The Monster Lady and the Holy Knight - Chapter 37

“The Imperial Family? So you’ve already found yourself a new master?”

Philip retorted, his voice dripping with disdain. Leon merely smiled in response.

The power in Kart wasn’t limited to the Holy See alone. After swallowing the once-independent Kart, the Emperor had moved the capital to this land. To Leon, who needed as many soldiers as possible, the Imperial forces were a desirable asset.

It would have been easier if Mecklenburg were still around. Fortunately, Leon’s own reputation still held enough sway to catch the interest of the imperial family. He had spent the night persuading the young princes and in the morning had an audience with the elderly Emperor. While it seemed they didn’t fully trust everything Leon said, they still agreed to muster knights sworn to the Imperial Family.

He had sparred with them like a warhound from early morning. The Emperor wanted to confirm if Leon was stronger than his own hounds. If Mecklenburg had seen this, he would have considered it a disgrace to the Holy See, but Leon had no honor left to lose anyway. It was better than sitting still, waiting for the commander’s return. Besides, the Imperial name was useful in avoiding annoying situations like this.

Philip narrowed his eyes, glaring at Leon, who had deliberately mentioned the Imperial Family. Still holding his gaze on Leon, Philip gave a low command, “Take the executioner to the second end room. Execute the fool who let a condemned prisoner escape, and behead him.”

Leon watched as a dull look of fear spread across the massive, rugged executioner’s face. The orderly soldiers came in with their spears, herding the shouting executioner out of the room like cattle.

Leon felt no pity, nor did he find satisfaction in retribution. He was too tired for anything else to move him. Perhaps the only other emotion he’d felt since hearing about the woman was the unsettling feeling within his chest.

It’s just a dark river. A wavering abyss. Light hidden beneath the water.

“This won’t be overlooked. Don’t forget, the Holy See is watching. If your wrongdoing is discovered, you’ll have to surrender the holy sword.”

Philip gave this final warning before storming out of the room, his white cape billowing behind him.

The holy sword chose its wielder. It was essentially a death threat towards Leon. Instead of reacting with hostility, Leon stepped forward with a detached expression.

His gaze only lingered for a moment when he spotted Oscar Berg at the end of the hallway. It was so fleeting that even Oscar himself, let alone the many eyes watching Leon, didn’t notice it.

The woman was safe. Alive. That was enough. Whoever she chose to cling to, whoever she kissed, whoever’s embrace she sought comfort in—he didn’t care. When the vision was needed again, he would find Oscar.

She had been a bothersome woman from the beginning. Better that it had ended this way. At least, that’s how he rationalized it.

And then, when he returned to the inn and saw the barefooted woman crouching in front of his door, he forgot it all.

***

The footsteps stopped. Veronica lifted her head from her knees. When she saw the familiar face past the unfamiliar gray armor, the joy she felt was as great as the pain she had endured until now. She had been so anxious, worried she might not meet him even after coming all this way.

Veronica had snuck out of Hannah’s house while Hannah was napping. She hadn’t even bothered to find shoes or an outer coat, worried that even the slightest noise might wake her.

Thankfully, the people on the street had been kind enough to tell her which inn to look for, and the innkeeper was too terrified of Leon to question her when she claimed to be part of his group. Everything seemed to work out miraculously.

However, her initial excitement faded quickly when she stood up. The expression on Leon’s face was so unfamiliar, it made her hesitate.

“Why are you…”

Looking at me like that?

She couldn’t finish her sentence.

After a quick glance at the stairs behind her, Leon strode forward and pulled her into his arms forcefully. Veronica let out a muffled groan as his rough hands wrapped around her back and shoulders. Her wounds were severe enough to bleed whenever the bandages were changed, and her body was weaker than ever.

When she let out a small sound, Leon clamped a hand over her mouth and used the other to unlock the door, pushing her into the room. Only after she stumbled inside did she manage to speak.

“It hurts.”

“Good. At least it means your senses are normal.”

Leon let go of her mouth as soon as the door slammed shut behind them, his voice low. He didn’t release her from his embrace. They were standing so close that they could have whispered to each other.

“I didn’t realize you were this reckless. Didn’t you leave on your own two feet? Even a mere rat knows to hide its head for a day after crawling underground.”

“I’m fine. I was careful on my way here, and there aren’t any other knights around anyway.”

“What a nuisance.”

Her heart sank. Leon hadn’t raised his voice, nor did he sound sarcastic.

He ran his hand roughly through his tousled hair and lowered his gaze.

“Thirsty? Then go and take a bite out of the naive knight I sent to you. That’s what he’s there for.”

The hand cupping her cheek was cold, still gloved in metal. As cold as his eyes.

Veronica’s lips parted slightly. “I came because I had something to tell you. You need my vision.”

She said this not just to him, but also to herself, to keep from losing courage. She couldn’t understand why Leon’s attitude had changed so drastically in just a few days. Her anxious lips hoped that if she could prove her worth, Leon would smile at her again. Be kind to her. Say he needed her again.

So she blurted it out.

“Your father is dead.”

It was a mistake she would regret forever.

A heavy silence descended upon the small room. Time seemed to stop. The air grew so cold it felt as if it might freeze. Finally, Leon spoke.

“…What?”

She had never seen an expression like that before.

Leon’s grip on her face tightened, and Veronica winced. His long, handsome mouth twisted slowly.

“Who’s dead?”

The hairs on her neck stood on end. It was just like when they first met. He looked down at her with cruel eyes, the same eyes as when he had stripped away her wings of freedom.

Your father. Ah, Veronica finally realized her mistake. Leon didn’t know she had met the Knight Commander. And their relationship was only her assumption at this point. She had to explain her rash words.

“That is, well… While you were gone, I met with the Knight Commander. Ugh, and… no one told me, but I thought he looked like you. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say it like that. I just… I thought you’d throw me out if I didn’t say something.”

“You saw Mecklenburg die?”

Leon cut off her rambling. Veronica tried to nod, despite his grip on her face. An unbearable silence stretched between them. Beneath his disheveled hair, Leon’s eyes held a fierce ripple. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it.

She couldn’t read anything from his increasingly expressionless face, even as she searched it desperately. It was a deep abyss. She couldn’t save the boy drowning in that river. Veronica cursed herself for saying anything out of desperation.

At last, Leon let go of her face without a word. He walked further into the room, removing his sword as he spoke, “Explain everything that happened after I left. All of it.”

As he unfastened the clasps of his armor, the long cloak fell to the floor, followed by the chestplate. Veronica stood there in a daze, watching him remove his gear piece by piece.

She felt lost, like she was stranded in an endless sea.

“Everything… all of it?”

The first thing that came to mind was the image of Mecklenburg strangling her. Remembering the moment she was choked, her right hand clenched tightly.

Leon glanced at her as she stared at her hand, her knuckles white as she squeezed her fist until it hurt. She quickly hid her hand behind her back and began to speak.

“Not long after you left, His Holiness and the Knight Commander came to see me. They told me about what happens to assimilators.”

“The people who saw the beheaded statue twenty years ago.”

“…You knew?”

“What else?”

Leon ignored her question and prompted her to continue. Veronica had no choice but to comply.

“They said they were curious why the Bahamut created assimilators. They said I was the first assimilator they’d seen alive and able to communicate. Then the Knight Commander came and took away my holy power, and I lost consciousness. But I’ve heard that I made a prophecy during that time.”

Leon paused his actions and looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

“The small sword will be taken, and Kart will fall. Many will die, abandoned by God. The age of prophecy ended twenty years ago, but the Knight Commander said it was undoubtedly a prophecy.”

Leon remained silent for a moment, as if finally understanding.

“So that prophecy is why he went to Blasen himself.”

“Yes. It’s all my fault. The prophecy I made drove him to his death… I even asked him if he wouldn’t go to save you.”

She didn’t mention that in her vision, she had hoped the Bahamut would move toward Mecklenburg. Perhaps that had been nothing but her imagination.

Leon let out a low laugh. Veronica looked up at him, bewildered. Now dressed in a long-sleeved black tunic, Leon covered his weary eyes and spoke slowly.

“So Mecklenburg heard your words and came to save me in Blasen?”

“…That’s what I think, at least.”

“You’ve been bothering me for a while now. Who do you think you are?”