Chapter 152: Chapter 152: Downfall, Windfall (VI)

★★★

Lifelessly returning to the entrance of the hall, Khalid looked around in search of the other paladins.

The entrance, where all the crowd had disappeared, was very quiet.

“Where have the other paladins gone?”

“They went inside.”

“Then I will go in too.”

The knight guarding the door recognized Khalid and opened the door to the venue.

And at that moment…

Khalid hurriedly covered his ears, furrowing his brow in shock at the piercing screams coming from inside.

“Let go of me right now! Let go! Let go!!”

Rabienne was making a fuss, shouting and yelling.

Something must have happened while Khalid was gone. The paladins of the elders were holding Rabienne’s arms tightly.

“Saint…”

Khalid scanned the surroundings, wondering what in the world was going on for the saint to be taken by a paladin.

The high priests were kneeling down like they were guilty of something.

His three fellow paladins also stood there, staring blankly at Rabienne, who had one knee bent.

Everyone’s complexion was pale, and they seemed unwilling to move for the desperate Rabienne.

“Godmother, not the prison. Please call my father. There’s still more to be said.”

Rabienne continued to scream that she shouldn’t be dragged away.

The elders couldn’t stand the noise and told the paladins to put her in jail as soon as possible.

“Take her away and lock her up. Now. But instead of the dungeon where the prisoners are, put her in the western suite.”

“All right.”

It was a measure against the eyes of the Brions family and temple because the punishment had not yet been decided.

As the paladins holding Rabienne’s arms exerted their strength, she was moved like a piece of baggage.

With the intention to hold on, Rabienne tightened her feet and tried her best to stay firm, but it was futile. Her feet just dragged along on the ground.

“Why are you just watching this? You are my paladins! Do something!”

Annoyed, Rabienne cried out at the three paladins huddled next to the high priests.

However, all of them were paladins who were recruited because they were from influential families.

Thus, deciding that following Rabienne was no longer beneficial to the family, they completely ignored her.

“I didn’t intend to put guys like you under me from the start.”

Rabienne spat out her dissatisfaction. As she was dragged to the door, she found Khalid standing by the door.

“Khalid, where have you been! You came just in time. Help me, quick. I can’t get out of it on my own.”

With delight in her red eyes, Rabienne stretched out her hand towards Khalid, which was then forcefully twisted.

Khalid, who had been at a loss since entering the venue, was greatly flustered when Rabienne reached out.

“Sir Khalid, there is no need to obey. She’s already been stripped of her saintly position. Soon she will be judged.”

“Don’t listen to them, Khalid. Are you going to just stand there like an idiot?”

Through Rabienne’s bruised lips, Khalid’s name leaked out once again.

It was as cold as before, but it was also desperate.

“I…”

Khalid flinched, and with trembling eyes, he looked at Rabienne.

Now, if she was no longer a saint, he would not have to follow her orders.

And for some reason, the medicine bottle he gave to Prince Damon came to mind.

In agony, Khalid turned his head to the side, away from Rabienne’s trembling, pale hand.

“…Sorry.”

“Ha, Khalid? No one else knows, but you shouldn’t do this to me. Why did I pick you! I told you I chose you! Do you think you became a paladin because you did well?”

When even Khalid betrayed her, Rabienne laughed wildly like a lunatic.

“Haha, everyone is really funny. It’s very funny! Ahahaha!”

Rabienne, who had gone mad, was very different from what people had known.

The reality of Rabienne when her mask was removed was clearly engraved in the minds of the temple officials inside the venue.

“If you keep screaming, we will have no choice but to cover your mouth with a cloth. If you don’t want to be embarrassed, you better leave like this.”

Just like that, Rabienne was captured by a paladin from the Council of Elders and taken to the western suite.

Of course, even right before she left the venue, she harbored venom and glared at the people inside. Her bloody red eyes flashed.

“Whoa. She has lost it.”

“That’s right. What a mess this is…”

It was only after the constantly shouting Rabienne disappeared that the venue was quietly organized.

“Godmother, why did you just send the saint away? We have to hold onto her somehow. Now things will be difficult.”

Sharon let out a deep sigh as she looked at the elders, who were still distraught after hearing Esther’s words.

“You really want to take her by force? Do you think that will work?”

“It’s just a moment. If we persuade her, step by step…”

“You’re so frustrating! Is everyone too old that you’re so hard-headed?”

Sharon angrily yelled at the other elders.

“Well, what does that mean? My body is old, but my divine power hasn’t rusted yet.”

“Calm down. Even in this situation, did anyone think of going outside and doing relief work?”

“Ahem.”

The elders suddenly became ashamed and lowered their heads, avoiding Sharon’s eyes.

“The saint is already doing that in her territory. She helped everyone, regardless of who she was. If we want her to return to the temple, we must do whatever we can. The temple must be changed.”

The elders were slowly realizing Sharon’s point.

In particular, the elders who had protested in a loud voice were embarrassed and admitted that they were wrong.

“My thoughts were short.”

“…Same here.”

“Please, act in a way that will not make you ashamed in front of the saint.”

Watching this, Khalid felt suffocated.

‘If only I had left the temple.’

In front of Khalid’s eyes, Esther, who flew freely out of the temple, still remained as an afterimage.

He thought he would be fine leaving the temple if he could follow her.

Being a part of the temple as a paladin… Now he wondered what such honor meant.

‘What am I thinking.’

The temple had always been everything to him. This was the first time he ever thought of leaving the temple he had devoted his whole life to.

‘Where the hell did it go wrong?’

‘Does this temple still have a future?’

Khalid looked down at his empty palms as the entire temple he was in seemed like an illusion.

★★★

To leave the temple, Esther and her companions walked along the main road.

“What are you thinking?”

“Oh, just… I saw a lot of familiar faces in front of the hall earlier.”

Esther, who was thinking hard, answered Noah’s question, appearing bitter.

“Does it bother you?”

“Rather than a bother, I find it a little funny. Those people always looked down on me and ignored me, but earlier they pretended to be happy.”

When she opened the door and came out, some of the candidates she trained with during her time at the temple were at the entrance.

They seemed to have already recognized her, and with their eyes shining, they wanted to pretend they were friends.

“Did they forget all the things they did to me?”

“Maybe. Even if they remember, they might think it wasn’t such a bad thing. Everyone remembers it in the way they feel comfortable.”

Esther smiled at Noah’s realistic words.

“It’s so strange. That only those who have suffered can’t forget and keep it for a long time. The person who really needs to remember is the one who committed the hurt.”

Noah pressed his body closer to the muttering Esther. It was to convey warmth.

“Are you okay? If it’s hard, tell me.”

“It’s much better than before.”

Slowing down a little, Esther smiled as she looked up at the sky.

“Actually, I was worried that when I came to the temple, it would be painful because I would think of the past where Rabienne and the other candidates were mean to me.”

Esther’s clear eyes filled with the blue sky.

“But nothing happened. I was a bit upset, but that was a natural reaction.”

“Yes.”

“Maybe it’s because I’m so happy right now. The past no longer affects me.”

Esther turned her gaze from the sky to Noah.

The pink eyes that were mixed with the blue of the sky were very pretty.

“Great job.”

Noah patted Esther’s head with his hand, hiding the reddened tip of his nose with his other hand.

“Then let’s not look back, let’s live looking ahead.”

“Looking ahead?”

Revenge had not been the number one priority for Esther since meeting her family.

However, the reason why she came to the temple and thoroughly destroyed Rabienne was to protect her precious daily life.

Now that Rabienne, who had imprisoned her every single life, had broken down, Esther no longer has to live in fear of being possessed by her.

‘I never imagined I would ever have a decent life, but now I have a future to dream of.’

Esther’s eyes blinked rapidly in surprise, her eyelashes fluttered and and her heart began to beat rapidly.

“…What should I do in the future?”

Noah put a finger to his temple and pretended to be deeply troubled, then he playfully said.

“Um, how about going on a date with me? Or making a ring to wear together?”

Esther laughed at those words.

“What… Not like that.”

“It means that you don’t have to try hard to do anything. It’s enough for now.”

Noah’s voice was sweet and deep.

“There’s no need to hurry. Let’s do everything slowly. Because there is so much time.”

Esther’s eyes widened as the words ‘a lot of time’ was unfamiliar to her.

It was not a time of desperation where she only wished to die, nor a time to worry about losing something.

It was time to wonder everyday what would happen and how it would be filled.

“Huh. Expectation… ah.”

The words came out shyly as Esther’s cheeks reddened.

And Esther, surprised by what she herself had said, turned her head in the direction of the prison in which she had been imprisoned.

She was not in it anymore, but she really wanted to convey her feelings to her past self who endured a difficult time.

‘I endured it well.’

Even though it was very painful and difficult, thanks to that endurance, she was able to live today looking forward to tomorrow.

★★★

“How is it?”

“It’s much better than last time.”

Albert, the head of the assassination guild, scratched his green hair and narrowed his eyes.

He and his gang members wore the same garments worn by priests and blended into the temple, pretending to be priests.

“Are there four in total?”

“Tsk tsk. You pathetic guy. Can’t you see? In addition to the escorts who openly follow her, there are three more behind the tree.”

Albert moistened his lips with his tongue, observing the slow paced Esther and her companions.

Ame:*gasp* the elders are not as crazy or stubborn as Rabienne, who could’ve guessed!? I’m kinda joking but not really at the same time, wait, actually, ignore me, I don’t know what I’m saying

Wanna bet that daddy and the twins will settle those assassins?