IWTRAE Chapter 135

135

Back when the Lamphas Church annihilated the entire Van Drake clan, even then, they believed it was an unavoidable decision made for the sake of humanity.

In a large institution, sometimes the finer details are overlooked. And attending to those overlooked matters is precisely the job of the so-called Hands of God, the Holy Knights.

That was why, when he heard that a surviving member of the Van Drake clan had been captured by a vampire, he felt it was an injustice and went after them.

He believed that if he could save that survivor and educate them properly, then perhaps they could be brought back into the fold of the Lamphas Church. And if that were possible, it would be a better outcome than anything else.

Of course, given the nature and temperament of the Van Drake, even Bernardo knew such a thing was nearly impossible. Still, it offered at least some justification for his actions.

Thus, Bernardo continued living as a Holy Knight, always assigning noble reasons to his every deed.

But the event he now faced was something even Bernardo, who was considered unusually open-minded for a Holy Knight, could not make sense of.

He had acted to save humans, yet the result had been the death of humans.

The crackling of flames sounded eerily like the fluttering wings of the bats that followed the vampires.

Whether vampires devour humans, or humans devour each other… in the end, it all sounds the same. That truth filled him with utter revulsion.

"This isn't why I saved them. This isn't what I intended…"

As disillusionment clouded Bernardo's face, the firelight flickered across it, mirroring the dizzying turmoil in his mind.

From behind, a voice finally broke through, one that at least offered a hint of comfort.

"Young master! What's going on? Why…?!"

"...Matteus."

Bernardo turned around, his expression empty, and looked at Matteus. Matteus, too, was in a ragged state, showing clear signs of hardship.

Bernardo opened his mouth to explain, but closed it again. He had no idea how to put it into words.

In that moment, a memory surfaced, from shortly after Bernardo had become Lapis Ignarius, during a time when they were camping outdoors while chasing vampires.

<Honestly, I just went along with it because everyone else believed in it. But I was never really one to trust the Lamphas Church all that much. If there really is a holy dragon, then where is it now? Why is it just watching and doing nothing while these kinds of humans walk the earth?>

They were inexperienced, and the vampires were cunning. Whenever they chased one, all they found were human corpses.

During those exhausting marches with nothing to show for it, Matteus would grumble while roasting potatoes over the campfire.

Bernardo had been just as anxious, still unfamiliar with the job. But as the one leading Matteus, he couldn't show his weakness. Back then, Bernardo simply pretended he was fine and responded as if nothing was wrong.

<And that faithless guy is serving as a squire to a Holy Knight?>

<Well… we couldn't exactly send the young master out there alone, could we? Do you think any other squire could match his tastes and serve him as well as I do?>

Saying that, Matteus jabbed a well-roasted potato with a stick and tossed it straight to Bernardo.

The potato was so hot that steam was still rising off it. Bernardo caught it and tossed it between his hands to cool it, shooting Matteus an annoyed glare.

<Keep talking like that and you'll end up dragged before the Inquisition.>

<Oh come on, I only talk like this in front of you, young master. You think I can't tell when to keep my mouth shut elsewhere? Besides… that was back in the day. Ever since I came back to the faith with you, I've been a lot more devout.>

<Yeah, right.>

<I'm serious!>

<Then tell me, why did you suddenly get so devout?>

<Because you were chosen as Lapis Ignarius.>

Matteus picked up another potato, blowing on it as he spoke casually.

<I mean, if someone like you, someone so faithful, was chosen instead of someone like me or anyone else, then the Holy Dragon must really know what He's doing, right?>

Though Matteus smiled sheepishly, a trace of awkwardness lingered on his face. Still, a sense of genuine belief in both Bernardo and the Holy Dragon coexisted within him.

Bernardo had hoped that belief would grow stronger and mature into true faith, and in truth, Matteus had changed. At least, Bernardo thought so.

But now, staring back at Bernardo in stunned silence, Matteus's face had none of that lighthearted smile. 

Instead, Bernardo could see his trust in the Lamphas Church slowly crumbling.

Matteus had never had strong faith to begin with. This incident would likely plant deep dissatisfaction in him toward the Church.

Even though the scene before him was devastating, Bernardo wanted to persuade him.

He would say this wasn't the fault of the Church, it was the deviation of one bishop. And even if this had made them disgusted with the Church's actions, that shouldn't extend to doubt in the divine itself.

If he could demonstrate his own unwavering conviction and walk that path of faith ahead of Matteus, then perhaps Matteus would also find his way. Just like he always had before.

"Young master…"

But then…

"…Are you alright?"

Only then did Bernardo realize it, Matteus was his mirror. And he… was Matteus's.

It wasn't Matteus whose faith was faltering.

At that moment, Melina's voice echoed in Bernardo's mind.

<It's not just monsters who devour people. Humans do it too. Go outside and look. In the end, it's people exploiting other people!>

Melina had been right. Just earlier, Bernardo would have vehemently argued against her words, but now, he couldn't bring himself to speak at all.

"Something more horrifying than a pit of hell swarming with maggots…"

Bernardo's voice cracked, barely more than a broken whisper, like the whimpering of a wounded beast.

"Might be us, the Lamphas Church…"

Just as a chipped gem can never be restored to its pristine state, once faith is damaged, it leaves a deep scar of doubt.

There was no going back.

Tears traced the dry lines of Bernardo's cheeks.

***

When the humans who had barely escaped Menorah's grasp were writhing in despair, frustration, and emptiness…

The vampire caught up in something that could be either a reward or a punishment didn't feel much different.

One moment she was sucked into thin air, only to be spat out the next. Vasha tumbled hard onto the ground, rolling several times.

"Ugh! Agh, damn it!"

She finally came to a stop near a massive dumpster. Groaning, Vasha forced her aching body upright and looked up.

A blinding full moon.

Neon signs flashing just as brightly. Honking cars caught in midnight traffic jams, blaring in frustration. Skyscrapers that looked as if they were stabbing the sky…

Vasha was in a dead-end alley.

The very alley she had stood in before crossing through the "Gate."

'It was dead quiet here before I teleported…'

She'd complained about how eerily silent it was, now, the noise was so overwhelming it felt like her eardrums would burst.

After spending over half a year in a pre-industrial society where everything came to a standstill at night, every little sound now grated on her nerves.

Gritting her teeth, Vasha slowly got to her feet, her limbs still aching as if they'd been torn apart.

"How the hell am I supposed to get back…?"

She'd reassured Todd with fake confidence that she'd return soon, but now that she had to figure out how, all she could do was sigh.

"…God, this is driving me insane. If I don't show up right away, Todd's definitely going to give me hell for being late on purpose."

But she didn't have the luxury of worrying for long.

Because of the voice echoing from afar.

"The prey's trapped in the alley!"

The fact that the vampires were still searching for her suggested that no time had passed since Vasha had vanished.

'Half a year over there... and only a moment here?'

She didn't know exactly how dimensional travel worked, but clearly, time didn't flow evenly between the two worlds. The thought made her even more anxious.

What if, while she lingered here, time started rushing forward over there?

'No, wait. Maybe when I go back, time over there will still be frozen exactly where I left it?'

Vasha tried to cling to that hopeful thought.

But she didn't have the luxury of overthinking. The sound of vampire voices and footsteps was drawing nearer.

Whatever the case, shaking them off came first.

Easier said than done. After all, why had she leapt through that strange glowing gate in the first place?

'Because I had no other choice.'

And now, unlike back then, she was still reeling from the backlash of the magic. Just her luck. Vasha clicked her tongue.

'Still… I guess it could be worse.'

During her time on the other side, she had grown a lot stronger. She was still a low-ranking vampire, sure, but compared to who she used to be, the difference was night and day.

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