Ed fell into deep contemplation.
Should he take this child with him?
He briefly turned his gaze to the animal carcasses sprawled beside Jun.
Dried blood had spread across the ground, and the wounds on the bodies were disturbingly precise. Too precise for a child to inflict.
This was not something an ordinary child could do.
Unlike other children, Jun already seemed no different from the infamous Human Butcher he would one day become.
But was it right to judge him so easily and turn away?
Was that a reason to give up on him?
“How did you end up here?”
Jun answered without a hint of expression.
“The people with silver masks brought me here.”
“…Did they make you do this?”
Ed deliberately asked again, even though he already knew the truth….that they hadn’t ordered Jun to do it. That he had done it on his own.
Jun shook his head without hesitation, as if the thought of lying never even crossed his mind.
“I did it.”
“…Why?”
“Because the weak die.”
Jun’s eyes remained still and unwavering.
“I don’t want to be weak.”
Ed immediately understood what Jun meant.
By killing those weaker than himself, Jun was confirming to himself that he was not weak.
This explained why, in the future, Jun would become notorious as the Human Butcher.
By the standards of Ed’s past life, someone like Jun would be labeled a psychopath.
Ed wondered whether he could truly save him.
All this time, Ed had resolved to save unfortunate children with his own hands.
Because he believed it was his duty.
But Jun was a child Ed had never considered. He had never expected to meet him here.
And so, his mind grew increasingly conflicted.
Wasn’t this the very child he needed to act upon before he brought about an even more horrifying future?
But what right do I have?
He had once vowed to help the unfortunate children of this world.
Yet was it really okay for him to waver so easily? Was his conviction truly this weak?
Jun remained seated with the same expressionless face. His quiet gaze seemed to be testing Ed, as if waiting to see what he would do.
Ed looked down at his own hands. And he felt a wave of disappointment in himself for hesitating to reach out.
This child was simply wary of the world, afraid of it.
Could he say that was wrong?
Just as Jun had said, this world was a place where the weak died easily.
Ed knew that better than anyone.
That was precisely why he had used his knowledge of the original story to form connections with nobility and why he had learned the Ascal swordsmanship.
If that was the case, then he could understand Jun’s fear.
And if he could take that fear away…
Then… wouldn’t it be okay to take him along?
“You said you don’t want to be weak, didn’t you?”
Ed asked in a calm voice.
Jun remained silent, simply staring at him. His unwavering black eyes held no hesitation. Instead of answering, Jun slowly nodded his head.
“So do I.”
Ed paused for a moment and looked directly at Jun.
“I run an orphanage, and the children there are the same. Not just them. Many people are.”
He didn’t point out that Jun’s actions were wrong. Instead, he told him that he wasn’t special in this. That everyone was the same.
As he spoke, the traces of hesitation on Ed’s face had quietly disappeared.
“I’ll make sure you don’t stay weak. And even if you are, I’ll protect you. So… will you come with me?”
It was a proposal that had come after much deliberation, but unlike Ed, Jun didn’t hesitate. He simply nodded his head.
After all, he was a child who hadn’t resisted in the slightest when the men in silver masks had taken him away.
Ed let out a small chuckle, brushing off the weight of his own thoughts.
Then, he lightly ruffled Jun’s hair and said,
“You’re pretty tough.”
Jun flinched slightly and his small shoulders twitched. But he didn’t pull away.
“Then, shall we get up?”
At that moment, a voice came from behind them. Ophelia who had been silently watching the scene unfold finally spoke.
“To be honest, I’ve been doubting you all this time.”
Her voice was as emotionless as ever.
Yet, there was a subtle hesitation, as if the words were difficult for her to say.
“And after seeing you wield your sword today, that doubt only grew stronger.”
It was only natural.
Ed had taken down an enemy even Ophelia struggled to handle with a single strike.
And he had done so with a body that had no mana.
Even Ed thought it was reasonable for her to be suspicious.
However, what she said next was unexpected.
“You asked me to keep it a secret, didn’t you?”
She deliberately asked about something she already knew.
When Ed nodded his head, she averted her gaze and muttered,
“…Alright. I suppose I can keep watching for a little longer.”
***
The faint glow of a candle flickered in the darkness.
The small ember was not enough to drive away the darkness, but it faintly illuminated the faces of those sitting nearby.
A girl with long flowing black hair. A girl whose purple hair cascaded down her back. A boy with blood-red hair and a boy with gray hair.
The four children sat around a circular table.
Among them, the girl with the long flowing purple hair Versilia was the first to speak. Her tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction.
“We found them first. What were you hesitating for?”
Her purple eyes gleamed sharply.
“Those silver-masked bastards? I could’ve killed them all on my own. Then, I could’ve summoned their lingering souls and forced them to reveal where the others were hiding.”
Versilia’s gaze was fixed on Lina.
Despite having all the information they needed, they hadn’t taken action and the reason was none other than Lina.
Because she had said, “Not yet”.
Versilia clicked her tongue and asked provocatively,
“You claim to know His will, don’t you? But I guess you didn’t see this one coming?”
But Lina barely registered the taunt.
The truth was, she hadn’t expected things to move this quickly either.
Ed had left the orphanage for a short while, only to return and storm the Silver Veil’s hideout with the inquisitor. Almost as if he had seen everything unfold beforehand.
He moved as if he truly knew everything that was about to happen.
Lina couldn’t deny it any longer.
Was Ed truly someone extraordinary?
The man she knew had been someone who struggled desperately to find light in the depths of an endless swamp of darkness.
And yet, he had never lost his kindness. No matter what, he had always carried a warmth that never wavered.
Was Ed more than just the orphanage director who cared for the children?
Of course, it might not have been such an important fact.
No matter who he was or what he had become, Lina would protect him.
That much would never change.
And yet, an inexplicable sense of emptiness and regret lingered in her heart.
At that moment, the red-haired boy Calix spoke up in place of the silent Lina.
“Now that we have a new recruit, I can hand over my duties to Jun, right?”
He spoke playfully while casting a sidelong glance at Jun.
But the response he received was dry and indifferent.
“Do as you please. It’s not like we’re your guardians.”
It was Versilia’s familiar tone. As always, it was blunt and prickly.
But Calix had long since grown accustomed to her mannerisms. He didn’t seem to mind in the slightest. Instead, he let out a small chuckle and murmured,
“Finally, I’m not the youngest anymore.”
Calix gazed at Jun with satisfaction for a moment before something seemed to come to mind. Turning back to Versilia, he asked,
“By the way, didn’t you say you had something to tell us?”
“Oh, right.”
Versilia pulled out a piece of parchment from inside her coat.
It was somewhat worn and of mediocre quality, yet it was covered in dense, unreadable characters.
“Dona found this while cleaning ‘his’ room. She was looking at it too closely, so I snatched it from her and brought it here.”
“From ‘his’ room?”
At that moment, everyone at the table turned their gaze toward the parchment.
“Can anyone decipher what it means?”
Holding on to a glimmer of hope, Calix turned to Lina.
However, Lina slowly shook her head. Her expression made it clear that she had no idea either.
“Is it a language from another kingdom…? I’ve never seen these characters before.”
Jun also shook his head in silence, signaling that he didn’t know.
“This is the only thing that stands out.”
Versilia extended a finger and pointed to the bottom of the parchment.
There, an unusual symbol was engraved—
Seven stars.
“…What could it mean?”
The candlelight flickered violently for a brief moment.
A subtle tension settled over the four faces in the darkness.
The deeper their thoughts grew, the heavier the silence became.
….
Through the towering windows, warm sunlight streamed into the room.
Soft beams of light settled on the polished marble floor, brushing over the antique furniture and adding a gentle warmth to the space.
Duke Zest lifted his teacup with a graceful motion. As the deep aroma of black tea enveloped his senses, he slowly closed his eyes, savoring the fragrance.
But this moment of tranquility was broken by the quiet voice of the man beside him.
Dressed neatly in a well-fitted uniform, the man maintained a composed demeanor as he delivered his report.
“It seems that the remnants of the Silver Veil we were pursuing have already been dealt with.”
The duke’s hand that was just about to bring the teacup to his lips paused for a moment.
“…By whom?”
“That… we’ll need to confirm.”
Duke Zest leisurely set his teacup down. Turning his head slowly, he fixed his gaze on the man standing beside him.
His eyes were ice-cold.
“What about traces?”
“…Those who eliminated them took everything with them.”
Duke Zest’s lips curved into a slanted smile.
“Are you joking?”
It was just a short remark, but the weight of the pressure behind it bore down heavily on the air.
A cold sweat formed on the man’s nape.
He immediately lowered his head and continued speaking.
“My apologies. I will make sure to find the traces.”
Duke Zest stared at him for a long moment.
Then, lifting his teacup once more, he murmured,
“I hope so.”
….
A quiet church.
The building was completely empty, as if everyone had already left, and a deep silence hung in the air.
A man draped in a pure white robe embroidered with the divine radiance of Lumina, the Goddess of Light, stood before the altar with his hands clasped together in prayer.
Behind him, a man clad in solid armor approached.
“Bishop Kael.”
The man in prayer slowly lowered his hands and turned his head.
His gaze was calm, yet it carried an unreadable depth.
“What happened?”
The man in armor lowered his head apologetically.
“We were too late.”
Kael’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
But soon, he softened his expression with a gentle smile.
“Looks like someone acted first. Considering how many enemies they’ve made, I suppose it’s not surprising.”
Kael continued with a benevolent tone.
“The important thing is the relic. What happened to it?”
The man in armor shook his head.
“It seems the relic wasn’t there. And it looks like the ones who acted before us were the Inquisitor of St. Arian.”
“The children of the Goddess of Mercy… were they keeping an eye on the Silver Veil?”
“I’m not sure why, but it seems that way. I will find out the reason as soon as possible.”
“You should. They are the last people I would expect… but if the relic—”
Kael trailed off, unable to finish his sentence, and quietly turned his gaze back to the altar.
Through the stained glass, multicolored light streamed in, brushing against his face.
At that moment, a shadow flickered across his eyes.
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