What Constitutes faith?
What made people believe in what they believe?
For everyone, for every topic, there are two essential elements.
Desire and uncertainty.
That's what he learned from his father, that's how Tanaka lives his life.
Absolute proof leaves no room for faith, it transforms belief into simple knowledge. Uncertainty does not oppose faith. Rather, its his prerequisite, stepping out into the unknown, holding onto a hope over an abyss of uncertainty, is the defining act of belief
If uncertainty is the vessel, desire is the driving force. It is the deep yearning for something to be true, even when the evidence is not yet seen.
So when someone do you believe in something, an indisputable proof is not required.
Because then it wouldn't be belief, it would be simply knowing.
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"I heard from Riften-Sama that everyone is heading to Gusteko."
The girl's voice carried unmistakable surprise.
Standing before him was a beautiful young woman with long indigo hair flowing over her shoulders, a single ahoge swaying gently above her head. Her golden eyes widened slightly as she processed the news. Dressed in the familiar nun's attire with its distinctive Kararagian influences, she looked genuinely troubled.
"Yeah," Tanaka replied with a shrug. "There was a change of plans."
Her reaction was understandable.
Only a week had passed since the incident in Kararagi.
A week since they had barely managed to stop a catastrophe capable of consuming all ten city-states.
Most people would still be recovering.
Most people would be trying to forget.
Yet here he was, preparing to walk straight into another dangerous situation.
Melty lowered her gaze.
"I really wish I could come with you."
Tanaka immediately shook his head.
"Don't."
His answer came so quickly that she blinked.
"Everyone going has a reason to."
Nora was going because she wanted to support Halibel.
Tanaka himself needed to find Halibel if he ever wanted to be rid of the cursed blood flowing through his body.
Zarestia and Hugo were bound to him through spirit contracts.
And Tristan...
Well, Tristan was following him because he didn't trust him.
That knight was still technically hunting Kazuki Tanaka while simultaneously traveling with him.
A ridiculous reason.
But it was still one.
Everyone heading north had accepted a risk they needed to take.
Melty hadn't.
And because of that, Tanaka had no intention of allowing her to throw herself into danger.
Melty let out a small sigh.
"I know it's probably pointless to say this, but..."
Her fingers tightened around her sleeves.
"Please be careful."
Her voice grew quieter.
"And try not to be reckless."
Tanaka scratched the back of his head.
"You don't need to worry that much."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I still need to come back and visit the church again."
Instantly, Melty's expression brightened.
Her eyes sparkled.
Then Tanaka continued.
"To see you." The smile widened further. "I'm still not joining the faith, though."
The brightness vanished immediately.
Melty's shoulders drooped.
The dramatic shift was so sudden that Tanaka couldn't help laughing.
"You really looked disappointed just now."
Melty puffed her cheeks slightly.
Seeing him laugh only seemed to make her more embarrassed.
Then suddenly, she stepped forward.
And wrapped her arms around him.
Tanaka froze.
For several seconds, his mind simply stopped working.
The unexpected warmth caught him completely off guard.
"..."
"..."
Neither of them spoke.
The silence stretched.
Awkward.
Comfortable.
Strange.
Eventually, Tanaka cleared his throat.
"Um..."
He awkwardly raised one hand.
"I think you know this already, but hugging a Sin Archbishop is probably a terrible idea."
Melty tightened her embrace.
"I don't care." Her answer came immediately without hesitation. "As far as I know, you're James."
Her voice softened.
Tanaka fell silent.
The bonds he had formed in Kararagi.
The people he had met.
The memories he had made.
They were troublesome and he had complicated feelings regarding them.
For someone who had spent so long convincing himself he didn't belong anywhere, they felt almost unfair.
Slowly, Melty loosened her grip and looked up at him.
"Just promise me something."
"What?"
Her golden eyes reflected genuine concern.
"Promise you won't throw your life away."
The words struck harder than they should have.
Because there was a time when he wouldn't have been able to make that promise.
A time when surviving had never been his priority.
Tanaka looked away for a moment.
Toward the road waiting beyond Kararagi.
Toward whatever nightmare awaited him there.
Then he smiled.
A small smile.
But a genuine one.
"No matter what happens..." His voice was calm. "I'll come back alive."
Melty's eyes widened slightly.
"And when all of this is over..."
For a brief moment, his gaze drifted toward the bracelet around his wrist.
"I'll come clean about everything."
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After parting ways with Melty, Tanaka returned to the tavern to gather the rest of his belongings before the journey.
The familiar wooden sign creaked overhead as he pushed open the door.
The smell of ale, roasted meat, and old timber greeted him immediately.
Before he could even take two steps inside, a blur crashed into him.
"Found you!"
Tanaka staggered backward.
"What the..."
Zarestia was standing directly in front of him, hands on her hips and an annoyed pout on her face.
"I've been looking everywhere for you."
"I stopped by the infirmary."
"The infirmary?"
"To say goodbye to Melty."
Zarestia blinked.
"Who?"
"..."
Tanaka wasn't even surprised anymore.
Before he could answer, Zarestia suddenly straightened.
"Ah!"
She snapped her fingers as if remembering something important.
"That reminds me!"
With an unusually proud expression, she spun around. The white-haired spirit spread her arms wide, displaying her new outfit.
Gone was the light kimono she normally wore.
Instead she wore thicker travel clothes designed for colder climates. A white fur-lined coat rested over her shoulders, while dark fabric wrapped around her legs and arms.
For someone who usually ignored practicality entirely, the effort was surprising.
"The short one picked it for me."
"Nora?"
"Obviously."
She puffed out her chest.
"What do you think?"
Tanaka looked her up and down.
"It actually suits you."
The grin that appeared on her face was immediate.
"Of course it does."
Then she shoved a bundled package into his hands.
"This is yours."
Tanaka looked inside.
Winter clothing.
Probably given by Riften as well.
"Thanks."
Instead of putting it on, he tucked the bundle under his arm. "I'll wear it when we get closer to Gusteko."
Then his expression grew more serious.
"Actually, there's something important."
"Hm?"
Tanaka lowered his voice. "Don't tell Tristan about our contract, same for you Hugo."
He didn't know whether others could hear him or perceive him the way he does but the point is he doesn't want many people to know that he formed a contract with spirits.
The sapphire embedded in his bracelet emitted a faint glow.
A childish voice echoed inside his head.
"Understood, Master!"
Meanwhile Zarestia tilted her head. "Wait! Why do we need to keep it a secret?"
"Because..." Tanaka rubbed his forehead.
How was he supposed to explain this?
"Because I'm already the Sin Archbishop of Pride."
"And?"
"And someone like me making contracts with spirits is exactly the kind of thing that makes people suspicious."
"I don't care what people think."
"Neither do I."
He immediately sighed. "Actually, that's a lie. I care when it becomes a pain in my ass."
The memory of having to explain himself to Nora and Riften flashed through his mind.
Fortunately, they had accepted his explanation regarding the Light Sphere.
Tristan, however?
That man would investigate every detail until the end of time.
"I'd rather avoid another interrogation."
Zarestia crossed her arms.
"Hmph."
Then reluctantly, "Fine."
"Thank you."
He nodded.
"The carriage should be ready by now anyway."
Just as they turned toward the exit, a familiar voice called out.
"You really are cold, leaving without saying goodbye."
Tanaka froze.
The voice came from deeper inside the tavern. His gaze shifted toward the counter.
An elderly man stood there, white hair, wrinkled face and a slightly bent posture.
Yet despite his age, his eyes remained as sharp as ever.
For a brief moment, Tanaka forgot how to respond. The old man looked between him and Zarestia.
Then his eyes narrowed.
"Hah, there you go again..." He pointed toward Zarestia. "Always surrounded by beautiful women."
Zarestia immediately frowned. "Hmph, don't lump me with the average looking women that come here and get drunk." Then she pointed directly at him. "Anyway, can you take your eyes off of me, old perv?"
The old innkeeper nearly choked. "That's one hell of a thing to say! Hey James, where did you find this one?"
"..."
Still, Tanaka said nothing.
"Can you drop the act already? It's pretty much a known fact that you can talk."
Only then did Tanaka realize what he was doing. Ever since arriving in Kararagi, communicating through a notebook had become second nature, especially to Garitch.
Even now, after revealing he could speak, old habits lingered.
"Sorry."
"There he is." The old man laughed. "I still can't believe you spent months carrying that damn notebook around."
"It worked."
The old man shook his head.
"Now I have to manage this place myself."
He gestured around the tavern. "Nora's leaving too."
His expression grew dramatically sorrowful.
"When am I supposed to find time to play cards with now?"
Tanaka laughed. "Maybe that's a sign to stop gambling."
"Don't say things like that!"
Both of them laughed.
For a brief moment, everything felt normal.
Then the old man quietly added, "Still..."
His voice softened.
"I never thought I'd end up missing a Sin Archbishop."
The smile beneath Tanaka's mask disappeared.
Immediately.
The atmosphere shifted.
Zarestia seemed to notice it too.
"Jay..."
"It's fine."
Tanaka handed her the bag he was carrying. "Go to the carriage, I will catch up with you in a moment."
Zarestia hesitated, nodded and left.
Silence settled between the two men.
Slowly, Tanaka reached up, then removed his mask.
The old man wasn't surprised.
Not even slightly.
"Did Riften tell you?" Tanaka asked.
"No." The old man snorted. "You think a few bandages and scars would fool me?"
Tanaka blinked.
"You knew? From the beginning?"
"..."
"You didn't say anything."
The old man leaned back against the counter.
"You are not that special, almost half the population here in the city used to be ex criminals."
No he was a little bit special.
"When you came to me, all I saw was a man who needed food and shelter." He shrugged. "Everyone deserves a second chance."
No he doesn't...
Tanaka hated that conclusion.
If one day, Garitch or anyone else encounters an actual Sin Archbishop, they shouldn't proceed with the same logic, that was a mistake.
For a moment, Tanaka couldn't find a response.
The old man continued. "This city owes you more than it'll ever be able to repay."
His gaze drifted toward the window.
Toward the city outside.
"You saved a lot of people."
Then he looked back.
"So when you're done with whatever insane thing you're about to do..."
A grin spread across his face. "You are always welcome here."
The simple words struck worse than expected.
Because every time someone thanked him...
Every time someone praised him...
They weren't praising Kazuki Tanaka.
They were praising the face he wore.
The face of Stride Vollachia.
That was why he rejected Riften's proposal. Why he refused to publicly reveal himself as the city's savior.
That might have provided him with some relief by possibly making the knight dispatched stop hunting him but he refused.
He couldn't bear watching people rehabilitate the image of a Sin Archbishop because of deeds he had performed.
Stride didn't deserve redemption, no witch cultist deserves that.
Not through him.
Not through anyone.
The old man suddenly broke the silence.
"Actually, rather than welcome, please come back, I'm too old to be running a pub, I should be out there, gambling all the money I saved."
A laugh escaped Tanaka before he could stop it.
"Sure."
He placed the mask back over his face.
"Go gamble your fortune away and leave the tavern to a Sin Archbishop."
Tanaka waved without looking back.
Then he stepped outside.
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Word of their departure had spread far faster than Tanaka expected.
A crowd had formed.
Merchants.
Laborers.
Children.
People who had lost their homes.
People who had almost lost their lives.
People who normally should have had no reason to care.
Yet they were all there.
The dragon carriage waited near the gate, its earth dragons pawing impatiently against the ground.
Nearby, Nora was being swarmed by children who were desperately trying to say their goodbyes.
Melty had somehow arrived despite supposedly being busy at the infirmary.
Even Riften stood near the gate, accompanied by several city officials.
Meanwhile, Zarestia seemed completely occupied with waving proudly at everyone as if she were royalty.
Tanaka sighed.
A crowd of children suddenly pushed through the crowd.
"James!"
"You guys are..."
They were children he used to help treating along Melty in the church.
"You can actually talk!"
"Why do you have to go?"
"You will come back, right?"
Tanaka felt awkward because he isn't used to interacting with children, that's why he looked upward and at every direction, trying to look for help.
His eyes landed on Melty, who also laughed, she couldn't see his facial expressions since he was obviously wearing a mask but anyone could discern how he felt based on his awkward body language.
And in the face of an uncomfortable stance with children, Tanaka used the only move he could think.
He patted their heads and then spoke up in a cheerful tone, "You don't have to worry, I just have this job that I have to finish first but I will definitely come back."
Even they didn't ask him, he still felt the need to come back to Banan.
He needed to face the people he encounters, the bonds he formed.
Not as Stride Vollachia, not even as his Alias "James", but as himself.
As Kazuki Tanaka.
Then from the carriage, a voice called out, it was Tristan.
"We're leaving!"
The crowd immediately erupted into noise.
"Come back alive!"
"Don't cause trouble!"
"Safe travels!"
Nora laughed.
Tristan awkwardly nodded toward several people who recognized him.
Tanaka climbed into the carriage last.
There he goes again, heading towards a foggy future.
His goal in restoring what he had lost, to get rid of the cursed blood, to become Kazuki Tanaka once again, to reunite with the people he cares about.
However, his plan carried so many uncertainties.
The wheels rolled forward.
Slowly at first.
Then faster.
There was a possibility that they don't find him, there was a possibility that he dies before they reach him, there was even a possibility that he might not be able to cure him.
But there was nothing he could do about those uncertainties...
Nothing other to have faith.
The cheers gradually faded behind them, the walls of the city shrank into the distance, the familiar streets disappeared from view.
And before long, only the open road remained.
Ahead of them lay the frozen north.
The Holy Kingdom of Gusteko.