Versilia immediately realized that the black-haired girl was no ordinary person.
Her pitch-black hair and deep dark eyes resembled Ed’s, yet she lacked his air of mystery.
Instead, Versilia caught an undeniable smell of something vile clinging to her.
But this was the middle of the orphanage where she had just arrived.
The black-haired girl also passed by without saying a word, so Versilia saw no reason to speak to her either.
That night, Versilia shared a room with seven other children. In the early hours of the morning when they had all fallen into a deep sleep, she suddenly sensed something strange and opened her eyes.
Outside the window, the moon cast a faint glow.
And beneath the moonlight, from within the shadows of the window frame, something suddenly rose.
It was the black-haired girl.
She stood there with her wide -eyes and she was locking gazes with Versilia for a long while.
Versilia who was curious as always couldn’t hold back and spoke first.
“Are you following him too?”
“Too….?”
For a brief moment, the black-haired girl’s expression subtly changed. Was she bothered by that one word, “too”?
She furrowed her brows slightly but quickly shook her head as if it didn’t matter. Then, in a low, cold voice, she muttered,
“It’s my job to keep shady people like you away from Ed.”
“Ed? Are you allowed to call him so casually? Maybe in front of others, but it’s just the two of us here.”
“Who do you think you are?”
Lina’s voice grew even colder. She was clearly displeased with Versilia’s way of speaking.
But Versilia only smiled brightly.
“I’m on your side. Are you something like his apostle? Or just an ordinary soldier?”
“Apostle, soldier…. if you want to play childish games, do it alone. I’ll kill anything that gets in Ed’s way.”
Versilia let out a short gasp. Then, her eyes flashed as she replied,
“You don’t know his true identity, do you? But you do uphold his will! That’s exactly it! That’s what I want.”
Lina’s expression hardened dangerously.
“If you truly understand his will, then you die here.”
“Is that so?”
Versilia, who had been smiling brightly just moments ago, suddenly turned expressionless in an instant.
Her crimson eyes sank into a cold stillness.
“Fighting here wouldn’t be in his will. Should we move somewhere quieter?”
“…Fine.”
That night, somewhere within the monastery, a silent battle unfolded.
***
Early in the morning, Ed stopped by the orphanage and came across Versilia and Lina.
“…Did you two fight?”
There was a peculiar tension between them. Though there were no visible wounds on their bodies, the way they avoided each other’s gaze while restlessly shifting their eyes only deepened Ed’s suspicion.
Then, Versilia shook her head with a smile.
“We didn’t fight. We decided to be friends.”
“Really?”
Ed turned to Lina and asked. He knew she wasn’t the type to make friends easily.
But surprisingly, Lina gave a slight nod. It was so subtle that only Ed would have noticed it.
Ed blinked in surprise before breaking into a deep smile.
“That’s great.”
In his eyes, both of them were in need of a friend. Seeing them drawn to each other and deciding to become friends was exactly what he had hoped for.
Of course, he couldn’t say he had no concerns about Versilia who carried the seed of the Demon King within her. But he firmly believed that having a friend would bring more positive emotions than negative ones.
“Did I do well? Then praise me.”
Versilia snuggled into Ed’s arms and started acting playful. Holding her close, Ed stroked her head while reminding her to get along well with her friend.
At that moment, his eyes met Lina’s pitch-black eyes.
“Uh… Lina, you did well too.”
Caught off guard, Ed ended up pulling Lina into his embrace as well. His hands were suddenly busy holding them both.
…
…
A short while later, Ed finally told them why he had come looking for them.
“I’m leaving here in a week. And I’m going to start a new orphanage.”
Having received permission from the bishop, Bedrick assured Ed that he could leave whenever he was ready. Thanks to this, Ed didn’t have to rush and was able to take some time to prepare before departing.
As soon as he arrived at the monastery, Ed sent a letter to Count Montrant. He used an ordinary carrier pigeon, but when the reply came, it was delivered by a blue hawk. Montrant suggested that from then on, they exchange all letters through the hawk.
After a few exchanges, Ed easily secured the promised sponsorship. A week later, he informed Bedrick of his departure.
Building an orphanage alone would take more than a year, but staying the entire time didn’t sit right with him.
Since he needed to find land to build on and recruit staff for its operation, he decided to live elsewhere for the next year.
When the children heard the news, they showed no signs of surprise or sadness. Instead, they simply declared that they would follow him as if it were only natural.
The orphanage had already reached full capacity after Versilia’s arrival, so taking two children with him wouldn’t be a major issue. Bedrick would surely approve as well.
So Ed promised to come back for them as soon as the building was completed. Even if he had to be away, he at least wanted the children to stay somewhere safe for the next year.
And a week later, Ed packed his belongings and left the monastery. He returned his monk’s robes and changed into everyday clothes. He started walking the streets with a mix of anticipation and anxiety.
His destination was Avgenil, a city slightly far from Vinen.
It was a place recommended by Count Montrant. While it had a branch of St. Arian’s Church, there was no orphanage, meaning it would be the only one in the area.
Since it was a three-day carriage ride from Vinen, Ed hired a coachman without hesitation.
His plan was to live in Avgenil for a year, build relationships with the local residents, and integrate himself into the community.
Count Montrant promised to provide regular financial support, but I can’t rely on that alone. I should look for ways to secure additional funds.
Should he run a farm? Raise livestock? As he mulled over various possibilities, he endured the tiring carriage ride.
When he arrived in Avgenil, Ed paid the coachman who had accompanied him on the long journey and immediately hired another one.
When he mentioned heading to the Benevolence Street, the coachman asked for five copper coins. Since the trip from Vinen had cost sixty, it was a much cheaper fare. This was simply because the destination was nearby.
Rather than sitting inside the carriage, Ed took a seat beside the coachman up front. He had many questions to ask.
The old coachman, whose hair was streaked with white, seemed to enjoy talking. He answered Ed’s questions without hesitation and appeared to know quite a lot.
Typically, coachmen were those who had saved up money in their younger years to buy a horse and carriage, choosing the profession as a means of securing a stable retirement. The coachman Ed had hired seemed to fit that category.
He was a lifelong native of Avgenil who had never left the city since childhood. As they continued talking, Ed naturally learned his name.
Hans. It was a very ordinary name.
While chatting with him, Ed mentioned that he was considering building an orphanage on Benevolence Street. He thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to establish a connection with Hans, who knew the area well.
However, rather than wondering where Ed had managed to gather such a large sum of money, Hans first showed a concerned expression.
“You’re in for a rough time. It might not be easy to settle in.”
“I’m prepared for that. It’s never easy to put down roots in a new place.”
“Hmm, that’s not quite what I meant. With a personality like yours, there’s no way the locals wouldn’t welcome you. What I’m worried about is something else.”
At those words, Ed’s faint smile stiffened slightly.
“What do you mean, sir?”
“This city may technically be under the lord’s rule, but in reality, it’s controlled by another force. That’s how it is with border towns the lord rarely visits.”
Ed felt like he already understood what Hans was trying to say.
“The magistrate is here, of course, but he’s a busy man. In a place like this, fists tend to feel a lot closer than the mercy of the law.”
“The Dark Guilds, you mean?”
“You catch on quickly.”
Hans lowered his voice.
“There are laws here, but not in a good way. This city is controlled by three Dark Guilds. The Benevolence Street, despite its name, happens to be the main base of an organization called the Black Hand.”
“That’s quite the irony.”
“They’ll probably come around to assert their dominance. Of course, it won’t be just a simple show of force. It’ll be an excuse to collect protection fees.”
Ed fell into brief contemplation. Should he mention that the building was being constructed with the lord’s support?
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
He couldn’t rely on Count Montrant’s help forever. From the beginning, what he had agreed upon with the count was funding for the orphanage’s operation, not assistance with personal matters. If he were to ask for more than that, he would have to pay an equivalent price in return.
There’s still time before the building is completed. I should look for another solution.
If, in the end, he couldn’t find a proper way, it wouldn’t be too late to seek help then.
As Ed reached his conclusion, the carriage had already entered Benevolence Street.
At a glance, it looked like an ordinary street. A lively market had formed and it was bustling with shops and pedestrians. Everything one might expect was there. More than one would find in a typical street. The fact that it was a major base for an underground organization didn’t necessarily mean it was all bad.
As he observed his surroundings, Ed spotted the site where the orphanage would be built.
The land seemed poorly maintained and was overgrown with wild grass. At some point, the ground had been leveled. This was likely in preparation for some intended purpose, but it had since been left abandoned.
For now, children were playing there. Their bright laughter spilled through the gaps in a crumbling fence.
Ed’s eyes followed the children as they ran through the windblown grass. Their shoes brushed against the leaves, and small birds took flight from thin bare branches.
He quietly watched the scene unfold. Then he made up his mind.
This was where he would build the orphanage.
….
….
A year and two months passed like that.
Count Montrant was indeed a man of great generosity. He decided to build the orphanage not as a simple wooden structure but as a sturdy stone building.
As a result, the construction period grew longer. However, as the workers continued carving and stacking stones, the outline of the orphanage gradually took shape, revealing a structure that was far from small.
During that time, Ed stayed at an inn near Benevolence Street for a long period of time.
He didn’t have much money saved from his days as a monk, so his living expenses were tight. However, upon hearing about his situation, Count Montrant spared no financial support, which allowed Ed to live without worrying about money.
Originally, Ed had planned to find a temporary job here, but instead, he was able to immerse himself in the community, meeting many people and becoming part of the town.
He also made sure to visit Vinen from time to time to see the children’s faces.
However, what he was most devoted to was something else.
It was swordsmanship training.
Ed diligently practiced Ascal-style swordsmanship in the backyard of the inn.
Under the midday sun, in the glow of the evening sunset, and even on days when light rain drizzled down, he never let go of his sword.
The image of Ed as an ordinary monk was slowly fading away.
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