A passionate speech to reassure Ceria was spewed forth.
The Lady Virgin Saint and I were both the same. Neither of us could point out who was first; we both began to fumble for excuses.
I didn’t know why it was happening. I just had a gut feeling that it needed to be so.
“The Lady Virgin Saint has nothing to do with this, Ceria… Right, right, Lady Virgin Saint?”
“Yes, that’s correct. As a priest entrusted with the mission to share the grace bestowed by the Lord, I always maintain a certain distance from Brother I-an.”
Even so, Ceria’s sulky, sunk-in eyes didn’t return to their usual state. To make matters worse, Celin was looking at me and the Lady Saint in turn, also suspicious.
Looking back, the Lady Saint had a bad relationship with Ceria and Celin before. She had once chased them out of my sickroom.
That seemed to have heightened Ceria’s suspicions. She was continuing a wordless inquiry with her cold glare.
At that moment, it was the Lady Saint who felt flustered instead. She looked very confused, perhaps because she never expected to be entangled with me like this.
“…I-I really am the Lady Saint. I don’t know what you think of me, but I’m clear on the distinction between public and private matters!”
What did they think of the Lady Saint?
Didn’t she once call herself a ‘Divine Power Pocket’?
I would have loved to tease her like that, but the Lady Saint and I were temporary allies for now. At least, that was the plan until Ceria was calmed down.
I nodded my head, and I added supportive words to the Lady Saint’s opinion.
“Right, Ceria. The Lady Saint is a virgin favored by the Heavenly Deity, you know. That Divine Power p….”
Ouch! The Lady Saint subtly pinched my side again. I bit my lip and somehow managed to recover.
“Ah, no… I mean, just looking at her divine power, it’s clear. She doesn’t harbor any romantic feelings recklessly. It could become a religious issue.”
When the Lady Saint and I took a surprisingly firm stance, Ceria could no longer hold out.
Gradually, the light returned to her eyes. Shortly thereafter, seemingly realizing her words could be rude, she lowered her head deeply.
Then, she began to speak hesitantly.
“…W-Well, that’s true.”
It was the usual appearance of Ceria. Now, she was on the verge of biting her tongue and would be perfect.
This was proof that we had entered a phase of recovery. As I let out a sigh of relief, the Lady Saint looked particularly flustered today. The confident trickster was nowhere to be found.
The Lady Saint, unable to compose herself, ended up saying something inappropriate.
“And even if there’s some relationship between Brother I-an and me, you don’t have the right to say anything, Sister…”
Once again, silence fell. Ceria’s expression grew cold, and Celin couldn’t hide her displeasure either.
I whispered softly in the Lady Saint’s ear.
“…Are you crazy?”
“I-It’s just that I’m too competitive…”
With a slight blush on her cheeks, the Lady Saint was left with nothing but an awkward excuse.
After that, the distance between the Lady Saint, Ceria, and Celin didn’t need to be mentioned.
The monster had fallen, but the mystery surrounding it remained unsolved. I chose Reto as my first advisor to resolve it.
He had always been the one to help me solve my worries. I had no doubt he would play a significant role this time as well.
As soon as Reto heard my words, he fell into silence for a moment. Then he let out a deep sigh.
“…It seems like the monsters are guarding something.”
“Guarding? What are they guarding?”
“How would I know?”
He scratched the back of his head. He looked troubled. It seemed there was at least one thing he didn’t know.
“Anyway, it’s concerning. Monsters are still living beings at their core. Naturally, they wouldn’t risk their lives to guard something. But even as they d*e, they still hold onto their weapons, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And they’re confined to certain areas?”
“Yeah.”
Phew, a sigh escaped Reto’s lips. His complexion darkened immediately.
“…It’s obvious they are protecting something.”
“But can monsters do that?”
Even the knowledgeable Reto seemed to have little insight on that. Or perhaps he just wasn’t certain.
He groaned for a while, holding his forehead, before shaking his head.
The only answer he could provide me with at the moment was one.
“Go find Guildford.”
Guildford was a veteran mercenary who had lived for decades. He must have gathered countless experiences, so it might be helpful to ask him for advice.
That was why I was having a private audience with Guildford.
Guildford poured tea into my cup quietly. Although cheap, it was tea nonetheless. The fragrant aroma tickled my nose.
He spoke with his characteristic gentle smile.
“Thank you for donating the proceeds of the monster hunt for the children. It seems I won’t have to worry about feeding them for a while.”
“You don’t need to thank me. It’s a noble’s duty. I won’t starve just because I lack that money.”
Guildford nodded, looking as if he could agree. His gaze on me was incredibly warm.
I felt a kind of admiration from that expression, and I found myself unable to stand still.
In fact, I was the one who should have been admiring. It was rare to encounter someone as admirable and kind as Guildford. If I were to admire him, I was simply not good enough to earn praise from such a remarkable person.
Unable to stand the tickling atmosphere, I had no choice but to get straight to the point.
“…Guildford, you said you were a mercenary once, right?”
“Once, yes… I had my achievements, but that’s all in the past now.”
Guildford closed his eyes quietly at my question. The expression on his face as he took a sip of tea was filled with nostalgia.
While people become rough around the edges during their mercenary life, not a trace of that showed in Guildford. Only a kind and dignified old man remained.
That was fascinating. I continued to ask questions.
“Then, have you ever hunted a monster?”
“Countless times… Have you ever heard of the Great Disaster?”
It was an unexpected counter-question. So caught off guard, I was momentarily speechless.
The Great Disaster was the largest jungle on the continent, located in the Southern Kingdoms. It was said to contain numerous resources and legends, but few dared to enter.
That was because monsters lived there.
Legendary monsters that had not been hunted for a thousand years resided within.
“…The habitat of the ‘Vampires’.”
“Yes, the further you go in, the stronger the monsters become. I once challenged that place. But the outcome was disastrous.”
With a sigh, Guildford’s eyes deepened. His gaze must have been wandering somewhere in the past.
“Dozens of my comrades were ripped apart by the monsters. I couldn’t even know what was poison and what was medicine in the Great Disaster. In a place where I couldn’t even get clean drinking water, I was on the brink of d*ath from hunger and fatigue.”
Perhaps recalling the fear of that time, Guildford’s eyebrows trembled. It was rare for his always calm expression to show such a ripple.
He opened and closed his lips repeatedly. Hesitating, he finally managed to utter a word.
“I saw hell that day… since then, I’ve been very reluctant to face monsters.”
Guildford’s story wasn’t particularly long. But even just that was enough to infer how painful a trial he had undergone.
I couldn’t say a single word. I didn’t know what kind of words to say.
Then, Guildford shook his head with a faint smile. It was a gesture telling me not to worry.
“It’s all in the past. This old man spoke too much for no reason. Do you have any questions?”
“…The monsters are guarding something.”
At those words, Guildford seemed caught off guard and inhaled sharply.
Then he gave me a bitter smile and said.
“…It feels just like the Great Disaster.”
If that were the case, he added, there was only one cause.
Mages, beings who had given up being human to pursue power.
They were the retinue bound by a contract with the Evil God Omelos and could control the monsters.
The ‘Vampires’ of the Great Disaster were the most famous among them.
It was a moment where the difficulty of the request jumped several levels.
Mages, I pondered deeply as I left the director’s office.
There was still no physical evidence. That made it all the more difficult. If I had even a shred of evidence, I could have reported it to the city hall or the temple based on that.
Mages were such beings. Monsters that pursued power while giving up their humanity; this was at least a problem that required the mobilization of the Knights’ Order.
We, who were still just students, were in no position to handle it. My complexion naturally darkened.
I felt gloomy.
It seemed I needed a change of mood. As I passed by the restaurant, my steps suddenly halted.
A small shadow flickered in the restaurant. Just seeing the brown hair and the large hooded hat was enough to guess who it was.
It was Senior Elsi.
And next to her was a woman with splendid golden hair. She had a disgruntled expression. Moreover, her eyes carried the look of not understanding why she had to be here.
There was no doubt about who it was. It was Senior Delphine.
I hesitated for a moment, then stealthily entered the restaurant. When I eventually made eye contact with Senior Delphine, I raised my index finger to my upper lip.
Shh, a gesture to keep quiet.
Senior Delphine, who had her eyes wide open at my sudden appearance, quickly began to avoid my gaze, seeming flustered. The emotions flowing through her eyes were complicated.
Since the night I returned from the forest, Senior Delphine had reacted like this every time we met. I couldn’t imagine why.
Regardless, my goal was singular. Senior Elsi was cleaning the table without realizing I was there.
It didn’t take long for me to reach the vicinity without being discovered. I promptly placed my hand on Senior Elsi’s shoulder.
Immediately, Senior Elsi’s body sprang up like a spring.
“…Hiiiii?!”
Startled, blue electricity crackled in Senior Elsi’s hand. She seemed poised to counterattack. Her fierce gaze turned backward.
And then, her eyes met mine. Her face was initially full of vigilance but soon turned blank.
I smiled at Senior Elsi.
“Hello, Senior Elsi.”
“Y-You, I-an… ah, no! It’s you!”
Senior Elsi looked incredibly flustered. She stammered, her pupils wandering as if at a loss. Her trembling voice spoke volumes about her tension.
It was a reaction somewhat different from fear. I didn’t know why she couldn’t properly look me in the eye, but it seemed her perception of me had improved significantly. I felt a sense of relief.
Senior Elsi stood there hesitating for quite a while. Yet, I remained silent, my arms crossed, finding her squirming quite cute.
Eventually, it was Senior Elsi who couldn’t endure the silence any longer. She cautiously asked a question.
“…W-What are you doing here? Is there something you need?”
“No, not really. I just stopped by to say hello. I wanted to see your face too.”
That was merely a polite greeting.
However, Senior Elsi’s face noticeably brightened at those words. Even though she still wasn’t properly looking me in the eyes, her bashfulness and happiness radiated in her clear smile.
After a moment of fumbling, she looked up at me with her blue eyes. Her gaze seemed resolute as if she had made a significant decision.
“…Uh, really? Then do you have something you want me to do?”
Of course, I had nothing specific in mind.
Asking for something? I had nothing to assign. In fact, it wouldn’t look good for me to be ordering my senpai around, and most of what needed to be done should be done by me.
However, I couldn’t bring myself to dismiss Senior Elsi’s expectations.
Her eyes peering up at me were brimming with anticipation. It seemed she would immediately fulfill whatever I asked.
It was troublesome. Right now, there was nothing I genuinely wanted to ask for.
After swallowing hard for a moment, I sighed deeply as if I had given up. It seemed I would have to request something, anything, to satisfy Senior Elsi’s expectations.
“…Then, could you please get me some water?”
It was indeed a trifling errand. Personally worried that Senior Elsi’s pride might be hurt, I was instead met with her bright expression and an eager nod.
“Y-Yeah! Got it! Just wait a moment….”
“Here.”
However, Senior Elsi’s joy didn’t last long. Before she finished speaking, a glass of water arrived in front of me.
Senior Elsi’s eyes became dumbfounded. Her gaze slowly shifted, revealing the person who had handed her the cup.
Delphine Yuridina, the lioness guarding the northern edge of the Empire.
“…You needed a cup of water, right?”
She was trying her best to avoid my gaze while speaking awkwardly, perhaps feeling a little shy with a faint blush on her cheeks.
Ahem. As Senior Delphine coughed, her gaze clashed with Senior Elsi’s in the air.
Ruby-like crimson eyes met blue sapphire-like eyes.
Even the color contrast was striking.
After a prolonged silence, Senior Delphine quietly snorted and turned her head away. A blatant sneer hung by the corner of her mouth.
Senior Elsi’s expression immediately turned cold. The flush on her face transformed into a chilliness.
Out of nowhere, the atmosphere grew taut.
It was merely a trivial errand for water.
I could only feel dumbfounded.
