Chapter 19
“So what about the holy water? You’d be better off taking it.”
If Felix wanted to use it to carve out a place for himself within the temple, Abel was more than willing to help. Yet Felix still seemed utterly uninterested in the holy water.
“As you know, it’s easy to make, but it’s expensive.”
For a moment, Abel wondered if Felix perhaps didn’t realize just how valuable holy water was, so he brought up its price. But Felix reacted to something entirely different.
“Easy to make?”
“Of course.”
Abel didn’t know how other people did it, but for him, making holy water was simply a matter of pouring an appropriate amount of divine power into water.
The more he thought about it, the more it seemed like the perfect bribe for Felix to use.
“It can be made easily, and it’s expensive too. Isn’t that great?”
In other words, he was saying that he would give it to Felix. But Felix asked coldly,
“So you’re giving me a gift you threw together without any effort?”
Without any effort? Abel reflexively started to object, but after thinking it over, he asked instead,
“Does it come across that way?”
It might be difficult for other priests to make, but for Abel, it was as effortless as breathing, so it didn’t seem strange that Felix would see it that way.
‘Giving gifts is difficult.’
What could he give that required a great deal of effort, would be appropriate to give to someone he loved, and would actually be difficult for Abel to do?
Money wasn’t suitable, since Abel could get as much of it as he wanted whenever he wished. By the same token, jewels and all kinds of expensive foods were unsuitable as well.
After pondering for a moment, Abel made a suggestion.
“Should I write you a letter?”
A handwritten letter. Normally, Abel merely scribbled his signature while other priests wrote all his letters for him, so this would make the perfect gift.
Writing one every day would probably be difficult. Wouldn’t he have to come up with the contents himself, too?
“Once a day might be a bit much, so how about once a week?”
“No, thank you.”
“Three times a week, then.”
“I really don’t need it. Please don’t give me one.”
Faced with Felix’s firm refusal, Abel decided not to insist any further and nodded.
“Come to think of it, I think it’d be a hassle for me too.”
At those words, Felix shot Abel an irritated look before bowing politely.
“Lord Abel, may I take my leave now?”
“Go ahead.”
Even if not to the same extent as Abel, Felix was surely tired as well, so it was about time to stop keeping him here. The moment Abel gave his permission, Felix promptly turned around.
“Felix.”
Abel called out to his retreating figure as he opened the door.
“Thanks to you, today was actually pretty decent.”
“Hah.”
Felix glanced back at Abel, then let out a breath that sounded somewhere between a scoff and a sigh before closing the door behind him and leaving.
* * *
Simply sitting there and receiving greetings had been preferable.
At least compared to having to stand before people in person to read scripture aloud, interpret its meaning, and attend banquets.
Even now, though it wasn’t exactly a party, Abel was attending a gathering of clergymen where they were discussing how best to fleece the distinguished guests who had come to visit the temple.
Ordinarily, Abel would have paid no attention to gatherings like this and simply returned to his room, but today Gregory had personally asked him to attend no matter what, so he had little choice.
‘He must have something to say.’
Yet the person who had summoned him was nowhere to be seen, and only bothersome people kept approaching him and making a nuisance of themselves.
“Lord Abel. I was deeply moved today.”
Whether Abel found it annoying or not, the man seized the opportunity to hold him there and ramble on about his impressions for quite some time.
Should I just leave now? Is he trying to keep me here while he does something else?
“High Priest Maris.”
Fortunately, Gregory appeared just before Abel’s boredom reached its limit and he got up to leave.
“Your Holiness.”
Abel watched Gregory approach with a benevolent smile on his face, his own eyes utterly devoid of enthusiasm.
‘Why did he call me here?’
Discussion
0 CommentsReactions
No comments yet.