Don’t Be Holy! - Chapter 179

Elric clicked his tongue and signaled to the priest who had just arrived to treat Magnus. Baldur approached Magnus and, just before restraining him, spoke to Rubel.

“May I take him into custody?”

Rubel clenched his fist and found himself caught between an unfamiliar sense of deprivation and fear—emotions he’d rarely experienced in his life.

His mind wasn’t working properly. He couldn’t even understand why Baldur was asking for permission while arresting Magnus.

Ah, right. Family damage. That must be it.

Even the Proxy Lord had worried about such things. If what Magnus had done became public, the divine treasure bestowed upon the Shinote family might be reclaimed, and in the worst case, Rubel’s position as a divine messenger might be reconsidered.

‘Are you really certain? I don’t understand why Lord Rubel sought me out again. Didn’t you successfully escape? Even with divine power, few can escape from the Central Temple. Yet you returned voluntarily to ask for my help. What is your reason?’

It wasn’t because he suddenly realized and repented his sin after leaving, but rather because he had finally thought a bit more rationally.

The problem began with using family power to secretly search for Eir to prevent handing her over to the Central Temple. To find Eir more effectively, he needed to use the Proxy’s power.

After all, Eir’s body contained magic that could threaten the Divine Empire. Since the witches had taken her for that reason, the Divine Empire would commit any resources necessary to retrieve her.

‘I was too stupid and arrogant. Thinking about what would happen after finding her. I should have focused on finding her first.’

Regretting belatedly, Rubel went to see the Proxy Lord. The Proxy gazed steadily at Rubel who provided no answer to his question. He looked troubled, as if he understood Rubel’s feelings in avoiding the answer.

‘I don’t know if you’re aware, but I’ve always worried about you.’

The Proxy said.

‘Even in a world where God visibly exists, humans tend to doubt and settle. But you didn’t. You were always devoted, always pursuing God. From the beginning, people like that fall into two categories. Either they are truly children born of God, or they have nothing to be devoted to except God. Both often lead to similar outcomes. But when the latter discovers something they desire more desperately than God, the end is far more tragic.’

Rubel wasn’t surprised. He who once would have thrown away his life without a second’s hesitation at the Proxy’s word was now doubting his words.

‘Is it God who makes it so?’

‘No. You make it so yourself. You must not fall into such a trap.’

Yet despite saying this, the Proxy provided two divine messengers and a group of holy knights to let Rubel have his way.

Rubel bowed deeply to him and, leading the knights away from where Magnus was, thought to himself.

It seemed like everything had changed from the moment he followed Eir over that cliff.

“Did you…… bring people?”

Magnus, having received treatment from the priest and barely regained consciousness, spoke to Rubel.

“Has father abandoned me?”

Despite everything, Magnus was the eldest son of the Shinote family. He never imagined Rubel would bring others to punish him by himself.

At most, he expected Rubel to pursue him alone to kill him.

So this is what he had arranged. Even father had abandoned Magnus.

But Rubel looked down at Magnus pathetically and sheathed his sword.

“You’ll be tortured, then executed.”

“Father will…….”

“It’s not father, it’s me. No matter what father says, I won’t allow it. You must die. That’s the punishment for your crime.”

At this, Magnus burst into laughter.

“Why, because I’ve upset you? Surely you’re not going to make the absurd claim that you’re executing me as a divine messenger for using a witch’s power? You hypocrite. Using divine power for your personal revenge? After that, can you still call yourself a divine messenger?”

He spat on the ground, and the blood-mixed saliva landed on Rubel’s shoe. Rubel bent one knee, grabbed the back of his brother’s neck, and pressed their foreheads together.

“F**k you. F**k off.”

Crude curses flowed from his mouth as the anger on his face grew colder. Looking at Rubel’s reddened eyes, Magnus realized.

That hypocrisy and such things didn’t matter at all to Rubel Shinote. All his attention was focused on finding that little witch woman, and he would use everything at his disposal to do so.