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Join the Server“Really, you seem quite interested in religious culture. Since you’re so curious, I’ll tell you.”
Kapu spoke as though he were granting a favor.
Kebel disliked that attitude, but he was the one seeking answers. Quietly, he listened.
“This village was originally home to people who possessed divine power.”
“…”
“The Full Moon Festival began as a reminder not to lower one’s guard against divine power, which grows stronger for a brief period under the full moon. You can think of it as a traditional custom passed down through the village.”
“Still, there’s something I don’t understand…”
Kebel hesitated.
Nothing about the village looked like a place where people with divine power gathered.
As he carefully searched for the right words, Kapu answered as if he had read his thoughts.
“It’s natural to find it strange. The Kingdom of Beal doesn’t acknowledge divine power.”
“Then this festival…?”
“The festival you’re enjoying now is, simply put, a form of vicarious satisfaction.”
“Vicarious satisfaction?”
“Yes. A celebration where people gather to indulge in the superiority of believing they’ve trampled those blessed with special powers.”
Kebel’s face twisted instantly.
Until now, he’d thought festivals were meant to bring people together, to enjoy food, culture, and celebration.
Never had he imagined such a cruel meaning lurked beneath the festivities.
Seeing his shocked expression, Kapu merely shrugged.
“You would’ve learned eventually.”
“What do you mean?”
“The forbidden book you were reading. It’s explained in the latter half.”
“…”
Kebel stiffened.
So Kapu had noticed after all.
Worried that his actions might somehow harm the Empire, Kebel tensed.
Kapu chuckled.
“Don’t worry. I don’t intend to tell anyone. Let it remain a secret between you and me.”
“…What do you want?”
At that, Kapu burst into laughter.
“What an interesting question.”
Wiping tears from the corners of his eyes, he grinned.
“I don’t want anything. I simply wish to become friends with you. I’m not a bad person.”
Despite the harmless smile, Kebel’s unease remained.
People who offered kindness too easily often had hidden motives.
At least, that’s what he’d been taught.
As Kebel narrowed his eyes suspiciously, a loud shout suddenly echoed through the square.
“You filthy demon! How dare you touch him?! Do you even know who this gentleman is?!”
Turning toward the commotion, Kebel saw a ragged child being berated by a servant.
The boy looked poor, dressed in worn, dirty clothes.
Whatever had happened, it was serious enough to cause a scene during a festival.
The servant spat at the ground in front of the child.
Kebel immediately stood.
But Kapu extended an arm.
“May I handle it?”
Kebel nodded.
Surely someone from this kingdom would know how to resolve matters better than he could.
Yet instead of stepping forward, Kapu merely watched.
Confused, Kebel glanced at him.
For the first time, Kapu’s smiling mask was gone.
His face was cold.
Not merely serious, cold enough to freeze the air around him.
“I’m embarrassed you’ve had to witness this.”
“…Forget that. What about the child?”
“You may have noticed. He’s one of those with divine power.”
A child blessed with divine power.
According to the books, people like him lived lives worse than slaves.
But reading about it and seeing it were different things.
The boy looked no older than nine.
Tears streamed endlessly from his large eyes, yet he didn’t dare make a sound.
As if he already knew crying aloud would only worsen his punishment.
Kebel’s chest tightened painfully.
The child trembled beneath the servant’s scolding.
No one intervened.
No one cared.
Kebel couldn’t endure it.
A child was a child.
Someone meant to be protected.
Yet everyone simply watched.
Just as Kebel prepared to step forward, Kapu spoke.
“Please stay here. I’ll go.”
Kapu approached the nobleman standing nearby.
Recognizing him, the noble immediately greeted him.
“A disturbance drew me over. Ah, so it’s a child with divine power.”
“Tch. The brat touched me. My luck truly couldn’t be worse.”
The noble brushed at his clothes as though filth had stained them.
The child shrank further under the hateful glare.
Kebel clenched his fists.
For a brief moment, the frightened child overlapped with another face in his mind.
Oshi.
The memory surfaced without warning.
Violence can never be justified.
The words Osh had once spoken remained vivid in his memory.
Watching Kapu approach, Kebel hoped he would defend the boy.
Instead, Kapu said coldly:
“A s*ave has no right to wander the streets freely. His master will be held accountable.”
“I-I’m sorry…”
“And since you’ve ruined the mood of this celebration, you won’t escape punishment either. Return home and reflect on your actions.”
The child’s face turned white.
Absolute terror filled his eyes.
That was enough.
Kebel strode forward.
Ignoring the stares gathering around him, he stopped beside the boy.
The child flinched violently.
When Kebel reached into his coat, the boy instinctively wrapped his arms around himself.
As though expecting to be struck.
Kebel hurriedly withdrew a handkerchief and held it out.
The reaction was even worse.
The child stared at the cloth with pure fear.
As though kindness itself were something dangerous.
Why?
What had happened to make a child react like this?
Swallowing the bitter thoughts rising in his throat, Kebel turned toward Kapu.
Kapu was already watching him.
“Kapu.”
“Yes…?”
The firmness in Kebel’s gaze made Kapu trail off.
He seemed to understand exactly what Kebel intended to say.
A troubled smile crossed his face.
Yet Kebel showed no sign of backing down.
Gently, he took hold of the child’s trembling arm and guided him behind his own body.
For a moment, surprise flashed across Kapu’s face.
Then he sighed and shook his head.
“Very well. Stay with the child for a moment.”
Relief washed through Kebel.
Keeping the boy close, he watched Kapu deal with the nobleman.
After a brief exchange, the noble finally left.
Only once they were gone did Kebel crouch down to meet the child’s eyes.
He placed the handkerchief into the small trembling hand.
Then he spoke softly.
“I’m not here to hurt you.”
The child stared at him.
“I can’t promise I can protect you either…”
Kebel’s voice grew gentler.
“But I don’t want you to cry.”
The sincerity in those words shattered whatever restraint the child had left.
His eyes trembled.
Fresh tears spilled down his cheeks.
He bit his cracked lips desperately, trying not to make a sound.
But eventually, quiet sobs escaped.
Flustered, Kebel hurriedly wiped away the tears.
Far away, beyond the borders of the kingdom, Osh was already moving.
And for reasons Kebel couldn’t explain, a sudden chill ran down his spine.
As though someone was drawing closer with every passing moment.
You think this chapter was thrilling? Wait until you read Grandmother, What Did You Leave Behind! Click here to discover the next big twist!
Read : Grandmother, What Did You Leave Behind
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