LADAD Chapter 13

Word began to spread that the Emperor had declared the resumption of diplomatic relations with Reed. Soon, stories were also making the rounds that Reed's delegation would be coming to Escliffe. Naturally, the eyes of the Escliffe people began turning toward the northern country of Reed.

"I'll just go to the prayer room for a moment."

Of course, none of this mattered to Amelia. She knew nothing about political relationships, nor was she aware that Ivan's eyes had been turned upside down by the false revelation she had delivered. She lacked the perspective to grasp such cause and effect in the first place.

That's why she could step into the prayer room so calmly, trembling only with excitement and anticipation.

"Ivan?"

Amelia opened the door leading to the prayer room and called Ivan's name. But there was no answer. Amelia tilted her head and walked to the center of the prayer room. Usually he would have shown himself by now, but today there wasn't even a belated sign of his presence.

"Ivan, it's me."

Amelia whispered Ivan's name again. Then she looked around, checking if he might be deliberately hiding somewhere. But even after the cluster of clouds covering the prayer room's ceiling had moved away, she couldn't sense his presence. The light passing through the stained glass revealed the empty prayer room's panorama, weaving fragments together like chains.

"...Is he running a little late?"

Amelia turned in a full circle from where she stood, surveying her surroundings as she muttered. She never considered that Ivan might not come. After all, he had promised to see her again next week, so naturally she believed he would come.

"I guess I'll have to wait."

Amelia turned and gazed at the platform. It was the spot where she had once sat shoulder to shoulder with Ivan. She scanned the floor hopefully, but fortunately, there were no traces of alcohol left behind. Amelia let out a sigh of relief.

"When will he come..."

She settled into the same position where she had sat before. Beneath her white dress, her small feet tapped restlessly, revealing the tedium and impatience of waiting.

"I've come to pay my respects to the Holy Maiden."

Louise, having reached Amelia's bedroom, informed the guards of her purpose for visiting.

"She has stepped out for a moment."

The guards calmly replied that Amelia was not in her bedroom.

"Where did she go?"

"She went to the prayer room in the annex."

Louise frowned.

"Again? Who accompanied her?"

Amelia wasn't devout enough to regularly go to the prayer room to offer prayers to God. Moreover, given that her very existence was an impersonation of God's representative, she was far from devout. Once could be explained as wanting to spend time alone freely, but when it happened repeatedly, it was a different story.

"No one. She said she wanted to be left alone for a while, and the Holy Maiden expressed her desire to move about by herself..."

The guard answered carefully. Since those had been the orders given, Louise couldn't tell them they were being lazy or negligent in their duties. The guards didn't know about Amelia's true nature, after all.

"I understand. I'll go check on her."

Louise sighed once and turned around. She began walking toward the prayer room. Since the prayer room had been neglected for so long, the path there was as sparsely populated as the loosened security.

"..."

'Something's definitely going on.'

A faint wariness flickered in Louise's eyes. While it was true that she pitied Amelia for bearing all sorts of responsibilities simply by being born, Louise was a member of the Skipper Count family. She had no desire to shatter the stability that sustained them. Originally, she had been assigned to stay by Amelia's side to prevent her from saying foolish things to those around her.

"The Holy Maiden expressed her desire to move about by herself..."

Recalling the guard's answer, Louise stopped in front of the door leading to the prayer room. With a determined expression on her face, instead of opening the door and calling for Amelia, Louise pressed her ear against the wooden door.

"..."

Louise concentrated so intently that she unconsciously furrowed her brow. But no sound came from beyond the door. Only an eerie silence hung in the air.

'Is she really offering prayers? That doesn't seem likely.'

With that thought, Louise cracked the door open slightly. Fortunately, the door opened just a fingernail's width without the hinges making any sound.

"Hmm..."

Louise let out a small sigh like a lament. Beyond the door, Amelia sat alone on the platform in the prayer room. Her face was blank as if lost in thought, her feet tapping irregularly against the floor. Her small shoulders were revealed pale in the drooping moonlight. Everything that made up Amelia was pitifully fragile.

"We spoke about the coming-of-age ceremony."

Maybe she really did need time alone. The story Aaron had conveyed couldn't have been positive news for Amelia.

'Let's just leave her be.'

With that thought, Louise turned away.

"I wonder what she'll do with the freedom she's finally gained. I'm also worried whether she might be having foolish thoughts."

If Aaron asked again about Amelia's recent activities, she planned to make excuses on her behalf, saying she seemed to have many thoughts and needed time alone.

"I've compiled the list."

Aaron nodded. On the table lay a paper with several names written neatly.

"These are individuals who seem to require permanent expulsion."

These were names of those facing the crisis of permanent expulsion. Aaron scanned their names with a faintly smiling face and simultaneously indifferent gaze. Martin, Jerry, Ricky, Roman. They were all unfamiliar names.

"Did they commit acts serious enough to warrant permanent expulsion?"

At Aaron's question, his subordinate priest nodded. He was the one who managed the novice priests.

"They did things that should not be done as priests."

His fingertip pointed to Martin. He was said to have had inappropriate relationships with believers. Next, Jerry and Roman were caught drinking with women at a tavern and were dragged away by the paladins.

"What about this Ricky fellow?"

As soon as he heard the name Ricky, the priest shook his head disapprovingly.

"This one is the most serious case."

"What did he do?"

At Aaron's question, a low sigh followed.

"Actually, Jerry and Roman should be seen as having been influenced by Ricky. Ricky was the first to venture outside and frequent taverns, and for the past three years, he hasn't set foot in the temple at all."

At first, he had claimed his mother was ill. So they had occasionally granted him permission to stay out overnight. But after people stopped paying much attention to him, Ricky disappeared completely three years after becoming a novice priest.

"He recently returned to the temple, but..."

Even that was only once a week, and he would leave immediately after arriving. Given that frequency, there was hardly anyone here who would recognize Ricky's face. Since there was no particular restraint on such behavior from Ricky, the other fellows began to think they wouldn't get caught either and started engaging in misconduct.

"Ricky's external activities go without saying. Just from what I've heard, that fellow drinks at taverns, smokes, enjoys gambling. It's quite diverse."

"The problem is indeed serious."

Aaron clicked his tongue briefly. Even Aaron, who knew that the existence of God and the Holy Maiden was false, didn't engage in such behavior, so it was understandable that his evaluation was harsh.

"Is there no possibility of reforming him? After all, he's a fellow who once followed the same God's name."

"I've been watching with the heart of guiding a lost lamb, but now it seems impossible. We need to make an example before he has a bad influence on the other priests."

The priest spoke with a resolute voice. He had picked up a starving, pitiful boy and made him a novice priest, so he had tried to take responsibility, but now he felt it was a problem beyond his control.

"Very well. If you say so..."

Since he spoke so definitively, Aaron had no need to insist on keeping Ricky in his position as a novice priest. The life of a young man whose face he didn't even know was of no concern to him anyway.

"In any case, since it involves leaving the affiliated group, he'll need time to sort out his feelings. Tell him to pack his belongings and leave by next weekend."

At Aaron's words, the priest nodded.

"You may go."

And with the list of four names folded neatly and tucked into his robes, he left his seat. As soon as the priest departed, Aaron relaxed his body and leaned comfortably back in his chair.

"You seem to have a lot on your mind."

In fact, while listening to the names on the list he had little interest in, Aaron had been thinking about Amelia.

"When I secretly followed her because it seemed suspicious that she was alone in the prayer room, she really was sitting alone on the platform."

Louise had said that Amelia sat alone in the empty prayer room, spending time in solitude. But it was actually difficult to believe that story immediately.

Usually, people would kneel when offered carrots as incentives or threatened with death. But Amelia didn't stop resisting him, even while remembering her sister's death, even while knowing what had happened when she tried to escape and being afraid, even while having noticed how her mother had been disposed of. She still stubbornly continued to turn away from the position given to her.

Of course, even so, she wouldn't dare to actually try to escape.

"..."

Could he trust Amelia then?

A faint trace of contemplation crossed his expressionless face.