Chapter 131
“Things to Protect”
“Embarrassingly, I fell down.”
“What happened?”
“Just… I was running.”
Lusicé smiled softly.
“I see… the wound is quite deep. It must have hurt a lot…”
I wanted to just leave it at that and end the conversation.
But since the purpose of coming to this temple wasn’t just to ask about her well-being, I had to ask more and find out more.
“Why were you running like that? Was it urgent?”
“Someone I wanted to talk to came to the temple, so I couldn’t be careful. I guess my heart rushed me.”
“Who came?”
I asked sharply in my mind, thinking maybe I should stop.
Suspecting Lusicé made me feel terrible.
Even if it had been Mina, Hehl, or Lycher, it probably would have felt the same.
Lusicé hesitated for a moment.
‘Commander!’
I sent a desperate look, and Roitz naturally joined the conversation.
“Normally, you don’t run much. Seems it was a very welcome guest,” he said.
“Yes,” Lusicé’s face turned slightly red. Roitz looked at her with a curious tone and asked,
“Who was it?”
“That’s a secret.”
“A secret?”
Roitz smiled lazily and shrugged.
“We agreed to help each other. I need to know something to help.”
“You seem sharp even when someone is subtle,” Lusicé said.
“I’m just repaying the help I received.”
“Then…”
Lusicé thought for a moment and whispered something to Roitz.
‘Did she just say who she met?’
After speaking, Lusicé emphasized with graceful features:
“I told you, so now you’re helping me too, right?”
“Of course. If you told me earlier, I would have helped more.”
“It’s not easy to admit your feelings. In that sense, you are amazing,” she said with a slightly mischievous smile.
I knew they didn’t actually like each other, but the leftover illusion made me feel I should leave.
“I… I’ll be going then…”
“Where are you going, Serdin?”
Roitz made me sit back down.
“But I’m curious about something too, Lord Velkirente,” Lusicé said, moving closer to us.
After glancing at me, her eyes turned to Roitz.
“How about you? Do you still need my help?”
Roitz cleared his throat for a moment. I didn’t understand what they were talking about, so I just blinked.
“Can I tell her, Serdin?” Roitz asked.
“What about?”
“About what we talked about.”
“Do as you wish,” I said, curious even though I didn’t understand.
Then Roitz said to Lusicé:
“I don’t need help anymore, Bishop.”
Lusicé clapped happily.
“Ah!”
She placed her hands on our shoulders, sending pure holy energy. Joy spread through my body.
“Bishop?”
She looked at us both, her clear eyes shining.
“This is the happiest news I’ve heard today!”
“Congratulations, you two!”
I finally understood what they were talking about. My face turned bright red.
“Th-thank you, Bishop.”
“I’m really happy. I’ve been cheering for you a long time. It’s really great.”
Even Roitz’s cheeks were slightly red as he looked away.
“Anyway,” Roitz cleared his throat and looked back.
“I’ve been curious, Bishop. If you have such strong holy power, how does it feel?”
Lusicé thought for a moment.
“Always aware of God’s presence. In a way, it’s like sharing God’s power. Sometimes, the weight is felt.”
“After all, humans handle that power.”
“Yes. It’s fortunate there’s guidance on how to use it in the temple. Like having a manual.”
“Prayer, healing, resurrection, things like that?”
“Yes. But how to use it better is always a question. Every priest thinks about that.”
“I see.”
“It’s precious power, so it should be used for right purposes. Right now, it’s a phase of finding what that is.”
She spoke thoughtfully, smiling.
“Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Bishop.”
We both nodded.
“Let’s go now.”
“Are we going to see the person Bishop Lusicé met that day?”
“Yes.”
Roitz left the temple without hesitation. I ran to keep pace, speaking quickly.
“Based on the conversation with the commander and Lusicé, is the person she met someone she has feelings for?”
Ah, so the help they talked about earlier seemed to be about romance.
“Yes. It’s better to stop by the knight headquarters and talk to them.”
“Who are we seeing?”
“Oh, I forgot to say,” Roitz answered me.
“Ciut Beiche.”
“Eh? What? Really?”
My voice came out a bit dazed. Ciut? The Ciut I know?
“Yes. We need to confirm if they were really at the temple at that time.”
“Ah… yes. Of course.”
I felt dizzy. First, learning that Lusicé had feelings for Ciut, and second, hearing Roitz speak so logically and without hesitation.
Roitz was holding everyone to a strict standard, just like with Bishop Arwin.
‘It makes sense.’
Meanwhile, Roitz walked steadily. When I slowed, he slowed too.
The moonlit path led almost to the knight headquarters.
“We should arrive in about half an hour. We’ll ask what was said and confirm later with the bishop.”
“Yes.”
I said that, but my heart wasn’t calm.
“Let’s rest for a moment,” I said, sitting on a nearby rock.
Roitz waited silently as I looked up at him.
I wanted to be honest with him about everything, so I asked:
“Are you really suspecting the bishop? You have a good relationship with her.”
Suspecting someone is always emotionally hard. I had felt that with Aron too.
Roitz had spent much time with Lusicé, talking a lot. Even when discussing helping each other, it felt friendly.
Yet Roitz remained calm and acted decisively.
“How can you stay so composed?”
Not a reproach, just curiosity.
Roitz looked at me, thought for a moment, then spoke calmly:
“I’m not suspecting her. I’m just investigating the person who matches the clues.”
A clear answer.
A cool night breeze brushed my cheek.
Roitz looked far ahead and continued:
“I only think about what I need to protect.”
“When you think like that, everything else is relative. What I must clearly protect and what I don’t.”
“Even events like this, I see as protecting what’s more precious. Then I hesitate less.”
I wondered what he meant by “what to protect.”
“What are you trying to protect?”
“The people who suffered because of the masked leader. And…”
Roitz’s gaze turned to me. He sat across from me, holding my hand.
“You.”
My hand felt hot where it touched his.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
I looked at his hand for a moment, then at him.
“I don’t need protecting.”
I replied, a little stubbornly.
Roitz was the kind of person who stirred strange feelings in me.
Just moments ago, my mind was dizzy with thoughts. Now… nothing.
Moonlight reflected his pleasant smile.
“I am completely serious.”
“I know. But I have to protect you.”
“I should protect you, Commander. That’s what an aide is for.”
“Yes, but only the aide Serdin Vivi can protect me.”
Roitz tilted his head, studying my face.
“Another Serdin Vivi exists?”
“Yes.”
Roitz kissed the back of my hand. My whole arm felt warm, almost burning.
“This isn’t about being Commander of Elche.”
“It’s another Roitz Velkirente. One only you know.”
He kissed my hand again, whispering softly.
“Why are you so unfair,” I muttered, face red.
“I’ll study too. I’ll research all the exciting things to say.”
Suddenly, a raindrop fell on my head.
I looked up at the sky.
“Rain?!”
Roitz helped me up, and we ran together under the growing rain.
A little further, and we’d reach Roitz’s residence.
