East Road Quest

Chapter 17 Father Daniel

“Why don’t you head back first?”

Daniel asked as they stood at the crossroads, where the left path led to St. Vesta Cathedral and the right path led home.

Brion shook his head.

“That’s out of the question. If I go back now, who would believe that I was left out of today’s schedule?”

“That’s true. Cleaning the new house is really an unpleasant task.”

Daniel couldn’t think of any persuasive words to overcome Brion’s simple logic.

Brion asked in a cheerful voice.

“By the way, who were you going to meet at the convent?”

“It’s better for you not to know.”

“I can keep my mouth shut even if you had a forbidden love affair with a nun.”

Brion joked.

“If it were something that trivial, I would have told you.”

Daniel responded jokingly as well.

Brion, turning pensive, didn’t attempt any more jokes. But this chatty friend eventually let slip the word Daniel had been cautious about.

“Is it about the Holy Grail?”

Daniel was surprised, but not because he was caught.

“I’m curious about what process in your head led you to such an absurd conclusion.”

“It wasn’t really a deduction. Everyone just thinks so. Now that it’s out, let’s talk about it…”

Brion’s chatter flowed freely, perhaps he had wanted to discuss this from the start.

“Many people come to St. Vesta Cathedral claiming they’re looking for the Holy Grail. Bishop David spends hours persuading each one to leave. Some of them are really persistent, even resorting to threats.”

“What kind of threats?”

“They’re bizarre! You wouldn’t even imagine! We’re like this, so how do you think the official supporters of the Holy Grail expedition, the Raphael Priests, are doing? I met a member of their order once, and while we get one visitor, they get three.”

Since it was early morning and there were no people around, Brion lowered his voice. Still, the street was so quiet that his voice echoed rather loudly.

“Even a king from some country visited once. He asked if he could lead an army to find the Grail and requested permission from the Holy Emperor. Cardinal Lorenzo harshly scolds and sends away such people. No matter how much the Holy Emperor claims it’s God’s will, if all sorts of riffraff go, they’ll only bring disgrace to our western continent.”

Daniel just nodded.

‘If Brion is talking like this, then the stress His Majesty is under must be more than I imagined.’

Brion spoke seriously.

“So we thought among ourselves, if someone from the Rome Priests were to go in search of the Holy Grail, who would it be? Nine out of ten thought of Father Daniel. I’m, of course, one of those nine.”

“An old man like me would find the eastern continent too far.”

“Why? Saint Theo of old traveled across three continents alone, preaching until he was ninety.”

“So, the young priests believe I’ll be the one to take on that task?”

“Of course. Some even swore that when you left a month ago, it was to seek the Holy Grail. If I had known you’d return like this, I would have bet on it.”

“You rascal, there’s nothing you can’t say working in the cathedral.”

Daniel sighed as he looked up the steep path leading home.

“People think that way, so it’s quite troublesome.”

“What’s so troublesome about it? If you’re not going to search for the Holy Grail, just say so. If you are, then leave proudly. Wherever you go, petals will be laid before you.”

Already exhausted from the long journey, Brion found it hard to speak properly after climbing the hill. However, Daniel walked calmly as usual and spoke composedly.

“I should tell you an old story. Did you know that the old Roman Empire was not ruled by an emperor but was a republic where three consuls and a hundred senators shared power?”

“I didn’t know that. What’s a republic?”

“It’s a long story, so I’ll explain briefly. A republic is a system where multiple people govern through voting and debate, without a king or emperor. But there were rumors that a military consul named Serous was trying to overthrow the republic and become emperor himself.”

“Why did such rumors arise?”

“Because his army was too powerful. If he wished, Serous alone could conquer Rome.”

“Then people had a reason to worry. So did Serous disband his army?”

“No, he argued that he had to keep the army to fight against the barbarians. The senators at the time didn’t believe him and thought he wanted to become emperor.”

“Why didn’t Serous just say no?”

“He did! He explained several times that he didn’t intend to, but the senate ended up disbanding his army and arresting him. He was charged with treason and sentenced to death. The hero who defended the empire against the barbarians was suddenly facing death for having an army to protect the empire.”

“So did Serous die? Oh, wait! He didn’t die!”

Daniel finished the story with a short laugh.

“Serous, with the help of his loyal soldiers, escaped from prison and assassinated all the senators of the republic in one night. A hundred senators were killed overnight.”

“Oh my God. I only heard that Serous became emperor because of his lust for power. I never learned about the republic.”

“I can somewhat understand Serous’s feelings. Of course, if it were me, I would have abandoned the army and fled before the senate said anything.”

“You speak as if you met Emperor Serous. So, are you saying that since you’re constantly suspected of going on a Holy Grail expedition, you might as well go and search for it?”

“If everyone thinks that way, even if I don’t want to, there are times when I have to. Conversely, if everyone thinks that way, I might need to use it to my advantage.”

“How will you use it?”

“I can’t tell you that. But once I finish cleaning up here, I should go to Rotikan instead of St. Vesta Cathedral.”

“What will you do there?”

Daniel stopped in front of the house and answered.

“I need to meet with Cardinal Lorenzo or Pope Dionysius to ask if they would stop me if I went to search for the Holy Grail.”

Brion’s eyes widened.

“What’s the point of such foolishness? If you’re going to search for the Holy Grail, you should go secretly, or like you said about Emperor Serous earlier, just run away. Why provoke them?”

“Isn’t everyone already watching me? Then it’s good to keep them watching. I don’t care either way.”

Daniel opened the door and went inside.

Brion followed him in, tilting his head in confusion.

‘He doesn’t understand. Good. I talked too much.’

Daniel pointed to the wooden table with his finger and said,

“Wait in the living room for a while, Brion. We need to stay here until noon, so you can take a nap if you want.”

“That’s good news.”

Brion quickly lay down on the table. Wrapping himself tightly in his long clothes, he was soon ready to sleep. He was accustomed to falling asleep in short periods and catching up on missed sleep anywhere.

Daniel climbed the creaking wooden stairs. The small room upstairs had only an old bed and an even older wardrobe.

Daniel sat on the edge of the bed, recalling the things he needed to take care of one by one.

‘What should I do with the wine stored in the basement? It’ll spoil.’

Last summer, three bottles had overflowed and had to be thrown away. One bottle had oddly aged better, but the other two had become undrinkable and had to be discarded.

‘Should I take some clothes? No, in this case, it’s better to take money. Though it won’t be much.’

Taking money on a long journey wasn’t a good idea either.

During the old Crusades, many soldiers, knights, and clergy took gold and silver with them, thinking they would need money on the way or at the destination. However, the rumor spread that “those going to the Holy Land all carry gold,” and they were often robbed before even reaching the Holy Land.

Even now, there were many bandit groups targeting clergy heading east.

People who couldn’t take money with them were troubled. But leaving all their money at home wasn’t reassuring either.

Then the Holy Knights of Pharrens came up with a brilliant idea. They exchanged the property of nobles and knights leaving for the Holy Land for gold and kept it for a certain period. They issued a receipt, and when they returned alive from the war and showed the receipt, they would return the amount minus a 10% storage fee. The rumor that the Holy Knights guaranteed the amount spread, and everyone entrusted their gold to them.

The wealth accumulated through the Crusades wasn’t limited to Rotikan.

‘Hmm, now that I think about it, sending the Holy Knights on the Holy Grail expedition might not necessarily be a strategy of the Raphael Priesthood. The Holy Knights have left that enormous wealth in Pharrens, haven’t they?’

Daniel had an unexpected realization while counting the silver coins for the rent.

‘How many Holy Knights are left in Pharrens? If the royal family of Pharrens went mad and tried to seize the Holy Knights’ wealth, would there be enough troops to stop them?’

The Kingdom of Pharrens was currently facing financial difficulties. Meanwhile, there were rumors that the Holy Knights possessed more gold than the imperial treasury of the Rome Empire. That was enough to endure public criticism.

What was needed was justification. To attack the knights who left under the pope’s command to find the Holy Grail, an ordinary justification wouldn’t suffice.

‘A religious trial would be needed. If they declare that the Holy Knights are actually worshipping a pagan god, it would be resolved easily. Who is the cardinal of the Pharrens royal family now? Who cares? If the plan succeeds, they could become the first bishop of a new order!’

As various questions swirled in his mind, he heard footsteps below.

At first, he thought it was Brion waking up and walking around. But the footsteps were different. They were small sounds, as if trying to move quietly.

‘It can’t be Brion.’

Daniel descended the wooden stairs.

“Is someone there?”

Previously, the landlord had entered with a spare key. Daniel had forgotten to put away some food on the table and left for a long journey, causing a rotting smell. The landlord had feared discovering Daniel’s corpse.

Such an incident would be the only reason for the landlord to visit, but not now.

Daniel checked on the lying Brion. There was a dark wound on his white neck, and blood had pooled on the floor.

At a glance, there were no signs of resistance. Brion just looked as if he were sleeping in a slightly awkward position.

Daniel knelt in front of Brion. He checked for a pulse just in case, but it was too late.

“Poor Brion, I should have forced you to leave… You suffered because of me.”

Daniel prayed for Brion. The sound of creaking footsteps echoed from the living room behind him.

When he turned around, he saw a tall man in dirty monastic robes. The man removed his hood, revealing a bald head. The short black hair sprouting on the top of his head suggested it hadn’t been shaved for a long time.

“It’s as if you knew I was coming, Father.”

The man dragged a chair over and sat in front of the kneeling Daniel.

“Is that possible? But I realized it was already too late to escape from you. Didn’t you just lock the door?”

He lowered his upper body to match Daniel’s eye level, resting his elbows on his thighs with his hands clasped.

“I didn’t lock it to keep you from escaping, Father. I locked it to prevent innocent bystanders from becoming additional victims.”

“You’ve already made one innocent victim.”

“It should end with one.”

“Whose orders are these? If I don’t want to become the second victim, I need to know the reason. Maybe you’re here by mistake.”

“Depending on the case, it could be unfortunate. But that’s for me to judge.”

“Your name?”

“What would you do with it?”

“Aren’t you going to ask me questions too? That’s why you haven’t killed me yet, right?”

“So we’re going to ask and answer questions fairly? As rumored, you are an interesting person. But you’re mistaken. I am very skilled at making a person who resists telling the truth eventually speak the truth.”

“A religious inquisitor?”

“I’ve done such work.”

“Then you should correct it to being skilled at wrapping lies as truths, not making people speak the truth.”

“That very statement gives me the justification to execute you, Father.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. You just want to kill someone and are using some nonsensical logic to justify it. Do you find pleasure in the screams of pain and the smell of burning flesh when you burn people?”

“I can’t deny that. But I don’t have time. Because you’ve been wandering around so much, I haven’t finished the work I should have done earlier.”

The man unclasped his hands. There was a bit of blood on them. Now Daniel noticed that the cuffs and hem of his robe were also stained with blood. It was Brion’s blood.

Soon, it would be Daniel’s blood added to it.

“You brought a young man named Jade from Zerba, didn’t you? Where is he now?”

“Since you haven’t told me your name, I can’t tell you anything either.”

“Even though I appear to be smiling, I am actually very angry. I should have burned Jade at the stake in Zerba a week ago. But you, Father Daniel, moved a step faster.”

Daniel stood up. The man watched Daniel’s every movement intently but didn’t issue any particular warning and kept talking.

“I rode ahead, took the quickest shortcut from Zerba to Rome, and lay in ambush. But you chose a different route. Where did you go? Mirva? Pompeii?”

Not really expecting an answer, he continued talking to himself.

“It’s the first time my predictions have been so wrong multiple times. I even secretly came here, thinking you’d come straight to this house, but you weren’t here. I waited all night. You entered Rome earlier than me, but where did you go that you’re this late?” He nodded towards the dead Brion.

“And where is Jade, while you’re dragging around a kid I don’t even know? Judging by his clothes, he’s an altar boy from St. Vesta Cathedral. I saw the path you took, and it wasn’t from the cathedral. How many places have you visited tonight, and by what routes?”

“You are surely familiar with asking questions but probably not good at listening. No matter what the other person says, you will interpret it in the way you want, or repeat the same question until you get the answer you’ve decided upon, or torture them until you hear what you want to hear. Thus, I can’t give you any answers because it won’t be the answer you want.”

“That’s not the answer I want. Please don’t make me cause you pain, Father.”

“That statement irritates me. That I made you do this? No. You want to do it. Go ahead and do what you came here to do.”

The man rubbed his hands together and laughed several times.

“This is amazing. I was prepared to take at least a few of your fingernails and toenails, or even a few ribs if necessary. Pain makes people’s souls speak the most honest voices. And only after the soul speaks does one repent and prepare for heaven.”

He stood up from the chair and drew a dagger from his robe. It looked sharp enough to shave with and strong enough to pierce armor.

“Unfortunately, it seems Father Daniel is corrupted to the very depths of his soul. As interesting as the rumors say, but not as noble. I believe my being here is God’s will. A corrupted soul like yours has no chance for repentance. Only death can make your soul ‘less’ corrupted. I will give you the most painful death I know, so that you regret the life you have lived. At least God will be satisfied.”

“Don’t invoke God to satisfy your filthy pleasures.”

“What do you mean? Pleasure, like pain, is a feeling given by God.”

He roughly grabbed Daniel by the neck and lifted him.

Daniel could only hold onto the man’s wrist, unable to resist. With one hand, the man tore Daniel’s shirt open and placed the blade at the center of his ribs.

“The northern barbarians of the Kingdom of Pharrens are still primitive, not yet led by God’s word, and are behind in culture, economy, and politics. But there is one thing we can learn from those who know nothing but fighting: their torture methods. Have you heard of the Blood Eagle?”

He raised one hand, and a rope inside his loose robe seemed to move on its own, binding Daniel’s wrists. The rope, now tying his hands, hung him from the ceiling like a crucifix.

“I will now split your ribs and pull out your lungs. Your lungs will spread out behind your shoulders like the ‘wings’ of an eagle. In that state, you will live long enough to regret your misguided faith.”

He let go of Daniel’s neck and stepped back.

Daniel, suspended in the air, spoke.

“Did you use magic?”

“You say the strangest things, Father. You should call this a miracle of God! Or perhaps the power of a demon.”

He placed the blade against Daniel’s chest again.

“When it’s all over, I will set fire to the oil canister in the kitchen and leave. People will think it was just an accidental fire that killed two people in their sleep. No one will think you were killed by a knife, not even if you died by the Blood Eagle method. They might not even recognize you as Father Daniel if…”

While he was speaking, a hissing sound came from the kitchen.

The man, on guard, approached the noise. The oil canister filled with olive oil was on fire.

“What? Why is this…?”

He hurriedly took off his robe and tried to smother the fire. But instead, the flames spread to his robe, making the fire bigger. He threw the robe away and backed off. The flames quickly filled the kitchen.

The smile he had been wearing vanished from his face.

“Father, what have you done?”

“What have I done…? Fire! Put out the fire!”

Daniel, hanging from the rope, pleaded.

“In a wooden building like this, at this hour, the fire will grow with no one to put it out. This is a populated area! Put out the fire! Please, just kill me alone…”

The man stabbed Daniel in the neck.

Daniel couldn’t even finish his sentence, letting out a strangled cry.

“I’ll take care of everything!”

When he withdrew the knife, a gush of blood as strong as when he killed Brion splattered against the wall. Daniel coughed a few times and then went limp, still hanging from the rope.

With a wave of his hand, the ropes binding Daniel’s limbs returned to the man.

Meanwhile, the fire had spread across the oil-soaked wooden floor, flooding in like a tide. The flames had already reached the living room and were climbing the walls. In an instant, black smoke filled the room.

“Father Daniel, it seems you did some work for God after all. To earn such a peaceful death.”

The man turned, leaving the living room, and opened the door. He took one last look at the flames and smoke enveloping Daniel and Brion, then left the house.