Chapter 16 – 6. The Little Devil (1)

Chapter 16 – 6. The Little Devil (1)

The city of Barkius.
It is the city where the saint was born and where she grew up as a saint.

Located in the middle of the continent and surrounded by mountains, it is shielded from the cold northern winds. A river that starts from the mountains runs through the center of the city, making it prosperous.

In the center of the city, there is not a lord’s mansion or castle, but a cathedral. The actual lord’s castle is located on the outskirts of the city. Considering that other cities have a lord’s mansion or castle in the center, this is an unusual form.

The reason is that this city itself started from a tiny slum centered around the cathedral. And in that cathedral lived a man who had earned the title of saint.

“If the church won’t help, then I will,” he said, starting from a slum where no one dared to set foot, and now he had become a respectable bishop. The father of the saint and the man who became the origin of the city’s name, Barkius.

“….”

It was Bishop Barkius of the Cathedral. Barkius, who was working in the cathedral’s office, sighed deeply with his pen motionless over the document

‘I can’t seem to concentrate on my work these days.’

It was a job he always did. He was so used to it that he could sign these documents even in his sleep.

But lately, he couldn’t seem to get concentrate on his work. It would have been better if he felt bored or grown weary.

But it wasn’t that, he just couldn’t seem to concentrate on his work. He thought he was still in his prime, but had he aged too much?

Barkius eventually let out a deep sigh he had been holding in.

‘Surely, there should be nothing but good news, yet why can’t concentrate….’

Barkius, dipping his quill into the ink bottle, opened a drawer to compose himself. The drawer was filled with a stack of letters he had received from his adopted daughter—the saint, Elior Beckshiria.

The drawer was filled with letters ranging from thank-you notes received when the saint was still a child, to letters asking for blessings for her first child. Barkius took out the most recent and cleanest letter from there.

[Dear Father, I hope you have been well.
It’s the time when spring flowers bloom, but the weather is still cold. I hope you haven’t had any health issues.

I’ve been busy taking care of the blessing that God has given me recently.
I named the child Michaela, and her surname follows mine, so it’s Michaela Beckshiria.

I thought she would be quiet because she’s a girl, but she’s so energetic that she sneaks out of her room and wanders around the corridor by herself.
I worry every time that she might catch a cold since the weather is still cold.

But maybe God is watching over her, she hasn’t even coughed, let alone caught a cold.
It’s really a relief.

I wish you could have come to her birthday party, it’s a shame.
But Barkius can’t run without you, so it can’t be helped.

So, I’ll visit you with the child when spring comes.
I love you.

From Elior Beckshiria]

It was a letter filled with warmth, not a letter filled with formalities from a noble. Barkius, who had read the letter to the end, put down the letter with a contented smile.

The city where the saint resides is about two weeks away by carriage. And since I received the letter two weeks ago, it must be just over 30 days now.

“A daughter…”

Last time it was a boy, this time it’s a girl. I suppose they’re the hero and the saint.

Barkius chuckled as he neatly folded the letter and tucked it into a drawer.

“I should plan to visit on the 100th day.”

And I should see the face of the first-born son too. His name was definitely Rupert Beckshiria… if I recall correctly.

Barkius, recalling the child’s name, grinned wryly and stroked his neatly trimmed beard. How could a grandfather not know the face of his own grandchild?

Of course, it wasn’t without reason that Barkius hadn’t visited the child. After the long war with the demons ended, he had been far too busy dealing with its aftermath to visit.

It takes a decade to recover from a war between kingdoms, let alone a war between humans and demons that lasted a hundred years. It took a full 20 years just to deal with the aftermath.

Because of this, even though the first child was born, he was bound and unable to visit. He had to oversee the transformation of this village into a city, and then into a metropolis.

‘I could just leave it be… but how could I leave when the young lord is struggling so much?’

But now it’s different. The city has somewhat stabilized, and it won’t fall apart without him.

Of course, he still has matters to attend to, so he can’t visit right away. That’s why it’s 100 days. About two months and a little more.

Based on his extensive experience, he believes he can finish his work by then. Barkius, having made up his mind, picked up his pen with a deep sigh.

And then.

Knock, knock…

At the sound of knocking on the door, he put down the pen he was holding.

‘They’re blatantly interrupting my work.’

Barkius shook his head.

“Come in.”

“Excuse me.”

The one who opened the door and entered was Father Gateo, who had recently taken up his post at the cathedral. Seeing the somewhat troubled look on the face of the newly arrived priest, Barkius instinctively realized something was amiss and opened his mouth.

“What’s the matter, Father Gateo?”

“Well… um…”

Father Gateo, with a look of utter confusion about where to start his story, was silent for a while. Seeing this, Barkius wondered if something serious had happened and looked out the window with a grave expression.

The city visible outside the window was still peaceful. It was noisy, but isn’t it natural for a city where children are running around to be noisy?

In the end, Barkius, who couldn’t find anything strange no matter how much he looked, turned to Father Gateo and asked.

“Has something serious happened?”

“Huh? No… no, it’s not serious. It’s just… um…”

Father Gateo, who couldn’t speak properly, was frustrating, but Barkius, far from getting angry, began to gently soothe him.

“It’s okay, take your time. If you don’t know where to start, just start from the beginning.”

As if guiding a toddler’s first steps, he spoke slowly, one word at a time, until finally, Father Gatheo opened his mouth. What came out was truly unexpected.

“There’s a new child at the orphanage.”

Was that reason enough for such hesitation? He swallowed the words he was about to utter carelessly and opened his mouth slowly.

“That’s unfortunate.”

“It is, but… there’s something odd…”

“Odd? What makes you think so?”

In response to Barkius’s question, Father Gatheo covered his mouth with one hand and lowered his gaze. His eyes staring at the floor as if looking into the distance, he seemed to be picturing the child in his mind.

“Firstly… the child was too clean. Usually, children who come to the orphanage… they’re abandoned because their circumstances are poor, or their parents can’t afford to raise them. But this new child was just too… too clean. From his clothes to his skin, even his hair. He didn’t even smell bad.”

Barkius, who had been quietly listening, slowly rose from his seat. At the sound of the chair scraping, Father Gatheo closed his mouth and looked at him with surprised eyes.

“Father Gatheo.”

“Yes, Bishop.”

“Did this new child come in looking like a noble, mocking and looking down on the other children?”

“No.”

“Then did the child covet the church’s property or try to steal from the other children?”

“…No, not that either.”

“Then what’s the problem? That the child is clean? Is it strange for an orphan to come to the orphanage clean?”

“…”

Father Gatheo couldn’t say anything and lowered his head deeply. His face was filled with deep guilt.

Seeing his state, Barkius held back a sigh that was about to escape and approached Father Gatheo. Placing his hands on Father Gatheo’s shoulders, Barkius looked at him seriously.

“Whether the child is clean or not does not matter. The children who come to the orphanage are those who have no place to lean on and lean on God. What if their clothes, skin, and hair are dirty and smell bad? Aren’t they God’s children given to us and embraced in our arms? Am I wrong?”

“…You are correct.”

“We can’t know what happened to that child. We can’t know what kind of life the child lived. Can we know the child’s past simply by looking at their appearance? No. Can we know what’s in the child’s heart? That is also not possible. We are not God, Father Gatheo. We are just those who care for the children who have returned to God’s arms, help them stand alone, and serve as fences and roofs for them to grow. Do you understand?”

“I will keep that in mind.”

After finishing his long sermon, Barkius cleared his throat with a cough and returned to his seat.

“Now, if you understand, you may go. I can’t look after the orphanage, so you must hold the fort.”

“Yes, I understand. Then I will…”

“Take care.”

Thud.

The door closed.

*

[He’s truly a good person. A saint, just like one you’d see in a painting or read about in books.]

Listening to the demon’s voice echoing in his head, he looked at the bishop’s office in the cathedral. The cathedral, built of cold grey stone but wrapped in ivy, gave a warm feeling, as if it was modeled after the bishop, which made him smile.

“So, the bishop then――!”

He half-listened to the child’s excited chatter.

“――drove all the bad people away, you know!? Our bishop is so cool!”

“That’s right. He’s a really good person.”

So good it makes me nauseous, so good it gives me hives. I smiled crookedly as I said it.