Don’t Be Holy! - Chapter 180

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Shinote’s eldest son was caught in the act of collaborating with a witch, so Rubel also had to return to the Central Temple for a while. It was to make a statement about Magnus, complete his maintenance, and then depart to find Eir.

While Rubel was wandering in despair and impatience as if in hell, Eir was also striving to reach the Central Temple with Chrome.

“Shh.”

Not only countless witches but also priests were chasing them.

Earlier, Chrome had rescued Eir from the witches’ trap, and now Eir sensed the priests’ divine energy first and pulled Chrome into the bushes to hide.

Their arms touched as they crouched side by side. Chrome was carefully observing the priests’ movements when he suddenly chuckled and said,

“You’re actually helpful.”

At this clearly dismissive remark, Eir widened her eyes in exasperation.

“You said it was thanks to me that you escaped from Freidis’s grasp.”

“You don’t remember that. It doesn’t count.”

“How self-serving. But why are there so many priests? At this rate, we’re spending more time hiding than moving.”

Chrome turned to look at Eir as if he couldn’t believe she didn’t know. Obviously, Rubel must be frantically searching for Eir with bloodshot eyes. Honestly, thinking about it, Eir didn’t even need to avoid those priests.

If she just followed them, she would arrive at her desired destination.

‘Should I tell her?’

Chrome had realized this when the previous scouting party of priests passed by. But he hadn’t mentioned it because if he parted ways with Eir now, he had no idea what he should do next.

‘Originally, I was going to rescue Uldir.’

That’s why he had secretly infiltrated the witches’ dwelling where Freidis was. He was trying to gather things he needed to enter the Central Temple, like potions that would erase the traces of darkness on his body.

But meeting Eir had nullified all of that, and now he felt lost, unsure of what to do.

‘I can’t go rescue Uldir, and I’ve been branded a traitor by Freidis’s group. What can I possibly do?’

Chrome quietly contemplated his future with a feeling somewhere between resignation and detachment.

This kind of wandering was a first for Chrome, who had always known his path. For now, he’d set his goal as safely escorting Eir to the Central Temple, but now that even that seemed to be ending too quickly, Chrome felt dazed.

“But that’s my problem.”

“Huh?”

Eir questioned when she heard Chrome muttering. She hadn’t heard the first part clearly and only caught that something was a problem, making her wonder if they were in danger.

“I said I’m the problem. Hiding from these priests like this. You don’t need to. They’d actually be happy to find you. They’re probably searching for you in the first place.”

“Searching for me? Why would they? They seemed to be looking for witches related to their mission.”

“Do you really think Rubel Shinote is waiting patiently like an innocent princess at the Central Temple?”

Eir finally closed her gaping mouth.

As her gaze turned serious, Chrome nodded and continued.

“He probably figured out right away that his brother handed you over to a witch.”

“But Rubel is in the underground prison…….”

As Eir tried to object, an exasperated sigh followed.

“It was Rubel Shinote who manipulated people from inside to capture Uldir. He has access to all information. Do you think he wouldn’t know about the important fact that you’ve disappeared?”

Of course, this was something Eir had considered too.

During her torture by the witches, how many times had she imagined it? That Rubel might come swooping in with his cape flying, cutting everything down with his sword to rescue her.

Since she was with Abel when she disappeared, Abel must have informed Rubel of her disappearance.

That fantasy had grown into a grand delusion where Rubel would escape the Central Temple to save her, take revenge on Magnus, and then find out where she was and come for her.

‘I was crazy. Absolutely crazy.’

Though it had actually half-happened, Eir, knowing nothing of this, could only marvel at her own vivid imagination.

When she came to her senses and looked back later, she realized how absurd it all was. Rubel? Escaping the Central Temple? That problem couldn’t even be established in the first place.

How could someone who would give both body and soul for the Divine Empire commit such an act? Eir shook her head vigorously.

“Even if that’s true, I can’t follow those people. What would happen to you if I left?”

“……What about me?”

Chrome asked belatedly in a choked voice.

It was because Eir had said exactly what he most wanted to hear, as if she had read his mind.

“You said you were going to save your friend. You can’t infiltrate the Central Temple alone. And Freidis won’t leave you be either.”

“She’s still my mother. She won’t kill me.”

“I might have believed that before meeting Freidis, but not now.”

Finding himself unable to win the argument, Chrome grabbed Eir’s shoulders and tried to push her through the bushes. Startled, Eir grasped his arms and lay flat on the ground, preventing him from doing anything to her.

“Why don’t you ever listen?”

“What are you doing……!”

She was about to say it was unfair to push someone who wasn’t prepared, but when her eyes met Chrome’s, her voice faded.

It was because his face, as he quietly looked down at her, was rippling with an emotion she had never seen before. Even someone as socially isolated as Eir could guess that her words had touched something within him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Though he answered irritably, he quickly raised his arm to cover his face and backed away. Eir lifted her upper body, propping herself up with her palms, and raised the corners of her mouth.

“You were moved by what I said, weren’t you?”

That playful voice irritated Chrome’s nerves.

“You’re annoying, so shut up. The priests are gone now. Next time they appear, just get captured.”

“And what about you?”

“I’ll figure it out. Since when did we have such a close bond? You must’ve forgotten because you’re stupid, but I betrayed you. You thought your grandmother’s death was all my fault.”

He deliberately brought up that memory, despite knowing it would hurt himself too. Come to think of it, Chrome had a strange personality. At first, she thought he was just lazy, unpleasant, and resourceful, but now she could tell his inner workings were quite complicated.

“Then why did you save me?”

“I just…….”

Biting his lip, he turned his head completely away so Eir couldn’t see his face.

“Just because you were there. Are you and I the same?”

“Of course we are. What’s different? I want to help you too. Tell me how I can help.”

Chrome remained silent.

Eir’s tone was so kind that it made him feel strange inside. After thinking for a moment, he blurted out his true feelings.

“Then help me save Uldir.”

“……The witch imprisoned in the Central Temple?”

When Eir responded with slight surprise, Chrome lowered his head as if he had expected this reaction. It was close to a test anyway. Although saving Uldir was his greatest wish, he didn’t think Eir would agree to it.

After all, she was a priest, even if she had run away.

“What kind of person is this witch Uldir?”

“She was a witch who controlled minds. We worked together. When she controlled people’s minds, I would usually finish them off while they were confused. She’s not innocent, but among witches, she could be said to have relatively clean hands.”

“That’s not what I’m asking. Who am I to judge who deserves to be saved? I’m asking what Uldir means to you.”

After hearing her words, Chrome stared at the ground for a while before answering.

“After I went to Freidis, she…… tormented me a bit, saying she wanted to run some tests. Uldir saved me then. Without her, I would have died long ago.”

Chrome dismissed what he went through as just “a bit of torment,” but to Eir, who had already experienced how cruel Freidis could be, she could see a little beyond his words.