“By the way, where is this place?”
“It’s called Avgenil.”
Montrant let out an exclamation of surprise, then awkwardly opened his mouth.
“It’s embarrassing to admit, but I can’t say I know much about it either. It’s quite a remote place. I only started paying attention to it recently.”
Zest asked with a puzzled expression.
“Recently? For what reason?”
“Oh, a monk who recently helped me safely find the children said he wanted to build an orphanage. So I recommended Avgenil.”
“You did a good deed.”
“It was just a small gesture of gratitude on my part.”
With a slight nod, Duke Zest wrapped up that part of the conversation and returned to the main topic.
His entire focus was on tracking down traces of the Silver Veil.
“According to the information I have, the Silver Veil was working with the dark guild in that area. Though I say ‘working with’, it’s more likely that they had the guild under their control.”
“It’s common for cults to use dark guilds as their pawns.”
“Yes. However, it seems that the dark guild they were managing there vanished without a trace in an instant.”
“Could they have fled?”
Zest delayed his response for a moment and slowly stroked his beard.
“I can’t say for certain, but I don’t believe they ran away. The Silver Veil didn’t seem to know about it either, as they personally appeared and headed to Avgenil. That’s how I was able to find traces of them. And once they got there, it seems they found some kind of clue and carried out their revenge.”
Montrant’s eyebrows twitched slightly. He didn’t like the idea of personal revenge being carried out within his own territory.
“Revenge…? Then you’re saying someone else took care of them?”
“That part is what I find suspicious.”
Zest pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his coat.
When he carefully unfolded it, a portrait of someone was revealed.
He handed the paper to Montrant.
“The trail of the Silver Veil ended there, but all the evidence points to this man.”
Montrant studied the portrait carefully. The moment he realized who it was, his eyes widened in shock.
“Monk Ed… Are you saying this man is the one who wiped out the dark guild?”
“According to my subordinates’ investigation, that appears to be the case.”
“Th-That can’t be possible. I know this man well. He’s the same monk who helped me safely find my children.”
Zest was momentarily speechless at this unexpected revelation.
In the meantime, Montrant did his best to defend Ed.
“I’m not saying eliminating the dark guild is a wrong act, but this man would never do such a thing. He hasn’t even properly learned magic or swordsmanship. And yet, despite his own limitations, he fights tirelessly to help children in need.”
“Is there a possibility that he is a member of the Silver Veil…?”
Montrant shook his head firmly. Then he spoke with unwavering conviction.
“I’ve done my own research on him. He was kidnapped by bandits as a child but managed to survive and immediately devoted himself to St. Arian. He lived a sincere and honest life after that. A follower of a cult? That’s ridiculous.”
Duke Zest rubbed his temples. His thoughts grew tangled in confusion.
Montrant had always shown him great respect, and now that he was speaking with such certainty, Zest couldn’t dismiss his words so easily.
“Since you insist so strongly… I suppose I should broaden the scope of my investigation.”
“Yes. If you proceed with the assumption that he has some hidden agenda, it will only be a waste of time.”
“Understood.”
Zest silently lowered his gaze back to the portrait.
Even so, his lingering doubts refused to fade away.
***
As the days passed, the rumors surrounding the string of murders that had shaken the village began to die down.
For Ed, it was somewhat anticlimactic.
He had braced himself and made thorough preparations only to be welcomed with this sudden silence without any progress. It somehow left him feeling empty.
Even though he had managed to break through the Heavenly Swirl Star, he couldn’t simply call it a victory.
After all, their deaths were undoubtedly connected to Ed.
Would it be a stretch to think they died because of me?
But whether that thought was an overreach or not could only be determined through a proper investigation.
I need information… Information…
Suddenly, Ed recalled a few methods he knew.
There were indeed ways to obtain high-level information. If he used his knowledge of the original story, it would be possible.
Should I seek them out…?
He hesitated for a moment.
If he went to them, he might be able to avoid immediate danger. However, at the same time, he could also be inviting an even greater threat upon himself.
I’ll put it on hold for now.
Still, doing nothing and simply waiting wasn’t an option. For now, he decided to visit the St. Arian Church.
If there was ever a time to make use of a powerful force that was on friendly terms with him, it was now.
With his decision made, Ed rose from his seat and left the office.
He ran into Deron in the hallway. The latter had been staying at the orphanage since the murder incident.
Recognizing the worry etched on Ed’s face, Deron immediately approached him.
“You must be frustrated because there has been no progress for days. I’ve also asked some adventurers, but they say they have no clue either.”
Deron too had been conducting his own investigation into the case.
Ed had no intention of saying anything to him. However, with everyone gathered in one place and on high alert, there was no way Deron wouldn’t notice.
In the end, Ed confided in Deron and Carter. He revealed that there was a high possibility this case was connected to him.
Since then, Deron had been conducting his own investigation, using his ties to adventurers.
Deron patted Ed’s shoulder reassuringly.
“Don’t worry too much. Sometimes, problems that seem overly complicated turn out to have surprisingly simple solutions.”
“You shouldn’t push yourself too hard either, Deron.”
“I’ve heard that at least ten times already. Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten.”
He shrugged before continuing.
“By the way, have you heard the news?”
“What news this time?”
“It’s nothing bad.”
Deron pulled out a sealed letter from his coat and waved it slightly.
“I heard they’re holding a banquet for a few members of the middle class in Avgenil.”
“A banquet?”
Ed frowned in confusion.
Deron chuckled as if he was amused by his own words.
“Looks like they’re desperate to follow in the nobles’ footsteps. As if throwing a banquet could make them nobles.”
He gave the invitation in his hand a careless shake before adding,
“Anyway, they sent us an invitation. Want to go together?”
Though Deron asked casually, Ed couldn’t help but hesitate.
There really isn’t much time left before the emperor is assassinated.
A banquet hosted by the middle class. This wasn’t something they could hold simply because they wanted to follow in the footsteps of the nobility.
No matter how trivial the matter was, the nobles wouldn’t stand idly by while their authority was being challenged.
It meant that someone was pushing for this from behind the scenes. They were most likely the nobles who stood in opposition to the emperor’s faction.
They already knew about the impending chaos and were taking preemptive measures to win public favor.
The fact that their influence had reached even this rural town was proof that the time was truly drawing near.
Ed didn’t hesitate for long.
He decided to attend the banquet.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to familiarize himself with the faces of those attending.
Building connections with them was by no means a disadvantage.
I might even come across the noble who instigated this or pick up some useful information about recent events. It’d be a waste to miss this opportunity.
However, given the current circumstances, he couldn’t afford to leave the orphanage unattended for too long.
I’ll have to rely on the church for this as well.
“When is it being held?”
“In three days, so there’s still plenty of time. You can think it over.”
“No, I’ll attend as well.”
“Oh, sounds good. At least I won’t have to stand awkwardly in a corner by myself.”
Without delay, Ed headed straight for the St. Arian Church.
The branch in Avgenil had only a single priest.
His name was Gomel.
It seemed he had already heard about Ed from Bedrick, as he was welcoming from the very beginning.
Ed met with Gomel and told him about the recent disappearances and murders. He even mentioned that they might be related to him.
“What do you think, Brother?”
Gomel didn’t dismiss Ed’s words as absurd. Instead, he took them seriously and pondered the matter with him.
“I have no idea who might be behind this. Since I’m looking after the children, I can’t help but worry.”
“I understand. Hmm…”
Gomel fell into deep thought before finally speaking.
“Actually, I have a suspicion.”
Ed’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected to find a real lead.
“Have you ever heard of the Silver Veil?”
“The… Silver Veil?”
The unfamiliar name made Ed tilt his head in confusion.
He had never heard of it before.
Even after searching his memories from the original story, he came up empty.
In a calm voice, Gomel continued his explanation.
“They are a cult we’ve been tracking for some time. The Empire is home to many heretical groups, but only a few have been clearly identified by our church. However, the Silver Veil stands out. Recently, they caused quite a stir and left plenty of traces behind.”
“A stir…?”
“They stole a sacred relic from the Lumina Church and fled. In the process, the son of Duke Zest was killed, which caused the duke himself to start hunting them down. Their leader is a man known as Dawn. He calls himself a god and claims that he will shroud the world in darkness, only to rise as the new light.”
Gomel let out a long sigh and continued. His expression darkened.
“The Red Moon, the Sanctuary of White Night, the Ring of Immortality… There are many heretical groups, but few are as radical in their claims as they are. That’s why they are unwelcome wherever they go.”
The cults Gomel mentioned were names Ed had heard at least once before.
The Red Moon was the order that Calix would one day lead as its saint, and both the Sanctuary of White Night and the Ring of Immortality had made appearances in the original story.
But the Silver Veil was entirely unfamiliar.
The Lumina Church was a huge order that rivaled even the St. Arian Church in power.
If someone had stolen a sacred relic from such a group and fled, this was no ordinary incident.
Yet despite the magnitude of the event, why had it never been mentioned in the original story?
Perhaps they had been eliminated before the story began, or maybe their plotline had been scrapped and never included.
“For now, they seem like the most likely culprits. Even if you hadn’t come to me, this might have been the time for us to take action.”
Gomel pulled a sheet of paper from his desk drawer and picked up a quill.
“I’ll send a request to headquarters for the dispatch of an Inquisitor. Until then, we’ll provide support from our warrior monks.”
“Thank you.”
Having taken a step closer to finding the truth, Ed quietly left the church.
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