Chapter 532: A Broken World

Confusion and pain filled my head.

It wasn’t due to the alcohol I’d just drunk, but because the words of the Saint before me had a tremendous effect.

…Let’s get engaged. You and me.

I repeated her words while the pain was still uncontrollable in my head. I wasn’t bold enough to question what they meant.

Matia’s fingertips, holding my hand, conveyed a soft touch and warmth to my skin. Her eyes told me this was no drinking joke.

I thought that Matia called this meeting a political discussion. In short, it was an invitation to a political marriage.

To make it clear that I belonged to the Heraldic Order, and thus to avoid conflict and disputes between multiple nations. A political discussion with ulterior motives.

I bit my lips and furrowed my brows.

…What an idiot. I’d rather die than try to soothe the other nations with this scheme.

I shook Matia’s hand. Come to think of it, her fingers were so slender. I was sure I had noticed them before, but I had completely forgotten.

Her fingertips were even trembling slightly. I looked Matia straight in the eyes. Her eyes were made of a beautiful blue.

「Matia, I want to tell you that I’m glad that you think of me that highly. In fact, it’s the first time anyone ever suggested such a thing, and honestly, I’m a bit shaken too. 」

「This is the first time for me as well. 」

Matia’s words seemed to be wavering with emotion. I could tell from that alone what she was thinking.

That’s why I had to answer honestly. Any other answer would be an insult to her.

「Matia…I’m sorry. Politically speaking, you’re right. But I need to decline your offer. You see, I have a childhood friend, a girl I’ve loved ever since I can remeber. There isn’t a single day that goes by that I don’t think of her. 」

In an instant, I saw Matia’s expression twist in pain.

I knew she’d make that face. Her eyes became wet. For some reason, a dull ache arose in my stomach and head. The more I talked about my childhood friend, the stronger the pain grew.

Betraying someone’s expectations was always the worst thing.

I had to do the worst thing right now.

「My existence began with a promise I made to my childhood friend. I told her that even if we were separated, I’d one day become a knight and come get her. 」

Matia held my hand tightly and paused for a moment. She seemed to search for words quite desperately.

「…I thought…something like that could happen. 」

Her normally smooth, flowing words now spilled out in fragments.

I had neither the words nor the qualifications to deny her. I said I wouldn’t betray her, but now I had done exactly that.

For a moment, silence fell over the room. Matia held my hand in both hers, and her eyes were downcast. I just stared at her.

「…Lugis, I know my actions towards you aren’t the most correct, and I know this makes me the worst woman you’ve met. But please listen to me, even after knowing that fact. 」

「…I understand. 」

I’d never thought of Matia as the worst woman I’ve met. She’d always been the best. But I doubt she wanted to hear those words.

「From what I’ve heard, it seems you haven’t seen your childhood friend for a long time. You and I have fought together for a long time. There were days when I was harsh to you, but now I believe we’ve forged an irreplaceable bond. Is that wrong? 」

「Not at all. I think so too. 」

「…But you’re saying that you can’t win against the feelings you have for your childhood friend. 」

She didn’t seem to be looking for an answer but rather spoke as if she had reached a conclusion by herself. She slightly moved her eyes, then took my hand once again.

Her fingertips trembled, yet she held it firmly, as if clinging to something precious.

Matia sighed and raised her eyes.

「…I’ve been too naive. I should’ve pressed you for an engagement from a political perspective only. I can’t believe I’m acting like this, as if I don’t even understand the meaning of a negotiation. 」

It was Matia’s usual voice. Even though there were still emotions I couldn’t quite comprehend, I could tell she was still maintaining her composure.

That was typical of a saint. But it seemed like she had put on a mask, and I even felt lonely. Of course, I couldn’t say anything about it.

Matia asked me if she could ask me something, and then she focused her gaze on me.

「What’s her name? Is she still in the Gharast Kingdom? 」

Come to think of it, Matia didn’t know her name.

Seeing that she had calmed down, I took another sip from my cup and answered.

「You know her. Her name is Ariene. Apparently, she’s now a saint of the Great Holy Church. It’s been quite a struggle to even meet her. 」

「Oh, is that so? 」

Her tone changed in an instant.

Matia’s eyes darkened, and the atmosphere in the room shifted from tense to more intense. It seemed as if the mask she’d been wearing had once again been torn away.

It wasn’t sadness or anger. A more intense, overpowering emotion swirled in her eyes.

「That’s a joke I didn’t really want to hear, Lugis. But if it’s true… 」

And with that, Matia took both my hands again. Our faces drew close, so close that our breaths almost met.

「…Think about who truly cares for you. Saint Ariene has issued an order to subjugate the Great Demon Zebrililith and the false hero. You can probably guess who this order is addressed to. 」

An order to subjugate the false hero.

The Great Holy Church likely referred to one person with those words. While the definition could differ, it was easy to imagine who the order meant.

And the worst part was that it was issued in Ariene’s name.

「…That’s a story that I didn’t want to hear. But I won’t know if it was the Saint’s or Ariene’s until I meet her and hear her version of the story. 」

Ariene wasn’t herself, whether in the mercenary city of Belfein or in the Great Temple of Flimslat. An ancient hero named Altia was using Ariene’s body to do whatever she wanted.

If that was the case, then there was no way to know whether this latest order was issued on Ariene’s will. The only way to hear her words was to kill Altia.

I still didn’t know if there was a way to do it without harming Ariene. Whatever the outcome, there was a difference between not even searching and actively searching.

「…To put it another way, Lugis. The reason you rejected me is because of your feelings for our enemy’s Saint. It’s not that I can’t accept your feelings. 」

Matia leaned close to me, clasping both of my hands tightly as she looked into my eyes. Was it alcohol perhaps? It felt strangely sweet. My cheeks were burning hot.

After all, had I ever been approached so passionately by such a beautiful woman as Matia before?

Matia relaxed her tense cheeks after seeing my expression.

「Then let’s do this, Lugis. I understand that you want to hear what that Saint has to say. In that case, we can put this on hold until then. After that, I’ll hear your answer again. But let’s make this clear. If the answer isn’t what you’ve wanted, or if you can’t hear it from her in the end, then…」

Matia didn’t say any more. She smiled suggestively and took both my hands in hers.

The first thing I thought about her words was confusion.

What Matia had suggested was too far-fetched. I didn’t really want to be disrespectful towards her, not now and not even in the future. I knew it would be a mistake to make a promise.

My lips stopped moving the moment I tried to speak. Instead, I opened my eyes wide.

After a few seconds and a moment of silence, Matia turned her face away from me and said the following words.

「Lugis, do you really hate me that much? 」

That was cowardly. It was beyond cowardly. Her lips were moving strangely.

「…Okay. I understand. Please give me a break now. 」

「Very well. I’ll look forward to your future answer. 」

Matia smiled beautifully as I contorted my face. More than just cute, I’d go so far as to call it beautiful. It was a smile that resembled a painting.

—

…Things are always simple, but it’s the people themselves who make them complicated.

Matia muttered this to herself as she looked at Lugis, who was sipping the sweet ale.

She didn’t show any sign of it on her face. But she couldn’t help but smile.

She probably looked so dull right now that it was hard to call her a saint. But that was fine.

Lugis was the only one who knew this expression, so it was fine for her to show it to him. And right now, she was filled with joy.

A warmth filled the depths of her chest, and a tingling sensation was beginning to form.

Matia also understood that Lugis was intentionally avoiding relationships with women.

She tried to bind him to the Heraldic Order through a man-woman relationship, but it didn’t work out.

The reasons for this, and how to deal with it, were quite simple once she knew the truth.

In short, Lugis’ soul was controlled by the witch Ariene. He had been caught in her clutches.

Martia didn’t know what happened between him and her. But she could understand that his feelings were deep. It was probably close to faith.

…But for Matia, undermining others’ faith and forcing them to submit was a daily occurrence.

Shaking their foundations, creating doubt, and leading them down a convenient path. The important thing was to make them believe that they had thought it out for themselves.

Matia’s thoughts flew nimbly as she drank with Lugis.

The first thing to do was to restrict information. All information about the witch Ariene had to be monitored before reaching Lugis’ hears. While this was relatively easy, its effectiveness would be limited.

But the Heraldic Order and the Great Holy Church were enemies, to begin with.

It was possible, just maybe, that misfortune could occur by chance.

Saint Ariene’s plan had been decided. She wanted the world to break. But Matia, oblivious to this, stared at Lugis with a warm expression on her face.

…Ah. Do you think you can defeat me in this kind of thing? Oh dear. I will never lose against you.

If you are willing to use any means necessary, then I shall use my means too. That’s because I am the crown and Lugis is the sword.

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Maybe Matia is the most cunning of all…and perhaps the most smart.

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