The confessional room that Steve led me to was a regular one, significantly different from the one I used during my time in the navy.
The navy’s confessionals were narrow and dark, but this one was surprisingly spacious and lavish for a confessional.
‘Even with lighting?’
Usually, confessionals are dim or completely dark, right? Having only used the navy’s confessional rooms, perhaps this one was just a bit different.
I relaxed my previously tense body and sat down on the single-seat sofa in the confessional room.
‘A luxury sofa, huh?’
The cushion was amazing.
For a moment, I almost let my guard down and felt too comfortable. I heard Steve enter the room opposite me, so I straightened up.
“Every confession that takes place in this room will never leave this space.”
“Yes.”
“Only I, the worshiper, and the gods Deira of the earth and Cormare of the sea will know.”
“Understood.”
After a brief silence, Steve continued.
“So, what brings you here today, dear worshiper?”
“I am harboring the misguided desire to lead my friend down the path of temptation.”
Was that too complex a word for a child to say? Anyway.
“Your friend?”
“Yes, my friend is a navy officer. But navy training and education are really, really tough. So I just want to give him gifts and treats… but….”
“….…”
“The navy doesn’t allow such things, do they?”
Of course, on holidays, they weren’t considered navy officers, so it was technically allowed, but they generally stayed away from it. Navy officers didn’t usually know how to indulge in fun.
“What if, when we meet again, Hyp… I mean, my friend has changed so much that he doesn’t want to be around me anymore?”
I deliberately let a hint of sadness slip while mentioning Hyperion’s name. He would have caught on immediately—that my friend was indeed Hyperion Pharus.
Supplements could easily be delivered to him through magic delivery scrolls. But anything else?
‘Impossible, absolutely.’
There were limits. Technically, navy officers weren’t supposed to obtain magic scrolls casually. When I got one for Hyperion, I had it issued in Isaac’s name.
Getting such a scroll to another navy officer without being noticed required immense caution. Only someone like me, who knew the internal structure and daily cycle of the navy branch, could manage it. And no matter how cautious I was, the scroll itself couldn’t carry anything larger than a bottle of medicine.
Despite the existence of magic delivery scrolls, the reason people still relied on ships and carriages for transporting goods was precisely because of such limitations.
So, to get other things to Hyperion, I turned to Steve.
“You have a good friend.”
Steve’s voice sounded as if he was trying to stay calm.
“Even though I want to lead him down a bad path?”
“How could wishing for someone’s happiness ever be considered a bad path?”
“…But there’s nothing I can directly do for him.”
“….….”
“If someone were to help me, I would give anything….”
Steve remained silent, but he couldn’t help but feel uneasy about what I was saying.
“For example, a cure for the Maddie’s disease.”
Thud. The chair across from me fell over, followed by the sound of a man collapsing.
“What-What are you talking about? There is no such cure for Maddie Disease… No, that’s not what I mean.”
There is still no clear cure for Maddie Disease. All that the Wittar Medical Association has managed to produce is a medicine that slightly delays the symptoms, but this illness gradually slows breathing without reason, eventually leading to death.
Because it’s difficult to breathe, those affected by the disease are restricted in all activities, making daily life incredibly challenging. It’s a disease that drains both the patient and those around them.
Moreover, even this unfinished medication is extremely expensive, making it difficult for commoners to afford. The reason Steve had secretly embezzled funds was precisely because of the high price of the medicine for Maddie Disease.
His younger brother was suffering from Maddie Disease. Steve had been using the embezzled funds to buy the incomplete medication for him, and during his imprisonment, the treatment was finally completed.
‘But his brother passed away.’
In the end, Steve lost himself to rage with nowhere to direct it, and he ventured down the path of a heinous criminal. Having overheard confessions from several navy members in the confessional, he exposed hidden navy secrets to the public, damaging their reputation and resulting in many casualties.
But this time, things would be different.
‘I know how to make that cure.’
Though not all the ingredients were gathered yet, I could prevent Steve from embezzling more funds.
“You, no, I mean worshiper… what are you saying…!”
I placed my hand on the partition that separated us, through the small holes in the screen, I could see his silhouette.
“I know that your brother has Maddie Disease.”
“That- that disease, not even the Wittar Medical Association could create a cure for it! How could you know this…!”
The reason he became a priest was surely to save his brother, to send devout prayers to the gods for his salvation.
And the reason he ended up taking church funds was because he believed that gold, not prayer, would save his brother.
“Is that what matters right now? I don’t have the medicine with me at the moment. But I’ll send it to you soon.”
Of course, the source is important. But in this situation, he didn’t seem in the right state of mind to question where it came from.
“How can I trust such a thing?”
I took out a few coins and gems from my pocket. Though they might not have been entirely visible through the partition, he would recognize their glimmer and understand their worth.
“Money doesn’t lie. Isn’t that right?”
“……..”
“I’ll give this to you as an advance. Use it to buy the incomplete medication and to look after Hyperion. Every time he enters the confessional.”
The confessional is a place where no one can eavesdrop. In other words, it’s a place where no one can know what happens inside.
“Be the protector that child deserves.”
The reason Steve had been able to commit so many crimes without being easily caught was because he was smart.
If he became Hyperion’s supporter, that boy outside would have a bit of an easier time.
‘What am I even doing?’
He wasn’t family or anything. He was just a friend from a previous life. Yet, I couldn’t bear to leave him alone.
‘Navy training is so strict… Starting as a trainee at such a young age would be hard to endure.’
To be honest, there was a selfish part of me that wanted to rescue Hyperion right now. The reason I couldn’t do so included the risk of making an enemy out of the Sixth House… But more than that, I knew how many lives and nations Hyperion would one day save as a navy officer.
“Do you really think I won’t do anything?”
“Not at all.”
Could someone with a younger brother leave someone like Hyperion, his peer, to face it all alone? Every time Steve saw that boy, he would remember my request. After all, he wasn’t someone with a bad heart.
In the end, Steve silently left the confessional room. And a moment later…
The door before me opened.
***
Today, Hyperion saw Polaris in the chapel.
He thought he might be mistaken, but there was no way he’d mistake that person.
‘Did… did she come to pray?’
Hyperion’s heart began to race, but it soon settled. Polaris left with a man who had muddy-colored hair without even acknowledging him.
‘She… she might not have noticed me.’
I’m not exactly eye-catching in appearance, after all. But Lala said I looked pretty…
Was that just something she said casually? Hyperion glanced down at his shoes, a bit dejected. Surrounded by other navy officers, he couldn’t act out.
‘I have so much I want to say….’
Hyperion had been meticulously following Polaris’ instructions. It had only been a few days, but once you’ve tasted real sweetness, it’s impossible to forget.
“Soon, Priest for Hyperion’s Confession will arrive.”
Usually, trainees were not addressed with honorifics, but as the future admiral, few would dare to treat Hyperion with disrespect.
“Yes.”
Hyperion was familiar with the concept of confession priests. It was customary for the priest to change whenever the branch changed, yet the first confession priest was expected to have a lasting bond of brotherhood.
Having grown used to the bullying from his older peers, Hyperion thought of Polaris. The ones she called family were somehow different.
Something…
‘It makes my heart flutter.’
Then, someone in priestly robes approached him.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Steve Adeba. As a faithful servant of the two gods, I’m here to support you in taking your first steps in upholding the order of the sea.”
When Hyperion looked up, he saw a man with soft brown hair.
‘That man….’
The same one who had left with Polaris.
Hyperion’s gaze sharpened.
***
‘Alright, this worked out well.’
I lay back leisurely on the ship that was preparing to set sail.
Steve agreed to work with me. I didn’t think he’d listen to a mere six-year-old, but it wasn’t a bad proposal if it meant he no longer needed to embezzle.
‘He might not actually believe I can make it, but he probably figured that if there’s money involved and I offered to help, there was no harm in agreeing.’
There was a reason I went all the way to the confessional. If money exchanged hands in a confessional, what leverage could anyone have against it? I’m certain that confessional was often used for bribery. The temple likely earned a hefty commission for passing along bribes.
I also received Steve’s magic scroll code. Steve will keep me informed about what Hyperion is eating and how he’s doing.
‘And in return, all I need to do is send the medicine and money.’
Funding Hyperion once a week wasn’t much of a burden. I chuckled as I thought of another thing I could give him.
‘I should also make him a Pralet antidote.’
The first thing navy recruits are regularly exposed to is Pralet, a paralyzing herb. Consuming small amounts consistently causes tingling in the fingers or sluggishness at first, but eventually, one adapts, allowing them to function normally. This is known as building tolerance.
‘But without the antidote, a person can’t taste anything.’
It would be a shame if he couldn’t taste any of the food I arranged for him through Steve.
At that moment, a sparkling bird flew in, landed above my head, and transformed into a letter. The sender, without a doubt, was Hyperion.
Reading the letter, I was puzzled.
‘What is this?’
[To Lala,
I heard from Steve that you’re looking after me. Thanks for watching out for me. And also….]
Written with clumsy handwriting and filled with spelling mistakes, the letter continued at length, still not reflecting the navy’s typical script.
But that wasn’t what puzzled me.
It was the last sentence.
[…But to you, I’m still the prettiest, right?]
What in the world does that mean?
