The sound of hooves on the ground heightened the excitement of the journey.
As we left the city and entered the path, unfamiliar scenery and passersby welcomed the carriage. Unlike in the Empire, the guards in gray uniforms bore crosses on their chests.
To be honest, it was my first time visiting a foreign land.
Until recently, I was merely the second son of a rural lord. There was no particular reason for me to visit a foreign country, and I was too preoccupied with my training at the time. After enrolling in the Academy, I had to struggle to keep up with the busy curriculum.
Moreover, I had not particularly wanted to go abroad. I thought cities were generally similar no matter where one went.
But now that I had arrived in the Holy Kingdom, I understood.
I could see why people would say that travel broadens one’s horizons.
From architecture to language and customs, everything was different. It was a fact I had already learned, but standing here in the middle of it all, I couldn’t help but feel bewildered.
Yulen, who was driving the carriage next to me, asked, “I-an, can you speak the language of the Holy Kingdom?”
“You mean the Siendel language? I’m a major in foreign languages, after all.”
Yulen let out a sigh of relief. Although it had been a long time since he had returned to his hometown, his expression remained displeased.
Apparently, he didn’t like the sudden trip to the Holy Kingdom.
After all, he had already lost a lot of training time by accompanying me. Since he would have to do volunteer work at the orphanage again, it was understandable he would not be in good spirits.
Still, Yulen liked swords.
“That’s a relief. The brat at the orphanage doesn’t understand the language of the Empire at all.”
“Why would the children learn the language of the Empire?”
“Why not? It would be so useful… At least they wouldn’t starve if they went out into the city. That’s why I even invited a teacher.”
As Yulen clicked his tongue, he seemed disappointed that the investment had not yielded significant results.
“Anyway, my sister is too impatient, and that’s the problem. How can you notify us of a schedule just a week in advance?”
I had to force a smile at Yulen’s complaints.
After all, I was a person who could not be free from that responsibility. Strictly speaking, it was the fault of ‘me’ from the future, but I also had a moral obligation.
The ‘me’ from the future acted to help me. Therefore, I had no choice but to feel guilty about it.
Or was it really to help me?
Just then, I fell into deep thought.
“If you have any discomfort or questions, feel free to speak up. After all, you’re the guest, so I’ll take care of you.”
Though his tone was somewhat dissatisfied, there was a hint of consideration for me in his words.
I forced a smile in response.
“Just sitting next to the driver is enough.”
Then came Yulen’s chuckle.
Of course, he was the source of the laughter. He wore an incredulous smile.
“You’ve had it tough too.”
It was a statement loaded with many sentiments.
I turned my gaze away and looked around. The grasslands entering autumn were filled with wildflowers. It was such a peaceful scenery.
My eyes briefly glanced back.
The place where several people were seated was overflowing with stillness. I had left that atmosphere behind in a hurry.
It was a mistake to have so many people join the party, more than I had imagined.
I was okay with just Liya. I could somehow understand the logic behind the Saint wanting to introduce her family. But the next situation was problematic.
Suddenly, Celin expressed her intention to join the trip to the Holy Kingdom as well.
Of course, the Saint clearly declined, but Celin’s arguing was ridiculous.
“I’m practically family with I-an, aren’t I?”
I wanted to say what nonsense that was, but at that moment, Celin was linked arm-in-arm with me. In other words, if she put some strength into her arm, she could easily pressure me.
If I wanted to shake her off, I could do it anytime.
However, I remembered my recent conversation with Reto. I had just recently reflected on my lack of attention towards Celin after his sharp remark.
Furthermore, Celin’s excuse weighed on my mind.
‘Family’ was exactly the word I had been most concerned about lately.
In the end, Celin joined our trip to the Holy Kingdom with my tacit consent, and from that point onward, the Saint’s mood started to sour. The decisive factor that plummeted the Saint’s spirits was the unexpected appearance of Senior Elsi.
Although Senior Elsi claimed it was a ‘coincidence,’ it surely was not.
Moreover, it was an appearance that even Senior Elsi hadn’t anticipated—Mr. Raymond.
I still vividly recalled the moment Mr. Raymond referred to me as “nephew.” It was a painful memory as I could clearly see the faces of the Saint, Liya, and Celin darken.
Even now, Mr. Raymond was shamelessly riding in the back of the carriage.
Since he had joined us abruptly, there hadn’t been any chance to stop him.
I tried to suppress the throbbing headache and murmured, “Why on earth did Mr. Raymond come…?”
“I’ve already given up on understanding. If you find out, please let me know,” Yulen said, speaking for himself, adding to my own perplexity about Mr. Raymond’s actions.
Ultimately, I shook my head in frustration.
“Why are human relations so complicated? In battle, you just have to wield an axe well.”
“You handle human relations the same way, don’t you?”
I shot an irritated glare at Yulen. Of course, Yulen paid no heed.
“At least your situation is better. There are more people around you with goodwill.”
“Are you talking about yourself?”
“No, I’m talking about my sister. There are many enemies in the Holy Kingdom.”
Hmmm. I swallowed hard.
Speaking of which, Leorick had mentioned Archbishop Einadel just before his death. The Saint had also referred to this topic in passing before.
I decided to choose a question to gain more detailed information.
“Archbishop Einadel?”
Upon my words, Yulen cast a fleeting glance in my direction. His eyes carried an unexpected glint.
“Yeah, that guy is one of them. Our sister argues that the interpretation of doctrine should be applied more broadly, but Archbishop Einadel is the exact opposite.”
“What a stubborn person.”
“He wasn’t like that originally.”
I opened my mouth to add something but closed it again instead. Yulen continued speaking, regardless.
“He became like that after losing his son.”
“How did he die?”
“Doctrine trial.”
In the stillness, only the clatter of hooves echoed. We were almost at the orphanage.
“Archbishop Einadel’s son sought forbidden knowledge. That’s why he died.”
I hesitated to ask for more details. The path led directly towards the orphanage.
A new incident awaited there.
“Welcome, Lady Virgin Saint. And to you, the hero of humanity, I-an, and your friends.”
As soon as we arrived at the orphanage, we were greeted by an older nun. Her wrinkled face seemed to tell tales of years dedicated to serving the vulnerable.
I felt flustered by the excessively high title of ‘hero of humanity’ while looking around the orphanage with a fresh perspective.
It was incomparable to the Gilford Orphanage.
The facilities were excellent, and I could see that some of the buildings were newly constructed. While there seemed to be quite a number of children surrounding us, none appeared to be starving or poorly clothed.
As expected, it was an orphanage that had produced a Lady Virgin Saint.
While the Saint and Yulen surely took care of things without realizing, it was clear that the Holy Kingdom had paid significant attention as well. After all, it was a matter related to the prestige of the Heavenly Deity Sect.
Liya and Celin seemed astonished by how clean the facilities were, much more than they had imagined.
“Sister, if things go well, this might be better than my room!”
“Well, your room is filled with things that Brother I-an has given you… ugh?!”
Celin couldn’t express her thoughts properly because Liya had pinched her side.
On the other hand, the Saint maintained a calm demeanor.
Though it was a place filled with childhood memories, she didn’t exhibit any signs of nostalgia. She simply scanned the surroundings and asked the head nun.
“Seems the head nun has changed. And the facilities have changed a lot, too.”
“Yes, it is now run directly by the Holy Kingdom. Many changes have occurred since.”
The Saint nodded a few times in understanding. They then exchanged some mundane pleasantries.
“Is there any issue with the orphanage? Any shortcomings…?”
“Oh no, that can’t be. This is where the Lady Virgin Saint lived. The blessings of the Heavenly Deity are immeasurable here.”
It was a response so typical and rehearsed.
The Saint didn’t seem particularly inclined to prolong this conversation. Surely, there would be more practical matters to discuss.
Just then, I interrupted them.
“Is there really nothing?”
It was a hasty question.
My voice, slightly louder, drew the attention of the room toward me, including the head nun.
The face of the startled old woman turned my way.
“Is there any chance that children have gone missing recently…?”
“Oh dear, what nonsense are you talking about?”
The head nun replied with certainty, even as she fumbled. There wasn’t a hint of falsehood in her steadfast voice.
“This orphanage is managed by the Holy Kingdom. Such a terrible thing cannot happen here. Even if it did, reports would go up immediately, and paladins would be dispatched.”
It was a clear explanation. Though it was a neat response that could let things go smoothly, I raised my voice again.
“Otherwise, anything else would be fine. Recently, something strange has been happening…!”
“I-an!”
In the end, it was the Saint who restrained me, not the head nun.
Her face had already flushed bright red. She looked thoroughly upset by my rudeness.
“What kind of disrespect is this! This is an orphanage managed by the Holy Kingdom! Are you saying you don’t trust the authority of the Holy Kingdom?”
“No, well…”
I intentionally trailed off, avoiding her gaze. Meanwhile, the head nun was bewildered.
“It’s alright, Lady Virgin Saint. I’ve heard that I-an has been fighting against the Dark Cult for the past few months. He may have fears due to exposed itineraries, so I understand.”
With the head nun actively defending me, the Saint’s anger seemed to ease somewhat.
No, perhaps I had wished for this outcome.
This was the only way to allow both the Saint and I to maintain our dignity despite the rudeness.
The Saint mumbled in a voice filled with a sense of guilt, “But…”
“I assure you, it’s alright. Hehe… I will confidently say that such an unfortunate incident will not happen in our orphanage!”
Instead of meeting the piercing gaze of the Saint staring at me, I diverted my attention elsewhere.
That was enough. The head nun appeared very confident, and later I could simply inquire about the reason.
What I really hoped for was a different outcome.
As the Saint and the head nun chatted happily while entering the orphanage, I felt an unusual gaze and turned my head.
Children filled the area around us. They must have rushed over, startled by the commotion.
Among them, one boy stared at me intently, while a girl beside him looked anxious.
I slightly curled my lip into a smile.
That’s right. Children can sense things that adults cannot.
After engraving the two of them deeply into my memory, I attempted to follow the group into the orphanage. Just then, my eyes landed on the signpost at the entrance.
It listed the names of those who contributed to establishing the orphanage. Given its recent construction date, it seemed the orphanage had been rebuilt after it came under the administration of the Holy Kingdom.
As I read down the list, my eyes suddenly halted at one name.
‘Archbishop Einadel.’
I swallowed hard and resumed walking.
This orphanage felt suspicious, no matter how I looked at it.
Right before I officially entered the orphanage, I suddenly felt a force tugging at my collar.
I turned around in surprise, and there was a hooded hat.
No, underneath it was a girl with a nervous expression.
“Hey, wait… Master, can we talk just the two of us?”
It was Senior Elsi.
