“Aaah, I knew Lord Ehit hadn’t abandoned us!”
“Yes, that’s right, Licoris! We are part of the prestigious Barn family, after all!”
Licoris and Debra were there as well, crying tears of joy as they watched the airships and apostleified knights destroy the Dragon Kingdom. Their reaction was the expected one from citizens of the theocracy.
“Brother...no, forget it. It’s nothing.”
Seeing Selm’s hesitation reassured Kaime a little. It was heartening to know that he wasn’t the only one feeling conflicted about the arrival of the church.
“Fear not, you two. This is the appointed meeting place. They’ll be coming for you soon,” a young dragonman said to Kaime with a smile.
“You’ll be back with the church in no time,” another said to Selm with an identical smile.
The two dragonmen seemed to think Kaime and Selm were worried they’d be attacked before the church reached them. Their smiles were surprisingly light considering they’d just killed all of the guards that had been assigned to watch over the Barn family. Those guards had really just been guards in name and had spent more time looking after the family rather than keeping an eye on them, so those careless smiles irked Kaime and Selm.
“You sure look cheerful for someone who just killed your own comrades,” Kaime said, causing the dragonmen’s smiles to fade a little, though not much.
“It’s unfortunate, but this was a necessary sacrifice for the greater good.”
“Returning you two to the church will prove our devotion to Ehit and earn us a place in his ranks.”
“My! I thought you were all evil monsters, but it seems the grace of Lord Ehit has reformed you,” Licoris said with a smile.
“That’s right. From now on, I swear we will serve as the theocracy’s protectors as divine dragons.”
“How wonderful!”
Kaime and Selm looked sickened as they listened to the conversation between the dragonmen and their mother.
Some time back, the dragonmen guards that had been killed had started opening up to Kaime and Selm. They’d started telling the brothers about life in the Dragon Kingdom, and Kaime and Selm had even started looking forward to eating meals with them. Eventually, Kaime and Selm had become intrigued by the dragonmen’s way of life and their vast repository of knowledge. No matter how much Kaime and Selm had insulted the dragonmen at the beginning, their guards had never gotten angry. Not only that, they’d never even tried to force their viewpoints onto Kaime and Selm.
“You should spend some time talking to the dragonmen. Then you’ll learn what true virtue is all about.”
That was something Laus had said to them before he’d left.
“Where’s the virtue in this?” Kaime muttered quietly, prompting the young dragonmen to turn questioningly to him. He ignored them, though. He couldn’t bear looking at such lowly creatures.
“I see you’re all safe,” a familiar female voice said to Kaime.
“Division Captain Lelei Argeson?” Kaime asked, turning around in surprise.
The reason his tone was questioning was because while she looked like the Lelei he knew, she had a totally different demeanor. Furthermore, she was no longer wearing the Holy Templar Knights’ uniform and was carrying a spear rather than her bow.
“Watch your tone. You stand before the new pope.”
“Ah,” Kaime and Selm both said in surprise. They had heard the news that the old pope had died, and Darrion Kaus had been appointed the new pope. However, this wasn’t Darrion Kaus, which was why they were confused.
“The Barn family doesn’t have a monopoly on spirit magic,” Darrion said simply, which was enough of an explanation for Kaime and Selm. They immediately understood what had happened to Lelei’s body, and what Darrion Kaus’s true ability was.
A shiver of fear ran down their spines and Kaime hesitantly asked, “Wh-What happened to Lelei?”
“Does it matter?”
Kaime fell silent upon hearing that. Licoris, Debra, and the two dragonmen knelt upon realizing they were standing before the leader of the new world order.
“The church is extremely shorthanded right now, so I shall grant you the opportunity to erase your failure and the shame of getting kidnapped. Slaughter the heretics left within the city.”
Darrion swung down with his spear, cutting through the bracelets that suppressed Kaime and Selm’s apostleification. He also handed them a replica Holy Sword and Divine Staff. Kaime and Selm stared blankly down at the weapons in their hands.
This is a good thing. Lord Ehit didn’t abandon us, and he’s even given us a chance to clear our names. We should be happy about this.
And yet, Kaime couldn’t bring himself to rejoice. Feeling conflicted, he nevertheless started following Darrion. But before he could go more than a few steps, a voice called out to him.
“Nii-san.”
Looking up in shock, he saw a panting Sharm. Sharm grimaced, worried he might not have made it in time.
How did you find us? Why did you come here? What are you thinking?
Kaime’s head was filled with questions, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words.
“Hmm, well, I guess this saves us some time,” Darrion said, grinning.
Sharm looked up at Lelei, confused. But after a second, realization dawned on him.
“Darrion Kaus?” he asked.
“Oh?” Darrion said, impressed that Sharm had seen through to his true essence so quickly.
Before Kaime or Selm could say anything, Licoris said in a shrill voice, “How dare you address Her Eminence so casually, you filthy traitor!”
Despite being Sharm’s mother, she looked at him like he was trash. A tinge of sadness came over Sharm’s expression, but his determination remained undaunted.
Debra was no kinder to Sharm either, saying, “Kaime, this is undoubtedly a chance granted to us by Lord Ehit! Slay that traitor and redeem the Barn family’s honor!”
Kaime stiffened up. Until just recently, he would have gladly done just as Debra asked. He wouldn’t even have hesitated as he cut Sharm in half. And yet, now he was conflicted.
I can do it! I have to! The pope is watching
His body wouldn’t listen to him, almost as if it had a mind of its own. Sharm was nothing more than a worthless pebble, and yet now that he was here, Kaime found himself thinking back to all the time they’d spent together in the Dragon Kingdom. No matter how rude Kaime had been, Sharm had shown up day after day to speak with him. The same brother Kaime had tried to kill had spoken to him with a smile on his face and called him Nii-san.
Sensing Kaime’s internal struggle, Selm frowned and said, “Your Eminence, why don’t we take him back with us and reeducate him?”
Darrion turned to Selm, looking at him as if he was nothing more than an insect. There was no need for words. Selm could tell that if he suggested anything like that again, Darrion would kill him.
Selm shrunk back, feeling as though Darrion had seen right through him. Licoris and Debra went pale, as if the world had just ended.
“Your Eminence, please have mercy! It’s that man, Laus Barn, who misled these two!” Licoris exclaimed.
“Kaime, Selm! Return to your senses!” Debra shouted. If anything, it was the two of them that looked like they’d taken leave of their senses.
“Kill Sharm Barn here. It is only right that a member of the Barn family cleans up the family’s mess,” Darrion said, making the order an explicit one from the pope.
Kaime squeezed his sword’s hilt so hard that it hurt as he glared at Sharm.
This would be so much easier if you would just see me as your enemy, and not your older brother. If you were just looking at me with hate like any other heretic, then...
“Nii-san, you can’t go back to the church. You’ll lose yourself completely this time,” Sharm said, his gaze clear and unwavering.
“Shut up! Kaime, hurry up and kill him! The pope gave you an order!” Licoris shouted.
“Please fight. For yourselves, more than anyone or anything else. You don’t have to worry about me. Just get mother and grandmother to safety,” Sharm stated flatly.
It was at that point that Licoris snapped. She drew one of the young dragonmen’s daggers from its scabbard and started running at Sharm.
“M-Mother?!” Kaime and Selm shouted. However, Licoris paid them no heed.
“If only I hadn’t given birth to you!”
“M-Mother, I—” Sharm stammered, shocked.
“Shut up, shut up, shut up! I’m not the mother of a heretiiiiiic!”