“…Then when will the ritual be possible?”
“Hmm… it will take some time to prepare. Right now….”
The Head Priest trailed off in a heavy voice. Since both the number of priests to prepare the ritual and the holy relics weren’t the same as before, preparation would inevitably take a long time. Van nodded with a hardened expression, catching what the Head Priest left unsaid. The Head Priest patted Van’s shoulder once, then turned his gaze back to Rowy.
“Believer? Are you alright?”
“……”
“Believer?”
“Mm…?”
Rowy’s answering voice stretched out. Blink, blink. His eyes slowly closed and opened. It was because he still hadn’t escaped the influence of divine power. The Head Priest, who had carefully observed that appearance, smiled faintly.
‘He has a constitution extremely sensitive to divine power.’
Most people don’t feel divine power at all. However, Rowy was beyond recognizing divine power—he was completely absorbing it with his whole body.
‘If it were up to me, I’d want to raise him as a priest.’
Of course, since he looks like a noble young master, it would be impossible… What a shame. The Head Priest shook his head and looked at Van again.
“Well then. Leave the ritual preparation to me. You’ll have to stay here until preparations are complete…. Before that, how about we have a meal together? The ritual is the ritual, but someone welcome has returned, hasn’t he?”
However, even at the Head Priest’s words, Van only kept his expression hardened and bowed his head. As Van showed signs of darkening again, the Head Priest clapped to refresh the atmosphere.
“What are you doing with such a gloomy face, hm? That believer is so composed.”
The Head Priest said, pointing at Rowy. Rather than composed… he was just docile because he was still intoxicated by divine power, but anyway. Still, fortunately Van came to his senses at those words. The one most anxious was actually Rowy, so wouldn’t it be right for Van at least to stand firmly by his side? Van clenched his fists tightly.
“Don’t worry. God will watch over you. Hm?”
The Head Priest kept comforting Van like that. At that kind voice, Van finally pulled up the corners of his mouth.
“…Max already said it would be good to all have a meal together.”
“You already met that Max. The others will probably come running barefoot too if they hear Daer has come.”
At those words, Van smiled bitterly. Welcoming someone who abandoned everything and left so much…. Still, when he said this much, it seemed right to meet them once and greet them. Van nodded.
“Yes, then please set a time and let me know. For me, as long as Master permits, any time is fine.”
“Good! Good thinking! Then quickly ask Master for the time… Master?”
The Head Priest, who had been readily agreeing while worried Van might dig into the ground again, stopped at the word that suddenly popped out. Master? However, Van only looked at Rowy sitting beside him. At that, the Head Priest’s gaze naturally turned toward Rowy too. So….
“Master, may we have a meal together?”
“Huh? Mm. Do as you like.”
“Thank you.”
Master…? The Head Priest fell into confusion again.
* * *
“Having a meal? Great! Then leave Rowy to me! I’ll look after him.”
Seilan, who heard about the meal, suggested first. Naturally, Rowy got annoyed at those words.
“What are you looking after? Am I a child?”
“Then? You have nowhere to go anyway. You’re going to stay alone in your room?”
“Why would I be alone? I’m going too.”
“Temple people are meeting after a long time to catch up, and you’re going to butt in?”
“Is that not allowed?”
Rowy said, glaring. Seilan looked at Rowy with disdain.
“Don’t you have any tact?”
“……”
Rowy’s expression became pouty. Yet he couldn’t say anything, so it seemed he did know he shouldn’t butt in.
“You’re not even a child, and you’re this inconsiderate. Don’t butt in there and ruin the atmosphere for no reason.”
“……”
However, unfortunately for Seilan who deliberately showed consideration… Van was on Rowy’s side anyway. Seeing Rowy’s eyes gradually grow sharp, Van quickly tucked Rowy into his side.
“I want to go together with Master. You’ll come with me, right?”
See that? Rowy, whose expression instantly changed to triumphant, clung to Van’s waist. Like that, the two left the inn stuck close together. It seemed like Seilan’s cursing could be heard from behind, but as always, neither of them cared at all.
“Is it this way?”
“Yes.”
The meeting place was a restaurant in the central plaza, and Van had memories of eating there several times before. Recalling those times, Van told Rowy.
“Come to think of it, they sell Mont Blanc here too.”
“Really? I want to eat it!”
“Yes.”
Though he’d followed because he didn’t want to send Van alone… Rowy, who would absolutely never enjoy a meal with strangers, finally smiled a little at the words Mont Blanc. As the two entered the shop on good terms like that, naturally everyone’s gazes pierced down at them.
‘Who’s that next to the Commander?’
‘Don’t know.’
Murmur murmur, a small commotion arose among the people. However, Rowy, whose mind was completely captivated by Mont Blanc, immediately ordered Mont Blanc first before even sitting down, regardless of who was looking.
“Mont Blanc!”
“How about eating your meal first?”
“No.”
And not caring about their surroundings was the same for Van too. Van, who briefly greeted familiar faces with a nod, stuck close to Rowy’s side again. It was because he had to feed Rowy dinner.
Though it was cute how his expression brightened so much over just one Mont Blanc, he still had to eat dinner. Van sneakily pushed the pre-meal bread in front of Rowy. Like that, Rowy and Van, who fell into their own world as soon as they arrived without proper greetings….
“……”
“……”
Everyone was watching with bated breath and interested eyes.
‘Anyone know who that person is?’
‘No idea.’
‘What are those two exactly?’
Countless glances were exchanged among people in an instant. However, even in that chaotic atmosphere, the two were still completely absorbed in only the Mont Blanc.
“Give it here. I’ll cut it for you.”
“Mm.”
Van, who received the quickly served Mont Blanc plate instead, carefully cut the Mont Blanc into pieces. Then he placed it on a fork and gently held it in front of Rowy’s mouth.
“……”
“……”
The temple people who had been watching even that finally couldn’t hold back and began murmuring aloud one by one.
“What? Who is that for the Commander to act like that?”
“Someone from the trading company said they’re lovers.”
“What? Lovers?”
Seilan’s unnecessarily loose lips ignited this strangely flowing atmosphere. Buzz buzz, a small commotion arose among people at the unexpected word.
“Come to think of it, Max, didn’t you say you greeted that person?”
At someone’s words, everyone’s gazes turned toward Max. At the hot gazes suddenly focused on him, Max scratched his cheek and spoke.
“Uh, I don’t know exactly either…. But I think they are lovers. The Commander was completely smitten. Even calling pet names….”
“Pet names?”
“Yes, though it’s a bit strange….”
What’s strange about pet names? Doubt appeared on everyone’s faces. And just then, Van opened his mouth.
“Please eat this first. Master.”
…Master? Is that supposed to be a pet name?
“Ugh.”
“That’s a bit….”
The gazes of people looking at the two stuck close together changed ambiguously. Even amid the gazes pouring from all directions like that, Van was still sitting closely attached to Rowy’s side, carefully attending to him.
“Eat slowly. Have some tea too.”
“Mm.”
“Carefully carefully. Isn’t it hot?”
…Making such a fuss over just eating one Mont Blanc. People’s gazes cooled a bit more.
* * *
“Head Priest, is that person really the Commander’s lover?”
Father Robert, who sat beside the Head Priest and was observing the two with interest like everyone else, asked in a small voice. At those words, the Head Priest smiled and asked back.
“How does it look to you?”
“They certainly look extremely close. …Are they really in that kind of relationship?”
“Well….”
What relationship are those two in…. The Head Priest, who took a sip of the tea in front of him, recalled the previous conversation.
‘Master? What does this mean?’
Seeing Van call Rowy Master, the Head Priest asked with a bewildered face.
‘Ah….’
Van, who had been calling Rowy Master without thinking, finally scratched his cheek with a troubled expression. Where should he start explaining this? It definitely didn’t seem like a story to lay out in detail…. Seeing Van uncharacteristically unable to speak, the Head Priest silently urged him to speak. At that, Van sighed once and opened his mouth again.
‘So, after first leaving the temple….’
Like that, Van slowly began to trace the past.
‘I went to a job that was introduced to me…. but it turned out to be a scam.’
Van said with a grave expression.
And… the story that followed was predictable.
The scammers demanded a deposit first before starting work, saying identity verification was needed. But Van couldn’t have money. When he said he had no money, they pushed loan documents at him, saying they’d lend it for now so he could pay back later. That was the beginning.
The naive Holy Knight, who hadn’t even thought that people, not demons, would deceive people, signed those documents without any suspicion… and somehow the debt that arose even before he started working kept growing with various reasons. Eventually, an utterly tear-jerking story unfolded, from being squeezed this way and that until being sold off completely.
‘Oh my, Daer. You suffered greatly.’
The Head Priest who actually heard that story wiped away tears and….
‘…He fell for that?’
Rowy, who had been entranced by divine power, snapped to his senses. It seemed he needed to stay alert if he was going to live with this naive human. In any case, the conclusion was that Rowy purchased Van after he was sold as a slave.
So if you asked what their relationship was… it would be correct to answer master and slave. However… what kind of slave looks at their master with such tender eyes? Still watching with fond eyes as they fussed over whether to feed each other or not with that damned Mont Blanc, the Head Priest opened his mouth.
“It’s my first time officiating a wedding, this is nerve-wracking.”
…It seemed their marriage was gradually becoming a fait accompli.
