Chapter 62

I cast aside the cloak I’d used to hide my face and donned a high-quality robe with gold embroidery that Palinchron had prepared. After wiping away the sweat and straightening my appearance, I looked just like a nobleman from somewhere or other.

Palinchron pulled open the doors, which were embossed with an ornate pattern, and I followed behind him.

The doors swung wide with a heavy thud, bringing the interior into view. The priests presiding over the ritual and the gathered dignitaries all turned their eyes toward the unexpected intruders.

Amidst them, Lastiara, standing upon the dais, looked our way and widened her eyes.

Our gazes met, and I took the opportunity to observe her.

First and foremost, I could see an abnormal level of exhaustion. According to what Dia had told me, Lastiara hadn’t slept a wink since last night, offering prayers continuously until this very moment. She looked utterly spent.

—And then, I felt a sense of incongruity.

Something was missing.

That was my first thought upon seeing her.

It looked as though a possession had been lifted. I could tell that one of the shackles binding her had been removed, just as we had planned.

I averted my eyes from Lastiara and searched for Dia next.

Scanning the room, I found Dia, who was halfway out of his seat. I immediately signaled him to stop with a small hand gesture. Dia slowly sat back down and gave a firm nod.

It was an exchange that lasted only a second, but it didn’t seem like anyone else noticed. The fact that Palinchron was the one leading the way likely played a large part in that.

After we had concluded our exchange, a priest who had grasped the situation halted the progression of the ritual and spoke up.

He was an elderly man with murky eyes. Standing on the dais, he wore clothing that was exceptionally distinctive even among the other priests. Judging by his attire, which suggested a representative status, I guessed this man was the individual named Fedelt.

“The ritual is in progress. What is the meaning of this?”

Fedelt questioned Palinchron’s business in a low, heavy voice. He sounded irritated that the ceremony had been interrupted.

In contrast, Palinchron replied with an air of nonchalance.

“Oh, my deepest apologies, Acting Prime Minister. Though he is a bit late, I encountered a gentleman who appeared to be a guest of honor, so I escorted him into the temple.”

Palinchron shifted his body, exposing me so that everyone present could see.

I gave a light bow, acknowledging the entire temple.

For the time being, I played along with Palinchron’s scheme. Even while following his lead, what I had to do remained the same. In the end, there was no doubt that a forceful kidnapping was waiting at the finish line.

The chance for a surprise attack was gone, but in exchange, I’d been able to get a solid grasp of Lastiara’s condition.

If I could exchange even a single word with her before whisking her away, then playing along with Palinchron’s plan would be well worth it.

“What are you saying…? The guest seating is entirely full. I know of no such person. Leave at once.”

“Well, based on what I’ve heard of this young man’s circumstances, I felt he might be entitled to a seat in this assembly…”

“Enough. No matter the circumstances, it is impossible.”

Fedelt cut Palinchron off at every turn. The atmosphere in the room was hardly welcoming to a sudden visitor, either.

The priests and knights who had been on standby by the walls confirmed the presence of an intruder and began closing in. They likely intended to force my exit.

However, Palinchron remained unfazed and continued.

“But he is right here, isn’t he? He is the man who was allowed passage by every one of the Celestial Knights, passed through the cathedral’s barriers unscathed, and made it all the way here. If he isn’t a guest, then what exactly is he? A mere man like myself found it difficult to judge whether or not he was a legitimate dignitary, so I brought him here to be sure.”

I was amazed at how well his tongue wagged.

However, there was a sliver of persuasiveness in his words. The priests and knights who had been approaching slowed their pace. If the Celestial Knights—the pinnacle of their order—had let someone through without a scratch, their subordinates would find it difficult to lay a hand on him.

Right now, I stood there uninjured and dressed in fine clothing.

The more a knight trusted in the power of the Celestial Knights, the more likely they were to be fooled by Palinchron’s lie. They would assume that with the Celestial Knights guarding the exterior, there was no way a common thief could reach this point unharmed.

“Nonsense! In the first place, entering at this timing is—”

“Oh? But it seems Lady Lastiara recognizes this young man. Perhaps his claim of being related to the Saint Tiara is true after all?”

“Wh-What?! A relative?!”

Palinchron told a blatant lie with a straight face.

Fedelt’s voice rose in agitation, his expression saying the idea was impossible.

Well, perhaps it wasn’t entirely a lie…

Even after becoming Saint Tiara, Lastiara had wanted to remain my companion. In that sense, we weren’t without a connection.

The buzzing of the crowd, including the dignitaries, grew louder. Once the talk turned to a relative of the Saint, the priests and knights who had been closing in finally came to a halt. They looked toward their superiors with faces that said they had no idea how to proceed.

The momentum of the room shifted slightly in our favor.

Without missing this chance, I spoke to Lastiara.

The distance between us was several dozen meters. It was a bit far for a conversation, but I didn’t raise my voice. I made an effort to speak with a calm tone that would carry through the entire room. In the enclosed space of the temple, it should be possible if I utilized the echoes.

“Lastiara… As a friend—no, as a companion, there’s something I want to ask.”

I placed emphasis on being her companion.

Lastiara’s expression remained one of shock as she whispered back in response.

“Ch-Christ…”

She gave me my name in return.

She looked like she didn’t understand what was happening. She seemed a bit confused—whether she was simply surprised or if it was the effect of her magic fading, I couldn’t tell.

Hearing this from his position beside her, Fedelt couldn’t contain himself and roared out.

“A-A friend? Such lies! Subdue that boy this instant!”

With that, one of Palinchron’s requirements was cleared.

Fedelt had to be the one to raise his voice first. That had been the condition mentioned beforehand.

Pushed by that shout, the surrounding priests and knights resumed their walk toward me, though they still seemed hesitant. They were likely wavering because Palinchron’s words were consistent with the fact that Lastiara had looked at me and called out my name.

Taking advantage of that hesitation, Palinchron moved before the priests and knights could. He drew his sword and pressed the tip against my back.

“Yes, yes. It must be hard for you all to point your blades at a relative of the Saint. It’s fine; I, a member of the Celestial Knights, will take responsibility and keep him secured from behind.”

With incredible gall, Palinchron pointed his sword at the guest he himself had invited.

To an onlooker, it appeared as though I was being pinned down by a member of the Celestial Knights. This removed any reason for the others to push themselves to act. To be precise, they likely felt the situation was too difficult to judge and that they, as low-ranking members, couldn’t handle it.

“Wha—! You lot!”

Fedelt’s breathing grew ragged as he tried to berate the knights.

I spoke up, cutting him off. My voice was louder than before—strong, and filled with confidence as I addressed Lastiara.

“Lastiara. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you an answer yesterday. But I can answer you now. Everything from yesterday… the answer is ‘Yes’.”

I would make it all come true.

—Will Christ save me?

—Will you travel with me to somewhere far away?

—Can you make an enemy of every knight in the Allied Nations, and the country of Huzya itself?

—Will you destroy tomorrow’s ritual for me?

—Will you take on all those risks just to save me?

—Will you be the protagonist of my story?

Apparently, it turned out that I really did love her…

So, I suppose I have to manage at least that much.

“Now, I’ve given you my answer. So, Lastiara, it’s your turn to answer my question. …Tell me, what is your dream?”

I continued my words elegantly, without a single break. Palinchron had strictly ordered me to act like a performer, and as long as I was cooperating with him, I intended to play the part to the end.

“My dream…?”

Lastiara’s face went pale at my words. It was an expression of someone who had been asked the one thing they shouldn’t be asked, at the one time they shouldn’t hear it.

Fedelt, watching from beside her, took on a panicked look. He descended from the dais, stepping onto the carpet that connected me and Lastiara.

“Tch—”

I didn’t miss Fedelt’s low groan. It meant that this flow Palinchron had orchestrated was incredibly troublesome for Fedelt, the organizer.

Fedelt barked orders as he approached.

“Enough! Capture that boy! This instant!!”

In response, one of the dignitaries stood up from a side pew.

“——And yet, Acting Prime Minister. I find myself quite interested in what the boy has to say. To hear the ‘dream’ of the one who is to become our Saint.”

It was Dia.

Dressed in a pure white dress just like Lastiara’s, Dia stepped out onto the carpet, blocking Fedelt’s path. His voice sounded calm, but the mana he exuded was abnormal. He was exerting a terrifying pressure of magical power directly onto Fedelt.

“D-Diablo Sith…? What are you saying…? That person is merely a thief—”

Faced with the unexpected intervention of such a prominent figure, Fedelt’s momentum was crushed. He seemed bewildered, suddenly exposed to such massive mana.

I mentally thanked Dia and hurried to weave my next words. Just once more. If I could shake Lastiara just one more time, that would be enough.

Right now, the “Manufactured Girl” shouldn’t be there. Believing that she was gone, I called out to her.

“Lastiara, remember. We made a ‘Contract.’ When we became companions, we made a ‘Contract.’ I promised to ‘fulfill Lastiara’s dream,’ and in exchange, Lastiara would ‘help me return home.’ Just tell me that dream one more time…!!”

I brought up the promise from back then to draw the words out of her. Lastiara gasped, her body stiffening. It seemed she remembered.

That night, behind the tavern. When we talked about our dreams together—

Just a little more.

I took a step forward, my voice gradually growing louder.

“I don’t even have a choice in the first place! According to the ‘Contract,’ I have to fulfill your dream. You helped me so much in the Labyrinth, after all—”

Lastiara stared at me with tearful eyes. However, she still hadn’t said anything. I had to shake her emotions further.

I took another step, closing the distance to Lastiara.

“I heard that you ‘have to become Saint Tiara’…! But! I never heard that ‘becoming Saint Tiara is your dream’!! I haven’t heard that even once!!”

Under the gaze of knights, priests, and dignitaries, I walked slowly across the carpet, step by step.

Just one word. If Lastiara would just speak that one word, every condition for dominating this scene would be met. More importantly, I too… could wipe away the regrets of that time and fight without hesitation. If I heard that word, I could swear to save her no matter the cost.

So please, say it—!

“Answer me, Lastiara!! Your true dream, clearly!! Right here, right now!!”

If I raised my voice too much, I’d look like a common thief. Palinchron had warned me about that. But standing here, I couldn’t keep my voice down. No, it was probably better not to.

“Don’t worry! The ‘Contract’ isn’t over! If everything here is an obstacle to your dream, then I’ll destroy it all!! The price is simply for you to come back to my side!!”

I declared it. With that, there was no turning back for me. I was now a complete enemy of Huzya.

There was nothing more I could say. All that was left was to wait for Lastiara’s response.

Lastiara was trembling. She tried to force a voice from her throat, but it was choked by the sobs welling up from within. I knew she was confused. But please, answer. Whether that one word existed or not made all the difference.

Or was I wrong to assume the magic would be lifted during the ritual? Was neither “the girl standing there” nor “Lastiara” present in this world, and the “Manufactured Girl” was all that was left of her?

I shook my head to dispel the thought and, staking everything, continued to stare at Lastiara.

“M-My… dream…”

Lastiara answered in a raspy voice. Then, with a faint smile, she looked back into my eyes.

“To become a hero… to become Saint Tiara… that’s my dream—”

Lastiara continued, as if reflecting on something.

“—is not (….). That’s not it. What I yearned for wasn’t ‘becoming’ something. The story leading up to becoming a hero… that is my dream!!”

That was it. Of course it was. There was no way Lastiara desired glory just to satisfy vanity. The thing that made her eyes sparkle was always the adventure on the way there. That was why, even in the Labyrinth, she valued the process more than the result.

Lastiara continued to state her dream clearly.

“If I become ‘Saint Tiara’ here, my story will end… Those few days I spent with Christ. In just those few days, the dream would be over… That is, just a little… Just a little bit, but—”

As she spoke of her dream, her shoulders trembled, her eyes brimmed with tears, and she looked down slightly.

“—it’s lonely (…..).”

That was everything. That was all of Lastiara—no, all of “the girl standing there.”

There was no longer any doubt that the “Manufactured Girl” was gone. Lastiara continued, shouting with her whole soul to convey her feelings to me.

“I’d much rather have my story which is just beginning than a ‘Saint Tiara’ that ends right away!!”

A rejection of Saint Tiara. Lastiara shouted it clearly for everyone to hear. It was, without a doubt, a declaration that she did not accept this ritual.

With this, every condition had been cleared. As a bonus, my own resolve had become absolute.

—Ah, thank goodness.

I had been anxious. I’d harbored a fear that perhaps “Lastiara” and the “Manufactured Girl” were actually the same person. But now, I was at ease.

Now I could, with a clear conscience, destroy everything that had toyed with Lastiara in a fit of rage.

I nodded in response to Lastiara, who was looking at me weakly. She, in turn, smiled innocently and nodded back.