act16side

Sorry for what...?

I don't really understand.

You... You know where Mamma is, don't you?

Yes, I do... I'm sorry, Cecelia.

I'm sorry... I don't know why I'm apologizing, either... I'm sorry.

Cecelia—your mother—passed away.

She's not here anymore.

If she's not here, where is she then? What does... 'passed away' mean?

I remember, this morning, Mamma said she was going somewhere, and she couldn't take me with her... Did you go there with her, Mister Ezell?

Can you... take me there too? Just once, just for a little bit?

I—I won't be selfish, and I'll listen to Mamma, and I won't stay there and say I won't leave... so... so...

Can you let me see Mamma one more time?

I haven't said goodbye to her yet.

Uh, what's happening? Why is she crying, Ezell? Just what did you do to a poor little girl?

Who are you? Hold on, that uniform... You're a Legatus?

Very sharp eyes, Senior Ezell.

By order of His Holiness the Pope, I'm here to take Cecelia to the Basilica.

Whoops, forgot to introduce myself. My name's Oren Argiolas. If you want to check my identity, no harm in using your regulation terminal from the Hall there.

Oh, no, forgot that too. You turned it off, didn't you?

How did you find this place, then?

Senior Ezell, you underestimate a Legatus. You thought your movements would be hard to track? Or did you think you were so thorough, you left zero trace along the way?

Your Excellency... If you're going to take Cecelia away, can I at least ask you a few questions first?

Hahah, you're funny, senior. You think I have to answer what you ask?

But I'm not such a cruel man... so shoot.

Just who is Cecelia?

Was she... born a fallen angel?

Colorful imagination, Ezell.

But it's not as mysterious as you think.

Cecelia's mixed-blood, that's all.

What? That's not possible... A Sankta's mixed-blood child can't be a Sankta!

There are very few cases of Sankta mixing blood with other races... but it's not rare enough to alarm the Lateran Curia...

You know the reason perfectly well, then.

Offspring of Sankta and other races don't become Sankta.

A Sankta and Feline's child turns out Feline, a Sankta and Forte's child turns out Forte.

Mixed Sankta offspring don't get their halo and wings of light when they say their first word, and they can't empathetically sense other Sankta.

To put it simply, they won't have any of the Sankta's distinguishing features. Without exception...

That's the generally accepted wisdom, anyway.

Cecelia is an exception.

She's a Sankta who shouldn't have turned out as one.

My second question is, should Cecelia is taken to the Basilica, how the Lateran Curia will... treat her?

I don't know.

Don't give me that look, Ezell. If I was going to lie to you, I'd feed you a much kinder one, no problem.

But the reality's what you see. Cecelia is an 'exception.' I couldn't tell you how the Pope is going to handle this.

But this Holy Father of ours... I don't know what impression you have of him, but, well.

At least, as I'm given to understand, he's not known to use extreme methods.

And look at how cute Cecelia is. How hardhearted would someone have to be to harm her, right?

Third question.

I cannot entirely trust your answers... I wish to accompany Cecelia to the Basilica.

Um, is that a question?

Sorry, but that's the one 'question' you'll have to forgive my answer on...

Oren, what are you doing here?