Chapter 25

The village's vigilance was always at its peak.

However, it was so fragile when betrayed from within.

Just before sunset, the lord's army, numbering about twenty, surrounded the village, all mounted on horses. They had waited for the sun to set to prevent anyone from escaping by boat.

By the time Sania noticed the approaching lord's army, it was too late.

The village was surrounded, and a Second Bishop named Geist urged them to surrender. The spy he had infiltrated stepped forward and stood beside him.

Seeing this, Sania shouted,

"Shalina, what are you doing!?"

"– Everyone, surrender. If we turn to the church, the lord's army won't harm us."

Shalina looked at Sania with a heavy gaze but continued to persuade her companions without answering her question.

Five children from the village, as if they had agreed beforehand, lined up behind Geist. Seeing this, three more children, realizing the disadvantage, followed suit, leaving only two who showed resistance.

"Sania, come over here."

Shalina, who had lined up next to Geist, beckoned to Sania.

Sania stood on a rocky shore facing the sea, staring at Shalina.

The rocky shore, with its uneven surface, was difficult to navigate on horseback, making it hard for the lord's army to capture them. They were prepared to shoot with bows, but they were ordered not to worsen the village's impression to prevent a mass escape. Reluctantly, they left the persuasion to the church, though the lord's army was not pleased.

The children on Geist's side were intimidated by the hostile lord's army, but Sania and the girl next to her remained resolute.

"I absolutely refuse to turn to the church. Have you forgotten that the church took our firewood last year?"

She glared at Geist with hostility, which he calmly deflected.

Shalina stood in front of Geist, blocking Sania's line of sight.

"That was because the believers needed the firewood to stay warm. If we believe in the church and pray to God, such things won't happen again."

Shalina insisted that the church was not to blame, but she failed to notice the emptiness in her words as she continued to persuade.

"Besides, Sora is the lord's child. Without the lord, we wouldn't have lived in such poverty. Many people died because of the lord. Sora is the lord's child. Can you forgive that!?"

As she spoke, the faces of her friends who had died in poverty came to mind. Unconsciously, Shalina's voice grew harsh.

Geist placed a hand on Shalina's shoulder to calm her. Once she had calmed down, he turned to the lord's army.

"I apologize. Please forget my previous remarks."

Criticism of the lord, including the pig lord, could easily result in beheading, as it could be interpreted as plotting a rebellion.

Fortunately, the lord's army would keep quiet if they were given money or women.

With a bribe, Geist addressed Shalina.

"That beast girl seems beyond saving."

"Please, wait! Sania isn't a bad child. She will understand."

Shalina, pale-faced, pleaded desperately.

Sania was not a church believer, making her insignificant to Geist. If she became a hindrance, he would readily abandon her to the lord's army.

"We don't have much time. It's pointless to reason with someone who has fallen so far. Give up."

Geist firmly made his decision, ignoring Shalina's plea for reconsideration. He then turned his attention to the girl standing next to Sania.

"Is it Lylu? Are you also opposing the church?"

Lylu, who had turned thirteen this year, was one of the older children. She didn't seem to care much about her appearance, with her red-tinted blonde hair flowing carelessly behind her.

While she lacked the charisma to lead others, Geist inferred from Shalina's account that she had a broad perspective and offered calm opinions.

However, her influence was low among the children, who couldn't fully understand her broader view, and her attempts to persuade them to resist the church were likely futile.

"I won't oppose."

Lylu's husky, boyish voice surprised everyone, including Sania, who gasped beside her.

"I won't oppose, but I'm on Sora's side."

The children sighed at Lylu's words, and some muttered, "You're just being opportunistic."

However, Geist's evaluation of Lylu significantly improved.

If she had declared opposition to the church, even if she escaped, she would be pursued as a dangerous individual, and it would be difficult for her to receive the lord's protection to avoid unnecessary conflict with the church.

Lylu hadn't thought that far. She simply believed that complete opposition to the church would be disadvantageous to Sora.

While he felt she was a somewhat valuable resource, Geist decided there was no room for negotiation.

"Tsk, a stubborn child. Gentlemen, please, do as you see fit."

As Geist was about to retreat with the children, a man suddenly emerged from the sea onto the rocky shore.

Lylu, startled by the unexpected appearance, relaxed when she recognized it was Jez. Sania, having heard the sound of him swimming through the waves, was not surprised.

"What's going on here?"

Jez, turning his back to Sania, scratched his head, wet from the seawater, and looked around, puzzled by the children standing next to Geist.

Jez had gone to the outskirts of the village to fetch a spear for use as a weapon when he learned the lord's army was approaching. Therefore, he was unaware that the children had turned to the church.

After Lylu briefly explained the situation, Jez frowned.

"Are you Jez, then?"

Geist confirmed with a smile, a thinly veiled, chilling smile.

"Don't resist in vain. It's unseemly for adults to show weakness in front of children."

Sania, standing to Jez's right, gripped his clothes.

Jez smiled reassuringly and turned his gaze to Geist.

"Indeed, it's unseemly to betray someone's trust in front of children."

Geist frowned at Jez's retort.

"Can't you see how wonderful it is to cooperate with the church?"

"Unfortunately, I'm weak for the woman I love and fairy tales. I have no intention of lending a hand to the church's ideals."

"You've fallen. Aren't you human?"

Geist turned his face away, displeased.

The sun had set, and darkness was spreading. The sound of the waves was faint, and the tide seemed to retreat in fear of the village.

A boat was moored at the nearly completed pier, but escaping by sea was difficult. Even if they set sail, they would be swallowed by the darkness, losing direction and likely crashing into the rocks.

They needed someone to stall the lord's army, giving the others a chance to escape.

Jez resolved that this was his role.

"Lylu and Sania, try to escape. If you make it, Razzette or Sora will take action."

Lylu nodded. Sania, who had thought they would escape together, was about to question but was silenced by Lylu pressing her head down.

"See you, Jez."

"Yeah. Try to be a good woman like Razzette."

With a casual farewell, Lylu pulled Sania's hand and ran off.

The lord's army dismounted and, armed with weapons, charged up the rocky shore. Despite the treacherous footing, they were experienced, maintaining a distance that wouldn't hinder each other.

The odds were overwhelmingly against Jez, but he readied his spear to face them.

– If things get desperate, I'll jump into the sea. There's a one in a hundred chance of survival. If I make it, even he'll have to reconsider.

With this faint hope, Jez smiled faintly.

December 14th, revised.