Chapter 528

Lacey put in a lot of effort to help me recover as quickly as possible.

She spared no expense, using all sorts of medicinal herbs that were said to replenish energy, and even consumed top-grade holy water like it was nothing. She even placed a divine artifact, said to carry the blessing of Elpinel, by my bedside.

It was said to drive away negative energy and boost vitality. Apparently, former Cardinal Drexler had been using it for his health management.

“Is it really okay to leave something like this here? It seems like he needs it more than I do.”

The last time I saw him, he looked like he was on his last legs. If we take this away, he might just go meet Elpinel right away.

…Surely, that’s not what she’s hoping for.

Now that the Elpinel Church Order is fully under control, it might be cleaner and less troublesome for the former cardinal to “pass on” rather than “recover”… or so I thought, but I doubt that’s the case.

…Right?

“Cardinal Drexler is doing fine now. Since he laid down all his duties and started recuperating at a secluded villa on a remote island, his health has been improving day by day.”

“Really…?”

Isn’t sending a powerful figure to a remote island more like exile than recuperation?

“Yes. While we can’t reinstate him, he can now live out his days without any worries, so I’m sure Cardinal Drexler is satisfied.”

With a gentle smile, Lacey confidently declared that Drexler would spend the rest of his life on that island.

As long as he doesn’t leave the island, all his needs will be met, so he can live out his remaining years without any lack.

“We should have done this sooner. Cardinal Drexler had a bad habit of overworking himself without caring for his health. When he was younger, it might have been fine, but now that he’s older, he needs to take care of himself. Sir Richard will take over his duties, so Cardinal Drexler can enjoy his retirement in peace.”

Her tone was like that of a granddaughter giving her elderly grandfather a retirement gift.

Perhaps Lacey genuinely believed that. When asked if it was necessary to confine him to the island, she replied that if he had contact with the outside world, he would take on his duties again and overwork himself both mentally and physically, so it was necessary.

—

I spent nearly half a month lying or sitting in bed.

The only thing I could do was replay the combat sensations I felt while hunting demons in my head. It was an incredibly boring time.

If my acquaintances hadn’t visited my hospital room to keep me company, I might have succumbed to boredom and fused with the bed, becoming the progenitor of a new race of half-human, half-bed beings.

Milia and Damien, having gained some insight from their fight with Eljure, often brought up the topic of the Realm of Heroes whenever they had the chance.

They asked what specifically changes when one becomes a master, or how to turn one’s soul into power, and so on.

“So… accumulated feats that surpass previous limits strengthen not just the body but the soul itself…? Something like that.”

I explained what I knew, but since the realm of turning one’s soul into power through feats is more about sensation than theory, I wasn’t sure if my explanation got through.

Even I thought my explanation of the Heroic Tale sounded like grasping at clouds.

“A soul stronger than that of an ordinary person, with beliefs, desires, wishes, or values melted into the feats, manifesting in a concrete form…? It’s like your deepest desires or fundamental thoughts are realized, albeit limited to combat.”

“That’s kind of vague… It feels like I almost get it, but not quite. It’s like my brain is itching.”

“That’s how enlightenment is. If you’re ready to reach the Realm of Heroes, you’ll naturally understand someday.”

If one could perfectly grasp it just from someone else’s explanation, it wouldn’t be called enlightenment. If that were possible, everyone and their dog would be a hero.

Since the ideologies within souls differ from person to person, one must ultimately ponder their own essence to break through the wall.

—

Damien and Milia were almost inseparable, but there were times when they had to attend to personal matters separately. It was during one of these times that Damien visited my hospital room alone.

I greeted him while leaning against the head of the bed.

Perhaps he had something to say that he couldn’t bring up in front of Milia. After hesitating for a moment, Damien revealed why he had come to see me alone.

His secret… that he had been mimicking emotions because he couldn’t feel them, and that Milia knew about it.

Shocked, I pressed for details and learned that Milia had declared it in front of Eljure, as if making a vow to herself.

I felt almost foolish for agonizing over whether to tell Milia Damien’s secret or keep it hidden, as Milia had already accepted it and come to her own conclusion.

I wasn’t sure whether to be proud or to say that love was too heavy, but at least one worry was off my mind.

“So, what’s the problem? If Milia understands and accepts it, isn’t that a good thing?”

If one source of anxiety is gone, shouldn’t you be happy? Why are you making such a serious face?

Of course, that face is just another mimicry. Still, the fact that he’s making such an expression means there’s something serious going on.

Damien’s expression isn’t about hiding his true feelings and showing false ones, but rather about creating an expression he deems appropriate for the situation based on his experience and observation.

“It’s just… since that day, Milia has been refusing contraception…”

…What did I just hear?

Even though I hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol, a sudden headache made me feel as dizzy as if I were drunk.

Contraception, huh…? Well, that is a serious issue. If Milia were to get pregnant, it would leave a major gap in our combat strength.

Given Milia’s personality, she wouldn’t entrust the child to a nanny or someone else; she’d stick by its side and care for it with all her heart.

But.

“So, what do you want me to do about it…?”

I placed a hand on my forehead to soothe the dizziness, let out a deep sigh, and bowed my head.

What does this guy think of me to come here for this kind of advice?

Even if we’re friends rather than superior and subordinate, this isn’t something you discuss with a friend of the opposite sex. There’s nothing more uncomfortable than hearing about your acquaintances’ nighttime activities.

Then again, he’s never been one to pick up on such cues, so what can you do?

“Sorry, but I can’t give you advice on that. Matters of private life should be handled by the people involved. Do I have to plan your family life too?”

I kicked Damien out of the hospital room. There was nothing I could say. It’s not like I could intervene in every little detail of their lives.

If I said something, Milia would probably follow it, but if that’s her choice, then as a friend, I should respect it.

—

It wasn’t just my acquaintances who visited my hospital room. To be precise, there was one person who wasn’t an acquaintance mixed in.

A priestess named Bethania. A healing priest sent by the Astraea Church Order, and an education officer who came to teach me doctrine in place of Seilon, who was recuperating.

“Doctrine education? Sorry, but I don’t need it.”

Of course, I tried to refuse. Even though I had received Astraea’s Holy Mark, I had no intention of joining the church and becoming a paladin.

I’d rather spend that time watching my comrades spar and smoking cigarettes than memorizing tedious doctrines.

However, unfortunately, Bethania wasn’t someone who would take no for an answer.

“I see…”

As soon as I refused the doctrine education, she bowed her head deeply and pulled out a leather whip from her robe.

Thinking she might actually whip me, I instinctively prepared to counterattack, but instead, she undid her priestly robes and whipped her own back. Hard enough to draw blood.

I flinched in shock.

“Hey, what are you doing…!”

“To think I can’t even convey the words of Astraea to the Saintess who has received her Holy Mark… I can’t face the cardinals while alive, nor can I raise my head to the goddess after death… It must be because I’m lacking…!”

With a mournful tone, Bethania whipped her back while sobbing. Her pure white back quickly turned red, with blood streaming from the torn flesh.

“Alright, I’ll learn, I’ll learn!”

I barely managed to grab her hand with my weakened arm and, after negotiating to listen to the doctrine education, stopped her self-harm.

Even though I didn’t know her, she had diligently treated me while I was unconscious, and I wasn’t heartless enough to ignore someone tearing their own back apart in front of me.

If she had asked me to fully join the Astraea Church Order, that would be one thing, but listening to some doctrine was a compromise I could make.

“Thank you. Astraea will surely be pleased with your choice, Saintess.”

As I watched Bethania stop her self-harm and offer a prayer, I let out a deep sigh in my heart.

Ernliter, that guy. He said he’d send a healing priest, but instead, he sent a lunatic fanatic. A sigh escaped me involuntarily.

—

It took half a month after waking up for me to recover enough to walk around. Of course, it was only to the extent of moving like an ordinary person; combat was still out of the question.

I wandered around St. Eluniel Cathedral in a light gown instead of my armor, which had been completely destroyed, to relieve my boredom.

I visited Rana, who was practicing healing miracles, to praise her for her efforts, discussed future plans with Lacey, and watched Nigel and Leonor spar as part of their rehabilitation.

And then, listening to the doctrines of the Astraea Church Order from Bethania and giving appropriate responses became part of my daily routine.