A wave of irritation washed over Benato’s face as he fixed Jeha with a sharp gaze. He had evidently been expecting a different answer from Jeha.
Their conversation came to an abrupt halt when an attending priest rose to open the door. Through the narrow gap, a Holy Knight whispered something, prompting the priest to turn back to Benato, a look of confusion clouding his features.
“What is it?”
Benato asked, his tone edged with annoyance at having his crucial interrogation interrupted. The attending priest hurried over and whispered a few words into Benato’s ear. This time, a look of bewilderment spread across Benato’s own face.
“Is something the matter?”
Overhearing human whispers was a simple feat for Jeha. Despite already knowing the gist of the conversation, he inquired with a composed expression. After glancing between Jeha and Kkamangi nestled in his arms, Benato reluctantly opened his mouth.
“Archbishop Hereis has just arrived at the inn. He apparently rode all night from the Grand Temple to meet His Excellency, Marquis Belgarga.”
“The Archbishop? All the way here?!”
Jeha exclaimed, feigning renewed surprise, before a cheerful expression bloomed on his face and he sprang to his feet.
“Then we must go greet him at once! Let us proceed, Sir Benato.”
“…Yes.”
With a resigned expression, Benato rose from his seat.
As Jeha strode out with a welcoming smile, his heart was a tangle of conflicting emotions. Relief at having fortuitously evaded Benato’s difficult questions mingled with the disconcerting realization that he would now face Hereis without any preparation. Nevertheless, this was his first official encounter with Archbishop Hereis as Marquis Belgarga, and a convincing performance was paramount.
Fortunately, since his arrival in the human realm, Jeha had been playing the part of the Marquis quite credibly, a fact that filled him with no small amount of self-satisfaction. Indeed, he almost wondered if he possessed a natural talent for acting.
Descending the stairs, they reached the inn’s ground floor, a surprisingly spacious area teeming with people. All of them were clerics, clad either in priestly robes or Holy Knight uniforms. They were clearly divided into two distinct groups: one belonging to Benato’s retinue, and the other to Hereis’s.
Jeha’s eyes landed on the back of a figure with shimmering silver hair, loosely tied down. This person was conversing with a priest behind them. Their priestly attire, more opulent than anyone else’s in the inn, immediately marked them as a high-ranking cleric.
As if sensing Jeha’s gaze, Hereis slowly turned. The moment his face came into view, the entire inn seemed to brighten. Jeha was assailed by a complex mix of embarrassment and apology for the mischievous and humiliating request he’d made during their last encounter, along with a genuine warmth at this unexpected reunion.
While Jeha pondered how to begin, Hereis took a decisive step forward. With a welcoming glint in his eyes, he offered a gentle smile and bowed his head respectfully.
“Your Excellency, Marquis Belgarga.”
“Archbishop Hereis.”
Jeha returned the bow, greeting him in kind. After several clandestine meetings, to encounter him again as one human to another, offering a formal salutation, evoked a truly peculiar sensation.
“I should have been the one to visit the Grand Temple, yet you have traveled all this way to meet me, Archbishop.”
Jeha remarked, his face alight with a pervasive warmth.
“Upon receiving your letter stating you would personally come to the Grand Temple to meet me, I found myself unable to simply sit and wait.”
Hereis’s gentle voice seemed to carry a hint of fondness. Jeha found himself uncertain whether Hereis was merely acting to display a deep friendship with Marquis Belgarga, or if he was genuinely so delighted to see Jeha that his emotions were truly heartfelt.
“Archbishop Hereis.”
A voice, tinged with a metallic timbre, cut into the brief lull in their conversation. Hereis’s gaze shifted to Jeha’s side.
Standing beside Jeha was Benato, who had approached unnoticed. He bowed deeply toward Hereis, a gesture brimming with respect.
“You are….”
Hereis’s voice trailed off, failing to recognize him. Instead of displaying disappointment, Benato smiled gently and introduced himself.
“I am Benato, recently selected as an Inquisitor and dispatched to this territory. For a long time, I have held profound respect for Archbishop Hereis, who is so thoroughly blessed by divine grace. It is truly an overwhelming honor to meet you in person and offer my greetings.”
While Benato’s words undoubtedly contained an element of flattery for the Archbishop, they largely felt sincere. Indeed, his eyes, fixed on Hereis, were brimming with awe and reverence.
Seeing Benato, who was so arrogant as to interrogate even Marquis Belgarga, transform into such a deferential figure before Hereis, Jeha felt no offense. On the contrary, he found himself puffing out his chest with a strange sense of pride.
‘Look at that. My contractor is *that* impressive.’
‘That’s the kind of feeling it was.’
“Given your early arrival, it seems you must have ridden through the night, and undoubtedly, you must be quite weary. I presume you haven’t had a proper meal either. Would you care to join me in my room for a meal and some tea to alleviate your fatigue?”
Jeha offered. Hereis’s eyes curved into a gentle smile as he nodded.
“That sounds wonderful. I was feeling rather peckish.”
Upon hearing Hereis’s reply, Jeha turned his head and called out to the innkeeper, who stood nearby with a bewildered expression.
“Innkeeper.”
“…Yes… Y-yes, Your Excellency.”
The innkeeper scurried over, bowing his head in haste.
“Please provide a bountiful meal and rooms for rest to the priests and knights present here.”
“Yes, yes, of course! I shall see to it immediately.”
As the innkeeper quickly responded, Paimon, who had been standing quietly as if invisible, stepped forward and dropped a handful of gold coins into the innkeeper’s palm. The shining coins clinked as they cascaded into his cupped hands, causing the innkeeper’s eyes to widen in astonishment.
Jeha did not miss the brief glint in Benato’s eyes upon seeing the showering gold coins. It was clear that the perceptive Inquisitor had likely seized the opportunity to corner Jeha, perhaps with the dual intent of extracting a bribe.
Clicking his tongue inwardly, Jeha turned back to Hereis and spoke in a warm, amiable tone.
“Shall we go upstairs, then?”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
Hereis nodded, drawing closer to Jeha. Benato, naturally, stepped back to give them space.
As they ascended the stairs side by side, Jeha could feel Benato’s gaze fixed upon them. Yet, the Inquisitor wasn’t so tactless as to intrude upon a conversation between an Archbishop and a Marquis, for there was no sign of him following.
Reaching the room, they settled across from each other at a table. As if they had received prior instruction, Hereis’s attending priests did not follow them inside. With a discreet glance, Jeha also motioned for Paimon and Zephyr to remain outside the room.
Left alone in the room, neither of them spoke, as if by unspoken agreement. However, it was not a heavy silence. Before long, a server arrived, laid out a lavish breakfast, and then withdrew. Only then did Jeha break the quiet.
“Please, eat quickly. You must have ridden all night, so you likely haven’t had a proper meal.”
At Jeha’s urging, Hereis nodded and picked up his utensils. Though Jeha had already finished his own meal a short while ago, he followed suit, taking up a fork.
Meow~.
Kkamangi, perched on Jeha’s thigh, stretched its dainty front paws onto the table, poking its head forward with a melodious meow. Its golden eyes, fixed on Hereis, held a balanced mix of wariness and curiosity.
While Kkamangi had hissed so vehemently at Benato, it displayed no such hostility toward Hereis. It seemed Kkamangi harbored animosity not towards divine power itself, but rather towards Jeha’s perceived enemies. This was indeed a commendable trait.
“The cat….”
Hereis observed Kkamangi intently. Jeha sensed a faint aura of divine power emanating from the sapphire eyes fixed on the cat.
Paimon had asserted that even the Pope wouldn’t recognize Kkamangi’s true nature. However, as far as Jeha knew, Hereis’s divine power far surpassed that of the Pope.
“Do you recognize it?”
After a moment of intently observing Kkamangi, Hereis offered a faint smile and nodded.
“You’ve acquired quite an interesting cat.”
Hereis’s words were a veiled reference to the baby demonic dragon disguised as a cat. He had undoubtedly discerned its true form.
“It’s a child left alone without its mother. I intend to care for it and raise it myself.”
Jeha said, stroking Kkamangi’s head. Hereis nodded.
For a brief period, they focused on their meal in silence.
Hereis’s dining etiquette was both elegant and refined, clearly betraying his impeccable upbringing. Yet, he still managed to cleanly finish his portion, suggesting he was genuinely quite hungry. Jeha, observing him from the corner of his eye, diligently continued his own pretense of eating.
Once the meal concluded, they summoned a server to clear the table and bring tea. Perhaps due to the imposing presence of two high-ranking individuals, the server’s swift movements were accompanied by a slight tremor in their hands.
The tea that arrived appeared to be of a superior grade, though it couldn’t quite compare to the blends Jeha had grown accustomed to at Belgarga Castle. Nevertheless, his palate wasn’t so discerning as to reject it. Without hesitation, Jeha took a sip of the tea and set down his cup.