The Monster Lady and the Holy Knight - Chapter 95

‘Do you want to run away?’

Half-asleep, she thought she heard those words.

The voice was so quiet that it felt like if she just answered ‘yes,’ he would really take her anywhere—to the depths of the deep blue sea or beyond the crescent moon in the night sky. That was why Veronica was convinced it was a dream.

We are not the kind of people who can run away and live happily. If we reached the very edge of the world with nowhere else to go, we would end up holding hands and leaping off the cliff together.

Ah, how powerless human free will is in the face of conviction.

***

It had only been two days. That was the extent of her freedom from the church’s summons.

“Oscar?”

As Veronica stepped out of the tent, she followed the feet waiting ahead of her and widened her eyes in surprise.

“How long has it been? Have you been well? You’re not hurt anywhere, right? What about Hannah?”

Seeing Oscar visiting the barracks early in the morning, Veronica bombarded him with a rapid string of questions. Oscar smiled awkwardly before answering them one by one.

“I’ve been well and unscathed. As for Miss Hannah, I’ve made special arrangements with a noble family she is acquainted with, so she should be safe. More importantly, I’m relieved to see that you look well.”

“Well, there’s no reason I wouldn’t be.”

“I heard you were seriously injured, to the point your life was in danger. I was quite worried, especially since I wasn’t able to see you last time I came.”

“Injured? Who, me?”

Confused, Veronica pointed to herself. Oscar nodded. After staring blankly for a moment, she suddenly remembered her agreement with Philip and let out a sigh of realization.

Of course. That was the excuse they had come up with to prevent her from meeting the pope. Apparently, to avoid him, one had to be on the brink of death.

“Ah… Well, I’ve recovered a lot. Maybe thanks to the holy relic from the church.”

She idly touched the necklace around her neck while giving a vague response. Today, for some reason, she felt particularly good. She had slept soundly for the first time in a while.

Oscar’s expression noticeably hardened when he saw the Croix. Finding his reaction strange, Veronica absentmindedly scratched the back of her neck—only to suddenly recall the traces left there from the previous night. Her face flushed. That was when Leon stepped out of the tent. Turning around, Veronica’s eyes widened in shock at the sight of him dressed in light armor.

“You’re not planning to go out already, are you? Your fever flared up again at dawn. Just rest a little longer.”

“A mild fever is nothing. I’m not heading into battle, just standing watch.”

“Still—”

“The Bahamut have begun opening their eyes. The militia is no longer of any use. More importantly, why are you here?”

Leon tucked her long hair behind her ear and glanced at Oscar. His touch naturally swept over the marks from the previous night, making Veronica’s shoulders flinch involuntarily.

“…It’s been a while. I had heard you were gravely ill, but seeing you recovered brings me indescribable relief.”

“Ah, yes. It’s truly a miracle granted by God. So, what’s your business?”

“My business is with Miss Schwarzwald.”

It was a polite and straightforward conversation, yet the atmosphere between the two men was subtly sharp, almost tangible.

Veronica looked up at Leon in confusion. Was he still bothered by her saying she liked Oscar? He must have realized by now that it had just been an impulsive outburst.

“His Holiness has ordered that Miss Schwarzwald be brought to him.”

“Do you even know why he’s calling her?”

“I’m afraid I’m not cold-hearted enough to question my father’s intentions. I have not been cast aside yet, after all.”

Surprisingly, it was Oscar who first wielded a sharp tongue. Leon, who had been expressionless, curled his lips in amusement.

“Well, I doubt you’ll ever have to worry about being discarded. After all, since the disaster struck, he’s kept you close at all times. No way he’d throw away a son who never left his side.”

Leon’s words left Veronica genuinely shocked.

He stayed by the pope’s side the whole time after the landslide? That meant he hadn’t taken part in any battles at the wall or the fortress.

Oscar, seemingly ashamed of having remained in safety, flushed red under her gaze. Veronica instinctively sensed that a careless word from her could lead to an irreversible mistake. She quickly intervened for Oscar’s sake.

“Leon, that’s enough. The pope’s summons were already expected, and I was planning to go anyway.”

She tugged on his cloak and whispered. As she looked up at him, his deep gaze softened with worry, making her feel strangely warm inside.

“It’ll be fine. You already know all the reckless things I’ve done. I sent that letter without permission and used the power of a holy relic. It’s only natural that I fulfill my obligations.”

Veronica added gently, “It’s the same as you forcing yourself to climb the wall while you’re still recovering. I’ll be back soon.”

She playfully extended her pinky, and Leon’s sharp eyes softened slightly. Seeing his hesitant expression, she took his hand and hooked her finger around his. Even though it was such a childish gesture, Leon quietly went along with it.

In the Rom Archipelago, people believed that the pinky was connected to the soul. In other words, this was a promise binding their souls together.

“I don’t care about anything else. Just promise me you won’t get hurt.”

Leon spoke in a low voice, as if, had she refused, he would steal her away and run.

Thinking he was being foolish, Veronica easily replied, “I promise.”

***

To conclude, Leon had been wise.

From the very beginning, the promise of ‘coming back soon’ was something that could never be kept.

From the moment she set foot in the Holy See, Veronica had become something entirely different from what she had been before. The hope that God had bestowed upon Kart. In other words, something akin to a hero. It seemed absurd, yet it happened. It was utterly ridiculous.

The pope’s first order was for her long hair to be cut. The purpose was to make the Croix necklace more visible.

Her black hair, which had grown past her shoulders, was once again shortened to chin-length, but Veronica had always found short hair more comfortable, so she had no complaints. The only thought that briefly crossed her mind was that Leon might be disappointed. Sadly, he never even got the chance to see her changed appearance.

For the next week, Veronica was so occupied with relief efforts for the citizens that she was unable to see Leon at the fortress walls.

With the church throwing itself wholeheartedly into aiding the people, she quickly became the most well-known figure in Kart. There was no one who did not recognize Veronica, who distributed food, treated the wounded, and attended the burials of the dead.

A woman clad in a pure white dress, adorned with the Croix necklace, and holding the sword of God, Hennessis, in one hand.

She swiftly became a symbol.

People say that names shape destinies. There was no definitive evidence that ‘Saint Veronica’ from historical records had ever truly existed. Veronica herself was the same—nothing more than a fabricated hope. A false figure, a constructed miracle, the so-called daughter of God who had defied assimilation and foretold Kart’s impending disaster.

It was utterly absurd, yet more people believed in such absurdity than she had expected. The more someone had lost, the more fervently they clung to her. Those in desperate need of something to rely on grasped at her robes. They knelt and wept, repenting for their sins.

It felt like a sin.

And yet, at the same time, Veronica recognized that this was a rare opportunity.

The reason she had obediently participated in the church’s relief efforts despite being separated from Leon was precisely this. She subtly spread rumors about the wilderness among the citizens. She whispered prayers, cautioning them that Bahamut might be listening. This was how she ensured the rumors spread without the church noticing. It would take time, but still—

“Hmm, even so, moving all of Kart like that would be difficult.”

When she finally confided in him, Joachim, with whom she had grown quite close over the past week (partly due to being the same age), shrugged and shook his head.

“The masses are more foolish and indecisive than you think. Something shocking needs to happen. Like when you smashed the Bahamut’s head in the square—something that instills absolute conviction.”

“Sir Kaisenmeer. Please mind your words. Regardless of secular status, we are all merely servants of God within the Holy See.”

Oscar, who had been carrying their meals, frowned at Joachim’s tone. The two of them had been assigned as Veronica’s escorts, and it was clear that their personalities clashed the more they saw of each other. Joachim was cheerful and quick-witted, while Oscar was cold, sensitive, and sometimes naive.

“I didn’t find it particularly rude. It’s fine.”

Veronica hurriedly defended Joachim, preventing a scolding. Then, she fell into thought.

Something shocking. A miracle that instills conviction…

“Oscar. People tend to believe in what they can see, don’t they?”

“Yes, I believe so.”

Oscar answered hesitantly, then added, “That’s why, in the past, ten plagues were shown before leading people to the Promised Land. It took something of that magnitude for them to believe.”

Ten plagues.

Veronica, who had been absentmindedly tearing at her bread without eating it, suddenly lifted her head.

The story Oscar referenced was a famous biblical account of an exodus, where God had unleashed ten plagues upon a foreign land that had oppressed His people in order to free them.

“Right, every citizen of Kart knows that story—even children. That’s it.”

“What? Surely you’re not suggesting bringing ten plagues upon Kart?”

“No. One will be enough. A single, shocking event that leaves an unforgettable mark.”

Veronica’s eyes gleamed as she stood up.

“I need your help. Both of you.”

The two who had been at odds for days exchanged glances. For today, at least, they seemed to be in agreement, their expressions equally bewildered.