Chapter 26

Episode 26. Ant Hill (1)

Weekend morning.

I woke up earlier than usual and finished my Magic Power Practice (though no one would recognize it as such) in front of the mirror.

“Hmm.”

Every time I see my reflection, I can’t help but think.

“I’m not bad, right?”

I turn my face at various angles, a satisfied smile on my lips.

Of course, somewhere deep inside, a voice of conscience asks, “What about compared to Yuren?” but I easily ignore it.

“My hair was neatly trimmed yesterday.”

And I was able to borrow a decent outfit for free through my precious ‘friend.’

‘A date with Iris.’

I had dated her in my past life, but this was the first time as a Candidate.

“Shall we head out?”

With high expectations, I headed to the meeting spot with Iris.

Waiting there was Iris, dressed neatly in Holy Kingdom priestess attire, and…

“What’s with that look?”

“…”

Camila, fully armed as if heading to a battlefield.

“Why are you here?”

“Why am I here? To escort the Saintess, of course.”

“…Sigh.”

Right.

It’s common sense not to let Iris go out alone, especially to the infamous ‘Ant Hill’ in Valhalla City.

“Hmph. You didn’t think you’d go out alone with the Saintess, did you?”

Camila glared at me with a fierce look, arms crossed.

“Ugh… Why did she have to show up this morning…”

Beside her, Iris looked sullen, shoulders slumped.

Seems like she got caught trying to sneak out without Camila.

“Why, you! Saintess! I told you not to go out without an escort!”

“But Dale is here.”

“Ha, how can a mere Candidate like him protect the Saintess…”

Camila scoffed, glancing at me, but her expression stiffened.

Probably remembering the time she tried to draw her sword on me and failed.

She awkwardly coughed and looked away.

“Ahem. Anyway, if it gets out that the Saintess went out alone, I’ll be in trouble too.”

“Fine. Camila, come with us.”

“By the way, if we’re going to the Ant Hill… are you planning to go ‘there’?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Sigh. Saintess, you’re really… impossible.”

Camila sighed, shaking her head, but her expression seemed relaxed.

“Why~ Camila, you like going there too, don’t you?”

“Hmph. Who said I like it?”

“Come on, you get the most excited when we go.”

“I, I do not!”

“Hmm~ Really?”

The two women chatted as if they’d been there often.

“So, where is it?”

“Huh? Didn’t the Saintess tell you?”

“No.”

“Hmm.”

Camila looked at Iris as if asking if it was okay to tell.

Iris playfully shook her head.

“Let’s keep it as a surprise for when we get there.”

A surprise, huh?

‘Where could it be?’

Even with my past life memories, I couldn’t guess where she was planning to go.

‘Well, I’ll find out when we get there.’

Surely she wouldn’t be going to the Ant Hill to find the Devil God Church’s hideout like I did.

“Oh, before we go, there’s something we need to buy.”

“What is it?”

Iris smiled at my puzzled look.

“Ramen.”

“…?”

And so.

My first date(?) with my past life’s lover began.

* * *

The Ant Hill, the largest slum on the continent, located within Valhalla City.

Being the largest slum, the Ant Hill was divided into the worst and the slightly better areas.

Iris wanted to go to the outskirts, the ‘slightly better’ part.

It was where an orphanage, supported by the Holy Kingdom, was located.

“Kyaaaah!”

“Iris noonaaaaaa!”

“Kids! Come out! The noona’s are here!”

“Huff, huff… Camila unnie… Can you just grab my hair and spank me once?”

“We thought you forgot about us!”

As soon as we entered the orphanage, the kids rushed at us like hyenas spotting prey.

Their eyes were filled with excitement and joy.

“You rascals! Didn’t I tell you to stay quietly inside?!”

An elderly priest shouted fiercely from behind the rushing kids.

“Gasp, the priest is here!”

“Everyone, run!”

The kids scattered like ants hit by water.

“Sigh. Really…”

The elderly priest, dressed in Seven Star Church attire, approached Iris and made the sign of the cross.

“Forgive me, Saintess. My teaching is lacking, so this happened…”

“Haha. It’s alright, Priest Antonio. It’s good to see the kids so lively.”

Iris smiled warmly and shook her head.

“Have you been well?”

“Of course. I may look old, but I still have the energy of a young man.”

Priest Antonio chuckled, rolling up his loose sleeves.

His arms, visible through the sleeves, were muscular, like those of a trained warrior.

“I’m sorry we don’t visit often.”

“Not at all, Camila. Just having you two visit occasionally is a great comfort to this old man. But… who is this?”

Priest Antonio’s gaze turned to me.

“This is Dale Han, who is in the same class as us.”

“As you know, Priest Antonio, third-year students have a lot of party classes. Dale will be forming a ‘fixed’ party with us from now on.”

Wait.

Since when was I fixed?

“Oh, I see.”

Priest Antonio looked at me with interest.

“The Saintess has never brought anyone else here before… This is surprising.”

“Dale is someone we can trust.”

“Hmm?”

Priest Antonio tilted his head at Iris’s confident answer.

He looked at her with a knowing smile and chuckled.

“Well, well… Living long enough, you get to see days like this.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Seeing the little girl I watched grow up now bringing a man along…”

“W-wait! Saying it like that makes it sound like I brought a marriage candidate!”

Iris’s face turned bright red as she protested.

“Since she was little…?”

“Ah, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I am Antonio, who had a small connection with the Saintess before she became the ‘Saintess.'”

The elderly priest made the sign of the cross with a dignified gesture, exuding deep wisdom and experience.

‘Priest Antonio.’

Another name I hadn’t heard in my past life.

‘Iris rarely talked about her past.’

Even when I subtly asked, she would only smile bitterly and change the subject.

She seemed to avoid talking about her past intentionally.

‘For someone who regressed, I sure don’t know much.’

I smiled wryly and shook my head, but I didn’t feel too bad.

Things I didn’t know in my past life.

Scenes I hadn’t seen.

Stories I hadn’t heard.

With each new discovery, I felt like I was truly living a new life.

“Please, come inside. It’s still chilly even though it’s spring.”

Priest Antonio smiled warmly and led us inside.

I turned to Iris and asked.

“So, this is where we’re going?”

“Yes, that’s right. Camila and I sometimes come here to look after the kids. I thought it would be nice if you came along this time.”

Iris looked at me cautiously.

“Are… you disappointed?”

“Huh? About what?”

“It’s not exactly a place to go out and have fun on the weekend.”

“Well…”

As she said.

The place we ended up at was quite different from what I imagined when she suggested going out.

“But I like it.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah. Actually, it’s somewhat familiar to me.”

“Familiar?”

“I grew up in a Republic orphanage too.”

“…Ah.”

Though it wasn’t as cheerful as this place.

I was also an orphan raised in an orphanage.

‘Though I hardly remember my orphanage days now.’

My memories from the Hero School are hazy, so it’s no surprise I don’t remember anything before that.

“So, you grew up in an orphanage too.”

“…Too?”

“Ah, no. It’s nothing. Ahem. Let’s go inside. The kids are waiting.”

“Alright.”

Following Iris inside, I heard the kids chattering noisily.

“Camila noona! Let’s spar!”

“Me too!”

“Huff… Camila unnie… Please punish me with your mighty sword…!”

“I’ll win this time!”

“Wait, calm down…!”

Camila, surrounded by the kids, looked flustered.

Looking around helplessly, she picked up a stick from the corner of the orphanage and spoke.

“Sigh. Fine. Everyone, come outside.”

“Yay!”

The kids followed Camila outside.

I watched with interest as the kids followed her out.

“The kids seem to really like Camila.”

“Haha. She acts strict, but she loves playing with the kids.”

“I can see that.”

I chuckled, watching Camila spar with the kids.

“Ouch!”

“You’re too fast!”

“Kyaaah!”

The kids, who seemed to have some training, tried to surround her, but there was no way they could win against Camila.

In the blink of an eye, she subdued them and smirked triumphantly.

“Haha. Go drink more of your mother’s milk, you brats!”

Wait.

Hold on.

Saying that here…

“We don’t have mothers!”

“Sob… Can we drink your milk instead, unnie?”

“What does mother’s milk taste like?”

“…Gasp!”

Realizing her fatal mistake, Camila broke into a cold sweat and shook her head frantically.

“N-no! That’s not what I meant! I mean…!”

“Ehehehe!”

“Unnie is so cute!”

The kids laughed, seeing Camila flustered.

Just seeing their bright smiles, it was easy to imagine how much effort and love had gone into building this orphanage.

“By the way… is that guy a swordsman too?”

One of the kids pointed to the sword at my waist and asked.

I walked over to the kid and nodded.

“Yeah, I am.”

Well, calling me just a ‘swordsman’ is a bit limiting, but…

For now, let’s go with that.

“Then… if you and noona fought, who would win?”

An innocent question filled with curiosity.

From the kid’s perspective, it was just a casual question, but its impact was significant.

“Of course, Camila noona would win!”

“Is that even a question?”

“Noona is going to be the ‘Sword of the Holy Kingdom’!”

“No, but that guy looks really strong too!”

“Yeah, yeah! This is the first time Iris noona brought someone here! He can’t be ordinary!”

In an instant, the orphanage yard turned into chaos.

“……”

“……”

Watching the kids fiercely arguing, Camila and I realized.

‘This is…’

There’s no way out of this.