In the past, even if taught, Julius wouldn’t act with such politeness. So when Priest Brukin saw Julius naturally saying the priests’ greetings, he felt the weight of time.
And, his shoulders somehow started to feel a bit lighter…
***
“Erm…thank you, Senior. Junior inquisitor Thalia Ziffnel greets Special Inquisitor Julius Tapnel. I will be guiding you to your house!”
What greeted Julius as he came out the door was a black-haired girl who was shaking violently as if she was feeling cold.
“Thalia, you’ve grown a lot in the time we haven’t seen each other. It’s indeed been a long time.”
Although his tone did seem quite cold, but when Julius spoke to her, Thalia blushed, lowered her head, and wiggled her hands. Then, as if she had come to her senses, she continued speaking, “You’ve become more dignified during this time as well. When I saw you from afar, I almost couldn’t recognize you.”
“…I often hear people say that. But it seems to me that you have changed more, Thalia.”
“Yes? Oh, I’m 20 years old now, so I’ve been an adult for a long time.”
The black-haired girl, smiled brightly as if she finally relaxed, then slowly turned around and began to lead the way.
“After you left the village, I have also worked hard with the same goal of becoming an inquisitor. When I went to the capital to be baptized, I thought I would be able to see you, but I was disappointed know that I couldn’t even go near the central church.”
As she walked down the street and chatted with Julius, Thalia forgot all the formalities she had practiced so hard since last night, and she stuck to him like she was a child and chattered like a lark.
“When I was being taught by Priest Brukin, I was hit on the head so many times that I made a mistake while reciting the Scripture…oops! We’re here!”
Thalia, who had been talking non-stop, stopped talking when she passed a small path and saw a mansion.
“When we were young, we used to play together and sneak into Grandpa Mila’s house to steal snacks. I used to get so scared every time Grandpa Mila came after us with a broom.”
“…most of it was done by Krail, but those are indeed good memories.”
Julius opened the front door, took his luggage and entered, leaving behind those words.
“No…it was you, Brother Julius, who always told us to steal cookies…”
Thalia muttered quietly as she looked at Julius in bewilderment.
She had thought he had become a lot more blunt in the time she hadn’t seen him, but when Thalia saw that he was as shameless as before, she secretly let out a sigh of relief.
“I would like to help you unpack, but I have to handle the report of a suspected heresy. I’m sorry, but I think I’ll have to go now, Brother.”
Thalia came into the house and said to Julius, who was unpacking the luggage he had brought from the capital with an expressionless face.
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t help. I don’t have much luggage anyway. The sun has already set, so hurry up and go back to the church.”
“Then please excuse me. See you again tomorrow, Brother… No, Senior!”
When Julius saw Thalia hurriedly leaving the house after shaking her head a couple of times, he felt a hint of laughter escape his lips.
Ever since ‘that day’, he thought he would never be able to smile for the rest of his life, but returning to his hometown and meeting his old friends again made him feel at ease without realizing it.
Lost in thought for a moment, Julius placed his few belongings on the table in the living room and looked around his mansion.
The mansion that he remembered sneaking into often to steal snacks as a child was exactly as it was in his memories. It was so well maintained that it felt like Grandpa Mila was going to come yell at him at any moment.
It was good news for Julius that he could just buy the furniture right away without having to make any other preparations.
After looking around up to the second floor, Julius sat down on the sofa, looked out the window for a moment, took a deep breath, and then took out the locket he had kept in his arms.
Inside the locket was a small text and a portrait of a beautiful woman.
[To my love, Julius – Cecil Lionelta.]
When he closed his eyes, her face, voice, and scent still come to mind clearly.
Looking at her precious gift, Julius was reminded of his beloved wife whom he had lost five years ago.
Cecil Lionelta, whose name alone was lovely, was without a doubt everything to Julius.
When the fruit of love was born between the two, it really felt like he had the whole world in his hand.
And when he lost her five years ago, Julius’ world shattered along with it.
He devoted his everything to work in order to overcome that sadness. He burned to death the heretics who had made a deal with the devil, captured the devils, found out the names of their compatriots after t0rture, and purified them in the name of his God.
He worked like crazy to become the best heresy inquisitor in the kingdom and was even chosen as the Holy Sword.
Yet, the wound left in his heart didn’t seem to have any intention of going away.
People often say— all wounds will eventually heal over time.
Julius realized painfully over the past five years that those words were false.
There were wounds in the world that would never heal….
After closing the locket and carefully putting it back into his arms, Julius left the mess on the table without tidying up and lay down on the sofa. Since he was alone, the emptiness felt even bigger.
Just as he was thinking about buying alcohol tomorrow, a sound broke the silence.
Knock! Knock!
It had already gotten pretty dark outside. So no one was supposed to looking for him at this hour.
Julius thought that Thalia had come back, so without thinking much, he trudged over and opened the door.
When he opened the door, what he saw was a woman wearing a blouse and a long skirt. It was dark all around, so her face was not visible.
“Who are you?”
Julius spoke politely, but soon his expressionless face was filled with astonishment.
“It’s been a while, I really missed you, Julius.”
It was a voice that wasn’t supposed to exist.
That cozy scent he couldn’t forget even in his dreams.
Finally, the moonlight illuminated her beautiful face.
But it wasn’t possible for her to be here.
Because she…
“I’m so cold, can you please let me go home? Huh?”
…had already died 5 years ago.
Julius Tapnel, the greatest heretic inquisitor of the Kingdom of Lyriam fell into the biggest dilemma of his life.
His wife returned to him after five years.
No…
What was before him was just her body, possessed by the devil!