Chapter 65

Costance drove to the signpost in Zone 45 and spotted a man already waiting there.  

Unlike earlier, Rahie was dressed in casual clothing, leisurely checking the time. When he noticed Costance’s car, he approached with a grin, exposing his gums.  

“I’ve been waiting.”  

“Get in.”  

At Costance’s words, Rahie shrugged and climbed into the back seat.  

Zone 45 was a vast, empty field with no one around. Though surveillance cameras were installed, they had been damaged by a recent sandstorm and were no longer functional. It was the perfect place for a secret meeting.  

“Let’s get straight to the point since we don’t have much time.”  

Costance finally spoke.  

“I’m going to take Vivi Ferren to the Papal States.”  

Rahie’s eyes curved slightly at the edges.  

“Really?”  

“I’m not lying.”  

“I’d like to hear your reasons for making this decision.”  

“Does that matter?”  

“I’m turning my back on Toramde for this as well. Your resolve is important to me.”  

At Rahie’s words, Costance explained only a small portion of what had happened. In his account, he deliberately omitted any mention of his personal relationship with Vivi.  

“You seem to know Vivi Ferren quite well.” 

Rahie remarked sharply after Costance finished speaking. Costance’s gaze immediately hardened.  

“Does that matter right now?”  

“Not particularly. I was just making an observation.”  

Feigning ignorance, Rahie shrugged again. Then he pulled a car key from his pocket and handed it to Costance.  

“It’s in the village closest to the agency. It’s a red car parked on Street 3. This car is too conspicuous, so switch to the one I prepared.”  

Indeed, continuing to drive the car taken from the agency was too dangerous. Costance accepted the car key.  

“The Conclave is soon. I’ll also be confined to the cathedral during that time. If anything happens to you, I won’t be able to help.”  

Rahie habitually adjusted his clothes.  

“That said, coming to the Papal States before the Conclave is also risky. Everyone is on edge before the Conclave.”  

“…….” 

“Come after the Conclave is over. Hold out until then, Costance.”  

“What if the Donclave doesn’t produce the results you want?”  

For Costance, this was a matter of life and death. He wanted to address any potential scenarios.  

“That won’t happen.”  

For a moment, Rahie’s eyes gleamed sharply. Costance didn’t flinch even at the sight of this.  

“I’m just asking, Your Holiness.”  

“I understand your concern. Even if something unexpected happens, I promise to find another way to protect you and Vivi Ferren.”  

Rahie glanced at Costance, as if asking whether that answer was satisfactory.  

“Your Holiness.”  

Instead of replying, Costance called out to Rahie.  

“Speak.”  

“My younger brother is at the Canary Cathedral. His name is Eugene.”  

“Eugene?”  

Rahie refocused, surprised by the unexpected statement.  

“If my father finds out I’ve betrayed him, he might harm my brother. He’s in the orphanage at the Canary Cathedral. Please protect him and later bring him to the Papal States.”  

Costance made his request boldly.  

“If he’s in an orphanage, your brother is already under the protection of God. It won’t be difficult.”  

Rahie asked if there was anything else Costance wanted, but Costance shook his head. The conversation ended there.  

“Ships heading to the Papal States are prepared at various ports. Refer to the note I gave you with the car key for the models and codenames.”  

All that remained was for Costance to find Vivi, convince her, and hide until the Conclave was over.  

Rahie opened the car door. The weather had grown colder. In the distance, the agency remained quiet, with no signs of commotion.  

“Costance, I hope fortune is always on your side.”  

Rahie gave his final words before stepping out of the car.  

With that farewell, Costance drove off.  

* * *  

She was hungry.  

So was Irini.  

It had been days since they got off the boat, and they had to walk all the way to the southern village to catch the train. The distance had seemed short on the map, but she realized too late that even walking day and night wouldn’t get them halfway there.  

The strength she lost from walking was barely replenished by a piece of bread and a sip of water from her bag. Irini, more exhausted than she was, cried endlessly.  

“…….”  

To head south, they had to cross a mountain that stood in the way. It didn’t seem very tall, so she had underestimated it, but it drained what little energy she had left.  

Eventually, she stopped walking and leaned against a tree.  

“Haa…….”  

Hunger was the biggest problem, more than her exhaustion. Her empty stomach made it impossible to think. Alres, who had been captured, was a distant concern, and even Costance’s face began to blur in her memory.  

“Ah.”  

Something fell onto her head. Thinking it was a pinecone, she looked up and saw the dull gray sky. It was going to rain.  

She needed to find shelter…  

Straightening her back, she accidentally let go of Irini, who had been in her arms. Irini stared at her blankly for a moment before running off somewhere.  

“Irini!”  

She called out to him belatedly. Grabbing her bag, she moved in the direction Irini had fled.  

“Irini!”  

It was night, and the surroundings were pitch black. The raindrops that had begun to fall quickly turned into a downpour.  

The rain blurred her vision. Desperate to find Irini, her legs slipped.  

“Ah!”  

Her body tumbled down the mountain slope. Leaves stuck to her face, and a dull sound suggested her leg might have broken.  

She eventually came to a stop. Too scared to lift her head, she lay there sobbing. The pain was secondary to the overwhelming fear of being truly alone.  

Irini was gone. Alres was gone. Costance was gone.  

‘I’m all alone.’  

The realization crushed her.  

“Irini…….”  

She called out desperately for Irini, who had left.  

She knew. Irini would survive just fine without her. Irini was fast and could find food on her own.  

Even so, she had kept Irini with her for her own sake. She had made Irini suffer alongside her for her own emotional comfort.  

She was a selfish person.  

‘Father.’  

Did he know this kind of fear?  

Nergal Galinne had always been alone.  

Many people had tried to approach him, but Nergal had always chosen to bear everything by himself—even the destructive weapon.  

Had father realized that loneliness too late? 

Terrified out of her mind, she now, for the first time, wished she could die.  

***

When Costance arrived at the village, colorful neon signs greeted him. Leaving the key in the ignition, he abandoned the car and ran straight to Street 3. The red car Rahie had mentioned was parked between alleyways in a residential area.  

〈We originally planned to take the train from the next village. But the agents caught wind of it, and Benny must’ve decided taking the train there was too risky.〉  

As he got into the car, Costance recalled Alres’ words. If his deductions were correct, Vivi was likely planning to board a train in a small southern village. The problem was the agents stationed everywhere to capture her.  

〈There will be agents in the small village too. Even if she reaches the village, Benny might hesitate to board the train and instead wander around the area…〉  

Even Alres didn’t know exactly where she was. The presence of agents had drastically reduced the likelihood that Vivi had followed this route. Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Costance accelerated as much as he could.  

Where could Vivi be? The agents were desperate to find her.  

And yet, the fact that Vivi Ferren hadn’t been captured yet left two possibilities. One was that Vivi Ferren was exceptionally skilled at hiding. The other was that Vivi Ferren had taken her own life.  

A young woman on the run.  

The daughter of Nergal Galinne.  

The possibility of suicide wasn’t low. The thought alone made Costance feel as if his breath might stop.  

In fact, agents were already considering the latter possibility and searching the nearby lake for her body.  

It was around 2 a.m. The road was empty except for Costance’s car.  

After driving non-stop, Costance reached the area near the village where Vivi had last been seen.  

He immediately unfolded a map and began pinpointing possible locations where Vivi might be. Soon, his gaze settled on a single spot.  

A small mountain range below the river. There was a train station in the village below, but the lake and mountains blocked direct access. Going around would take over a month.  

If she crossed the river and climbed the mountain, she could reach it in two days, but…  

‘…It’s reckless.’  

Attempting such a feat alone, without any equipment, was far too dangerous. Costance glanced at the rain pouring outside.  

The raindrops lashed fiercely against the windshield.  

‘If… she really went alone…’  

“Damn it.”  

Costance threw the map onto the passenger seat and turned the steering wheel sharply.