BUEC 36

chapter 36

Before Yulian could even ask what was bothering him so much, Gray waved his hand and dismissed the gathered holy knights. Then, in an exceedingly polite voice, he dismissed her as well.

“Well, quite a bit of time has passed. It seems the outside has quieted down too, so shall you be on your way? The holy knights should resume the rest of their training.”

“Ah, yes… sure.”

And just like that, the holy relic briefing ended inconclusively. In truth, Yulian didn’t particularly mind. After all, it was the holy knights who were curious about the relics, not her. Watching them scatter in perfect unison at Gray’s command made her eyes sting a little.

What surprised her was Gray’s attitude. The man who had laughed it off even when she hurled insults at him—like air had gone to his lungs—had actually chased someone away. That, in itself, was unexpected.

Perhaps she had unintentionally struck a nerve. Just for a fleeting moment—right before his reflexive smile appeared—Yulian thought she had glimpsed anger in his eyes.

“Hm.”

Strangely enough, that wasn’t so bad. Yulian struggled to keep the corners of her mouth from twitching upward. Talking to him had always felt like talking to a wall, so it was oddly satisfying to discover that even that fortress-like wall had a weakness. There was a fine but unmistakable crack in the barrier surrounding him.

“Thank you for saving me this time, Sir Gray Carbon. I’ll come properly thank you next time.”

I’ll figure out what got under his skin and poke it again later. Leaving behind a refreshing smile, Yulian turned away. Watching the back of her head, Gray’s expression hardened coldly. At that moment, no one yet knew that the staff of repentance in Yulian’s arms had glimmered faintly—just for an instant.

Tap, tap.
Step, step.
Tap, tap.
Step, step.

“Do you have some business with me?”

Footsteps kept overlapping hers as she walked down the corridor. It had been that way ever since she left the holy knights’ indoor training hall. Yulian had noticed early on that someone was following her, but she deliberately pretended not to notice. She figured they’d either speak up eventually or leave on their own.

But when the mysterious person continued following her silently for five, then ten minutes, she started to feel uneasy. She was only a few steps away from her room now. You know how temple people sometimes had a screw loose.

‘You’re not worthy of our holy relic! Break up! Slap!’

She couldn’t say with certainty that something like that wouldn’t happen.

Strike first to win. Putting on a brave front, Yulian turned around—and all her tension instantly drained away when she saw the flustered-looking boy.

“Sir Nora?”

“Ah—so you remembered my name.”

“The introduction was pretty memorable. And ever since, every time we passed each other, you stared at me just as intensely.”

The one who had been sneaking after her was Nora of—Family Unknown. The holy knight who had escorted Yulian’s group away under the Knights’ League, and when asked for his name, had coyly given only his name and nothing more. When she pointed out his earlier rudeness, Nora, apparently feeling guilty, fidgeted and couldn’t meet her eyes.

“I already said this in front of everyone, but I won’t be taking individual questions about the holy relic. It’s not that I hold a grudge against you in particular. If I answer some and not others, it’s bound to cause trouble, so I’m just trying to prevent that. Don’t take it personally.”

Using a polite tone, Yulian shut down inquiries about the relic while indirectly conveying that she did have an issue with him. Picking a battle of nerves with a boy who looked at least five years younger wasn’t ideal, but Yulian wasn’t his teacher or anything. There was no reason she had to act like a mature adult.

“I didn’t follow you because of the relic.”

Nora accepted Yulian’s rebuke without excuse. He wasn’t stupid—he’d expected not to hear anything pleasant. Even so, there was something he simply couldn’t understand, no matter how he thought about it, and that was why he had followed her.

“I want to ask about your confession.”

“My confession?”

“Honestly, I can’t accept it. Why is sloth considered a sin? Isn’t sin about doing bad things? How can doing nothing be a sin? I just can’t understand it.”

Born to devout parents, Nora had decided to become a holy knight at the young age of ten. Having chosen his path early, he worked twice as hard as others and had achieved modest success. Nora and his parents took pride in that.

But if sloth was a sin—

Then all the effort he’d made so far became merely expected. His pride turned into arrogance, and the days—rare though they were—when he skipped practice or acted lazy would become karmic stains clinging to him forever.

If sloth was a sin, it meant one had to live every moment giving their absolute best. But what human could truly live like that every day? A life he’d thought of as blessed now felt more like a punishment, leaving the boy too troubled to sleep.

“Do you think you’re slothful?”

After letting Nora pour out his anxiety, Yulian paused for a moment before asking the question. Not understanding her intent, Nora looked up at her instead of answering. Yulian let out a short sigh and spoke.

“To me, the holy knights here all seem far too strict with themselves. When you’re running, it’s okay to stop and rest for a moment. If you’re tired, it’s fine to sleep earlier than usual. Wanting to rest when you’re exhausted isn’t something you can control by will alone—so how can that be wrong?”

“But when you confessed, you said—”

“But that doesn’t mean it’s okay to rest whenever you feel like it.”

Rest itself wasn’t the problem. The problem was when you rested. In a somewhat blunt but serious tone, Yulian explained to the confused Nora.

“If a gatekeeper guarding a castle falls asleep because he’s tired, thieves can break in. If a doctor stops surgery because they’re exhausted, the patient can die. If a king governing a country signs documents he hasn’t even read because he’s annoyed, a war could break out. That’s not ‘doing nothing.’ That’s siding with the worst possible outcome.”

“We call that ‘willful negligence.’”

Nora’s eyes widened at her words. Yulian was a good teacher. Her explanation was concise, persuasive, and sharply pierced the heart of the issue—even though it was her own matter.

“Everyone has a role that suits their position. I became a sinner because I failed to fulfill the duties and responsibilities that came with mine. It’s too early for you to worry.”

“I…”

“So how about you stop worrying over nothing and first climb to a position where you actually have something to be responsible for?”

Yulian lightly flicked Nora’s forehead and teased him in a cheerful voice. It was encouragement not to burden himself too much, and consideration meant to lighten the heavy atmosphere.

Blushing, Nora rubbed his forehead—even though it didn’t hurt. He felt embarrassed and sorry for having received kindness from someone he’d been rude to. He chewed on his lip for a long moment, trying to find the right words.

But before he could speak, someone else cut in, and he missed his chance.

“Where have you been wandering around, coming back only now?”

A sharp, irritated voice flew at Yulian. It was a voice she’d been hearing far too much lately, regardless of her will. Lucas looked like he’d been waiting in front of her room for quite some time. The way he spoke made it sound as though he were scolding her for being late—but to be clear, there had been no appointment.

Then Lucas alternated his gaze between Nora and Yulian, his eyes widening as if he’d seen something shocking. He glared at Yulian reproachfully. Anyone would think he’d just caught his trusted lover cheating.

“You traitor! Have you already sold yourself to the temple?!”