Rosetta also attended the funeral, as expected.
A priest could not be absent from an event commemorating the dead. Dressed in her stark black priestly garb, devoid of any adornments, Rosetta was quietly praying in front of the graves.
As I approached, Rosetta, hearing my footsteps, stopped her prayer and gave me a slight smile.
"A fitting funeral, Your Highness."
"Is there such a thing as a good or bad funeral?"
My question, tinged with disbelief, was smoothly answered by Rosetta.
"While the death of a person is a sad affair, properly honoring them is a commendable act."
"..."
"In the Imperial Capital, most deaths are treated with disregard. To treat every death with such respect... You are doing a remarkable thing."
"Save the flattery. Even the finest funeral would be better off not happening, right?"
"Indeed, Your Highness speaks the truth, but it's still important to acknowledge good deeds. If not by others, then let me commend you."
Rosetta took out a notebook and pen from her robe and began to cross out pre-written items.
"I'll reduce 100 heresy points for you."
"Did I accumulate that many points already?!"
"If you continue to perform good deeds, I'll reduce the remaining points as well."
"There are more points?!"
Amused by my reaction, Rosetta covered her mouth and laughed.
Sharing a hollow laugh, I stood beside Rosetta, looking over the graveyard.
The graves that had multiplied over time were neatly aligned in rows and columns.
The hot sun beamed down on the graves. A warm wind blew. Summer was near.
Damien, sweating profusely as he finished up a funeral in front of a new grave, caught my eye. I murmured without realizing.
"Priests really have it tough. They strive to save lives on a regular basis, and then when someone dies, they have to work hard at the funeral like this."
"Life and death are two sides of the same coin. You can't handle one without the other, like only seeing one side of a coin."
Rosetta signaled to me with her eyes.
"And it's not just priests. You, Your Highness, are also braving death here to protect life on the front lines."
"..."
"Such is the way of the world. Where there's sunlight, shadows fall behind."
Long shadows were cast behind the sunlit graves. I let out a slight sigh.
"Such is the way of the world, inherently possessing duality, or even multiple facets."
"Indeed, Your Highness speaks wisely."
"So, we shouldn't judge based solely on one aspect."
"A mindset befitting a ruler."
"...So, shouldn't we also consider more than one aspect in Zenis's case?"
As I glanced at Rosetta, she smiled broadly, as if she had anticipated my approach.
"Did Zenis somehow catch your interest? Seeing how you go out of your way to defend him."
"Isn't it the same for you?"
"Me?"
"You also shielded Zenis."
Rosetta frowned, as if confused. I crossed my arms and nodded towards her.
"Why did you wait for me before going to deal with Zenis, if not to take me with you?"
"..."
"If you really wanted to kill that troublemaker, you could have quietly found him and dealt with him. Right? Why bother taking me along?"
I pressed Rosetta, who remained silent.
"You wanted me to stop you, didn't you? That's it, right?"
"..."
"Even though Zenis deserved death by the standards of your Holy Knights, you still paved a way for him to live in this city by dismissing him from his priestly duties. That could be considered mercy, in a way."
So, my conclusion is.
"Rosetta. You pretended to dispose of your stepbrother but actually wanted to open a path for him. You used me in the process."
"Haha."
With a hollow laugh, Rosetta did not deny my words but gave me a sidelong glance.
"If everything you say is true... Even so, will you still play along with my shallow trickery?"
"I don't know your intentions. But considering what Zenis has contributed to this city, I do want to save his life."
So, yes. I'll play along with your shallow trickery.
At my words, Rosetta turned to look at the aligned graves quietly,
"Your Highness is correct. Every matter has multiple aspects, and how we choose to illuminate them can reveal entirely different perspectives."
"..."
"Zenis's case is no different. At face value, he's a bastard deserving of death and dismissal... But if you delve deeper, there's no one who has lived a life more befitting a priest than him."
I frowned deeply.
"What exactly happened 14 years ago?"
"That's a penance he took upon himself. It's not my place to speak frivolously of it. You should hear the details from Zenis himself."
"..."
"Regardless of any injustices he may have faced, according to the rules of our Holy Knights, he should be punished. In fact, my subordinates are demanding it."
The zealots of the Goddess's Order, the Holy Knights.
Since they dominate the order's leadership, it's natural for them to cling to their principles and rules.
And Zenis has been a sort of traitor, skillfully evading the execution of these principles.
With the voices calling for Zenis's punishment growing within the Holy Knights, Rosetta, knowing the full story, wanted to carve out a path for her stepbrother.
"I have done everything I can for him. You have prevented his direct execution, and now a path for him to survive, even if he renounces his priestly life, has been opened."
"..."
"It's up to that fool to decide now. Whether he'll appreciate the efforts of his sister and quietly survive, or..."
Rosetta grimaced with a bitter smile and shook her head.
"Choose to die as a priest, bearing the disgrace."
***
So, I looked for where Zenis might be.
The last place he was seen, after being expelled from the temple and having nowhere to go, was the barracks. It was being used as housing for mercenaries.
On the evening after the funeral ended. The place I found after asking around was a particularly musty-smelling spot in the barracks.
"Ugh, the smell of old men..."
I pinched my nose at the door. What is this intense... the distinct smell only seasoned uncles can produce!
Checking the nameplate on the door, familiar names caught my eye.
The blind swordsman Nobody, the warlock Chain.
The two uncles who joined during the battle against the Gorgon sisters. Even if there were two uncles, could they really produce such a smell...?
‘Sun-dry the blankets and pillows! Ventilate twice a day! Wash your clothes regularly! Do I have to personally spread this knowledge?’
Grumbling, I flung the door open.
What conspiracy were they plotting, cloaked in darkness, that the five men startled at my entrance?
I yanked the curtains open, letting in light.
"What are you, children of darkness?!"
The evening sun flooded the room. Exposed to the light, the five 'children of darkness' shrieked, shielding their eyes. What are they doing.
Huddled together, plotting in secrecy, were none other than Lucas's temporary party of 'uncles'.
Lucas, Torkel, Nobody, Chain. And Zenis.
"Of course! It couldn't have just been the two of them producing such a distinct old man smell! It's because there were five of you together! You guys, sun drying! Ventilation! Laundry! Air fresheners! Don't you know?!"
At my exclamation, Lucas protested with a deeply offended expression.
"No, I protest, my lord! I meticulously maintain my hygiene every day! I just came here briefly for a meeting!"
Then, the rest of the uncles clicked their tongues and shook their heads at Lucas.
"Everyone says that when they're young..."
"I never thought I'd end up like this either."
"Being an uncle isn't something you become; it's something you already are."
"You too... soon... with bristly beards... and the smell of sweat..."
"No! That'll never happen to me! I'll never become an uncle!"
Pushing the protesting Lucas aside, I sat down on the floor and gestured with my chin.
"So, what treasonous plot were you hatching by gathering like this?"
"Treason? Our loyalty to you, Your Highness, remains unshaken..."
Torkel spoke with firm conviction. That's it, you earn ten loyalty points.
"We were discussing what Lord Zenis should do next, given our personal connections."
"Is that so? And you've already come to a conclusion?"
I turned my head towards Zenis, who wore a gloomy expression.
"You don't want to die, right? So, you've been dismissed as a priest, just start a new life."
"...I don't want to die, but being dismissed as a priest feels like another death sentence."
Zenis made the sign of the cross, closed his eyes, and clasped his hands.
"If this is the way to preserve my honor and that of my comrades, perhaps it's better to cleanse my sins through death now..."
"How about living here as a mercenary instead?"
Torkel earnestly dissuaded him, and Nobody and Chain joined in.
"Right! Living as a mercenary can be quite enjoyable!"
"There's a casino right next door."
"Alcohol! Tobacco! Gambling! And a battlefield swarming with monsters!"
"Could life get any more exciting?!"
The two mercenaries chuckled and clinked their bottles together before guzzling down the contents... These guys are no help.
"With Lord Zenis's capabilities, it's entirely possible for you to be employed as private soldiers by His Highness."
Lucas glanced at me as he spoke. I nodded. Well, there are indeed many ways to approach this.
"What matters isn't that. Look, Zenis. What do you want to do..."
I was about to continue when, oh.
A round-faced young boy was peeking through the door I had kicked open. Recognizing him, I gestured.
"Hannibal! Did you follow me here?"
"...!"
Startled, Hannibal soon cautiously opened the door and stepped inside. Lucas groaned.
"Why would such a young kid come to a den of super uncles like this with six of us..."
"Wait a minute, six?"
I asked with a stunned face.
"Are you including me in that?"
"Well, if I'm included... Did you, my lord, who is a year older than me, think you could escape...?"
"Don't, don't make me laugh! Royalty, you see, has anti-aging as a passive! I, I, I won't become an uncle!"
For a moment, my head spun, but I quickly regained my composure. This was no time to waste on unproductive uncle talks.
"Hannibal? There must be a reason you came all this way. Speak up."
"Yes, yes... It's just that..."
Hesitantly making his way to the center of the room, Hannibal carefully stood in front of Zenis.
To Zenis, who blinked in confusion, Hannibal clenched his small fist and shouted with a trembling voice.
"Lord Zenis!"
"Uh, yes?"
"The child you had with the foreign princess, the one you left at the temple's orphanage!"
"Uh... yes."
"That, that, that child is..."
With a crestfallen face, Hannibal pointed to himself and exclaimed.
"I think that child is me?!"
"..."
A hellish silence ensued.
In a room of the barracks filled with the musty smell from six uncles gathered,
A boy suddenly showing up to pull a 'you're my father' moment, and everyone frantically exchanging looks, seeking who would have the courage to break the ice first,
Bang-!
The door was flung open as if to be shattered, and the seventh uncle made his entrance.
It was Kellibey who had followed Hannibal. He let out a resounding roar.
"What in the world is this nonsenseeeeee!"
It was a moment when everyone's hearts became one.
--TL Notes--
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