The ‘groups’ exposed in various content were typically depicted as corrupt and depraved. Just like how most politicians and conglomerates appearing in movies and dramas were rotten to the core. Games were no exception, and groups with ‘religion’ as their purpose were especially portrayed that way. So Ban didn’t think the Church was a completely sacred and transparent organization either.
Of course, at least the Church faithfully tried to uphold doctrines and regulations like protecting the world or praying for peace. But that didn’t mean they were perfect.
Even Priest Winod was like that. On the outside, he seemed like a devout and strict priest, but in reality, he liked to keep up appearances and discriminated in how he treated people. He was kind to those with power or connections to such people, but harsh and cold to orphans like Tishi.
That alone couldn’t be said to make Winod completely bad. It was natural for humans to have duality, and it wasn’t as if Winod had done anything as terrible as killing or beating and tormenting people. Well, now that he thought about it, maybe the fact that Winod ignored Tishi despite him also being an orphan while struggling nervously around Ban might have been a hint.
Not just Winod, but what Ban wanted to say was that other priests of the Serka Church could ultimately use any means necessary for one great purpose. For the greater good, the small could be discarded at any time. To prevent calamity, to prevent destruction… deceiving a child close to prophecy would be nothing.
“B-Ban…….”
“Don’t you know that reacting like that only makes me more certain?”
He should have just brazenly said he didn’t know what Ban was talking about. Feeling deflated, Ban let out a hollow laugh, and Winod, flustered and not knowing what to do, hurriedly brought out excuses.
“I… I don’t know much about this matter. It was all the Church… it was something the High Priest guided! I found out relatively recently, truly! And what did it matter anyway? You weren’t the savior of the prophecy anyway!”
“The savior of the prophecy…….”
Ban muttered, repeating Winod’s words. I wasn’t the savior of the prophecy? No, that was just what Winod believed—Ban knew that he really was the savior of the prophecy that Serka spoke of.
Because it was all facts revealed in the game.
‘Ah, so that’s why…….’
Now he understood. Why there was no content about the Duke of Lebesi and Gillia in the game. It was because the player didn’t need to know about them.
It was enough that the player’s identity was simply a descendant of Herna and the savior of the prophecy. The player character in the game hadn’t stepped forward to become a sacrifice to pull Orma out of Hell themselves, and the priests had hidden the fact that they were offering a sacrifice.
So the fact that the player was actually the son of the Duke of Lebesi, and that the Duke of Lebesi had handed over his son to the Church through some kind of deal with the Serka Church… was content that no one knew because circumstances didn’t allow it to be revealed, making it completely useless.
Writers and directors of novels, dramas, and movies would add various settings, and if they didn’t appear in the work, they would be discarded as is. Settings that readers, viewers, and audiences didn’t know became non-existent stories, occasionally released as behind-the-scenes trivia or anecdotes saying ‘actually there was this setting,’ and ended with a small number of people who went that far barely reading it and nodding.
Ban’s background had been deleted for exactly that reason.
But because Ban had reincarnated in this world and was living directly and acting differently from the game, this creaking situation—like Winod no longer considering Ban ‘the savior of the prophecy’—had pulled out such hidden backgrounds and settings.
“……Well, I understand. I’ll have to ask the Duke directly exactly what deal you made regarding me.”
“What? W-wait a moment! Ban! Wait just a…….”
“There’s no need for that.”
A voice that was both forlorn and coldly settled cut off Winod’s words. Winod, who had been hastily trying to grab Ban, trembled visibly with fear upon facing the elegant yet fragile and dignified Duchess of Lebesi. Even though the Duchess was just quietly gazing at Ban with a face that revealed no emotions whatsoever.
“……You seem quite sincere today.”
Seeing that she had just gotten off a carriage guarded by the guards, it appeared that the guards, surprised by Ban’s display of affection, had hurriedly rushed to the castle to report to the Duchess. Looking at his slightly swollen lips and the kiss marks on his neck and collarbone boldly exposed without any thought of hiding them, that was all the Duchess said.
No, judging by how her lips were subtly curved upward, she seemed quite interested… Whatever it was, it was a strange reaction for hearing that her son had publicly declared himself a sodomite in front of many people.
At least the Duke would have jumped up and down screaming if he was crazy. The Duke, who had seemed cold and sharp, appeared to be more hot-tempered than his first impression suggested.
Ban looked at the Duchess of Lebesi with a disgruntled face, then slowly bowed his head in greeting.
“……Good day, my lady.”
“Good afternoon.”
That short, elegant answer was all. Afterward, a long silence settled heavily, and Winod was caught awkwardly between them.
Though Orma let out a hollow laugh from behind and muttered, “Mother and son are similarly alike……,” he didn’t step forward anyway, seemingly wanting to watch the situation a bit more.
After staring quietly for a long while, the Duchess slowly approached Ban and gently stroked the cheek of her son who was looking at her with eyes that showed not a hint of resentment, saying:
“There’s no need to go all the way to the Duke… But the fact that you grew up in the temple is all God’s will.”
“……God’s will?”
“You have a great mission. You are the savior of the prophecy who will save the world.”
Watching the Duchess speak decisively, Ban thought to himself:
‘Ah, even though I knew she was a devout Serka follower yesterday, I overlooked it…….’
My parents are fanatics. The fact that my parents were the type who could willingly offer their own child to God for the greater good. Somehow, laughter leaked out. His lips twisted up close to a sneer, and he felt needlessly perverse.
“……Well, Priest Winod doesn’t seem to think so.”
“That can’t be. You were ultimately kind, faithful, and righteous enough to willingly give your life to protect the world. There’s no way you’re not the savior of the prophecy.”
She spoke with eyes filled with such strong conviction that even Ban almost misunderstood for a moment, but he quickly realized what the Duchess was thinking.
“Then that’s strange. Can I be the Duke of Lebesi and simultaneously be the savior of the prophecy?”
“……Thinking that you’ll become the next Duke of Lebesi is just the Duke’s idea.”
Right, now I understand. The reason the Duke jumped up at the mention of Orma being his lover while the Duchess remained calm.
The Duke thought Ban would become the next Duke of Lebesi, so he couldn’t accept that someone who would eventually have to produce an heir to continue the line liked the same gender.
The Duchess was more tolerant because she thoroughly believed Ban was ‘the savior of the prophecy.’ Loving the same gender wasn’t a problem at all for protecting the world as the savior of the prophecy.
Now that he understood the situation that had been bewilderingly artificial and his frustration was relieved, Ban’s mood sank lower and lower. However, regardless of his feelings, should he be grateful that thanks to this, he now knew how to make the Duke and Duchess of Lebesi give up on him? ……In the end, Orma was still the right answer.
“So you’re saying my future is only one of two things: becoming the savior of the prophecy or becoming the next Duke of Lebesi. But my lady, I’m grateful for your praise of my character, but unfortunately, I appear to be an unfilial child.”
“…….”
Either way, the Duke and Duchess of Lebesi won’t easily give up on me. They’ll only let go if there’s a reason they have no choice but to give up, so I’ll gladly create that reason.
Ban carefully took the hand of Orma, who was obediently watching from behind him, and opened his mouth.
“I’ll introduce him to you as well, my lady. This person is my lover and…….”
“Ban, I don’t care at all if you like men…….”
“……My one and only faith, and also a God, the Lord of Darkness and the source that maintains and preserves this world, ‘Orma.'”
As Ban’s words ended, Orma slowly removed his hood and revealed to the outside world his jet-black hair and brilliant golden eyes that had been hidden deep inside.
