Chapter 113…………………………………….
The secret conversation between the Pope and Shebert.
Afterward, the Pope said he would give Holy Power to Ron.
“In the end…”
It happened just as Shebert had intended.
And he left first, heading to the Duke’s estate.
Leaving everything in his own reckless way.
“His Majesty will purify Ron. Since I have to prepare for the expedition, Anne, we’ll meet later at the estate.”
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
After Shebert left, the Pope immediately checked Ron’s condition and spoke.
“Malice is something every human possesses. Malice and virtue—they exist in balance within a human body.”
However, in Ron’s case, his malice was far too strong.
“For someone with strong malice, evil beings can easily cling to them. But humans can never be completely without malice. There are times when anger and rage are necessary in life.”
So, the Pope explained that he would purify part of it and infuse Holy Power into the rest, helping Ron control it himself and altering the flow of his malice.
“Anne.”
“Yes, Ron.”
Ron tilted his head toward me and asked in a small voice:
“Why did His Majesty suddenly decide to do this?”
He didn’t know about the Pope’s offer, so he would naturally be confused.
I recalled Shebert’s warning to keep it secret and calmly replied:
“…I guess His heart has changed.”
“Really?”
Ron’s clear eyes stared at me, and at that moment, the Pope held Ron steady.
“I am a busy man. Let us begin without delay.”
Ron lay down inside the small prayer room.
I watched the scene before me in a daze.
I desperately wanted Ron to be purified, but thinking of Shebert kept me from feeling purely happy.
Under the Pope’s touch, Ron fell into a deep sleep.
It felt different from when I had removed his malice with dark magic.
This was purifying malice with Holy Power.
“…Hoo, this cannot be done all at once. Let us meet again in a few days.”
Wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, the Pope left.
Ron would not wake for quite some time.
“Miss, why don’t you take a short rest? Or perhaps have a meal?”
Kauts, who had entered the prayer room, asked.
But I had no desire to eat. I just wanted to watch the situation before me.
“When will Ron wake up?”
Grüter examined Ron’s complexion and replied:
“It’s hard to say. The purification might still be ongoing inside his body, so you’ll need to wait patiently.”
Ron furrowed his brow, as if feeling some discomfort.
I gently patted the back of his hand and thought:
Should I tell him everything when he wakes up? That Shebert will soon leave?
If he knew… Ron might refuse the purification.
“Not yet. Not yet.”
For now, it seemed best to go to the Duke’s estate and consult with his father first.
When Shebert returned to the Duke’s estate, he revealed everything to his father.
The Duke gripped his sword in anger, ready to destroy the temple immediately.
But Shebert’s words made him stop.
“What will you do if you even kill the Pope?”
“…How audacious!”
The Duke spat more curses at the Pope, then collapsed into his seat.
“To think he dares mock the Carey family just because of some Holy Power!”
Shebert smiled at his ever-persistent father.
“You’re laughing at a time like this?”
The Duke, still seething with anger, spoke.
“There’s nothing I can do about it, Father.”
“So you truly intend to follow the Pope’s words?”
“Yes. I will go.”
“Shebert.”
“They say no one returns alive from Loudne. But, Father, you know very well that this does not apply to the Carey family.”
“Indeed, that’s true.”
The Duke thought of Loudne—a region with massive walls, beyond which demon beasts were entrenched.
He had been there before, of course, but the walls had been strong then, so he never had to purge the monsters himself.
“How badly is the wall damaged?”
“Not much yet. The soldiers there are holding the line.”
“To think I have to send you to such a place…”
Bang. The Duke slammed the table and ground out his words.
“The Pope—after he purifies Ron, I will not let this slide.”
“I fully agree with that. Anne even gave the golden statue, and yet he still made such a ridiculous offer.”
Shebert muttered darkly that the Pope apparently didn’t understand the concept of bargaining.
Then he spoke:
“But Anne revealed something amazing about this situation.”
“Anne?”
The Duke leaned in, intrigued, as Shebert recounted what Anne had said in the prayer room.
After hearing it, the Duke grinned wickedly, lifting the corners of his mouth.
“Heh, perfect. Absolutely perfect. Let’s look forward to the future.”
“Yes. I will depart as soon as preparations are complete.”
“Shebert.”
“Yes, Father.”
The Duke spoke quietly to Shebert:
“Still, before you leave, see Ron and Anne’s faces.”
“…Yes. I will.”
Two days later, Ron finally woke.
He looked healthier than ever.
“Ron!”
“How long have I been asleep?”
“Two days already.”
“Has it really been that long?”
“Yes. How does your body feel?”
Ron blinked at me, then smiled gently.
“Good. Really.”
“Better than when I removed your malice before?”
“…Well…”
“It’s okay to be honest. Your condition is what matters.”
Ron said that the effects of my dark magic had been good, and the Pope’s purification had also worked effectively.
“That’s a relief.”
“Really a relief, young master.”
As Kauts handed Ron a drink, her eyes reddened.
Grüter pulled a neatly folded handkerchief from his robe and gave it to her.
Ron’s eyes widened.
“Master, you carry a handkerchief too?”
“…Ah. Hmm.”
Ron had not yet realized that the two of them called each other “Fawn” and “Black Bear,” or that his master’s nickname was Fawn.
I felt sorry for Grüter’s red face and quickly changed the topic.
“The temple will see you again in a few days. His Majesty said that after about two more purification sessions, it should be complete. Then you’ll train to control your malice yourself.”
“That’s because Anne removed the malice inside me until now. Thank you, Anne. And I…”
Ron hesitated, then looked at me with concern.
“I’m glad you don’t have to struggle anymore. You’ve been sleeping so long because of all the mana you used on me.”
“Ron, I wasn’t troubled at all!”
I raised my voice unnecessarily.
“By the way, it’s a shame I won’t see the little lion cub anymore.”
“Yes. I wanted to see the cub again too.”
Kauts and Grüter looked dejected, as if the cub were their own child.
I, too, remembered the cute little creature. Since I no longer had to remove Ron’s malice, I wouldn’t see the cub again.
“I’d like to see it… but of course, Ron is more important than the cub.”
Seeing our disappointment, Ron gently extended his fists.
“You all want to see the lion cub like this, right?”
“…?”
“…?”
“…?”
Then Ron adorably rubbed his cheeks with his fists.
“I can do it too! Roar-huh!”
“…!”
“…!”
“Ahh!”
He was incredibly mischievous.
Kauts and Grüter froze at his cuteness, and I shouted in delight.
Do it often from now on, Ron.
He asked, brushing his flushed cheeks.
“By the way, where’s Shebert?”
“He went ahead to the estate… Ron, let’s go back there too.”
“Mm.”
As soon as we arrived at the Duke’s estate, Shebert secretly visited my room.
He warned me once again: never tell Ron about his trip to Loudne.
If Ron somehow found out later, it couldn’t be helped, but he wanted it kept secret as long as possible.
“Why go that far…”
“Because Ron is my brother.”
“….”
In the end, I surrendered to Shebert’s gaze.
The next day, the breakfast scene unfolded as usual.
Krimu’s cheerful laughter carried the warmth of the family. Shebert’s occasional teasing and brotherly pride made me laugh.
I could tell Shebert was exaggerating his jokes, probably to avoid Ron noticing.
After breakfast, in the study, the Duke spoke to me:
“Anne, I’ve been to Loudne before. So you needn’t worry too much.”
Seeing my concern for Shebert, he added:
“Your feelings for your fiancé, Shebert, are so pure—it almost makes me jealous. Maybe I should go instead?”
The Duke’s words cooled my sadness.
Still, I wanted to help, even a little. After much deliberation with Kauts, we decided to make magical bombs.
Throwing them at the monster horde should be effective.
Time was limited, so we couldn’t make many, but I wanted to do as much as I could to help Shebert.
