Still, I needed to press in further. I hadn’t technically gotten permission to reveal this information, but I decided to creatively interpret my orders—if Glasses had gone to the trouble of contacting me, this was probably why.
“One of the Seven High Cardinals has been killed.”
The Hero turned to look at me. “When?”
“About one week ago. The victim was Cardinal Chaucus.”
For a moment, I saw a shadow pass over the Hero’s face. “Ah... Him.”
“He was stabbed through the heart from behind, decapitated, and then nailed to the cathedral wall, I’m told.”
“I see,” he said slowly.
There was no mistaking it. Up until now, the Hero’s expression had been as placid as a windless sea, but now there were traces of something dark and muddied mixed in. There’d been plenty of people who’d hated that old creep, but what was the Hero’s connection to him? I couldn’t come up with anything. I wanted to keep digging, though. If my guess was wrong, I could always just pass it off as small talk.
“Sir Hero, were you raised in an orphanage, by any chance?”
His silence was all the answer I needed.
“I see. Your past is shrouded in a great deal of mystery; there are even some within the Church who speak of you as a saint sent to us by the Gods themselves. I suppose this is one question answered, at least.”
“How about you?” he asked. “The way you talk is pretty fancy. You secretly a noble heiress down on your luck or something?”
He’d deliberately changed the subject. There was something in his past that he absolutely didn’t want me touching. Personally, I didn’t like digging up those sorts of things, but for this job to go smoothly, I needed to know as much as possible about the guy I’d be killing.
“No, I...” I paused. “I’m an orphan as well. I took my vows at the age of ten; since then, I’ve served under His Eminence the Cardinal. The way I speak is... Well, I suppose you could call it a habit I acquired in order to get by in those circumstances.”
I gave him a friendly smile as I tilted my head in contemplation. My acting was perfect, if I do say so myself. I just needed to turn up the charm, and he’d let his guard down naturally...
“Makes sense. You’ve had it rough too, huh,” he said with a small hint of sympathy. He didn’t seem flustered in the slightest as he continued cleaning his equipment. I’d gotten a reaction, but there wasn’t anything I could use as leverage. Normally, any guy would get at least a little self-conscious alone in a room with a beautiful girl. It was almost as though he had no interest in women whatsoever.
Wait, does he prefer men...? No, there’s no way...
Or rather, I couldn’t say for sure. I couldn’t, but champions were all infamous womanizers. I’d heard prostitutes talk excitedly about unforgettable nights with tight, rugged bodies honed by battle... I hadn’t paid much attention, though, since it wasn’t anything a servant of the Gods needed to think about. What’s more, the “champion” in front of me now had a slim build and didn’t look especially muscle-bound. I cursed my own thoughtlessness, regardless—I should’ve listened closer to those women’s stories.
Anyway, fine! Time to change tactics!
“I’m truly sorry to make such an impertinent request of you. However, if I were to turn back now, I would be punished quite harshly for abandoning my duties...” How’s this, huh?!
Just as I was starting to lose my cool a bit, I saw the Hero’s shoulders twitch ever so slightly. Hmm.
“Please, just for a short while... Would you permit me to stand by your side?” I gave a pleading bow, hiding my inner feelings behind a well-trained poker face.
The Hero thought for a few moments, then let out a small sigh. I got the picture now—he seemed to be quite the chivalrous type.
“All right, fine. If you’re gonna get punished for not sticking with me, then do what you want. Just don’t get in the way of my work, okay?”
“Yes, sir!” I gave the purest, sweetest smile I could, but...
He’s not even looking at me! What the hell? Seriously, do I have that little sex appeal?!
His attention was focused on the blade of his short sword, freshly polished and wickedly sharp. As he held it up to the light to examine it before running it along his whetstone once again, the look in his clear eyes was determined and unwavering. He had no reason at all to pay attention to the pleas of a random stranger like me. Either he was just soft, or he was completely confident in his own abilities; it was too early for me to be sure which.
“Anyway, how about you head back to the church for today? It’s pretty rough out there after dark. If a cute girl like you goes out walking alone, you’re gonna get jumped by way worse guys than the ones downstairs.”
“Thank you, I appreciate your warning.”
It was true that as a bride, I was expected to sleep by the Gods’ side. But at this rate, I’d never make any progress on my mission.
“I think I should stay here for the night. If anything were to happen to you on the very day we met, I would never forgive myself,” I said. “Should I make arrangements with the innkeeper downstairs?”
The Hero gave an awkward laugh as he sheathed his sword. “The boss can be pretty tough to talk to.”
“He seems quite kindhearted and friendly in comparison to you, Sir Hero.”
I’d said it as a joke, but the Hero’s eyes widened in shock. For a moment, his mouth hung open silently. Then, he suddenly cracked up.
“Damn, you’re pushier than you look, huh?” he laughed. “All right, got it. I think the room next door’s open, so just let the boss know? Tell him I said I’m fine with it.”
“Thank you, sir.”
I set down the cardinal’s letter on the table. It was important to know when to make an exit; I could always come up with a reason to visit again. First, though—
“Before I go, would you allow me to offer a short prayer?”
—I needed to make sure I had a pin on him.
“I’m not hurt anywhere, though.”
He turned to show me that all the blood covering him was from his enemies, but I knelt next to him anyway, clasping my hands in front of my chest.
“This is a custom of my faith. Could I ask you to bear with me?”
I wasn’t sure how much I was fooling him, but I gave my brightest smile as I played the devoted bride. It seemed like he couldn’t bring himself to say no to me performing my service to the Gods; with an awkward smile, he agreed to let me pray. Maybe he was more of a pushover than I’d thought.
In any case, keeping my feelings from showing on my face, I began diligently reciting my prayer. Through my closed eyes, I could tell the Hero was staring at me as I prayed.
The individual words held no lie, but together, they created an elaborate show designed to inspire faith in the Gods. With each word I spoke, a small speck of light appeared in the room, drifting gently through the air. Then, in the middle of my prayer, I slipped in a few special words.
“—and may the gaze of the Gods be upon him...”
As I wrapped up the prayer and unclasped my fingers, the motes of light shone a little brighter and softly floated down onto the two of us. From the outside, it must have looked like a sacred and mystical moment—a champion receiving the blessings of the Gods.
“Amen,” I concluded.