Chapter 192: Encounter (6)
‘Why did he insist on meeting at the cathedral?’
Following behind them, I wondered.
Cardinal Bruyant surely had accommodations or an office assigned to him within the Academy.
Even so, why did he go out of his way to summon me to the cathedral?
And so openly at that, as if he didn’t mind drawing attention.
“Would you mind waiting a moment?”
As we entered the cathedral, one of the two men asked politely.
Despite it being the period of the Departure Festival, the cathedral was fairly crowded.
‘Is he trying to show me he has no hidden agenda? Or perhaps it means what he wants to say doesn’t matter if others hear it.’
It was as if he was saying, You have nothing to worry about. Feel at ease.
While I waited for a short while, the man from before quietly approached and bowed to me again with utmost courtesy.
Strictly speaking, I was younger and lower in status than him, yet his demeanor was nothing but polite and cautious.
“He says he’s ready. Now then, this way… please follow me.”
Without a word, I followed him.
To my surprise, the place he led me to was the confessional booth set up in a corner of the cathedral.
The man gestured toward the side that wasn’t already closed.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
Only after the guide disappeared did I step inside.
Before I could even sit down on the chair, a small cough came from the opposite side.
The man behind the partition—Cardinal Bruyant—spoke calmly.
“First of all, thank you sincerely for making time to come despite the sudden request.”
His voice was low and composed.
He spoke as he let out a soft cough.
“You likely already know, but let me introduce myself formally. My name is Bruyant. A humble man who dares to hold the position of Cardinal.”
Cardinal Bruyant disclosed his identity in an unpretentious tone.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Eminence.”
I offered the customary greeting, trying to recall memories from my past life.
‘…Bruyant. I’m sure I’ve heard the name once or twice before.’
Unfortunately, I didn’t know much about Cardinal Bruyant in detail.
However, I vaguely remembered that he was one of the real power players within the Holy Sun Church and far from a clean figure.
“Did you summon me here to personally hear my confession?”
At my question, a quiet chuckle leaked from the other side of the partition.
“Haha, what a witty young man.”
Bruyant laughed softly as he replied.
“That wouldn’t be so bad, but today… I merely wanted for the two of us to speak openly, without interference from anyone else. That’s the reason I chose this terribly uncomfortable confessional.”
The Cardinal paused for a moment to choose his words.
“And I apologize for calling you here like this, but my schedule is so tightly packed that I simply couldn’t find the time to meet you otherwise. I hope you’ll forgive the selfishness of an old man.”
His voice carried a hint of humor, yet there was something unyieldingly stiff and cold beneath it.
Bruyant quickly got to the point.
“First, I want to offer you my apology, Lian Gwendil.”
“What are you apologizing for, Your Eminence?”
“The Holy Sun Church owes you a great debt.”
So, it was about Rahma after all.
I gave a small nod.
“It’s already over.”
To my reply, stating that I’d already received an apology, Bruyant responded,
“Yes, I’m aware. But I didn’t think that was enough. I felt that unless I personally expressed my remorse, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself. That’s why I insisted.”
The Cardinal’s voice was sincere.
Feeling slightly uncomfortable, I replied,
“Having received even something as immense as an indulgence, hearing such words from you, Your Eminence, I truly don’t know how to respond.”
“Is that so? Then let’s end this topic here. I cannot burden a young man for the sake of an old man’s satisfaction.”
He added quietly,
“However, I do hope you won’t forget that I… and also the Church, feel deep regret toward you and the young lady of the Everglenn family.”
“Yes, I will make sure to properly convey your words and sentiments, Your Eminence.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“……”
“……”
A brief silence passed.
During that time, I tried to gauge what exactly he wanted to say that required such an elaborate setup.
Naturally, it couldn’t be just for an apology.
That’s when Cardinal Bruyant suddenly asked,
“Have you decided what you’ll do in the future?”
“I haven’t made any definite decisions yet… but I suppose becoming a priest is the most likely path.”
To that, the Cardinal chuckled softly.
“Is that so? What a shame. Personally, I was hoping you’d pursue the path of a Holy Knight. I think that would suit you better.”
Another silence followed.
But this time, it felt slightly different.
Bruyant’s low chuckle lingered underneath.
“Well then, let’s conclude the formalities here.”
He murmured quietly.
“Seeing as you already seem to have some idea, there’s no need to beat around the bush.”
His voice dropped even lower.
“Lian Gwendil.”
“Yes, Your Eminence.”
“Have you ever witnessed a miracle?”
“…Yes, I have.”
I answered right away.
“The new day and each moment we enjoy are the true miracles bestowed upon us by the merciful Ilionel—”
“Hmm, that’s not what I meant.”
At my textbook answer, typical of any Holy Sun Church cleric, Cardinal Bruyant cut me off with a dissatisfied tone.
“That’s not the kind of nonsense I want to hear.”
He added after a pause,
“And I don’t mean those clumsy powers or divine abilities that you, I, and any believer of the Holy Sun Church can wield either.”
“...Then what are you referring to?”
“I already told you. A miracle.”
He paused briefly before muttering again.
“A true miracle, literally. Something that could rightfully be called a manifestation of the divine... such a miracle.”
Cardinal Bruyant’s voice carried an indescribable heat as he spoke.
After a moment of thought, I cautiously replied.
“...I believe I may have experienced something like that.”
“You believe you may have… ha ha.”
Bruyant let out a dry laugh.
There was no satisfaction in it—rather, a strong sense of wanting to confirm something further.
“Like anyone else, I admire young and talented individuals.”
Stopping his laugh, Bruyant spoke quietly.
“Because only when such people gather can our Holy Sun Church truly spread its will. And as I happened to hear about you, I came to think that you were indeed one of those rare talents.”
“Your praise is too generous.”
“Excessive humility can sometimes sound like mockery. If the evaluation is fair, you should simply accept it humbly.”
Bruyant paused, as if catching his breath.
“And for such young people to progress further… in other words… to provide an opportunity that would deepen one’s resolve and faith—I found myself wanting to give you a chance to witness such a miracle.”
Then, in a whispering tone, he asked,
“What do you think?”
“……”
I remained silent for a moment.
Of course, it wasn’t because I was tempted by his offer or anything like that.
‘…What’s with this guy?’
To be honest, I had no idea what the Cardinal’s true intentions were, appearing out of nowhere with such a proposal.
Wasn’t it all far too strange? Too artificial?
His clumsy proposal and speech made me all the more baffled.
‘What the hell is he trying to do?’
Well, maybe he truly was someone thinking about the future of the Holy Sun Church.
But even in the vague memories from my previous life, the name Bruyant had never left a good impression.
‘Hmm…’
For now, I decided to play along.
“I don’t really understand why Your Eminence is suddenly saying such things to me. To be honest, it worries me.”
“……”
This time, it was Cardinal Bruyant who fell silent at my blunt reply.
He eventually answered in a low voice.
“As I said before, it’s simply out of a pure desire to see the young talents who will lead our Holy Sun Church embrace a deeper faith and belief.”
From beyond the partition, I could almost sense a faint smile.
“And… since we’re in the confessional, to be more honest, I was also selfishly hoping that you might join me.”
I nearly sighed without realizing it.
‘He really can’t speak well, can he.’
Even so, I decided not to press further to uncover his intentions.
Perhaps it was best to give the impression I was at least open to the idea.
Just as I was thinking that—
“Ssskk.”
A strange, deflating sound reached my ears.
“……?”
“Skkk. Hrk hrk.”
“…Your Eminence? Are you alright?”
“Hh-gahk. Hrk-heek. H-heeek.”
A grotesque noise came from beyond the partition.
Just then, Bruyant cleared his throat with a loud, exaggerated sound.
“…Ahem! Ahem! Ah, my apologies. Something caught in my throat for a moment.”
He then spoke again in an overly calm voice.
“So, what do you think?”
Bruyant asked again, now with a more urgent tone, his voice feverish, as if entranced by something.
“Would you like to witness a miracle? A miracle that came to me on the verge of death, bearing divine command… would you wish to see it too?”
“What kind of miracle are you referring to?”
At my question, Bruyant let out a low laugh.
His laughter filled the narrow, dark confessional.
“Bringing the dead back to life.”
He whispered.
“Where in this world could there possibly be a greater miracle than that?”
“...!”
Lancia jolted awake with wide eyes.
Her entire body was soaked in cold sweat.
She’d had a nightmare.
“…Haa.”
Breathing heavily, she pressed her fingers against her throbbing temples.
Had it been the result of moving without rest for several days?
In just that brief moment she’d closed her eyes, fragments of a past she wanted to forget had come rushing back to her in the form of a nightmare.
“……”
Lancia slowly took a deep breath, trying to calm her scattered thoughts.
Even so, the conversation she had with Professor Windy May in the underground sewer came to mind.
Definitely…
The Man without a Head.
When she asked about it, Professor Windy May’s reaction made it obvious she knew something.
But she adamantly claimed ignorance until the very end.
If it had been anyone else, Lancia would have used any means necessary to extract the information—but considering who it was, she couldn’t push further.
In the end, Lancia had no choice but to step back without gaining much.
Still, she felt more hopeful than disappointed.
Just the fact that she’d found someone within the Academy who knew about it was already a huge step forward.
“…Ugh!”
Suddenly, a splitting headache overwhelmed her.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
Then, vivid scenes began to surface before her eyes.
Her hometown, engulfed in flames and collapsing.
Screams and shrieks,
The nauseating stench of burning flesh.
And… people who were definitely dead.
The villagers, whose breath had clearly stopped, were rising again in grotesque forms and moving.
Embedded in each of their chests was something that emitted a chilling glow.
Finally, standing alone at the center of that hellish scene—
The Man without a Head.
“……”
Eventually, Lancia had no choice but to open her eyes again.
Even though she’d woken from sleep, the nightmare of that day still had her in its grip.