ABSCS 16

Chapter 16

Reunion (3)

From that day on, Cedric hovered around me.

Under the pretense of being my escort, he stayed close during meals and prayers, and even stood outside my door until I fell asleep.

What was even more ridiculous was his manner.

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Please eat.”

“Good night.”

Are you a robot or something?

I was left dumbfounded every day by Cedric’s abysmal communication skills.

The total sum of our conversations over two whole weeks amounted to just that. And no, this isn’t an exaggeration.

Still, it wasn’t in character for me to be the one starting a lively conversation.

Saint Justinas is kind to all, but also keeps a certain distance from everyone.

At this point, it’s a matter of pride.

Let’s see who holds out in silence the longest.

At first, I tried talking to him gently. Now I just maintain basic politeness.

No way he really forgot about me… there’s no way.

If he had, he wouldn’t have reacted the way he did when he first saw me.

It’s frustrating not knowing what’s going on inside his head.

This was troubling.

I had believed I had successfully triggered Cedric’s redemption arc. But if things continued like this, he might fall into darkness again, just like in the original story.

“We’re heading to the prayer room now, Sir Cedric.”

And this cursed prayer. Prayer. Prayer!

It was a great source of energy for gathering points, but this rigid lifestyle pattern left no room for conversation.

Meals in the room.

Study in the room.

Prayers in the prayer room.

Everything was done alone, holed up in my chambers, while Cedric stood outside the door. Realistically, we only saw each other face-to-face for about an hour a day.

Aside from the time spent studying, each day was mind-numbingly dull.

Get it together.

I waited ten whole years.

Waiting another month or two wouldn’t kill me.

As long as I achieve my goal, it’s all worth it.

[Main Quest]
Save one billion people.
Current: 20,512,341
Reward: Return, restoration of physical body, 1 trillion won
Penalty: ???

I stared at the status window in front of me, reaffirming my resolve.

My mind cleared.

No need to get swept away by useless emotions. What matters is how I use Cedric.

His potential is immense.

He’s a villain on par with a protagonist beloved by the world.

The words I said to him as a child left a small crack in his otherwise unshakable future.

But that alone isn’t enough.

It’s not sufficient to bind Cedric completely.

Think, Yuna.

How to use him.

How to turn him into a hero.

After much deliberation, I made a decision.

That’s it. I’ll do it that way.

I opened the door, resolute and colder than anyone.

There stood Cedric.

We walked the familiar corridor toward the prayer room. Upon reaching the private prayer room for the Saint, Cedric stepped back, as usual.

“I’ll wait here.”

“Sir Cedric.”

I called out to him.

“Would you join me in prayer today?”

A sweet trap.

“Sir Cedric, do you believe in God?”

Inside the prayer room, Cedric stared at Justinas with conflicted eyes.

How was he supposed to answer that?

The textbook response would be, “Yes.” After all, this was the territory of the Holy Kingdom, and Justinas was the chosen of God.

But Cedric had never believed in God—not once in his entire life.

That’s why whenever someone asked him this question, he always scoffed and replied, “There’s no such thing.”

“…I believe in His existence.”

But this time, what came out of his mouth was neither a yes nor a no—a lukewarm middle ground.

He believes in His existence.

He believes that God exists, but does not revere Him.

The insightful Justinas surely understood what he meant.

As a saint, she should have found the words of a nonbeliever offensive. Yet she merely smiled serenely, her expression undisturbed.

“I see.”

What followed was silence.

Kneeling before the sacred relic carved from the essence of the divine Aether, Justinas remained motionless.

The saint, veiled in white, looked so noble from behind that it was almost overwhelming. She truly looked like the embodiment of sanctity.

Standing behind her, Cedric—who thrived in shadows—felt infinitely small.

Was it because he was facing a saint?

Or because he was seeing his childhood first love again?

Or maybe both?

As Cedric pondered questions he couldn’t answer, he silently stood beside the praying saint.

And over her image, memories of the past overlapped.

She’s grown so much.

Twelve years old.

That fleeting first love, which hadn’t even had time to take root, had now grown into a twenty-two-year-old woman.

She had changed so much.

And yet, she hadn’t changed at all.

Cedric thought back to Justinas’ daily routine over the past two weeks.

She’s flawless.

Prayer and study. Simple meals.

Her only outings on weekends were to help others. Many had traveled all the way from the western edge of the continent to the Holy Kingdom, seeking her aid.

It’s nothing like the Western Continent.

The wailing trains, cold railroads, skies choked with smoke. Airships soaring overhead and gaslights illuminating the streets.

In that world full of optimism and progress, God was nothing more than a joke. Tangible science was far more valuable than an invisible deity. Religion was seen as a refuge for fools.

Raised in the Western Continent, Cedric had always believed that.

That’s why he thought the so-called “Saint” who appeared in the Holy Kingdom was a mere puppet, a political tool created by the ruling class to control the ignorant masses.

Until he came to the Eastern Continent.

“She’s the child the saint saved. If not for her, this little one wouldn’t have made it to her second birthday.”

“Saint, I want to become a priest when I grow up. I want to serve Aether and help others, just like you.”

Most people here had been helped by the saint.

Her help was seen as divine grace.

And those who received such grace lived their lives filled with gratitude.

“Aegis is a paradise. People from Terra and Aqua are eager to gain Holy Kingdom citizenship. There’s even been conflict brewing on the Aqua side because of it.”

“What about the Earth Kingdom?”

“Terra is where the saint first performed her miracles. Even the royal family there owes her a great debt. What complaints could they possibly have?”

Saint Justinas.

The longer Cedric stayed, the more he realized just how revered she was across the Eastern Continent.

“She’s the salvation God has given to us.”

That was it. That’s what it was.

Just as Cedric and the others in Shadow Paradise had once been saved by her, so too had these people.

And with that realization, a heavy weight settled on Cedric’s shoulders.

Can I… truly stand beside her?

Twelve-year-old Justinas had been his friend, but twenty-two-year-old Justinas was a spiritual pillar of an entire nation.

“I once knew a boy with the same name.”

“A long time ago…?”

“Actually, I’m from Kieto.”

And so, Cedric still hadn’t told her that he was that very boy.

At first, he had simply been too choked up by emotion to say anything. But the longer he kept quiet, the harder it became to speak.

Now, he didn’t even know how to face her. Watching her calmly walk with her cane, blind yet unbothered, made his heart ache—yet he hated himself for pitying her.

I thought I had climbed so high.

After Justinas died…

He had never stopped running.

He made money, took control of Kieto, and built a massive organization so powerful that even the nobility of the Fire and Air Nations couldn’t touch him.

He did it because he never wanted to lose someone again. Because he wanted to honor his first love, lost so meaninglessly, forever.

And yet…

In the end, I’m nothing more than a mangy hunting dog doing dirty work.

A grimy street rat.

Whenever Cedric stood before Saint Justinas, he felt like the pitiful, worthless child he once was.

And that, more than anything, hurt.

“Sir Cedric.”

A sudden voice pulled Cedric from his thoughts.

She had spoken to him during prayer. That alone was unexpected.

“Yes.”

“There’s something I want to confess.”