The time when Ed was at the orphanage existed prior to the timeline of the original novel.
It was unclear exactly how many years earlier, but it was certain that in the original story, the current emperor would be assassinated a year later, followed by the ascension of a new emperor.
And not long after that, a great war would erupt.
This was still a period when the current emperor’s power remained firmly intact, serving as clear evidence that the timeline had not yet reached the point depicted in the original work.
This world was darker than one might expect. Humans were in endless conflicts with demons, vampires, and other races. Moreover, despite being aware of all this, the two major political factions were locked in bitter rivalry within the empire and engaged in extreme political strife.
Beyond that, uncontrolled chaos persisted across the empire’s vast territories.
War and conflict bred heroes, but they also gave rise to terrifying villains.
The novel Ed had read was no different.
In that sense, isn’t it closer to dark fantasy than normal fantasy?
The conflicts spiraled uncontrollably, plunging deeper into the abyss, and the protagonist struggled desperately to resolve them.
However, the outcome remained unknown, as the novel had been discontinued.
Ed had no intention of involving himself in the protagonist’s journey. He had never once considered himself a hero destined to save the world.
Though he had escaped the lethargy of his past life, that liberation stemmed solely from his own cold, rational judgment.
That did not mean he planned to stand idly by. He needed to protect himself and, if possible, those around him.
Even if the events didn’t revolve around the protagonist, this world was fraught with unpredictable dangers. Since surviving the bandits incident, Ed had consistently trained his body.
Ed was not a warrior monk but an ordinary monk caring for children at the orphanage. Just training his body might not bring significant change, but he believed that building his physical strength would allow him to seize any future opportunities.
I know how to learn swordsmanship, but…
The place where he could learn was far away. It was a month’s journey by carriage from the orphanage.
Should I go now?
If he truly wanted to, he could find a way to get there.
Ed hesitated because he harbored lingering doubts about whether this world truly matched the novel he had read. After all, the original work had been discontinued, and he had been pulled into this world immediately after the author announced a remake.
Even if the regional names were identical, the content could differ significantly. Lina’s existence further fueled his suspicions.
However, a decisive recent event had ended Ed’s internal conflict.
The special Mass held at Count Montrant’s castle.
It was an event where not only the parish priest but also the bishop overseeing multiple dioceses in Count Montrant’s territory would gather to celebrate the marriage of the count’s eldest son.
This was a plot point that had appeared in the original novel, albeit briefly, through a flashback. What mattered was that it happened exactly as Ed remembered.
This was why it had abruptly ended the doubts that had plagued him for so long.
“I’m surprised you wish to attend, Brother. But it’s fine.”
Bedrick, the sole priest of Ed’s parish, readily granted permission.
Though it was unusual for Ed who had never participated in regular Masses at Montrant Castle to attend a special Mass, Bedrick neither suspected nor dismissed him. Ed had lived diligently enough to earn that level of trust.
The next day.
The time Ed would be away was long, so he stopped by the orphanage early in the morning to bid farewell to the children.
He had anticipated the other children clinging to his monk’s robe and pleading for him not to leave. However, Lina alone remained composed and offered him a calm goodbye.
Her eyes that were unnervingly indifferent as if nothing mattered, left Ed with a faint sting of disappointment. Even as he soothed the other children’s pleas, he felt a pang of disappointment toward Lina who stood quietly. He had expected her to show at least a hint of reluctance.
Sensing his own contradictory emotions, Ed steadied his resolve. After exchanging thorough goodbyes with the orphanage children, he joined the procession.
The procession consisted of a deacon assisting the priest, a few monks, a smaller number of believers, and two dispatched paladins.
Since the Mass would be presided over by the bishop, the sole priest from Vinen did not need to attend personally. The choir too was to be supported by members from another region, with whom they planned to meet in Kelmer, the city where Count Montrant resided.
“Wow… It’s Priest Ed!”
“Where? Oh, it really is!”
Villagers with whom Ed had formed connections through relief efforts swarmed around the procession. Though the paladins might have found this worrying, the villagers paid no heed and kept pressing close enough to touch Ed. Their gazes remained fixed solely on him.
Naturally, the paladins did not force them away. These were individuals who practiced Arian’s love and mercy.
“Priest! Please look at me just once!”
Ed responded with an awkward smile and accepted their greetings. To be called “priest” in front of the deacon…. he had corrected them countless times that he was just a monk.
The deacon, who had chosen to walk ahead of Ed rather than ride a carriage until they exited the city, turned and flashed a meaningful smile.
“Brother, your popularity never fails to impress me.”
His personality was uncharacteristically bright and lively. It was completely different from the ever-calm and solemn Bedrick. Yet his words carried layered meanings. It was unclear whether he genuinely admired Ed or was teasing a monk sworn to chastity.
The surrounding monks seemed to interpret his words positively and their eyes turned toward Ed. The sudden attention weighed on him. Nothing could have been more mortifying. In the modern world, being called handsome might have been flattering, but here, it was a useless thing.
In this world, what mattered was not beauty but the strength to protect oneself.
Meanwhile, the procession exited the city and headed toward Kelmer, the seat of Count Montrant.
Seven days and two more had passed. What began as a small group grew increasingly bustling as clergy from various regions joined.
By the time they arrived at Montrant Castle under the lead of the bishop, a golden-haired man with a round belly greeted them. He was none other than Count Montrant himself. His mustache was elegantly groomed though his complexion appeared rather ashen.
Ed who had been watching him from a distance had a gleam in his eyes.
He had arrived on time.
“Hoho, you’ve endured a long journey. My gratitude.”
“Not at all. I am merely thankful for the Count’s unwavering devotion.”
After exchanging brief greetings, the clergy headed to the lodgings prepared within the castle. Since the pre-dawn Mass was scheduled for the following day, today was a time to rest and recover from the fatigue of their long journey.
At the bishop’s request, a simple banquet was held, and Ed spent the day in a room assigned to him alongside the other monks.
The next morning, Count Montrant’s footsteps were unusually hurried from dawn onward. It was completely different from his usual leisurely strolls around the castle.
“We will handle the preparations, so there is no need for you to rush, Sir Count.”
“No. For the Goddess of Mercy, how could I not do even this much?”
“Hoho, may Arian’s blessings be upon you.”
Though Montrant laughed along, the thick unease etched on his face could not be hidden.
As expected, once the Mass, the wedding ceremony, and the subsequent banquet concluded, Montrant requested a private audience with the bishop.
The bishop, as if he had already anticipated this, followed the count silently into a chamber. Those left behind wore puzzled expressions, though a few seemed to vaguely suspect what was happening.
Count Montrant had three children: an eldest son, a younger son, and a youngest daughter. Yet throughout the day’s wedding festivities, only the eldest son appeared. The other two siblings never once showed their faces. Their absence from such an important event was definitely strange.
No one had likely noticed the deeper truth. Except for Ed, that is.
The count’s two younger children had vanished abruptly three days before the wedding.
Montrant had dispatched knights to search for them, but no trace of the siblings was ever found. The reason he could not launch a full-scale investigation was simple. Today’s wedding absolutely had to proceed.
The eldest son’s marriage partner was a child of a duke’s family, which held high standing even among the imperial faction. For Count Montrant, this union was a stroke of divine fortune. He could not allow any scandal to jeopardize it.
Montrant was not heartless. In fact, he loved his children equally. But before being a father, he was the head of the Montrant noble house.
Of course, he would come to regret this decision for the rest of his life.
In the original story, after the wedding, Montrant sought the Holy Arian Church’s aid to conduct an extensive search only for the two children to be discovered as cold corpses. They were victims of a necromancer’s gruesome experiments.
Later, Count Montrant would fall to corruption and emerge as a member of the Demon King’s army.
Why did he not resent them, but instead join their side?
The reasons were far more complicated.
The original flow of events will change. And the ripples will be destructive.
To abandon the future he knew, Ed had no intention of reversing his choices now, but he couldn’t help agonizing over the fear of the unknown.
By the time the banquet ended, the sun had long set and the night had deepened.
Whether the lengthy discussion in the chamber had concluded, the bishop finally reappeared. His resolute expression meant he had agreed to Count Montrant’s plea.
The bishop gathered the clergy and explained the situation.
He declared they would devote their full efforts to locating the count’s missing children.
He instructed several priests to deliver news to the main cathedral while ordering the remaining clergy to return to their respective branches at dawn. This included the Vinen Branch.
The Vinen Branch had no paladins to spare for the search, leaving them no choice but to comply.
The monks had learned basic combat skills, but they were ill-suited to aid in a full-scale search.
Since the bishop had already decided to intervene personally, merely filling the ranks with bodies held no meaning.
At that moment, Ed stepped forward. He had spent the past three years agonizing over this very matter, and he could not let this opportunity slip away.
“I know my strength may not be of great help, but I wish to assist.”
The bishop’s gaze shifted to Ed. It was not just the bishop. Among those present, there were far more individuals of higher rank than Ed than those of lower standing. Yet even they would not have dared to step forward before the bishop so casually.
The deacon beside Ed added with an awkward smile,
“He is one who would stop at nothing for matters involving children. Even I cannot dissuade him.”
The bishop who was wearing a purple zucchetto slowly turned toward Ed. Ed’s reflection flickered in the bishop’s kind, amber eyes. After studying him for a long moment, the bishop smiled faintly and spoke just as other priests began to interject.
“Good. More hands are always welcome.”
The bishop who had earlier dismissed the value of mere numbers now effortlessly reversed his stance and accepted Ed’s request.
Yet no one questioned this contradiction.
The next morning, a group departed Kelmer to fulfill their assigned tasks. Those remaining until reinforcements arrived gathered for a meeting.
A detailed map lay unfurled on the table, surrounded by Count Montrant, his knight commander, and the bishop alongside other solemn-faced clergy.
“If we act rashly, we risk provoking the unknown. It would be wise to wait for reinforcements before launching a large-scale search.”
“But while we delay—”
“They are all children of Arian. We will spare no effort to find them. Please, do not worry.”
Opinions swiftly coalesced into consensus. Though four days had already passed since the disappearance, the unknown cause of the vanishing made reckless action unwise.
The prevailing view was that adding a handful of remaining clergy to the search would change little, as the knight order had already scoured the area without uncovering even the faintest clue.
Even the bishop’s holy magic could not feasibly comb every corner of the sprawling city.
The Count of Montran, who had been showing signs of impatience, found it difficult to simply disagree with a reasonable opinion.
Then Ed, the sole remaining monk from Vinen, quietly spoke.
“I disagree. I believe we must act now, even if it falls to us alone.”
Ed had not acted on impulse.
In the original story, a large-scale search had continued for a month before the corpses were finally discovered. They were still relatively fresh.
To change this outcome, Ed had to take action.
It wasn’t for lack of effort that they had failed to find the missing children. It was simply a case of failing to see what lay right under their noses. The necromancer had been brazenly conducting experiments near the inner castle.
But even knowing this, he couldn’t just blurt it out.
“I understand your concern, Brother, but it’s not as if we are refusing to search. Let’s be rational about this. This is our responsibility.”
The blond paladin standing beside the bishop spoke. His meaning was clear. Stay out of it.
He hadn’t looked pleased when Ed had insisted on staying here.
It was only natural for him to hold some resentment; after all, Ed had overturned the bishop’s decision. With even the knights remaining silent, it was understandable that they would feel uneasy about Ed who was just a monk, and not even a warrior monk pushing to take action.
But there was no other choice. They truly wouldn’t find them otherwise.
“It’s already been three days. If we keep hesitating, just waiting for reinforcements, the worst could happen. Don’t you agree, Sir Count?”
Ed’s gaze turned to Montrant. It was a deliberate move to draw upon his influence.
Montrant, who had already been showing visible impatience, let out a deep sigh and gave a nod.
“Let’s do it. I’ll leave it to you.”
His voice sounded weary, but there was an undeniable earnestness in it.
And with that, the clergy could no longer turn a blind eye. The decision was made; they would act.
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