Alan walked down the bright, sunny hallway. Yet to him, it felt cold and bleak, like a winter snowstorm was wrapped around the city.
His brother dealt with the crowds, calming people down and in the end. Ryuji became the bad guy, and now his status as the Blood Tyrant had become fixed. No amount of good looks or charming personality will fix that situation.
"Haa.. brother, why did you take the simple job and push these guys onto me!" Alan's sigh echoed in the empty passage; even the beautiful murals of his mother earning glory in the arena didn't lift his feelings, struggling with a complicated dilemma as he almost saw his best friend die once again.
'Ryuji, I am happy you could endure that attack. However, I don't understand how because the goddess was seriously trying to kill you... To a level, she tried to order me to aid in the attack.'
The closer Alan came to the large room dedicated to the church during this tournament he felt rocks building in his stomach.
If asked to choose between Ryuji and the kingdom, he would struggle but bow down a thousand times to apologise to Ryuji for saving the people.
However, for the church or the goddess that abandoned him when he fought the Demon Queen...
'Never...'
His hand reached towards the door, faltering like a maiden scared to confront her abusive father.
Alan shook his head, preparing for a long and irritating talk. Because the church lost a templar, they will probably advocate for Ryuji's death. Not to mention, their Apostle suffered such great embarrassment when Ryuji stepped on her face...
The look her father made resembled someone who ate a plate of mouldy sour grapes.
His hand twisted, and finally, he took a step inside. The air smelt stale a strange aura suddenly washed over Alan's body. The familiar feeling of Lumina's blessing flowed in this room with great intensity, likely because Sheila lay on a bed with expensive sheets in the corner under Lumina's statue that seemed to shine down upon her.
"..."
At first, the two priests who knelt continued their prayer while her father looked down from the altar at Alan with a foul look, his lips curling into a frown as his eyes narrowed.
"Well, if it isn't our useless hero who has failed three times to strike down evil!" Her father's words were heavy and filled with thick malice while causing Alan's heart to squeeze, the memories that Ryuji's brilliance helped to heal even slightly torn with this bitter old man's voice.
"If I am useless, then surely the goddess is even more incompetent; her apostle lost so easily, and the 'evil' survived her divine baptism."
Alan didn't know where this fierce and sharp tone came from; he suddenly felt excitement and adrenaline filling his stomach as the entire room suddenly looked at him like a monster. He could even feel the judgmental gaze from the statue of Lumina.
'Ah... What is this feeling? Is this what it's like to be Ryuji? He enjoys this excitement and joy every day?'
"BLASPHEMY!"
"Oh? I don't deny it. However, if she is all-seeing, knowing and powerful. Then surely she must have known we couldn't defeat that irregular demon queen; no, that thing isn't even a demon, to begin with, is it? But you keep sending knights, spilling the blood of MY PEOPLE and for what? To feed that monster's appetite?"
"Duke Alan, please watch your tone in the house of our goddess. However, you are protected because of your role as her hero. Never forget that such a role can be taken away, and your kingdom will lose the support of OUR church."
The obvious threat made Alan's mind switch between his sister, aunt, Velvet and the king before changing to Ryuji... that idiot's smile and his dumb confidence.
"Do you understand Alan Grigor?"
His stomach squeezed, and a sharp pain struck his chest as he wanted to vomit; his father, brother and ancestors already suffered enough, and the church and goddess stole his mother twice. Now this deal, a deal he couldn't refuse because of the stigmata burned into his chest from the hero contract that was signed with his soul and existence on the line.
"You ask me... to betray him, to kill Ryuji?" Alan's trembling voice echoed in the hall as his hands clenched; the cardinal's disgusting smile grew even further.
"Of course, it is your destiny. You were always the sacrificial pawn, Alan Grigor. The hero must kill the ruler of demons, and HE is the true ruler. I am glad my tricks on his father passed on to him, leading to his summoning. Hahahaha, that silly bitch thought I would let her escape and have a happy life despite being a filthy demon spawned from dirt!"
Alan's anger rose at the goddess, her words different from when she would speak to believers, a cruel, selfish and egotistical woman... All because...
"She should never have touched him, that man... he was mine, my hero, my future companion! His radiance was like nothing in this world! Since he wanted to spite me, betray me and leave. I will take his son!"
Alan trembled; his heart almost exploded as he wanted to cut this cardinal into pieces... however, it would do nothing to Lumina, who was omnipresent in this holy room; her eyes would see his actions, and her voice would stop him.
"Please... I beg of you, Goddess Lumina... There has to be another way!" Alan was a strong man. He didn't cry even after losing to the demon twice, nor when his mother passed... however, two small streams dripped down his cheeks.
He didn't want to betray Ryuji because of Alan. Ryuji was his guiding light, more than Liana, more than Yumiko and Erika. It was Alan who needed his presence the most.
"Alan, that's no good. He cannot live because that monster reminds me of his bitch mother... Though he is more vibrant and brilliant than his father, I want to crush him, to watch as his blood oozes from his body while he regrets being born!"
Lumina's voice transferred into Alan's mind, her divine power binding him while he trembled, his entire body shaking while staring at the statue.
'Ryuji, Brother, I'm sorry, but you cannot die... that's why I will make you into a hero slayer, my one goal... I will reforge you and guide you.'
"...."
Since he couldn't change her will and desire, Alan's eyes sharpened, and a divine flame flickered across his skin, burning the tears as if to absorb his resolve as he looked at the cardinal and statue as if they were garbage.
The goddess couldn't read minds, nor did she have a human mind to understand Alan's feelings or heart; thus, his silence was enough for her to leave and believe he would obey her will without issues.
'I can't make my little niece cry now she's in love with you. You're family now, and I would do anything for family.'
"Hahahahaha."
While the cardinal returned to himself, panting and gasping on the altar, Alan left the room with a twisted smile, almost identical to the smile that Ryuji made when having fun in combat.
This was the moment that Lumina, the goddess of light, lost her hero and didn't even realise it.
'Ryuji needs to leave Grigor after the tournament—I must find a quest that will take him to the beast kingdom and allow him to grow stronger. I should hire some bandits and crooks... Ryuji seems to love fighting people like that. Is it hatred for the same kind?'
"Hahahaha... I feel so free. Shall I go see Akari and ask her for another date?"
Everything Alan did was for family and Kingdom, but he would not reveal this plan, or his feelings for the goddess would take action the moment he spoke them aloud.
He only hoped Ryuji would understand without words.