Spinoza cast a sidelong glance at Kiriko as they walked the halls back to the interrogation room. “For heaven’s sake, Kiriko, try not to have another outburst.”
“I’m sorry…”
“You guys have caused me plenty of problems since forever ago. Let me relax for a bit, will ya?” Contrary to his words, Spinoza had a pleased smile on his face.
Kiriko knew Spinoza didn’t mean anything special by saying “you guys.” It was just an old habit he hadn’t kicked. It just went to show how often the three of them had been together—Kiriko, Ouka, and Alita, that is.
Perhaps there would have been another option available to them had they known the Church’s true colors back then.
“…I can’t believe the name ‘Traitor Grinzam’ is still a taboo for the elders to this day,” Kiriko spat, picturing the elders’ horrified faces.
“Of course it is. Grinzam’s revolt was a traumatic experience for those elders.”
“You would know, I suppose, since you were acquainted with former Torah Lord Grinzam.”
Kiriko had never met Grinzam, but Spinoza should have, since he worked for the Church during Grinzam’s time.
“That was a pretty long time ago,” Spinoza affirmed. “You guys joined the Church just after he left, but I’m sure he would’ve taught you many things, had you met.”
“What was former Torah Lord Grinzam like?”
“He’s spoken of like the Devil now, but he was a good man… You know, this is a good opportunity for me to tell you an old story.” Spinoza closed his eyes in nostalgia and began retelling the past. “Some ten-odd years ago, when I was still a novice Torah Officer, a prostitute from Chest Island came to the back of our Torah Church to leave her child there. She didn’t know who fathered the babe.”
Torah Church doctrine didn’t allow for abortions. Illegitimate children and other street children crowded Chest Island due to that policy. The lack of aid for single mothers or orphans was just one of the archipelago’s many problems.
“I’ve heard of such cases happening occasionally in the past… What happened with the child?”
“Grinzam happened to see her by chance. He stopped her. The prostitute refused to listen at first, saying, ‘When I imagine how this child will have to struggle to live in Chest Island’s slummiest of slums, I can only think it’d be far better if I left her here and disappeared.’ But she changed her mind after hearing about Grinzam’s upbringing.”
“His upbringing?”
“He had been abandoned behind this church building too. He was raised by the Church.”
“He was? I never knew that.”
“Raised and trained by the Church since birth, he was as genuine a Rabbi as one can be. Though, it wasn’t words of praise for the Church he had for the prostitute, but a warning. He told her, ‘I too was taken in by the Church, like one would a stray animal. They forced me to devote my entire life to researching some suspicious cubes. What I’ve lived is far from what I would call a life. But that child of yours should be able to choose their own path. Simply being the parent doesn’t give you the right to decide for the child.’”
“Interesting… So he was a man of wise words,” Kiriko approved. What he had told her were strict, yet tender words of advice. It was hard to imagine a Rabbi advising the same thing in the present state of the Church, which charged money for confessions and intoxicated the people with warped sermons.
“He was. The prostitute felt encouraged and made the hard decision to raise the child herself. She quit being a prostitute and escaped a life of misery and neglect with Grinzam’s support. She earnestly worked in the mines, and both mother and child lived happily ever after… That’s my story for you today. What did you think? Heartwarming, isn’t it?” Spinoza grinned. Kiriko smiled back at him and felt her heart sink.
“…Torah Lord, I deeply believe this Church has been growing more corrupt each passing year. The current elders care for nothing aside from regaining the military’s trust and funding. There’s no longer a scrap of dignity in them as the People of Love the Holy Scriptures refer to!”
Spinoza stopped walking. He turned an indecipherable gaze on her and quietly reminded, “But you know, Kiriko, we’re still Rabbi regardless. Even if the ones we obey aren’t. So, live by what you know is just. That’s the only thing you can do for our deceased brothers and sisters.”
Kiriko mulled over those words.
What I can do for Alita and the others is making sure that monster never sees the light of day again. That’s my mission in life.
“Torah Lord!” someone called out just as Kiriko steeled her resolve. Spinoza and Kiriko turned around. A young Rabbi ran toward them from the other end of the hallway.
“What’s wrong?” Spinoza asked.
“We have received the autopsy report on the corpse that washed ashore last night,” the Rabbi reported, handing Spinoza the paperwork. Spinoza’s whole demeanor changed once he read it over.
“Is this for real…?! Hey, Kiriko, it looks like we’ve had the wrong idea all along.”
Spinoza passed Kiriko the report. Reading it made her frown too. The report contained vital information regarding the incident that had occurred at the Academy three days ago. The autopsy results threw one of their approaches to the investigation for a loop.
“What do you want to do about this?” Spinoza whispered to the speechless Kiriko. “Would you prefer to let someone else take care of it, so you can finish questioning Lovel first?”
“…No. Judging by what we saw at the scene of the crime, the perpetrator is dangerous beyond initial expectations. I will go.”
“Wasn’t your Golem destroyed?”
“I will use my trump card. Give me permission to use Legion.”
“Very well,” Spinoza permitted with a heavy heart. “You may use Legion.”
Kiriko straightened her vestments and walked away.