Chapter 42
“By the way, Felix, how could you make out my lips from that far away?”
“My divine power is rather meager, after all.”
What did that have to do with his question? As though reading the confusion on Abel’s face, Felix explained,
“My power is weak to begin with, so I simply tried to use it as efficiently as possible.”
“You mean you can control divine power with great precision?”
“Yes. If I carefully concentrate divine power in my eyes, my eyesight improves. If I gather it in my ears, my hearing becomes sharper.”
That’s possible? Abel tried to recall everything he had learned from the Order, but nothing related to this came to mind.
And Abel had been taught about divine power to the point of exhaustion ever since he had been entrusted to the Order as the Herald of God.
‘Did I simply forget?’
Until now, he might have forgotten people’s names or faces, but he had never forgotten something he had learned once.
Abel tilted his head.
“This is the first time I’ve ever heard of that.”
Felix replied as though it were only natural.
“I discovered it through training.”
‘He discovered it?’
“Then the other holy knights don’t know about this either?”
“…”
So he had never told anyone. It was one of Felix’s trump cards, after all.
But that raised another question.
“Then why are you telling me?”
“Because you helped me, Lord Abel.”
He was referring to what had happened with the duke’s son. To think Felix would reveal a secret he had kept hidden all this time simply because he did not want to accept Abel’s help without giving something in return.
“You think I won’t tell anyone else?”
“Yes. Lord Abel has no interest in the affairs of those around him.”
“Not even in the Temple’s prosperity,” Felix added.
Abel readily agreed.
“You know me well. You’re right. Keep it to yourself from now on as well.”
Felix looked at him with an expression that clearly said just as I expected. In a coaxing tone, Abel asked:
“Since you’re going to show your gratitude for my help anyway, how about giving me what I want instead? I’ll pretend this never happened.”
Felix shot him a look that seemed to ask if he was joking, but Abel decided to brazen it out.
“Did Gregory send someone to you?”
Watching Felix stiffen at the question, Abel continued:
“Did he tell you to attend the banquet and accompany me to the prayer ceremony?”
“……”
“I’m not trying to blame you for not telling me. I just want to know who I need to keep an eye on.”
As the silence dragged on, Abel thought he would not get an answer. But then Felix slowly opened his mouth.
“It wasn’t His Eminence. I received the order from the Commander.”
The Commander of the Holy Knights? Abel recalled the man who had overseen security during this prayer ceremony.
‘He’s a little older, isn’t he?’
But aside from the wrinkles around his eyes, Abel could not remember much about him.
“The Commander’s order was entirely reasonable. I am your escort, Abel, and it is an escort’s duty to remain by your side.”
While Abel tried to recall the Holy Knight Commander’s face, Felix continued his explanation.
“He said that, with rumors already spreading that you have feelings for me, I needed to be even more diligent in fulfilling my duties.”
The explanation was not entirely unreasonable.
“He knows that I’m making an effort.”
And Felix seemed to hold the Commander of the Holy Knights in rather high regard. Abel watched as Felix absently ran his fingers along the sheath of his sword.
“He told me not to give others the impression that I was receiving special treatment. He said it was for my own good.”
Seen from one perspective, it really did sound like advice given for Felix’s sake. But…
“Felix, have you attended the Invocations before?”
“No.”
“How? According to you, you were already duty-bound to guard me and not act any differently.”
“…The Commander showed me consideration.”
Until now, the Commander had arranged things so that Felix wouldn’t attend, yet in a situation like this, he insisted that Felix absolutely must? Could that really be for Felix’s sake?
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