You don't even want to call me godfather

He was a priest who returned to the church in the rain, soaking wet.

"Do you want to go to confession, son? Or do you want to hear Mass?"

After seeing Clowell sitting in the church and the musketeer beside him, the old priest pulled off the long white scarf hanging around his neck, wiped his face and hair, and stepped forward to ask.

"No thanks, Father, I'm not exactly Catholic."

Clovel still stared at the statue of the Son of God. In the country of Lateran, because of religious beliefs, priests were respected by everyone, even if he was a military commander.

"If you insist, most people who come here are not like that. It doesn't mean you can't confess or listen to mass." The old priest dried his hair, put the long scarf back around his neck, and sat down next to Clowell. "Some rituals and ancient wisdom can do no harm to confused souls."

The old priest seemed to ignore the existence of the musketeers and Clowell's identity, and just treated him as an ordinary person who was confused and hoped to get guidance and help.

"…Am I that easy to see through, Father?"

Clowell paused for a moment, then he shifted his gaze from the statue of the Son of God, turned his head and looked at the old priest.

"Someone once said that everyone has their own struggles, which others cannot see, but sometimes..." The old priest spread his hands, then looked at Clowell and shook his head, "Sometimes, it can be seen."

Crowell was silent for a moment. He also believed in the Lord. He knew that one must always have faith in life. This was what a comrade-in-arms told him.

But something changed him, and he had nowhere to hide. Even if he prayed over and over again, the outcome would not change.

The lost ones will never come back, so he needs to make changes.

"Father, when you realize... you are lost, what should you do?" Clowell's eyes were slightly unfocused, and he seemed to have difficulty speaking about his thoughts. "I will do something terrible, something that will never be approved by the Lord, something evil."

"I have... I have made evil choices, child," the old priest sighed, with a look of regret on his face, "I have been blaming myself for the decision I made, which has turned a child's life into something that is not recognized by others. I cannot refute this question, so I can only find a way to bear it..."

He stretched out his hand, wanting to pat Clowell on the shoulder, but his hand stopped in mid-air, and finally he just rubbed his fingers and put it down.

"But how do you bear it? After knowing that you have hurt someone like this?"

Clowell came back to his senses. He noticed the old priest's actions and his hesitation to speak, so he asked.

"You have to understand, kid, no matter what you did... or didn't do, you can atone for it."

The old priest smiled. His smile was very kind and gave people a sense of security, just like the sense of security that the profession of priest gives to people.

"It sounds good, but I'm not convinced."

Clowell took a deep breath, his eyes passed the old priest and fell on the musketeer.

This musketeer was a friend who had joined the army with him. The two of them had supported each other until today, one of them had become a musketeer, and the other had even become a military commander, second only to the emperor.

Even coming to the church to listen to the priest's mass was the idea of ​​the musketeer. Clowell seemed to trust him very much, so he chose to listen to his advice.

"Everything will be alright in the end, and if it's not, it's not over yet."

The old priest noticed Clowell's distraction and knew that Clowell already had his own answer in his heart.

He stood up, nodded slightly to Clowell, and walked deeper into the church.

"...I understand." After the old priest walked into the inner room, Clowell looked at his feet and said to himself, "I have committed an unforgivable sin, and I will use another crime to make up for my mistake."

After saying this meaningful sentence, Clowell stood up, looked at the musketeer, and walked past him.

"Let's go, Charlie."

He opened the church door, walked out, looked at the pouring rain, and stood under the eaves.

"Aren't you going to tell me what you just said, Clowell?" The musketeer named Charlie caught up with Clowell. He closed the door, stood under the eaves with Clowell to avoid the rain, and asked him, "I thought the priest's words could bring you some inspiration, but now it seems that this is not the case."

"All religious beliefs are just stupid answers to stupid questions. You know this very well, Charlie." Crowell lowered his head and snorted coldly. "From the moment we set foot on the battlefield until now, God has abandoned us. You know this very well."

"The war is over, Clowell. It's been over for several years. You've returned home." Charlie took off his helmet and tucked it under his arm. "You know that, don't you?"

"But I can't let go of my family, Charlie." Clowell shook his head. He looked at Charlie and pursed his lips. "My wife and my daughter. I need to give them an explanation."

"You mean the Syracuse man?" Charlie understood what Clovel meant. He looked at him in disbelief. "How many years ago did that happen? How old was the Syracuse man at that time? Clovel, you are not the kind of person who would be blinded by hatred. You are not."

"So what do you want me to do, Charlie?" Clowell was a little annoyed by Charlie's endless objections, and his voice couldn't help but rise a few degrees. "No one knows better than me who killed my family. Even you, Charlie, can't stop me. I must avenge them."

"But would your wife and daughter want to see you like this? Would they want you to kill the least likely murderer for revenge?" After a debate, Charlie couldn't help but take a step forward towards Clowell and stared into his eyes. "Calm down first, okay? I will find out everything with you and help you find the truth. Before that, you need to calm down."

"...I understand, Charlie." Faced with Charlie's half-tough attitude, Clowell had to give up the argument. He gradually calmed down, sighed, and finally patted Charlie on the back, "I believe you, brother."

Chapter 89: Underground Secret Room

The rain was getting heavier, and even a thin layer of water was forming on the streets of Rutland.

"This rain is heavier than I thought."

After running in the rain for a period that was neither long nor short, as if they had run enough, Koshe and Iris stopped in front of a store where the lights were still on.

"Ah, yes."

Koshe shook his hair, as if to tease Iris, and splashed the water onto her.

"Oh, it's all wet!"

Iris symbolically raised her arm to block it. She smiled and pushed back the long hair that fell in front of her forehead.

"It's already wet, so it doesn't matter, right?"

At this moment, Koshe had completely lost his previous sense of crisis and vigilance towards the things around him. After experiencing those things, he began to understand that every minute and every second of the time he had spent so far was so important.

He was enjoying himself, enjoying having the irises again.

"Well, having said that..." Stroking her wet hair, Iris glanced at the rain that showed no sign of slowing down, as if she had thought of something, "Lisa once said that she likes rainy days very much..."

"It's really unexpected. When I was her age, I had to avoid puddles when I saw them."

Koshe was joking, unaware of Iris's mood at the moment.

"I don't know why, but my mother gets sad when she sees rain, so she seems to hate it..."

Iris smiled upon hearing this and continued.

"Really..." Koshe followed Iris's gaze and looked at the rain curtain that filled the air, "What about Iris?"

"As for me... I may feel lonely and uneasy," Iris tilted her head, narrowing her eyes slightly, her expression changing from worry to relief, "but as long as Koshei is here, it doesn't matter."

She glanced sideways, watching the falling raindrops, a hint of longing emerging in her eyes.

"Do you miss home?" Seeing this, Koshe stopped playing around. He looked at Iris's profile, paused for a moment with a serious expression, then reached out his hand, gently stroked her shoulder, and said with a smile, "Don't worry, we'll be able to go back soon."

"Um……"

Iris nodded and didn't say much, or rather, she didn't know what to say. She didn't even know what she was struggling with.

At this moment, Koshei sensed footsteps coming from behind them.

"Excuse me, do you two need to come in to avoid the rain?"

A Sakta pushed open the door of the shop and invited the two of them in a seemingly friendly manner.

This is a photo studio with some photos pasted on the door and a sign saying "Open".

"No, thank you for your kindness, we will be there in a moment..." Iris turned her head first and declined politely, but Koshei suddenly stretched out his hand to block her, "Koshei?"

At this time, Koshei had a frown on his face. He protected the iris with one hand and placed the other hand on the pistol at his waist. He stared at Sakota in front of him with a serious expression.

Because she looks exactly like Idhaila.

'Msisha?'

Koshe was confused and wary of Idhaila's appearance, and he immediately chose to question Msisha.

"...Follow her in. She's not hostile."

But Msisha gave such advice.

Even with Msissa's guarantee, Koshe still did not let down his guard. He looked back at Iris, and Iris understood and also became wary of Sakota in front of him.

Koshe withdrew his hand holding the gun, and Idhaila, or rather Cecia, stepped aside as if she had foreseen his behavior, and Koshe walked in front of Iris and entered the photo studio.

After both of them entered the store, Cecilia flipped the "Open" sign on the door over to reveal the "Closed" side.

"Just call me Miss Yi," before Koshei asked, Cecia looked at him expressionlessly and spoke first, "Don't be so hostile. I am not the same person you know. Please rest assured about this."

She turned around, and amid Koshe's suspicious gaze and Iris's defensive posture, she walked past them as if nothing had happened and came to the small room where the headshots were taken.

"What do you want to do, Idhela?"

But even if Cecia vouched for it, Koshei would not easily believe her explanation. He stared at her back unkindly and questioned her.

He could not forget the suffering he suffered when he first met Idhra in Syracuse; it could even be said that it was still fresh in his memory.

"It's not about what I want to do, Koshe," Cecia paused while holding the curtain, and she tilted her head and said meaningfully, "It's about what 'you' want to do, and what you are going to do."

"What do you mean-"

Koshe frowned. He was about to continue asking questions, but Cecia pulled open the curtain of the small room, revealing a secret passage leading to the underground. A strange feeling made him shut his mouth.

He could feel, at the end of this secret passage, at their feet, a heartbeat reaching his ears. He could not discern anything from the heartbeat, he could only sense the presence of a person, but this heartbeat...

There was an indescribable weirdness, as if calling him to go down. Under Cecia's gaze, Koshe took a step forward.

Iris followed closely behind. She had no idea what was going on, why Koshe knew this Sakota, and what the Idhaila that Koshe mentioned meant.

She was just a companion, obeying unconditionally and protecting Koshei.

But just as Koshe entered the secret passage and Iris was about to enter, Cecia suddenly left the entrance of the secret passage.

She moved very lightly around behind Iris, stretched out her hand, and stroked her ears with her fingers. Several strands of red energy surrounded her ears and eyes.

Iris, who had no time to dodge, seemed to be frozen in place by Cecia's action. She stopped walking, unable to move, and looked dazed.

After a moment, Cecia withdrew her hand, and Iris lost consciousness, closed her eyes, and fell backwards.

Cecilia skillfully stretched out her arms, caught Iris's body, and dragged her to another small room nearby for taking headshots.

There were some normal equipment inside. She placed Iris on a chair and leaned her head against the wall considerately.

On the other side, from the moment Koshe entered the secret passage, he was like a possessed person, walking down eagerly and anxiously, and even did not notice the disappearance of the iris.

The closer he got to the secret room below, the more uneasy he felt. He didn't know what was waiting for him, but he knew he had to move forward because that was where the answers he wanted were.

Finally, Koshe walked down the last step, he pushed aside the door curtain, and what appeared before him was a huge secret room.

In the center of the secret room, a figure had his back to him. After hearing the sound of him entering, he turned around.

It was another self that was almost exactly like him.

"You came."

'He' looked at him and said so.

Chapter 90: Disappeared in a Flash

By the window at sunset, a ginger cat was lying comfortably on the windowsill, and Iris was standing by the window with a dull look in her eyes.

This was a dream created by Cecia, just like the illusion that Idhela created for Koshe, but Iris didn't know that from her perspective, she arrived here in the blink of an eye.

She leaned against the window. The cat on the windowsill seemed to be oblivious to her presence. It just curled up into a ball, purring and dozing off.

Iris is now in the orphanage in Syracuse. She looks at the scenery outside the window, and her thoughts gradually drift away.

When she was a child, when she was still the princess of Gaul, she lived in a palace facing the central square of Gaul.

Her favorite thing to do at that time was to look down from the window of the room. She was keen on doing this and she enjoyed observing the square because there were all kinds of different kinds of people there.

It was really interesting to observe people and imagine what countries they came from and what kind of lives they had lived so far.

No one would come to hinder her, and the feeling of superiority from looking down from a high place was hard for her to extricate herself from.

So she often wondered if, when she grew up, she could do things that would allow her to fully experience this kind of life.

"Sister Sarita!"

Just as Iris was reminiscing, a childish cry brought her back to her senses. She turned sideways and saw a little girl holding a picture book walking towards her quickly.

"I've told you so many times, you have to be called Iris. I don't want to use that name anymore."

Iris was about to respond when another voice spoke from beside her.

It was herself, who looked younger, who got off a single bed and walked towards the girl.

"Eh...but I still think Sarita sounds better..."

After hearing what little Sarita said, the girl's expression became a little aggrieved, and even the pair of wolf ears on her head drooped.