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119. Childhood Friend – Cardinal Michael

At Daniel’s shout, Lena and Veronian also quickly stood up and showed their courtesy.

The manner of addressing a cardinal wasn’t much different from that of a priest; a simple sign of the cross would have sufficed, but Cardinal Michael generously smiled and waved his hand.

“That’s enough. I was merely eavesdropping because your conversation sounded so entertaining. It’s a privilege to have you not get angry at an old eavesdropper like me.”

He was dressed in a plain, unadorned white priest’s robe. Without the purple shawl that symbolizes a cardinal, one would need experience like Daniel, who frequented the church’s office, to recognize him as such. Fortunately, two holy knights stood at attention behind the cardinal, indicating to even the common folk that he was a high-ranking priest.

Lena observed him intently.

Cardinal Michael didn’t appear to be an elderly man at first glance. Despite the wrinkles that filled his hands and face, his hair hadn’t a single gray strand.

Yet, if one were to hear his actual age, no one would be able to hide their shock. He was the oldest among the four cardinals in the monastery church, or rather, the ten cardinals that existed across the continent.

When the cardinal mentioned he had overheard their discussion, Veronian flinched a little, and the cardinal reassured him as if to say he understood.

“Don’t worry. I’m not angry. It was a very interesting and constructive discussion. Having young people like you, who study so diligently in mathematics, is a great blessing for the church.”

“…I apologize. Where did you start listening from? There may have been some… disrespectful expressions.”

The cardinal smiled kindly once more and replied.

“Well… I’ve been around long enough to hear phrases like ‘the cardinal who reached the pinnacle of bureaucratization.’ You youngsters were so engrossed in your discussion that you didn’t even look back. Haha… I’m not blaming you. Yes, I am indeed the cardinal sitting atop that bureaucratic pinnacle, just below the Holy Woman herself. Since I overheard such a delightful discussion… do you have something you’d like to ask?”

Veronian’s eyes instantly sparkled. If he had something to ask, there were a ton of questions! Feeling deeply grateful for being in the monastery church again, Veronian posed his inquiry.

“Then… I would like to ask about what you mentioned earlier. You said the Holy Woman doesn’t adequately answer regarding ‘the fetters of creation’ and ‘the responsibility of creation.’ Why is that?”

“Well, it’s not that she doesn’t answer at all. She does give a response.”

Cardinal Michael sat down.

He seemed to have just come from the library, holding two books in hand.

Curious Lena noted that both books were about agriculture and livestock, and the cardinal requested four cups of water from the holy knights accompanying him.

“Hmm, how should I explain this… it might be better to just relay the Holy Woman’s words directly?”

He spoke as he recalled the past.

+ + +

“Holy Woman, has the Creator predetermined human fate? Or has He granted humans free will?”

In the moment of the ceremony that determines whether one would become a priest or a monk, a mere apprentice with only three threads approached the Holy Woman with a question.

The Holy Woman was quite an elderly lady to be called a Holy Woman.

Typically, Holy Women maintain their youth for decades, displaying a beauty whose origins no one knows, but she aged rapidly in the last few years leading up to her death.

Moreover, Holy Women don’t tend to live long, generally departing this world around the age of fifty.

“Oh? Aren’t you curious about whether you will become a priest or a monk?”

“No, I am curious. However, I thought that if I became a monk, I wouldn’t be able to ask such questions of the Holy Woman anymore. That terrifies me more.”

“You could still ask questions after becoming a monk. It would just mean fewer opportunities to meet me. Once you are assigned to this monastery, there will still be chances to meet.”

“…It is embarrassing to confess, but I wouldn’t be able to bear the agony of believing that I am not chosen by the Creator.”

Finally, words appropriate for a young man standing at a crossroads came forth, causing the Holy Woman to smile.

“Oh my, I understand. I will answer you. However, not being able to accept divine power efficiently does not mean you are unchosen by the Creator. Don’t forget that.”

“…I will keep that in mind.”

The elderly Holy Woman hesitated for a moment as she considered how to respond to this young man.

It was surprising to have an apprentice ask such a question right before a ceremony, so she decided to answer him, but the question posed by this apprentice named Michael was rather difficult to explain.

“It’s hard to pinpoint an exact answer. However… it would be more correct to say that fate is predetermined.”

“Why is that? I do not mean to complain or scoff, but are we just mere pawns of the Creator?”

“No, that’s not the case at all. The Creator has given us countless opportunities. What choices you make in those moments of opportunity is entirely up to you.”

“However, isn’t it also predetermined what kind of person I will choose to be? According to ‘the fetters of creation’…”

“Yes, that’s right. So it is correct to say that it is predetermined. But I hope you won’t think that’s all there is to it. In fact, there are subtler differences… Oh? Just a moment.”

She paused the sentence she was about to say, rolled her eyes skyward as if ‘listening’ to something, then smiled faintly.

“Haha, it seems I’m not the only one interested in you. God Binard tells me to say this: ‘Humans can make different choices even in the same moment.’ Since the Almighty has spoken, I suppose there’s no need for me to add anything.”

Young Michael felt breathless. The Almighty was reacting to his question. He asked, filled with confidence about his future.

“…I am incredibly grateful, but this is difficult to comprehend. How can one make different choices in the same moment? Does that imply that a similar situation signifies the same moment?”

“Well?”

The Holy Woman irresponsibly shrugged her shoulders. Being old and facing death, she was far beyond the decorum expected of a Holy Woman.

“God Binard merely sent word for me to relay this to you. It’s a bit different from my own thoughts, so I find it hard to understand too. God Binard is always like this. While he speaks more than other deities, …Oh! I see. I’m sorry. Let’s stop that. Ahem… now, since I’ve answered your question, shall we proceed with the ceremony?”

With a gentle smile, the Holy Woman placed her hand on Michael’s head, and this was an event that happened a full seventy years ago.

+ + +

“That’s how it was.”

“…Is that all? That humans can make different choices in the same moment?”

“Yes. I still don’t understand that statement. And I’ve had the pleasure of meeting three Holy Women. Including the Holy Woman Maryel who is here now. I asked the others, but they simply said, ‘You have already received your answer.’ and didn’t elaborate further.”

Veronian, who asked the question, along with Daniel, who sat politely, showed puzzled expressions.

However, only Lena seemed to have a clue and was frozen in place with understanding.

– Humans can make different choices in the same moment.

This was an answer Lena could accept. When she posed a question to Reb, she had experienced how choices could diverge due to the most subtle of differences.

Perhaps that night, had the campfire been warmer or the piece of meat burned in Reb’s trembling hands not been so due to the cold, the turning point might have changed.

But she chose not to share this fact. It was too trivial to explain, so Lena remained silent, and Veronian spoke.

“Then I have another question to ask. Why does the Almighty…”

“Ah, I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to answer at length right now. One question per person. Don’t be disappointed. You still have two questions left, right?”

Daniel and Lena exchanged glances.

“…I’d like to ask what our Cross Church aims to achieve at present. I’ve heard that expelling the barbarian who believes in the false god is nearly complete.”

Ultimately, Daniel was the first to ask a question, and it was a rather practical inquiry.

He had narrowly missed the ceremony this year, but next autumn, he would definitely participate and become a clergy member.

“Haha, that’s a tough question indeed. How should I answer… it’s still not officially determined, so it’s a bit awkward to respond, but,”

The cardinal’s interlocked hands tightened.

“I should say the next goal is to build cities and towns that solely worship the Almighty. Not just to construct churches…”

“And not to serve the king?”

Veronian interjected suddenly.

Even though he had said one question per person, there was keen insight in his question, prompting Cardinal Michael to ask for his name.

“Veronian. Good question. But I think it’s too early to answer that. It’s still just my personal thought and needs to be discussed with the other cardinals.”

Standing beside him, Daniel envied that the cardinal had asked for Veronian’s name and contemplated what question he might pose.

One that might be of interest to him… ‘Wouldn’t the cardinal’s opinion be rejected anyway? Didn’t you pass the motion to expel the barbarian who believes in the false god thirty years ago?’ ─ a question came to mind, but Daniel swallowed it.

That wasn’t a meaningful question; it seemed merely a display of knowledge, so he had no difficulty swallowing it.

The cardinal’s gaze finally turned to Lena. A bit hesitant, she asked.

“Is there a way for a priest to marry without breaking the church’s rules?”

Oh dear—

Veronian and Daniel unknowingly clicked their tongues. To think someone could ask such a question of a cardinal was astonishing.

But Lena was serious. It was truly something she desperately wanted to know, and there was someone right in front of her who could give a clear answer.

Is there truly no way for me to marry Reb, aside from becoming a monk and going back to my hometown…

That wouldn’t be terrible, but becoming a priest was her long-time dream, and she had proclaimed she would return as one when she left, so she wanted to fulfill her dream upon her return if possible.

Cardinal Michael stared at Lena with a somewhat flustered expression.

The question was so outrageous that he intended to just say, “No.” But upon seeing her earnest gaze, he reconsidered slightly.

“…If there were a logic to change the rules, an exception could be made. Now, I must be off. It was nice meeting you. May the Almighty guide your futures.”

The cardinal suddenly stood up.

Though he felt slightly shaken after fielding a ridiculous question at the end, he considered it a worthwhile time simply to have met an apprentice like Veronian.

‘That kind of apprentice ought to become a priest. That girl…’

Perhaps she left a lover back in her hometown. How could someone distracted in such a manner receive the Almighty’s selection?

That would be absurd.

Such a woman was fit only to be a monk. ─ thinking that, Cardinal Michael hurried toward the meeting hall, with Lena pursuing him, her will aflame.

‘As long as there’s logic to change the rules?’

She took the cardinal’s vague denial as a necessary condition.

Dreams and love, Lena didn’t want to give up either of the two.

If she had to choose, becoming a priest imbued with Reb’s hopes would be more meaningful…

‘I wonder if Reb is doing okay? Wait for me. I will definitely…’

Clenching her fist tightly, Lena resolutely turned her steps toward the library. First, she needed to examine the ancient records that forbade priestly marriage.

And at that moment, Reb was walking along the walls of Nevis.

Draped in a thick robe with a hood, resting his palm against the walls, he was no longer the virtuous young man that Lena knew from Demes village.