Volume 8, Chapter 195: Before the Ceremony
The joint meeting of the Heraldic Order and Ghazalia was mostly peaceful, although some fiery flames scattered here and there. Despite some tension, the joint meeting safely reached the end.
Originally, there was no objection in using both the Heraldic Order and Ghazalia’s power to go up against the Great Holy Church. Both of them knew that surrendering to the Great Holy Church was not an option.
Then, all they had to do was set a policy and guide it. Of course, both sides had their own opinions on the matter, not agreeing on some aspects at the meeting. However, overall, the meeting went well, as they reached an amicable deal. Largud Ann understood that the meeting ended without any problems, at least in a general sense.
Only one concern remained.
「Saint Matia…About Lord Hero, you see. What are you going to do about Lord Lugis?」
Ann moved her lips while placing a bunch of parchments on her desk at the office.
After all, that part wasn’t clearly stated during the meeting. Only some arrangements and contracts had been signed with Lugis. Of course, Matia or Eldith did not want things to end up in speculation. Both of them had clear intentions.
Matia sat deeply in her office chair. She slowly opened her eyes and said.
「I will make him a hero, of course. There is no room for discussion anymore.」
Matia affirmed it with a sharp tone. Ann’s cheeks were slightly red by her words. Somewhere, it seemed like her chest was burning.
Until now, Ann used to refer to Lugis as a hero, but in reality, Lugis did not get such position.
Neither the Heraldic Order nor Ghazalia officially gave Lugis the title of hero or great knight.
Anyway, Ann knew that if someone brought this subject, Lugis would show some sort of trouble and avoid it as if that subject never existed. Actually, it was not as if he had no desire to rise, but when he was exposed to the light of prosperity, he would show a fox-like alertness and run off immediately. That was the human being named Lugis.
Ann stroked her lips with her fingers, while thinking about the time when she first met him until now.
「Lugis saved me in the battle to recapture Garoua Maria. He also did a great in Ghazalia. In addition, this time, he made a great achievement by bringing down the mercenary city of Belfein. It’s more than enough to give him the title of hero.」
“With this, he won’t be easily crushed by his opponents.” She didn’t actually say that, but Ann wondered if such words appeared in the heart of Saint Matia.
In the Heraldic Order, there were voices that greatly praised the human being Lugis, but there were other voices that seemed scorn him as well. After all, Lugis’ actions were too outlandish. Lugis often reached out for choices that only concerned him. His actions were too difficult for ordinary people to understand.
There were countless times when Ann felt overwhelmed by Lugis’ uncontrolled and reckless behavior. It was not weird to see some people have doubts about his role in the organization. Most people thought that his existence was not desirable. He was in fact a risk factor.
But Matia said she would make Lugis a hero even if the odds were against him.
「His thoughts were well understood at today’s meeting. If we handle things badly, he will fly away like a butterfly and run to somewhere unknown…And I have no intention of doing anything bad. That’s why I stole the promise from him today.」
Ann wondered if the real meeting was not the joint meeting of the Heraldic Order and Ghazalia, but a meeting to discuss Lugis’ fate. Ann stared at the large amount of recording parchments piled up in front of her. She distorted her cheeks. Then, she pressed her cheeks with her fingers to correct her expression.
Those few hours were certainly intense and fiery. It was the most serious meeting that Ann had ever experienced.
Saint Matia, Fin Eldith, Caria Burdnick and Filaret La Volgograd. The accumulation of their words, which were far from being mediocre, was all recorded on these recording parchments. In a way, it was spectacular.
“…Most of all, their hidden purpose was to acknowledge him as a hero.”
Ann knew it was not a calculation or utilitarianism, but an emotion that burned in their hearts. When it came to Saint Matia, she had a face that Ann had never seen before and a voice that Ann had never heard before.
Ann thought that if that behavior was Matia’s original self, then she would surely despise the Saint.
After all, it was Matia who kept her act with calculation and reason in the first place. These teachings were craved in her skull so deeply that she believed and worshiped the Saint with all her might. But when the chaotic emotions began to emerge in Matia’s chest, by changing her words and facial expressions, Ann began to question her beliefs.
“Yes, I think I should look down on Saint Matia.” Ann understood that was probably the right thing to do.
“But why? I just don’t feel like doing it.”
Of course, it would not be possible for Ann to easily give up on the Saint after respecting her for a long time. Good-hearted feelings such as righteousness and compassion were breathing in her soul. Ann certainly felt those feelings.
However, the essence itself was different. It was somewhere else. Ann pressed her cheeks with her fingers again, which were about to distort.
During that meeting, they invoked spear-sharp gazes and overwhelming words toward the hero, who looked speechless as if he had been put in a difficult situation.
Ann remembered well that the air became heavy and the space shook every time a word was released.
But Ann’s chest made a noise when she saw Lugis’ troubled expression. In that situation, she felt like smiling despite the ongoing tension. At that time, Ann had the following thoughts.
“…Ahh, how fun would it be to hunt down the Lord Hero.”
So Ann did not want to look down on Matia after witnessing her current behavior. Something hotter than that filled the viscous emotions distorting her heart.
Also, her cheeks swayed. Ann put her fingers on her face and fixed her expression.
「Maybe Ghazalia is thinking about the same thing. Ann, please prepare the ceremony for the day after tomorrow. I will give him the title of hero… I will give him a suitable title as someone part of the Heraldic Order.」
With her rippling lips, Saint Matia headed for her office desk.
“A suitable title as someone part of the Heraldic Order…”
“I see.” Ann muttered silently in her heart upon hearing the Saint’s idea. It seemed she did not even consider those who opposed putting Lugis in the position of a hero.
The ceremony was a gathering from people of the Heraldic Order and Ghazalia, which they scheduled two days after the joint meeting took place. It was also the form of an official wish for the eternal friendship and victory between each other.
It was no secret since they discussed it at the meeting that took place today. Undoubtedly public, it would be inscribed in the history of Heraldics and Ghazalians. Among the events inscribed in history would be when Matia makes Lugis a hero. For a brief moment, Ann imagined the opposition along with the turmoil of Fin Eldith’s chest. That scenario alone made Ann’s spine quiver.
“But well, that’s okay.” In fact, even in Ann’s chest, the idea that it was best to hand over Lugis to Ghazalia was beginning to fade.
Ann herself did not know whether it was because of Saint Matia’s intentions, or if it was in line with other foolish sentiments.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l