trying to think too hard. The situation that was presented to him remained that difficult to solve.
‘How bothersome.’
Bishop Rain straightened up and looked at Luke.
“First of all, there is something you need to promise me.”
“What is that?”
“What you saw just a while back, and the conversation we are about to have, must remain between the people here and never be revealed to anyone else.”
Luke stared at the Bishop blankly.
“Why must I promise you anything?”
The Earl jumped into the conversation, growling fiercely.
“Because if you do not promise, you will die by my hand.”
This time, it was Isabelle who spoke.
“Fine. If you kill Luke, you’ll be killing me as well. We will at least be together in death.”
Isabelle silently dug herself deeper into Luke’s arms. The Earl and the Bishop flinched as one. Isabelle was a woman that had every possibility of developing into a Saintess, and was a resource that they had painstakingly procured and unwilling to lose.
“Looking at the situation, you seem to be Lady Isabelle’s fiancée. Is that correct?”
“It is.”
“It is to my knowledge that the Lea Marquisate has already broken off the engagement.”
Luke shook his head, firmly denying the Bishop’s Intel.
“The breaking off of an engagement requires acknowledgement from the engaged. I never agreed to call off the engagement.”
“I also never agreed to break off the engagement.”
The Bishop silently looked at Luke, then at Isabelle, and lowered his voice.
“As you wish. Either way, I will only start negotiating once you both promise to take these secrets to the grave. Do you swear to do so?”
Luke pondered upon the issue for a moment before glancing at Isabelle.
“All right. I will promise to do so.”
“Just a promise does not suffice.”
The Earl glanced at Luke up and down with sharp eyes.
“Have you been knighted?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Swear an oath of secrecy on your honor as a knight. Only then can I trust you.”
Luke stared at the earl in the eyes as he said his next words.
“I, Luke Esteban, as an officially knighted member of the Esteban Earldom, swear on my honor that I will not share what has happened and will happen here and now with anyone else.”
The Earl and the Bishop visibly relaxed as Luke finished swearing the oath of secrecy.
“Now that I have made the oath, I believe it’s time for you to tell me about who you are and why you ma.s.sacred the holy knights of the church of Flora. And…”
Luke looked at the Earl with cautious eyes.
“Please tell me who the aura master is.”
“I will tell you everything.”
Bishop Rain silently but gladly began to explain all the circ.u.mstances surrounding the ambush.
“We are people from the church of Maal.”
At the mention of Maal, Luke glanced at Kurotan. Kurotan remained stone faced, not revealing any emotion.
From the very beginning, Kurotan has never trusted any human other than Luke. Even if they served or wors.h.i.+pped the same G.o.d, it meant nothing to Kurotan.
Bishop Rain continued on to explain what had happened five years ago. The crimes committed by Archbishop Aznan were revealed, one by one.
“We believe that the ambush today was a justified act of vengeance.”
Luke remained heavy faced after hearing out all of the Bishop’s explanations. He had not known that there was a seemingly sufficient explanation for the ma.s.sacre, but he also did not wish to blindly stand on the side of the church of Maal.
“That does not make the ma.s.sacre you committed right.”
“Of course not. However, we truly desperately need Lady Isabelle.”
It was normal for the strength of a church to be determined by the number of its members. This made it so that small churches, such as the church of Maal, were always desperate for high level priests, or Saints and Saintesses. Only then would the church be able to receive funding from high n.o.bles, or even approach them.
“Despite the situation, I think one thing stands to our advantage.”
“And what is that?”
“Unlike the church of Flora, our church of Maal does not forbid marriage for high ranking members of the church.”
“Is… Is that true?”
“It is. I myself am wed, and have children. You can trust me.”
“If that’s so…”
Luke’s face brightened with excitement. Isabelle also brightened up with antic.i.p.ation.
“Please, let us take care of Isabelle. After being baptized at the main temple, we can train her in the knowledge of handling holy power in a year. After that…”
Rain looked at Luke and then Isabelle.
“Whatever you two decide to do will be up to you.”
“Even so, if Isabelle is revealed to be a Saintess of the church of Maal, would the church of Flora not take any action?”
The Bishop flinched. Luke had just pointed out a fact that he was most worried about.
Just as Luke said, how could the church of Flora possibly remain still if Isabelle went missing for a year and then came out to the world as a Saintess of the church of Maal? Without a doubt, they would first move to kidnap Isabelle, then possibly interrogate her in order to find out the truth behind the ambush.
“It is our plan to have a retinue of faithful holy knights guard her.”
“The holy knights of the church of Flora vastly outnumber yours.”
“Th-That is true…”
Bishop Rain couldn’t come up with an answer and was stalling when the Earl spoke up.
“A lot of words.”
“…”
“Even if they wish to take her, they must first get through me. Do you think that is possible?”