The Seed Thief

Vol. 2 Chapter 7.8

The lord was sentenced to death, having been found guilty of shifting blame for his own crimes onto others. Among those who had died unjustly was the woman who had taught Lulu about the ugliness of humanity.

The lord begged for his life, but the crimes he had committed during the war were too numerous and too grave.

Ervandas ordered that those who had died in his place be reburied with proper rites.

The lord wasn’t the only one punished. Those who had tortured Lulu beyond what was permitted, calling her a witch while she was imprisoned, were also punished.

“We were only following orders!”

They cried and begged for mercy, but evidence emerged that the guards had cruelly treated those who were imprisoned, simply for their own amusement.

They weren’t sentenced to death. Instead, they were made to walk across the burning pyre where Lulu had nearly been burned alive.

Naturally, most of them suffered severe burns. Ervandas ordered that they be well cared for, that they not be allowed to die.

It wasn’t an act of mercy. It was meant to prolong their suffering, to make them feel the pain of the one who had nearly been unjustly burned to death.

Ervandas, who had been about to inflict even crueler punishments, finally calmed down after meeting the High Priest, who happened to be visiting the castle.

The High Priest, upon seeing Ervandas holding the child, made a complicated expression. Thinking that the High Priest might be prejudiced against the witch’s bloodline, Ervandas became wary, but the High Priest chuckled bitterly and shook his head.

“There’s no need to be wary, Your Highness. I’m simply lamenting the fact that the fate that God had decided from the beginning has finally come to pass.

“Fate?”

“Indeed, Your Highness. You remember, don’t you? How you came to me several times, expressing your desire to follow the path of God, and how I refused you each time.”

How could he forget? While others had accepted him, the High Priest had been the only one who opposed Ervandas joining the temple until the very end.

“There’s no reason for me to oppose Your Highness’s conversion. You were a gifted knight, a worthy candidate to become a shepherd of God. However…”

The High Priest’s gaze shifted to the child in Ervandas’s arms, her eyes wide with wonder.

She didn’t cry, didn’t fuss, only observed, as if fascinated by someone who possessed a power completely different from her own.

“I tried to approve Your Highness’s conversion several times. But each time, I saw you in my dreams. I saw you turning your back on the temple and walking away. At first, I thought it was just a dream, but… after it repeated so many times, I realized. That it was a prophecy bestowed upon me by God.”

“…”

“That’s why I didn’t accept you until the very end. The you in my dreams, walking away, looked so happy.”

The High Priest, with a knowing smile, approached the baby. As he reached out, the child, mimicking his gesture, extended its tiny hand. And then, as if startled by a spark of energy, she quickly withdrew it. Still, she didn’t cry.

“What a lovely child. Please visit the Great Temple someday. This child seems destined to wield both magic and divine power.”

As the High Priest turned to leave, Ervandas stopped him.