Chapter 196: Reasons

The Holy Land was a Center of the Continent’s religion, but East of it was one of the biggest Night Markets – The Market of Life.

The entirety of the Eastern Part of the Holy Land was dedicated to almost every possible known worldly vice. The Doctrine of the Root Fate – Live Free.

‘She’s uptight at times though… well, seeing the number of guards posted around the Night Market, that checks out, I suppose.’ Colt inexplicably laughed, ‘Well, I can see why she likes Uno despite how she looks.’

On a rooftop, Colt watched the scenic view with a calm smile. Many people were going around eating and drinking, but what caught his attention were the sporadic groups of people spread around the corners of the lively street.

‘The Cathedral got to it faster than I thought.’

Colt knew about these groups; they were people listening to the story of what happened in the plaza.

“The Sun Knights have heard of the tales of the valiant Hero Colt Edgeworth. Wanting to test his valiance and greatness, the Vice-Captain of the Sun Knights fired his arrows.”

“What did Sir Colt Edgeworth do!?”

“But here is the twist, my boy. It was not the Hero who stepped up to face the Soaring Phoenix of the Sun Knights.”

“It wasn’t!?”

“No, she’s the First Born Daughter of the Edgeworth Family. Risa Edgeworth proved herself not to be trifled with. She commanded a Dragon like a General, gearing up for battle with her words. From the skies, she swooped down with a mighty beast-“

The fight that happened in the Plaza caused a massive commotion. Thankfully, people from the Dracian Fate explained the situation. They announced that it was all but a scuffle between Knights of the two Parties. The Vice-Captain Sigurd could not wait to challenge the Hero and was met with defeat.

The fight between Sigurd and Risa would become a known tale soon enough.

It sounded like a stretch when one knew the truth, but the matter was readily accepted. Sigurd was “infamous” for doing everything he wanted, so many weren’t too surprised. The White Dragon was also not seen by many people even when they were far away.

They’d have more questions about Risa than most things. The talk about the White Dragon had already been circulating around the Holy City; the Cathedral simply chose to add fuel to the fire.

“Hey, have you heard about the First Young Lady of the Edgeworth?”

“Umm, are you talking about the daughters of the Hero?”

“No, you bumbling idiot, I mean the First Born daughter of the Count. She commanded a White Dragon and flew down from above.

“Bah, that’s bullshit. A Dragon?”

“No, no, it’s true. I heard it from the bards earlier. He was one of the few who witnessed the whole thing.” The man leaned closer to his friend, “Just between you and I, it appears the Pegasi are also under her command.”

The other friend had his eyes open wide in disbelief. But the more he listened, the more it became believable, “So she’s the one who was going to inherit the position of Count if Colt Edgeworth did not show himself? Wait, does that mean she was trained by the Count personally to become one of the futures of the Regalus Kingdom’s pillars?”

From the bards to the passerby, from the drunks to the eavesdropper, information would slowly get muddled, then the truth would be concealed in another layer of reality the public created. Word of mouth was unreliable, but there would be too few to say otherwise.

The Sun Knights knew the worst things. Keeping a secret or two would not change anything.

‘I didn’t see many of them back home, but I guess bard is an actual occupation.’ Colt noted seeing the people giving the storyteller coins,

‘Do they seduce Dragons here as well?’

Colt smiled as the thought surfaced.

“You look like your mood has lightened, Young Master Apostle.” Sister Mary said as she arrived, holding a basket filled with bottles of wine.

“Stop it with that name. I’d rather you call me sparkly again.”

“Hahaha, I couldn’t help myself. As an apology, want some of these? These were my favorites growing up. I couldn’t believe it’s still popular here.” Sister Mary handed Colt a bottle of wine, “I didn’t bring a wine glass, though.”

“That’s perfect.” Colt accepted the bottle and opened it with a pop. He took a swig and almost spat it out, “The hell!? That tasted horrible!”

“GAHAHAHAHA! It is, isn’t it!?” Sister Mary gulped a mouthful of the wine with a hearty laugh, “The food of this place is good, but the wine? Not so good. Why do you think it’s free?”

“You have to pay me to drink this thing.” Colt begrudgingly grunted, yet he took another swig, “I’m surprised they make this kind of thing.”

“It’s good to see you can still stomach bad liquor, Young Master.” Sister Mary smiled with strange melancholy seeing Colt’s action, “You’ve barely changed.”

Slight relief appeared in her chest.

On the other hand, Colt remained silent and asked, ‘Have I really haven’t?’

Colt looked at all the people below, smiling and cheering with big smiles on their faces. The dark hid his face, but his eyes glowed an ominous light far from what it was in the past, ‘I must be getting better at hiding my emotions.’

“Young Master?”

“Nothing, I just think I’ve gotten better at these politics. Not as much considering I almost started a war, but I guess considering the situation, we’re lucky that it didn’t escalate further.” resting his chin on his hand, Colt smirked, ‘War… huh. I hope it doesn’t happen.’

“Haha, true that. But, in truth, you would’ve been able to circumvent all of that trouble if you had just said you’re the Apostle of the Goddesses.” Sister Mary shot Colt a quick glance, “I mean, if the Young Master has plans, getting the help of the Dracian Fate will be a great help. The Saintess had already vouched for your Divinity. If you ever plan to claim to be the Apostle, now would be a perfect time.”

“Haha, that’s a good idea, but there are politics even in the Dracian Fate. I would’ve started in Regalus if I wanted to get embroiled in that kind of useless headache. Might as well aim for the throne, as they said. I’ve already been accused of wanting to be King, nothing much would’ve changed. But I can move easier if I keep my head low. This status quo is perfect for me.”

Politics? From the very beginning, Colt never gave a damn. He didn’t want to become a Count and neither be a King. If the Dracian Fate learns of his position towards the three Goddesses, he’d be swarmed by more responsibilities, “I can barely keep up with what I have to do. I can’t be going around announcing myself to the world just yet. Being a Hero is enough of a headache for me.”

“Well, if you wish for help, I can offer you a hand any time. As a former Valkyrie, I still have a pull around here, you know?”

“Nah, don’t need it,” Colt answered as he looked at the bottle, sizing it up if it had more contents.

“??? Why??? Are you still angry at the Valkyries?”

“There’s that, but it’s more that I don’t want help from this woman called Freyja. I’d appreciate the help but don’t do it out of duty or because you were once someone who had to fight for the Dracian Fate.” Colt raised a brow to Sister Mary as he showed her a broad smirk, “I only have limited people I can trust. Freyja is not one of them. On the other hand, the annoyingly confident Sister Mary, now that’s a different story.”

Colt held the bottle above his lips, tapping its bottom to scrape what was left behind.

To Sister Mary, he did not look in any shape or form someone worthy of the title Hero or Apostle.

“Mary doesn’t have as much pull in Dracian Fate compared to Freyja, you know? They actually hate me here.”

“Who gives a crap?”

Colt did not explain further, and Sister Mary did not ask what he meant.

They stayed on the rooftop and continued drinking, laughing as friends. It felt as though they traveled back to a time when Colt still hid his identity and Sister Mary would accompany the infamous wastrel to a night of drinking to mask his actions.

“Yeah, who gives a crap?”

The two downed their wine with a refreshing gulp.

They laughed, but the inevitable silence came, “So, are you going to make me ask?” Colt asked as he stuffed his mouth with nuts.

“I wonder. Are we even thinking the same thing? Why not ask so I can confirm?”

“I sure hope so, or I will look extra stupid tonight.” Colt’s eyes never left the road below, “The Valkyries, I can ask what they are, but what I want to know is if there’s any particular reason why they call you a traitor?”

Drinking an entire bottle of wine, Sister Mary still could not feel a little bit drunk. She closed her eyes and opened them again.

Though Colt had not looked at Sister Mary, he could feel that change in her presence. She became somber, carrying a slight smile.

“A Valkyrie is someone who does not exist. Children whose villages have been raided, abandoned in a forest, or even watched their parents sacrificed in the name of evil, the Devil King. All in all, children who suffered a terrible fate are picked up. They will be taken to an orphanage if they show no talent for Illusion, Martial Arts, or Magic. But, if they offer any talents, they would be asked if they want the power to protect others from experiencing the same fate as we have. Say no. You’ll wake up in the Orphanage with an illusory whisper in the back of your mind. Say yes, and you’ll be taken to the heart of the Dracian Fate, and under the guidance of the Cardinal Mother, you will be molded as the Dracian Fate’s weapons, the Valkyries.”

“Under the guidance of the Cardinal Mother -the oldest person in the Cathedral or maybe the Continent- a group of children is trained. Almost always, their age would range from 6 to 10 years old until they are deemed ready. When I graduated, I was 12, and-“

Sister Mary was shaking, and Colt could only finish her sentence underneath his breath, “-forced to kill?”

“-I was really good at it.”

“huh?” Colt almost snapped his neck from how he turned his head so fast. Sister Mary was grinning from ear to ear, remembering her many great escapades when she was young, “Wait, you weren’t forced?”

“Forced? No, they asked us if we wanted to do it, and because I was trained my whole life for it, I tried it and discovered that I was a natural. My first mission was to assassinate a Cult leader. It was effortless, almost boring. I snuck into his manor while he was sleeping and slit his throat. He didn’t even put up a fight. Those he tricked were freed, and I saved young children from his basement. As a Valkyrie, I helped people and even paid for such a simple job. Did Young Master think it would be a tragic story?” Sister Mary shot Colt a teasing glance with a wide smirk taunting the naive young man.

Colt’s face reddened from embarrassment, “I… you framed it like it was going to be a tragic story. Anyone who listened to that spiel would think it would end that way. Just continue with your story!”

Shouting with false rage, Colt drank more of the wine to drown his shame, ‘Dammit, she was messing with me, and I fell for it!’ he couldn’t believe he was so naive to fall for such a blatant setup.

“Anyway, from there, I received more missions. Heretics? Generals? They were nothing before me. I killed them all like I was a natural. I mean, like you don’t even know how good I was. Do you know the Northern Star of Hellbane Family? That bitch is now known as Empress of the North, but she was nothing compared to me back in the day.”

‘The Northern Star? She’s the current matriarch of the Hellbanes, right?’ Colt was aware of the Northern Star. He had read about it from the reports he was given by Butler Go.

The Hellbane Family revolves around combat strength; they did not care if you were a man or woman. If you’re strong, then you have the right to stand at the peak. Physically, men were naturally superior to women, but the Northern Star proved it different and now rules the North.

‘If Sister Mary is saying such a thing confidently, that must mean she was strong.’ Colt was aware that Sister Mary was strong, but not to such a degree, ‘I don’t know who fought with Easterners in the novel. All I know was that the Hellbanes changed the landscape of the North.’

Colt respected Sister Mary’s strength before, but now, he was thankful she was not his enemy. After stopping her laugh

“Valkyries do a lot of things. They investigate, gather information, pursue the enemy to the ends of the Continent, Kill, Slaughter, and even act as negotiators. They do all kinds of things, even shifting the power struggle of different factions. They follow only the commands of the Saintess and the Cardinal Mother but have two unwritten rules they choose to abide by. First, everything they do must be for the benefit of the Dracian Fate. Second, unless necessary, Valkyries would prefer to be inconspicuous. When I was 16, I was named the Valkyrie Queen and became its leader for the next 13 years, and in my reign, we didn’t fail a single mission.”

“If you were so good at it and enjoying it, why did you leave?”

“That’s the exact reason that I left. I was too good at it, and I was enjoying it. I almost stopped killing for the greater good and just sought out fights for death’s sake. I was losing my humanity….” Sister Mary gulped her wine and licked her lips, “I left before I fully lost control. To protect others and myself.”

“Wait, that still does not explain why they hate you so much. If they hate you because you want to live your life, screw them!”

Colt was seething at the simple thought that the other Valkyries would hate someone just because she wanted to stop killing and live. It was absolutely ridiculous!

“Haha, I agree as well. But that’s just a part of it.”  Sister Mary raised her short sword and allowed the moonlight to reflect its beauty, “If I had to guess, they hate me because I refused Divinity and became an Apostle. Hahaha, I guess I’m lucky they didn’t brand me a hereti-Young Master?”

Colt looked at Sister Mary, his mouth leaking with the wine he was supposed to be drinking. His eyes were wide open as he asked him with the calmest tone he could muster, “What?”

Sister Mary was not hated because she left, it was because she abandoned the Dracian Fate.

***

The Cathedral was sacred land for all believers of the Dracian Fate. Outside of masses and pilgrimages, it could not be accessed by anyone lower than a Bishop.

The High Ceilings and walls were decorated with the color of three fates, weaved together into a beautiful pattern. A red carpet went down the middle of the massive hall and up the platform.

Standing proudly at the end of the hall were statues of the three Goddesses. Their faces were serene and beautiful, their clothes magnificently crafted from glowing crystals.

The many magical lighting that was periodically replaced made the Cathedral seem so beautifully light even at night. The Cathedral had never been seen as dim nor dark. It would always glow, acting as a beacon to those lost and searching to find their way.

The Cathedral was a sacred ground for pilgrims and believers, yet two unruly little girls flew around like it was their playground.

“Wooow! This place is so beeeeg!”

“It is! It is! This place is amazing!”

“Hey! You two, don’t fly around recklessly!”

Hylda warned Lyra and Filla. But the two girls shot up to the high ceiling the first chance they got.

“Filla! Little Aunt!” Hylda failed to stop the unleashed energy of the two.

“Let the kids play, Hylda. They’ve been cooped in the carriages, and we couldn’t look around the city. It’s obvious they’d want to move about.” Risa stated behind Hylda.

After spending such a long time inside a carriage, doing nothing but studying, the two lasses found freedom at last. They were beasts that had escaped their cages.

“But, we’re going to get into a lot of trouble if we let them do as they please.”

“I doubt that.” Risa plainly answered while feeding Drako on her shoulders, “They were the ones who asked us to go here instead of the Night Market, so why not let the children have fun? The two girls have been doing nothing but study. This is a tour, after all. Righhhttttt, Miss Kara?”

Risa shot the accompanying Valkyrie with a knowing smile.

“O-of course, haha… haaaaaa,” Kara responded with a broken laugh.

‘This one is a little shy. Must have been the reason why she didn’t get involved in the earlier fight.’ Risa was not interested in the fight.

She was aware of Mina’s jealousy, and Risa believed she was in the right. Risa was more worried about the Sun Knights joining the fight, so she kept her hands and stayed on the sidelines.

Risa was surveying the situation to act accordingly but never noticed Kara’s presence. If not for Vyra telling her, Risa would never have known.

Despite knowing Kara’s strength, however, Risa teased her still.

“Young Lady Risa, please watch your words. You are making Miss Kara uncomfortable.”

“Haven’t I said to stop calling me Young Lady? It’s making me shiver. Just refer to me by my name or Sister. Also, you’re a little uptight, aren’t you, Miss M… is what I’d like to say, but….” Risa could see Mary looking around with great curiosity. Mary looked more like a child than Hylda, “Why not look around yourself? My brother isn’t here anyway.”

Though Mary was older than Risa, she could not help but laugh at her desperate display of honor and poise.

Mary Courtgain was someone from a rivaling family. The Courtgain name was a name that had existed since the creation of the Kingdom. Before the rise of the Veras and the Edgeworths, the Courtgains were hailed the strongest of Generals.

But, after Shickly and Liron rose to prominence, the light of the Courtgains diminished, siphoned to the unruly duo. For the past decades, it had been the talk of the Kingdom that the Courtgain Family opposed the Veras and Edgeworths, yet, Mary became Colt’s personal Knight.

It was bizarre and suspicious, but Risa didn’t think much of it, ‘She’s adorable when she tries to act as noble as possible.’

“I-I am okay. Please, do not worry about me.” Mary argued, ‘So this is the Cathedral. If I had done what I originally planned, I would’ve gone there to receive the blessing of the Saintess and become a Paladin. But I don’t need to be a Paladin. I already follow the highest Order of the Faith! And I am his First Knight!’

Mary reminded herself of her position, and a smug look crept up her face.

‘With each passing day, she’s becoming more and more like brother.’ Risa thought to herself, “Your righteousness is disappearing.”

“!!!” Mary tried her best to wipe the smugness off her face, “Ahem, just please be mindful of your words, Young La-I mean, Sister Risa.”

“Fine… sorry about that, Lady Kara.” Risa promptly apologized for her words.

“N-no, I am okay.” Kara interjected, stumbling her words, “More importantly, Lady Risa… can you please tell the children to be careful? They… they might hurt themselves.”

‘I like this one.’ Risa smiled with interest, “Don’t worry, it will be fine. They don’t look it, but they are quite geniuses in manipulating mana.”

Risa also decided she would stop antagonizing the poor Kara.

“The Goddesses….” Arte whispered to himself, standing before the Cathedral’s Grand Altar.

Behind all the podium and the decor, there was a statue standing over 25 meters. Stand by side, the three Goddesses were carved into a boulder.

The stone statue was old but looked pristine, proof of how well it had been cared for.

“Oh, the Masterpiece of the Void, they look beautiful as Sister Mary advertised.” Hylda broke Arte’s trance, “Do you like them?”

Arte nodded hesitantly, “Um… yes, I don’t know much about the Goddesses, but I feel calm in their presence.”

“Oooooh, I didn’t know that. Then does that mean you are interested in the statues? Do you want more?”

Arte was hesitant but could not say no to Hylda’s eyes twinkling with delight. It was practically telling him to ask.

He did not have the heart to say no.

“Ye-yeah, please tell me more, Young Miss.”

“These are called the Masterpiece of the Void because it was carved by an unknown master. It had stayed standing far longer than the Dracian Fate had existed. Sister Mary said that many Pilgrims visit it to know true faith.”

“True faith?” Arte asked.

“Well, if you say so.” Hylda proudly stood straight and cleared her throat, “Yes, but don’t take it to face value. True Faith is your own interpretation. It is the culmination of a person’s experience in their life.”

While Hylda showed off what she had learned, Lyra and Filla happily flew around the room. They could not care for history, and the paintings around them only made them giggle at the ridiculousness of how the characters were depicted.

Especially Lyra, who laughed while pointing at one of the paintings, “Filla, this one looks like you.”

“Really? But she has those things around her chest.”

“Huh? No, I don’t. That one has those things on her chest. She’s also old… like Aunty Risa.” argued Filla.

“…hmm, you might be right.” Lyra agreed, “Well, it does look like older sister. But she also doesn’t have those things on her chest.”

“Hey! I can hear the two of you.” having her name in the crossfire was unexpected.

“Sorryyyyyyy~”

“Sorryyyyyyy~”

“Pff.”

“Hehe.”

Mary and even Kara snickered behind Risa.

Risa snuck them a glance and then whispered, “…Drako, get them.”

Kara and Mary ran away as Drako shot at them with a small ball of fiery white energy. They ran around screaming while Risa touched her chest, pouting, “I’m still growing.”

…only vertically.