Chapter One Hundred and One: I Want to Be Someone Like You
The sunlight burst through the clouds.
In the courtyard, the lush green tree danced with the spring breeze, singing a rustling song.
Standing beneath the tree was the Bearded Swordsman, his shadow stretching long like he just stepped out of an overdramatic fantasy scene.
I stared at his smiling face and thought back to the first time we met.
What was Carlos like back then? I can’t seem to remember…
The only things I could clearly recall were the sharp blade pressed against my neck and those emotionless, icy eyes that made my heart race faster than a rabbit during a monster chase.
“He’s just a monster who crawled out of the Abyss…”
He said that to me, and with just one thought, he could slice my head off like it was a ripe fruit.
At that time, he was an unstoppable powerhouse to me, who knew absolutely nothing.
Time flies like a hyperactive kid on sugar, and suddenly, over six months have slipped by.
Slowly, I’ve become more familiar with the fearsome power inside me, a power that scares me as much as my last embarrassing dance. And as time goes by, it’s getting progressively more terrifying… Though I’m desperately suppressing it, feeding it just enough “devouring” to stay out of trouble—so much so that my original obsession with food has surpassed mere gluttony. Most of the time, it’s not hunger driving me, but just a random urge to “eat something.”
Despite my best efforts, the Abyss still grows at a speed you can see with the n*ked eye.
I worry there might come a day when it suddenly goes out of control and creates a mess I can’t even begin to imagine, which makes me anxious, but I dare not tell anyone.
At least… for now, it’s still under my control, empowering me with each sunrise and sunset. By today, I even feel like I could wipe the millennia-old prosperous royal city off the map in the blink of an eye, should I choose to.
No one can stop me. Not the Knights of the Holy Church, not the old men in robes, not even that flying woman. Carlos, standing right in front of me? Unlikely he could either.
I think I’ve figured out why the Gluttony Abyss could take down two of those “unbeatable” Holy Knights and a bishop only a few months ago.
Back then, I didn’t understand it, so it was unimaginable. But now I have a clear grasp of it… If there were five Holy Knights fighting me today, and I unleashed the chaotic power of the Abyss, I might be capable of the same thing.
That’s part of why I fear this power, but even so…
Even so, I still feel that this Bearded Swordsman is way stronger than I am.
He’s a true hero—he’s slain countless Abyss monsters and rescued countless people, while I… can’t even save a girl from a village.
He’s like the protagonist in those knight stories, while I’m just an insignificant passerby with a sprinkle of power.
“…Little Shay… Little Shay?”
“…Huh?”
I snapped back to reality, realizing Carlos had somehow made his way right in front of me, waving his hand frantically in my face, looking utterly perplexed.
“Why are you suddenly zoning out? I could be talking to a wall here! Are you mesmerized by my handsomeness?”
“…Who would be? Gross.”
I rolled my eyes, swatted his hand away, and shifted my gaze to the flower bed in the distance, not daring to meet his gem-like sparkling eyes, I said fiercely, “Aren’t you supposed to leave? Why are you still here?”
“I still have things to say to you…”
His voice was filled with exasperation.
“…Cassiopeia Ascendant?”
“…You actually managed to pronounce that ridiculously hard name?!”
Ignoring his incredulous tone, I continued to stare at my shoes.
“Do I… annoy you a lot…?”
After a moment of silence, his voice calmed down.
“Why do you ask that all of a sudden?”
“…I keep getting mad. I slapped your face… wasted your sausage from the other day…” I was rambling, feeling frustrated, I stomped my foot, “Ugh! Am I just… really willful? Not likable at all.”
“No way! I think you’re adorable.”
I scrunched my little nose in discontent.
“…Don’t call me adorable…”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Fine… if you want to compliment me, call me a rugged warrior.”
“…Okay, I think you’re rugged… Ugh, that’s so hard to say without laughing, my chest hurts.”
Finally, I lifted my head, glaring at him. He was clutching his chest dramatically like he was auditioning for a bad soap opera, which irritated me, and I raised my hand to smack him but paused and slowly brought it back behind my back.
“If you keep doing this, I’ll never talk to you again!”
Carlos quickly raised his hands in surrender.
“Okay, okay, you’re kind, and… pretty?”
“Can’t it be something like brave, manly… anything else?!”
“But you… uh, anyway, you’re great! Little Shay, I really s*ck at compliments, especially for girls, so just let me off the hook.”
I glared at him, feeling a bit crestfallen.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that we’d drifted into strange territory in this conversation.
Actually, what I really wanted to ask was whether he saw me as a human being, or if he considered me… a friend. But some questions are just too awkward to ask.
“Alright, alright, if we keep this up we’ll never stop. The War Chariot is still waiting,” Carlos’s expression turned serious, “Little Shay, I need to ask you for something.”
“What is it?” I inquired.
“Back when we were in Winter City, we talked about the Gate of Truth, remember?”
“Mm. You mean…?”
“That’s right. The Gate of Truth has indeed infiltrated the Royal City, and there’s a good chance it’s colluding with the local nobility and the Church, but the exact purpose remains unclear. I already discussed this with Her Majesty the Queen, and we found no trace of Lotus Seed Grass; it’s not circulating in the market. I hope you can put aside your prejudice against Her Majesty and help her investigate this matter thoroughly; you know how serious this is.”
I nodded seriously: “Okay, I understand.”
“Remember, you’re a Pope Knight, and the Queen is too; you’re both heroes of humanity.”
“I got it, I promise you.”
He reached out and ruffled my hair.
“Then I’m off.”
“Carlos.”
“Hmm?”
“Will we meet again?”
Carlos, with an annoyed flick, lightly tapped my forehead.
“Don’t be a harbinger of doom… Of course we will.”
I stood there on the lawn, gently rubbing my sore head, watching Carlos climb into the War Chariot. The hooves and wheels kicked up dust as it rolled away from Longdoll Street.
Once the carriage was out of sight, I turned and walked toward the empty mansion.
…Carlos, you said you wanted to be like Sword Saint Ryan. I guess he must be the best person you’ve encountered, right?
Although my impression of him consists only of being the “strongest Pope Knight” and the stories painted about him, it’s not hard to imagine his character.
How wonderful it is to have a mentor like that in life.
But for me, the Sword Saint feels too distant; I don’t even know him… If I need to set a goal, it should be something more attainable.
I want to be a person like you—upright and true.
