Chapter 200
I blinked, taken aback.
[‘The Scales that Judge Souls’ watches with bated breath.]
[‘The Manager of Creative Economics’ warns that further content is paid access.]
[‘The Language that Builds Worlds’ sighs upon glimpsing your financial state.]
[‘The Overseer of Hidden Fates’ shouts for you to stop destroying the original story if you value your life.]
Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, the atmosphere dissipated just as quickly as it had built up.
“If that was a tough question, forget I asked.”
“No, it’s not that it was hard to answer…”
I started to deny it reflexively, but I couldn’t think of a good reason to follow up with.
This is… awkward. What am I supposed to say?
I found myself, without even realizing it, mimicking Tesilid’s own habit of rubbing his face in exasperation.
He didn’t wait long for my answer. Tesilid let out a short, wry laugh and turned his gaze forward again. Then, he spoke.
“I understand.”
What do you understand?
…Of course, I couldn’t bring myself to say that out loud.
By then, his face had grown expressionless again, tinted by the fading light of the sunset.
The wind had died down, leaving the air heavy and still.
He began to speak, his voice low.
“Ailet.”
“Yeah?”
“They say I’m a prince.”
“…”
“Which would make the queen my mother and the third prince my actual brother.”
“…”
“…Ha.”
The sound that escaped him was foreign, a bitter laugh brimming with disgust—something I’d never heard from him before.
He’d never been one to laugh like that. Seeing it now made me feel… sad.
“Tesilid…”
I was about to reach out and pat his shoulder when he turned to look at me again.
“But at least there’s one good thing, Ailet.”
…A good thing?
“You know what I’ve gone through… and what I’ll go through.”
“…”
“It’s a relief that you know.”
I see. So, for once, my knowledge of your life—of all 100 timelines—brings you comfort.
Then for me, too…
“Yes.”
It’s a relief.
I’m glad that for all the painful memories you’ve had to carry alone, at least I can share them with you now.
I wanted to do something—anything—that might comfort him. So I gently reached out and began to stroke his silver hair.
Tesilid, knowing the intent behind my gesture, quietly accepted it, letting me continue.
I kept my hand moving, hoping even a little of his sorrow might be smoothed away.
Then a soft laugh brushed my ear.
“…Why are you laughing?”
“It tickles. I can’t hold it in any longer.”
…So he was holding it in.
I’d been trying my best to console him, so his comment felt a bit unfair. But somehow, I didn’t really mind.
His eyes softened, his lips curved into a genuine smile. This time, it was a real one.
For some reason, I felt a strange tickling in my own heart as well.
I took my hand away, turning my gaze back toward the front. I also decided to change the subject.
“About your name—what should we do?”
“My name?”
“Yeah. Should I call you Reminik now?”
“Just call me Tesilid. Like you do now.”
It was clear he had no intention of taking on the title of ‘prince.’
“All right. Honestly, I prefer that name too, Tesilid Argent.”
His eyes widened, and his sea-colored gaze was left fully open and round. Then, a faint smile spread across his face.
“At least there’s one person in the world who sees me in a positive light.”
“Of course.”
I replied confidently.
At this point, a good portion of my life revolves around him. I can’t exactly reject the axis of my own world.
His clear, sea-blue eyes met mine, and I offered him words of encouragement.
“So have some confidence.”
“Yeah, I’ll try.”
There was laughter in his voice as he responded.
Together, Tesilid and I continued sipping our warm drinks, gazing out at the sun sinking into the western horizon.
The peaceful memories I shared with Tesilid were precious to me.
As I felt my heart settle, calmed by the gentle scene, I heard a familiar sound.
Ding!
[<Quest> ‘Duty of the High Priest, Stage 3’ has been completed.]
The system notified me of my success in the High Priest’s third quest.
‘Oh, wow!’
The objective of this quest was to establish my own parish and build a grand temple upon it.
‘Looks like the church I asked Grandpa to build in Feronsa is finally finished!’
That means…
“Now I can actually start making money.”
“…Ailet?”
“Oh, Tesilid! It’s nothing!”
Seeing his curious expression, I clinked my mug lightly against his.
The honeyed milk tasted that much better after our little toast.
Chapter 33: Welcome to the Sanctuary of the Holy Vicar!
In the obsidian tower, a shadow loomed.
This tower, a place of magic and mystery, was both a training ground for aspiring mages and the administrative center of the Ragnaif Magocratic Republic.
Known to many simply as ‘the mage tower,’ it followed the ancient tradition that only those with unparalleled magical skill could become the Tower Lord.
Under normal circumstances, after the previous Tower Lord’s murder, the title would have gone to Moriphis Marcelion, the rightful heir.
However, Moriphis was currently detained as a hostage by the Holy Vicar, and so, Count Gast Nauzen had been appointed as the interim Tower Lord.
Count Nauzen was a seasoned mage of the Sixth Circle, though even so, he was far from capable of fully performing the Tower Lord’s duties.
Yet, his access to power came from the backing of a formidable force.
Tap, tap.
His hurried, anxious footsteps echoed on the stone steps as he climbed to the tower’s highest level.
The dome at the top was a breathtaking sight, painted with stars to resemble the night sky.
Underneath, a man with long, dark hair, dark as midnight, leisurely browsed the countless books on the shelves.
A beautiful man like a sculpture in black marble, known by many names.
To the demons and heretics, he was known as the ‘Chaos Incarnate.’
To the worshippers of the One True God, he was called the ‘Darkness Born of Light.’
And finally, to those privileged few allowed to glimpse the truths of the world, he was known as—
“I came as soon as I heard of your arrival, ‘Exile of the Cycles.'”
Count Nauzen’s voice was deferent, his head bowed low.
In his reverence, Count Nauzen’s manner resembled that of the demons.
A worshiper filled with awe.
To Nauzen, Reed was the very essence of truth, the ultimate goal of knowledge. To be in his presence was to touch the divine.
Reed, however, barely acknowledged him, still absorbed in his book.
Count Nauzen hesitated, then finally spoke.
“It has been a while, my lord. Have you been somewhere beyond this world?”
“Yes.”
Relieved by even a short response, Count Nauzen continued eagerly.
“Then you may not have heard of the latest news from Winchester. They say that the master of the Holy Sword has been revealed to be the lost second prince of the royal family! It’s a farce, a real comedy, isn’t it? Don’t you think it’s ridiculous?”
“…”
Of course, Reed didn’t laugh.
The attempt to lighten the mood had only backfired, leaving Nauzen feeling tense and awkward.
“…S-So, it seems you already knew.”
“Yes.”
For a moment, Count Nauzen could have sworn he saw Reed’s shadow glaring at him with a menacing look, an effect that left him sweating with fear.
Reed, with an exasperated sigh, pulled back the shadow, easing Nauzen’s breathing once more.
Wiping the cold sweat from his brow, Nauzen listened intently as Reed finally spoke.
“What is Ailet Rodeline up to these days?”
“Ailet Rodeline…? Oh! You mean the Holy Vicar.”
“Yes.”
“Her frontier church in Feronsa has just been completed, and the dedication ceremony is coming soon.”
“I see.”
Beyond that, Reed showed little interest. At this, Count Nauzen hesitantly asked his next question.
“So, about reclaiming the chimera researcher—what should we do?”
“Ah, yes. That garbage in Ailet Rodeline’s subspace storage.”
“Garbage… yes, quite.”
Reed paused to consider.
The last time, he’d engineered the Helkaion Dungeon Burst at the kingdom’s borders, which had resulted in an open magic stone mine.
Initially, his plan had been to provoke a full-blown conflict between the two neighboring nations over the resource.
But it seemed Ailet had managed to negotiate a peaceful resolution instead.
It was likely that, in exchange for transferring the chimera researcher, Ragnaif Magocratic Republic would forego rights to the magic stone mine.
His previous attempt to divide Winchester and the Holy See had already failed.
He couldn’t afford for the same to happen with the Republic and the Holy See.
Reed laughed, his voice a low rumble.
‘You’ve really disrupted a lot of my plans, Ailet Rodeline.’
Though he didn’t exactly know anger, a hint of madness shone in Reed’s eyes as he thought of her.
“Leave me.”
“Pardon? Ah, yes, of course.”
Nauzen dared not press further, even though the chimera researcher had gone unanswered.
Reed looked up to the massive dome, the stars gleaming down upon him like a boundless night sky.
After two days of quiet rest, Tesilid and I left the small cabin where his parents had once spent their honeymoon.
There was a report to make to the Cardinal Council regarding all that had happened in the kingdom. But I couldn’t bring Tesilid to the Holy See, knowing they’d only seek to exploit his newfound status.
The Holy See was full of people who would subject him to endless hearings and attempts to manipulate his position for their own gain.
So, I took him to Grandfather’s palace first, seeking protection under his watchful eye.
Upon seeing Tesilid, my grandfather’s eyes grew misty as he embraced him with his broad, warm chest.
“I know it’s been hard, grandson-in-law. That’s quite the revelation you had to face.”
“I’m all ri—”
“Rubbish! I can sense your anguish down to my wide lats. You don’t have to pretend you’re all right.”
“…Understood.”
After leaving Tesilid in Grandfather’s care, I headed to the Holy See alone.
The Cardinal Council reacted as expected to Tesilid’s absence.
They grumbled about his sense of duty, cast doubt on his character for not appearing, suggested his new title was already making him arrogant, and then went on about how rank meant nothing in the presence of God, and that he should yield to the Holy See’s authority…
It wasn’t until I spoke that they fell silent.
“Are you all eager to see Tesilid renounce his vows?”
“…”
Following that, I took on the role of Tesilid’s advocate, enduring a tiring, drawn-out session.
After hours of back-and-forth without a single break, I was utterly drained.
Finally, finished with my work, I exited the council chamber exhausted.
In the middle of the hallway, I encountered a familiar figure—the Commander of the Holy Knights, Clovis.
It seemed he had just returned from a long-term mission and was on his way to give a report.
“It’s been a while, Shinseonggyeong (Holy Vicar)*.”
“It has, Commander Clovis.”
Clovis was the son of Cardinal Bezalius Argent, Tesilid’s godfather.
Although they weren’t related by blood, the two were like brothers, at least in public.
Thus, news of Tesilid’s true heritage must have affected Clovis deeply.
“I heard the news. Tesilid… was Reminik all along.”
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The term Holy Vicar here is an English adaptation for the Korean title “신성경” (Shinseonggyeong). It’s a term referring to a sacred or holy figure, with 신성 (shinseong) meaning “holy” or “sacred,” and 경 (gyeong) typically translating to “scripture” or “canon.” However, in the context of titles, 경 can also convey “vicar,” “revered one,” or “holy emissary,” hence the adaptation to “Holy Vicar” in English.