East Road Quest

Chapter 12: Saint Vesta Cathedral

Jade and Daniel walked in silence for a while. As they neared the cross of Saint Vesta Cathedral, Daniel broke the awkwardness by asking, “Why did you stop contacting Saph?”

When Jade hesitated to respond, Daniel pressed on, “Saph told me she sent several letters to Saint Antones Monastery, waiting for your reply. When you didn’t answer, she stopped writing, thinking she might be bothering you.”

“I couldn’t find the time to reply,” Jade shook his head. “The commotion around the Holy Grail issue made things hectic, but…”

Jade didn’t want to think about the Holy Grail any longer. “More than anything, I feel I’m having a bad influence on Saph. Since the Mitchel incident, I’ve become certain of it.”

“What do you mean by a bad influence? Saph depends on you a lot. You’re like a brother to her, aren’t you?”

“I consider Saph like a sister too. But I can’t protect her. It’s better for her if I stay away.”

“You’re being cold.”

“I have no choice.”

“That’s selfish.”

“You can think that if you want. It’s true.”

“You’re a jerk. Then I’ll go see Saph alone.”

Jade hesitated and asked, “Now?”

“I don’t know when I’ll be back once I leave this time. I need to say goodbye. If I meet with His Majesty the Emperor tomorrow, I might not get the chance.”

Jade held back his words and nodded.

Daniel confirmed, “You’re really not coming with me?”

“My decision hasn’t changed.”

At that moment, three soldiers with spears appeared from an alley and stopped the two on the main road. Fortunately, one of the soldiers recognized Father Daniel, so they passed without further identification checks.

“Do you think it’s because of the murder case? There seem to be a lot of patrolling soldiers. It’s somewhat reassuring,” Jade said, feeling relieved. But Daniel, who had never looked worried before, now scanned their surroundings with concern.

“Why are you worried?”

“I wonder if I shouldn’t have mentioned the Holy Grail earlier. I feel like someone’s following us. Do you feel that?”

“How would I know?”

“That’s true.”

Daniel sniffed the night air and, as if making a decision, shouted loudly, “Hey!”

He waved at the soldiers they had just passed. Seeing his gesture, the soldiers returned willingly.

“What’s the matter, Father?” one of the soldiers asked.

“If you don’t mind, could you escort us to Saint Vesta Cathedral?”

The three soldiers exchanged glances. Before they could refuse, Daniel quickly added, “I understand you have a specific patrol route and schedule, but we have a precious relic to show Bishop David. If you protect us, you will receive God’s blessing.”

“If it’s for that reason, of course, we will,” one soldier replied.

Unable to resist Daniel’s request, the soldiers escorted the two to the cathedral.

After the soldiers politely bid farewell to Daniel and left, Jade tapped Daniel’s shoulder.

“Don’t lie about things like that.”

“What lie?”

“Saying we have a relic.”

“Isn’t it true?”

“If you’re talking about my book, didn’t you say it’s not a relic?”

“Depending on the situation, it could be considered a relic. Isn’t everything God has placed on this earth sacred? The crickets singing to celebrate our safe return, the pigeons dozing on the cathedral’s roof unaware of our presence, you, me, and the book you have—everything could be considered a relic. Anyway, thanks to that, we’ve safely arrived at the cathedral. Let’s pray for those three soldiers’ futures.”

“I won’t pray.”

“You stubborn fellow!”

Daniel prayed alone, facing the alley the soldiers had left. Jade watched silently.

After finishing his prayer, Daniel vigorously knocked on the cathedral door. The sound echoed heavily.

As they waited for a response, Daniel asked, “What do you think is the quickest way to the eastern continent?”

“If you want an easy route, going through Liverpool to Sonober Port and taking a ship straight across the Mediterranean would be best. But in this season, it’s more comfortable to travel more by land, so it’s better to go to the Duchy of Lituana and use Saint Paul Port.”

Jade spoke up to this point and looked at Daniel’s face. Daniel, expressionless, seemed to be waiting for him to continue.

“…But if someone believed in a fairy tale, they would take the northern route.”

Satisfied, Daniel smiled.

“You remember.”

“All of it.”

“Then set off again as you remember, assuming I’m not there.”

“Why assume you’re not there?”

“Just do as I say without arguing.”

“Isn’t that a bit contradictory coming from the person who taught me to think for myself and not just follow orders?”

“That’s true. Still, try it.”

“First, head to the Red Desert and find the Temple of Baifel. Then, open the ‘wall’.”

“And the page?”

“Page 144. It must be read backward.”

Jade spoke bluntly, and Daniel gave a barely noticeable nod.

“What’s next?”

“Go underground. And…”

Jade continued in a doubtful tone.

“And honestly, the next part is so absurd it’s embarrassing to say out loud.”

“There are many things I haven’t told you yet, my dear. And they might be even more embarrassing and ridiculous than that. But we don’t have much time.”

“No time? If we’re going to the eastern continent, we’ll have so much time we’ll run out of things to talk about and have to make up stories.”

“Think about the time from Zerba to here. We had plenty of time, but all we did was complain about why the road was so muddy and whether the local lord was doing his job properly. There are things to talk about before a journey and different things to talk about after setting off.”

Soon, the cathedral door opened, and a sleepy-looking acolyte appeared.

“Welcome, Father Daniel. What brings you here at this hour?”

Though his tone was polite, it hinted at annoyance. Daniel, who had been speaking quietly until now, suddenly adopted an exaggerated, high-pitched tone.

“Oh, Brion. I’m glad it’s you. If it were someone else, I’d have gotten an earful!”

“I was ready to give you an earful myself. Want to hear it? Tomorrow—no, it’s already today, since it’s almost two in the morning now.”

Brion grumbled, emphasizing the time.

“I have a busy schedule today. I have to clean the altar in the morning, and in the afternoon, I have to get rid of the bird nests under the roof. If those birds lay eggs, I can’t remove the nests, and among the thousands of people attending Mass, the unlucky ones will get hit by bird droppings. Then I’ll have to lie, saying they should consider it a blessing from God instead of a devil’s curse.”

Brion didn’t give Daniel a chance to speak and continued.

“So I planned to sleep in until six. But I was so tense that I couldn’t fall asleep until midnight. Anyway, the thought of climbing up to the roof is terrifying. I finally fell asleep, and then Father Daniel woke me up.”

“Don’t worry about that part. If you accompany me now, I’ll excuse you from tomorrow’s chores.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Brion looked at Daniel and Jade alternately with a doubtful gaze.

“And who is this…?”

“This is Jade from the Rome Priesthood. By the way, is Bishop David in?”

This time, Brion didn’t give Daniel a chance to respond and continued.

“Oh my, what was I thinking? He’s probably asleep. Jade, I know it’s a hassle, but wait in the chapel until dawn. You can pray for repentance until the morning light. Meanwhile, I’ll visit the convent with Brion.”

Brion, who hadn’t fully comprehended the fast-paced conversation, widened his eyes in surprise.

“The convent? Which convent? And I’m going with you?”

“Is there any convent in Rome other than the Athina Convent? There are others, but when I say convent, I mean Athina. If we leave now, we’ll get there by four in the morning. Mother Julia will welcome us just in time for morning prayers.”

“So I really have to go with you?”

“You heard correctly.”

“So suddenly… Are you really saying I won’t have to clean the roof if I go with you?”

“Of course. Jade, please explain Brion’s absence to Bishop David.”

“But today I’m in charge of guarding the entrance. I need to prepare for rude night visitors like Father Daniel here. So I can’t leave my post.”

“Jade has been serving here as an acolyte for three years, even before you arrived. He can handle things in your absence. Now, let’s get going.”

As Daniel pulled Brion along by the arm, Brion, frightened, said, “W-wait a minute. At least give me time to get my clothes!”

“Oh, right. I forgot about the cold night air. Dress warmly.”

Pretending to be generous, Daniel let Brion go. Brion scratched his head and went back inside the cathedral.

Daniel chuckled softly.

“Well then, Jade. I’ll return before noon tomorrow after seeing Saph. If the Emperor’s chamberlain arrives, please ask him to wait. Surely, he won’t get mad after keeping us waiting.”

Jade just nodded. Daniel waited, looking as if he expected Jade to say something, but Jade remained silent. Daniel had no choice but to speak first.

“Don’t you have any message for Saph?”

“Tell her to stay healthy.”

“Don’t you wish her ‘good health’?”

“I don’t pray.”

Daniel chuckled.

“But Saph will pray.”

Daniel removed the star cross hanging around his neck.

Daniel handed the star cross to Jade.

“If anyone in this cathedral doesn’t recognize you or doubts your identity, show them this cross and tell them you are my disciple. If they argue about excommunication or anything, tell them I’ll explain everything when I return.”

“You want me to carry a cross even though I don’t pray?”

“I’m not giving it to you; just keep it as proof. Return it to me when I get back!”

Jade smiled faintly and took the cross, but he did not wear it around his neck.

Soon, Brion appeared, grumbling.

“Let’s go, Father Daniel. If I can’t skip the cleaning tomorrow, I’ll resent you forever.”

“Don’t worry, Brion. If that happens, I swear in God’s name that I won’t be able to set foot in Rome from the day after tomorrow.”

“You swore!”

Brion pointed to the door and explained to Jade, “Do you know how to lock the door? There’s something you need to do when the bell rings at dawn…”

Daniel laughed heartily and pulled Brion by the arm.

“That’s enough. Didn’t I say Jade knows this place better than you?”

Daniel winked at Jade before leading Brion out of the cathedral. Jade raised his hand slightly in farewell and watched as the two slowly disappeared into the darkness.

Brion’s voice echoed down the alley, “Promise me again what you said earlier.”

‘Should I just give in and follow them?’

Jade hesitated for a moment.

‘Or should I go back and tell Saph what I wanted to say? That I’m sorry I couldn’t stay with her, that I hope she stays well, and that I wish her happiness?’

As Daniel moved further away, Jade’s anxiety grew. Afraid he might really run after them, he turned away from the retreating figures and went back inside the cathedral, closing the door behind him.

The thick cathedral door locked with a resounding echo throughout the chapel.