Chapter 69

EP.69 Cafe Bene (1)

-You seem to have a lot of patience.

-What do you mean?

-Just, I've been thinking about your recent actions. The Max Heart incident, the Professor Caesar incident... I'm glad you've calmed down a lot.

I recalled the conversation we had this morning.

-Getting angry won't do you any good. Cleaning up the mess afterward is even more troublesome. Try to hold back as much as possible. If you can't help but curse, I won't say anything.

That was what my master had earnestly advised.

-So, try to avoid using violence against people.

-You've calmed down a lot lately. I hope you can make me trust you, Raeniel.

Thinking about those words, I stroked my chin.

"Hmm..."

Indeed, I seem to have calmed down a lot.

Lately, I've been thinking that my patience has increased a lot. Compared to five years ago, it's astonishing. I realized this when I met Kyle by chance not long ago.

Back then, I didn't throw a punch right away.

That alone was a remarkable improvement. If the me from five years ago had been there...

'I would have started with a powerful strike.'

I would have cast a spell without hesitation.

I had a good reason to. Considering the total time I lost because of Kyle, it's amazing that I managed to control my temper with just one punch.

'And that was because he provoked me.'

Otherwise, I would have just ignored him and walked away.

'I've really improved a lot.'

People grow by enduring hardships and adversities.

Indeed, that was true. The past five years were filled with trials for me.

I endured a lot.

I really endured a lot. If I had let my frustration show, I would have had to deal with Sara and Remia's constant nagging for a whole week.

'Come to think of it, even when I was in the party... I never laid a hand on anyone.'

During the five years I was in the party, there were times when someone tore my clothes in front of me... but I never laid a hand on Sara or Remia.

Even when I was angry, I held back.

When they started cursing, I responded with even more curses. Looking back, those five years were when my mouth became quite foul.

-F**k, what the hell. Does God feed you?

-Have you ever made a deal with a star? The gods you worship, the stars, are a lot more prickly than you think.

-If I could make a deal with faith, I would become a fanatic right away.

I countered the saint who kept whining about God with facts.

-Elves live in the forest, don't they? Why are you so worldly? Is that really necessary? Have all the elves who make clothes from leaves died?

-Elves only eat dew, you b*tch. If you don't like it, you can cook. Hey, comparing cooking with mana to a high-end restaurant is ridiculous.

...I didn't hesitate to insult the race when necessary. Thinking about it, Remia had a significant role in tarnishing the image of elves in my mind.

'...Racial insults were a bit much, though.'

Well, anyway.

The point is that I didn't resort to violence.

Just once.

Except for that one time.

"...That was worth hitting."

"Huh?"

Resty, who tilted her head in confusion, made me smile bitterly.

"Just talking to myself. Ah, we're almost at the cafe."

I stopped for a moment and looked around. I saw a bench a bit away from the cafe, in a sunny spot.

"That looks good."

I pointed to the bench and said,

"Want to sit there first? I'll bring the coffee. Is there anything else you want to drink?"

"No, I'm fine with the same as you."

"Alright, I'll be right back."

I left Resty at the bench and headed to the cafe. As I walked, I organized my thoughts. Where was I thinking about just now?

Right, just that one exception.

I recalled that exception.

2.

The memory goes back a long way.

-What did you just say?

It was probably a situation where we had to face the Demon King's army in a nearby village after the front line collapsed. At the time, the villagers were cooperative with us.

-Did I say something strange?

There was a saint.

It was a village where the Delohim Church was established. Though small, the faith in God was strong.

'So, that's why she reacted that way to Sara.'

To the believers of Delohim, the saint holds great significance.

In some aspects, even more than a hero.

-That's not wrong, is it?

At the time, Sara, who was revered by the villagers, approached me while I was setting up a barricade.

-...They are people who will sacrifice themselves for us. That's what we learned in the Delohim Church. It's natural for believers to sacrifice themselves for the saint.

Then she said,

In a tone that seemed to question why I was doing such a foolish thing, she pointed at the barricade and said calmly,

-So, Sara.

-I hope I heard you wrong, but what you're saying is...

To let this village...

-Be trampled by the Demon King's army and then blow it all up with an explosive circuit? The whole village?

To use the villagers as bait.

To set traps in the village to wipe out the Demon King's army.

Sara, the saint, had suggested this to me.

-Isn't that better? It's more efficient.

As if it were the most natural thing in the world.

-These people are believers of the Delohim Church. In the first chapter of the Gospel of Delohim, it says that when they sacrifice their lives for God, they will be sent to heaven.

She spoke, invoking God.

-The hero is God's apostle, and I am God's representative. So, for our convenience...

-Shut up, Sara.

Then.

-You're hopeless, you b*tch.

I hit Sara for the first time.

I punched her in the face. I dragged her around the village by her pink hair, which was a symbol of the saint.

Then, I threw her outside the village.

-Hey, Sara.

Kyle didn't stop me.

Kyle and I were both refugees who had lost their village to the method Sara had suggested.

-This seems to be your last warning. If you ever say something like that in front of me or Kyle again...

I pulled out a stake I had driven