Immortal's Ascending Path-53
Episode-53< Royal Wedding >
With a hurried pace, but not enough to draw attention, Roberta left the hall and headed for the south gate of the city.
Fritz followed behind her. The boy had been watching her intently since the servant whispered the message to her, and he tensed up when she widened her eyes.
Even though the whispered words were drowned out by the noise in the hall, the boy sensed the content and sent her expectations and longings. Since there was no condition in the message that she come alone, she nodded silently.
Ulrich was loitering around the stalls and stands near the south gate. When the two found him and approached, he started walking down the street, and Roberta walked alongside him and asked,
"I thought you had left."
A blunt tone popped out.
"I did consider it. I thought it would be fine too."
"But is there a reason why you didn't?"
"I thought it was a bit premature."
She stared intently at his profile.
"Where have you been for the past two days?"
"I was chasing someone, the mastermind we couldn't find."
The mastermind referred to the heretic who murdered the Archbishop and caused the massive flow of mana. Ulrich took out two silver bracelets from his pocket and handed them to her.
Looking at one of them, there was an engraving on the inside, in the shape of a hand holding a torch. It was the symbol of Hestio and also the emblem engraved on the ring of Gallua who had previously attacked the village. In addition, the three captured heretics also had items engraved with the same emblem.
It meant that the person Ulrich was tracking was a heretic and died like Gallua.
"It's a shame we couldn't capture him, but I'm still relieved. This means we've eliminated the perpetrators involved in this incident. Anti-theism, that heresy won't reach out to this country for a while."
"It would have been the same even if I hadn't caught him."
"Yes? What do you mean the same?"
"There's no need."
As she silently gazed at him, waiting for an answer, he turned into the alley and continued,
"Roberta, what do you think their purpose is?"
"To bring down the Cormilius clan."
Along with the achievements their clan had built, she added.
"That's right. To do that, they weakened the Public Church, which can be said to be Cormilius itself, and made enemies with the empire of the Yokaster dynasty that the clan founded."
The reason why the anti-theists, the heretics, intervened in Osnover was also that. Because the King of Osnover was in opposition to the Cormilius clan, they manipulated the King to lead the politics of Osnover.
"And the moment a civil war breaks out in this country, Osnover, their purpose is achieved. Even if Richard doesn't win in the civil war, wouldn't the damage be significant?"
"Of course."
Was there a reason why the nobles on the Pantheon side hesitated to fight even after bringing their troops to the capital? It was because they knew that it would be difficult to win because the Hilderson clan supported Richard, and even if they won, it would not be a victory.
Therefore, as Ulrich said, the moment a civil war broke out, it was certain that the power of Pantheon would be weakened no matter which side won.
"But isn't it difficult to see this outcome as good even if the purpose is achieved? Because the existence of the forces that incited the civil war will be revealed."
It was clear that the Osnober Kingdom would remain opposed to Cormilius, but at the same time, it would also be opposed to the anti-theists.
"Well, it's not that simple." Ulrich said, stopping his steps. The three stood at the entrance to the alley leading to the main street, and the royal palace was visible in the distance.
Roberta looked at the royal palace, then shifted her gaze to Ulrich.
"Aren't you attending?"
"There are too many eyes. I'll be found out even if I disguise myself."
It was because there were many people looking for him since he had unleashed his authority.
"His Highness Richard is disappointed."
"I've sent word, so that child will understand. He knows I've been like this all along. Also, who knows? We might meet under a different name."
Ulrich turned his back and started walking back down the alley they had come through. Roberta and Fritz followed a few steps behind.
"Ulrich-nim."
She asked, recalling the words 'different name' he had just said.
"Who are you?"
As he continued to walk without answering, she continued to ask.
"I know you have all sorts of names. I also know that the names I know are only a part of them. I don't even know the names I do know in depth."
There were cases where she only guessed his actions without even knowing his name.
The story that he had used the pontifical vestments a few days ago was an example. She asked Richard and Willem, but they avoided answering, so she didn't know the name.
"Please tell me. Who are you? What should I call you? Don't you have an identity that you think of yourself?"
She knew why Ulrich was silent. He had said that if he revealed his past, the way people looked at him would change, and he didn't want that, so he was hiding it.
He was worried that she would change too, because the past would define him in the present. That's why he evaded the question when she tried to ask the truth, telling her to find out for herself.
"I know why you're not telling me. But you know too, don't you? That I already know too much to care about such things."
What did he say on his first day in office?
He answered her, who suspected him of being a mixed-blood, that he was a pure human. If he defined pure as not having any non-human races mixed in his ancestors, he claimed to be the purest human.
Also, he had the authority to correct the heavenly registry, he neither aged nor died, and he had a deep relationship with the direct line of Cormilius.
What do these grounds indicate?
"Can't I figure out who you are? You said yourself that it's impossible. I saw the answer in the village blessed by Kunkan, and I can come to my own conclusions."
"Yes, I did. But why are you asking now?"
Only then did Ulrich stop walking, but he didn't turn around.
"I was just putting it off because it was unbelievably absurd. And I believed that there was still time left to be with you, so I just kept putting it off because I wanted to know more. Now, if you leave... I have to hear the answer."
Who are you, she asked again.
"Indeed."
Ulrich shrugged his shoulders. Roberta and Fritz widened their eyes in surprise and looked at his back.
The voice was small but clearly laughter. It was surprising because he had rarely revealed his emotions so clearly. After he stopped laughing, he turned around to face her.
"I need to correct myself. I said you resembled Alonso, but I was wrong. Unlike Alonso, you're not running away, you're just being cautious. Who do you think I am?"
She was about to answer immediately, but hesitated. Only one name was clear in her mind, but the name didn't come out of her mouth. She took a long breath and answered carefully.
"Hestio, I think you are that person."
Fritz flinched and looked back and forth between Roberta and Ulrich. He was from the Hilderson clan, and a direct descendant of the prominent Meyer family, but perhaps he didn't realize the truth because he was young.
Ulrich didn't change at all. He was just facing her with a faint smile, and she couldn't get anything from his reaction.
"Yes."
Finally, he nodded.
"It's natural to think so."
She thought the tone was strange.
"Roberta, what is the pseudonym I'm using now?"
"Ulrich Ditmarsken."
"No, not that one."
"Armin."
He nodded.
"I think I've said why I use that name."
Could it be, she looked at him.
He had said that he borrowed the names of others when there was a name he didn't want to be forgotten. And he added that Armin was one of those names. Why is he talking about that now?
"Did you have any doubts before making a statement?"
She was about to answer that she had, but he preempted her.
"Do you believe that the name you mentioned is purely my own? If you're so sure, why?"
"You said facts that only that person knew, and you performed miracles that only that person could perform. Who would think that there are multiple people with such knowledge and abilities?"
She watched Ulrich's expression.
"It's possible. Haven't you ever thought that the achievements of two humans are intertwined and passed down under one person's name?"
Was there a gap in his expression? She tried to read whether he was turning the conversation to avoid answering or whether he was really pointing out a mistake.
But she couldn't read it. As always, he was a person whose emotions were faintly revealed, and now he was asking questions calmly without even the smile he had just made.
"Knowledge is possible, but what about abilities?"
"If you relate it to the fact that you can perform other sacraments by receiving the sacraments, don't you think that the abilities you're talking about can also be transferred?"
Roberta felt her mouth opening, but she didn't close it. She didn't have time to. Her head was dizzy. She pondered. It doesn't make sense. There were more than one or two things that were bothering her.
"...Then am I wrong?"
The tone of asking as she took a step forward was desperate. She looked up at him with her eyes fixed on him as if she was about to reach out and grab him.
"You're not wrong."
She widened her eyes at the answer he gave without hesitation.
"That name, which was taken by Ganymea and received from Dieus, is definitely my old name. However, you don't know anything other than the relationship between that name and me."
His calm face looked down at her.
"You don't even have a guess as to whether I borrowed the name or received the talent, so you lost confidence in a few words of mine."
"Then, what you just said was...?"
She was about to ask if he was testing her, but he shook his head.
"I told you. You can ask questions anytime, but ask after thinking deeply. Your question is shallow compared to the depth of the correct answer. It's better to just listen like Fritz here."
Fritz scratched his head as if he was embarrassed. He didn't look surprised, and he listened to the conversation between the two as usual with sparkling eyes.
"Then--"
"Listen to the end."
Cutting off her words, he continued.
"From the age of the gods to the dwarves, fairies, and even humans, great chaos has come whenever the era has changed. Disasters have struck that have completely destroyed previous civilizations. No matter how many footprints I leave, there are few records of the old era left, so there's no way for you to know more about me."
"....."
"But there are other opportunities outside this country. The children of the first dragon, Ruobheidra, are hiding and living, and there are children with my old name in their lineage, and there are blood relatives who have inherited my legacy. You haven't met them, so there will be an opportunity. You'll be able to learn more about me through them. And above all, you said you're asking because I'm leaving, right?"
She nodded silently.
"If I don't leave, there's no need to ask, right?"
"You're not leaving?"
"It's too early for now. So I want to make a suggestion to you. I want to extend the journey we agreed to take together to Icelandburg." To Pantheon, he added. "This is not an order."
Ulrich took out a crumpled letter from his pocket. It was the direct order from the Pope that made Roberta leave Ditmarsken. He showed her the order and tore it up.
"Don't worry about the parish. Bernhardt will replace you."
The word 'replace' meant that he had secretly given her the rank of Priest. But she had no time or reason to argue about it. The certainty had been revealed as a fact, but it created new doubts and shook her mind.
Without even realizing that Fritz was pulling on her sleeve, she looked at the order scattered on the floor with a complicated expression, and only after a long time did she open her mouth.
"From now on... what should I call you?"
She asked what she should call him when she left Osnover.
"Continue to call me Ulrich."
Then he said that sometimes he would become Armin, and perhaps he could bring out names like Caesar, Laurent, or Selim that he had used before.
However, he smiled, saying that he was still the master of Ditmarsken and the husband of Hilde, whom he loved. And he walked out towards the gate to the south of the city.
< Royal Wedding > End