The Worth of the World – Part 02
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Translator: Kell
“That was fast. Food’s not even ready yet.”
It didn’t take long for Zero to return to the carriage. The vegetables simmering in the pot had just started to soften.
Gemma had gingerly inched closer to Lily and started a somewhat friendly conversation. Gouda had crawled out of the carriage and was feeding the dragon.
The priest didn’t help with the food. He was sitting near the carriage, quietly cleaning his staff. He seemed to have gotten into a dispute with Lily earlier, but that was none of my business.
Zero eyed all of us and relaxed her shoulders. “I see. I should have killed more time, then. Or perhaps pilfered some food from the knights.”
“Lady Zero!” Gemma half-rose to her feet, her face pale. “We’ve already provided you with food. Please don’t steal from the knights.”
Zero cackled. “I am joking, Captain. My stomach prefers Mercenary’s cooking.”
“You were talking with the Director, weren’t you?” the priest said, still cleaning his staff. “What was it about?”
“Nothing of import. We talked a little about the progress in creating the list of demons.”
“What, is it gonna take a while to finish?” I asked.
“The Director’s amount of knowledge somewhat surpassed my imagination. I have told him to prioritize the demons that pose the greatest threat, so he will be finished by tomorrow.”
Gemma scanned the surroundings. “Um, Lady Zero? Where is Barcel?”
“In the tent, guarding the Director.”
“I see.” She looked both relieved and disappointed.
“Hey, Priest,” I said. “Now that the witch is back, how about explaining the condition?”
Zero looked at me. “What are you talking about?”
“We can stay, but there are a few conditions, apparently.”
Zero put on a frown. “How shameless. I do not care about your conditions. I will do as I please.”
“Listen to me first, Zero,” the priest said. “It’s nothing unreasonable. Remember, you two can become a threat to the Church—no, the people. As such, the Bishop would like to see you.”
“What?! The Bishop wants to see us?!” I blurted out.
“They are unable to invite you to dinner due to lack of resources, but you are invited as guests.”
I thought they were crazy, but apparently they weren’t, and I wasn’t just mishearing things either. A Bishop of the Seven Cathedrals, practically the supreme authority of the Church, inviting a witch and a Beastfallen as guests was an unprecedented event.
“Honestly, I really don’t want to go,” I said.
“I’m not too keen on it either,” the priest replied, “but Orlux was so adamant in turning you away that the Bishop decided to see you in person first before making the final decision. If you refuse, he’ll say you have something to hide.”
“That guy’s such a fucking pain in the ass.”
Zero immediately changed her tone. “What a bold Bishop to welcome me and Mercenary into town. If I can see the beautiful cathedral up close, I will gladly accept the invitation.”
“What about guarding the Director?!” I said.
“Is the Knights Templar so incompetent that they can’t hold the fort down for a bit?” the priest said.
Gemma put her hand on her battle axe, her lips pursed. “If you wish, I can show you the power of the Knights Templar here and now.”
“I will have to respectfully decline. Did you hear that, Mercenary? The Knights Templar can handle guarding the Director. Isn’t that great?”
This guy’s got a really twisted personality. I thought he was at least better than Orlux, but now that I was face-to-face with him, I couldn’t really tell.
In any case, we now had an audience with the Bishop. To be honest, I had a bad feeling about it, but it would be better for me to accompany Zero than let her go alone.
After having dinner, we left the Director in Gemma’s care and made our way to the cathedral. I covered myself from head to toe with my hood and cloak to avoid being seen.
The priest, however, shut down my efforts. “Honestly, you look more suspicious with that outfit,” he said.
“Mind your business.”
Zero followed my lead and pulled the hood of her cloak over her eyes to hide her inhuman beauty. Gouda was mounting the dragon, holding its reins, while Lily walked along, clinging to the priest’s legs.
A squadron of Noble Guards led by Orlux were waiting at the entrance to the town, all of them with their hands on their swords, as if to say, “One wrong move, and you’re dead.”
“Thank you for picking us up,” the priest said sarcastically.
Orlux himself couldn’t stand the current situation that he could not even put on his fake smile.
As we passed through the large gate and entered the walls surrounding the town, countless frightened gazes fell on us. I didn’t expect to be welcomed at all, but it still made me restless.
Look, it’s a dragon. It came into town during the day, and ate everything.
Is that huge guy the Beastfallen? And the smaller one is the witch?
What a suspicious bunch. I hope the Noble Guards can protect the Bishop.
I heard this whole thing’s because of Dea Ignis butting in.
“They really don’t like you, Mr. Adjudicator,” I said.
“Did you really expect the people to like Dea Ignis?”
“Y-You guys might be used to this, but I’ve never felt so uncomfortable in my life,” Gouda said, his face white. “I thought I had it rough as the king of a fallen nation, but you guys are always subjected to this kind of treatment, huh?”
“It’s usually worse than this,” I replied, instilling more fear in him.
“Dear God,” Gouda muttered, facing the cathedral.
“It looks significantly more modest than Lutra Cathedral,” Zero said.
A simple square bell tower and unadorned white walls. The building itself was somewhat small, without the glitz and glamor of Lutra Cathedral.
“When Knox Cathedral was built, there were only few believers and construction technology was not as advanced as they are now,” the priest said. “Although it is the most prestigious of the seven cathedrals, it is the simplest in architecture. The town walls that were built later on required much more labor and funds.”
“Even the biggest organizations start small, I suppose.”
The doors were relatively new, with magnificent workmanship comparable to that of the other cathedrals. They must have been remade countless times.
They said that the reason why cathedrals were built large was to show that they would accept anyone, no matter who they were. When I first heard that, I thought to myself, “But they would not accept me,” and laughed.
But now that door was open, inviting me and Zero inside. It felt kind of strange.
“Welcome, and thank you for accepting my invitation.”
Waiting for us in the center of the cathedral—in front of the altar—was a wrinkled old woman in extremely plain clothes.
The interior of Knox Cathedral was as plain as the exterior. There were no carpets on the floor, the painted textiles on the walls were old, and the ceiling was blackened with candle soot that had accumulated over the years.
Still, the place had a strange dignity and solemnity to it that made me stand up straight. I couldn’t tell if it was because of the atmosphere of the cathedral or the old lady—the Bishop, I was sure—standing in front of the altar.
“Oh, my. I heard you were a powerful witch, but what beautiful eyes you have,” the old lady said. “Come here. Please, let me have a good look at your eyes.”
Zero removed her hood and walked up to the Bishop. The old lady, her back stooped and using a cane, was much smaller than the witch.
But a quiet raise of her hand and the Noble Guards froze, allowing Zero to approach her.
“I am surprised,” Zero murmured. “You are like a renowned witch.” It was probably the biggest compliment from her.
The Bishop chuckled. “And you are like an unsung saint. Please forgive Orlux for saying those awful things. He still doesn’t have the eyes to recognize evil witches from good ones.”
“It is fine. I am not that virtuous, either.”
“Of course. You are very dangerous. There is no doubt about it. But like a well-polished mirror, you do not hide anything.”
It was as if they were communicating simply by staring at each other, the ambience around them clearer than a cold, winter lake.
“Your Excellency!” Orlux’s voice shattered the solemn atmosphere. Zero and the Bishop simultaneously turned their gazes to him.
“Your decision, please. You said the witch’s heart is like a mirror. If she looks like a saint now, that is only because she reflects your character. In front of anyone else, she will become a threat to the Church.”
“Then you should all behave like a saint,” the woman said. “Orlux, you are a good boy with a caring heart. But you must learn to have an open mind.”
Sensing that the odds were against us, he made the first move, but it completely backfired. The Bishop had no intention of driving Zero away, and instead calmly rebuked Orlux, like a grandmother scolding her selfish grandson. Orlux was probably seething deep inside, having been reprimanded in front of his subordinates.
“I understand,” he said. “I apologize for my intrusive behavior. Please forgive my imprudence and narrow-mindedness.”
Or so I thought, but he was surprisingly obedient as he bowed deeply.
“I’m very grateful for your work, Orlux. I will be fine here. Get the Noble Guards to their regular duties before the people get worried.”
“Thank you. Your wish is my command.”
The knights were quick. As soon as Orlux lifted his head, they were out of the cathedral, leaving the four of us inside: me, Zero, the priest, and the Bishop.
Lily and Gouda were probably lying on their soft beds right now, resting comfortably. Only me and Zero were summoned to the cathedral in the first place.
“So? Can we stay here?” I asked, shielding my head.
“Watch your mouth, you symbol of depravity!” Sure enough, the priest struck me with his staff, but he hit me on the shin this time.
“And the Beastfallen is no less pure than the witch,” the Bishop said. “I understand now. The witch’s purity is a reflection of your character.”
“Hey, priest. I think that old lady’s gone senile.”
“Shut your mouth if you don’t want me to sew it up.” He grabbed my nose, wearing a blank look.
He might just sew my mouth shut for real if I said another word.
“I officially approve of your stay,” the old lady said. “If time permits, take a little look around this small, old town. Walk out of the cathedral proudly without your hood, and the people will know that the Church has accepted you.”
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