I Pretended To Have Amnesia and the Hero’s Party Becomes Obsessed

17 – 2. Cowards (7)

“It’s a setup.”

Bishop Atreus chuckled softly. His smile was immaculate, without a hint of hesitation.

“Undoubtedly, the emblem etched on that necklace matches the one bestowed upon me by the divine. There’s no mistake.”

Atreus tapped his hand.

“However, carving such a pattern on metal is a task any blacksmith in the city could accomplish.”

“You’d risk losing your head for such blasphemy.”

“The mere existence of socialites is a blasphemy against the divine. Why should they fear such actions?”

Then, Atreus clasped his hands together and continued.

“I understand that Clara is in a time of turmoil, and it’s hard for me not to be a subject of suspicion given the circumstances.”

The old man’s tone was gentle, but there was an unwavering firmness that was difficult to challenge.

“But in the name of the divine, I swear I haven’t joined hands with those heretics. This necklace is nothing but a fabrication made to drag me down from my position.”

Make a wise decision, Atreus added, then gazed at Clara.

“…”

Clara looked down at her hands in silence. Her demeanor seemed to have already made up her mind, yet she appeared to be in anguish.

Hence, Bishop Atreus glanced sidelong at the main gate.

The door was securely locked.

“Bishop Atreus, you speak the truth.”

Atreus turned his gaze back to Clara. A smile had found its way onto Clara’s face once again.

“Certainly, there was no lack of arbitrariness in how I came across this necklace. It seemed as if someone was pulling me into a preconceived trap.”

Bishop Atrius did not react hastily. He simply offered a serious counsel.

“You should not be drawn into that, Lady Clara. Always exercise fair judgment as His daughter…”

“But it didn’t matter. As long as our goals aligned, I was willing to be used however much needed.”

Bishop Atrius’s eyebrows raised. Clara clasped her hands.

“Bishop Atrius, all I have is my conviction.”

“What in the world…”

“However, conviction alone is sufficient.”

Clara placed her hand on her chest.

“Because my words are both evidence and the truth.”

The only human chosen by the heavens.

What she declared black became black, and what she declared white turned white.

Atrius remained unshaken even at that moment. He only narrowed his eyes and inquired.

“Do you know what you are saying right now?”

“Of course, Bishop Atrius. I intend to bring you to a religious trial, in the capacity of a saint.”

Only then did Atrius’s mask crumble. He contorted his face in anger and rose from his seat.

“Lady Clara, you are not yet a saint.”

“Wasn’t it you who mentioned it’s only a matter of time?”

“Are you going to ignore the strict laws set by the Pope?”

“Sometimes exceptions are necessary.”

And Clara raised the corner of her mouth.

It was a clear derision.

“And if you are innocent, the rigorous laws of the judges will show leniency towards you. But why, then, are you so indignant?”

“…!”

Atrius’s sagging cheeks trembled. But it was only momentary.

Soon, Atrius sighed and nodded his head.

“Capture her.”

Bang!

Holy knights rushed out from the back door. They already held their swords.

Their number was nine.

The number that never seems to be called even when faced with dangerous hellish beasts.

With a contemptuous look, Atrius spoke out.

“Seems like a troublemaker who spent their whole life in the Papal office doesn’t know the topic.”

His piercing eyes showed disdain.

“Wandering the continent, receiving the praise of adventurers, did you think you were invincible? Perhaps it’s because of your innate arrogance, or because you are…”

Crack!

A piece of unidentifiable organ and blood scattered across Atrius’s face.

His trembling eyes looked behind him.

There lay chunks of iron stained with blood, where a once valiant knight stood.

There were nine of them,

but the protruding organs were mixed together, making it difficult to distinguish where one began and the other ended.

“To think you would harm a prospective saint.”

Atrius’s head turned like a rusty machine. Clara remained seated on the sofa.

“If a religious trial were held, your head would be hung from the highest pole.”

At that moment, the agility that brought Atrius to this point shone.

“I, I confess…!!”

Atrius immediately prostrated himself on the ground, smashing his head against the floor.

“T-they took my family hostage, so I had no choice…!”

Of course, it was a lie.

The cultists had only promised him gold coins.

However, to escape this plight,

Atrius could tell this lie a thousand times over. He could endure the shame of kneeling before a girl much younger than himself.

If he was going to survive anyway, the opportunity would come someday.

Atrius crushed his forehead against the floor until it tore.

“I will do anything to atone for this sin…!!”

“Anything?”

That was the first reaction Clara showed.

Atrius’s finger twitched nervously.

He hastily spoke.

“Y-yes…! If you wish, I will even lick the feet of lepers! I will go to the frontline and take arrows for you! So please…”

“You don’t have to do that.”

A gentle touch lifted Atrius’s head. He was face to face with her.

And in that moment, Atrius forgot his long-standing instinct for survival and lost himself.

A smile, as if forcefully mixing the words angel and demon, appeared on Clara’s face.

“You are a valuable person. You shouldn’t be used for such trivial matters.”

Atrius couldn’t explain why, but he felt his hands trembling. Clara looked at Atrius with bright eyes.

Eyes the color filling this room.

“Atrius, you will become a hero of the order, not a defector.”

***

I hid behind the building and peeked outside.

A cathedral built as grand as the bishops’ pride.

In front of it, I see knights in full armor.

They seem more alert than usual, as if they had received orders from the bishop. It would be difficult to sneak in even with an invisibility cloak.

And if I were caught, this time I would truly become a cold piece of meat.

No, even if I don’t get caught, I won’t be able to avoid a crisis.

But Clara is inside.

“Phew…”

I took a deep breath and gripped the hilt of the sword.

When I count to three, I’ll rush out.

One,

Two,

Three…

“Rem, what are you doing here?”

“Ah!!”

I jumped in surprise. Then, hurriedly turning around, I froze this time.

“Cl- Clara?”

“Yes?”

Clara tilted her head, asking.

“Why are you acting like that, Rem?”

Only then was I able to regain my composure.

“You need to evacuate from this city right now.”

Approaching her, I put on a serious expression.

“Do you remember the necklace we found in the underground passage? The figure engraved on that necklace…”

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that part.”

“…What?”

Clara grinned.

“I’ve already confirmed it. Bishop Atreus is not a defector. Moreover, he will head to the Papal Palace tomorrow to prove his innocence.”

I hesitated, then managed to speak while pinching my temples.

“I’m sorry. I can’t follow the story. What on earth…”

“You don’t have to worry anymore, Ray.”

“Even if you say that, it’s hard for me to understand…”

“More importantly, Rem.”

Clara suddenly embraced my arm. The plush sensation against my arm silenced me.

The pounding in my chest and the jumbled thoughts in my head.

However, Clara’s voice entering my ears was the only thing clear.

“Wouldn’t you like to go for a drink together?”

***

Desolation.

A word that could be considered the theme of my life, spanning past lives and present.

It’s a given.

Surviving as a disabled person in a fantasy world?

Without family or any support?

It was an ordeal that could not be expressed merely with the word “suffering.”

If Amy, Clara, Parsley, any one of them were not there, I would have resorted to begging on the streets long ago.

Of course, I’ve suffered because of them, too, but… anyway.

Because I lived such a life, I didn’t know nobility, and I wasn’t familiar with it.

…That was why I was sitting here in an endlessly stiff posture.

Unable to turn my head, I scan the surroundings with my eyes.

Furniture that clearly looks expensive,

Women dressed much more elegantly than me, at least dozens of times over,

And, similar to the bottles that Clevans had brought back by pounding the commission fee.

“The food is served.”

My discomfort reached its peak when the food arrived.

As far as I knew, appetizers were supposed to have a satisfying taste, whether it was meat or herbaceous. However, what was presented to me here was a peculiar pile of black beads. The quantity seemed insufficient for appetizers, and it didn’t even look like snacks.

However, I couldn’t openly show my discomfort.

“It’s the eggs of a very rare fish. Try it once, Lem.”

A woman with white hair and a reddish eye.

She, who was once my owner, sat across from me with a cheerful smile.

“…I’ll gratefully eat it.”

I picked up the spoon and tried putting the egg into my mouth.

“How is it?”

…Honestly speaking, I couldn’t taste anything.

After all, my tongue had been cooked along with my vocal cords at the age of 18.

I was more accustomed to smelling the aroma of food and putting it in my mouth than actually tasting it.

And, the scent of these eggs…

“…It smells like the sea.”

It was disgustingly pungent.

Clara’s eyes widened, and she eventually covered her mouth, chuckling.

“It seems it doesn’t suit Lem’s taste. I’m sorry. I guess my desire to feed you the most expensive thing got the better of me.”

This was the most expensive thing?

This tiny thing?

As I was expressing my disbelief, Clara called the waiter and ordered a new menu. Most of them were meat dishes.

Watching that scene quietly, I suddenly realized one thing. I looked around and asked.

“By the way, are we the only customers? Why are there only empty tables…”

“Oh, I rented out this entire place.”

Clara smiled brightly. I felt my mouth involuntarily opening.

“…This place? The whole thing?”

“It wasn’t as expensive as I thought.”

I knew that was an absurd statement. Just the rent for our mercenary building was a significant amount of money.

“And, I wanted to drink alcohol with Rem alone. For a very long time.”

At those words, my thoughts came to a halt.

It was due to the whirlwind of long memories in front of me.

The girl was lying on the bed, and I was by her side, protecting her.

[Rem, even when you become of legal drinking age later, please hold back.]

[What kind of nonsense…]

[Uh, it’s not nonsense! You should drink the first glass with me!]

[…Why?]

[Why, you ask? Because you are my first companion. It’s natural for the master and the familiar to experience everything together.]

“Rem.”

I found myself gazing at the girl who had become a woman.

Clara wore a sad smile.

“I have to return to the papacy tomorrow.”

If there was weight in her words, it would feel like this if it could be determined.

“But there is still a request…”

“To me, the affairs of the papacy are more important than any request, Rem. It’s also a task that cannot be done if not now.”

And Clara lowered her gaze.

“And, if I return to the papacy this time, I may not be able to come back for a while.”

Without realizing it, I clenched my fists.

I couldn’t allow that to happen.

There were misunderstandings that needed to be resolved between Clara and me. I still didn’t know why she had changed.

At least, before I tried to do something…

“So, I want to make the proposal again.”

My train of thought was interrupted by Clara’s voice. Her pitifully shining red eyes came into view.

Although I had never said it out loud,

Her eyes were as beautiful as the ones she liked, as much as she liked looking into mine.

“Rem, do you have any intention to come with me to the cathedral, to the papacy?”