漫画大王

Chapter 111

“This place should be free from eavesdroppers. Is it okay with you?”

“Ah, yes...”

She pulled up two chairs and settled down gracefully into one. She was around 170 centimeters tall, and her proportions were unreal, with a rather small head. Judging by her tender expression, it would probably be easy enough for her to start a cult of her own without believing in any particular deity, and still be quite successful.

It was the first time someone’s presence alone made me feel this intimidated.

It wasn’t due to fear, but the unusualness of her aura as well as her appearance, which made the feeling all the more bizarre.

I sat opposite her and met her eyes.

“I heard you had a discussion with Vertus,” I said.

“Ah, the prince. Yes, that happened.”

“I don’t know the details of your conversation... but I’m broadly aware of the situation.”

Her expression darkened slightly. “I see. But before I go on, can I ask how you knew about me already? I’m really sorry Reinhart, but... I’ve only heard of you, and this is my first time ever meeting you... So it was odd to hear that you were worried about me.”

Olivia seemed to be quite flustered by the idea of a complete stranger being concerned about her.

“Oh, it’s not that... It was Adriana who was worried. She seemed concerned that something might have happened to you, but she didn’t want to pry too much as it might be seen as rude, so I decided to look into it on her behalf.”

“Ah... So it was Adriana... I see....”

As the conversation shifted to Adriana, Olivia bowed her head in misery, as if she understood.

“I seem to be causing concern to a lot of people...”

It seemed difficult for her to acknowledge that, regardless of her intentions, she was causing those around her to worry.

“I may not know you well, but I understand that you carry the expectations of many, and are even considered an idol by some. I know it might be presumptuous of me to say this... but would you consider changing your decision?”

The goodness of Olivia’s character was evident just from how she hadn’t gotten upset and slapped me across the face after hearing such an absurd request from a first-year who had come out of nowhere.

Olivia was looking at me quietly.

Her expression was still gentle, yet there was a certain stubbornness evident within.

“If by changing... you mean just enduring this and letting everything go on as is?”

“No, that’s not what I mean. My suggestion is that it might be better for you not to rush into action until you have reached a position of power, where you can actually make a difference. The actions you’re taking now could put your own safety at risk...”

“You’re saying the same thing as the prince.”

It seemed that my words were no different from what Vertus had told her.

“Climb to a position where you can make a change, and then make the change. The actions you’re taking now only put you in danger and won’t change anything. You might cause a momentary disturbance, but in the end, nothing will be achieved.”

It was the same old predictable advice, equivalent to saying in a military context that one should wait until one rises to a senior rank before eliminating any injustice. This was the best thought I could come up with, and couldn’t think of any other way to convince Olivia.

“You said your name was Reinhart, right?”

“... Yes.”

Olivia looked at me quietly.

“Justice cannot be subject to compromise.”

I realized why Vertus had called her a blockhead.

If a person who spoke in such clichés wasn’t a blockhead, then what were they?

Of course, that mindset in itself could be considered honorable to some, but that didn’t change the fact that she was still a stubborn blockhead.

“Once you allow a single compromise, you’ll just make more compromises as you acknowledge and realize the impracticalities of reality. As the number of compromises grows, I’ll eventually give up on many ideals, and what I end up with will resemble those very things I wanted to change.”

“The first compromise is the hardest; once you start to endure compromises under the pretext of accommodating reality, you’ll inevitably end up becoming what you wished to change.”

“Senior, a person who compromises repeatedly may become a coward, but a person who refuses to compromise at all is the one who commits terrible acts.”

Regardless of right or wrong, those overly confident and strongly determined in their beliefs are the most frightening. It’s evident by looking at how much damage such individuals have inflicted on society.

Olivia Lanche seemed to be one of these overly confident and determined individuals.

Wouldn’t it be even more terrifying if such a person became a commander of the Order of the Order of the Holy Knights, or the High Priestess of her Order? It could trigger a massive purge.

A completely different question came to my mind.

‘What should I do if that happens?’

“You speak as if you have seen such people before.”

I was aware of and had experienced many cases before, just not in the current world I was in.

“Reinhart, I think I understand what you’re trying to say. You see me as someone who is overly principled, someone who cannot tolerate even a sliver of corruption, and believes that all priests must hold themselves to that perfect standard, and act according to the precepts of their Order.”

She did not dismiss my thoughts with a “How would you know?” or “Who are you to talk?” kind of attitude.

She was genuinely trying to engage in a conversation with me.

“Reinhart, while justice cannot be subject to compromise, in the end, this is my own form of unique compromise.”

Olivia understood exactly what I meant by my critique.

She referred to her own actions as a form of compromise.

“If I endure the present to save a tree that’s rotten from its roots, I can only become one of two types of people. Either I succumb to reality and become one of the people that I intend to change, or I climb to a position where I can change everything without compromise, and end up sacrificing many people in the name of correcting everything.”

Olivia was stubborn, but not foolish.

It was her problem, and she had already deeply contemplated it.

She knew that the paths ahead of her led to her either becoming a corrupt priestess, or a butcher who killed multitudes in the name of religious reforms.

“I don’t want to become either of those.”

All she wanted was to avoid the two inevitable futures that awaited her if she continued down this path. Her decision wasn’t solely based on disillusionment with her faith, or disappointment in the Order of the Holy Knights.

She had made her decision after realizing that she herself could turn into a disaster later. Becoming corrupt was a problem, and not becoming corrupt was equally problematic.

This decision was necessary, not just for herself, but also for many others.

Olivia was making one compromise in order not to compromise...

To give up on everything.

Both Vertus and I had suggested she compromise and endure the present, but neither Vertus nor I truly understood her. We didn’t realize that by enduring, only terrible outcomes awaited her.

“... I’m sorry for being presumptuous. It seems I... misunderstood.”

That was all I could say.

I had been presumptuous.

I had judged her thoughts and feelings based on the limited truth I thought I knew, but Olivia Lanche was entirely different from what I had imagined.

If it had come to this, she must have already braced herself even for her own death. I didn’t need to ask to know that.

“No, Reinhart, thank you for worrying about me, even though you don’t know me well. I mean it.”

She hugged me gently, as if truly appreciative.

It somehow felt as if she had been defeated by many things.

“I hope you stay happy,” she said.

It sounded almost like a farewell.

***

Olivia was not someone who could be persuaded by threats to her own life.

In some ways, it was undeniable that Olivia’s choice was the best she could make for herself.

‘Is it Vertus who intervened, or is it someone else’s doing?’

I learned the answer to that question over the weekend.

I headed out for my early morning exercise and jogged with Adriana as usual. I had discovered some truth, but I was still contemplating whether or not to share it with Adriana.

If Adriana learned about Olivia’s decision, it would undoubtedly be a significant blow to her faith. Speaking prematurely might shock Adriana severely.

Since I was unsure whether I had the right to make that decision, I chose to remain silent for the time being.

Both Adriana and I were noticeably in low spirits. Adriana was gloomy for her own reasons, while I felt guilty over the truth that I was unsure whether or not to reveal.

On the way back from early morning training, we saw her.

“Oh... Senior...”

“Ah... Adriana. And Reinhart too...”

It was Olivia Lanche, who was just emerging from the Temple dormitory, accompanied by a man.

She seemed to be on the verge of departing on a long journey, and was dragging a large trunk behind her.

“Do you know these juniors?”

“Yes... Father.”

“Father.”

With that word, the identity of the man standing beside her became immediately clear.

It was the commander of the Order of the Holy Knights, Leverier Lanche.

He glanced at the two of us and said curtly, “Devote yourselves.”

Adriana was frozen solid, unable to say anything in the presence of the commander and the realization that Olivia Lanche was leaving.

Still, I distinctly noticed a redness around Olivia’s eyes, and a slight swelling on her cheeks.

She wasn’t leaving of her own volition.

Even though she said she would quit on her own terms, this didn’t seem like quitting; it felt more like she was being taken away.

“Take care, both of you,” Olivia said.

The two of them didn’t resemble a father and daughter, but seemed more like a prisoner and her guard.

Adriana numbly tracked the departing figures with her gaze.

“Is senior Olivia... leaving...?” Adriana asked.

“... It seems so,” I replied.

“If I’m not mistaken... the senior... She seemed to be crying.”

“Yes.”

While Olivia had declared her intentions to leave the Temple, it somehow looked like she was being taken away against her will now.

Vertus must have known all along that there was no need for him to intervene. Naturally, Leverier Lanche would have been aware of Olivia’s situation, and it was predictable that he would be the one to take action first.

The intervention of the commander of the Order of the Holy Knights was, in a way, an inevitable conclusion.

If the Order of the Holy Knights tried to force their way into the Temple to remove Olivia Lanche, the Temple could deny them entry.

However, they couldn’t stop a parent from taking their child back home.

***

Keeping Olivia Lanche in the Temple while being uncertain what she might say would have been a concern for the commander. Thus, he had probably expedited her departure.

Even from that brief observation, the oppressive and hierarchical nature of their relationship was evident.

In the end, it might not have been when she wanted, but since she had desired to leave everything behind, didn’t things technically turn out according to her wishes? Yet the expression on her face as she was being led away had been one of misery.

“What do you think is... going on, junior...?”

Adriana and I sat on a bench in a daze, unable to return to the dormitory just yet.

“To tell you the truth, I spoke with senior Olivia yesterday.”

“R-Really?”

It seemed wrong to keep things from Adriana anymore.

I could only explain things in abstract terms, as I technically shouldn’t have known much about the details.

I told Adriana that Olivia was aware that there was a reprehensible side to the Order of the Holy Knights, and had concluded that her joining the Order of the Holy Knights or the religious order would bring detrimental outcomes for both herself and many others. That was why she wanted to quit everything altogether.

Adriana seemed dazed for a while after hearing all of that. Was she shocked because Olivia hadn’t told her anything directly, yet had shared it all with me? Or was it the revelation that the Order of the Holy Knights, an order she herself had considered joining, possessed an ugly side?

“... I see.”

Adriana seemed unable to imagine what could have possibly led Olivia to make such a drastic decision. She might guess it was related to the issue of demon slaves, but there were likely many other matters that I was unaware of as well.

“I’m so confused that... I don’t know what to do...”

It seemed clear that the commander had taken Olivia away to keep the secret hidden. Adriana’s eyes had lost focus, and it looked as if her entire belief system was collapsing.

Anyway, the conclusion was that Olivia would not be returning to the Temple now. Leverier Lanche had forcibly removed his “daughter”, even resorting to doing so personally and physically.

‘Wait, hold on.’

Olivia Lanche worshiped the god of purity, Ouen.

“... Who does the commander of the Order of the Holy Knights worship?”

“Hm? Oh... I believe he serves Ouen.”

“... Aren’t priests and knights of Ouen forbidden from marrying? Then how does he have a daughter...?”

Olivia was probably following her parents’ faith by worshiping Ouen, but how could the commander, who adhered to Ouen’s doctrine, have a daughter in the first place?

“She’s... an adopted daughter.”

Olivia Lanche had been adopted.

Finally, the picture became clear.

Her strong talent in Divine Power wasn’t due to the fact that she was the daughter of the commander.

She had been adopted by the commander of the Order of the Holy Knights because of her remarkable talent for Divine Power, likely so that she could be cultivated into a future leader for the Order of the Holy Knights, or even the High Priestess.

The commander must have been enraged beyond measure when the very one he had been grooming had suddenly chosen to abandon everything, and had even attempted to harm the Order of the Holy Knights and the Ouen Order.

“Junior, don’t talk about what we just discussed with anyone,” Adriana muttered, as if there was something more urgent to consider before she made her own judgments. “Regardless of whether it’s true or not, it could be considered slander against the Order of the Holy Knights, and you could be arrested by the Inquisitors. Don’t tell any of our senior members either.”

“... Okay.”

Since we were less prominent figures than Olivia Lanche, we had to be careful with our words.

Adriana suddenly stood up with a look of determination.

“I have to follow them and see for myself,” Adriana said.

“... I guess there’s no harm in finding out what’s actually happening,” I responded.

I, too, felt uncomfortable not knowing how the situation would unfold, so I decided to follow her.

“If we get caught, we can just say we were sad to see a beloved senior leave and decided to follow her,” I suggested.

“Sounds good.”

If we were discovered during our unexpected tailing of her, we could simply pass it off as a childish impulse. Besides, if anyone tried to hassle us, they’d have to be prepared for a potential confrontation with the Temple authorities.

The commander of the Order of the Holy Knights might be able to take his daughter away, but he certainly couldn’t take us.