A masked stranger.
The first place I recognized that existence was Perkus Manor. The intruder, who suddenly broke into the manor, knocked Lady Airen unconscious and incited Liya into a rampage, rendering me incapacitated.
It was a meticulously timed ambush. It seemed reasonable to assume that the Dark Cult had prior knowledge of the plan.
In other words, the masked stranger had formed some sort of cooperative relationship with the Dark Cult.
That alone provided enough reason for death. So I listened carefully to the story of the Lady Virgin Saint.
“It was last night. The masked stranger attempted to infiltrate the orphanage and was caught.”
“Caught, you say?”
A figure that had been elusive to the point of being impossible to track?
It was somewhat suspicious, but the Lady’s thoughts seemed a bit different.
“Yes, there was someone passing by who happened to notice.”
It was then that I nodded as if I understood. Most issues could be explained when labeled ‘coincidental.’
It was literally a ‘coincidence.’
Unless one is a god, who could foresee and control every situation? In reality, if luck runs out, even the most perfect plans can fall apart.
I could understand if the masked stranger was not favored by luck that day.
Not to mention that a similar stroke of luck also occurred in Yuridina’s territory.
Thanks to witnessing the masked stranger, the Imperial Princess was able to forewarn about the betrayal of Marquis Yuridina. This was also the reason Senior Delphine met privately with Marquis Yuridina on the day of the decisive battle.
However, a question still remained.
“Nevertheless, isn’t it too careless? Didn’t Sister Maria seem so confident? She said it wouldn’t happen here at the orphanage… and to be discovered by someone passing by on a day when security was breached.”
“There are complicated circumstances about that.”
The Lady Virgin Saint sighed sadly as she spoke.
Her face was tinged with bitter feelings, and I sensed a hint of fatigue in her gaze.
“First, let’s talk about that later. I think I need to look into it further… It would be great if you could help.”
“What do you mean?”
“Please interview the witness.”
That was what I had hoped for. I needed information too.
If there was one complaint, it was that I had to dive into the investigation without even a moment to rest. After coming from battle, not being able to take a break was quite something.
Noticing my bitter smile, the Lady seemed concerned.
While subtly gauging my reactions, her hand brushed against the back of my hand, as if trying to comfort me in a moment when others weren’t watching.
“I’m sorry, I-an… It must have been tough coming all this way, right? So, did you have any success?”
“Yes, fortunately. Let’s talk about that later too.”
Even so, seeing my complexion not improving seemed to fluster the Lady a little. Once again, her head turned around quickly as she surveyed the surroundings. After a little while…
She tiptoed slightly and whispered in my ear.
“Shall I grant you a reward?”
It was a sweet voice I hadn’t heard in a long time. Combined with the Lady’s distinctive gentle tone, it felt even more powerful.
I couldn’t hide my fluttering heart and ended up clearing my throat.
A reward from the Lady.
My gaze subconsciously angled downward. Because the Lady had moved closer, the source of the ample sensation conveyed to my forearm was there. It was truly a reaction that could be described as ‘unintentionally.’
Wouldn’t anyone feel the same?
Amidst all the various encounters with the Lady, a reflexively rising memory came to mind. I was simply responding to the voice of my unconscious.
As a result, I ended up looking into the Lady’s cold eyes.
“…What are you looking at?”
“The reward pouch?”
With a sharp smack, the Lady’s palm struck my back. While my skills had developed enough that it wasn’t particularly painful, I grimaced slightly out of courtesy.
The Lady seemed to be miffed, looking somewhat frustrated.
“Honestly, I shouldn’t have comforted you… You might end up in a religious trial at this rate?”
“I’ve already been summoned.”
“By the way, if you’re summoned for the same offense twice, you receive a harsher punishment.”
That was quite a consoling remark.
As the Lady and I divided our light-hearted banter, she suddenly seemed to remember something and asked me.
“By the way, what about the others? Did they just leave you alone to return?”
I turned slightly to look behind me.
There, only one knight who had been driving the carriage was exchanging greetings with Sister Maria. The other knights who had been escorting the carriage, along with Liya and Raymond, were nowhere to be found.
This was because the path had split on the way to the orphanage.
“Liya went to find a means to transport the monster’s corpse. There’s also coordination with various companies left to do… As for Raymond, I honestly don’t know. He mentioned he had something to do.”
The Lady nodded quietly at my words. It seemed she had no real interest in the two.
After glancing around once more, she whispered in my ear again.
“Later, come to my bedroom alone.”
“Are you rewarding me?”
There was no answer. Still, I felt like I could understand the Lady’s intentions.
After a brief hesitation, her lips released a clear voice.
“Sometimes, it’s okay.”
I looked at her with a puzzled expression.
Just moments ago, I thought I understood the underlying meaning, but now I felt confused again. The Lady then cleared her throat and subtly held her breast with her arm.
My eyes were entranced.
“…Maybe once or twice, it might be ambiguous to bring you before a religious trial?”
Muttering as if to herself, the Lady moved away from me. I stood there for quite a while, lost in thought.
I resolved to visit the Lady’s bedroom at least once.
In fact, I had failed to learn who had witnessed the masked stranger, so I needed to chase after the Lady urgently.
I headed towards the open space set up behind the orphanage to find the ‘witness’. The overgrown weeds revealed that it had not been maintained, but for someone looking for a secluded spot, it provided a decent refuge.
There stood a maiden.
With her hazel eyes gazing blankly at something, she seemed to be lost in a dream. Her neatly tied black hair flowed down her back.
Celine Haster, my childhood friend.
A wry smile crept onto my face. When I heard the identity of the ‘witness,’ it seemed almost too coincidental. Of all times, it was Celine who had seen the masked stranger that day.
It had actually been a while since I had the chance to talk with Celine alone.
I decided to take the opportunity to have an open conversation with her.
Just as I made up my mind and took a step forward, I suddenly thought that Celine’s demeanor seemed strange.
Her eyes were focused on a certain point, suggesting she was not simply admiring the scenery, but rather staring fixedly at something specific.
I decided to follow Celine’s line of sight.
However, no matter how hard I searched, there was nothing in the open space. Just weeds that had grown to knee height adding a green hue.
I tilted my head. The solution to an unsolvable mystery like this was simple.
Just ask the person involved.
As I moved closer, my hand fell on Celine’s shoulder.
“Celine?”
“Hiyaaaaaah!”
With a strange sound, Celine’s body sprang up like a spring.
She seemed so startled that every hair on her body stood on end. Celine looked at me with wide, round eyes, a mixture of astonishment and fear on her face.
Once she confirmed my identity, much of that expression faded.
Before long, Celine’s palm struck my back hard. A scream involuntarily escaped from my mouth.
It was a strength beyond imagination. A splendid blow that showcased Celine’s previous efforts.
“Ah! Celine, you’ve gotten stronger than I thought…”
“Are you crazy?!”
Of course, my compliment couldn’t reach Celine. Even more so as a torrent of reprimands came pouring down upon me.
“Why, why, why did you suddenly appear and scare me?! I was just about to drop dead from shock…”
“You don’t have a child, do you?”
When I asked incredulously, Celine snorted and puffed out her chest. She seemed to want to show a nonchalant attitude with her hand resting on her chest.
Having just come from seeing the Lady Virgin Saint.
A strange sense of disappointment flickered through my mind, but I tried to hide it.
“Someday, it could happen! So you should be careful, right?”
“What?”
Celine’s finger poked me. A significant smile lingered at the corner of Celine’s mouth as she teased me.
“Children are precious, aren’t they?”
“Well, that’s true…”
I replied like that while imagining Celine’s child.
Would they take after their mother and love to play pranks? No, Celine was relatively calm in her childhood. It seemed she had developed a new nature while learning swordsmanship.
If a daughter were born, I shouldn’t give her a sword. It would become impossible to manage.
Lost in a moment of empty reverie, I quickly snapped back to reality. Come to think of it, I had one unresolved question.
“By the way, Celine, what were you looking at?”
“Huh? What do you mean? Naturally, it was that girl standing over there… Huh?”
Celine’s expression turned puzzled as she shifted her gaze.
Suddenly, Celine jumped again.
She honestly looked surprised. My brows furrowed further.
“Where did she go? She was definitely over there… I-an, you really didn’t see her?”
“What are you talking about? It’s been you all along. Are you really okay?”
Even with my worried question, Celine only tilted her head.
“No, she was definitely there… a woman.”
I again followed Celine’s gaze to the spot she had been looking at. There wasn’t even a trace left.
If a woman had been there, the grass would have been pressed down.
But since there was no sign at all, the most plausible conclusion was that Celine had seen a hallucination.
“Celine, you’ve really been struggling lately…”
“I’m telling you, I’m fine! Or am I… did I see wrong…?”
Now Celine seemed to be confused herself. I thought I would need to discuss this with her someday.
Hallucinations were a serious issue. Moreover, the phrase ‘woman’ lingered uncomfortably in my mind.
Why was she seeing a hallucination of a woman?
There were still plenty of opportunities left. But I decided to pose a question about the most urgent matter.
“Anyway, we can talk about that later… Celine, you said you saw the masked stranger.”
“Yeah? Ah, ah! I did see him.”
However, Celine’s response to my question was subtle.
Just a moment ago, she had seemed lively and energetic, but now she was avoiding eye contact and appeared hesitant.
As my gaze grew more curious, Celine hastily supplied a reason.
“I did see him, really! But you see…”
Scratching her cheek, Celine let out an unsure laugh.
Ahahaha.
“My vision went blank! And then I fainted.”
What kind of nonsense was this?
