Zester’s mind replayed the events from two days ago.
When, just two days earlier, he had snuck into the headquarters of the pagan faith, the ‘Remiel Church,’ which was being persecuted in the capital.
The underground hideout of the Remiel Church was operated with impressive precision. Roughly twenty separate entrances were each connected to shops and private homes run by believers, and those who gathered for meetings entered and exited through them at staggered times.
The dangerously reckless visit to the pagans’ gathering ended without any incident. He even came away with a bottle of perfumed medicinal oil, given as a gift from the shop owner to welcome a new believer.
The moment they safely left the place, Zester almost told Cassia, ‘Let’s pretend we didn’t hear anything.’ But he held back. Because her answer was already obvious. Considering who had dragged them there in the first place and what her personality was like, the result was clear, she would definitely scold him as a foolish coward.
However, contrary to what he expected, Cassia didn’t bring it up first. Not then and not even today, the very day that the man called ‘the Sun’ planned to rescue the missing people.
Early in the morning, in the first-floor dining hall of the inn, Cassia was busy as always, discussing business with James.
Zester, who had been staring blankly at her untouched plate, absentmindedly picked up a sausage from his own plate and pushed it into his mouth. Juices burst as he chewed, but for some reason he couldn’t taste anything. At this moment, he was thinking more than he ever had in his twenty-five years of life.
“Hey! Innkeeper! How many minutes has it been since I ordered?! Where is my food?! What are you doing just standing there?!”
At that moment, a man seated at a table behind Cassia shouted toward the kitchen. The moment he spoke, Pia’s mother, who had been standing in the kitchen looking dazed, flinched and bowed her head with an apologetic smile.
“I’m sorry. I’ll bring it out right away.”
Zester watched Cassia, who had been busy chatting with James, turn her gaze to Pia’s mother, who was now busy moving about. He quietly swallowed a sigh.
“What’s gotten into her lately? She was like that yesterday too. Tsk.”
“Excuse me.”
Cassia turned slightly and called out the man.
“Y–Yes?”
There was hardly anyone staying at the ‘Carrot Inn’ who did not know of the beautiful silver-haired noblewoman. Though she came from a nameless territory too obscure to clearly call her an aristocrat, her unreal beauty alone had made her the talk of the capital.
When the noblewoman whom he had never expected to exchange words with suddenly called him, the man flinched and his cheeks flushed red.
“It has been fifteen minutes since you ordered your food.”
“A–Ah… Well, they usually serve pretty fast here, you know. That’s why I, uh… come often…”
“Right. I’m sure you have your busy matters, but please try to be a little patient. I don’t know the details, but it seems the owners here have something weighing on their minds lately. Just because you pay does not mean you have purchased the right to mistreat those who receive that money. You don’t plan on coming here only once, do you? Don’t you come back each time because you like the food?”
“T-That’s right.”
“Then try to be a little more understanding.”
“Ahem. Ah, yes… Um, Innkeeper, actually, I’m not that busy! Take your time!”
As the man shouted toward the kitchen with a flushed face, Pia’s mother peeked out, looking bewildered. Cassia smiled in satisfaction, and the man covered his mouth and cleared his throat awkwardly.
Zester quietly studied Cassia’s face.
If angels truly existed, then surely one of them was his wife. Setting aside her beautiful appearance, there was her kindness and benevolence, which were something no haughty noble could ever pretend to possess.
If someone heard his thoughts right now, they might get goosebumps, but he wasn’t calling her an angel just to praise his wife. He simply believed that if there were such a thing as an incarnation of an angel, it would be closest to his wife. Even if Cassia were not his wife.
Then what advice would those winged angels who served God give upon hearing Zester’s worries?
The one who appeared to be the leader of the pagan believers had devised a plan to rescue the missing who were said to be held captive by the Vatican and had asked his followers for help. Of course, Zester was not a pagan believer, so he had neither reason nor obligation to answer that request.
However, the situation was directly tied to his own conscience. If what the Vatican was doing was true, it was a clear injustice, and turning a blind eye weighed heavily on his heart.
It would have been different if he knew nothing. But he had overheard everything: the hidden face of the Vatican and even the plan to rescue the victims.
Yet with the Vatican using its authority to suppress pagans and even covering up the disappearance cases, it was hard for him to step forward self-righteously and say he couldn’t stand for injustice.
According to the man called Sun, even if they managed to save the missing people, those people couldn’t reveal the truth of the Vatican’s corruption if they wanted to survive. That meant that even if he intervened, the problem wasn’t going to end. To uproot this issue entire, the wrongs of the Vatican would have to be exposed to the world but even that Sun fellow didn’t have the means to do it and neither did Zester.
His conscience urged him to act, but the outcome was obvious. The Vatican’s acts would continue, and if he was unlucky, he might be branded a pagan and dragged into trouble. In short, nothing about this benefited him or Cassia.
Cassia surely knew that too, which is why she had kept quiet. But knowing her, she was definitely worrying in her heart for Pia, the innkeeper’s daughter and for the missing victims.
He had never met an angel, but that is exactly what you expect of one. An angel wouldn’t say, ‘You’ll only suffer for this, so just close your eyes and ignore it.’
“Haah…”
There were only about half a day left until the pagans’ rescue plan for the missing began. Though he had agonized over it for two days, no answer had come, and time continued to pass.
After letting out several deep sighs, Zester pushed away his half-eaten plate and trudged upstairs to their room. Cassia’s worried gaze followed behind him.
* * *
When Zester lay stretched out in the room upstairs, heaving heavy sighs, the door quietly opened. Startled by the unexpected presence, he shot upright. It was Cassia.
“Have you finished eating already? I barely saw you touch your food earlier.”
“I don’t have any appetite.”
“…Why?”
Zester nervously asked and inwardly, he was ready to hear her say it was because she was worried about Pia or something along those lines.
“I’m worried about you.”
“…Huh?”
However, Cassia’s words were unexpected. She sat beside him carefully, tilting her head as he stared at her blankly.
“Is something bothering you?”
“No…”
“You’re lying.”
“Mn, don’t you know what’s bothering me?”
“Why don’t you tell me?”
“Just be frank. You want me to help those pagans and rescue the missing people, don’t you?”
If the words ‘Let’s help them’ left Cassia’s lips, Zester would move without looking back. That was precisely why he was afraid of her speaking first.
But he was tired of being torn between conscience and reality, and he could no longer endure trying to predict her reaction. Asking outright made him feel strangely relieved. The tension that gripped his body slowly faded away.
“No, that’s not what I want.”
“What? It’s not?”
“To be precise, it’s neither that I want it nor that I don’t.”
“Why are you being so vague… I’m too dumb to understand unless you say it clearly.”
“I do think the people taken by the Vatican are pitiful. So I want them rescued. But it’s sad that doing so might demand someone else’s sacrifice. If you go in there, you might get hurt or killed fighting the Orobas Knights. You might even get arrested as a pagan.”
“…”
“If it were anyone else, I’d still worry. But since it’s my husband taking on that danger, of course I’d want to stop you.”
Zester blinked blankly.
Cassia had not been silently urging him to act. She, too, had simply had many thoughts and was choosing her words carefully.
“Then… what do you want me to do?”
“I don’t care what you decide. If you choose to help, things will certainly go more smoothly. But even if you don’t, they’re going to try rescuing the missing people anyway. If they’re lucky, they’ll succeed, and Pia might come back. If I’m speaking coldly, for your sake alone, there’s no need for you to get involved. Even if my heart wishes you would help, I have no right to force you.”
Cassia spoke calmly.
Her words certainly made him feel lighter. Even if you turn away, I won’t blame you. Do as your heart decides.
“So stop making that miserable face and sighing like the world is ending. All right?”
She smiled gently as she stroked his cheek.
Holding onto that soothing warmth, Zester gave a small nod.
* * *
Capital Outskirts, Lezebu Street.
At the private residence of Baron Josh Milton, members of the Remiel Cult gathered to participate in the plan to recapture the missing persons imprisoned in the Lezebu Church.
Ten or so believers, with their faces hidden, held shovels, axes, and other makeshift weapons.
It was a pitifully small number.
Standing among them, the head of the Remiel Church, ‘the Sun,’ Prince Eagle Simone, quietly swallowed a sigh.
Ordinary believers had no combat strength to challenge Knights of Orobas. Their presence was only meant to bolster numbers, but even that was difficult to expect.
Still, it was blessing in disguise that the Vatican could not assign too many knights to guard the site where the missing people were held.
‘Right. I should be grateful for even this much.’
Ten believers, five private soldiers belonging to Baron Milton’s household, and ten reliable elite soldiers under Eagle’s own command.
During the first two rescue attempts, many more believers had volunteered, which was the only reason they had succeeded. But casualties were high, and several whose faces had been seen were later captured by Orobas Knights and imprisoned in the imperial dungeon. It was only natural that the number of volunteers dwindled with each repeated rescue attempt.
After being invaded twice, the Vatican would have strengthened its defenses. There was no guarantee that they could rescue the missing this time.
It might go down as their first failure.
Or perhaps the worst-case scenario would unfold, and Eagle himself would end up being captured and his identity exposed.
However, he had no intention of giving up.
If he were the sort to be discouraged so easily, he would never dared to rebel against evil in the first place.
“Thank you for coming. No words can express my gratitude enough.”
The believers looked at Eagle with faces filled with resolve. Though they had never once seen the face of their head behind the mask, their loyalty to him ran deeper than their loyalty to the Emperor
“If you stand here today, you may be injured, or even die. I feel heavy drawing you into such danger. If any of you feel uneasy even now, you may turn back. I will never blame you.”
Eagle’s final offer of considerations was met with a resolute response from the believers. His face behind the mask smiled bitterly.
“My lord, it seems more believers are arriving.”
At that moment, one of the imperial elite soldiers guarding Eagle’s side spoke with a excited voice.
Indeed, a large group which was unlikely to visit this old residence on the deserted outskirts was approaching.
Eagle was surprised.
They were an unknown group of individuals, all with sturdy builds.
At a glance, they seemed like an elite force specializing in mercenary work. They were fully armed, with their faces covered by helmets, light iron armor, and properly serviced weapons.
TL’s Corner:
If you missed my previous notice about my hiatus, please check it out. Thank you for reading with me so far.
- Honey, I’m Going on Strike – Chapter 84 - June 27, 2026
- Honey, I’m Going on Strike – Chapter 83 - June 27, 2026
- Update on Hiatus - June 1, 2026