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Chapter 235: To Federica’s Sanctuary. (2)
Liltara and the Holy Knights had their illusions shattered.
It wasn’t that they were leading Ketal to the sanctuary; rather, Ketal was accompanying them.
From now on, they had to do whatever it took to keep Ketal from leaving.
This was something the Holy Knights could hardly accept.
“To think we must do such a humiliating thing...”
It was a grave disgrace for a devout follower of the great Federica to act like a jester for someone else's amusement.
Liltara bit her lip.
‘We have no choice.’
They couldn’t handle Ketal by force.
Just the thought of him sighing in irritation made their hearts want to stop.
They had to keep Ketal pleased somehow so he wouldn’t leave.
“I’ll do it. You all don’t need to worry.”
“Lady Liltara?”
“Are you sure?”
“This is something I must do.”
She was their leader.
It was the leader’s role to step up in times like this.
Liltara decided to sacrifice herself.
The Holy Knights spoke in awe.
“Oh, Lady Liltara...”
“Lady Federica will be watching over you...”
They praised Liltara’s sacrifice.
Meanwhile, Ketal was listening to their conversation with an amused expression.
Liltara walked beside Ketal, her mind in turmoil.
She had to keep Ketal entertained somehow.
But there was a major problem.
‘W-what should I do to entertain him?’
She had lived a life of deprivation.
She didn’t really know what it meant to be entertained, let alone how to entertain someone else.
In the end, all she could do was awkwardly try to read his mood.
Even when Ketal asked her something, she could only respond with brief answers, having no experience with normal conversation.
Ketal’s expression slowly cooled.
“You’re boring.”
The moment she heard those words, Liltara’s heart sank.
“W-well...”
She tried to open her mouth to say something, but no words came out.
Her anxiety was obvious.
Ketal clicked his tongue and asked,
“Do you have anything on you?”
“Just a moment.”
Liltara hurriedly opened her pouch.
As she pulled out its contents, Ketal’s expression grew more disinterested.
“You really don’t have much, do you?”
All she had were a small water pouch and some dried jerky.
It was frugal to the point of poverty, almost pitiable.
As Ketal’s interest waned, Liltara pulled out one more item from her pouch.
“What’s that?”
“It’s a book containing the teachings of Lady Federica.”
It was a book of doctrine that she had specifically brought to read during the long journey.
Hearing this, Ketal’s expression changed.
“Oh?”
A book containing the teachings of a god.
Now, this piqued his interest.
Ketal asked,
“May I read it?”
“...What?”
Liltara’s face turned pale at the question.
‘Is he planning to defile the sacred book?’
She could only think of one reason why Ketal would want the book.
She wanted to refuse, but she was certain he would leave if she did.
“A-all right...”
In the end, Liltara reluctantly handed over the sacred book with tears in her eyes.
‘Lady Federica, please forgive me.’
“Oh, thank you.”
Ketal smiled and opened the book.
From that point on, Ketal continued reading the book during breaks, meals, or just before sleeping.
At first, Liltara watched with a worried expression, but soon, she became surprised.
“Huh?”
Ketal wasn’t defiling the book.
Far from it, he was reading it with great seriousness, focusing on each passage and occasionally asking her questions when he didn’t understand something.
‘What is this?’
She had never imagined that the sinner of prophecy would seriously read a book of sacred teachings.
But for her, it was a stroke of luck.
Liltara answered Ketal’s questions with sincere dedication.
“Hmmm.”
After grasping the general content, Ketal closed the book.
It was just as he had heard.
An obsession with a state of deprivation.
That was the god of hunger, Federica.
Naturally, her followers also pursued a state of deprivation.
To Ketal, this was puzzling.
‘How can a group with such a philosophy even exist?’
A group that desires a state of deprivation—such a concept was a contradiction.
To Ketal, it was an impossibility.
"I have a question."
"Y-yes. What is it?"
"You are a follower of Federica. Do all members of your order desire deprivation and hunger? Even the leaders of your order?"
"Of course. We are followers of Lady Federica. We believe in and follow her values."
There wasn't a hint of doubt on Liltara's face.
"Is that so?"
But Ketal wore a peculiar expression.
He asked to confirm,
"When did you last eat your fill?"
He asked this to gauge how much they maintained their deprivation values.
"There's a flaw in that question. I don’t know what it means to be full."
"...What?"
Ketal’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected answer.
"What do you mean?"
"Abundance is luxury, and satisfaction is a sin. I’ve never experienced such a state."
Liltara said this proudly, as if it were something to boast about.
Ketal frowned.
"...You’ve never been full, not even once?"
"No. I grew up in the sanctuary. I’ve always followed the great Lady Federica’s rules. It’s not just me. All the Holy Knights with me are the same."
"..."
Ketal quietly observed Liltara and the Holy Knights.
Their frames were extremely slight.
Though generally smaller than the Barbarians of Earth or the White Snow Plains, these people were particularly undersized.
It was as if they had been malnourished from a young age.
When he first saw them, he had found it odd, but had merely thought they were small in stature.
However, if what Liltara said was true...
Ketal thought back to the food they had eaten on the journey so far.
Foul-smelling water.
Rancid, dried jerky.
That was all they had.
Ketal frowned and asked,
"Then, have you ever eaten a proper meal?"
"No, I haven’t."
"...Did you ever play games as a child?"
"I didn’t."
Ketal then asked several other questions.
Had she ever bathed properly?
Had she ever slept peacefully?
What kind of bed did she have?
Liltara answered each one.
"No."
"No, I sleep in short intervals, waking up every two hours."
"A bed? What’s that? I sleep on the floor."
Anyone else would think this was abuse.
Ketal had to suppress a laugh that was trying to escape.
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But Liltara looked immensely proud.
"I am diligently following Lady Federica’s will. In that regard, I am second to none."
"...Is that so."
In the end, Ketal could only respond that way.
That night, Ketal called for Liltara.
'W-what does he want now?'
Liltara's anxiety was written all over her face.
"It’s nothing serious. I’m just curious about something."
"Please, ask away..."
Ketal asked Liltara about Federica's teachings, the conditions within the sanctuary, and the direction and purpose of the order.
Liltara, puzzled by how specific his questions were, answered them.
After hearing her responses, Ketal stroked his chin.
"I see."
He fell silent.
Liltara watched him with a worried expression.
‘Why does he want to know all this?’
No matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t understand why Ketal would be curious about the teachings.
After thinking it over for a moment, Liltara’s eyes widened.
'Could it be...?'
Could this sinner have realized the greatness of Lady Federica?
Was he planning to convert and become a follower of hers?
For a brief moment, the thought crossed her mind.
Her eyes filled with newfound affection for Ketal.
But that illusion was quickly shattered.
"Do you really believe in Federica and follow her will?"
* * *
"...What do you mean by that!"
Liltara, who had been momentarily stunned, jumped to her feet and shouted, her face full of anger.
How dare he question her faith!
Even though she was supposed to keep Ketal entertained, this was an insult she couldn’t tolerate.
But Ketal, unfazed, spoke indifferently.
"No. I can't help but think this way. Federica's teachings are about belief in a state of deprivation. But deprivation is something that can only be spoken of by those who know what satisfaction is."
Liltara had said she didn’t know what it meant to be full.
She hadn’t played, appropriately bathed, or slept peacefully.
How could someone who had never been fulfilled understand deprivation?
"You believe you are following Federica's will, but in reality, you're not. In fact, you're distorting her values more than anyone else."
"What nonsense is this!"
"Then refute me. Do you know what it means to be full?"
"......"
Liltara was at a loss for words.
Ketal laughed.
"You don't know what it means to be full, you don't know what satisfaction is, so how can you claim to understand deprivation? Are you truly living by Federica's values? It seems I'm upholding them better than you are."
"Stop talking nonsense. I don't want to discuss this any further."
Liltara tried to end the conversation, but Ketal had no intention of stopping.
"You are denying Federica's values. You claim to understand deprivation without knowing satisfaction. So, let me bring you closer to Federica."
"What?"
"I will teach you what satisfaction is."
Ketal smiled.
"If you still seek deprivation after knowing satisfaction, then you'll be upholding Federica's values better than anyone."
"......"
Liltara wanted to reject this immediately.
She wanted to shout that this sinner had no right to question her faith.
But if she refused, Ketal might leave.
Thinking of that, she couldn't bring herself to say no.
She bit her lip.
Ketal found her hesitation amusing because it was a denial of Federica's values in itself.
"...Very well."
In the end, Liltara accepted Ketal's proposal.
'It doesn't matter.'
Liltara thought this was a trial from Lady Federica.
No matter how much Ketal tried to tempt her, she just had to resist.
She was determined to show her iron will.
"I'll accept."
"Good."
Ketal smiled, as if he was looking forward to what would happen next.
* * *
The next morning, Liltara explained Ketal's proposal to the Holy Knights.
Their faces twisted in horror.
"Aah...! That wretch dares to make such a proposal! It's an insult to us!"
"It's alright. As long as I overcome it, there will be no problem."
Liltara calmly reassured the Holy Knights.
They praised her for sacrificing herself for the sake of the divine revelation.
Liltara was confident.
She believed she was following Federica's values better than anyone.
She was certain she could resist whatever temptations Ketal offered.
"Well then, let's have breakfast."
"Yes."
Just as they were about to take out their foul-smelling water and dried jerky, Ketal called out to Liltara.
"Liltara. Your meal is here."
"Pardon?"
Ketal handed her a piece of jerky and some water.
"I thought starting with a proper meal might be too much, so I brought jerky similar to what you’re used to."
Of course, the quality was worlds apart.
The jerky Liltara usually ate was dried out, completely devoid of moisture, and stank.
She had to suck on it for a long time before she could even chew it.
But the jerky Ketal handed her was much smoother.
Its surface was brown and moist, and it smelled richly of smoke.
Ketal had brought it from a master artisan in the Kingdom of Denian.
"This is your breakfast. Go ahead, eat it."
"...Understood."
Liltara took the jerky with a downcast gaze.
She thought Ketal was trying to tempt her with this kind of food, but she was a follower of Federica.
She planned to chew and swallow it without changing her expression.
However, the moment she put the jerky in her mouth, her face changed.
'...Huh?'
She instinctively realized that the taste was on a whole different level.
What she had been chewing on until now was something dried out and barely edible.
It was more of a struggle to swallow than actual food.
But this jerky filled her mouth with a rich meat aroma.
There was no need to soften it with saliva; it was chewy right from the start.
Juices flowed out from the crushed meat fibers, filling her tongue.
It was a taste she had never experienced before and couldn't have imagined.
She could hardly believe this was the same kind of jerky she had been eating all along.
She chewed the jerky, almost in a trance.
A moment later, as it slid down her throat, she let out a soft moan.
"Aah..."
A strong sense of emptiness followed.
She snapped out of it.
'No!'
She couldn't fall for this temptation!
She tried to forget the taste that lingered in her mouth.
But Ketal had no intention of stopping.
"It seems you enjoyed it. Here's another one."
"W-what?"
"I told you, you need to learn satisfaction. That includes tasting good food and understanding what it means to be full."
Ketal opened his pouch.
Inside were dozens of pieces of jerky.
He handed them to Liltara one by one.
"Come on. Eat to your heart's content. Until you’re full."
Ketal smiled brightly as he spoke.
'...This is a temptation.'
It was a temptation meant to make her question her faith.
But...
'If I refuse, he might leave. I have no choice.'
She was only doing this to maintain the divine revelation.
She wasn't falling for the temptation.
With trembling hands, but without outright refusal, Liltara accepted the jerky.
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