14
As we continued down the road, the Elves would occasionally glance in our direction, with a faint hint of hostility in their eyes.
That hostility wasn’t directed at me, but at Cooper.
The reason was simple—Cooper had injured several members of the Free Alliance when he caught up to us.
As the beginner’s guide, my data pack contained all the information that the developers thought might be useful, including brief introductions to various cards. However, to avoid overwhelming players with too much background information, the introductions for the church personnel were handed over to the guards and priests at the church entrance, where triggering a dialogue option would unlock a short video for each character.
Cooper’s introduction video was entirely set in a dim dungeon, where he interrogated criminals alone and then impaled the confessing criminals onto a cross with his spear. The final scene showed him turning back with a blood-splattered face, smiling creepily at the camera, and making a shushing gesture as the ominous BGM swelled.
As for the text description, it focused on his bloodthirsty nature, his difficulty in getting along with others, and his abnormal thought process, without mentioning anything about his past. It was as if he was born as a crazed sadist. However, the introduction did emphasize that he never killed the innocent. Everyone he killed was guilty, which is why he earned Pope Hilier’s trust and became the youngest Inquisitor.
There was no mention at all that he had once been trained to be the next leader of the Holy Knights.
—Of course, it could also be because when they wrote his introduction, the programmers hadn’t yet accidentally inserted him into a storyline involving me. Now, the plot had drastically changed, forcing him to violate his character by injuring many innocent people just to chase after me…
In other words, the reason he turned out this way was entirely my fault.
I felt guilty but didn’t know how to apologize, so I remained silent under his fierce glare.
For some reason, Cooper seemed even angrier, and it looked like he wanted to tear me apart: “Stop looking at me like that!”
I obediently looked away.
Three seconds later, Cooper started thrashing around like a caged beast: “Why won’t you look at me?!”
“…”
His health bar began to drop again, while his mana bar rapidly filled. He must have used his ultimate skill earlier in the fight against Selena, and now a clear “Weakened” debuff hung beneath his health bar. His regeneration was already slow, and if he activated another skill, he might accidentally kill himself.
I didn’t care what happened to me, but Cooper was still an important figure in the Church of Light. If he died here, it would create a deadly grudge between the Church of Light and the Free Alliance, pushing both sides into full-on conflict and dropping faction reputations to rock bottom. For the sake of player experience, I couldn’t let that happen.
So, I adjusted my position and dragged the stubborn Cooper onto my lap. His fierce expression momentarily faltered, giving me the chance to reach out and cover his eyes. “Quiet.”
Instantly, his mana bar stopped rising and began to plummet. He suddenly froze. The half of his face not covered by my hand was still smeared with blood, but without the feral snarl, he looked surprisingly well-behaved.
So, how did that once-adorable boy, who loved to cling to me, turn into this…
Leaning back against the bars of the cage, I finally made up my mind to open the [Alvin + Cooper] codex storyline.
…
It was the grand Church of Light, with pure white statues lining both sides of the corridor. The polished floor reflected the passing priests and knights. A figure in a knight’s uniform walked briskly down the hallway. He was somewhere between a boy and a young man, his face still carrying a hint of youthfulness, and a wide, carefree smile spread across his face. As he walked, he casually greeted the passing priests. His actions were anything but solemn. The older priests frowned disapprovingly, but upon meeting his smile, their tone softened. “Cooper, mind your manners.”
Cooper just grinned, not bothering to respond, and breezed through the corridor like the wind, leaving the priests shaking their heads in helplessness at his retreating figure.
He almost ran out of the hall filled with holy statues, turning a few corners before finally stopping in front of a door. After deliberately tidying his uniform, he silently pushed the door open just a crack and slipped inside.
Beyond the door was a study. The carpet muffled his already light footsteps as he crept forward, only to stop in surprise—behind the desk facing the door sat a blond man, seemingly absorbed in his paperwork, completely unaware of the person who had just entered.
Cooper frowned and quickly walked over to the desk, bending down to take a closer look—the man still held a quill in his hand, but he had fallen asleep. The candle on the desk had burned down to the last inch, clearly left burning all night.
“Again…” Cooper muttered quietly, moving to the window to gently draw the curtains, blocking out the sunlight. He deftly circled around the desk, silently organizing the already-finished paperwork. Then, he picked up the few remaining sheets, casually flipping through them. His eyes suddenly narrowed.
In the dimly lit room, the flickering candlelight cast a shadow over Cooper’s expression. He glanced at the sleeping man, let out a soft scoff, and memorized the contents of the parchment before placing them back on the desk and turning to leave.
The candle finally burned out, and time seemed to lose all meaning in the darkened room. It was unclear how long had passed before the man suddenly opened his eyes, his fingers twitching as if to grab something, but he quickly regained his senses. He frantically moved the broken quill away from the parchment, relieved to see that it hadn’t left any ink stains.
A hand holding a handkerchief appeared before him.
He instinctively accepted it, murmuring a thanks.
A few seconds later, he looked up in confusion, only to meet a pair of mischievous eyes—Cooper’s chin rested atop a stack of documents, lazily greeting him. As he spoke, his head bobbed up and down like a little animal. “Alvin, if that had been a spear I handed you just now, you’d be dead!”
“…” Alvin wiped the ink off his hand and asked helplessly, “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be training?”
“Already finished!” Cooper jumped up and ran over to yank open the curtains.
Alvin squinted against the sudden blast of afternoon sunlight and raised his hand to shield his eyes, frowning. “What time is it now?”
“Time for afternoon tea!” Cooper quickly ran back, crouching beside the chair with his chin resting on the armrest, staring up at him eagerly. “Let’s go to the Wolf Tavern today, okay? I really want their roast venison!”
“Did you skip lunch again?” Alvin knocked him on the head. “How many times have I told you to eat on time!”
“You didn’t eat either!” Cooper retorted indignantly, tilting his head and whining, “Let’s go, pleeeease, the roast venison is soooo good! Tea—cher—”
“Not this again…” Alvin sighed, reaching out to organize the paperwork, only to find that it had already been neatly sorted. He paused, glancing at Cooper, who was now rolling his face back and forth on the armrest, before looking away and picking up the few remaining documents he hadn’t yet finished. As he quickly read through them, he asked, “Get up! Did you finish all your training today?”
“All done!” Cooper’s eyes lit up. “So can we go now?”
Alvin quickly skimmed through the remaining documents, making a few swift notations before reaching a separate sheet. His brow furrowed as he carefully read the few short lines. After committing them to memory, he opened a drawer carved with a sealing array. The drawer was empty, but when the parchment fell inside, a pale blue flame ignited, consuming the entire page without leaving a trace.
Closing the drawer, Alvin tugged on the small braid at the back of Cooper’s head. “Let’s go.”
Cooper happily responded, running over to grab Alvin’s coat from the rack and handing it to him.
Alvin accepted the coat, hesitated for a moment, then said, “After we eat, I need to take you to handle something.”
Cooper nodded knowingly. “You mean Bishop Ashe, right?”
Alvin looked at him.
“I’ve already seen it!” Cooper nodded toward the drawer. “It’s about how Bishop Ashe got drunk and forced himself on a woman, and her family came to the church seeking justice, right?”
“…Yes.” Alvin’s brow furrowed. “Hilier had high hopes for him. I didn’t expect he’d do something like that…”
“Don’t worry, I’ve already handled it for you!” Cooper said proudly, lifting his chin.
“You?” Alvin froze, then his expression darkened. “What do you mean by ‘handled’? Is Bishop Ashe still alive?!”
“Of course that old man’s still alive! You said it yourself, the Pope has high hopes for him!” Cooper pouted.
Alvin sighed in relief.
“I killed the family instead,” Cooper added.
“…What did you say?”
“I cleaned up the bodies, too. No one saw it, so no one will bother that old man anymore.” Cooper snorted, complaining, “And to think you had to waste your time on such a trivial matter…”
Alvin stared at him, unable to process what he was hearing.
“From now on, leave these kinds of dirty jobs to me. After all, I enjoy killing!” Cooper leaned closer to Alvin, his eyes gleaming. “That way, I won’t have to see the awful face you make every time you kill someone!”
“…”
Alvin opened his mouth several times, as if there was a wet cloth stuck in his throat, and finally forced out a response. “You… killed her family.”
“Yep.” Cooper nodded.
“You…” Alvin watched his disciple’s nonchalant expression, his hand trembling slightly. “…You thought I was going to ‘handle’ them…”
“Eh? Wasn’t that what you meant?” Cooper blinked, then shrugged. “Well, I could go kill that old man instead if you want. I’ve been sick of him for a while anyway!”
“No…” Alvin lowered his head, his voice dry. “Bishop Ashe’s actions violated church law, so he’ll be severely punished. I wanted to protect her family before the trial to prevent anyone from tampering with the evidence.”
Cooper scratched his face. “Oh…” He quickly glanced at Alvin’s expression and grabbed his sleeve, pouting. “I know I messed up. I won’t act on my own next time!”
“Cooper…”
“I’ll listen to you from now on. I promise I won’t kill people randomly anymore!” Cooper seemed to sense something in Alvin’s tone and dropped his playful demeanor, speaking earnestly. “Teacher, I’ll accept any punishment. I swear I won’t do it again!”
“Cooper.” Alvin raised his head to look at his disciple, then quickly looked down again. He stared at the uniform coat in his hands, shaking his head in confusion, and whispered, “…It’s not your fault. I failed to teach you properly.”
“…”
Cooper froze, staring at him in disbelief. “What… what did you say?”
Alvin took a deep breath, looking into his eyes. Just as he was about to say something, Cooper suddenly took a step forward and grabbed his collar. His fingers turned white with the force, and he glared at his teacher, his words tumbling out in a chaotic rush. “You brought me out of there! You gave me a name! You taught me how to write! You made me your student! To become a Holy Knight! You… you!!!”
“…It was my mistake. You’re not suited to be a Holy Knight.” Alvin clenched his jaw, grabbing Cooper’s wrist but failing to pull him off.
Cooper’s pupils trembled, his body shaking. His face twisted with uncontrolled emotion, and through clenched teeth, he managed to rasp, “Alvin! You told me—! I-I wanted to help you, I just wanted… You, you can’t!” As he spoke, his voice shifted to a plea. “I really know I was wrong. Don’t… Please, just punish me. I’ll listen to you. I won’t kill anymore. Please…”
Alvin stared at him in silence, unable to respond.
Slowly, Cooper lowered his head and let go of Alvin’s collar.
The brilliant sunlight streamed through the tall windows, bathing everything in warmth and brightness—everything except the two figures standing frozen in the middle of the room.
After a long while, Alvin finally spoke. “Leave.”
Cooper stood with his head bowed, staring at his toes, unmoving and silent, like a statue.
Alvin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He spoke again. “…Go back.”
Cooper lifted his gaze, staring at him without blinking.
“Go back…” Alvin turned to face the desk, his eyes fixed on the burnt-out candle holder. “Let me be alone for a while.”
Cooper stared at his back, his heterochromatic eyes ringed with red. A crooked smile twisted across his face as he stuttered, “Fine… I-I’ll go back… I’ll listen to you…” He clenched his fists tightly, forcing his voice to stay steady. “Tomorrow… I’ll come find you for training…”
Alvin didn’t answer.
Stiffly, Cooper turned around and took one step, then another, then another, until he reached the door. With trembling hands, he grabbed the handle and pulled the door open, stepping out and closing it behind him. For a moment, he stood there with that grotesque smile frozen on his face, forcing himself to turn around. One step, two steps, three steps… thirty-five steps, thirty-six steps, thirty-seven steps…
He suddenly let out a guttural scream, slamming his fists against the wall. His forehead pressed against the stone as his chest heaved violently. It took a long time for him to calm down.
“Alvin, Alvin…” he muttered like a wounded child calling for his father, or perhaps like someone trying to tear the name to pieces and swallow it whole. “…Alvin.”
…
15
I looked down at Cooper, who was now lying quietly across my lap, and suddenly felt the urge to pat his head.
Looking back on everything that had happened, I could now see it more clearly—“I” had thought the time had come to teach my disciple about the “shadows beneath the light,” to show him that even within the Church of Light, there were those who did evil, and that someone needed to step up and remove these pests, even if it meant dirtying their hands.
That should have been the most important lesson.
But I had always hated killing and avoided talking about it, so I never explained to Cooper why I killed. On top of that, since Cooper didn’t have the same formal upbringing as I did, he had seen far too much of the world’s darkness and misunderstood the whole thing.
He had tried to take on what he thought was the “dirty work” for me.
I knew what he had wanted to say but couldn’t express.
—He just wanted to protect his teacher in his own way.
Maybe Cooper wasn’t suited to be a Holy Knight or my successor, but he had the same determination to sacrifice and protect. He wasn’t naturally inclined toward the light, but he worked hard to achieve the goal I had set for him. When I said, “I didn’t teach you well,” I had essentially denied his existence and his worth.
So it made sense that he hated me so much.
But even so, he was still willing to listen to me…
…He was afraid of disappointing me even more.
I raised my hand.
Cooper lay perfectly still—not because he was relaxed, but quite the opposite. He was so tense that he resembled a plank of wood lying rigidly across my legs. When I moved my hand, I realized he had kept his eyes open the entire time. The moment our gazes met, he quickly looked away, only to turn back and mutter, “Commander… no, sinner, do you want me to gouge your eyes out?”
“…”
The hand I had intended to use to pat his head instead turned into a chop, which I promptly brought down on his forehead.
He flinched, immediately scowling fiercely and wriggling in his cocoon of restraints. Before he could start yelling, I spoke first. “I’m sorry.”
“…Huh?” Cooper froze.
“You didn’t attend Bishop Ashe’s trial, so you didn’t know the truth. It was a conspiracy, and the target was Hilier. The family you killed was part of that conspiracy, and Bishop Ashe was a victim. Someone wanted Hilier to make a wrong judgment to damage his reputation.”
“Oh—so Commander, I mean, ‘sinner’, you’re apologizing because you realize you wronged me?” Cooper drawled, glaring at me intensely. “Fine, apology accepted. Happy now?”
I looked straight into his eyes. “I didn’t wrong you. When you killed them, you believed they were innocent, didn’t you?”
Cooper looked away and snorted, grinning. “Yeah, yeah, I know you’re disappointed in me, that’s why you kicked me out of the Holy Knights and dumped me in the Inquisition—”
“…No, I was disappointed in you once, but that’s not why I sent you to the Inquisition.”
I didn’t have those memories, but I could understand why the Knight Commander had made that decision.
“I forced my expectations onto you, trying to shape you into the successor I wanted, but that wasn’t who you really were. You love blood, you love fighting, you love killing… The Inquisition is a better fit for you than the Holy Knights.” I spoke softly. “There, you don’t have to suppress yourself anymore. You don’t have to be gentle with others. You don’t have to obsess over etiquette. You don’t have to force yourself to complete the daily basic training that didn’t benefit you at all. You can be who you are. It’s okay to be feared, it’s okay to enjoy killing. I only ask… that the ones you kill are truly guilty.”
Cooper stared at me, completely dumbfounded.
After a long moment, his lips parted, and he whispered weakly, “Alvin…”
I leaned in closer to hear what he had to say.
Then, a deafening roar nearly shattered my eardrums—
“DIE!!!”
“…”
Why did he seem to hate me even more now that I’d cleared up the misunderstanding?!
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