While Arbella closed her eyes and prayed toward the sky, Yohan frowned. His eyebrows twisted diagonally.
‘What is she talking about?’
A saint being the spouse of a holy woman?
That was a joke he had never heard before.
Usually, warriors and priests were divided into their respective roles, working together in a cooperative relationship and nothing more.
“…Why would I be the holy lady’s husband?”
So he asked. It was so sudden that he was too bewildered to refute it properly.
Arbella lifted the corners of her lips, forming a crescent shape at the corners of her eyes.
“Because the Goddess of Healing, Freya, has ordained it! And I am Arbella! Please, call me by my name!”
Her clear voice echoed through the silent training ground. As a result, the paladins and priests turned their attention toward them. This was not a good situation.
Yohan glanced around cautiously before gesturing toward the purification hall.
“…Let’s head inside first. Elena, please guide the others so they can rest comfortably.”
“Yes.”
Leaving the gathered paladins and priests in Elena’s care, Yohan led Saintess Arbella to the reception room in the purification hall.
The commander of the paladins did not follow, stating he wanted to hear Elena’s explanation with the others. Thus, the conversation was left to Yohan and Arbella alone.
“Saint, you truly shine so brilliantly…!”
Even as they moved, Arbella did not stop talking.
“Ah, I am so happy that Yohan the Saint is my husband! I, Arbella, have had nothing but joyous days ever since I became a faithful servant of Lady Freya!”
Yohan let her words go in one ear and out the other.
“What are your hobbies, Saint Yohan? By the way, I, Arbella, am part of the choir! I also enjoy embroidery!”
Arbella chattered non-stop. Each time her small lips parted, her thin and soft voice pierced his ears. Yohan shut his eyes tightly.
“Hehe, are you curious about who taught me embroidery? I learned from a nun at the sanctuary where I took refuge as a child!”
Even though he wasn’t responding, she continued speaking on her own. Yohan felt like his mind was about to give out.
“…We’ve arrived.”
“Oh, so we have!”
As they reached the reception room, Arbella finally fell silent. Yohan let out a quiet sigh of relief before opening the door.
Click.
Inside, a waiting attendant skillfully brewed tea. As they took their seats, steaming white teacups with a fragrant aroma were placed before them.
“…Phew.”
Though it had only been a short while, Yohan already felt drained by Arbella’s energy. He exhaled quietly and steeled his expression.
“Saintess.”
“Arbella!”
“…Saintess.”
“I don’t want to be called that by my husband!”
Arbella puffed out her cheeks, mischief filling her eyes. It seemed that if he didn’t call her by name, the conversation wouldn’t move forward.
“…Arbella.”
“Wonderful!”
Only then did she drop her sulky expression and look at Yohan with a beaming smile, seemingly satisfied that he had used her name.
“First, I must express my gratitude. Thank you deeply for the support of the Holy Kingdom.”
Arbella clasped her fingertips together, her bright smile unwavering.
“With the Saint present, of course we had to help! Not just me, but everyone else feels the same! As faithful servants of Lady Freya, it was our sacred duty!”
The doctrine of the Holy Kingdom was as follows:
[Love, embrace, and bring salvation.]
Sealing the demon lairs was an act of saving the continent.
Yes.
To them, sealing the demon lairs was the holiest of missions.
“But wouldn’t it be better to discuss the details with the Archbishop? I, Arbella, don’t know much about these things!”
Does she usually announce her ignorance so proudly? The more Yohan talked to her, the more dumbfounded he became.
Wait, the Archbishop?
“…If you’re talking about the Archbishop…”
Yohan’s voice dropped. There wasn’t just one Archbishop in the Holy Kingdom, but an ominous feeling crept up his spine.
“That’s right! Normally, the Archbishops don’t accompany expeditions, but Archbishop Cain has come with us this time!”
Archbishop Cain.
His full name was Cain Luhar.
In the original story, he relentlessly tormented Francia, coveting her purification abilities.
‘Why is that bastard here…?’
Francia was supposed to have no reason to cross paths with the Holy Kingdom. So why had he come here? Yohan was thoroughly unsettled.
‘The future has changed, so some variables are to be expected…’
But this? This, he had not foreseen.
“What brought the Archbishop to accompany the expedition? Normally, such missions are led by the Paladin Order.”
So he asked.
Why had Cain Luhar come?
“He came to protect us, the young lambs! I, Arbella, am deeply grateful to Archbishop Cain for watching over us!”
Yohan fell silent, studying Arbella’s face carefully. He wasn’t entirely certain, but from the look on her face, she didn’t seem to be lying.
No she simply didn’t know anything.
“Oh? Is there something on my face? If you keep staring like that, even I’ll get embarrassed! But… I wouldn’t mind if my dear husband looked at me more! Feel free to admire me all you like!”
Yohan didn’t respond.
He silently furrowed his brows and rubbed his chin.
‘He must have a reason.’
From what Yohan knew, Cain Luhar wasn’t the kind of man to step into the Empire for such a simple reason. The man practically despised Rogino.
‘I don’t know what his objective is, but I can’t let my guard down.’
Francia was participating in this operation as a top-tier mage of the Bureau.
If Cain’s goal had anything to do with her, there was no need for hesitation. He would eliminate him immediately.
Of course, killing a man of his status wouldn’t be easy, but that wasn’t a concern anymore.
If necessary, he would simply assassinate him.
Having reached the pinnacle of transcendence, he had already mastered various forms of magic. Killing an Archbishop who had barely reached the highest level of conventional power would be effortless.
‘I’ll observe for now.’
There was no need to act rashly.
Strength was something he had in abundance.
“Um, Saint? Yohan the Saint!”
“…Yes?”
“What are you thinking so deeply about?”
“Ah.”
Yohan snapped back to reality. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn’t noticed Arbella waving her hand right in front of his face.
“Apologies, I had some things to consider.”
Arbella smiled sweetly and tilted her head slightly.
“Hehe, it’s fine! A true wife’s duty is to wait for her husband! I, Arbella, shall do my best to win Saint Yohan’s heart!”
That husband nonsense again.
Yohan muttered quietly.
“…About that.”
“What do you mean?”
Arbella tilted her head again, still beaming.
“I cannot be your husband.”
“Huh? What do you mean? We are bound by fate—”
“I am already engaged.”
“But isn’t it just an arranged marriage?”
“It was not arranged for political reasons.”
Yohan quickly added,
“I love my fiancée. And she loves me. Our engagement wasn’t arranged for political gain.”
Arbella’s lips, which had been moving nonstop, suddenly froze. She hadn’t expected this. She had assumed it was just a relationship crafted for appearances…
“That’s why I cannot be with you, Arbella….no, Saintess.”
“That… that can’t be…!”
Arbella’s deep black eyes wavered violently.
“There’s no way! Saint Yohan, you are the husband that Lady Freya has chosen for me!”
“That’s not—”
“Lady Freya would never whisper something as impure as adultery into my heart! There must be some mistake!”
This conversation was going nowhere.
So this is why zealots were terrifying.
Yohan let out a small sigh and shook his head.
“This discussion seems like it will take a while. Let’s put it on hold for now. Where is Archbishop Cain?”
Arbella’s shoulders slumped.
“I’m disappointed that our talk is postponed… but I must answer my husband’s question, mustn’t I? The Archbishop moved separately. He should have arrived by now, don’t you think?”
Yohan’s eyes narrowed.
“He moved separately…?”
As expected.
That man hadn’t joined the expedition to protect them he had his own agenda.
‘The moment I get proof, I’ll take care of him immediately.’
If only he had a network of spies, like the late Crown Prince once did, things would be much easier. But that was impossible Yohan had no such organization under his command.
So for now, he had to stay alert and keep watch himself.
“Thank you. You must be exhausted from the journey, Saintess. I’ll make sure you can rest comfortably.”
* * *
The next day.
Yohan woke up in the purification chamber.
Leaving work was a luxury when a campaign was imminent.
“Minister.”
Elena called out to the disheveled Yohan.
“…What is it so early in the morning?”
“The Archbishop has come to see you.”
“Archbishop Cain?”
“Yes.”
So, the time had come to sound him out.
“I’ll get ready and head over right away.”
Yohan used a basic cleansing spell to freshen up. It wasn’t as good as actually washing, but it had its uses in moments like this.
When he arrived at the reception room with Elena, a man dressed in pristine white robes was waiting.
“Apologies for keeping you waiting, Archbishop.”
“Not at all, Saint. The tea is quite good.”
Cain offered a handshake with a friendly smile.
Yohan took his hand, returning a practiced smile of his own.
“Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
The two sat across from each other with a table between them.
As a servant poured their tea, Yohan spoke first.
“Having the Archbishop here personally is truly reassuring. Thank you.”
“Haha, not at all. How could I not come when I have the chance to accompany the Saint?”
Cain chuckled softly and took a sip of his tea.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Yohan asked,
“But what brings you to accompany the expedition, Archbishop? I was under the impression that archbishops rarely leave the Holy Kingdom.”
Ordinarily, someone of an archbishop’s rank would not move personally.
Each one of them possessed considerable power.
Clink.
Cain set his teacup down and smiled smoothly.
“I follow the revelation of Lady Freyja, joining the Saint in this great cause. As Her devoted servant, it is only natural that I take part.”
Had this come from the Pope, a cardinal, or even another archbishop, Yohan might have believed it.
Seeing the Holy Knights’ commander or the Saintess, he knew they were truly devoted to Freyja.
But.
‘Not you.’
Yohan didn’t know the full storyline of the original work, but he was familiar with the major events and characters.
He knew Cain’s true nature.
In a quiet voice, Yohan said,
“Isn’t there another reason for your presence?”
“…Pardon?”
For a moment, Cain’s smile stiffened.
His fingertips, which had been idly brushing the teacup, came to a halt.
“I asked if you had another purpose. Perhaps you’re looking for a particular individual or seeking to obtain someone’s power. Something along those lines.”
As Yohan finished speaking, a shadow passed over Cain’s eyes.