Chapter 122: The Meaning of Iris
I looked up at the sound and saw Sister Teresa, a vision of grace, standing at the stone house entrance not far away, her bright blue eyes scanning the classroom.
“Seventeen… that’s three more than last year, fantastic~”
She seemed to be in a good mood, a delightful smile on her lips as she glided into the classroom.
“Whoa—it’s Sister Teresa…”
“The teacher for Abyss Studies is her…?”
“Such a surprise…”
“But why isn’t she teaching theology…?”
The students began to whisper, and then I heard Sarah gasp.
“Sister Teresa—!”
Her clear voice rang with excitement, and when Teresa glanced over in surprise, Sarah waved her right hand vigorously.
“It’s you two,” Teresa recognized us and looked genuinely surprised, probably didn’t expect us here, but then she smiled warmly, “Miss Sarah and… ah, that…”
She opened her mouth but couldn’t remember my name.
So, I prompted her, “Peilo.”
“Sorry.” Teresa quickly apologized, placing a hand on her smooth cheek, a bit bashful as she nodded slightly, “Miss Peilo, your name is a tad tricky for me…”
I shook my head, letting her know it was fine: “No worries.”
She probably met tons of people every day; it’s totally normal to forget a student’s name after only seeing them once.
“Are you here to teach us Abyss Studies, Sister Teresa?” an excited student asked.
“Yes,” Teresa nodded at him.
“Why’s that?”
…Now that’s a cheeky question.
“Why…” Teresa chuckled lightly.
Holding up the book titled Abyss and Muck she’d been clutching, she tilted her head playfully towards the asking boy, “Why can’t I teach this?”
“But Sister Teresa, you’ve helped the Pope Knight slay those monsters twice!” another informed student chimed in.
“Yes, yes! I know, the Holy Lance of the teacher can pierce even iron, exterminating those monsters is a piece of cake!”
“Teacher~ I’m from the Water Order, can I get just as strong as you?”
Teresa looked a little helpless.
“Alright, alright, everyone quiet down, let me say a few things first.” She clapped her hands, and as the noise faded, she continued, “First, I’m happy to meet all of you. I believe those of you choosing Abyss Studies must have some ideals in your heart. From your eyes, I can see your ambitions, and frankly, it’s reassuring. In fact, most of the historically famous Pope Knights graduated from this classroom.”
“Taking this step to study a subject that most people see as ‘useless’ is impressive, but I need to clarify something upfront. I haven’t taught this course for long, but I’ve faced the Abyss twice and seen its horrific depths firsthand.”
At this point, Teresa paused, her gaze shifting towards Sarah and me.
“This year, there are a few girls taking Abyss Studies as well… If you’re sitting here out of mere curiosity or for fun, I must say, please keep that spirit. When I talk about what lies ahead, treat it as a story to listen to…”
“Teacher, I want to become a knight!” Sarah interjected, “My father is a knight, and my grandpa was one too.”
“…Miss Sarah, do you understand the responsibilities of a knight?”
“I do.”
The girl’s gaze was resolute, and upon seeing this, Teresa smiled gently.
“Good, then what I say next, I hope you’ll listen carefully and remember it well.”
Teresa opened the first page of Abyss and Muck, holding the book high so everyone could see the black monster illustrated on it.
The creature was shrouded in smoke and hard to make out, but it vaguely resembled a humanoid shape.
“What do you say this is?”
She asked, and someone immediately piped up, “It’s a monster from the Abyss!”
Then Teresa shook her head gently.
“No, this is just a drawing, merely dried ink.”
She stepped onto a platform.
“Ink doesn’t devour lives, doesn’t wantonly slaughter humans, and certainly doesn’t make mighty heroes fight to the d*ath. And I suspect that even the person who drew this has no idea what the Abyss truly looks like. Most who have seen it firsthand are dead, turned to ash without leaving a bone behind.”
“When I become the Pope Knight, I’ll make those monsters wish they had never been born!”
A childish boast from somewhere behind her made Teresa chuckle lightly, though discreetly.
Suddenly, she raised a hand and rummaged through her voluminous nun’s robe, after a moment she pulled out a shiny golden badge, and the design on it… huh? It was an iris…
“The Pope Knight badge!”
“Wow, I’ve never seen it before!”
“Teacher, can we touch it?”
The classroom erupted into excitement, and Teresa had to raise her hand again to calm everyone down.
“Touch it, of course, but this badge isn’t mine. It belonged to a dear friend of mine, and you must have heard of her name. Her name is Amber Eye, Martina Raphael.”
Amber Eye?
That name sounded familiar… ah, I remember now.
That was mentioned several times by my mother when we were at Shanter Castle. Supposedly, she was a bit recklessly earnest. But if I recall correctly, she’s already…
“Yes, she was the Pope Knight who fell in the Valen Catastrophe two years ago.”
“She was a genius of the Earth Order, able to make soft soil harder than rock. You all know she was powerful, but what does that matter?”
When Teresa spoke these words, her expression was totally calm.
Yet I could see a faint tremble in her pupils, revealing a buried emotion deep within her heart.
No one dared to speak; the atmosphere grew heavy.
All that could be heard was Teresa’s voice, as lonely as a clear spring in a hollow valley.
She continued, “The Abyss devoured her body, along with her proud power, leaving nothing behind. She grew up in the Cataloma Orphanage, having lost her family to war long ago. This badge is the only relic I received from her.”
Teresa lifted her hand, pointing at the beautifully crafted flower engraved on the badge.
“This is the Iris, a symbol of heroes. You all know that, but do you know why it’s the iris?”
No one answered, and Teresa continued on her own, “This flower represents the knight who once stood atop the mountain, Iris Angelica Posy.”
“In the year 845, when the first Abyss Destroyer appeared in Cartelgarin, no one knew what it was. That terrifying creature leveled the entire Cartelgarin in just half a month. Even now, it remains a dead zone filled with rolling Abyss mud; centuries have passed and the church is powerless against it… but you all know who killed it, right?”
“Angelica, using her own powerful Thunder Fire Order, along with the powers of the Divine Reliquary ‘Boswell’ and ‘Ancient Deity’s Blessing’, led ten thousand church knights, facing many trials before finally slaying it. She was the first Pope Knight in history and the strongest warrior of humanity at that time. But in the end, she still fell to an even mightier monster, so do you understand?”
“The meaning of the iris isn’t about the glorious honors of a hero or bringing fame to your family. It’s painted in bl**d, a tribute to those brothers and sisters who have turned to ash, those knights’ souls.”
