SOTBW - 135

The Romsoa Knights had more maids than other knight orders, so Gwyneth didn’t know the faces and names of all of them, but Amelia stood out with her striking beauty, and he had been aware of her presence from the start. Later, he remembered her name more clearly because of Najane...

Gwyneth was puzzled as to why a maid from Romsoa was training here, and his eyes briefly flicked to the sword Amelia was gripping.

A soft light surrounded the sword before disappearing. Wondering if he had seen it wrong, he kept watching closely, and the light flickered again. Amelia’s light, like a flame barely clinging to the wick of a candle, flickered on and off.

Gwyneth squinted and focused on the light. The soft glow that always flowed gently when Najane held a sword was not a sparkle originating from Najane, but rather, it seemed like the sword itself was glowing. It was as though the sword had a will of its own, following Najane.

But Amelia was different. The rough practice sword was reflecting light, sparkling like sunlight scattering on a lake. That light, resembling the divine power of a holy wielder, was Amelia’s own power.

Some priests may never manifest divine power despite their training, while some are born with it. The latter is extremely rare, but it’s not unheard of, so Gwyneth stared at Amelia, dumbfounded.

It was truly baffling. If Amelia had been born with divine power, everything she touched would have left a faint trace of it, even if it was just a little.

A person who gains divine power through training wouldn’t know how to control it at first. They would scatter sacred energy here and there, like a few drops of water spilling, but Amelia had none of that.

It was odd that the light appeared and disappeared, even more peculiar that divine power had suddenly manifested, and even harder to understand was why a maid from Romsoa was training in the Recheo Knights...

Scratching his forehead, Gwyneth approached a knight from the Recheo Knights.

“Why is Amelia here?”

The knight, recognizing Gwyneth, greeted him respectfully and answered the question.

“There was a royal order to select several women from the kingdom and train them as soldiers.”

“It’s not a problem to draft women as soldiers...”

“Yes, it’s not exactly an appropriate time.”

“Hmm, it does seem so. Both structurally and financially.”

“The commanders don’t care too much about it. It’s just a way to show that they are earnestly fulfilling the royal command.”

“I’d like to speak with her, but would it be alright? I know she’s training, but I feel it would be hard to talk to her at another time.”

“Of course, it’s fine. Please wait a moment.”

The knight called for Amelia. Despite the winter cold, Amelia was training hard enough to sweat. Gwyneth watched her with admiration, pleased by her determination.

Amelia, who rushed over, placed her practice sword down and greeted Gwyneth politely.

“Hello, sir. I heard you were looking for me.”

“Oh, you know who I am.”

“I’ve seen you a few times at the Romsoa Knights’ quarters, so I remember your face.”

Gwyneth was quietly surprised by Amelia’s tone. To hear such polite and refined speech in a place like this, where even Maximón and Daniel, who were of noble birth, hadn’t used such formal language—it was impressive. Gwyneth smiled softly in admiration.

“I called you because I was curious about why a maid from Romsoa is here. I heard you’ve been drafted as a soldier?”

“Yes. But for now, I haven’t had the chance to go into the field, so I’m still balancing my duties as a maid with my training as a soldier.”

“Isn’t it scary?”

“It is, but... that’s the same for everyone else. Being scared only lowers morale.”

“Huh, you really do have the spirit of a soldier.”

At Gwyneth’s words, Amelia blushed slightly. Her hands, gripping the practice sword, looked worn and torn, showing the effort she’d put in. While Gwyneth admired her dedication, he also felt concerned, as it seemed like she was heading down an unconventional path.

If he hadn’t met Amelia today, he wouldn’t have known that she was born with divine power. Reluctantly, Gwyneth, careful not to undermine her effort, cautiously brought up another topic.

“I feel bad bringing this up since you seem determined, but... have you ever thought about becoming a priestess instead?”

“A priestess?”

Amelia flinched.

Previously, Belshua had made a similar suggestion, but since Amelia was far from a person of purity, simplicity, and sacrifice, she had dismissed it as nonsense and completely forgotten about it. But now, when Gwyneth made the same offer, she was visibly flustered, wondering what was going on.

“I think it would suit you well,” Gwyneth said seriously.

Amelia waved her hand in embarrassment.

“I really appreciate the offer, but... I need to make a lot of money due to personal circumstances.”

“Ah, I see. It’s because of debt.”

Gwyneth was aware of Amelia’s situation to some extent. This was the decisive reason why Najane had returned to Maximón after leaving Romsoa. If he casually asked some of the maids from Romsoa, they would all talk openly about how Amelia was deeply in debt because of her family. For a maid with no special talents, repaying two thousand Lelang was nearly impossible.

Amelia wasn’t a medic, nor a specially selected soldier, so if she didn’t make any mistakes in the field, she could earn a bit more than her maid salary. But that would only be the case if Amelia survived in the field.

It would be a great waste to send a divinely gifted person like Amelia into the field. It would be much more productive to make her a priestess to produce holy water. If Gwyneth just helped a little behind the scenes, she could make a fortune from that holy water. It was clear which option was better for Amelia...

Gwyneth glanced at Amelia. Amelia looked tense, as if she feared the Archbishop might force her into the priesthood. The way she gripped her practice sword was more desperate and solemn than anyone else’s.

Gwyneth had no intention of using any pressure to make Amelia a priestess. However, seeing Amelia nervously glance at him, as if trying to read his intentions, he couldn’t help but want to know what was on her mind as she held the sword.

“What if I could pay off your debt?” Gwyneth asked.

“…What?”

“Hm, I could pay it off right now, up to ten Lelang. As a holy wielder, it’s possible for someone like me to increase my wealth just by selling high-quality holy water, so that amount of money is nothing to me. The only reason I don’t make money from holy water is because I must remain pure as a priestess.”

Ten Lelang?

Amelia’s eyes nearly popped out, and she quickly composed herself, but her hands were trembling slightly in shock.

She had been trying to fight as a soldier to avoid burdening Najane. Maximón had been slowly paying off the interest on Amelia’s debt for Najane’s sake. She had to make money somehow to escape this situation.

But ten Lelang? That was a sum she had never even imagined.

“…Ah, this is... too sudden. I need to think about it...”

“I understand. It’s a difficult decision. I’ll come back in five days to hear your answer. Five days should be enough time for you to decide, don’t you think?”

Gwyneth said kindly. Amelia, about to thank him, clenched her sword tightly and lowered her gaze.

She had seen Gwyneth a few times at the Romsoa Knights’ quarters, but they had only exchanged brief glances. Now, why was Gwyneth offering her such kindness? Gwyneth treated everyone equally, but he wasn’t the type to be excessively kind to anyone.

“Could it be... because I’m Najane’s friend?” Amelia asked in a somber voice.

Gwyneth blinked at the unexpected name.

“Najane?”

Why was his name coming up here?

Gwyneth’s eyes narrowed when the name popped up out of nowhere. Amelia, who had mentioned Najane, looked rather downcast, as if she felt she was benefiting from Najane’s goodwill because she was lacking in some way.

Gwyneth, pondering how Amelia ended up volunteering to become a soldier, recalled how Maximón had kept Najane with the Romsoa Knights under the pretext of paying off Amelia’s debts.

Gwyneth didn’t know exactly how Maximón felt about Amelia. But if it was Maximón, he would certainly have made Amelia take up a sword, using Najane as an excuse.

“Amelia, did you volunteer to become a soldier for Najane? Or... did someone encourage you to take up a sword for him?” Gwyneth asked with some doubt.

Amelia was about to deny it but fell silent, as if she didn’t want to lie even to the Archbishop.

Amelia fell silent with a troubled expression, and Gwyneth rubbed his forehead.

“...Amelia.”

Gwyneth, deeply impressed by the fact that Amelia had been pushed to come this far by Maximón, sincerely felt pity for her.

“Our lives are always a series of choices. Just like how you ended up at the Noctis Fortress and became a maid in the Romsoa Knights, it’s just another way of choosing your destiny. It would be great if you could always pick what you want, shine brightly, and enjoy every moment of your life, but unfortunately, such people are rare. In these times, almost no one lives like that. Even someone like me, standing before you, hasn’t been able to live that kind of life.”

“…Is life difficult for even a holy wielder?”

“Of course. I didn’t want to be a holy wielder, nor did I want the priesthood. But there was no better choice, so I became a priest. That’s why I understand why you’re training in the Recheo Knights. Life is about choosing between the worst and the lesser evil.”

Amelia was a little surprised by those words. Gwyneth, as a holy wielder, a bishop who was considered a candidate for the Pope, and the only person in the world who could create holy swords, was highly respected by many.

Amelia didn’t know what to say and avoided his gaze, but the sincerity of Gwyneth’s words gave her an unexpected sense of comfort. The fact that such a great person also had to do something reluctantly was a great consolation for Amelia, who had always been forced to make the worst choices in life.

However, feeling embarrassed to show her comfort, Amelia awkwardly smiled and rubbed the back of her neck. Gwyneth gently adjusted the rough edges of her outerwear.

“If taking up the sword and fighting is your choice, I will gladly respect it. But if you’re hesitating and only then taking up the sword, think about my offer as well. If you’re lucky, you might discover a new potential within you.”

Gwyneth patted Amelia on the back and motioned toward the group of young soldiers.

“I’m sorry for keeping you for so long while they’re training. You can go back to your spot now.”

He had wasted too much time talking.

Gwyneth also needed to meet with Taylor and then return to researching his rituals. Amelia nodded to Gwyneth and turned her back. However, just as she was about to run over to the group of young soldiers, she paused and turned back to Gwyneth.

“…You’re the second one.”

The wind blew, scattering Amelia’s voice.

Amelia gathered her strength and said again.

“The person who suggested I become a priest... you’re the second one.”

“Who said that to you before?”

“Lord Chernon.”

If it was Chernon, then it was Belshua.

Hearing Mahilen’s name, Gwyneth’s eyes widened.

“…Belshua told you that?”

Instead of answering, Amelia nodded forcefully, then ran toward the young soldiers, pretending as if she had no lingering thoughts. Gwyneth watched absently as Amelia’s scarf, which had been wrapped around her neck, was blown by the wind and unraveled.

Mahilen had said he would follow the fate that Sillin had woven, not interfering with anything. Even if a terrible tragedy occurred in front of him, if it was the natural order, he had to quietly follow it in order to save the world. But for Mahilen, who followed such a belief, to suggest the priesthood to Amelia...

Standing there dazed, as if lost, Gwyneth shivered from the cold wind and hunched his shoulders.

“That dark-hearted bastard.”

Gwyneth chuckled maliciously, cursing Mahilen as he walked away from the training grounds.