Hero’s Downfall Report

19 – Report on the Fall of Innocence (6)

The two of them talked for quite a while. With only what they had learned now, they couldn’t know the whole picture. That’s why they tried to grasp at least the outline of the situation. That way, they would be able to gain a lot in the interrogation with the inquisitor and the high ranks of the knighthood tomorrow.

Both the church and the empire protect the heroes. Both groups seem to be unaware of the current situation. The only difference is in how they handle it.

The Empire chose Cain and Lily as investigators. They were free from the influence of the nobles who could have an impact on the royal family and the Empire.

Cain was not a noble and did not reveal his hometown. That means he did not receive threats like, “If you don’t listen to me, I can’t guarantee the well-being of your parents in your hometown.”

Lily was similar. The Crimson Knights were essentially an independent armed group within the Empire. They had neither good nor bad relations with the nobles, and although they were loyal to the Empire, they did not obey like the Imperial Army. However, if someone other than the emperor tried to mess with them, they would never stay quiet.

Furthermore, the members of the Crimson Knights were entrusted with secret protection missions. With Lily by their side, at least they wouldn’t be attacked first.

So, the Empire aimed for an “investigation that is completely independent and uninfluenced by anyone.”

On the other hand, it seems that the Church’s approach focuses on “elevating the authority of the Pope and controlling the situation.”

Unlike the Empire, they haven’t yet achieved such influence. The confusion between the Church and the Pope is evident from the fact that they confined the chaste knight William and the victims in the closed monastery.

Instead, they entered a procedure called “Shiseong.” To be ordained as an adult, extensive investigation of the person’s life is required.

All the records, actions, miracles performed, evaluations by others, and everything since birth. All investigations will become legal and there will be no limits to their scope. At least it will be information that anyone in a high position in the Church can see.

Either because the power structure is too complex to have masquerades, or because the Pope’s authority is not as strong as before, or because the matter is so serious that it cannot be hidden.

Cain and Lily saw the third possibility as the most likely. The fact that the Church voluntarily intervened in the Empire and requested protection from the Holy Grail Knights, who are known to have a bad relationship with the Church, and the Crimson Knights of the Empire, is evidence of that.

Moreover, by helping the Empire, which is suffering from headaches due to the high-handed knights, they clearly showed how much the Church is being chased.

“But still, he’s an amazing old man.”

It was not sarcasm, but a genuine exclamation from Cain’s heart. The Pope is a cunning politician.

He blocked any rumors or information about the investigation of the heroes through “Shiseong.”

All the investigation results will go into the hands of the Pope, and the control of rumors and information will also change according to the Pope’s instructions. If there were many rumors or if there were many secrets, the Pope’s authority would have decreased. Now, he has taken the lead in spreading false information and deliberate rumors.

If there are no problems with the Seven Heroes, they will simply be ordained as adults. If there are problems, he will gracefully withdraw, saying, “It is unprecedented to respect a living person as an adult,” and then cover up the revealed issues.

It’s a trick to reduce political burdens and maintain the Pope’s leadership.

The reason it’s a trick is that it’s not the right way. The fact that he resorts to tricks is also evidence that there is no proper way for the Pope. The “Shiseong” procedure is only for buying time, and the truth lies in trying to understand the situation of “what exactly happened.”

“The Pope knows how to handle secret intelligence organizations. It seems that unless you are the person sitting at the top, you are confusing people so that no one can see the whole picture. He mixed everything up so that no one can tell what is a trick and what is chaos.”

“Why would doing that be advantageous? What I don’t know, I don’t know. If you say it like that…”

“Because exposing weaknesses openly is not something they’d do. At the very least, even the Empire, if the Pope finds out something unknown, it can be used as a negotiation card.”

Lily, who gathered her knees, complained.

“I don’t like it. We work tirelessly, endure unimaginable situations, and run in the field. And His Holiness intentionally stirs up muddy water, almost blurring our vision. It feels like we’ve become mudfish or something.”

“Well, so what? Mudfish hide in muddy water to protect themselves. If we wait, it will settle on its own, and we just have to wait patiently. It’s frustrating and dizzying, but we learned a lot today. We can learn more tomorrow.”

Cain tapped the blanket with his fingers. What can be known in the current situation has already been uncovered. Beyond this point lies speculation and imagination based on weak facts. Imagination is free, but prejudice should not be born.

“Let’s stop here for today. It seems sufficient. We’ll have to talk with the church people about the rest tomorrow.”

“Understood. You’ve worked hard.”

“You too.”

While Cain closed his eyes, Lily rummaged through her bag for a while.

“Is there more to do?”

“Oh. Yes. Oil…”

The upper part of the heavy chainmail brushed against her chest. In Cain’s mind, Lily’s collarbone came vividly into view.

“Should I make room for you?”

“No, it’s not necessary. I can do it quickly.”

Cain looked towards the wall and lay down. This room had no candles, and the moonlight was the only illumination. Perhaps because of that, Lily seemed to struggle a bit. However, soon there was the sound of a clink, the sound of a cork opening, and…

“Oh…”

Followed by an awkward moan.

“Why. What happened.”

“I… spilled a little.”

“Spilled on the floor?”

“It didn’t spill… but my clothes got a bit wet. Not wet enough to change, though. Ah…”

Cain flipped the towel over his head.

“Make yourself comfortable.”

“I apologize for disturbing your rest.”

“You haven’t slept yet.”

The towel was thin, and outside was excessively quiet. Not even the sound of the wind could be heard. Consequently, the sound of fabric falling to the floor echoed loudly. It felt like someone was crunching dry leaves in your ear.

Rustle… rustle… the sound of skin touching skin. A shallow moan of “Ugh, huh…” It seemed like there were many sore spots. Anyone would react that way when cold oil touches numerous bruises.

With every rustling sound, the scent of olives filled the air. As the cold oil rose to body temperature, it emitted its own unique fragrance. The more you rubbed the oil gently between your fingers and chest, the more the scent spread.

“Hmm…”

Cain thought, when will this end. He glanced back discreetly. Fortunately, Lily was sitting with her back turned, her shirt laid aside. Her long, flowing blonde hair gathered to the right shoulder. She was gently and slowly sweeping down her skin.

And then Cain saw it. Countless scars on Lily’s back. Images of those who suffered in pain at the church during the day involuntarily flashed in his mind.

Whip marks. Burn marks. Knife marks. Stitched wounds. Would pulling wings forcibly from an angel’s back result in something like that? The persistent moonlight burned as if urging to look closely.

“…I understand it well from experiencing many beatings.”

Lily had said that. ‘I should have noticed when the weapon was a ‘sword case.” If the visible scars were like that, the inside must be even deeper.

Was her back really that slender?

It was an absurd thought. Lily was taller than Cain. Of course, it was because of her long legs, but she never seemed small enough to be held in his arms.

“It’s because of the olive scent.” Cain thought. “It’s because of the warm olive scent mixed with the body odor.”

So, what Lily looked like she was glancing over her shoulder at him, what felt like their eyes meeting,

The Lily who dampened her head, the Lily who swept her chest from top to bottom with a flick, flick of her two hands. Because of that, the contours of her chest, shining with oil, couldn’t be hidden even with her back.

“The moon must be playing tricks.”

Cain forced himself to look up. He heard Lily’s soft sigh as she picked up her clothes and the sound of her body settling into the blanket.

“Are you awake?”

The murmuring sound, as if afraid of waking him up.

“Yes.”

“You were making noise.”

“No.”

“Are you really going to stop?”

“Yes.”

“Please hold my hand.”

“Huh?”

His head was already spinning. Cain wanted to gather his thoughts. Lily’s voice was as gentle as oil.

“Besides, you don’t see me as a woman anyway. Once this is over, won’t you stop? Then, before you leave, can’t you lend a hand to a colleague?”

“Do colleagues have to do that for each other?”

“…Honestly, can I…tell you?”

“Yes.”

“Bad memories keep coming back.”

Silence settled in the moonlight. Lily slowly reached out her hand.

“The wounds, the scars that the people inside me have, they’ve been there for so long. I’ve been holding them in since earlier… I don’t think I can sleep like this. I don’t want to remember the bad memories anymore.”

If only he hadn’t looked at her back, it would have been easier to refuse. If he hadn’t seen her crying behind the pillar, he would have told her not to make a funny sound.

Cain decided to think of it simply. What’s so difficult about helping someone who’s drained, holding their hand?

In a lying-down position, he couldn’t reach out his hand. So, Cain lay straight and extended his left hand outside the blanket.

Lily, who was pressed against Cain’s side, reached out her right hand and held it somewhat tenderly. It was still slippery and ticklish, probably because there was still oil on it, warm, and moist.

“Are you not going to do something mischievous?”

Lily asked teasingly. Cain let out a dry laugh.

“Don’t you trust me too much?”

“I do. This is a ‘monastery,’ after all. As always… you’ll abide by the rules. Right?”

“Yeah.”

Lily was right. This is a monastery. Unlike a knight’s camp where you might set up tents freely, this is a proper accommodation for monks. It would be impolite to pour out desires in a place like this.

“Yeah, it’s a ‘monastery.'”

“Thank you.”

“Now, now.”

Lily fell asleep quickly. Even the large chest that the blanket couldn’t fully cover moved gently. But Cain didn’t let go of her hand. He held it tightly, fingers gripping all the way. When Cain loosened his grip, only then did Lily also release her hold.

‘Because it’s a monastery, I thought nothing would happen so naively. Or did I deliberately think that while knowing everything? If it’s not that, was I looking at it strangely?’

Cain’s eyes gradually closed. He had seen too much today, heard too much. In addition to what he saw and heard, even the smell was unfamiliar.

How much did darkness reveal, and how much did light conceal?

The roots of the secret are deep, and the grown evil is so high that it’s hard to even look up.

The tip of the nose senses a sweet and pungent smell, mixed with the scent of oily flesh.

What fills the palm is a sticky yet pleasantly warm body temperature.

The walls are stone, the bed mattress is coarse fabric, the pillow is a cushion, but the person lying next to him is a living and breathing kind soul.

It was dizzying. It was complicated. Cain fell into sleep just wanting to escape.

In his dream, he saw Lily. Naked, fully exposed. Smooth body glistening under the moonlight, covered in olive oil.

But her face was not visible. It was hidden in the shadows. In that state, she slowly sank, lying in the swamp.

Cain struggled to hold and pull Lily out. But Lily couldn’t escape. Instead, she held onto Cain. She wrapped her arms around his back and entwined her legs with his.

The swamp seemed to endlessly swallow them as if it were a bed.

“Kairos. Let’s go. To the worse side.”

It was no longer Lily. It was a shadow. A shadow in a dress. A shadow with spreading dark stains.

Cain thrashed. He groaned and screamed. The shadow twisted grotesquely, smiling. It was hard to breathe.

– It’s okay.

Something firm yet soft and tender touched his face. It was warm and comforting. Shivering in the cold, like a sleeping person curling up, Cain instinctively sought warmth.

– It’s okay. You’re okay.

Something soft and warm settled over his whole body. Cain felt like he was melting. It seemed safe here.

– I’m here. I won’t leave. Don’t leave. Please don’t go.

A pleasant confinement.

– Don’t abandon me.

The next morning, Cain couldn’t remember the dream. The sheets were untangled, and he was drenched in sweat.

Lily slept deeply by the window like a doll on a spring day, her clothes soaked as well. It was such a hot night. It was strange.

Cain didn’t bother to wake Lily.

* * * * *

After a quick wash and breakfast at the restaurant, the two of them sat on a sun-warmed rock, and the knight they had seen yesterday approached. His face was bruised. It seemed he had been badly beaten the night before.

With an uncertain pronunciation, he relayed that the inquisitor would arrive at 10 a.m. and the senior officials of the Order would come in the afternoon. He said they might be late because they were bringing additional supplies and more manpower.

“Have a good day.”

Cain grabbed the apprentice who was trying to leave while greeting him.

“Why did you get hit so badly? It seems too severe.”

The apprentice knight was at a loss for words. He glanced around at the other knights and novices passing by. Lily intervened as if she was worried.

“That’s right. Even though the Order is like that…”

“It’s training.”

The apprentice knight forced a sad smile.

“We all go through this. Learning obedience and how to command obedience, discipline… learning how to survive on the battlefield where one mistake could mean death. Other knights have gone through this too, I can’t show weakness alone.”

“Even so, I’ve never seen anyone get hit as badly as you.”

Cain and Lily had seen the senior knights and apprentice knights getting scolded or hit by the other knights. But they hadn’t seen anyone being hit as severely as the man in front of them.

The apprentice knight’s hand trembled. He tried to smile, but it was forced.

“Lord Sangju treats me well, that’s why. Not just anyone can become Lord Sangju’s apprentice or a senior knight.”

“Why? Why do you endure it like that?”

Cain frowned. The apprentice knight now seemed a little shaken up to his chin. It seemed to be because of an obsessive urge to return quickly.

“…To become a Holy Knight.”

“I understand.”

The apprentice knight nodded, greeted with a bow, and left. His sorrowful expression looked sad.

Cain recognized that kind of look. It was the eyes of a beast of burden that pulled a load until it collapsed and died from exhaustion, with a heart about to burst. It was the eyes of a burdened horse that couldn’t even rebel when struck by a whip from a mahout.

“Do all Holy Knights end up like that?”

“I don’t know.” Lily’s voice sank low.

“But even so, that doesn’t make you a good knight. Patience is a virtue of a knight, but… that kind of… that kind of behavior is not.”

Lily tilted her head as if trying to shake off bad memories.

“No, it shouldn’t.”

“I think the same.”

Cain stood up, tapping the ground with his staff.

At ten in the morning, the chief inquisitor really arrived. Without even taking off his hood, he gestured to Cain and Lily.

“Let me see you for a moment. Let’s talk the three of us.”