Free Web NovelAfter the sparring ended, the senior members and I all gathered in the temple's dining hall.
Before introducing Terdius, I had already told Jacob that we would all eat together with the senior members.
Thanks to that, when I opened the dining hall door, various dishes greeted us. Jacob, wearing a chef's hat and holding a steak distribution knife and fork, greeted us with a warm expression.
"Welcome, everyone."
"Thanks, Jacob."
After thanking Jacob, I sat at the head seat of the spacious dining table. And I had Terdius sit near me.
"Sit here."
Though he had now become part of the Kyros Church family, eating with unfamiliar people would be awkward. Fortunately, Terdius sat in the seat right next to me without complaint.
Zain and Troy sat nearby as they always did, and Grandmother along with the children and senior members each took their seats.
"Everyone, enjoy your meal. You must be tired from training."
"Yes, Church Leader!"
I didn't do anything grand like greetings or prayers and immediately started the meal. Sharing the delicious food Jacob prepared together felt quite good.
And while eating, Ivan, who had been playing at the temple, naturally joined following his brother.
I prepared a small chair for Ivan next to Terdius, and the brothers ate deliciously.
"Troy, you'll get indigestion. Eat slowly."
I was lightly eating mainly salad when Troy suddenly came into my view. He was quickly devouring the food in front of him as if possessed by a glutton.
"Leave him be. This guy isn't doing this for just a day or two."
Zain shook his head. He looked like he had already reached enlightenment.
'Can't be helped.'
I inwardly sighed and looked at Troy. He was ingesting various foods while making a very happy expression.
"Well, as long as you're happy."
At my words, Troy, with his mouth full of food, instead of opening it, folded his eyes beautifully and continued eating. Like that, our mealtime continued quite noisily.
After the prolonged meal, we started a light drinking session. Actually, I hadn't planned to have a drinking session, but Troy brought out alcohol saying a new member had joined, and it started from there.
Like that, dinner time naturally became longer, and Ivan, who was at the table with us, soon fell asleep. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
"Alfie, I'll leave Ivan to you."
I took a sip of beer and asked Alphius to move Ivan to a bed.
"Yes, Church Leader. Don't worry. I'll put him to bed in the senior members' quarters."
"Good. Chessy, Sasha. You two go rest first too."
"Yes, yes! Church Leader."
"Yeeees."
No matter how much the children were senior members with outstanding power, I couldn't have a drinking session with them. So I sent Ivan and the children out.
Like that, only the adult senior members remained in the dining hall.
"Well then, let's get started in earnest!"
Jacob confirmed the children had disappeared, then appeared carrying lots of alcohol from the storage. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
"Surely you're not all planning to drink everything here..."
I said quietly while looking at the alcohol piling up in the dining hall. However, the senior members' expressions were all quite bright.
'Don't tell me...'
And my prediction hit exactly right. The senior members started drinking heavily. Not only those who were usually quiet, but even Grandmother kept drinking without rest.
'Is this really okay...'
I looked at them anxiously, then soon gave up. Still, fortunately, the senior members' drunken behavior wasn't too severe.
Most of the senior members left the dining hall for their own quarters when they felt they were getting drunk.
Time passed like that, and soon only Terdius, Zain, Troy, Grandmother, and I remained at the drinking session.
What was unexpected was that Terdius drank better than expected. He silently drank the alcohol given to him. Zain and Troy also seemed to have controlled themselves today as they appeared less drunk than usual.
And I naturally didn't get drunk easily because of my Myriad Poison Immunity.
"Grandmother drinks quite well too."
And Grandmother also seemed fine despite drinking a considerable amount of alcohol. So I asked Grandmother with surprised eyes. Then Grandmother grinned.
"At my peak, I used to drink about twice what I've had so far."
At those words, I couldn't help but be surprised. The amount drunk so far seemed enough to become a VIP at any decent bar, and she could drink twice that? Do Sword Masters have to be outstanding in other things too?
The drinking session continued like that. About 30 minutes passed.
I could see Zain and Troy's appearances becoming disheveled. Both guys' eyes were clearly unfocused, but Zain's condition seemed worse than usual.
'Must be because of his sister.'
Zain kept pouring and drinking alcohol by himself repeatedly. He must have unexpectedly met the Saintess of the Diego Church today, so that was surely it.
"It seems you had something difficult happen, Zain."
Grandmother also seemed to notice Zain's state and looked at him with pitying eyes. Then Zain suddenly raised his head and looked at Grandmother with moist eyes.
"C-Commander..."
Grandmother was commonly called Commander, meaning Holy Knight Commander, among the senior members.
"Yes. What happened? If you have worries, feel free to speak."
Was it because of Grandmother's kind words? Zain began his story while shedding tears.
"A-actually, I hate the Diego Church terribly. Because the Diego Church took my family away."
I listened to Zain's past story silently. I already knew from hearing it before, and I wondered if I should stop him.
Because there was not only Grandmother at this table but also someone who had been an apostle of the Diego Church until recently.
'Well, we're no different from family now though...'
While thinking so, Zain poured out his story completely.
"And now my sister... has become the Saintess of the Diego Church."
At the continuing words, not only Grandmother but even Terdius seemed a bit surprised. Because Terdius's eyes, who had been quietly drinking, trembled slightly.
"Today I suddenly encountered my sister who came to our temple, and I felt a really strange feeling..."
Zain continued his story while shedding tears.
"Maybe because my sister was brainwashed by the Diego Church, she became arrogant. I'm also sorry to Master and Lord Kyros..."
Zain shed tears. Grandmother looked at Zain like that, then soon patted his shoulder and handed him a handkerchief. And Grandmother spoke carefully.
"I see. It must have been very hard, Zain."
"Yes, yeeees. I really had a hard time..."
"To grow up like this despite experiencing such things from a young age, you're admirable."
At Grandmother's consolation, Zain's crying intensified. Grandmother gently hugged Zain like that.
"Encountering your sister today must have been very surprising too. But Zain, my child. Someday... your sister will also meet an upright god and return."
"Sob, really?"
"Yes. Because Lord Kyros is watching over us."
Grandmother said so while glancing at me. I slowly nodded. I too would work to get Zain's sister back anytime.
"So cry today. Sometimes just crying like this can shed emotions."
At Grandmother's words, Zain burst into tears even more intensely. After some time passed like that, Zain seemed to have sorted out his emotions and regained his smile.
"Thank you, Commander."
"What. I can do this much anytime."
I was glad Zain's emotions improved, but somehow Terdius looked a bit uncomfortable.
"Terdius, you don't need to feel sorry."
I took a sip of beer and casually spoke to Terdius. I didn't want to see him looking unsure what to do, which was unlike him while also being unfamiliar. But Terdius shook his head.
"...But the fact that I was also affiliated with the Diego Church doesn't change."
"I know. But you're not now, are you?"
"Yes. That's true, but..."
Terdius looked at Zain, Troy, and Grandmother in turn as if thinking about something. Then soon he opened his mouth with resolute eyes.
"Actually, I wasn't much different from you either."
And soon, Terdius opened his mouth while looking at Zain. Then Zain looked at Terdius with slightly surprised eyes.
"What do you..."
"A few years ago, I heard Diego's whisper. At that time, I was desperately trying to cure Ivan, who had contracted an incurable disease. Then Diego spoke as if he would cure Ivan and lured me in."
Terdius calmly confessed his past.
"My deliberation wasn't long. I didn't have many choices. So I chose Diego, and before long, I was brainwashed by Diego. I had to do things I didn't want, and I always had to feel a sensation like hazy fog was in my head."
At Terdius's story, everyone including me kept their mouths shut. Terdius continued his story.
"And I had to commit numerous evil acts. I still regret that. But despite giving everything, Ivan never got better. When Ivan's life was in danger... the one who helped me was Leviathan."
At those words, everyone's gazes turned to me. I became a bit embarrassed.
"I express my gratitude again through this occasion, Church Leader."
"Ah, not at all. It was a natural thing to do."
"No. It's no different from thanks to you that I could escape Diego's brainwashing. For some reason, my head was clear when I was with you, and I sometimes felt like I was escaping the brainwashing. Anyway, what I wanted to say is..."
Terdius's gaze soon turned to Zain. The two's gazes crossed.
"Your sister is also likely being controlled by Diego against her will. In other words, someday she might return to normal like me."
Those words were no different from telling him not to give up hope.
"Ah, yes. That's right. I see."
Zain's expression brightened. His lips curved up, and a smile as bright as before was drawn.
And Terdius also smiled faintly while looking at that.
'Really, these were the two people who seemed least likely to become close...'
Their current appearance was truly not just simple coworkers, but colleagues who had experienced the same pain.
Seeing the two who were once hostile now smiling together, one corner of my heart became a bit more comfortable.
