Chapter 77
“Then why don’t we just wipe that cult out while we’re at it?”
“For once, I agree with Josh.”
At their calm words, Anne’s eyes grew wide.
No, wait—that’s not what she wanted at all…
“I was already mad about those creeps saying weird things to Sophie whenever we walked around town.”
“…Excuse me?”
“We’ve been dragged into it enough that we’ve got plenty of reason to step in.”
Joshua, ignoring Anne’s flustered expression, spoke on with a grin full of reckless confidence.
“It’s been a while since I stretched my muscles. I want to move a little.”
Leaving Anne with a promise to come back tomorrow, the whole group gathered in the drawing room of the mansion. They needed to re-adjust the conversation Joshua and Benjamin had pushed forward on their own.
“What on earth are you planning to do?”
Sophia was the first to speak. Understandably so—no matter how much power they held, how could they simply sweep aside a large religious order that so many people believed in?
There would surely be backlash from the faithful… just thinking about it gave her a headache.
“Why? You don’t think we can get rid of the cult?”
“…Do you think erasing people’s faith is that easy?”
“Sophie, they’re the ones who wrote those doctrines to slander you.”
“….”
“With such a reason, how could we not destroy them?”
Benjamin’s words made Joshua nod vigorously beside him.
“Doesn’t matter whether those doctrines were written before Sophie was even born. What matters is they’re hurting her now.”
So they really meant to use force? Resort to violence—using that as their reason?
Finding it absurd, Sophia turned to Loray for support, but even he was nodding in agreement.
“Indeed, if left alone, it’s dangerous. This place is under your jurisdiction now, my lady. And since you may have to return here for reasons beyond travel, we can’t have such a cult hanging around…”
“…Loray?”
“This Loray will give everything to assist.”
Oh no. They really were planning to bulldoze through with force.
As a last hope, Sophia looked to Peyton—but he simply raised a hand with an innocent smile.
“Wow, I’m in favor too!”
So she was the only rational one here?
Even if they used force, it would surely cause a huge commotion. And besides, all they had was the group here plus a few guards. Since it was an island, calling in reinforcements would take quite some time.
“But… don’t we have far too few people?”
“That won’t be a problem, my lady.”
“…Huh?”
“Because I’m here.”
Loray pointed to himself as if it were the most obvious thing. Sophia didn’t fully understand what he meant until Peyton chimed in, clearly excited.
“Exactly! Against untrained people, there’s no magic more effective than Loray’s.”
“Magic… Ah.”
“With just a command to stay still, ordinary folks can’t move.”
“What he’s saying is true.”
Calling Peyton “that thing” with a smirk, Loray reassured her not to worry. In fact, none of them except Sophia had the slightest look of concern.
Elite guards from the capital, two brothers born with natural talent for combat, two skilled magicians…
Why did everyone here have to be so ridiculously capable?
“…Fine. I understand for now. But you all must know—I reserve the right to stop this at any time.”
She couldn’t bring herself to completely dismiss their intentions, since they were motivated by concern for her. But it wasn’t a full approval either.
Joshua nodded several times, promising to remember that, and then began outlining the plan.
“Tomorrow, let’s meet Anne again and learn the route to the temple and its layout. Then we’ll assign roles—”
Knock, knock—
He was cut off by a sudden knock on the door. Joshua’s expression immediately twisted into a frown and he clicked his tongue.
Just as Loray moved to open it, Joshua stopped him.
“I’ll get it.”
Striding over, he opened the door, only to find Cosmos standing there with a tray. The man inhaled sharply in surprise at the abrupt welcome.
“What is it? What do you want?”
On the silver tray Cosmos carried were freshly baked cookies and tea. His purpose was clear, yet Joshua looked at him with open distaste.
“You must be weary from your travels, so I thought to bring you tea that helps restore energy… But it seems I’ve come at the wrong time.”
Joshua’s attitude left no doubt his visit wasn’t welcome. Cosmos gave an awkward chuckle and bowed.
“Take the tea back with you.”
Joshua shut the door before Cosmos could even reply.
Cast out as though he were some intruder trespassing in a safe haven, Cosmos didn’t show anger. Instead, his face betrayed a nervous tension, as if something were chasing him.
Just then, a servant approached and whispered.
“Sir, someone named Wheel from the Central Office has arrived.”
“…Bring him to the reception room in the basement.”
Passing his tray to the servant, Cosmos hurried off toward the underground chamber, licking his dry lips.
The temple. They said they were going to the temple…!
As he dropped two sugar cubes into his jet-black coffee, the door opened. His awaited guest stepped inside.
Cosmos Lotte. His usual hearty, booming smile was nowhere to be seen.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Wheel.”
“….”
“Mm, hem…”
Wheel, with black hair tied back into a single tail, ignored him entirely, sitting silently.
The indifference felt like contempt. Cosmos, uncomfortable, cleared his throat again before finally sitting opposite him. At that moment, Wheel lifted his eyes from the coffee and fixed them on Cosmos.
Their gazes met, and Cosmos tensed all over. Wheel, by contrast, raised one corner of his mouth.
“Still afraid of my eyes, I see.”
“…I’m not here to make small talk.”
Cutting the conversation short, Cosmos slid a file across the table.
While Wheel picked it up, Cosmos bit his lips, already parched, before speaking again.
“…I know you’re here only for inspection, but I’d like to ask one more thing of you.”
“I’ll decide once I’ve heard it.”
“There’s a carefree, foolish child here on this island… but she happens to be the daughter of the southern lord. I hear she’s planning to go to the temple tomorrow.”
“To prevent that, haven’t you already forbidden temple access for tourists?”
“She means to sneak in regardless. If she were to find anything suspicious, it would be disastrous. So destroy any documents just in case.”
Tapping the table lightly with his fingers, Wheel seemed to still be weighing it. Cosmos couldn’t understand why.
This was clearly a matter of utmost importance to the Central Office—surely they had to agree.
“All the critical records are already locked away in my vault, so no worries there.”
“….”
“Would this be sufficient as extra pay?”
“…Barely.”
At last, a clear answer. Cosmos breathed in relief.
Wheel gathered what he needed and vanished into the shadows.
Only after his presence had completely faded did Cosmos undo a few suffocating shirt buttons and exhale heavily.
Those eyes—dark red, eerie, as if burdened with the souls of countless slaughtered lives—always made his spine crawl.
And fittingly, his very name meant “sword.”
Cosmos prayed he would never have to face him again. He’d write to Central and beg them not to send that man here anymore…
Before the day ended, Sophia happened to encounter a servant carrying a stack of letters down the corridor.
Letters…
At that sight, one particular face came to mind, making her hesitate for a moment before she clenched and unclenched her fists.
“I wonder if I have any paper.”
Back in her room, she sat down to write—but quickly ran into a problem. With this method of sending letters, she couldn’t write much.
She had to keep it as short as possible. Yet there was so much she wanted to say.
After all, this letter was for Rune.
“Mm…”
She wanted to tell him everything—what she had experienced here, how she felt—and hear his thoughts. But that wasn’t possible.
So what should she write?
After much thought, she finally moved her pen, tapping the blank sheet before scribbling. She wrote a short sentence that carried the most meaning and emotion possible, and signed her name.
Rolling the small paper up, Sophia went to Peyton’s room.
“Peyton.”
She knocked, and soon Peyton opened the door, his sunset-colored eyes filled with curiosity.
“What’s up?”
“That carrier pigeon I saw before—do you still have it?”
“Oh, sure! I even sent a letter to Bled with it a few days ago… Look.”
Chattering, Peyton let her inside and pointed to the windowsill. There, the same bird from before sat quietly.
“She won’t leave me, guess she likes me too much—”
“I want to send a letter. She’s smart, right? Will it work?”
“Smart? Don’t insult her… Anyway, who do you want to send it to?”
“…Rosente Castle.”
“To whom—ah.”
Peyton’s lips curled into a mischievous smile.
“I see. That kid is there, isn’t he?”
“….”
“How sweet! The first blossoms of youth always carry the sweetest fragrance, don’t they?”
He was openly teasing her.
It wasn’t like she had feelings like that… but seeing how much fun he was having, Sophia decided to let him.
Brightly, Peyton continued:
“This bird knows where the castle is, so don’t worry. All you need to do is think about the person you’re sending it to, and where they’ll likely be.”
“…Alright.”
“Then let’s try calling her by name.”
“Name?”
“Yeah. Sylvia Barnett.”
He pointed at the bird as he said it.
Sylvia Barnett… A strange name for a bird, somehow.
“Does she even respond if you call—”
“Sylvia Barnett. Come here.”
Ignoring Sophia’s words, Peyton called, and sure enough, the lovely bird, which had been watching Sophia with bright eyes, spread its wings.
It fluttered gently and perched on Sophia’s arm.
“…Not just a bird, is she…”
“What next?”
“Uh… Just do what I said earlier.”
Though still puzzled by Peyton’s odd behavior, Sophia tucked the letter into the tube on the bird’s leg. Then she closed her eyes and thought of Rune—Rune in the garden—before releasing the bird out the window.
As it flew farther and farther until it vanished from sight, Peyton’s voice, now strangely different, echoed in her ears.
“…So you really did inherit that person’s blood.”
“That person? Oh, you mean my mother?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
She was about to ask what he meant when Peyton suddenly scooped her up.
“Now, little one, it’s bedtime!”
“Wait, what—!”
Before she could protest, Sophia was tossed out of the room.
“What on earth…”
And his expression—it hadn’t been good.
