T/N: I’ve been flip-flopping between pagan and heretic. They’re essentially the same thing in the book’s context but I think I’m going to stick with pagan moving forward.
“What are you saying? Pia’s gone missing?”
Cassia’s question was barely out before the innkeeper couple entered with worried faces.
“L-Lord Baron. By any chance, did our Pia also…”
Seeing that Cassia had returned, Pia’s mother asked Zester, but when Zester shook his head, she stamped her foot in despair.
“What’s going on? Did Pia leave without telling anyone?” Cassia quickly asked.
“Yes, my lady. We sent her to do some grocery shopping this afternoon, but there has been no news from her until now. She isn’t the kind of child to be this late without a word.”
Pia’s father answered Cassia’s question with worry on his face.
“These days, they’ve been arresting and investigating anyone suspected of being pagan believers, so I just came back from checking with the Vatican to see if she was taken for investigation, but it seems she wasn’t taken there. I’d rather she was there.”
“…Pagans?”
Searching her memory, Cassia’s brow furrowed slightly.
Imperial Year 527. In other words, the year the ‘Pagan War’ broke out in the capital when she was pregnant with her second child, Lucy.
As the Remiel faith, which opposed the state religion of Orobas, grew more widespread, conflicts became more frequent in the capital. Eventually, the deepened conflict exploded into a massive battle bearing the enormous name of ‘War.’
Almost all citizens of the Simone Empire believe in the Orobas faith from birth. The believers of the Remiel faith, who were said to be pagans, were truly just a handful. No matter how much their forces, slightly concentrated in the capital, struggled, it was a meaningless fight.
Naturally, the Remiel faith, which opposed Orobas, sank, and after the suppression of the coup, which was embarrassing to even call a war, the pagan believers faced massive burnings at the stake.
And among them…
‘Was the Second Prince too, I think.’
Except for the fact that a member of the imperial family was in the central force of the pagans, the ‘Pagan War’ that happened in the capital didn’t leave much of an impression on Cassia. She had been stuck in a poor, small territory, too busy making a living to have time to be interested in capital affairs.
Actually, Cassia didn’t know the details of when the Remiel faith started to flourish in the capital or how much the Imperial Family oppressed them until the war broke out. That was because the concept of ‘pagan belief,’ other than Orobas faith, wasn’t well-defined for her either. To her, those who caused the Pagan War were just a coup group causing trouble in the capital because they believed in some other religion.
Simone Empire citizens were taught to believe in Orobas from birth, and Cassia was the same. Although not fanatically religious, she sought God and offered prayers when things were tough, and that ‘God’ referred to the main god Orobas, whom the empire had served since its founding.
She had no interest in other religions, and even before her return in time, she didn’t know anything specific other than the Pagan War, but if they were participating in criminal acts, it was a serious problem.
“Don’t tell me the disappearance of young people in the capital is the work of pagans?”
“No, we’ve only heard rumors but there’s been no proof of it. Since Pope Victor X took up the title, the number of pagan believers has increased, and that’s exactly when young people started disappearing from the capital.”
“Have any of those who disappeared returned?”
“I’ve heard that a few have, but it’s just a rumor, and no one knows for certain. As far as we know, no one has…”
Pia’s father swallowed hard and shook his head. At this despairing conversation, Pia’s mother burst into tears and collapsed into her husband’s arms.
Cassia supported the mother with a worried look.
“Come now. Nothing is certain yet. Don’t worry too much. There must be some reason. She will be back soon. I will gladly help search for her.”
Cassia, who had already dismissed the mercenaries, looked back at Zester with an awkward expression. As soon as he nodded, Ashram, who had been listening, spoke .
“I’ll take the men back out to look, Madam. Don’t worry.”
“Ah, thank you. You must be tired from following me around all day.”
“Huh? Not at all. On the contrary, I got a delicious dinner and gifts so I’ve been spoiled. It’s time I earned my keep. Don’t worry and please rest, Madam.”
Ashram went up to call the dismissed mercenaries, and Cassia began to think deeply.
‘Kidnappings that are possibly carried out by pagans? I’m sure there’s less than a handful of their followers, so why hasn’t the Imperial Family properly investigated these disappearances yet? Surely reports must have been filed?’
The thought of Pia’s bright, innocent smile made her head ache.
As if sensing Cassia’s worries, Zester put his arm around her shoulder and pointed to the boy, Remiel, who was sitting at the back of the room.
“That boy is suspicious. He might be related to the pagans. He was following me and almost got taken by the knights. But wife, I’d prefer if you don’t get involved in this matter if possible. It’s too sensitive of an issue…”
Cassia simply filtered out the necessary content from Zester’s rambling, ignored him and went to sit next to the boy.
“Hey, I hear you followed my husband? Why is that?”
Remiel put down the spoon he was using to scoop his soup and shrugged.
“Just because. I heard he was a noble from outside the capital, so I was curious.”
“Don’t lie, you brat. You even knew Cassia’s name!”
Zester slammed his hands on the table and shouted.
“How could I not know? Rumors have spread to the inn next door, and the one next to that, and the one next to that one, that a beautiful and kind Baroness is staying at the Carrot Inn.”
Remiel retorted nonchalantly and picked up the spoon he had put down again. Unlike his relaxed attitude, Zester fumed as if somewhat aggrieved.
“Why were the Orobas knights chasing you? Aren’t you going to tell us the truth? If you’re not a pagan, why did they try to arrest you?”
At Zester’s agitated question, Cassia looked at Remiel in surprise. The boy put down the spoon he had been diligently using and sighed.
“How many times do I have to tell you? They just tried to arrest me for no reason.”
“That makes no sense…”
“Wait.”
Cassia raised hand to silence Zester, then turned completely toward Remiel.
“It was the Orobas Knights? The knights under the Vatican? Not the Imperial Knights responsible for public order?”
“Yes. They are the ones who arrest pagan believers in the capital. Those arrested on suspicion of being pagans are investigated and released if innocent, but if not, they are taken to the Imperial Palace for trial.”
“Usually, what kind of people do they arrest? Surely, they don’t just arrest anyone they see randomly, right?”
“Did you happen to see the protest on the street?”
At Remiel’s words, a memory flashed through Cassia’s mind like lightning.
It was something that happened outside the restaurant while they were having dinner. In the middle of the street heated with the festival atmosphere, she had spotted some groups holding thick pickets and shouting something noisily. Although she had passed by without thinking much of it—.
‘It seems pagan believers are even openly protesting.’
She didn’t know exactly what those pagans wanted or what great doctrine they shouted even while being oppressed, but considering it was a religion that was submerged after leaving behind a historical coup worthy of the name ‘War,’ she thought there must be something.
‘Since even the Second Prince, a member of the imperial family, fell into that religion…’
It would have been better if she had paid a little more attention in the life before her time reversal. Even after returning ten years, Cassia was frustrated because this was an area where she lacked significant information.
“But why did the knights of the Vatican try to take you away? Did you participate in the protest by any chance?”
“I have no idea. I’m curious about that too. I’m also curious why suspects in the disappearance cases are pointed out as pagan believers without any proof. Don’t you think it’s strange, Madam?”
Remiel’s expression as he asked, tilting his head, was somehow creepy. It didn’t look like that of a child. As Cassia flinched and pulled back, Remiel suddenly thrust his face forward as if to scare her even more.
“Right now, in this empire’s capital, the only ones with the authority to take civilians without special procedures are the Orobas Knights. They say pagans are abducting people, but no matter how many captured pagans they interrogate day and night, they can’t find a trace of the missing people. Even with how ominous this situation is, unless you are a capital resident, you don’t really know about the disappearances. Despite all of it, a festival is being held and the truth is, even if someone right next to you gets taken and harmed, you wouldn’t notice. Even I…”
Remiel, who had been muttering with his eyes wide like a madman, suddenly returned to the innocent expression of a boy his age.
“If Uncle hadn’t appeared just in time, I might have been taken away! Hehe, thank you!”
“Don’t act friendly calling me Uncle, Uncle. I’ve told you repeatedly, I have no intention of getting entangled with a suspicious kid like you. Bringing you here was just in case my wife went missing…”
Zester was chattering but her ears felt muffled. Cassia felt like her ears were going numb because she was so shocked.
What did she just hear from this child’s mouth?
Cassia stared intently at the back of Remiel’s head, who had buried his face back into the soup bowl and was eating calmly as if nothing had happened, then quietly looked around.
James and Clara seemed to have gone up to their rooms, and Ashram, preparing to head out again with the mercenaries, looked busy and wasn’t paying attention here. The innkeeper couple must have gone into the kitchen attached to the dining area, as occasional sobbing sounds leaked out.
Fortunately, it seemed no one had paid attention to what this boy, Remiel, just said. Except for herself and Zester.
Cassia looked up at Zester standing next to her and quietly put her index finger to her lips. He seemed puzzled, but without any particular reaction, he just shut his mouth as instructed.
The surroundings became quite silent, good for being lost in thought. Cassia blinked slowly and organized her thoughts step by step.
The only ones who can take civilians without special procedures, in other words, the only ones capable of legal kidnapping, are the Orobas Knights.
No matter how much they interrogate the pagan believers pointed out as suspects in the disappearance cases, no one can find a single trace of the missing people.
The pagans were in no way a massive organization moving hierarchically and tightly, so how could they openly kidnap a large number of people, confine them, and hide them so that not even a trail could be found?
In summary, Remiel was saying…
‘The Vatican is kidnapping people. And this child knows something.’
She felt like she had just learned something she shouldn’t have known. Her heart was pounding, but Cassia suppressed it and quietly lowered her voice to ask,
Her heart pounded. She forced herself calm, voice soft.
“Child, you are a pagan, aren’t you?”
- Honey, I’m Going on Strike – Chapter 82 - February 26, 2026
- Honey, I’m Going on Strike – Chapter 81 - February 26, 2026
- Honey, I’m Going on Strike – Chapter 80 - February 26, 2026