“Ren. This Kirky has just recited the prayer of faith. It is a very important prayer. It contains an oath that one will speak what one truly believes. If priests break a prayer they have recited, they are dismissed. That is how truthful and devout a rite it is.”
Kirky began explaining seriously. Ren stared at the light in his eyes and asked with a jolt,
“Why would you do that?! I would’ve believed you even if you didn’t...”
“If one has faith, there is nothing to fear. You need not worry about me... but this truly feels wonderful.”
The way his eyes narrowed in a smile made him look like a purring cat. Unlike usual, Kirky seemed a little more mysterious, and calmer too.
“I told you before, didn’t I? On the day Ren collapsed in the noble garden.”
He must have meant what happened in the Kelato Territory before they came to the capital. Right, that snowy day. The day Ren had lost consciousness with his knees driven into the cold, frozen ground.
“But I guaranteed that Ren would be all right. I even winked at you.”
Ren took back the thought that he looked mysterious.
Kirky boldly blew Ren a kiss. With a wink too!
No, if he was going to act like that, why had he recited a prayer? Wasn’t he supposed to restrain himself right now?
Whether Ren was dumbfounded or not, Kirky went on speaking.
As if Ren were the only audience, despite having spoken to Veron at the beginning, Kirky did not look back at him even once.
“This Kirky never lies. In the end, that is!”
“In the end? What does that mean?”
“Hehe. The truth is, there is definitely something wrong with Ren’s body.”
“...!”
“When I first saw you, I was confused, but that day, I understood clearly too. Twisted energy is coiled inside your body, tormenting you, and even driving you toward death.”
“...Did you hide it for me? Pretending you didn’t know?”
It felt incredibly strange. Ren bit his lip without realizing it.
He remembered how anxious he had been when he woke up after collapsing in that territory. He remembered feeling relieved when Kirky said there was nothing wrong. Had that smile back then meant this? Ren had not noticed at all. It felt as if he had been played inside a performance he had never agreed to, yet gratitude for being protected rose in him too. It was a strange, peculiar feeling.
“Because Ren did not want it known! This Kirky made the best choice at the time.”
Kirky’s expression held not a speck of doubt. He did not try hard to make excuses, and simply continued saying what he wanted to say.
“But there was no lie in it. Ren’s body will become cleaner than anyone’s!”
“What does that... what does that mean? Cleaner?”
Ren let out a hollow laugh and muttered,
“Anyone listening would think you meant I’m going to get healthy.”
“That is exactly it!”
“...”
After swallowing a brief silence, Ren looked at Kirky, whose eyes were sparkling, and opened his mouth.
“Didn’t you hear what that mage said earlier?”
His words were tinged with a little self-mockery and anger.
“I did.”
“Then why are you saying that? I’m not trying to argue with you. But I don’t exactly want to hear things like that.”
“Hehe. Ren! There is no need to make such an apologetic face. I will tell you something you do not know.”
Kirky, speaking in riddles, gradually became more and more irritating. Veron merely watched him with bright, intelligent eyes. The old man’s seasoned gaze seemed to be judging whether his words were true.
“Strictly speaking, do you know that a priest’s ability stands above magic?”
Kirky smiled brightly with a proud face.
“Magic is governed by dragons, while the power priests borrow is power granted by the chief god. Dragons are higher beings, and perhaps one might say they are somewhat similar to the chief god, but they cannot dare surpass the chief god.”
Clusters of light fell from his eyes like tears. Ren pointed at them in surprise, but Kirky paid no mind.
“So the words of Kirky, successor to the chief priest, should be more credible than a mage’s words. So I shall tell you, Ren. Listen carefully.”
“...”
“Ren, whose aras is clear.”
His voice was soft as clouds.
“God does not take away so easily those whose aras is clear. If a round crown is placed upon your head, this Kirky will save you, Ren. That must surely be why God guided me to you.”
“What are you talking about right now...?”
Unable to follow the thread of the conversation, Ren asked in confusion.
“You need not understand anything. Once all the time has passed, after everything is over, you will be able to understand. Very naturally, like time flowing.”
The clusters of light pouring from his eyes like the Milky Way soon faded.
“Huuuaaah!”
Kirky let out deep, heavy breaths and whined that he was dying.
“What on earth did you just say? I didn’t understand any of it. Say it aga—”
“Hehe, Ren. Did you know?”
Ren’s face crumpled all at once. He felt as though he had never heard anything good after those words!
“When one offers a prayer of truth, the memory disappears! In other words, I do not know what I said. But I am sure it was something good. I must have prayed for Ren’s future, or for your past! What is certain is this: Ren, you will move forward from now on, growing stronger and stronger!”
When Kirky shouted proudly with a deeply satisfied face, Ren completely lost the will to grab him and hit him.
“Kirky, do you know you’re seriously ridiculous?”
When Ren imitated his way of speaking, Kirky burst into loud laughter. Looking at his smiling face, Ren quickly forgot the words Kirky had said.
Those words that would one day approach him like a prophecy.
“I have no idea what he meant.”
Ren came down the mansion stairs while holding the old man’s hand. This grand mansion was so large that simply descending the stairs took quite a while. Worried about the old man’s knees, Ren walked slowly, but the old apothecary’s steps looked more comfortable than Ren’s. Ren’s expression turned subtle as he looked at the old man’s legs.
“Do you understand, old man?”
After saying all that, Kirky had annoyingly left the room before Ren could ask anything in more detail. Ren, who had forgotten those words soon enough, suddenly asked the old man while getting ready to go out and walking downstairs. Since the old apothecary had heard Kirky speak with him, being older, he might have noticed something Ren had missed.
“The priest’s words were too difficult for me to understand.”
The old apothecary clicked his tongue with a regretful expression.
“Right? Still, how did I end up knowing a priest?”
Ren chattered in a newly amazed tone.
When they finished descending the stairs, Coco was waiting below, dressed to the nines. Her long purple hair had been rolled up in a round style, and glittering jeweled ornaments were tucked into it. Her pale purple dress looked much lighter to match the weather, and she had draped a thick shawl over it. Her necklace and rings also glittered in the light. Ren unconsciously thought that if he sold just one of those, he could live in his shack for more than a year. His eyes grew watery as he stared at the jewels.
Coco, who had been speaking with the mansion’s butler with a somewhat serious face, seemed to sense their presence and turned to Ren.
“Why are you only coming now? Ren, you really need to learn some manners. Do you think being handsome is enough? Who makes a lady wait?”
Coco, opening her eyes in a prim little glare, scolded Ren. Even when the old man called beside him, “Ren,” Ren still wore a dazed expression.
“What? Why aren’t you reacting?”
After giving the old apothecary a small bow in greeting, Coco frowned when she saw Ren did not answer. Then she noticed his gaze was fixed on her jewels and sighed.
Coco approached Ren, seemed to hesitate for a moment, then took off one of the rings on her hand. She wore rings on both hands—thumb and middle finger, index and little finger—so even after removing one, her finger did not look bare. After taking off an emerald ring, Coco abruptly grabbed Ren’s hand and slipped it on.
Ren’s face flushed bright red. He tried to take the ring off while his mouth twitched as if to say something, but Coco cut him off.
“Hurry up, let’s go! I reserved a restaurant. It’ll be food a country bumpkin like you has never even seen before.”
“What kind of thing is that to call someone?”
“Stop grumbling and just follow me!”
Coco swiftly hooked her arm through Ren’s. Ren’s body stiffened briefly from the awkwardness, then relaxed, and he matched his steps to hers as they walked together.
