Read and write?
Ive been feeling its necessity lately.
There was nothing wrong with learning.
From the beginning, Adam Hyung advised to learn writing.
And when Arwin offered to teach sothing, there seed to be no reason to decline.
Even now, I feel the necessity of writing.
Especially if I wanted to exchange news and information with the rcenaries in Stockpin.
Of course, right now, Ner and Arwin, who could read, were by my side. However, it would be better if I could read and write myself.
...Understood.
Arwin finally nodded in response to my request.
Ill teach you.
****
Bellingham, the bishop of the Hea Church, spent another day waiting for Berg, who hadnt returned.
If not for that reason, he wouldnt have stayed in this human village.
...Haa.
Berg...
To the Hea Church, it was a na synonymous with a nightmare.
It was an existence that the Saintess loved more than anything else.
It was the reason she obeyed the Hea Church.
The reason she joined the Hero party.
A childhood friend of Saintess...
And her weakness.
Thus, Berg was known not only by Bishop Bellingham, who held a significant position, but also by the archbishops of the Hea Church.
Bellingham still rembered the day when he first began to suffer from that na.
On a day with clear sunshine and a gentler wind than ever, perfect for a walk, the Saintess inquired about Bergs whereabouts.
...Just let know if Berg is doing well. If you dont tell ... I feel like I cant go on anymore.
On such a bright day, perhaps that was why the figure crossed his mind.
The vivid image of the Saintess, on the verge of shedding tears, throwing a tantrum, remained fresh in Bellinghams mory.
It was also the day when she, who had always been training with a deadpan expression, had shown emotion for the first ti, making it even more morable.
Bellingham, who had been watching her from behind the archbishops, was given a task.
It seed inevitable, so he was instructed to find out Bergs whereabouts for the Saintess.
No one within the Church had expected such a thing to transpire.
Initially, it was said that the Saintess had coldly detached herself from Berg and ca to the church.
Who wouldve thought shed seek him again? Or rather, that she was still in love with him?
Everyone thought it was a thing of the past.
The Saintess was an apostle of Hea-sama.
She was a pure being.
No one thought she could have given her heart to soone.
In a way, it was her flaw, a truth the archbishops kept tightly concealed.
Nevertheless, following his task, Bellingham sought out the Saintess hotown, Barta.
A place with beautiful structures built from pristine stones.
Where statues lined the streets and flowers blossod.
It was artistically impeccable.
Indeed, it felt like a city where the Saintess might have erged.
However, what Bellingham had to investigate wasnt such a bright place.
The one the Saintess had given her heart to, Berg, was said to be from the slums.
A filthy alley where sunlight barely seeped in was his ho.
Therefore, to find Berg, Bellingham had no choice but to enter the slums.
As he and the paladins entered the gloomy area, Bellingham pondered.
How on earth did Berg and the Saintess-nim et?
What had transpired for a pure-hearted being to fall in passionate love with a beggar from such a place?
But his speculation was cut short, as he had to convey unsettling news.
And he reported the news verbatim to the archbishops.
The man nad Berg... has been missing for a long ti.
Upon hearing this, the archbishops exhaled deeply and inquired,
Shouldnt you have investigated a bit more thoroughly?
Bellingham knew the gravity of the task assigned to him and was already well-prepared.
... Its presud hes dead. After parting with the Saintess-nim, it seems the man nad Berg had completely fallen apart.
...
He was nicknad the trash of the slum. Despite being a human, he garnered a notorious reputation and resentnt in the slum. Ultimately, a man reportedly beat him up and dragged him away.
... Are you sure?
We even found the kids who requested Berg be taken out.
... Kids? What money would kids have to place such a request...
... Their paynt was said to be so jerky and a few stolen fairy tale books.
Even as Bellingham relayed this, he felt an odd bitterness about Bergs end.
Occasionally, he was reminded of the worlds cruelty.
If Bellingham, who had no personal ties, felt this pang of sorrow, naturally, he couldnt convey this fact to the Saintess.
How could he tell her that the man she loved was sold and killed for re coins, jerky, and fairy tale books?
It was neither in the interest of the Saintess, nor the Church, nor the world.
After all, the Saintess, chosen by Hea-sama, had many responsibilities ahead.
She was to save tens of thousands of lives.
Her miraculous power, unparalleled by any wonder, couldnt be lost like this.
Hence, the archbishop made a decision.
To lie.
After all, Berg was presud dead. Even if by so chance he wasnt... there would be no reunion with the Saintess. Cause he was gone.
What could a broken-down beggar of the slum possibly do?
We found the man nad Berg.
Thus, the Church conveyed this lie to the Saintess.
Bellingham rembered the Saintess, who had difficulty breathing rely from hearing that statent.
He wondered how profound her love must have been to react so.
And every ti he witnessed her pure-heartedness, the guilt of deceiving her pricked his conscience.
It was almost unbearable.
Hes beco a farr, living in the Glascal village.
Yet, the archbishop continued the lie with a calm deanor.
Bellingham couldnt determine whether it was a lie of goodwill or its opposite.
... Living a peaceful life, working hard on his own.
In any case, the Saintess probably wouldnt have wanted to hear that he t his end for a few stolen fairy tale books and jerky.
Bellingham tried to think positively.
After all, the Saintess probably didnt want to find Berg.
She just wanted to know news of him.
There was no need to reveal a painful truth to such a person.
With that lie, the Saintess regained her strength.
Even after, she occasionally inquired about Berg, but... every ti she did, it only required a slight addition to the lie. That there was no significant change in his situation.
At that ti, extinguishing the imdiate fire was the priority.
Berg was believed to have beco a thing of the past.
However, five years since then...
A piece of news arrived.
It was news that the Hea Church couldnt ignore.
There was a vice-captain in a rcenary group called the Red Flas displaying martial prowess akin to a monster.
Having hunted down all the boss monsters surrounding the Blackwood and Celebrien territories, he took daughters of those families as his wives.
His na was Berg.
His na had resurfaced like an unwelco weed.
The church couldnt sit still with such news.
Although the chances were slim... they couldnt not verify.
If, by any chance, the Berg of the rcenary group and the Saintess Berg were the sa person, it would be a disaster.
In the anti, this Berg had already taken two wives.
If the man she loved so much had two wives, what would beco of the Saintess?
Even a light imagination of the situation suggested the outco would be grim.
Moreover, this Berg was active in the battlegrounds.
There was no telling when he might et the Saintess.
If the Berg of the rcenary group was the sa man loved by the Saintess, it was certainly an event they had to prevent.
Bellingham sighed heavily, feeling as if ti was pressing him.
He had heard from Adam that Berg would soon return.
****
As we approached the village, Theodore and Krian ca out to greet us.
Vice-captain!
Their tone was sowhat urgent.
At their loud voices, Ner shrank and clung to .
Her tail, wrapped around my waist, tightened its grip.
As I looked at them with curiosity, Krian spoke first.
... Theres a guest waiting for the vice-captain.
A guest?
Soone who ca looking for and not Adam Hyung?
Who could that possibly be?
I couldnt think of anyone off the top of my head.
Well, there was one person, but... it seed too absurd.
Who?
That was why I asked for the na first.
However, Theodore shook his head and replied,
... I think itll be faster if you et them.
Baran, who had been leading the horses beside , muttered,
... This is unexpected.
...
Thus, we returned to the village, leading our horses.
.
.
.
Adam Hyung greeted first as he stepped out.
You are not hurt, Berg?
I nodded in response.
He then looked at Ner, who was nestled in my arms, and smiled.
It seems you two have gotten closer.
At his remark, Ner cautiously untied her tail.
But more than that, I wanted to et the guest who had co looking for .
Hyung, the reward is at the back.
Alright. Good job.
Who ca looking for ?
He nodded.
I dont know the reason. They wouldnt tell . But look... there they co.
I turned my gaze to the approaching guest.
......................
And the mont I looked at them, I felt the color drain from my face.
Approaching was a clergy mber of the Hea Church, marked with their emblem.
Behind them trailed five paladins.
...Five paladins?
Baran murmured beside .
Without realizing it, my fist clenched tightly, and I gritted my teeth.
I then remained silent.
It felt as if the emotions I had believed to have cald were bubbling up once again.
There could only be one reason for these overwhelming feelings.
There was only one reason they would be looking for .
Sien.
It was clear that this was related to her, which made increasingly on edge.
...I am Bishop Bellingham of the Hea Church. Are you Berg?
The apostle from the Hea Church, flanked by the paladins, asked.
...
Instead of answering, I posed a question.
...Why are you here?
From within my embrace, Ner whispered in surprise.
...Be-Berg, isnt a bishop a high-ranking person? Be more careful with your words... uh.
I gently covered Ners mouth.
I held no respect for the Hea Church.
...
As I didnt provide an answer to his question, Bellingham turned to the paladins behind him.
One of them stepped forward.
Our eyes t.
..........Ha.
A scoff escaped my lips.
A face I could never forget appeared.
...Youve been well.
He said.
Years ago, he was the paladin who had driven a wedge between and Sien.
The one who yelled at not to ntion Siens na, not to touch her.
I even ended up in a fistfight with him, leading to my imprisonnt.
After briefly confirming my identity, the paladin turned back to Bellingham.
...Its him.
Bellingham then covered his face with his hand, whispering.
...May Hea-sama protect us...
I couldnt stand watching their antics any longer.
Whatever their purpose, I didnt want to see it.
They constantly reminded of Sien, whom I was trying to forget.
Why wouldnt they let forget her?
Why now, when I was beginning to forget, did these events occur?
It was all in the past.
Dont forget , Bell.
I heard Siens voice.
Her voice seed to bring back all the happy mories I had with her.
So, I clenched my teeth.
...All of you.
At the sharpness of my voice, Ner swallowed in surprise.
Bellingham and the five paladins looked up at .
Not just them, but the villagers, Adam Hyung, mbers of the Red Flas, Ner, of course, and even Arwin were looking at .
Amidst them, I spoke.
Get out of my village.
Emotion surged within .
...Before I kill you all.
The End of The Chapter
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