#55
“Hereis!”
A man burst in, practically shoving aside the priest who tried to block his path. He was clad in the armor of a Holy Knight.
His attire, however, was far more ornate than any Holy Knight Jeha had seen before, suggesting a remarkably high rank.
“Commander, you shouldn’t—”
The priest tried desperately to halt the large, muscular man, but the sheer disparity in their size and stature rendered his efforts futile.
“It’s alright, let him in.”
Hereis set his teacup down, his voice calm. The priest hesitated for a moment, then nodded and retreated beyond the door.
The man watched the door close behind him before striding purposefully towards Hereis and Jeha. With each heavy step, the scabbard at his hip clanged dully against his thigh guard.
“Hereis, you—!”
Before the man, his face contorted in anger, could utter another word, Hereis raised a hand to silence him. With an utterly composed expression, he introduced Jeha to the man and vice versa.
“Your Grace, this is Sir Evan, the Commander of the Holy Knights. Sir Evan, this is His Grace, the Marquis of Belgarga.”
Evan’s furious gaze pierced Jeha. From his eyes, Jeha sensed a terrifying cocktail of rage, contempt, and intense revulsion.
“Your Grace, Marquis of Belgarga, I have heard much about you,” Sir Evan stated, extending his hand as if to offer a handshake. His tone, however, was laced with a barely concealed grind of teeth.
Remaining seated, Jeha reached out and clasped Evan’s hand.
“The honor is mine, Sir Evan, to finally meet you.”
The knight’s massive hand gripped Jeha’s with crushing force, as if intending to shatter it. Had Jeha been an ordinary human, his bones would undoubtedly have splintered under such immense pressure.
Fortunately, Jeha was far from ordinary. Instead of wincing in pain, he merely shook Evan’s hand up and down, as though genuinely pleased.
When Jeha failed to react or rise to his provocation, Evan released his hand as if shaking off something foul.
Then, gripping his scabbard with one hand, he adopted an intimidating stance and declared, “I have urgent matters to discuss with His Eminence, the Archpriest. Marquis of Belgarga, I must ask you to excuse us for a moment.”
Jeha wordlessly glanced at Hereis, who finally broke his silence.
“The Marquis of Belgarga and I share a very close relationship, so there’s no need for secrecy. Speak freely, Evan, if you have something to say.”
Noting Hereis’s informal address to Sir Evan, Jeha’s eyes glinted with an ‘Oh-ho…’ from within. It seemed they were indeed close.
It was quite unexpected for Hereis to have such a large, knightly friend.
“Hereis!” Evan roared, his voice thick with reproach. He ground his teeth again, glaring at Jeha.
When Jeha showed no sign of flinching, Evan finally lost his patience and, remaining rooted to his spot, spoke.
“Do you even know what rumors are circulating in Encarosha right now? You and the Marquis of Belgarga…”
Sir Evan stopped there, grinding his teeth once more. His face conveyed that even uttering the words felt dirty and shameful.
“How could such sordid rumors even begin to spread? And why on earth did you leave Encarosha in the first place, supposedly to welcome the Marquis of Belgarga?”
“Is that truly all you rushed here to ask?” Hereis inquired with an unperturbed expression.
Sir Evan’s face instantly contorted. “Truly all? Is this a situation where such a word is appropriate? Do you have any idea what rumors are swirling through Encarosha right now? You and the Marquis of Belgarga… Damn it! Tell me. Do you know what rumors are going around?!”
Sir Evan bellowed, grinding his teeth loudly. Jeha, his ears ringing from the sound, thought to himself, ‘That’s loud enough for everyone outside to hear.’
Hereis lifted his gaze to meet Sir Evan’s. Their eyes locked in a tense standoff. In Evan’s eyes, a desperate plea flickered: ‘Surely not, please tell me it isn’t true.’
With an unruffled demeanor, Hereis began to speak.
“Are you referring to the rumor that I’ve taken a lover? Or perhaps the one that states I’ve become the Marquis of Belgarga’s lover?”
“Hereis! You don’t mean—”
“Indeed.”
Hereis cut Sir Evan off, admitting it without hesitation. Evan’s eyes, wide with disbelief, seemed to bulge.
Hereis reiterated, as if driving a nail into a coffin, “The rumor is true.”
****
The massive knight, utterly thunderstruck, stumbled backward and vanished through the door, unable to utter another word. Jeha felt a pang of pity watching him go.
It seemed Evan was a Holy Knight who had lived a life of faith as devoutly as Hereis himself. For such a man, Hereis’s blunt affirmation must have delivered a truly profound shock.
Confirming the door was closed, Jeha turned to Hereis, asking with concern, “He seemed like a friend… will you be alright?”
A bitter smile touched Hereis’s lips. After a moment of silence, he spoke slowly.
“I am fine. From the moment I called upon you, Lord Jeha, and forged our contract… I effectively betrayed my lineage, my friends, and everything I once knew. Now, only you, Lord Jeha, truly matter to me. And… he will simply have to grow accustomed to this new me.”
Despite his words, Jeha could tell that Hereis was far from at ease. Yet, this was a path Hereis had chosen deliberately.
Jeha knew he couldn’t interfere. Feeling a twinge of regret, he sighed. Had the temple not fallen into such a state of corruption, Hereis might have simply served the gods and lived a peaceful life.
“Nonetheless, if the rumors have reached Evan’s ears, then surely everyone in Encarosha knows them. This is an excellent start,” Hereis remarked, quickly composing himself.
Jeha wanted to ask if his resolve had wavered, but Hereis’s piercing blue eyes were clearer and more resolute than ever, devoid of any hesitation.
“Though I know such a warning is likely unnecessary for you, Lord Jeha, please still be cautious.”
“Cautious?” Jeha asked, a puzzled expression on his face. Hereis nodded.
“The Grand Temple is nothing short of a brutal battlefield, where factions backed by various nations of the Central Continent vie for power. The situation has drastically changed from a time when I focused solely on serving the gods, completely abstaining from temple politics or power struggles.
Now that I’ve formally entered the temple’s political arena, I am a target for every faction, an obstacle they must eliminate. The Marquis of Belgarga, as my patron and indeed my lover, is likewise in the same precarious position.”
“Ah…”
“We cannot predict when or how someone might target you, Lord Jeha. While I know no one can truly harm you, I still worry. Please take exceptional care of yourself.”
“Well, if any human *could* truly harm me… they would certainly deserve to inherit Bellarossa’s name,” Jeha mused nonchalantly, responding to Hereis’s earnest concerns.
He then realized he had begun to mentally separate himself from the concept of ‘humanity’ itself. A momentary dizziness swam through his head.
“Lord Jeha?” Hereis called out, his voice tinged with worry. Jeha quickly composed himself, offering a reassuring smile as if nothing were amiss.
“You don’t need to worry about me. I doubt any human could truly harm me, and if things get dicey, I can always just teleport back to the Demon King’s Castle. Besides, with experienced Paimon and Zephyr by my side, there won’t be any major problems.”
“While your words do bring some reassurance… the undercurrents of human conflict are far more malicious and insidious than one might imagine, so please be cautious in all things.” Hereis reiterated his warning, clearly still deeply concerned.
He seemed to be worrying a great deal. However, Jeha was, conversely, worried about Hereis.
“It’s hard enough for me to find a human who *could* harm me, but I’m worried about you, Hereis. Even with your divine power, if someone truly sets their mind to hurting you…”
As Jeha spoke with concern, Hereis placed a hand over his heart and smiled faintly.
“With you by my side, what could I possibly fear?”
Only then did Jeha recall the mark of their contract etched upon each other’s hearts. Yes, as long as that mark existed, their bond was inseparable.
He would instinctively sense if anything happened to Hereis. Even if something did occur, he could simply rush to his aid.
“Don’t try to endure until you’re at death’s door like last time. If you feel even a little danger, call me immediately, alright?”
Jeha urged, recalling Hereis’s pitiful state in the slums. He never wanted to see him in such a condition again.
“Will you come if I call?” Hereis asked, seemingly remembering the times Jeha had ignored his summons.
“Anytime.”
Jeha replied to Hereis with conviction. A smile spread across Hereis’s eyes.
****
Having spent the past few days together, even a brief separation felt regrettable. However, Jeha chose an opportune moment to rise.
His companions were waiting for him, and a significant amount of work had accumulated for Hereis during his days away. More importantly, it was strictly forbidden for anyone not a priest to remain in the Grand Temple for an extended period without grave reason.
Hereis escorted Jeha to the entrance of the Grand Temple. From the carriage window, Jeha watched Hereis standing motionless before the massive main gate, gazing after him. Once again, Jeha thought of the magnificent and ornate temple building as a cage, trapping Hereis within.