To Inpula Church Territory (3)

“Is the Crusader Order not going to pursue?”

With breakfast finished, it was finally time to depart.

As Ceres, stretching languidly, blinked and asked Scarlet, he remained silent for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.

“The culprit is either a vampire or a lich. With no traces of magic, the possibility of it being a vampire is very high… That’s the investigation result we’ve obtained, so that’s enough. Even if it’s one of the two, we can’t deal with it with the current Crusader Order forces. Moreover, it might be easier to grasp the culprit’s intentions if we wait and observe a bit longer.”

Listening to this blunt answer, Yona suddenly had a thought.

If they don’t pursue and just return like this, isn’t there a possibility that the vampire might attack another village?

If that happens, wouldn’t the damage to civilians be enormous?

But to ask that outright… well, she was scared.

Scarlet was still somewhat frightening.

“Hey, baldy.”

“Hm?”

So in the end, she decided to ask Alec.

“Couldn’t they pursue while calling for reinforcements? What if the vampire or lich attacks another village?”

Alec scratched the bridge of his nose.

He understood to some extent the hidden intention in Scarlet’s words.

It’s true that they obtained investigation results.

It’s also true that they can’t deal with it with the current Crusader Order forces.

As for waiting and observing… if Alec’s understanding is correct, Yona would surely throw a fit if she heard it.

Leaving it as is means essentially waiting for another village to be attacked.

It means they want to see the route of movement.

“Well, um. I guess they mean they’ll bring additional forces to catch it before that happens.”

If he spoke honestly, Yona would surely throw a fit.

Although she has a bit of a foul mouth, Yona is fundamentally true to her identity as a clergy member, so she wouldn’t stay quiet about just letting other civilians be harmed.

“Is that so? Well, if that’s the case…”

Yona closed her mouth.

Alec glanced sideways at Yona, who was now speaking as if she was going to let it go.

The nobles of this era, and even those called clergy, didn’t care much about the well-being of common people.

Alec was somewhat like that too, but Yona wasn’t.

Although she said with her mouth that her own life was the most important and prioritized her own safety, when it actually came down to it, Yona didn’t act that way. Just like when she saved Rubina.

“So we just need to do our job. Yona, understand?”

“Who said anything? When we get to Inpula, I’m going to the community.”

Yona replied indifferently and turned her gaze out the carriage window.

Clunk—

After the sound of the locking pin being pulled out, the carriage started to move.

The village looked too intact for having been hit by a tidal wave of undead.

There were occasional collapsed stone walls, perhaps due to the attack of shambling creatures like zombies or skeletons, but that was within an acceptable range, and other than that, there was hardly any sign of collapsed houses or such.

“There’s no vitality at all…”

“Well, people will return soon, so it’ll be fine, Saint. Don’t worry too much. Since you’re so concerned, why don’t you ask them to pay more attention when we get to Inpula?”

Bigrin, who had muttered suddenly, was slightly startled by the quick response and turned to the side.

Ludvik was looking at Bigrin with a grinning face.

“I-I suppose so.”

“When we get to Inpula, won’t you receive ordination, Saint? If that happens, you’ll essentially become a precious person of the same rank as the Pope in the Celestial Church. Since each of your words will carry weight, if you say that Semec needs more attention for restoration…”

“Is… that so?”

Evian, a small city on the frontier.

Bigrin, who had been a priest belonging to the cathedral in that Evian.

Although her total amount of holy power was certainly outstanding, that was all there was to Bigrin.

That Bigrin had become a saint, and now she’s being told she’ll become a precious person of the same rank as the Pope.

“It doesn’t feel real.”

“The miracles you’ve shown on the way here are more than enough. No one will doubt that you’re a precious person.”

Ludvik spoke slowly, as if to comfort Bigrin.

“That’s…”

Bigrin closed her mouth without finishing her sentence.

The carriage was moving.

Slowly, very slowly.

Heading towards the Inpula Church Territory.

*

“Excuse me, Regent.”

Ceres looked up at Yona from where she was sitting.

Yona was standing awkwardly next to her, calling out to Ceres.

Yona was calling Ceres while glancing nervously at Scarlet, who was sitting not far away, apparently feeling uncomfortable. Ceres found this somewhat cute and felt like laughing.

“What is it, Miss Yona?”

“I was wondering if we could talk for a moment.”

“Oh? Alright. If it were anyone else, I’d tell them to speak here, but since it’s you calling, Miss Yona, I should go. An adventurer calling for the Regent to come and go, it’s something that could only happen with you, Miss Yona.”

“Urk.”

Yona had hesitated a lot about this, but when Ceres reacted exactly as she had worried, it made her even more embarrassed.

“I’m joking. Well then, where shall we talk?”

“On… on top of the carriage.”

Yona forced a smile, her lips trembling, as she noticed Scarlet’s helmet tilting slightly to look at her.

Finding this sight rather pitiful, Ceres nodded readily.

“Ugh, it’s cold.”

It was truly winter now.

You could tell just by the wind.

Even though the carriage wasn’t moving at a particularly fast speed, the wind was cold and sharp, as if cutting into the skin, noticeably different from just yesterday.

Both Yona and Ceres shivered as the cold blade of air penetrated their clothes.

“Let’s see…”

As soon as Ceres lightly snapped her fingers, the wind stopped.

Judging by the tree branches visible from the top of the carriage still swaying violently, she must have done something to block the wind only around Yona and Ceres.

“Now it’s a bit more bearable.”

“Indeed…”

Yona hadn’t said anything, but being in a nun’s habit, she was just as cold, so she had borrowed an outer garment from Alec and wrapped it around herself before coming out.

Even with the wind blocked like this, Yona kept the outer garment on without taking it off.

“You seem very close with Mr. Alec?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

Ceres, who had sat down casually on top of the carriage, asked Yona with a grin.

Yona affirmed, thinking it was an obvious question, and sat down at a slight distance from Ceres.

“Come to think of it, you two worked together for three years, right?”

“That’s right. To be precise, about two and a half years?”

“That’s long enough to develop feelings, I suppose.”

“Fe-feelings? There’s absolutely nothing like that. To begin with, I’m a m—”

Oops.

Yona closed her mouth after saying that much.

There was something that made her reluctant to tell the truth to Ceres, so she didn’t want to say this word.

Ceres was looking at Yona, who had abruptly cut off her words, with a strange gaze, and Yona again awkwardly laughed it off.

“Anyway, it’s not that kind of relationship between a man and a woman. I don’t have even the slightest romantic feelings for Alec.”

Because I’m originally a man.

Because I have no desire to date a man at all.

Because such a thing will absolutely never happen.

“Then aren’t you being too cruel to Mr. Alec?”

“Pardon?”

Ceres’s words were truly unexpected.

Cruel? What does she mean?

Yona tried to think about what intention might be behind Ceres’s question, but nothing came to mind.

“Mr. Alec is already twenty years old. But he’s always sticking by your side. Moreover, you block any chance for other women to approach Mr. Alec, don’t you?”

Unlike Ceres, who was speaking with a grin, Yona was at a loss for words.

She didn’t understand what Ceres meant, nor what she meant by blocking chances for other women to approach.

Since it had never happened in the first place, Yona couldn’t understand what Ceres was talking about at all.

“I’ve never done anything like that…?”

“Heh, is that so? Well, let’s leave it at that then.”

It was Yona who subtly blocked Ceres’s gaze every time it turned towards Alec.

She would block it with her own body, or like this morning, when Ceres was looking at Alec, Yona pulled over the milk pot to block Alec from view.

Yet she says she has no romantic feelings, which left Ceres exasperated.

“Well, anyway, it doesn’t matter. So, Miss Yona, what did you want to talk to me about?”

“Ah, that. I wanted to inform you in advance about our schedule after arriving in Inpula…”

After arriving in Inpula, she intends to refuse any requests Ceres might make.

So she wants to inform Ceres of their schedule in advance, to prevent the awkward situation of having to refuse requests that Ceres might make without knowing their plans.

“After arriving in Inpula, we first plan to leave Rubina at an orphanage…”

“Leave Rubina at an orphanage… Yes, I understand that part. I’ll arrange for Rubina to be placed in the Church Territory’s direct orphanage with me as her guardian.”

Such kindness.

Yona felt relieved to the point where her heart sank.

She knew that Rubina had been through various things and was following Yona around calling her big sister, but she had to leave her behind.

That alone made her feel bad, but if Ceres—the Regent of Capatia Port and the Chief Elder of the Celestial Church’s Capatia branch—becomes Rubina’s guardian, there’s no doubt that Rubina’s future will be secure.

She might even live a much better, more peaceful life than Yona.

“Th-thank you.”

“It’s nothing. I’ve grown quite fond of Rubina too. Anyway, what else?”

“Ah, and then… we will, um… that is. Mr. James will return to his hometown, and I, Alec, and the liza—I mean, Kairoc plan to go to the mage community.”

“The mage community. Hmm.”

Ceres seemed to be thinking about something while stroking her chin.

While doing so, she occasionally looked at Yona with an ambiguous smile, which made Yona feel as if cold sweat was running down her back again.

“Yes, the ma-mage community. Anyway, from there on, it might be difficult for us to accept additional requests. I thought it would be good to let you know in advance…”

“Yes, thank you. Actually, I was planning to return to Capatia after staying in Inpula for a few days, and I was thinking of asking for your escort again from there, but it’s a shame it won’t work out.”

It was indeed good to have mentioned it in advance.

But if it’s about an escort…

“Mr. James will be passing through Capatia too, so you might want to make a solo request to him. He’s an excellent archer.”

“I see. Well, I understand that… So, Miss Yona is going to the mage community, is that right?”

“That’s correct.”

Her heart had calmed down a bit now.

Ceres had that kind of strange charm. Talking with her made one feel a bit more at ease.

“So, to return to being a man, right?”

Her heart became uneasy again.

“You look as if you’re wondering how I knew.”

Chuckling softly, Ceres smiled gently, her eyes curving.

“Well, I know because I heard everything from Alevian.”

At that name that came up after a long time, Yona felt a chill run down her spine.