NOVPUBThe envoy who arrived at the northern fortress was Baron Andy Shear, the same man who had previously transported supplies for the Ferdium region.
With a cheerful smile, he greeted everyone.
"How have you been? I am here to deliver a message from the royal family."
Zvalter, with a somewhat wary expression, nodded and asked, "What is it this time? Why is the royal family...?"
Every time someone came to see him, Zvalter couldn't help but be anxious, fearing that his son might have caused some sort of incident. Given the recent news of the war, this anxiety had only worsened.
Observing Zvalter’s uneasy demeanor, Baron Shear maintained his friendly smile as he spoke.
“From today onwards, you have been promoted to marquis. Congratulations.”
Stunned by this unexpected announcement, Zvalter blinked in disbelief and asked, "Marquis? Me?"
“Yes, exactly. Of course, your duties and authority to protect the frontier will remain the same as before.”
“But... why... so suddenly?”
He hadn’t achieved any remarkable accomplishments, so it was only natural to feel puzzled.
Baron Shear briefly explained the recent developments. Although the official reason was to reward him for his years of dedication, Zvalter understood the real reason: his son’s achievements had earned him this promotion.
“Wait... Ghislain... has become a count?”
“Yes, that’s correct. He is now Count of Fenris.”
Zvalter felt light-headed. That troublemaker was now a high-ranking noble. Despite the royal envoy’s presence confirming it as truth, it was still hard to believe.
Even though Ferdium’s resources were scarce, meaning they could barely support him, Ghislain had achieved this all on his own. As a father, Zvalter felt both pride and astonishment.
In a daze, Zvalter went through the simple ceremony of receiving his promotion. Despite the royal recognition, it still didn’t feel real.
"A marquis... me? Our family?"
For decades, he had lived as a poor count of the north. This had been the life of not just himself but also his ancestors. And now, the world was changing far too quickly.
Though the title was purely nominal, it was still significant. With every recognition like this, authority accumulates.
Zvalter thought of his long-deceased, ever-nagging father.
“Father, it seems my son is indeed bringing honor to our family.”
Seeing Zvalter still standing there, dazed, his knight-captain, Randolph, shouted loudly from the side.
"Now he’s Marquis of Ferdium!"
“Hurrah!”
The knights and soldiers roared loudly enough to make the fortress tremble.
Having spent years protecting the people of their territory, their lord was finally receiving due recognition. Everyone celebrated as if it were their own victory.
Lately, good news had come in waves. They had repaid their debts, and now their lord had been promoted.
Everyone knew who was truly responsible for making all of this possible.
One knight raised his sword and shouted.
“For the glory of the House of Ferdium!”
The other knights also drew their swords and raised them high. The soldiers, too, lifted their spears and joined in with one voice.
“For the glory of the House of Ferdium!”
Thus, the northern fortress also became enveloped in a festive atmosphere. The news would soon reach Ferdium, and they would celebrate as well.
A day like this couldn't simply pass by. Regaining his composure, Zvalter addressed everyone in a confident voice.
"Today, we will leave only the minimum garrison and finally enjoy a feast! I’ll open the reserves of meat and alcohol, so eat and drink to your heart's content!”
“Hurrah!”
The soldiers cheered once again, and the knights were even louder.
After repeated training and combat, their bodies had grown weak. Having plenty of food and drink tonight would truly rejuvenate them.
Just as the cheers were reaching their peak, an administrator hurried over to Zvalter and whispered to him.
“My lord, we have no meat.”
“What? Why? Why don’t we have any?”
“We ran out a while ago. You know meat is scarce due to the drought.”
“Oh, really? I thought there was a bit left.”
“Sir Randolph has been secretly eating that small amount bit by bit, saying he’s always hungry from just eating bread. He also drank almost all the alcohol on his own.”
“That bastard?”
Zvalter glared at Randolph, who was blissfully unaware and cheerfully waving at him.
Barely restraining the urge to punch him, Zvalter addressed everyone with an apologetic tone.
“It seems the meat is all gone! Some rascal here ate it all up... anyway, for today, we’ll make do with bread and soup, and I’ll make sure to secure more next time!”
“Aw...”
The knights and soldiers pouted. 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝒐𝒎
Right... after all, who were they to dream of feasts?
Despite having paid off their debts, replenished their food supplies, and gained a marquisate, their land still carried a sense of hardship.
---
Upon returning, Ghislain immediately summoned Piote.
When Piote arrived, he hesitantly asked, “Uh... they aren’t looking for me at the church, are they?”
“Well, they were, but things have changed a bit.”
“What kind of change?”
“Here, take this first.”
Ghislain handed over a holy relic to Piote.
Piote tilted his head in confusion as he held the ring in his hand.
“What is this?”
“A ring. It’s called Juana’s Blessing.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s a holy relic from the Juana Church. I received it as a gift from Bishop Forisco.”
“Gah!”
Piote almost dropped the ring in shock. A low-ranking priest like him wasn’t even allowed to touch holy relics.
During his entire priestly training, he had only seen the relic vault once.
“Wh-why are you giving this to me? I shouldn’t be holding onto something like this.”
“No need to worry. It’s been approved. Just don’t tell anyone it’s a holy relic. Only Bishop Forisco knows.”
Not fully understanding, Piote tried to refuse multiple times, but Ghislain insisted.
“Don’t ever give it away or take it off. Always wear it. Got it?”
“Yes...”
Had Ghislain merely called it a gift, Piote might have given it away when he saw someone in need. But by clarifying it was a holy relic, Ghislain ensured Piote would treat it with utmost care.
Piote cautiously held the ring in his hand and then, looking at Ghislain with a bit of apprehension, asked, “What did you mean by ‘the situation has changed’? What did the church say?”
“Hmm.”
From his pocket, Ghislain took out a permanent placement document and handed it to Piote.
Reading the letter, Piote’s expression froze, and he quickly lowered his head. The letter made it seem as though the church had abandoned him.
The fact that they had even given him a holy relic felt like an unspoken pressure to remain here for life.
After observing him for a moment, Ghislain spoke slowly.
“If you want to return, you can. I’ll provide a safe escort.”
“What?”
Piote looked up in shock.
The “devil” standing before him had gone so far as to obtain a permanent placement document, seemingly binding him here forever.
But now, suddenly, he was saying Piote could return? And he would even provide an escort?
“Are you... joking?”
“No, I’m serious. I obtained the document so that you could freely make a choice. Only when you’re truly free can you make a real decision.”
“A... choice?”
“Yes. The choice of how you want to live your life is up to you.”
Ghislain was sincere. He had done the same for Gillian, had given Claude the option to leave, and had not forced Kaor and the mercenaries to become knights. Even for the dwarves and elves, he had promised them freedom in ten years.
As a former mercenary, Ghislain valued freedom above all else.
So he wanted Piote to make his own choice as well.
Even though he had initially kept him under the pretense of debt, Piote had already more than repaid that.
Those closest to him needed to stay willingly. With the adversaries Ghislain would face, only unwavering loyalty would suffice.
‘If Piote decides to leave, I’ll just have Bishop Forisco send more priests.’
It would be a pity, but Piote had his own life. If he wanted to leave, it was time to let him go.
The relic was a gift for all he had endured. A simple letter to Forisco would ensure silence on the matter.
Piote stayed quiet for a long time, looking down at the document as he questioned his heart.
“Is this... really the right time to leave?”
Every day, he had longed to return, feeling as though he would go mad from the hardships he faced.
Yet, as this long-awaited opportunity now lay before him, why did his heart feel so uneasy?
“If I leave... others will struggle even more.”
It was this thought that had kept him from leaving before. He knew exactly how essential he had become to this territory.
“But how long do I have to do this? I... I’ve already done more than enough.”
No other priest endured so much or helped as many people. Piote, raised in the church, knew this better than anyone.
But if he stayed out of sympathy or guilt, he would never escape.
Str
uggling to hold back his tears, Piote thought back to the verses he had read since he was young.
> “Helping those in hardship is the same as serving God.”
> “You shall be the least, serving all.”
> “And you shall forever walk the path of mercy, truth, and righteousness.”
Ah...
Images of the people he had met flashed through Piote’s mind.
The hungry, the sick, the despairing. When he had first arrived, the people of Cavaldi were all like that.
But now?
No one went hungry. The number of sick had dwindled. Smiles appeared on the faces of those who once struggled.
The lord of this land, his loyal followers, everyone was working together to change this land.
> Even if his actions were not solely for the people...
Piote saw Ghislain as someone who would use any means to achieve his goals—a man who defied simple definitions of good or evil.
But his actions were genuinely benefiting others. And to continue, they needed Piote’s strength.
“Ah... I didn’t even realize my own feelings.”
Finally, Piote understood his unease. Only now did he comprehend why he had felt so uncomfortable about leaving.
Taking a deep breath, Piote suddenly smiled and spoke.
“I feel at peace now.”
“Hmm?”
“I finally understand why I felt so unsettled.”
Ghislain tilted his head. Wasn’t it because he couldn’t go home?
Still smiling softly, Piote continued.
“I used to worry every day, wondering if the church would call me back. I thought my discomfort was just exhaustion. But seeing this, I realized my true feelings.”
“Your true... feelings?”
Piote nodded confidently.
“Yes. I want to stay here. I want to remain and help those who struggle. And in the future, I want to help even more people. This is the true will of the goddess and the reason she granted me divine power.”
“...”
Ghislain looked slightly taken aback.
Up until now, he had thought Piote was only staying out of kindness. But now, it seemed he genuinely wanted to stay and help.
He had met very few priests like this, even in his previous life. With some skepticism, Ghislain asked again.
“Are you sure? You know how difficult our territory is, with constant work. You’ve collapsed from nosebleeds before. Helping people isn’t easy.”
“For so long, I lived in the temple, unaware of the hardships people endure outside. Now, I want to help ease that suffering.”
“If you return, you could live a comfortable life, eating well in a clean place like other priests.”
Piote shook his head with a faint smile.
“I don’t want to live solely for the few noble families anymore. That’s not the goddess’s will.”
“You’re saying you’d rather live this way, even if it’s tough?”
It was hard to believe such words were coming from a priest. Claude would have kicked him for such madness.
But with his hands folded as if in prayer, Piote spoke with all his heart.
“Yes. I am with those in high places, yet I belong with those in the lowest.”
In that moment of newfound understanding, a gentle divine light began to radiate from Piote.
Some of his pink hair gradually turned to silver.
Ghislain was speechless. This was unlike anything he had seen from Forisco or any other priest he had encountered in his life.
Here, a true saint was being born.
