Rafit looked at his uncle with a displeased expression.
[ Rafit ] “Since…….Since when has our family been like this?”
Linden clicked his tongue at his nephew, who had a confused and dumbfounded look on his face.
[ Linden ] “Have you really been so ignorant all this time?”
[ Rafit ] “Even without resorting to that kind of thing, the Kleinfelders would still be the most powerful family in Nauk.”
[ Linden ] “It’s because we’ve done these things that you’ve been able to live so comfortably, so really you should be thanking me. And the most powerful, you say? While the throne sits in the hands of the wrong family?”
[ Rafit ] “Are you that desperate to control Nauk? That position belongs to Princess Rienne! Do you have any idea what kind of humiliation and pain she’s suffered because of it?”
[ Linden ] “That doesn’t mean it belongs to her. She’s just a child who doesn’t even know how to wield her power correctly.”
It was the Kleinfelders that controlled the flow of things, with their hands firmly planted around the High Priest’s neck.
[ Linden ] “Remember that the High Priest must change.”
[ Rafit ] “. . .”
Rafit’s face turned tired.
[ Rafit ] “What are you even planning on doing?”
[ Linden ] “If he cannot fix this problem…..”
The Kleinfelders had all the means they needed to get someone out of the picture. The difficult part was that their target was the High Priest.
[ Linden ] “…..Then we just need to find someone who can.”
But truthfully, that wasn’t a problem for Linden.
To him, replacing the High Priest with the right person was more important—a task far above all else.
[ Rafit ] “I’m telling you, you can’t do this. What will you do if this gets out? How will you deal with the consequences of harming a High Priest?”
[ Linden ] “This is your biggest flaw.”
Linden stared at his nephew, an exasperated sigh escaping him.
[ Linden ] “You are far too soft and weak. That’s why your woman was so easily taken from you.”
The words were much too pointed, piercing Rafit with precision like the tip of a sharp spear.
[ Rafit ] “Uncle!”
Immediately, Rafit understandably lost control, showing his anger.
[ Rafit ] “She wasn’t taken from me. I know Rienne still loves me.”
Rafit was moments away from losing his head over this. In Linden’s eyes, his nephew appeared pathetic. (1)
[ Linden ] “You couldn’t keep a handle on a single woman and now this is how things have turned out. Now that the High Priest is on their side, there’s no chance the wedding will be delayed.”
[ Rafit ] “I can fix this.”
[ Linden ] “How?”
[ Rafit ] “. . .”
After a quiet moment, Linden had an idea. It was a thought he immediately clung to with the cunning of a snake.
[ Linden ] “If the High Priest were to pass away, a new one would need to be selected. In the meantime, there would need to be a funeral. With no one available to officiate, of course no wedding could possibly be held. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Something like that would buy them plenty of time. Rafit’s face stiffened.
[ Linden ] “Today’s a good day, I think. The path to the grave site will be rather dark.”
And darkness was the perfect cover for such a heinous deed.
[ Linden ] “Just remember. Think about what the right thing to do would be. Or rather…what would be most beneficial to you.”
[ Rafit ] “. . .”
.
.
Like the early morning view of the moon, a dark plot brewed in the earliest hour.
.
* * *
.
The destruction of the Temple stairs left a significant impact on the people.
Among those people was an old man— a devastated beggar who once traveled to the Temple every day for bread and water, given to him by the priests.
[ Beggar ] “. . .”
The old beggar stood still, staring at the collapsed stairs.
His one eye looked especially glazed over, covered by his dirty, overhanging hair. Though he had two arms, the beggar couldn’t use one of his hands.
His legs were in no better condition. His destroyed left foot would shakily fall to the ground whenever he used his cane to help him walk.
The fact that he used such a body to climb up those stairs was nothing short of a miracle.
[ Mercenary ] “You there! It’s dangerous here, you gotta move out of the way!”
Someone’s voice shouted loudly towards the old man.
It was a Tiwakan mercenary. He was part of the group sent to retrieve the coffins from the Temple. Normally, someone like that would attract a lot of attention, but surprisingly the front of the Temple was completely empty.
The people of Nauk were still terrified of the Tiwakan. A lot of them believed maintaining eye contact with one of them was a quick way to get your head removed.
But the old beggar stared at them without reserve, standing in the middle of the road the entire time. It made them wonder if he hadn’t heard the rumor or if he had simply lost his mind.
At first the mercenaries paid him no mind, but as the coffins began their descent, he eventually started to get in the way.
[ Beggar ] “He……”
Instead of leaving as he was told, the beggar approached the mercenary, trying to talk as he did.
His voice was heavy with phlegm, like it was boiling in his throat, making him hard to understand.
[ Mercenary ] “What?”
The beggar struggled to lift his shaky hand, pointing off somewhere.
And the one caught in that old man’s pointed fingertip was Black, sat upon his deeply colored horse.
[ Beggar ] “Who…..”
[ Mercenary ] “Huh? What….?”
[ Beggar ] “Wh…o…..”
Though the old man couldn’t use his mouth as well as his hands and feet, the mercenary could vaguely understand what he was trying to say.
He looked back and forth between the old man’s pointed finger and Black.
The Tiwakan were known for being a fighting force more ruthless than anyone else on the battlefield. But for all their brutality, even they had rules they kept amongst themselves.
One such rule was that they were never allowed to kill an unarmed person without cause or permission.
The old man didn’t seem to recognize Black, and although the mercenary thought the question was a little strange, he decided to answer for that reason alone. He just assumed the old beggar’s eyes weren’t working very well.
[ Mercenary ] “That man is the leader of the Tiwakan, but to those of us who use that name, he is our God.”
[ Beggar ] “. . .”
[ Mercenary ] “Now that you know, you should get out of here. You’re in the way.”
But the old man didn’t move. His eyes were frozen on Black, as if he were in some kind of trance.
[ Mercenary ] “Hey, you need to move.”
He couldn’t even hear the mercenary’s words. His lips, covered with the grey hairs of his beard, were trembling. Quietly, he whispered something entirely inaudible.
Have you finally returned?
Nauk’s sin.
The blood that didn’t spill that day.
Have you come to finish it….?
.
.
It was twenty-one years ago that the old beggar first arrived in Nauk.
And it was twenty-one years ago when the nine waterfalls dried up, bringing with them the signs of an unending drought.
.
* * *
.
The time had finally come to head to the chapel.
Rienne, dressed in her mourning clothing, replaced the decorations in her hair with that of a black rose. Mrs. Flambard thought she looked nice like that, but said nothing out of respect for the funeral.
That day, the gates to the castle would be open.
The funeral was originally going to be at the Temple, but now it was at the royal chapel, giving even more people the opportunity to attend.
The amount of people heading towards the chapel didn’t escape Rienne’s notice either.
[ Rienne ] “I think things will be more crowded than they were before.”
At Rienne’s whisper, Mrs. Flambard nodded.
[ Mrs. Flambard ] “It wouldn’t surprise me. Everyone’s curious.”
[ Rienne ] “What…oh…”
In the middle of her sentence, Rienne bitterly shut her mouth.
Everyone would be curious about her reaction, is what she was going to say.
They all still thought Rafit was dead, and now they were curious to see Rienne show up to the funeral of her dead lover in the arms of her new fiancé.
The whole situation was messy.
They might even say terrible things about Black and the Tiwakan, and she couldn’t discount the possibility of the Kleinfelders trying to start something, stoking the flames and encouraging such terrible words.
[ Rienne ] “I should warn Lord Tiwakan.”
[ Mrs. Flambard ] “If you can’t stop them, best if you tell him beforehand. He’ll be less angry that way.”
[ Rienne ] “…..Really?”
Though for some reason, Rienne couldn’t imagine him ever getting angry, even if someone threw the harshest curses they could at him.
Now I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him get angry before.
But even so, whenever she thought about him, fear, among many other emotions were at the forefront of her mind.
…..I’m acting so strangely lately.
She didn’t hate him, but though she didn’t fear him, she still felt scared.
[ Mrs. Flambard ] “What are you thinking about so deeply, Princess?”
After thinking about that person for a long time, Mrs. Flambard tugged at the cloth of Rienne’s dress.
[ Mrs. Flambard ] “Watch your step. The road here is uneven. You’ll fall if you’re not careful.”
[ Rienne ] “….Ah.”
Before she knew it, Rienne had already come close to the chapel. She thought she was only thinking for a moment, but the time disappeared, like it always did when that man was involved.
[ Rienne ] “I know. I need to pull myself together…..oh.”
Tap.
Something was stopping her foot. Had she not noticed it, she might’ve even tripped over it. Rienne, stopping just moments before, looked at down.
The tip of someone’s cane was sticking out from the side of the path. As if they were trying to catch her attention.
[ Rienne ] “. . .”
Moving her eyes to the side, she saw an old man holding out his cane.
It was the beggar from the Temple.
[ Rienne ] “Wait here for a moment, ma’am.”
Rienne knew of the old man. On the occasions she would visit the Temple, she’d bring food with her to give to him. He never seemed like a bad person, only someone who was hit hard with a difficult life.
[ Rienne ] “I have to attend a funeral today so I don’t have anything to share. If you would like, can you wait until the ceremony is over?”
[ Beggar ] “. . .”
Without a word, the old man stared at Rienne.
[ Rienne ] “The coffins will be brought this way soon. Be careful and take your cane so you don’t hurt your feet too much.”
[ Beggar ] “…..daugh..ter..of…ak.…… sin….ner……”
[ Rienne ] “What?”
As he mumbled his beard was covering his lips, so she didn’t quite catch what he said.
[ Rienne ] “What did you say?”
Rienne leaned towards the old man, urging him to share again.
[ Beggar ] “Past sins…..must be repaid……with blood…. And now….. the daugh..ter of Arsak……. will bleed….”
[ Rienne ] “What are you……?”
Seeing Rienne’s changing expression, Mrs. Flambard stepped in and grabbed her by the arm.
[ Mrs. Flambard ] “Princess! You shouldn’t get too close to strangers. How could you trust someone you don’t even know?”
[ Rienne ] “Wait—I think he’s trying to tell me something.”
Having been tasked with watching over the funeral, the Tiwakan were on alert. Noticing the commotion, a pair of mercenaries rushed over from their posts in the distance.
[ Mercenary ] “Princess! Are you alright?!”
They quickly swooped in and grabbed the old beggar, roughly dragging him a safe distance from Rienne.
[ Rienne ] “Yes, I’m fine but I haven’t finished speaking with him. Could you give us some space, please?”
[ Mercenary ] “Oh, really?”
Quickly the two of them stepped aside, but their eyes were still trained on the ragged old man. Though their intention was to protect her and nothing else, they were still incredibly intimidating.
Rienne turned to face the old man.
[ Rienne ] “Can you repeat yourself? What were you trying to say?”
The old man’s lips trembled.
[ Beggar ] “…..wat..ch…” (2)
[ Rienne ] “……..?”
Thinking she misheard him, Rienne shook her head.
[ Black ] “Is something going on?”
As soon as Rienne turned her back to see the source of the voice, Black was standing right behind her.
She didn’t even hear him coming.
[ Mercenary ] “The Princess had something important to talk about with this man.”
The mercenaries didn’t hesitate to answer as Black approached. Though his posture was just as loose and relaxed as it was before, for some reason Rienne felt like the air in front of him had a sudden sharpness to it like a knife.
It showed to her at a glance why his people regarded him as their leader.
[ Black ] “. . .”
Black glanced down at the beggar.
Immediately, Rienne noticed the old man’s one eye tremble as he shrunk away from Black’s gaze. As soon as she saw that, suddenly she realized what he was trying to say.
[ Black ] “I see. Did you need more time?”
He was asking if she wanted to keep talking to him.
[ Rienne ] “No.”
Quickly, Rienne turned around and held onto Black’s arm, a part of her afraid her hands might start shaking.
[ Rienne ] “I don’t think he can speak properly right now. If we spend too much time here, we’ll be late for the funeral, but if you have anything you’d like to tell me, please come see me later.”
Her final words were directed towards the old man. His eyes were still shaking as he kept silent.
[ Rienne ] “Let us be off.”
[ Black ] “….If you want.”
Black took his opposite hand and placed it over Rienne’s, which was still holding onto his arm. Then, as her body faltered and she slightly leaned into him, Black stopped and looked down at her.
[ Black ] “Are you alright?”
[ Rienne ] “…..Yes.”
[ Black ] “You don’t look well.”
She wasn’t well…. not at all. That old man…. He said…..
Rienne bit her lip and tightened the grip she had on Black’s arm.
[ Rienne ] “I’ll be alright… as long as the funeral ends safely.”
[ Black ] “I’ve been told to stay on alert.”
[ Rienne ] “That’s good.”
It wasn’t good. Nothing was. That old man said….
—The daughter of Arsak will bleed.
That quiet, dull voice that was interrupted…. Suddenly the words were connecting so clearly it was making her head spin.
—Revenge.
Who was that old man? How did he know Black?
When everyone told her that he was there for the sake of revenge, was this what they were talking about?
Did this mean the person he wanted to get revenge against… was her?
[ Rienne ] “. . .”
Bong! Bong!
The sound of the chapel’s bell shook the idea in her mind.
Her head was a complete mess, her thoughts mixing up with each other.
How do you feel?
