I Broke Off My Engagement and Got a Job at the Academy

82. What I Know and What I Don’t Know

After our meeting with Prime Minister Carvajal, Luna and I followed our guide around the festival. Our guide looked at us and continued to explain about the festival.

“The name of today’s festival is Victory Festival. It is a festival to commemorate the defeat of the second Demon King by the last warrior. After that, the Demon Tribe, who was the lover of the last warrior, united the Demon Tribes and formed a nation, so it actually has some meaning as a celebration of the founding of the nation.”

The more I listened, the more I realized how great Architelos’ obsession with the ‘last warrior’ was. Could it be because the founder of the nation was said to be the daughter of the last warrior?

In fact, everyone living in Architelos is essentially a descendant of the last warrior, so that could be the case, I thought to myself.

And Luna seemed to have the same sentiment. She looked at the guide and asked.

“But, the last warrior is revered as a great man even in the Celestial Sect… He is treated as a great man here as well, and in fact, he is treated even better than in the Empire.”

Then the guide nodded.

“Yes. People of the world think that Architelos and the Church are at opposite ends of the spectrum. That’s not wrong. Some in Architelos hate the Empire and other nations, and that’s why they often cause trouble outside.”

Having said that, he continued speaking.

“But even so, the people living in Architelos do not completely reject or hate the church. Many people in this country know and practice the doctrines taught by the church. In the end… there is no such thing as something that can be called completely good, or something that can be called completely evil.”

At those words, Luna narrowed her eyebrows slightly and made a thoughtful expression. Then she asked.

“…Are you saying that even the religious order can be called evil?”

The guide nodded at those words.

“Yes. Do you know that there is a history of mass murder of people in the church?”

Luna bit her lips after hearing those words, then spoke up.

“…Yes. I heard that in the very distant past, there was a case where those who went against the will of the religious order were indiscriminately burned at the stake.”

Then the guide shook his head.

“No, this is not a story from the past. This is a recent story. I heard that the cult has become quiet within the Empire, but it is different outside the Empire. There was even an incident where an entire village was burned down by extremists of the cult because they discovered traces of a warlock.”

Luna opened her eyes wide when she heard that. It seemed like she hadn’t known about it. She pursed her lips in a way that made it hard to hear.

“In the end… it’s all like that. It’s not good to be unconditionally certain about one side. Haha, as I was talking about this, my opinion got a lot involved, so I’m sorry.”

Luna shook her head after hearing that.

“…No, it’s okay.”

Then the guide smiled and led us around the festival, showing us around. The two of us followed him and continued to see the unique scenery.

…

After enjoying the festival like that, Eden and Luna went back to their assigned accommodations at night and rested. To be exact, they lay in the same bed, their backs turned to each other.

The two of them didn’t say anything to each other, just lay still on the bed. Then Luna opened her mouth to Eden, who was lying on her back.

“…hey.”

Eden answered the voice.

“yes?”

Luna asked Eden.

“Do you hate the empire?”

After hearing that, Eden paused for a moment and then asked again.

“Why do you think so?”

Then Luna turned around and looked at his back and said.

“Just now, when I was talking to the Prime Minister here, I said that I would make sure that the Empire would not be able to use your magic.”

Then, Eden remained silent for a moment as if thinking about something, and then answered.

“…Well, I’m not sure. It’s true that the Empire is where I was born and raised. However, I’ve experienced too much in the Empire to be blindly loyal to it.”

Luna spoke softly to Eden’s words.

“…things I’ve experienced.”

“Yes. There are many enemies, and many mortal enemies. But… there are also many people who are precious to me. So if you ask me to tell you my honest feelings… I don’t know.”

After saying that, Eden looked at Luna and asked.

“But, don’t you blame me?”

Luna asked back.

“Why me?”

“You said you would have a relationship with Architelos in front of Luna-san. Since Luna-san is a priest, I was somewhat prepared for it.”

At those words, Luna made a “hmm” sound.

“You heard a lot from the guide today, right? That’s why I felt that way. Maybe it’s because this is a country of minions, but I always judged things based on what I heard, but… There may be things I don’t know about, so I’m trying to avoid making hasty judgments.”

Eden smiled faintly at her voice. Luna continued.

“I’ve come to realize that there are many ordinary people in Architelos. Would it be good karma to support them? Or would it be bad karma to support the warlocks there? It’s not an easy question to answer. I don’t like making rash decisions about things I don’t know about.”

After saying that, Luna looked up at the ceiling.

“…Actually, it’s the same for you too. I never had any good feelings towards you to begin with. I can see that my grandfather is hurt because of you, who would like that?”

Eden coughed when he heard that. When he heard that, he had nothing to say.

“Still, well. I don’t want to judge people based solely on those preconceptions, so I deliberately tried to watch you.”

After listening to the words for a while and being lost in thought, Eden finally opened his mouth.

“…You will be a good leader, Luna.”

Luna groaned at those words.

“What? It’s still not enough.”

Eden chuckled at those words and said,

“I’ve always been in a high position since I was young. So I thought the world would be as I wanted it to be. But once I fell, I couldn’t come to my senses.”

Luna listened to those words quietly.

“I tried to die. I couldn’t find hope in living because everything happened in an instant. But once I lived, I achieved my goal, and tried it, I realized that this is worth living. It doesn’t matter if the world doesn’t go my way.”

Eden had a bitter smile on his lips as he continued to speak.

“If I had died that day, I wouldn’t have achieved this goal and started over again. I just thought that what I knew was everything and tried to give up my life too easily. But… Luna, you’re different. Unlike me, who realized after experiencing something that what I know isn’t everything, you already know what you know and what you don’t know.”

He paused for a moment.

“Then, I think that’s enough.”

Luna snickered at Eden’s words.

“You speak well.”

Eden smiled and lay still for a moment, then turned to Luna and asked.

“But, now that you’re watching me like that, what do you think about me?”

Luna smiled mischievously at those words and replied.

“He’s a swallow who seduces women with words.”

Eden made a stupid expression. Luna looked at him and laughed.

“By the way, what you said to me earlier made me feel that way even more. Do you usually do that?”

Eden said, moving his facial muscles here and there, not knowing what expression to make.

“…I don’t know.”

Luna added one more word to that.

“Don’t you have any awareness? This is a big problem. It’s more serious than I thought.”

…

“…What?”

The Emperor furrowed his brow. It was because of the voice coming from the crystal ball. He clenched his fist and said.

“Tell me more. So, who is there?”

[Yes, Your Majesty. I am sorry, but Eden Cainus is visiting Architelos and is being treated as a VIP. Judging from the fact that the Prime Minister himself introduced him, it seems that he is being treated as a VIP by the nation.]

The voice contacting him was that of a spy the Empire had dispatched to Architelos. Hearing the spy’s words, the Emperor’s clenched fist shook.

[The atmosphere is not good. It seems that it has become more difficult to persuade Eden and Cainus, and if things continue this way, we may end up crossing a river from which there is no return.”

The emperor placed his hand on his forehead and then waved his hand.

“Okay. Then, you can go now. Jim… My head hurts a bit.”

As the crystal ball went off, the Emperor’s bloodshot eyes opened wide, and the name of the insolent weightlifter flowed out of his mouth.

“Eden, Cainus… .”