Episode 186: A Dagger for the Nameless You, A Nameless Flower for Thee 3
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Lou Memphis headed to the Hecate Church the day after the Majin attack, having received a summons from the Pope.
Although she was called the Maiden of Light, and while she was respected, she held no religious authority whatsoever.
When she was elevated to the position of Maiden of Light, the very first thing explained to her was the relationship between the Church and the Maiden of Light.
They had told her this:
“The Church is the Maiden of Light’s collaborator.”
A strange way to put it, she thought.
Lou drank her tea while sitting on the sofa in the room she had been shown into.
Not guardians, not comrades, but collaborators, they said.
Guardians were straightforward; the meaning was clear. Comrades would mean those who shared the same goal.
But if they were collaborators, it meant the Church was there to assist the Maiden of Light with her objectives.
Lou thought as she placed her cup back on the side table.
What would they do if my objectives conflicted with their own interests?
She didn’t have any significant goals herself, but she was alive, and she didn’t know what the future held.
She hadn’t felt anything particular when they called themselves collaborators back then, but now she questioned it.
Are they planning to make me do something, or do they want something from me?
Or perhaps, are they naively convinced that, being the Maiden of Light, I would never do anything contrary to their interests?
Lou slightly regretted not having seriously considered her own position until now.
She felt that perhaps Erica’s disappearance from the academy was also due to this Imprudence of hers. Because she hadn’t chosen to become the Maiden of Light herself, that awareness had made her avoid thinking too deeply about it.
Her belated regrets were interrupted by a soft knock.
“My apologies for keeping you waiting.”
As the Pope quietly opened the door and entered, Lou couldn’t help but give him a probing look.
Her intuition told her: this man, at least, was the furthest thing from imprudent.
“Oh? It seems I’ve angered you.”
Nothing could be read from Pope Cal’s face, which showed little sign of genuine remorse.
“No, it’s quite alright, Pope-sama. Although my journey has a time limit, I still have time. There’s still time to talk with my friends.”
Lou replied, straightening her posture.
It had been some time since she was thrown into the world of nobility, but Lou found Pope Cal difficult to deal with.
His words hold no lies, yet they are far too political. That was Lou’s assessment of the Pope.
“Is that so? I felt quite apologetic for taking up the Maiden-sama’s precious time, so your words alone are a relief.”
His words, which weren’t lies, were strangely unsettling.
“However, the reason I asked you to come to the Church today concerns the safety of that friend of yours. I believe this will be good news for you as well, Maiden-sama.”
A thought occurred to her. Could it be that I’m being threatened? Lou wondered suspiciously.
“Lady Erika Solntsalri’s life is currently in danger.”
“From you?”
She asked sarcastically, but the man’s expression was impenetrable. His face must be made of iron or something, Lou concluded.
“It wasn’t my intention, but I suppose I bear some responsibility for this situation. Shall we say, I went fishing and the catch was far larger than expected?”
Goodness me, I’ve made a mistake. The Pope even made a show of scratching his head as he muttered this.
Seeing this overly dramatic, suspicious gesture, she realized his earlier words hadn’t been a threat at all.
That was merely a request. This man was confident she would accept the request without him even needing to resort to threats.
Frustratingly, he was right. Lou silently swallowed her complaints.
Annoyingly, she could tell he wasn’t lying about anything.
If that was the case, she would indeed act for Erica’s sake.
“However, wanting to protect Lady Erika Solntsalri is truly our ‘genuine desire’.”
Suddenly, Pope Cal seemed to recall something. He shook his head with a look that suggested he couldn’t believe he’d forgotten.
“Ah, it’s Erica Longdagger now, wasn’t it? Erica Longdagger! To witness a miracle from the Age of Gods with my own eyes… As one who serves God, I tremble with joy.”
The Pope said something she couldn’t comprehend in a joking tone.
“So, what exactly do you want me to do?”
Lou, tired of the conversation, spoke bluntly. Perhaps because she had recently spent time with people who expressed their emotions directly, she found the Pope’s attitude irritating.
Even Daryl-kun acts properly like a noble, despite everything.
“I simply wish for you to use a small amount of your Authority as the Maiden of Light. That is all.”
This was the first she’d heard that the Maiden of Light possessed such a thing.
As Lou inadvertently showed her confusion, the Pope said.
“There’s no need to worry. It isn’t difficult, and it will be over quickly.”
“What happens if I refuse?”
The words stemmed from a childish rebelliousness, a feeling of being conveniently used.
Lou had expected him to brush it off with a suspicious smile, so she was surprised by the serious expression that appeared on the Pope’s face.
“Let me see… At the very least, she might no longer be able to stay in this city. Maiden-sama, I can only ask you to believe me, but there is no safer place for Lady Erica than this city.”
As always, there were no lies in his words.
This serious expression might also be entirely calculated. However, his words contained no falsehoods.
Lou sighed and nodded at Pope Cal.
She couldn’t shake the thought that she might be a fool being deceived by a con artist.
What Pope Cal had said turned out to be true.
He had asked her to use her Authority, but it ended with Lou mostly just standing there.
Feeling unsatisfied, as if she’d just been scammed, Lou opened the church door.
According to the Pope, the city’s Barrier would no longer allow Majin intrusion thanks to this, but it had ended without her understanding how it related to her Authority.
All she had done was write a single character.
But well, if this meant Erica would be safe, then that was fine.
Lou thought this as she walked along the short cobblestone path to the church gate.
If ensuring her friend’s safety came as a bonus to simply visiting her, then wasn’t it all gain?
Spotting Prince Daryl waiting for her outside the gate, Lou noticed how relieved she felt and convinced herself of this reasoning.
*** Afterword ***
Thank you always for the comments, likes, follows, stars, etc.
Currently, while I’m dealing with various life things, clutching my head and stumbling about, I reread the comments I’ve received and somehow manage to keep going.
Regarding the next update, it will be on Wednesday.
The plan is for the update next Sunday to mark the end of this arc.