"First of all, Miss Rachel was kidnapped.
It has to do with your father and brother. "
"... if you know what I mean, why don't you get me soon?"
"No, you wouldn't have followed their instructions, would you?
"No, because I'm from the Wato family. I won't betray my family."
When Master Theodore stands in front of the priest, he turns off his floating usual appearance and looks serious.
But the opposing cleric takes Theodore's harsh gaze directly from the front without turning off his smile.
Cyril, get that letter out here.
"Yes."
When Master Theodore offers his hand, Cyril hands over a large number of letters to Master Theodore.
What letter is it?
I turn my face to His Highness next door and ask him with my gaze. His Royal Highness only has an ambiguous bitter laugh.
That would mean letting Master Theodore do as he pleases.
Dear Theodore, who suddenly changed to work mode, his eyes are cold only by completely erasing the expression and slightly raising the corner of his mouth.
I feel the closeness and spiciness that go hand in hand with that exquisite doll-like look.
"You grabbed Miss Rachel so we could find this evidence on purpose."
"Evidence, what does that mean? It's just a family letter."
"Cyril, what was written in this letter"
"He said he needed to erase the Spirit of Darkness first. The spirit-killing technique is likely to succeed. And make sure you make good contact with Miss Rachel as she returns to the realm.
As soon as we find the Spirit of Darkness, we'll tell him... "
Spirit killer!
I feel my face fade all at once in those words.
There is a slight force in the hand holding the clo.
… I have heard of it. But it's forbidden.
His Highness, who noticed my anomaly, held my shoulder as if to reassure me. Looking up at His Highness's face, he sighs small like trouble and opens his mouth to explain to me.
"I mean, I guess some humans in the church have a strong aversion to the dark spirits. They are the Spirit King of Light is the object of faith. Light and darkness are opposite poles, as the word goes. Then I think the light is good and the darkness is evil.
And I suppose you have the idea that in some parts of the church there is no such thing as a dark spirit, and you shouldn't. "
"Oh no..."
"If that's the historical old cleric lineage that is producing the former high priest, then I had to consider the possibility that I was also thinking about that"
"Former high priest..."
"His grandfather was a former high priest."
I open my eyes wide to the information of the priest who is informed by His Highness.
I heard it was a cleric lineage, but I never thought it was from a house with that much power.
That's why the clergyman said before that it was a household at the core within the church. If that is the case, I can nod that I know about Kro and that I know that my engagement with His Highness is difficult at this stage.
"I'm sorry I couldn't anticipate such a result," Her Highness frowned as she regretted her mistake, shifting her gaze to the floor.
I was aware that what I would do with the treatment of the Dark Spirit within the Church was a troubling issue.
But for me to actually be with Crowe, I never thought that Crowe was harmful.
But who hasn't actually seen Crowe? Those who only learned of the existence of the Spirit of Darkness may indeed consider it dangerous.
If it is the one who is inclined to the Spirit of Light, it is even more so.
I also regret why I didn't think of it now.
Even so, do not attempt to erase the Spirit, etc.
For man in this land is protected and lived by the Spirit.
I can't believe you're trying to twist that existence into a dead man with your own beliefs.
… unforgivable.
"If only I cared more about Rachel..."
"No, Your Highness cared. I had to understand the seriousness of something more."
There is a part of the organization called the Church that I had to take more account of its history.
"Your Highness, I am all about myself. I thought I came to the territory and broadened my horizons. But in the end, I relied on Your Highness and Theodore."
"That's fine.
Someone on your side can make up for what you can't do. On the contrary, you just have to do what they can't do.
You don't have to have everything by yourself. "
Happy with His Highness's words.
Make it up to you?
Well, do you have that idea?
I was just thinking about doing something myself.
But right. It's not a bad thing to rely on…… to make up for what you can't do.
His Royal Highness's warm smile made me feel my chest get hot again.
"In other words," he returns to reality in the sober voice of Master Theodore.
"Your father and brother thought about getting rid of the black cat there somehow. And knowing just fine that Miss Rachel went to the territory. The place is where the church to which you are assigned is located. My family asked for you. You need to see if Miss Rachel has a black cat.
I guess that's why we became close... "
"Exactly. I approached you when my father and brother asked me to. That said, it was a coincidence about Meena, but I thought she was good at it."
The cleric turns his gaze to me in Lord Theodore's words. Those eyes are shaking somewhere sad, all at once remembering the days I've ever spent in church, and my chest hurts.
Then His Highness hides my eyes with his hands.
I wonder what it is.
"Don't look at him too much," I heard a grumpy voice coming from overhead.
"But you're the one who told the Sorcery Division anonymously," There's a suspicious trail of magic on the border. "
"Why..."
"It's more natural. Your brother has been traveling around churches for weeks now. And this information came to the Sorcery Division immediately at that time. I think someone close has leaked.
Nature and the black cat would be carefully protected by Miss Rachel's officials if they could analyze the procedure, he said.
Besides, if the Louis go to church, you'll be polite enough to leave evidence behind. "
Something whines as His Highness ponders deeply into Lady Theodore's words. Then I turned my gaze toward the clergyman as if to see something incredible.
"There's a contradiction between what you say and what you do.
Are you saying that you will bear the sins of your family together? "
"No, because I do sin. As a result."
"You didn't stop in honor of your family's actions. But it moved to make me and Theodore aware.
"What's in it for me? I have sinned of my own free will.
I was in a position to be tried when I grabbed Lady Rachel. "
Dear Theodore makes his gaze harder on the word of the priest. The cleric glanced over his shoulder at the gaze.
"Yes, that's where I doubt it.
I don't know why you didn't contact us more easily. "
"That way, you won't be judged for committing a sin, will you? Instead, the Church will be thankful for not wanting too much to happen with the royal family."
Cyril answers to agree to Master Theodore's words.
Why... the clergyman acted like that.
Reminds me of the word and deed of the priest.
Family... Family...
Yes, didn't the clergyman talk about his family several times?
Talk about a family that is not warm enough to contradict the gentleness of the cleric.
"Couldn't you?" The priest said his parents told him to help his brother over and over again.
"… what?"
His Highness glances over here in surprise at the words I grunt.
I can think further. And go on and point what came to your mind at the cleric.
"If so, there must have been quite a grip.
Because I changed the values and behaviors I believed in from birth. "
To the word the cleric erases his expression for a moment.
"Well, did I tell you that..."
And as I have noticed, the clergyman exhales loudly and meditates his eyes. And when I slowly opened the eye lid, he gazed straight at me.
"To be clear, I didn't mean to betray my family. Even if I feel neglected, I don't have the skills to fight it. I also felt this story was ridiculous. But, well, I was going to do whatever they wanted."
"Then why?"
"Yes, that's what I thought with my head.
Every day in the church, the smiles of the children became irreplaceable. "
"… there are many who admire the priests. It's definitely what you built."
"Thank you..."
Reminds me of the priesthood in the church.
He seemed to see how sincerely facing each and every one of them should be as a cleric.
And the slightly sunny faces of those who visited the church in the dark and sinking.
The smile of a serene looking cleric who drops it off.
What would they think if they saw the priest as he is now?
He said he found a place on his own for years longer than I was in this territory.
I'm unwittingly sad and my gaze turns to Cro. Cro stares at the clergyman silently in his arms.
"... and it's you."
"I?"
I unwittingly give a face to the word of the priest.
Then there is the figure of a cleric who seeps through the loneliness as if to spare a lost object.
"Straight eyes…… because the days I spent with you were glorious to me.
I was really attracted to you, not to lies. "
My chest hurts at once at the words.
Straight to the thought. I must not turn away, I just look to the cleric.
At the same time I felt strength in His Highness's hands placed on my shoulders.
And the feeling of difficulty in describing it swirls through me.
But it was remembered in it as if the figure of the priests and children, which had been a natural sight until earlier, had been burned, and his chest was tightened even more.
I wonder why there was such an important thing, yet it led to such a result.
There's no place for him to carry it.
I can see that the cleric now obtained and cherished the days of tranquillity. Why are you imitating it like you let go of yourself?
The clergyman sighs, huh, as if he had noticed my gaze. And you look like you've given up.
"Still, I can't abandon that family. I don't think I can help myself."
"So you think you'll bear the sin with me?
The clergyman neither affirmed nor denied the inquiry from His Highness. It was just a lonely gaze far away.
For him, family may not be an easy thing to talk about.
Because the family he sees from him is something he only understands.
Even if I know I'm wrong, I can't make it right.
Even if ruin is visible, it cannot be completely detached.
And I'm sure you have bad memories as well as good memories with your parents and brother and thoughts you can't erase.
It may make you unable to move, like a chain whose memories tangle in the priest's feet.
But maybe he's refusing to take that chain off himself.
That's something I don't get.
"You can't change, some people like that. Lady Rachel."
Only that word of the priest, who groaned bossly and small in the space of silence, echoed.
"Your Royal Highness, this will capture my father and my brother, won't it?"
"Oh, the use of the ban is a crime. Not to mention it would be a felony to try to hurt the Spirit."
"I'm sure they'll resent me. My son, my brother, said he couldn't do it. Because it took away what they believed in, the future.
But my son did that to me, so it's ridiculous. "
"If so, I just need to see you blow yourself up on your own."
"No, but it's my family... and that's why I want to make amends with them."
"Stupid..."
"I think so too"
In His Highness's words, the clergyman laughs at himself.
From the side, the clergyman would certainly look foolish. Because even though he had the art of protecting himself, he chose the path to bear his sins.
But maybe that's his own justice.
"One more favor…"
"What?"
"My successor… the children are irrelevant. for visitors to the church as well.
Please tell the headquarters of the Great Church that you can choose a good successor. "
"Oh, I'm sure I'll tell you"
The clergyman smiled gently and calmly at the words as if they had been heartily relieved. And the tears of Ichizuki spilled out of the purple eyes.
I also couldn't stop crying because of his misery.