I Became the Teacher of the Imperial Family’s Bastard

047.Sorting out (2)

Callios, upon entering this matter, acted very carefully and secretly.

From the moment he noticed the anomaly in the Sealed Chamber, all actions were taken to find the ‘enemy within.’

He created a rumor that Verheim had died.

He created a rumor that Historia still hadn’t regained consciousness from her sickbed.

Callios himself acted as if he was intoxicated with heroic achievements, and every noble he met, he pointed out the saint’s wickedness and expressed his indignation.

So, he didn’t even mention anything related to the Sealed Chamber and did his best to make them let their guard down.

In the process, he moved to catch the enemy’s tail.

Nevertheless, the enemy vanished as if mocking him.

The fact that his name was not on the list of the living meant he was never a priest to begin with.

What he gained from this process was merely the certainty that the enemy was also within.

It was an incredibly frustrating matter, but it was possible.

If the enemy had been so easily caught, things would not have reached this point.

Thus, Kallios chose to do something productive rather than sit down in anger over past events.

So he spoke.

“I think they fled when you entered the battle. I had their descriptions circulated within the system, but… nothing came up.”

“…Is that so.”

“The only thing missing from the sealed vault is a single research record. As for the other forbidden books, I understand they couldn’t take them because they are cursed and only you can lift the curse.”

“…Yes.”

“I am quite desperate. So tell me everything you know about them. I can cross-check and verify any distortions.”

Verheim frowned as if shocked.

In that state, he spoke.

“First…”

Kallios memorized all the long words.

He mixed in questions here and there to verify the puzzling parts.

Since the information was distorted, he didn’t believe everything.

However, after hearing the whole story, he concluded.

‘…That’s a relief.’

There was some useful information.

Kallios calmed his boiling insides.

He closed his eyes and stabilized his breathing.

Plans began to form in his mind one by one.

So Kallios spoke.

“…I was quite troubled about how to use you. Now I can finally come to a conclusion.”

Verheim raised his head.

Kallios stared straight into his dull golden eyes.

The reason he made him a dead man was because there was no need to use him publicly.

There, the losses outweighed the gains of making him a heroic figure.

In his heart, he wanted to behead him.

For Callios, Verheim was neither interesting nor reassuring.

However, if things turned out this way, the story would change.

“You are…”

Callios sentenced him.

Not the execution handed down publicly, but another sentence.

* * *

It took a week for Historia to get out of bed.

Now, her divine power was fully restored.

No, something beyond recovery had emerged.

‘…It seems my vessel has grown larger than before.’

Whether it was due to the use of forbidden arts, some method Yuren had employed, or both, Historia’s divine power had become much stronger than before.

However, it was different from merely increasing in quantity. She emitted divine power.

Pachin―!

The radiance was not loud, but rather subtly and swiftly took shape.

The time to materialize had been drastically shortened, and the variations in form extended to realms Historia had previously thought impossible.

She even thought she might be able to create new divine laws with this power.

A definite increase in strength.

If there was one drawback to this change, it was this.

“Your wings suit you well.”

“…Please don’t say that.”

Historia lowered her head and trembled at Yuren’s words.

Her cheeks flushed slightly.

The problem was her appearance.

The stronger she emitted her divine power, the more clearly the halo and wings made of light appeared behind her.

At a glance, it seemed divine, but wasn’t it?

People might think, ‘Wow! The saintess grows wings every time she uses her divine power! Does she think of herself as an angel?’ and treat her as a self-absorbed person.

Historia absolutely did not want to be misunderstood in that way.

So she devised a way to hide it, but that too was impossible.

Yuren, who had been watching, spoke.

“Still, isn’t it better than growing another leg? Wings are quite the gentlemanly option, I think.”

“…Please stop.”

“Wow, an angel.”

“Please…”

Historia covered her face with her hands.

Her shoulders trembled.

She looked at Yuren with eyes full of resentment, but Yuren just shrugged.

Historia’s eyes narrowed.

“Really…”

“What.”

“…Never mind.”

A sigh slipped out.

What should she say? From the moment Yuren judged that he had the upper hand in their relationship, it was clear he saw her as a subordinate.

It wasn’t so much that she felt bad, but rather annoyed.

She thought it would be better if he treated her with the same respect as before… but then again, she would feel a bit disappointed if he did.

She was confused by her own feelings, unable to grasp them.

It was at that moment.

“Get up if you’re done sitting around.”

Yuren said.

Historia’s shoulders jolted.

She soon hardened her expression and nodded.

A faint sadness welled up.

“…Yes. I can see it now.”

From now on, they had to go meet Verheim, the cause of this incident.

* * *

All the way to the northern part of the capital, Historia thought.

What should she say when she meets him?

Would she resent him first for causing this incident?

Or would she first feel relieved that he was alive and conscious?

With all those worries, could she ever treat him the same as before?

Her mind was already a mess.

In the end, Historia gave up thinking.

She concluded that the only way to get an answer was to meet him directly.

That was the right answer.

“…Ber.”

An old spire somewhere in the north.

A place where no one would ever come.

Berheim was sitting there, bound beyond the iron bars.

His appearance could not be called good, even as a joke.

Unlike his always neat appearance, his whole body was dirty.

His red hair was tangled, and his golden eyes had lost their light.

But, rather, she felt a sense of relief at his appearance.

In his eyes, which widened in surprise upon discovering her, there was a clear sign of sanity.

Historia parted her lips.

She chose her words.

And then she finally spoke.

“Are you okay?”

Despite being a child who had committed an unforgivable sin, she still thought of him as family.

Perhaps because blood is thicker than water, Historia could not resent him.

“I’m glad. You came to your senses.”

She smiled, filled with sadness and relief.

Berheim’s expression twisted as if something inside him had crumbled at the sight of her.

He clenched his teeth and trembled.

Then, finally, he lowered his head and spoke.

“…I’m sorry. Lia.”

His breath was soaked with tears.

* * *

Berheim was too ashamed to even lift his head.

Every moment he felt Historia’s presence, shame and guilt surged within him.

It was an emotion that grew stronger the more he confirmed her survival and stability.

He wished she would at least curse him.

If she showed contempt, he felt he could reveal his guilt more comfortably.

But, that did not happen.

Berheim only realized once again what kind of woman she was.

“You’ve been through a lot. It’s okay now.”

Historia just smiled as if relieved and comforted him.

Just as she always had, as she had done for everyone, unchanged from her young and immature days.

She praised atonement, not pointing out sins.

She only said he wasn’t bad.

A hollow laugh escaped.

How could she forgive so easily what he couldn’t even forgive himself for?

Why was the warmth of her heart always so constant?

Berheim’s fist clenched tightly.

It was at this moment that he realized something clearly.

‘I am…’

Now, he would probably never be able to lift his head in front of that smile for the rest of his life.

He would feel guilty for life towards her, who was both his sister and mother.

But, even so, there was something he had to do.

Because he knew well what would make Historia happy, as much as he knew her.

Berheim somehow managed to smile and said,

“…Thank you, Ria. For being alive.”

Thus, he protected her smile.

The atmosphere became calm.

After a short silence, Historia answered with a smile.

“Thank you too. For being alive.”

After that, it was like this.

Berheim talked a lot with Historia.

About personal matters, about the outside world.

And even about the wounds.

Among such stories, Verheim also heard about Historia’s transformation.

When she unleashed her divine power, wings of light rose on her back along with a halo.

Historia bowed her head in embarrassment, but Verheim could understand the general mechanism just from that.

“…It must be Amir’s influence. The plant I researched.”

“Amir…?”

“It’s a plant from the Apocrypha. It grows in the land of doppelgängers… It has the effect of blurring the characteristics of the species, making it easy to change.”

The more Verheim spoke, the more his expression frowned.

Come to think of it, this was also a story he heard from Millie.

Verheim quickly erased his emotions and spoke.

“The potion you ingested was a byproduct of research related to evolution. The same as what I consumed.”

“Evolution…”

“You can think of it as finding the most suitable form for the maximization of divine power and mutating the species accordingly. Of course, it varies for each individual. Different inclinations, different talents.”

Thinking about it brought a bitter smile to Verheim’s face.

Historia became an angel, and he became a beast.

Perhaps he was never meant to be called a god’s avatar.

“…It’s not a bad thing. The mutation of the species seems to have been resolved, and in the process, the divine power took on a higher form for survival. You could say it’s a blessing in disguise. You have become stronger.”

“Th-that’s what it is…”

Only then did Historia exhale in relief.

Verheim smiled faintly at her usual demeanor.

At the same time, another emotion surged within him.

‘This will be the end for a while. Seeing her like this.’

He knew what he had to do.

And he had to tell Historia as well.

“Ria.”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

For not giving up on this sinner until the end.

For being willing to risk your life for such a thing.

He felt sorry and grateful for that.

So, to pay for his sins, Verheim had to fulfill his duty.

Berheim parted his lips.

“I am leaving the system. Perhaps for quite a long time, or maybe forever.”

Historia was stunned by those words.

* * *

Before meeting Historia, Berheim received a sentence from Callios.

“I have made you a dead man. I no longer felt the need to keep you alive, and the losses were too great. After all, wouldn’t your survival be more of a burden to our enemies?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“I have no intention of announcing that you are still alive. Only four people know this: myself, Yuren, my sister, and the saint.”

“…Yes, then what should I do?”

Berheim had to become a dead man.

There were several complex reasons, and it was also to accomplish a single purpose.

“Leave for the Outer Realm. I thought of several suspects who might have orchestrated this… but it makes sense, doesn’t it? They sacrificed tens of thousands to summon a demon. Yet, the investigation found no such large-scale disappearances. So where is the most likely place?”

“…The Outer Realm. A foreign land where friendly races, including humans, cannot be properly identified.”

“Indeed.”

He had to leave the system and head for the Outer Realm.

It was to investigate the group responsible for this incident.

It was a story that Berheim had no choice but to accept.

“Since they obtained the materials for the experiment from there, it certainly makes sense.”

“You speak well. Doesn’t it seem strange when you think about it? How do those who helped you know the Outer Realm so well?”

“Yes, I agree.”

The Outer Realm is a mystery.

Its harsh environment is unsuitable for the creatures of this land, including humans.

But that doesn’t mean there were no natives living there.

To put it simply, humans or other races ‘bred’ there might be quite suitable as sacrifices.

Those who lived as their limbs could very well be the three.

“So you must leave. There is no right to refuse.”

Callios said with a smile.

It could be considered a humane act that erased some of Berheim’s guilt.

Moreover, it could be considered an act that stirred a certain nostalgia.

“So, you’re leaving now.”

The day of departure had come.

Late at night, on the forest path beyond the northern gate of the capital.

Only Historia and Yuren, both cloaked in robes, came to see him off.

Berheim spoke to the sorrowfully smiling Historia.

“Someday, we will meet again.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t be too sad. In a different form, we are still keeping our promise.”

Historia smiled weakly.

Then, she began to force her lips into a wider smile.

“You will explore the outer realms, and I will guard the Papal Palace.”

“It’s rather fortunate.”

“Yes…”

The moment of farewell is only sad if prolonged.

Berheim also believed this was not the end.

“We will see each other again.”

After saying that, he looked at Yuren.

Yuren, with a disinterested face, was waiting for this melodrama to end quickly.

Berheim thought as he saw that expression.

‘…Is it fortunate?’

Strong.

And he seemed to be a more affectionate person than expected.

If he stayed by Historia’s side, he would protect her better than Berheim could.

That was enough.

It was enough if she lived safely and happily.

Berheim bowed his head to Yuren.

Yuren waved his hand dismissively and said,

“If you’re done, go. If I’m late, my sister will scold me.”

Incomprehensible words, probably urging him less harshly because of Historia’s presence.

Berheim nodded.

He patted Historia’s shoulder one last time, and then he left.

Only after turning around did Verheim rub his chest.

He couldn’t help but think of Kallios’ face, and it gave him goosebumps.

―Ah, of course, I won’t just let you go. How could I release a prisoner into the world without any measures? I have to take precautions too.

Even while smiling brightly, he committed quite a cruel act.

A curse was embedded in Verheim’s heart.

If Kallios wished, he could kill Verheim in an instant, even from the opposite side of the continent.

He knew he wasn’t in a position to say such things.

Even he would have acted similarly in the same situation.

But still, Verheim thought and spoke without realizing it.

‘Creepy human.’

He was repeatedly relieved.

It was fortunate that he was closer to Historia, not Kallios.

The shadows of the night were dark.

Verheim felt an intimacy with it as he moved forward.

He was in a hurry, and there was much to find out.

Everything else was also a mystery, a situation full of unknowns, not knowing how twisted he himself was.

Therefore, Verheim had a personal question that he had to unravel along with other things on this journey.

‘Since when has the blessing been absent?’

It might be a pointless thought, but it kept bothering him.

If it was due to Rebecca, it meant that the blessing had been absent for at least a year.

It could be understood that he didn’t know that.

But still, something strange remained.

‘Since when did the goddess not command a conversation?’

The god had not responded for some time.

There was a distortion, and it was too strange that her will had distanced itself from him without any forewarning.

Everything was speculation.

But Verheim was deeply uneasy about it.

He looked up.

The answer was still beyond the mist.