Knox Cathedral – Part 03
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Translator: Kell
It was late in the evening when Gemma came back with a grim look on her face.
Like he declared, Barcel had come to get some food, which meant that Gemma came upon me, Zero, and the attendant.
“You don’t look like you’re here to deliver supplies,” I said. “What’s wrong?”
“Is the Director in the carriage?” Gemma asked sharply.
“Yeah. He’s eating dinner while reading a book.”
“I need to talk to him. Excuse me.” She passed through us and climbed into the carriage.
Sensing something wrong, we stopped eating and followed Gemma.
As I stepped into the carriage, pushing aside the slightly dirty cloth meant to keep the cold away, the Director didn’t look particularly surprised. He was reading a book and eating bread boiled soggy in goat’s milk with a blank expression. As a former insect Beastfallen, he didn’t know how to chew food properly. He was, however, able to learn how to move his hands and fingers early on, probably due to his obsession with books. It would be a long time before he could walk again, but for now he could read a book on his own while sitting down.
Gemma grabbed the Director by the collar and pulled him closer.
“C-Captain! Please don’t be rough on—”
“Back off, Barcel! This is urgent.”
The attendant froze.
Keeping her gaze on the Director, Gemma asked in a shaky voice, “Is it true?”
The Director looked at Gemma with languid eyes. “I-I can’t see… inside the warding… Explain it to me… What do you want to know? What did you learn… in the Cathedral?”
“The Bishop said there’s no prophet at the Altar. That there was no such post in the first place. When a Bishop of the Seven Cathedrals dies, they are given the title of prohet and buried at the Altar!”
“What?!” I leaned forward.
The Knight Templar’s main objective was to rescue the prophet, the Church’s supreme leader, from the Altar on the island of Generos.
The prophet doesn’t actually exist?
Once the Director understood Gemma’s question, he laughed, his face twisting awkwardly, unmoving as if it were a mask. “Ah, that… Yes, yes… The Bishop is right… There is no… prophet. Not even once… in the hundred years… since I was summoned. Only a Bishop’s body… goes to the Altar. You left Wenias… so eager to rescue the prophet. How laughable… Truly humorous.”
“If you knew, why didn’t you tell us?!”
“I only answer questions… that are asked of me. You asked… about the situation… in the Altar. I told you… I couldn’t see… past the warding. That is the truth… I did not lie.”
The Director’s ability was not perfect; it was ineffective against witches and the Church’s wards.
Clenching her fists, Gemma just barely managed to hold herself back from punching the Director. She pushed him away and turned to us with a bitter expression.
“Uh, Captain. What was that about?”
“You heard him. When we informed the Bishop that we had come from Wenias to rescue the prophet, they told us that there was no one awaiting rescue in the Altar. For five centuries, there has never been an prophet there!”
My jaw dropped. “You mean we came all the way here for nothing?”
Gemma’s lips tigthened. “I thought the Bishop lied to avoid more casualties.”
But the Director affirmed the Bishop’s story, which meant all our effort was wasted.
“But we saved a lot of people as a result,” Barcel said. “We have also informed Knox Cathedral that the south is safe. It wasn’t all for nothing.”
“It just turned out that way! What if demons had overrun the Cathedral? What if the Bishop was dead? I would have sent my men to their deaths to rescue someone that didn’t even exist!”
Zero’s objective—and therefore mine—was to kill her master, so the revelation wasn’t as shocking to us. But for the Knights Templar it must be unbearable.
If it weren’t for the dangerous mission of rescuing the prophet from the Altar, they could’ve sent fewer men to the north. The rest could have helped in strengthening defenses around Wenias, and rescuing civilians in neighboring countries.
“Why did the Church even lie about that?” I asked. “It’s not like they really needed an imaginary prophet. Did they?”
“The Vice Captain is currently talking to the Bishop about that. I came here to confirm what they said immediately. Damn it. How do I explain this to the troops? They risked their lives on this stupid farce!”
“Please calm down, Captain,” Barcel said. “Maybe the Church has its reasons—”
“Tell that to the knights who lost their lives!” Gemma shot the attendant sharp glare. “You can stop manipulating me with your sugarcoated bullcrap.”
“I-I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Did you forget? Our truce lasts until we reach Knox Cathedral. With the mission over, I will not suppress my anger against you anymore.”
Gemma got off the carriage, and Zero slowly followed her. Barcel and I just watched. Our words would only agitate her further.
“You must calm down a little, Captain,” Zero said. “Or your men will become anxious.”
“But—”
“Have you lost focus because the journey is over? Although there is a warding here, numerous demons still lurk in the north. You must decide what to do from here on out, and lead your men. Am I wrong?”
Gemma eyed her surroundings. The soldiers camped in tents outside the ward, assigned to guard the Director and relay messages, were watching her from afar.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I got too worked up.”
“I understand. Even I am quite surprised. But even if there is no prophet in the Altar, it does not change the fact that demons have gathered north. If their objective is not the prophet, then why did they come here?”
“Right… That does sound strange.”
“Indeed. The enemy’s objective is not yet clear. It is easy to say things in hindsight, but I am glad that many soldiers made it to Knox Cathedral. In the worst case, we might have to retreat back to Wenias, along with all the people here. The more personnel, the more strategies we can formulate.”
“Are you telling me to look on the bright side?”
“I am simply stating facts,” Zero answered swiftly. “But lamenting what has already happened will not solve anything. For now, let us wait for the Vice Captain to finish talking with the Bishop. By the way, we were in the middle of dinner.”
Gemma noticed the plates and pot left unattended. Reminded of her rash behavior, she flushed and shrank. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt your dinner.”
“Oh, that is not what I meant. I imagine you did not have dinner yet. I despise having my meal interrupted, but I am not so weak-minded that I stop eating because of a mere interruption.”
Zero once continued eating even when a carriage slammed into me. In fact, she didn’t even stop chewing on her bread when Gemma was confronting the Director.
“I was wondering if you would like to join us while we wait for the Vice Caommander. You will be sitting with the attendant and Mercenary, however.”
Gemma shot us a glance. We were peeking out from the carriage, watching the situation.
Pursing her lips, she nodded firmly. “I’ll join you. I’m actually starving.”
Thank goodness. She seemed to have calmed down enough to tolerate our presence for now.
Smiling at Gemma as she sat down by the fire, Zero called us over. “You heard her. You can come out of the carriage.”
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