I stared at Karl and then opened my mouth.
“Why are you saying that?”
His voice trembled a little.
“I will not leave Ronheim.”
I clenched my fist.
Karl, that was my everything, felt very unfamiliar at this moment.
And that strangeness was something I created.
“I told you. I love this place. I love Ronheim.”
My body trembled with excitement, but my voice was strong.
"I won't run away. I won't give in to those who tormented me any longer. Even if it's scary and difficult, I will win. I will overcome."
“...”
“I will overcome this.”
Just as I was looking at Karl as if he were a stranger, Karl was also looking at me as if I were a stranger.
I spoke to Karl forcefully.
"Even if, by some chance, something goes wrong with Callius, I won't run away. I will ultimately bring about the downfall of Kavala and Andrea. I will remain and protect Ronheim until the very end."
Karl tried to refute me.
It was clear that he was about to pour out words that would make me anxious.
I blocked that kind of talk from the start.
"I need courage, Karl. If you won't support me, I won't listen to you anymore."
Karl seemed shocked by those words.
I closed my eyes tightly and turned away from him.
"Thank you, Karl. And I'm sorry. Please go now."
I greeted him goodbye first.
Is this something you're good at?
Is it okay to do this to my precious friend?
Such thoughts filled my mind, but I didn't turn around and grab Karl.
My heart was pounding.
Unaware of the great courage I had exerted, I turned around for a long time until Karl disappeared.
I felt like something big had changed.
It wasn't me, it was Karl, who had the appearance of a young boy, but strangely enough, my reflection in the window seemed to have grown a little.
And then, just then, someone's scream pierced through the wind and reached my ears.
“Open the gates!”
“Open the gates!”
It was the sound of soldiers shouting.
Callius is back.
I ran downstairs and ran to Callius.
Even when mixed in with a crowd of people, Callius always mysteriously caught my eye, so it wasn't hard to find him.
“Callius!”
I forgot my pride and ran like crazy to catch Callius.
“Chloe.”
Callius was smiling.
I felt relieved only after I examined his body and confirmed with my own eyes that he was fine.
Callius smiled, showing the Miris stem knot he had wrapped around his hand.
“Thanks to Chloe’s strong prayers, we returned safely.”
“Thank goodness, thank goodness. Thank goodness.”
In this life, Callius did not die.
And in this life, I will not die.
The courage I had shown to Karl became my conviction.
“Have you caught the Kavala gang?”
“Yes, but the children were hurt.”
Callius pointed behind him worriedly.
There were quite a few sick patients there, as well as children.
Everyone's appearance was beyond words.
The two children and Hillen were blackened all over, as if they had emerged from a pit of fire.
They also seemed to have wounds all over their bodies, but their condition was much better than that of the others.
I saw a child being carried away on a stretcher.
All of his clothes were burned, and his skin was peeling off.
Leviche, who was with his parents, discovered the child and screamed.
“Edzel!”
Leviche's mother was seen sinking into her seat.
Her father kept asking the knights carrying the stretcher in a desperate voice.
"Is this my son? Is this Edzel? Is he alive? Can he survive?"
It wasn't just Edzel who was taken away.
On the stretcher was Andrew, whose legs were horribly melted away for some reason, and another man whose whole body was covered in wounds.
Looking at them, I could tell that there had been a pretty brutal fight.
“I need the Holy Grail.”
Callius left those words behind and hurried into the castle.
Granada could be heard firmly comforting the mother of the injured child.
"Edzel will live. The Marquis has gone to retrieve the Holy Grail. Edzel will be safe. So come to your senses and stand up. Now is not the time to cry."
At first glance, it sounded like a cold voice.
But in that determination, I felt trust.
Leviche's mother stopped crying and stood up with a solemn expression on her face.
She asked Granada, her eyes wide open and trying not to shed tears.
“Can I come in and stay with my son?”
Granada gave a calm instruction to Leviche, who was holding back tears.
“Guide your parents.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
Leviche quickly wiped away her tears and, with her mouth pursed shut as if trying to stifle her tears, led her parents into the castle.
The children and their parents were taken to the castle, and Andrew and Hillen were sent to prison.
Andrew was in great pain because of his injuries, but no one felt sorry for him.
And one person, Basto, Andrew's father.
His whereabouts were ambiguous.
Although he was the father of a traitor, no one seemed to know whether he was also involved in the betrayal or not.
While Callius frantically searched for the Holy Grail to save Edzel, the knights had a small argument over Basto.
I stared blankly at the sight and then gave instructions.
"If we just send him to prison, he'll die soon. Let's try to save him for now. It won't be too late to hear his story and then make a decision. Take him into the castle."
But then it was.
Basto, who I thought had fainted, groaned and reached out to me.
“I... am... ugh! That... is worth...”
Every time he took a breath, blood flowed from his mouth.
Although the knights tried to stop him, he refused to enter the castle, despite his distress.
“Just, just, leave me alone... ugh, leave me alone... My... feet...”
I read fear in his fading eyes.
It seemed like he was afraid of living, not dying.
Isn't that strange?
How can humans refuse to survive in the face of death?
He had eyes like those of a dead person, and he was blinking at the dawn sky as if longing for freedom.
I realized it intuitively.
That he had a dark secret he wanted to take to his grave.
It must have held a secret so great that it could not be exchanged even for death.
I spoke urgently to Mainz.
“We must save him. We must save him no matter what.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Callius prepared a simple sacrifice.
Edzel lay unconscious, his body charred black, before the chalice placed on the altar, while other children with burns were sobbing beside him.
I had a little argument with Brentian while Callius was preparing the sacrifice of the Holy Grail.
"You can't use the Holy Grail, Chloe. You don't know how it's connected to Andrew's actions. You can't use the Holy Grail to heal someone who might be a sinner."
"If he's involved, it's better to know the truth. I can't let him die without knowing the truth."
I was resolute.
And finally, when Callius was ready, he raised his hand.
“Bring Edzel and Basto closer.”
Everyone held their breath and watched his actions.
Callius cut his palm with a knife and drew blood.
His blood fell into the bowl of water placed next to the Holy Grail and mixed with it.
Callius, who had been mumbling something inaudible in front of him for a moment, picked up a bowl of water and tried to pour its contents into the chalice.
'There's a hole in that Holy Grail.'
The Holy Grail had the shape of a cup, but it had a cylindrical hole that extended all the way to the bottom, making it impossible to hold liquid.
I looked at Callius with a feeling of anxiety.
Others watched calmly as water was poured into the holy chalice.
As if you believe that even if there is a hole, water will not leak out.
I, too, tried to believe that the Holy Grail would hold water.
'It is said that if the true owner of the Holy Grail fills the Holy Grail with holy water, the water will not leak.'
Now that the Saintess has died and no new Saintess has emerged, people believe that her son, Callius, has inherited the right to be the owner of the Holy Grail.
Callius, who was presiding over this ceremony, must have believed so too.
So I decided to believe that the water would not leak out and would be transformed into holy water with healing powers in the chalice.
But.
Whoa!
The water that Callius poured into the Holy Grail fell through the hole in the floor, contrary to everyone's expectations.
"Oh my...!"
Everyone watching opened their eyes wide.
Callius was also confused.
“The Holy Grail...”
Not awakened.
“Why are you saying that?”
His voice trembled a little.
“I will not leave Ronheim.”
I clenched my fist.
Karl, that was my everything, felt very unfamiliar at this moment.
And that strangeness was something I created.
“I told you. I love this place. I love Ronheim.”
My body trembled with excitement, but my voice was strong.
"I won't run away. I won't give in to those who tormented me any longer. Even if it's scary and difficult, I will win. I will overcome."
“...”
“I will overcome this.”
Just as I was looking at Karl as if he were a stranger, Karl was also looking at me as if I were a stranger.
I spoke to Karl forcefully.
"Even if, by some chance, something goes wrong with Callius, I won't run away. I will ultimately bring about the downfall of Kavala and Andrea. I will remain and protect Ronheim until the very end."
Karl tried to refute me.
It was clear that he was about to pour out words that would make me anxious.
I blocked that kind of talk from the start.
"I need courage, Karl. If you won't support me, I won't listen to you anymore."
Karl seemed shocked by those words.
I closed my eyes tightly and turned away from him.
"Thank you, Karl. And I'm sorry. Please go now."
I greeted him goodbye first.
Is this something you're good at?
Is it okay to do this to my precious friend?
Such thoughts filled my mind, but I didn't turn around and grab Karl.
My heart was pounding.
Unaware of the great courage I had exerted, I turned around for a long time until Karl disappeared.
I felt like something big had changed.
It wasn't me, it was Karl, who had the appearance of a young boy, but strangely enough, my reflection in the window seemed to have grown a little.
And then, just then, someone's scream pierced through the wind and reached my ears.
“Open the gates!”
“Open the gates!”
It was the sound of soldiers shouting.
Callius is back.
***
I ran downstairs and ran to Callius.
Even when mixed in with a crowd of people, Callius always mysteriously caught my eye, so it wasn't hard to find him.
“Callius!”
I forgot my pride and ran like crazy to catch Callius.
“Chloe.”
Callius was smiling.
I felt relieved only after I examined his body and confirmed with my own eyes that he was fine.
Callius smiled, showing the Miris stem knot he had wrapped around his hand.
“Thanks to Chloe’s strong prayers, we returned safely.”
“Thank goodness, thank goodness. Thank goodness.”
In this life, Callius did not die.
And in this life, I will not die.
The courage I had shown to Karl became my conviction.
“Have you caught the Kavala gang?”
“Yes, but the children were hurt.”
Callius pointed behind him worriedly.
There were quite a few sick patients there, as well as children.
Everyone's appearance was beyond words.
The two children and Hillen were blackened all over, as if they had emerged from a pit of fire.
They also seemed to have wounds all over their bodies, but their condition was much better than that of the others.
I saw a child being carried away on a stretcher.
All of his clothes were burned, and his skin was peeling off.
Leviche, who was with his parents, discovered the child and screamed.
“Edzel!”
Leviche's mother was seen sinking into her seat.
Her father kept asking the knights carrying the stretcher in a desperate voice.
"Is this my son? Is this Edzel? Is he alive? Can he survive?"
It wasn't just Edzel who was taken away.
On the stretcher was Andrew, whose legs were horribly melted away for some reason, and another man whose whole body was covered in wounds.
Looking at them, I could tell that there had been a pretty brutal fight.
“I need the Holy Grail.”
Callius left those words behind and hurried into the castle.
Granada could be heard firmly comforting the mother of the injured child.
"Edzel will live. The Marquis has gone to retrieve the Holy Grail. Edzel will be safe. So come to your senses and stand up. Now is not the time to cry."
At first glance, it sounded like a cold voice.
But in that determination, I felt trust.
Leviche's mother stopped crying and stood up with a solemn expression on her face.
She asked Granada, her eyes wide open and trying not to shed tears.
“Can I come in and stay with my son?”
Granada gave a calm instruction to Leviche, who was holding back tears.
“Guide your parents.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
Leviche quickly wiped away her tears and, with her mouth pursed shut as if trying to stifle her tears, led her parents into the castle.
The children and their parents were taken to the castle, and Andrew and Hillen were sent to prison.
Andrew was in great pain because of his injuries, but no one felt sorry for him.
And one person, Basto, Andrew's father.
His whereabouts were ambiguous.
Although he was the father of a traitor, no one seemed to know whether he was also involved in the betrayal or not.
While Callius frantically searched for the Holy Grail to save Edzel, the knights had a small argument over Basto.
I stared blankly at the sight and then gave instructions.
"If we just send him to prison, he'll die soon. Let's try to save him for now. It won't be too late to hear his story and then make a decision. Take him into the castle."
But then it was.
Basto, who I thought had fainted, groaned and reached out to me.
“I... am... ugh! That... is worth...”
Every time he took a breath, blood flowed from his mouth.
Although the knights tried to stop him, he refused to enter the castle, despite his distress.
“Just, just, leave me alone... ugh, leave me alone... My... feet...”
I read fear in his fading eyes.
It seemed like he was afraid of living, not dying.
Isn't that strange?
How can humans refuse to survive in the face of death?
He had eyes like those of a dead person, and he was blinking at the dawn sky as if longing for freedom.
I realized it intuitively.
That he had a dark secret he wanted to take to his grave.
It must have held a secret so great that it could not be exchanged even for death.
I spoke urgently to Mainz.
“We must save him. We must save him no matter what.”
“Yes, I understand.”
***
Callius prepared a simple sacrifice.
Edzel lay unconscious, his body charred black, before the chalice placed on the altar, while other children with burns were sobbing beside him.
I had a little argument with Brentian while Callius was preparing the sacrifice of the Holy Grail.
"You can't use the Holy Grail, Chloe. You don't know how it's connected to Andrew's actions. You can't use the Holy Grail to heal someone who might be a sinner."
"If he's involved, it's better to know the truth. I can't let him die without knowing the truth."
I was resolute.
And finally, when Callius was ready, he raised his hand.
“Bring Edzel and Basto closer.”
Everyone held their breath and watched his actions.
Callius cut his palm with a knife and drew blood.
His blood fell into the bowl of water placed next to the Holy Grail and mixed with it.
Callius, who had been mumbling something inaudible in front of him for a moment, picked up a bowl of water and tried to pour its contents into the chalice.
'There's a hole in that Holy Grail.'
The Holy Grail had the shape of a cup, but it had a cylindrical hole that extended all the way to the bottom, making it impossible to hold liquid.
I looked at Callius with a feeling of anxiety.
Others watched calmly as water was poured into the holy chalice.
As if you believe that even if there is a hole, water will not leak out.
I, too, tried to believe that the Holy Grail would hold water.
'It is said that if the true owner of the Holy Grail fills the Holy Grail with holy water, the water will not leak.'
Now that the Saintess has died and no new Saintess has emerged, people believe that her son, Callius, has inherited the right to be the owner of the Holy Grail.
Callius, who was presiding over this ceremony, must have believed so too.
So I decided to believe that the water would not leak out and would be transformed into holy water with healing powers in the chalice.
But.
Whoa!
The water that Callius poured into the Holy Grail fell through the hole in the floor, contrary to everyone's expectations.
"Oh my...!"
Everyone watching opened their eyes wide.
Callius was also confused.
“The Holy Grail...”
Not awakened.
Someone muttered.
And that muttering soon brought despair to those who had been so delighted at having found the Holy Grail.
Especially to Edzel's parents.
"Ah..."
Edzel's mother, who had been barely holding on, collapsed.
I raised my head and looked up at Callius.
Disappointment and frustration spread across his face.
That came as a shock to me.
Callius, the always so steadfast and unwavering man, had such an expression on his face.
As I stared blankly at it, I felt a surge of emotion surge up inside me, unable to bear the sight of Callius making such an expression, and I opened my mouth as if in a trance.
“I’ll try.”
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