◈ Chapter 337: Traces of the Holy Kingdom (2)
"No matter how you look at it, you seem to have had a comfortable time"
"Even though it appears like that , I didn't feel comfortable"
Grander's demeanor was rather dull, but considering how long she had stayed here, she was surprisingly well-behaved.
If it were the usual Grander, she would have found something to do out of boredom. But to be this calm...
It meant that she had enough opportunities to relieve the accumulated stress.
Rudger sighed, recalling the image of Hans with patches of fur missing due to stress.
"You should have been more moderate. You knew very well what I dislike."
"And it's all because of some disrespectful guy who made his Master wait for so long."
"If anyone saw this, they would think I desperately pleaded Master to wait. I didn't even ask you to come, yet you're saying such things?"
Grander glared at Rudger with a piercing gaze.
Just mentioning the facts in a sneaky manner had provoked her.
"...Alright, I got it. I understand, so please stop giving me that look. Why are you getting angry like this?"
"I'm not angry."
"You already seem pretty worked up."
"I said I'm not angry! Do you want me to really get angry?"
"Please, be patient."
In the end, Rudger was the first to back down.
Yes, the disciple should lower his head first. What else could be done?
As Rudger took a step back, Grander also calmed down her anger.
Grander, feeling that she might have been a bit excessive, grumbled as if complaining.
"By the way, that child Hans, being able to transform into a chimera, has quite an extraordinary constitution. I thought he could only turn into regular animals."
"He can transform into even more than that."
It wasn't particularly surprising that Hans had transformed into a chimera.
Considering the moment when he could transform into Beast of Jévaudan, Rudger had vaguely thought about it.
Grander showed a curiosity to satisfy her thirst for knowledge but deliberately suppressed it.
Now wasn't the time to worry about such things.
"It seems like you've finished your tasks."
"Yes."
"You seem exhausted from your efforts."
"If you noticed that, why didn't you offer any help?"
Upon hearing that, Grander burst into laughter.
"Help? Did I teach you to be so weak?"
"At least you didn't teach me how to fight against demons."
"Are you rebelling now? Looks like the commonly mentioned teenage puberty has arrived."
"What age do you think I am? I'm just making a natural defense."
"Didn't you manage to fight well enough on your own without my help? That should have been enough."
"That's easy to say now. Even though I've been in danger multiple times."
"You're just making a fuss."
Grander's indifference to this side's complaints was unbearable.
Since Rudger didn't have any expectations to begin with, he went straight to the main point.
"So, how was it?"
"What do you mean, how was it? If you don't explain properly, I won't know."
"Don't pretend you don't know. You came here to see how well I can fight, right?"
From the beginning, Grander didn't show genuine interest or curiosity to be fully engaged.
No, she could have been engaged if she wanted to, but there must be a reason for her to endure the boredom and stay here.
"The sudden appearance of a demon was unexpected even for the Master."
"You've become incredibly sharp at sensing things."
"I've been living with the Master for over 10 years."
"Has it been that long already?"
"Considering the years, it's been around 13 years. The Master picked me up and raised me when I was over 7 years old."
"Yeah, I raised you with all my heart. Back then, you were a mischievous brat through and through. But now, you've grown up and dare to rebel against the Master. How pitiful, how pitiful."
"You should use proper words when talking about raising someone. You raised me harshly more than anyone else."
"That's why you've become so strong."
Grander decided to retaliated shamelessly.
As usual, if Grander adhered to that approach, Rudger would be the first to back down.
If Rudger also shamelessly retaliated, then there would definitely be a fierce fight.
'I remember there was a time when he got angry like that before.'
Even now, the thought of Grander getting furious like a wildfire sends shivers down my spine.
It's not about being in danger or getting tired of Grander's momentum.
What's truly frightening is when Grander bursts into tears, throws a tantrum like a child, and locks herself in a room, refusing to show her face.
A long time ago, when Rudger was about 17 years old.
During that time, Rudger became greatly annoyed by Grander's arbitrary behavior and would counter every word she said.
He did so, fully prepared to face the Master's scolding.
With all that determination, even Rudger was in an irritated state, knowing that if he didn't do something like this, he wouldn't feel relieved.
Grander's reaction at that time was quite entertaining.
With wide-open eyes and clenched fists, she trembled uncontrollably.
As usual, she had teased her disciple, but when the disciple opened his eyes, challenged her, it was quite bewildering.
Rudger thought to himself.
How much will she scold and criticize me using magic training as an excuse this time?
At the moment when he hoped it would end reasonably.
Granader burst into tears and locked herself in the room.
That was a situation that Rudger had never expected.
What kind of behavior is it to close the door, lock it, and refuse to speak?
Although the behavior was bewildering, Rudger thought it was better that way.
He wouldn't have to endure his Master's nagging and interference anymore.
That's what he thought.
Until it lasted for a month.
'How long was she locked up back then? It's been over a month already.'
Grander is a long-lived vampire, so her sense of time is quite different from humans.
For an ordinary person, it takes at least half a day or up to three days for their frustrated feelings to dissipate.
Although it varies from person to person, it usually doesn't exceed a week.
However, for Grander, it lasted for over two months.
At first, Rudger thought that his Master was just angry for the first few days.
But as a week and two weeks passed without any response, he started to worry.
He didn't think that the monstrous Master had died, but he wondered if something significant was bothering her mentally.
After all, she was the one who raised him.
But then, she would suddenly appear, eat the food that had been prepared in advance, and disappear again.
Her stubborn personality made Rudger think that she would last longer than others.
But the moment it exceeded a month, Rudger felt that something was wrong.
In the end, it took two months and 21 days for Grander's heart to loosen up and for her to speak to Rudger as usual after their fight.
Yes.
It took almost three months.
Just thinking about that time still gives me a dizzy feeling.
It would have been better if she had gotten angry and expressed her feelings rather than showing completely nonsensical behavior, which only made Rudger more anxious.
'So, after that, I never questioned the Master beyond a certain limit.'
In the end, that day's rebellion was Rudger's first and last.
The memory of that day was still deeply engraved in Rudger's mind.
"Why do you look at me like that?"
"...No, it's nothing."
"No, it's not. It's clearly the expression of a guardian who finds dealing with a difficult elder inconvenient."
"..."
Indeed, having lived together for over 10 years, Grander immediately knew what Rudger was thinking from his expressionless face.
When Rudger didn't deny it, Grander's eyebrows twitched slightly, not because she found it amusing, but because it was an expression she occasionally made when she was displeased.
Rudger calmly changed the subject.
"The Lumensis Church has made a move."
"Those guys? It hasn't been just a day or two since they last moved."
Grander knowingly chose to let Rudger's words pass as if she intentionally overlooked them.
"This time it's different. It didn't come from a nearby branch; it came directly from the headquarters."
"The headquarters? They came from the Bretus Kingdom? Until recently, I thought they had locked themselves up."
To bring up something that happened 20 years ago and call it 'recent.'
"They haven't been active again for that long. They recently started their activities."
"In that case, they must have come to investigate this incident. Because a demon has appeared in the capital of the Empire."
"Yes. A high-ranking priestess came personally."
"A high-ranking priestess?"
Grander didn't know what position the person from the Lumensis Church held.
In the first place, there was no need for her to know.
To her, regardless of who the other person was, they were just vultures who followed the same deity.
"A Priestess is a highly esteemed position within the church. They are also known as the humans closest to the divine. Even the Archbishop, who oversees the clergy, cannot act recklessly."
"The humans closest to the divine, huh? Quite an arrogant title."
"They are carefully selected talents even within the kingdom. Moreover, they are subtly brainwashed. It means that they cannot refuse the orders of those who carry the blood of the Holy King."
Grander stared at Ludger intently.
"So you've encountered the Priestess, judging by how you're talking."
"Yes."
"Did they found out ?"
"It wasn't exposed"
"I guess you took advantage of the fact that they are under some kind of brainwashing?"
"I just hinted subtly. People were watching closely, you know. But it'll only give us a little more time."
"Subtle hints aren't enough, huh? How did you end up meeting them?"
"Meeting them was a coincidence, but they approached me first. Perhaps instinctively, they sensed the blood of the Holy King within me."
Rudger scorned his own blood, but he did not deny his existence.
Rather, just as he had hinted at Lemria the Priestess, he did not hesitate to use it if he could benefit from it.
"I told them not to let anyone know about our meeting through subtle hints. However, there were many eyes among the diplomats who witnessed our actions. They may not have heard the entire conversation, but they must have sensed that something was going on."
"You couldn't drop hints to the diplomats?"
"It was only effective against the Priestess. They, too, will keep their mouths shut because they know very well that they have to maintain their own. However, it's inevitable that rumors will spread."
"Wouldn't it be easier to just kill them all?"
Rudger blinked his eyes as if he found it ridiculous.
"Are you serious? You want me to kill everyone in the palace?"
"Tsk. You're such an inadequate brat. Don't you think it's possible?"
"After all, you are the greatest magician on the continent. Moreover, the Priestess herself must have sensed something strange about me. I prevented the hints from spreading, but I can't stop them from feeling uneasy."
Grander asked with an unexpected look in her eyes.
"You have a very high opinion of your opponent."
"If the opponent is foolish, then such concerns are meaningless. It would be better if that were the case. However, the Priestess is someone the kingdom carefully cultivated. It serves as evidence that their abilities are not lacking, considering the position they have reached."
"Ah, I see. Vaguely, I remember now. The church used the pretext of supporting orphaned children and did a lot of suspicious things."
The Heretic Inquisitor, who was considered the craziest in the Bretus Empire.
They were an organization that went beyond faith and possessed madness. They raised orphaned children brought from the empire and trained them.
"Yes. Depending on the children's abilities, the empire assigns them appropriate positions."
If their abilities are lacking, they become suitable servants or attendants.
If they are slightly more exceptional, they become priests or sisters.
If they are even more exceptional, they become holy knights or heretic inquisitors.
The sisters who assumed the position of High Priestess were among those few with the potential.
'Children with exceptional talents, huh.'
Rudger recalled the students he taught at Seron.
Children with talent in magic.
However, not just relying solely on their talent, but students who put in effort themselves.
Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.
What if among the freshmen who entered Seron, there were those without talent in magic?
Perhaps.
Wouldn't one of them have become one of the children taken from the Bretus Empire?
Rudger recalled the distant past, twenty years ago.
The expressionless children in white robes silently following the guidance of the priests.
The sight of them huddled together seemed like observing laboratory mice.
Suddenly, Rudger thought of a girl.
An ordinary child without any special qualities among the children brought from the kingdom.
She was slow to learn and had an unpleasant personality, often receiving strict punishments from the priests for her slow absorption of knowledge.
At the same time, she was the only one with whom Rudger could truly open his heart in the kingdom.
'What happened to that child?'
Because she had a tender heart and exceptional talents, now that she has grown up, she might have become an ordinary priest or nun.
'Catherine.'