~Chapter 42~
As soon as I returned to the mansion, Atticus rushed to guide me.
“I’ve already contacted the Marquis. He should be back soon.”
His steps toward the drawing room were hurried. I followed right behind him, not even having had the chance to change my clothes.
Atticus continued, clearly flustered.
“This visit was unexpected, so I have no idea what it’s about either.”
The visitor was from the temple.
The moment Emily told me earlier, I had a bad feeling.
I had done quite a few things recently…
So many, in fact, that I wasn’t sure which one might be the reason for this visit.
Was it because I asked Peril about how to sneak into Dremokan?
Or maybe because I secretly took the World Tree’s root?
…Could they already know that Peril woke up?
Still, there was one reason that seemed the most likely.
The new sprout that bloomed from the dying World Tree.
They wouldn’t easily find out that I stole the root, but they would notice the new sprout. I gripped the edge of my dress tightly.
“How’s Grandpa doing?”
“He’s the same as usual.”
“Don’t tell him about the temple visit right now.”
He’d definitely try to get up and overdo it.
Atticus nodded at my request.
“Thank you.”
Cedric will be back soon. I just have to deal with this until then.
…It won’t be that hard.
Creak.
I took a deep breath and opened the door. A man stood up awkwardly as if he’d been waiting.
“N-nice to meet you. I’m Brandon.”
He was… odd.
He had slit-like vertical pupils, yet didn’t look sharp or intimidating.
His features were blurry and not very memorable—definitely not someone who would leave a strong impression.
I closed the door behind me and responded politely.
“I’m Bianca Roygin. The Marquis is currently away, so it may take some time. Will that be alright?”
“Y-yes, of course. I’m already grateful for the warm welcome despite the sudden visit.”
If he had been a regular guest from high society, I would’ve left him waiting alone until Cedric returned.
But a priest is a different story.
The Temple held nearly as much power as the Imperial Family—maybe even more.
And with no idea when Cedric would return, I couldn’t leave this man sitting alone for hours.
“Please have a seat. I’m honored to enjoy your company until my brother returns.”
That lie made my conscience ache a little.
Brandon sat down slowly with a slight limp and took a sip of tea with trembling hands before speaking.
“Actually… I didn’t come to see the Marquis.”
A chill ran down my spine.
“I came to ask you something, my lady.”
So it’s finally happening.
“Go ahead and ask.”
“The last time you visited Dremokan… did you notice anything unusual?”
To be fair, the change in the World Tree was my fault—so the honest thing to do would be to admit it.
But my grandfather had been forced by the Imperial Family to take charge of Dremokan.
And as a result, his health had collapsed, and he hovered between life and death.
Wasn’t that the curse of Dremokan?
This strange misfortune?
Grandfather seemed to know everything. So how could I trust the Temple—or the Empire?
And besides…
Was what I saw really the statue of Ailins?
No matter how many times I thought about it… it definitely didn’t look like a statue.
I slowly leaned back in my chair.
“It was my first time at Dremokan. There’s no way I’d know what was unusual.”
“There was something, though.”
His voice was confident.
But it seemed like he only had a gut feeling—no real evidence.
“Why do you think that?”
The ticking of a clock echoed in the quiet drawing room.
It wasn’t even a difficult question, or so I thought. But Brandon stayed quiet, thinking deeply.
…Was he forbidden to speak about the changes in the World Tree?
Or was his reason for coming something else entirely?
Click.
At that moment, Brandon picked up a cigar with his trembling hand.
Even while cutting off the end with a cigar cutter, his hand shook so much that I felt nervous just watching him.
He finally lit the cigar and brought it to his lips, then took a deep breath of smoke with a face that looked like he could finally breathe again.
As the gray smoke filled the room, his voice came through it.
“Miss… do you know what the ancient empire was like?”
“…Not really.”
“It was hell. The people of the empire, full of greed, killed each other.”
His voice was steadier now than it had been earlier.
“But thanks to magic, crop yields increased, and more people survived.”
“……”
“That’s not all. Healing magic improved too, so fewer people suffered in pain.”
Why was he saying all this?
I stayed quiet and listened, but eventually, my curiosity got the better of me.
“What exactly are you trying to say to me?”
“Do you believe in God, Miss?”
…Believe in God?
Was that something I even had the choice to decide?
Weren’t we all just expected to believe?
Maybe he sensed my feelings. Brandon gave me a faint smile.
“It’s okay to be honest. I didn’t come here to scold you.”
“If we denied God, we wouldn’t be able to explain all the blessings humanity has received so far.”
I didn’t believe in the god of this world.
But more than that—I didn’t believe Brandon.
“History is always written. But once it starts being written wrong, we end up learning a twisted version of it.”
Brandon tapped the cigar to shake off the ash.
“I think that’s called brainwashing.”
“……”
“But honestly, I believe some brainwashing is necessary. Humans need something to lean on.”
So what, he’s saying the whole concept of a holy era was fake?
That history as we know it is false?
If that’s true, then all of Peril’s theories about the Dremokan plague would fall apart…
I tapped my finger on the armrest of the sofa and spoke.
“The god you speak of doesn’t sound like someone people today can lean on.”
“The god I’m referring to… is magic.”
They did say the god of Dremokan gave magic to humans.
But if history is wrong, then does that mean magic wasn’t a gift at all—but something that occurred naturally?
Just as I was feeling doubtful, Brandon continued.
“And the one person who created magic.”
“…What?”
“The god who lived in Dremokan… was actually a human.”
Wait—was he really allowed to tell me something like that?
“Magic has brought great blessings to humanity. That’s why a myth was needed—a story where a divine power chose the land of Carpea.”
“……Then why was Dremokan labeled as heresy?”
I couldn’t help but ask.
“It was a way to… manage Dremokan wisely.”
Now that I thought about it, Leon once said something similar.
That the World Tree in the temple existed to seal off Dremokan.
I had more questions I wanted to ask, but Brandon looked like he had finished everything he wanted to say.
“…Why are you telling me all this, Priest?”
Honestly, this wasn’t something a priest should be saying.
The temple people I knew wouldn’t even dare mention Dremokan—it was considered blasphemous.
Brandon put out the end of the cigar in the ashtray and stood up.
“Magic is the one and only thing that has enriched human life. If we don’t call that a god, then what else could be?”
He leaned on his cane as he stood. He was surprisingly tall.
“Miss… humans fear change. They don’t want to repeat the painful history of the past.”
“……”
“No matter what you come to learn from here on out… don’t do anything.”
That was… a warning.
He said he didn’t come here to scold me, but this felt even heavier.
I still didn’t understand this world.
I didn’t even know how I had made the World Tree sprout—and yet I was already being warned.
I stood up to see him out.
“If I have more questions, can I come see you again?”
“Of course. I’ll be waiting.”
Brandon smiled.
But it was a smile that left a very uneasy feeling.
