Chapter 5 “For where is any author in the world Teaches such beauty as a woman's eye? Learning is but an adjunct to ourself.”

In another place, while the pastors and Holy Sisters were trying to heal their Knight's condition in the Cathedral, the two old Bishops approached Cecilia, who was now battered and imprisoned in an underground room near the border gate.

In her cell, Cecilia was now sleeping while standing, suspended by the chains attached to both of her hands. Bruises and wounds covered almost every inch of her fair skin. And her previously red and straight hair now looked wet and disheveled.

“O you, the Sinner! Wake up! We, the two individuals appointed as the conveyors of God's voice, have now come to meet you,” said the two old Bishops simultaneously.

Cecilia then woke up from her sleep, opening her eyes. She recognized their voices; they were the Bishops long appointed by the Emperor to be the “Conveyors of God's Voice.” Whatever they spoke was the word of God, whatever command they gave was God's command, and whatever thought they had was considered the thought of God.

But who is this God in the world?

Their God is there.

Their God might now be sitting on His majestic and sacred throne in the grandest palace in the entire world.

He observes, He guards, and He protects humanity from knowledge that would self-destruct them.

He knows that one day, the human race will destroy itself through its own actions.

And He also realizes that if He were to come out and live alongside His people, they will definitely kill him.

Therefore, the Emperor will continue to hide within His Sacred Paradise.

“God's in his heaven, All's right with the world,” Cecilia murmured.

“O sinner! Listen and answer our questions! Truly, we know whether you speak the truth or if you lie! Therefore, speak the truth! For your good deeds will ensure your rebirth as a holy being in His city and paradise,” uttered one of the old Bishops.

Amidst the Bishop's speech, Cecilia heard the faint whispers of a subtle mantra.

“... It seems one of the Bishops is using magic to detect my words, while the other is going to interrogate me,” thought Cecilia.

“Very well. I shall answer all your questions truthfully. To you, the Conveyors of God's Voice, I will do anything to be reborn pure and enter His City and Paradise.” said Cecilia.

“May your words be true, O sinner. Now answer our questions. What have you done to Wallace, our Holy Knight?” asked the Bishop.

“We merely cared for and treated his wounds.”

“Who do you refer to as 'we'?”

“My family and friends.”

“Do you know that our Holy Knight, Wallace, has disappeared without a trace for the past 13 days?”

“My friends and family are aware of it. However, we kept it a secret for fear of commotion in our village, and besides, at that time, Wallace, the Hero of Prophecy, was sound asleep all day inside our house,” explained Cecilia.

“Why then did you not inform us of this incident? Surely, we would have immediately sent troops to rescue him!” exclaimed the Bishop again.

“Money. In truth, we all thought to save Lord Wallace so that he would be grateful and reward us for the care we provided him,” replied Cecilia.

“... My brother, she has lied,” said the Bishop who had been chanting his mantra quietly.

“Guards! Pour hot water on her left hand as I instructed!” ordered the interrogating Bishop.

“NO! WAIT A MOMENT!” shouted Cecilia. But her words were ignored by everyone in the room.

The guards then poured a bucket of hot water onto Cecilia's left hand, which had been chained since earlier.

“AAAAH! IT HURTS! Why are you doing this to me?” Screamed Cecilia.

“I am doing all of this for your own good! Remember, the heat of this water is equivalent to the heat of hell's smoke! Therefore, speak the truth if you do not want to enter hell! Don't you want to be reborn into this world as a pure person?” questioned the Bishop.

Upon hearing the Bishop's words, Cecilia bowed in silence while enduring the pain in her left hand.

“Sir, I lied because I intended to hide it. You surely understand the dilemma I am currently experiencing. If I had informed you that Wallace was injured, your emissaries would have approached our village with many weapons and troops. And you also know how many villagers in our village envy and hate the holy knights, soldiers, and residents from this holy city. Therefore, I chose to restrain myself. It's better for me to protect one person than to lose everything!” explained Cecilia.

The old Bishop who interrogated Cecilia then looked at his friend who was detecting lies within Cecilia's statements. However, he did not find any falsehood in Cecilia's words.

“Alright, I understand your intention. Now, tell us how you found our Holy Knight Wallace?” asked the old Bishop.

“When I was exhausted in the barren mountain valley, I heard a man's cry for help. I quickly went there and saw that there was a white-armored knight fleeing from an Orc. However, because the knight seemed strong, I just sat and watched from a distance, thinking that he had a plan, and I didn't want to disturb his fight. But it turned out the knight was really struggling. Then I came to rescue him, and that's when I met Wallace, the Hero of Prophecy,” explained Cecilia.

“Orc? How could our knight be overwhelmed by an Orc?” asked the old Bishop to his friend, who could only shake his head.

“... After that, I found him unconscious and immediately brought him to my house that night. That's why no one knew that we were taking care of him in my house at that time,” said Cecilia.

Then the two Bishops fell silent, as if contemplating something that could explain what caused their knight to end up like that. Disregarding their confusion, Cecilia continued her story.

“And 13 days later, he woke up and asked me to take him home because he didn't know where his house was,” said Cecilia.

“Why didn't you refuse? Haven't we forbidden you to enter our holy city without our permission?” asked the Bishop.

“I initially rejected his request, but because he promised and would pay for my services for saving his life, I accepted it without much thought. But now I regret it! Because I feel like I've been deceived by him. I never thought that my respect and sacrifice would be used as a mere plaything for him! DOESN'T HE UNDERSTAND THAT WITHOUT HIM, I WOULDN'T COMMIT SUCH DESPICABLE SINS LIKE THIS?” Cecilia Snapped.

Hearing Cecilia's outburst and lament, the two Bishops fell silent and looked at Cecilia, who now lowered her head.

“This is saddening! I tried hard to protect him from danger when he was injured and helpless! But look at his response to me! He turns out to have only played me! I just wanted to live peacefully and be reborn as a pure person! But look! Even a holy knight like Wallace has deceived and played with my respect!” shouted Cecilia, facing the two Bishops with a furious expression.

After seeing Cecilia's anger, the two Bishops then left the prison, saying, “Guards! Immediately release this sinful woman! May this trial reduce her sins and bring her closer to God,” uttered the two Bishops as they walked away, leaving the exhausted Cecilia behind. Upon hearing that the two Bishops had now walked away, a small smile suddenly appeared on her dirty face.

“Huh… So Easy.”

********

Two days and two nights have passed, and the pastors and holy sisters have been unable to cure the mysterious ailment afflicting their strongest knight. However, they have now concluded that their knight seems to be experiencing amnesia, and it is this loss of memory that has caused a transformation in the core of his soul.

As there seems to be no progress in treating their knight at the Cathedral, the pastors and holy sisters suggest caring for him at his residence. On a bright afternoon, Kalina, a female knight who is Wallace's sister, comes to pick up her brother, who has now lost his memory.

“Big Bro!” calls Kalina to The young man who is sitting on a bench while gazing at the flower garden in the middle of the Cathedral.

“Hmm? Big Bro?” asks the young man, looking around as he is the only one in the garden.

Quickly, Kalina rushes in and hugs him until he falls.

“BRUUK!”

“Ouch!” says the young man, feeling pain as Kalina's body falls on top of him.

“Hey! Hey! Hey! Doesn't Big Bro remember me? It's me, Kalina! Your beloved sister! Come on, you can't possibly forget about me, right? Right? Right?” says Kalina while poking the young man's cheek with her index finger.

Unlike typical knights, Kalina is considered a bit odd because she is the opposite of other knights. Despite being a high-ranking woman, she does not have habits that reflect her caste. She is tomboyish, and a wide smile is always on her beautiful face.

Like a storm, she never stays calm in one place. Sometimes she will just leave if she gets bored with what she's doing. When asked if she's not ashamed that her behavior might tarnish her family's reputation, she would likely answer, “Don't be silly, life is only once. So be what you want to be. Listen and contemplate your heart, that way you'll be happy like me!”

In other words, she's a bit eccentric.

“Umm... Ooo! So, you're my sister who everyone's talking about! Wow, it's true what they say; you really are beautiful, huh?” Said the young man admiring his sister's beauty.

Her long, black hair is like the night, the amethyst-like purple pupils of her eyes, and the purple flowers adorning her black dress resemble stars scattered in the night sky. She is truly a very beautiful woman; even with her beauty alone could surpass the actresses portraying princesses in those films.

“Hahahaha! Consider yourself lucky because I am your sister! So, you can enjoy my beauty all day long!” Kalina says while puffing out her chest.

“Hmm... so, are you really my sister?” the young man asks.

“Yup! 100%, I am your sister,” Kalina confidently replies.

“Not my girlfriend or lover?” he questions.

“No, no, no, no. I am not your girlfriend!” Kalina says, crossing her index fingers and shaking her head.

“… Are you sure?” asked the young man with serious look in his eyes.

“Hmm... Yup! I am sure about that! I am your sister and not your girlfriend or lover.” Kalina answers while nodding and folding her hands.

“Ugh! Darn it! I didn't expect you to really be my sister,” the young man says, punching the Cathedral pillar with disappointment.

“Hehehe, it seems like I prefer Big Bro losing his memory like this,” says Kalina.

“Even though I can't use my magic at all now?” the young man asks.

“No problem! Because even though I'm not one of the seven knights like Big Bro, I'm confident that with my strength alone, I can protect Big Bro from anything!” Kalina declares.

Suddenly, with sparkling eyes, the young man lifts Kalina's slender body using both of his hands.

“Waaa! Turns out you really are my incredibly beautiful and kind-hearted little sister!”

“Hahaha! Don't worry, as long as I'm here, Big Bro doesn't need to worry about your duty anymore! Because I will protect Big Bro with all my might!” declares Kalina with a voice echoing throughout the Cathedral.

“Um... excuse me, I understand that you two are happy. But could you please keep it down? This is still part of the Cathedral. If you want to be noisy, please leave this place immediately,” says a Holy Sister who resting nearby the siblings.

“Ah! Sorry!” apologizes the young man simultaneously with Kalina.

“Ugh, so strict. Well, whatever. Come on, Big Bro, let's get out of here!” invites Kalina while holding her brother hand.

“But what about the payment?”

“All Green! Let's go! Before our horse-drawn carriage dies of boredom!” exclaimed Kalina as she ran while pulling her older brother's hand.

“HEY! DON'T RUN IN THE CATHEDRAL AREA!” scolds the Holy Sister, but unfortunately, her words are completely ignored by the two teenagers running out.

********