Chapter 21

Geist's words made the lord raise one eyebrow.

"Why do you want such a maid? She might be a bit plump, which could make her comfortable to hold, but she lacks any real appeal as a woman. Is this your type?"

At this harsh evaluation, Lazzette clenched her fists tightly, resolving even more firmly to punch him hard if she got the chance.

Geist shook his head with a bitter smile that wasn't an act.

"That maid was witnessed at the scene when the homeless children's firewood was stolen last winter. I want to hear her story."

The lord tilted his head in confusion at Geist's explanation, his fat neck sinking into his greasy chin.

"The investigation of crimes is the responsibility of the lord's army. There's no need for the church to meddle."

"Whether the homeless children live or die doesn't really matter to me. Isn't that true for the lord as well?"

Geist indirectly pointed out that no investigation had been conducted.

"Indeed. The lord's army would find the investigation troublesome."

The lord glanced at Lazzette, then lost interest and gave a dismissive nod.

"You may take her."

Geist sneered from a blind spot of the lord.

Feeling a sense of danger, Lazzette called out to the lord.

"What is it?"

The lord responded with a deep-seated annoyance.

Feeling Geist's intense gaze on her back, Lazzette tried to calm herself before speaking.

"I serve as Sora's attendant. I cannot abandon my duties for an extended period."

"Sora's attendant... I see."

Lazzette's appointment as Sora's attendant was part of a strategy to win over Sora.

Even a few days apart could make Sora sullen and less likely to share profitable ideas.

The lord, realizing this, turned back to Geist and retracted his previous statement.

"The church will not take her. If you want to hear her story, do it within the grounds of the manor. Understand this: if you harm my son, I will have your head and display it at the gate of the manor."

The Kleinzelt family already had many enemies. They couldn't afford to have their heir targeted.

After warning Geist, the lord left the room.

Alone with Geist, the room was filled with the sound of the winter wind rattling the windows.

Geist opened the window, letting the cold air in.

"Someone's smell was lingering, so I had to do something about it."

Lazzette, wary of what he might do, watched his every move carefully. The room was indeed filled with the lord's sweaty odor.

"Let's get to the point, then."

Geist gestured for Lazzette to sit on the sofa.

Lazzette refused, saying it wasn't proper for a maid to sit, and Geist shrugged. He himself didn't sit either, instead leaning on the window frame, looking outside. He had the kind of good looks that could serve as a model for a painting.

Geist's gaze fell on the window frame, and he frowned, finding something unpleasant. He took a cloth from his pocket and wiped the frame.

"What are you doing?"

"Just a bit of dirt. I can't stand such things."

Geist's gaze drifted outside, and he found the white walls of the church, pointing at them.

"The walls of the church are spotless, aren't they? They are polished every morning, noon, evening, and late at night by the church members. Being clean is a professional hazard for us."

"Why go through such trouble?"

Lazzette muttered, imagining the effort required and feeling tired just thinking about it.

Geist blinked a few times in surprise before speaking carefully.

"Are you not a believer, Lazzette?"

"It's not that uncommon. Many villages don't have churches, and even in cities, about thirty percent of the residents are not churchgoers."

"What a pity. Humans will continue to repeat their mistakes."

Geist spat out, then realized he was speaking in front of Lazzette and scratched his cheek.

"Let's end the small talk. Let's get to the main topic."

"It's about the incident where the homeless children's firewood was stolen, right?"

Lazzette tried to deflect, but Geist sighed.

"No, it's about Ogarite. You know, right?"

Lazzette swallowed the complaints that had risen to her throat. Everyone was just piling more work on her.

"The plan was to have the church take you in and confine you, and in those few days, take control of the village. Without you, there would be no one to send word to the village. I think you managed to get out of it quite well. It took a lot of courage to oppose the lord's decision."

Geist clapped his hands lightly, as if mocking her.

"The church doesn't let people die, so I mustered the courage."

Lazzette returned a sarcastic remark, knowing that if Geist knew she was at the scene of the stolen firewood, he would understand her point.

However, Geist smiled dismissively.

"It's nice to be relied on. But you seem to have a misunderstanding."

He raised his hands to shoulder height, shook his head, and sighed. His smile turned into a mocking one, with a condescending look in his eyes.

"Have you heard the story of the 'Murdering Mage'?"

The story Geist mentioned was one of the fairy tales told around the world.

Lazzette had heard it as a child.

"It's the story of the first murder in history, right?"

"Yes."

Geist nodded dramatically.

"Originally, this world was one where no one could kill their own kind. Dogs couldn't kill dogs, hawks couldn't kill hawks, sharks couldn't kill sharks, and humans couldn't kill humans. However, there was a mage who was dissatisfied with this rule created by the gods. He desperately wanted to kill humans. To fulfill this twisted desire, he studied and finally created the magic of murder. Thus, a world where one could kill their own kind came into being. The magic of murder still has its power, and humans continue to kill each other. To prevent further alteration of the world, magic should be eradicated. That's why our church does not kill or let people die. It's because the original rules of the world, before it was altered, are what the gods desire!"

Geist spoke with a dramatic tone, glaring at Lazzette.

"...However, there are exceptions."

His voice was chillingly low and cold.

Lazzette stiffened, feeling a chill that wasn't just from the winter wind.

"Magic should be eradicated. Mages who violate the gods' rules should be killed. Those who have been tamed and corrupted by this altered world should also be killed. I do not consider mages or the corrupted to be human."

Geist moved away from the window and slowly approached Lazzette.

"Lazzette, are you really human, given that you are not a believer?"

Geist placed his hands on Lazzette's shoulders and asked with a cold gaze.

Feeling the danger, Lazzette tried to escape, but the strength in Geist's hands made it difficult. She could push him away, but given his position as a second-class bishop, she couldn't afford to be violent.

The two of them, locked in a tense standoff, didn't notice the door quietly opening. Sora, pressing the door with her small hands, peeked in. Seeing Lazzette's pale, frightened face, Sora quickly assessed the situation and immediately put on an innocent expression, dropping a verbal bomb into the room.

"Lazzette is bringing a man in!"

Her innocent, boyish soprano echoed like a bird's.

Starting from the sixth chapter, I will continue to post one chapter each on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.

I have already written the second chapter, so I will make corrections before posting and plan to reach the final chapter of the second part.