Chapter 197: The Fount of Light (9)
The pipes could no longer draw any more water. The Fount of Light, the filters at the source, everything was gone. It wasn’t just the water either. The spheres connected to the pipes, as well as the relics contained within — none of it was left behind.
Eugene glanced back at Kristina. She was being supported by the wind but was still unconscious. But Eugene felt that it was for the better. The things he didn’t want her to see disappeared neatly, but Eugene preferred that she didn’t even see the old pipes left behind.
“What?” said Eugene. He had placed his hand inside his cape with the intention of doing a clean sweep, but Mer had grabbed his finger as if she had been waiting. She accompanied the Moonlight Sword out of his cloak, riding on his finger.
“You bastard,” said Mer.
“What?”
“You.... You are.... Sir Eugene, you are a bastard,” repeated Mer while pointing her quivering fingers at Eugene. “How, how... shameless! How could you do something so shameless? Right in front of me, to boot!” she shouted.
“No.... Well.... If you think about it, it wasn’t technically....” Eugene hastily gave his excuse, but Mer wasn’t willing to listen.
“Lies! Sir Eugene, you are a liar! You could have avoided it if you wanted to! But! You didn’t! No, it was far from avoiding it. Y-your... lips! The lips touched, and, and... t-tongue. You stayed still even when the tongue slid in!” exclaimed Mer.
Eugene continued, “Well.... That’s.... Uh.... Mer. Listen, when a human is faced with a situation that’s completely out of their expectations and incomprehensible, their body stiffens, and they lose control. You stop thinking and freeze on the spot. And because of the aftermath of Ignition, my body was....”
“Lies! You’re moving just fine now!” Mer shouted.
“Strictly speaking, it’s not me that’s moving right now, but Tempest’s wind that’s....”
“Argh!” screeched Mer. “Whatever the case! Sir Eugene, you were being so sloppy that even I could have stabbed you to death with a dagger!”
“Do you think I would have ever imagined something like that happening?” Eugene retorted, desperately seeking to soothe Mer’s fury, albeit not very successfully.
Mer stomped her feet with a huff. “I just don’t understand! Sir Eugene, you have a very handsome face right now, but not in your past life! I’ve also seen Sir Hamel’s face every day in Akron, but to be completely honest, I’ve never thought that he was handsome, not even for a second!”
“That’s... a bit hurtful. I don’t think it was bad enough that I deserved to be called ugly wherever I went...” muttered Eugene.
“I feel this every time we talk about this topic, but Sir Eugene, you are very confident, even arrogant. Your claims are completely unfounded. How could you possibly have such confidence in your face with the Great Vermouth right next to you?” asked Mer.
“Well... I admit that I might have been slightly uglier than Vermouth, but I was much better-looking than Molon. And being handsome isn’t necessarily being good-looking. The atmosphere I exuded was very handsome, if you know what I mean,” answered Eugene.
“Completely mad....”
“It’s just that the video in Akron failed to capture my atmosphere. Well, no, even there.... My.... What is it...? Weren’t my proportions pretty good? My face was rather small, I had wide shoulders, and a muscular, chiseled body...” explained Eugene.
“Bastard,” muttered Mer.
But Eugene didn’t stop there. He kept going. “And the scar on my face was pretty cool too. My confidence isn’t groundless at all. In my previous life, I never met anyone who ever called me ugly to my face.”
Mer retorted, “That’s because you killed anyone who said such a thing, Sir Eugene. Anyways, you’re still bad, Sir Eugene. I still don’t understand how you could do such a thing in front of me.”
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Mer stormed Eugene, stomping her feet, and it didn’t look like she would stop anytime soon. Feeling unfairly blamed, Eugene shouted back while drawing the Moonlight Sword out of its sheath. “Oi! Did I do it? Hmm? I was tricked! I’m also a victim here! So why are you only blaming me?”
“A victim!? How truly, absolutely, positively shameless.... Sir Eugene, don’t lie to me! You were enjoying it on the inside!” screamed Mer.
“I didn’t enjoy it.... Really, I just couldn’t move because I was so surprised. And.... It was sad as well. After all, Anise, one of my comrades, is dead. I won’t ever get to meet her again in this life...” said Eugene with a gloomy face while placing down the Moonlight Sword on his side. Mer hesitated for a moment when she saw Eugene’s drooping shoulders. She felt a sense of regret. In her moment of anger, she had inadvertently caused Eugene to feel an irreconcilable loneliness.
‘But Lady Sienna is still alive.’
While thinking so, she coughed before saying curtly, “I’m going to tell on you to Lady Sienna later.”
“Yes, yes,” answered Eugene.
The Moonlight Sword started to radiate light. The creeping moonlight removed all the machinery underground, and after checking the empty room one more time, Eugene turned around.
He strolled through the ruined temple, passing by the corpses without care. He saw that some were still breathing, but whether they lived or died was none of Eugene’s business. He had already rampaged in his fury. After running wild, helping them would be like playing a game of cat and mouse with them.
‘Did I screw myself over?’ He was struck with such worries as well. Now that everything had settled, the intense anger and hatred had died down. Along with it, logical thoughts also slowly returned.
What should he do now? He had killed a Cardinal, one of the captains of the Blood Cross Knights, as well as a high-ranking Inquisitor. They weren’t your everyday, ordinary members of the church. Furthermore, apart from the three high-profile figures, he had killed over a hundred people today.
It had been slightly excessive. He had gone full ‘Hamel’ crazy without even thinking about the repercussions of his actions. In his defense, he had given them a warning. It wasn’t like he intended to kill them from the beginning, either.
However, they ignored his warning and picked a fight with him... while completely convinced that they were in the right. He had been irked that they tried to send him back without seeing reason.
‘It wouldn’t matter if I’m the only one implicated, but the problem is the Lionheart clan.’
The Emperor of Kiehl was greedy for what the Lionhearts possessed, and it was obvious that a conflict would arise between the empires if Yuras held Eugene responsible for the current situation. If that were to happen, the emperor would undoubtedly try to pin the blame on the Lionheart clan.
However, Eugene would make sure that it unfolded differently. He had no intention of keeping quiet about this crazy issue. He could simply silence the Holy Empire’s opinion with the Holy Sword since they would only be denying the light if they chose to disagree.
The power that the Lionhearts accumulated over 300 years was considerable. Thus it was impossible for Kiehl to expel the entirety of the Lionheart family from the empire. If a settlement could be made, then....
‘They would either throw me in jail or banish me.’
But perhaps they wouldn’t go as far as to banish him. Eugene was simply too talented to be banished for this problem. After all, what would Kiehl gain from expelling Eugene? Absolutely nothing. Moreover, the moment Eugene was deported, all the other nations would go crazy trying to take him in.
‘I think they might throw me in jail and try to coax me.... No, but that’s only the case if Yuras makes a big scene out of this. If the Pope wants to bury the whole issue, then there’s nothing Kiehl can do.’
As long as Eugene could keep the Pope’s mouth shut, the majority of the problems would be solved. But how? Eugene had faced the fanatics of light in this temple, and they had labeled Eugene’s actions as being corrupt. In their perspective, the Light had not chosen wrong, and Eugene Lionheart’s abilities were fit for the Hero. However, Eugene Lionheart had fallen....
It was an invincible logic. The fanatics could claim that their actions were based on true faith while cleverly avoiding the true meaning of light. After seeing that the Paladins and Inquisitors had been set on such a mindset, Eugene wondered if he could even hold a proper conversation with their superior, the Pope.
‘If I reveal that I’m Hamel....’
So far, he had been given a free pass by revealing his identity from the past. However, he was up against the Pope of the Holy Empire this time around. He felt that simply revealing his identity as Hamel wouldn’t be sufficient. What if he got the Holy Sword to emit light? No, that wouldn’t be enough, either. Something more.... Something more like... a miracle....
“Why don’t you come down if you’ve awakened?” grumbled Eugene, glancing backward.
Kristina flinched. She had been allowing her limp body to float in the wind.
Eugene continued, “Both my body and mind are in a mess right now... so it’s hard for me to keep this up.”
“Ehem.” Kristina descended with a dry cough and didn’t raise her head even after touching the ground. Her clothes were already completely dry from the Fount’s water, but Kristina continued to pull and shake the hem of her clothes as if she felt uncomfortable.
“You...” Eugene called out while taking a step back. He saw that her expression was rather complex and her ears red under her disheveled blond hair.
“What do you know?” asked Eugene.
“Hmm... Eem... Ehem...” Kristina coughed a few times before raising her head by an inch. Her face was red, and as soon as she met his gaze, she immediately lowered her head once more. Eugene’s expression grew even more complex when he noticed her blatant response.
“Oi...” he called out.
“S-sir Hamel...” stammered Kristina. “Ah.... N-no, that’s the past life, so.... I will.... I will just call you Sir Eugene. Yes. That’s the right thing for me.”
“I asked you what you knew,” repeated Eugene.
“Well.... The thing is, L-Lady’s Anise’s memories came to me.... Well, not only her memories. It’s like her consciousness became a part of me...” sputtered Kristina while grabbing her head, not realizing that she was speaking gibberish. It was only natural for her to be confused. Anise’s soul was resting inside her, and although it would have been as such since a long time ago, the incident had awakened Anise’s soul. So they now shared a consciousness, and Kristina also received Anise’s memories.
As a result, Kristina came to learn what the Saintess truly was, what kinds of rituals had been held in the Fount of Light, and who she truly was. Everything came to Kristina as a brutal truth, denying most of what she had believed all her life. Although she knew what was true and what was false, it was quite difficult for her to take it all in right away.
Not only that, but Eugene Lionheart was supposedly the reincarnation of Stupid Hamel from 300 years ago.
“Please understand, Hamel. It will be difficult for this child to accept everything at once, so please be patient and.... Huh?” Kristina quickly clasped her hands over her lips when she started speaking without meaning to.
Eugene’s eyebrows twitched as he looked down at Kristina, who had collapsed in surprise.
“Anise?” he called out.
“N-no. No, I am not Lady Anise,” answered Kristina. But what was that just now? She had spoken without meaning to, and her head... was a mess. It was filled with things that were difficult to understand, things she didn’t want to understand. And at the very end was... a face that was too close for comfort, trembling eyes, the soft brush of their lips, and what wrapped around her tongue as....
“Ahhhhhhhh!” screeched Kristina before clasping her hands together and praying.
[I didn’t expect that you would receive that memory as well.]
“What?” Kristina raised her head in surprise as a voice resounded in her head.
[I startled you without meaning to. I hope you understand. I did think about leaving you behind and departing for heaven, but for both you and Hamel, I think it would be best for me to remain here for the time being.]
Eugene could not hear Anise’s voice, but he had a rough idea of the current situation from Kristina’s expression of shock and from the way she looked around as if she was hearing things.
“This voice is...” muttered Kristina as her expression slowly stiffened. She remembered the first revelation she heard: Eugene Lionheart is the Hero chosen by the Light, and Vermouth’s soul did not enter heaven.
It was the same voice, the voice of the light.
[I was simply acting as the messenger. The message was not a lie. Although the God of Light is not as omnipotent as you or others might think, he is real. However, he cannot intervene directly in the matters of this world,] Anise continued.
Kristina’s shaking slowly subsided.
[So do not deny the existence of the light. You are.... Haha, there’s no helping it if you don’t want to identify yourself as the Saintess, but your existence and power are definitely miracles. If you want to use your miracles for Hamel... for Eugene Lionheart, then I will help you.]
‘Lady Anise....’
[I know. I have been through the same thing as you, and I have always been watching you ever since you were young. I know what you’ve experienced, and it’s only natural for you to doubt the light after you’ve realized the whole truth. However, Kristina, that doesn’t matter. Even if you distrust the light, it doesn’t change the fact that your existence is a miracle. Nor will the light leave you in disappointment because you distrust it.]
Kristina continued to pray silently. She was starting to understand little by little. If the terrible ritual in the Fount of Light had progressed to completion, Kristina’s blood would have been replaced by the water from the Fount. If everything had gone according to schedule afterward, Kristina would have been baptized by the sacred relic of the Holy Emperor in the Audience Chamber. Then, Kristina’s back would have been engraved with a stigma, just like Anise’s.
[I do not want that. Even if you were made more complete than I was, a forcibly engraved stigma will eat away at your life.]
“.....”
[That’s why I cannot leave you yet.]
Kristina slowly closed her eyes. It was confusing and shocking, but she understood. Anise would remain inside her for the time being and support the miracles Kristina summoned with her own divine power. Anise’s soul would replace the role of the stigma.
Anise had perished long ago but had refused to enter heaven. She had remained behind in this world to keep her promise to her dead comrade. But even after reuniting with her comrade, she still refused to enter heaven. It was to see her mission from 300 years ago to completion. In the future, Anise would work from within Kristina, bearing Kristina’s burden and pain in her stead. One day, when Kristina no longer needed her help, Anise would finally spread her wings and fly to heaven.
Tears streamed down Kristina’s face, even though her eyes were closed. It was a truly noble act. Anise refused the comfort of death and insisted on feeling the pain of her soul to try to save the world. Although the Saintesses created by the Holy Empire were fake, artificial beings, Kristina could not see her predecessors as fake. Even if they had been created artificially, all of them had been true Saintesses....
[Do you not drink the holy water?]
‘What?’
[It doesn’t seem like you enjoy it, but.... If you truly pity me, please enjoy holy water on my behalf from now on. And if you ever feel a difficult, shameful urge towards Hamel, I am willing to do it in your stead....]
“What are you talking about!?”
[I truly enjoy how innocent you are. I think I will have quite the fun from now on teasing you.]
Anise giggled inside Kristina’s head, but instead of answering, Kristina recited a short prayer.
“Are you done?” asked Eugene.
“...Ehem... Hmm...”
“Tell Anise. It might be impossible right now, but when I see her in heaven after I die, I’m going to beat the crap out of her,” said Eugene. Truthfully, he wanted to pummel her right this moment. But if he followed his desire, wouldn’t it be Kristina who suffered instead?
Eugene clicked his tongue and shook his head.
—This is not goodbye, Hamel. As part of this child, I can bless and protect you on....”
He had not bothered to listen till the end, but he never imagined that this was what she meant. Eugene felt grateful not to have shed tears when Anise disappeared. He was afraid just to imagine how Anise would have teased him by borrowing Kristina’s words if he had shed tears.
“Let’s just make sure we distinguish it, so we don’t get confused. Kristina, you.... Uh.... Call me Eugene, all right? Anise will call me Hamel anyways,” explained Eugene.
“...Yes, Sir Hagene.”
“What?”
“No.... Nothing, Sir Eumel.”
“What are you doing?”
Kristina responded after slapping herself on the lips a few times. “Lady Anise is very mischievous. According to the legend, she is supposed to be a warm person, like the morning sun.”
“You can’t take an old tale word for word. I mean, look at me, right? The stories say that I’m stupid, but how is that even remotely accurate?” grumbled Eugene.
Kristina opened her eyes to a slit and glanced at Eugene. For some reason, it felt as if she could hear a giggle in her head.
“So what are you going to do now?” asked Kristina.
“It’s impossible to return to the great cathedral,” answered Eugene. He didn’t think anything good would come from returning. The biggest issue now was his condition. It wasn’t so bad that he couldn’t lift a finger, but he would need to rest completely for a few days to recover. “I think it would be best to destroy the warp-gate here and hole up somewhere to recover. After that.... Well, if I could, I would just run away without trying to fix anything.”
“Are you serious?” asked Kristina.
“Would I be lying? I know I lost my cool and ran wild, but you never really think about fixing what you caused when you lose your cool and rampage. But what can I do? If I do really run away, the head of our family might lose what little hair he has left. He’s stressed enough already,” mumbled Eugene while staggering forward. Kristina belatedly came to his side and supported him.
“Anyways. If I plan to at least pretend to make things right, I should get back to normal conditions first.”
“Because of me,” said Kristina.
“It’s not just because of you, so don’t say things like that. And what if it’s because of you? Why should you feel guilty about it? You’re the one who was thrown into shit,” said Eugene. A faint smile spread on her face at his harsh words.
Mer glared at Kristina. “Don’t get too close.”
“What?”
“Don’t get too close to him,” she repeated.
“I’m only supporting.... Ah,” with a smile, Kristina nodded. She raised Eugene’s feeble body and put him behind her back.
“Hey, hey!” shouted Mer.
“This reminds me of Samar Forest,” said Kristina while supporting Eugene’s buttocks with her hands. Eugene’s face crumpled with humiliation, and Mer was struck speechless by Kristina’s bold move. However, Kristina paid them no mind and instead continued forward while patting Eugene’s buttocks.
The morning sun was warm.
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