༺ Confrontation (3) ༻
To conclude, what Aisha and Renee wanted didn’t happen.
After all, the 25-year-old Vera was different from the Vera who had just grown up. He didn’t give in so easily.
– Teach me swordsma—
– Scram.
– Then the mindset when fight—
– So noisy.
– How are you feeling right—
– Well, I want to rip off your mouth for now. Either that or gouge out your eyes. Why? Do you want me to make you blind like the person beside you?
It was something worthy of being called the perfect defense.
After searching for a breakthrough for a long time, Aisha couldn’t find a way in the end and left sullenly, leaving Vera, Renee, and Jenny, who was frozen and didn’t know what to do, behind.
Vera squinted his eyes at Jenny who stayed in her seat despite Aisha having left and asked.
“…Why aren’t you leaving?”
Jenny hiccuped and made a tearful face.
Vera’s face was too frightening for her to answer that she had missed the timing to leave.
She unconsciously moved her butt closer to Renee, then her hand reached out to wrap around Renee’s arms in fear.
Vera’s face crumpled even more ominously as he watched the process unfold.
‘What…’
What the hell was Renee trying to do by dragging such a little kid to the Cradle? It was something Vera could never understand.
As he continued to think, Vera shook his head to erase his thoughts.
‘…No, that’s none of my business.’
Whatever the Saint was doing was none of his business, and there was no point in worrying about it.
With that conclusion, Vera stood up from his seat and spoke to Renee.
“If there is nothing left to do, I will head back.”
“What?”
“…I am heading back to the lodging.”
When Vera said that because she didn’t seem to want to release him immediately, Renee nodded as if bewitched.
It was only after Vera left the room that Jenny relaxed. At her fidgety movements, Renee laughed and spoke.
“Is Vera that scary?”
Jenny’s cheeks turned red. Her head nodded very slightly.
“…Yes.”
“Why?”
“…”
Jenny glanced at Renee and chose her words.
She pondered if it was right to tell about this matter to Renee, who seemed to be on good terms with Vera.
Her worries lasted for a long time.
After thinking about how grateful she was to Renee for waiting in silence while she was still thinking, Jenny opened her mouth.
“…Grudges follow him.”
“Huh?”
“A lot of grudges follow him around.”
Renee tilted her head.
Jenny realized that her explanation was not enough and added more details.
“My power… I can see grudges… they look like black clouds. But, there are so many of them behind that uncle.”
“Ah.”
Renee’s mouth opened slightly. It was a reaction that came out because of admiration for Jenny’s power.
‘Is such a thing possible?’
It was a very versatile power as Vera said.
“Uh. Sister, be careful, too…”
Meanwhile, Renee began to feel troubled at Jenny’s following words.
Wasn’t it the case? For Renee, who had to convince and bring Jenny, it was very troublesome that Jenny was afraid of Vera, with whom she would soon have to travel with.
‘It seems she was referring to the grudges Vera accumulated before time rewinded.’
The deep grudges Jenny saw must be related to that.
First of all, Vera didn’t commit anything serious in this life that could be called murder, and it was a fact already proven by Vera and Vargo that his power was not affected by the regression.
‘His Holiness also said that he had seen through Vera’s slaughter before the regression.’
Recalling what Vera had told her in the past, Renee connected the dots and came to a conclusion.
“He’s not a bad person.”
“…Huh?”
“In the past… Yeah, he was kind of like that. However, the current Vera isn’t someone who hurts others for no reason.”
Renee stroked Jenny’s hand, which overlapped her own, and spoke in a low voice.
“The current Vera thinks countless times every time he swings his sword. What is the purpose of swinging the sword now? Why do I wield this sword? And is there anything I can protect by drawing this sword?”
She let out a few words about the things that only she, who was closest to him, knew.
“That’s why he thinks and thinks again. Only when he has made up his mind does he raise his sword.”
Her words continued for a bit longer.
At that, Jenny answered while shaking her head.
“…Still, those who were killed are sad.”
For Jenny, who had lived with the dead entire life as their family, Renee’s words were the kind she could not relate to.
“They don’t care what the person who killed them thinks.”
Jenny’s voice was surprisingly firm. It was a voice that wasn’t hesitant or unclear, and Renee was slightly surprised by it.
“…Killing is bad.”
It was a very fundamental statement.
At that moment, Renee felt that she understood a little bit of why Jenny had received the Stigma of Death.
This girl had what it takes most to become the owner of the ability to communicate with the dead.
A small smile appeared on Renee’s lips.
“Yes, you’re right. The murderer’s feelings are not important to those who were killed.”
“Uncle is a bad person…”
Twitch twitch.
Jenny’s fingertips trembled.
Renee clutched them and continued her thoughts.
‘This isn’t good…’
What should she say?
She would like to say that Vera was not a bad person, but there was no way Renee could explain that to this girl.
And rightfully so. Explaining it to Jenny would require a lot of evidence, wouldn’t it?
Whether about the necessary reason for murder, the standard for dividing good and evil, or beyond that, like why people live by going against each other, and other things.
None of the numerous sages throughout history had offered a definitive answer to those questions. To find a solution, one would need to unravel the mysteries that had eluded all of them.
The basic question seemed simple yet complex, and no matter how the clumsy Renee thought about it, she could not answer it.
So, Renee just said what she knew.
“There’s a saying I really like.”
“Saying?”
“A saying that ‘You never know’. We never know what will happen in the future, so we’ll have to wait and see.”
They were words that became a milestone for her to move forward.
Renee turned her head in the direction of Jenny’s voice and continued with a small smile.
“Even if Vera was a bad person in the past, we don’t know what he will become in the future. No, I want to believe that he will become a good person. That’s why I think we should wait and see.”
“…What if he ends up being a bad person?”
“He won’t.”
“Why?”
“Because I like Vera very much, and Vera likes me too.”
“Can that be the reason?”
“Yes, of course.”
Just as she was about to open her lips, Renee’s face suddenly flushed bright red.
She automatically felt that the words she was about to say were really embarrassing.
But there was no choice but to say it, so Renee swallowed her shame and continued.
“…When you start to love someone, you want to become someone who suits them. You unconsciously make an effort to be better. You strive to become a better person. That’s how we become people who are right for each other.”
Wasn’t that the case with her? Because she wanted to be someone suitable for Vera, she didn’t want to fall behind alone, so she stopped just sitting around.
She comforted herself that her despair was nothing. That made her want to see many more things.
That’s what love was for Renee.
“At least, that’s the case for me. So, I think Vera will definitely change because he’s a sincere person.”
Jenny stared blankly at Renee.
‘So pretty…’
The way Renee talked about love while her face was slightly flushed was so beautiful. The thought came to Jenny that Renee looked like she was glowing, and she couldn’t help but stare at her in a daze.
“Love…”
She wondered if that word caused this kind of magic.
Just what in the world was that word to make someone shine like this?
Jenny asked, curiosity beginning to push through the cracks in her heart and taking over.
“But what if he becomes a bad person?”
“I won’t let him. Shouldn’t I stop him?”
“What if he asks you to become a bad person together?”
“I’ll scold him.”
Renee gave a very simple answer while giggling, and Jenny continued to ask.
“What if he likes someone else?”
“Which bitch dares… No, nevermind.”
A shadow crossed Renee’s face for a moment, then disappeared.
“…Hm, then I should become such a cool person that he can’t take his eyes off me.”
Renee didn’t bother to say that there was a physical means to get rid of that person.
Since this was a place to preach the beauty of love, she thought there was no need to show the warlike side of love.
Fortunately, as if this attempt had worked, Jenny looked at Renee with longing eyes and opened her mouth with an ‘eh’.
It was still a long way before Jenny knew what Renee’s love looked like.
***
In a daze, Vera followed his wandering gaze and watched the scene unfold.
Inside a large room adorned with all sorts of lavish decorations, the somber scenery outside the window stood in stark contrast.
He knew in an instant.
‘…A dream, huh.’
This was inside a dream, the palace in the slums where he had lived before his regression.
There was no question about why he was having this dream.
He had experienced such dreams before.
This was the process of recalling the memory of that moment as the spell came to a close.
His fixed gaze outside the window shifted, his mouth opening involuntarily.
“So, what brings you here?”
At the end of his gaze were two figures wrapped tightly in robes.
“…Saint.”
Between the two, the figure standing behind the sofa shivered.
The figure sitting on the sofa laughed lightly and took off her hood.
Her snow-white hair cascaded down, and her unfocused eyes were beautifully curved, staring into the air.
“Oops. I tried hard to hide, but it looks like I was found out.”
It was past Renee.
Again, his mouth opened on its own and fired sharp words at her.
“I asked you what your purpose was.”
“Ah, you want to get straight to the point?”
“…Stop bothering me unless you want to die here without a trace.”
“You’re saying things you don’t even mean.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Are you afraid of me?”
He clenched his hands. That, too, was something his body did on its own.
“Bullshit…”
“Who would have known that the Apostle of Oath would be in a place like this?”
“…”
There was a silence, followed by a sigh, and then a voice.
It was a familiar voice.
“…Saint.”
The face that was revealed as the figure took off the hood was one Vera knew well.
‘Rohan?’
It was the Apostle of Guidance, Rohan.
What floated on his face was an expression of irritation that was uncharacteristic of him.
“Should such a guy be called an Apostle? The title ‘Stigma Thief’ would be more appropriate.”
It was a tone that revealed a blatant vigilance.
Meanwhile, Vera’s mouth opened once again.
“…So you came despite knowing that.”
“Are you surprised? Ah, don’t be too nervous. I haven’t told the truth to the Holy Kingdom yet.”
“Does that mean that the Holy Kingdom won’t know even if I kill the both of you here?”
“I know you won’t do that. I believe that you are a merciful person.”
“Well, I could consider showing as much mercy as to only slit your mouths. Ah, it would be inconvenient to have your mouth as dysfunctional as your eyes. The guy in the back… To my regret. I don’t like your attitude, so I have to kill you.”
The moment his foot took a step forward, Renee spoke again.
“I am here to make a deal.”
He stopped walking.
His facial muscles were tense.
“A deal?”
“It won’t be bad news.”
Renee smiled heartily.
What followed were words spoken leisurely as if she were the owner of this place.
“Well then, would you care to take a seat?”
