PATH OF THE STAR HUNTER

Desmond had had to control his emotions throughout his life and the image he presented to other people, on multiple occasions, somehow always wearing a mask, something he was usually good at.

Even so, Desmond could swear that it had never been so difficult for him to keep his mask on and not jump right on top of the other party to pummel them. All this was brought up by the sudden visit that unexpected guests had to the tower where Desmond and Cecilia were staying.

Although receiving visitors was unexpected in current times, what really got on Desmond’s nerves was the identity of the visitors. Desmond directly ignored the presence of the two bishops who came to speak and focused his attention on one of the two holy knights who had come with them.

“You really have guts coming here, Erigard.”

The demons in hell probably sounded kinder than Desmond at the moment, his blue eyes flashing with bloody intent as he stared at Erigard as if he were a dead man.

Erigard, for his part, had initially arrived with a proud and slightly mocking expression, which quickly turned into one of tension; even a holy knight like him wasn’t having a good time being targeted for all the hostility Desmond was letting out. However, Erigard hadn’t come alone, and the presence of the other holy knight beside him gave Erigard the confidence to continue his nonsense.

“I don’t know what Sir Desmond is talking about. I have no reason to avoid this place. After all, it was here that I heroically fought against a group of invaders; I’m only sorry that I didn’t arrive in time to save the maiden from the priestess. She was such a cutie... it was such a pity that she died without even tasting the bliss of receiving a man’s love.”

Even a stone statue would have reacted to Erigard’s brazen taunts. As for Desmond? Well, he was quite a particular case.

.....

“Knight Erigard has nothing to worry about. Miss Nana got to taste the only love she needed from the person she needed. In any case, I doubt that a certain individual’s pitiful little spear would have given the young lady much joy.”

Someone deaf would have understood the hints in Desmond’s statement, not to mention Erigard, who knew much more than what really happened in that room when Nana died.

It was Erigard’s turn to feel furious; Desmond would never have known that without having intended, he would have hit Erigard in a truly painful spot that had made him self-conscious for a long time.

Sensing that things were about to get out of hand, the bishops had to step in to defuse the situation; simultaneously, the other holy knight in the room stepped forward to stop Erigard, who was already in the process of drawing his sword.

“We beg Mr. Desmond to refrain from escalating tensions, we all here find the death of young Miss Nana regrettable, but there are other more important matters to discuss.”

Desmond cursed inwardly as he saw that the situation had calmed down instantly. Thanks to the bishop’s intervention, he had lost the pretext he was looking for to beat the shit out of Erigard.

Erigard didn’t even know how lucky he really was at the moment. Still, Desmond quickly adjusted his mood, thus ignoring Erigard, who was on his kill list and directed his attention to the bishop in question.

“I wonder then, what kind of business brings such high-ranking church members to this tower?”

Although unexpected, the bishop welcomed Desmond’s sudden attitude change, who thought this little diplomatic mission might be more successful than expected.

“I am delighted to know that you are a person who understands reasons, Sir Desmond; his reputation precedes you.”

Desmond interrupted without any decorum, not in the mood to listen to the man’s hypocritical bullshit. “I still have other important duties to fulfill; it would help me if you guys would get straight to the point.”

“The Holiness does not plan to attend this meeting?”

Because no one had moved back into the tower since the incident. No one really had any idea of ??Cecilia’s current status, leading church members to believe one of two scenarios.

The first was that she refused to attend this meeting on her own initiative, and the other was that Desmond never informed Cecilia about this meeting. If the latter, then Desmond was likely to be more receptive to the church’s overtures, and even if it was the first scenario, it would not affect their plans.

“As Mr. Desmond may know, the city has been through a huge tragedy following the invasion a couple of days ago, and grief and loss abound in the streets.”

“Grief and loss also abound in the halls of this tower,” Desmond added.

The bishop smiled bitterly and continued. “I understand. But you must understand that the masses are looking for an explanation; they want to know the reason for their pain. It is not enough to know that it was the empire of Kormat that invaded us; people want to know how they managed to infiltrate the city.”

Desmond began to feel bad as the bishop’s words continued; the plot sounded familiar to him, and he almost wanted to laugh when the thought hit him.

“They need someone to blame.” Desmond pointed confidently.

The smile on the bishop’s face grew a couple of levels in response. “I see that Mr. Desmond is an intelligent man; indeed, people ask for a culprit.”

“And you guys need a scapegoat.” Desmond added, causing the smile on the bishop’s face to freeze for an instant.

“So Mr. Desmond knows.”

“Not everyone is an idiot. The palace also has more than one person with a head on their shoulders. So the church’s ties to the attack must already have been found by someone. However, the church is not defenseless either, you have a great reputation, and your participation in the battle was nothing short of exceptional. The royals do not have enough evidence to accuse the church directly, and the church has enough grounds to defend itself, but the world still needs someone to blame, so you thought of creating a martyr.”

“I must admit that we have underestimated Mr. Desmond; you are much more perceptive than we had thought. It is not that you are wrong; we need a martyr. Someone with enough influence and presence to represent the church’s guilt, but whose fall does not represent real damage to the church’s power.”

“Getting rid of a thorn in your side must have been a huge incentive to put all the blame on Cecilia, isn’t it. You come here to make some kind of proposition. Still, I suppose rumors of the traitorous saint must already be circulating the city, laying the groundwork for you to officially announce Cecilia’s involvement in the invasion.” Desmond interrupted.

Instead of feeling annoyed at the interruption, the bishop seemed glad to be able to have a conversation with someone who understood things; in his opinion, this was much easier than talking to the muscle-headed holy knights.

“Indeed, all the love that the people in this city once had for the holy priestess will soon turn into a deep hatred, and Cecilia’s sacrifice will turn into a relief for the people who lost something during the invasion; that way, both the church and the royal family win.”

“I see, a win-win scenario; if that’s what you’re selling, you must have come to make me an offer to get me out of the way.”

The expression on the bishop couldn’t be brighter; he seemed extremely pleased to hear Desmond’s words. On the other hand, the holy knights only gave Desmond a look of disdain, despising the man for selling their loyalty.

If he knew what both holy knights were thinking, there was a very high possibility that Desmond would not resist the urge and insult them to their faces calling them hypocritical dogs. The church had long since become a nest of corruption where all faith and loyalty had already been forgotten.

“From what I understand, Sir Desmond, you are a man who appreciates luxury and beauty, something you will be able to enjoy if agreed not to interfere when the day comes when Cecilia is officially charged and arrested. Unfortunately, the holy priestess must die, so we can’t promise her as a gift, but the church will make sure to provide Mr. Desmond with four virgin priestesses. I assure you they will all be beauties in their own right.” Sensing that he had caught Desmond’s interest by how his countenance changed, the bishop continued with his proposal.

“Of course, we will also give Knight Desmond the title of holy knight, allowing you to live a life of luxury and comfort that few can imagine. It’s not a bad offer, what do you think?

Nobody in the room knew it, but Cecilia had been watching from the moment the meeting began. Using a mirror made of light, Cecilia sees directly what is happening inside the room. Her bright golden eyes, full of uncertainty and sadness, were now fixed on Desmond, ready to read his lips, waiting for his reply.

“Certainly not a bad offer; no, it’s a fantastic offer that only a fool would refuse... But I have my own offer.”