episode_0081

The next day.

I rode in the carriage side-by-side with Irene.

Our destination, as always, was Astro Headquarters.

Though I’d lightly called it a date, we were actually on our way to a quite serious matter.

The fox, gazing out the window, spoke as if she’d expected it.

“Well… I somewhat anticipated it.”

“Were you perhaps looking forward to it? I feel a little sorry.”

“Hmm.”

Irene responded with a bored tone.

She wore a strangely unreadable expression.

Perhaps, having gone through various hardships recently, she had been looking forward to a day off.

Since we were heading to the headquarters to handle some separate business.

I spoke, as if to soothe her.

“Next time, let’s definitely go out to play.”

“There’s no need for that… It’s not like I’m upset.”

“It seems my conscience won’t allow it.”

“Oh, if that’s the case.”

The girl nodded.

She maintained an indifferent face, but the tail behind her back was wagging happily.

I smiled gently and stroked the fox’s head.

As my hand moved softly, the sensation of her perked-up ears was vividly felt.

I was playing with the broad earlobes as if enchanted.

“Ugh…”

The girl inevitably let out a soft gasp.

Even though her breathing was slightly disturbed, the fox didn’t avoid or push away my hand.

She merely lowered her head, letting out hot breaths.

A sudden curiosity surfaced, and I asked.

“Irene.”

“Mm-hm…?”

“About your ears. Why do you say not to touch them in front of others?”

“Ah.”

I was referring to what had happened yesterday.

I had tried to touch her ears in front of the other children, but the fox’s hand swiftly shot out to stop me.

Then, uncharacteristically, with a flushed face, she shook her head.

—No… That, only when we’re alone.

—Don’t do it outside. Instead, I’ll let you touch them as many times as you want in bed.

Irene said, gripping my sleeve.

I had to nod.

I suddenly remembered that scene and asked.

As I gazed at the girl with a question mark, her black eyes soon averted my gaze and leaned against the window.

She seemed to be avoiding an answer.

“It’s just… nothing.”

“Hmm?”

“I was bothered by watchful eyes. I’m still reluctant to deal with humans.”

“If that’s the reason, I suppose it can’t be helped.”

Indeed.

It took time even for me to grow close to her, so she might be reluctant to show a disheveled side of herself in front of complete strangers.

Especially since Irene’s inner self was full of distrust towards humans.

Considering that I was the only person she somewhat followed, her future human relationships seemed truly bleak.

I playfully threw out a childish remark.

“After all, I’m human too, you know.”

“You’re fine.”

“Why?”

“Because I can trust you… No, because I decided to trust you.”

“What if I betray you?”

“You’d have to die.”

“Huh?”

“You’d die.”

Her eyes gazed steadily at me.

On her faintly smiling lips, there was a trace of the bitterness from days past that she hadn’t quite erased.

“If even you betray me, I don’t think I’ll have the courage to live on.”

“……”

“So.”

Her head tilted once more, resting on my shoulder.

Irene leaned into me, entwining her body, and calmly whispered into my ear.

“Don’t betray me.”

“……”

“Don’t abandon me, don’t hate me, and don’t leave my side. If you just keep that, I’ll give you everything in return.”

“Responsibility… Is that what you mean?”

“Something similar, I suppose.”

Responsibility is like a two-way shackle.

The one who tames and the tamer, they both bind each other as much as the time they’ve invested.

Perhaps it resembles a tightly stretched rubber band.

Because a relationship is something that collapses the moment one side lets go.

People live their lives bearing responsibility for everything.

“……I’ll try my best.”

I quietly nodded.

The reason I couldn’t give a confident answer was a wish for the promise to be kept, and at the same time, a vague reply because I knew it might be impossible to keep.

From the listener’s perspective, it might not have been very trustworthy.

But as if that was enough, the fox wore a gentle smile on her lips.

We spent time pressed close together like that.

Clank, clank—!

The carriage body shook somewhat.

Even as we conversed, the carriage continued to move.

As the foggy city gradually became visible outside the window, Irene finally asked, curious.

It was a question about our current mission.

“Anyway… What are we going for this time?”

“Something quite serious has come up.”

“Serious?”

“One of the members was attacked.”

“What…?”

A few days ago.

It was a report received immediately after returning from the field trip.

I explained briefly.

“It’s more accurate to say it’s a cooperative relationship rather than a member. It’s someone from the Church, and we’ve received a lot of help in various ways.”

“You have connections within the Church too? I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by now…”

“We needed to observe the political situation there as well.”

“Anyway, what happened?”

“According to what I heard, an incident occurred at the cathedral where that person was staying. All the affiliated priests went missing, the interior was filled with bloodstains, and traces of demonic energy were even found nearby.”

“Demonic energy…?”

“I will explain the details separately.”

“Alright. We’re almost there anyway.”

Irene prepared to stand up.

I added a few words.

“Originally, it was a problem we would have resolved ourselves, but now Irene is also a member of Astro. I thought it would be good to accompany us when announcing your initiation.”

“I’ll do my best… if it’s what you want.”

“That’s a reliable mindset.”

The carriage came to a stop.

We headed straight for the headquarters.

As I pushed open the hidden door at the end of the stairs, dozens of waiting members came into view.

All of them were clad in pristine white robes.

“Master. We were waiting for you.”

Neria stood in front of the aligned members.

Her long, flowing silver hair, transparent eyes.

I heard she had been dispatched a few days ago, but it seemed Lena had urgently brought her back after hearing the news.

The girl bowed respectfully.

“The members are ready. We’ve selected only the elites, forming a group of 30.”

“Let’s depart immediately.”

“Understood.”

I signaled to Lena, who was standing beside me, and she began to create a portal to our destination.

The dimension slowly twisted.

As a door to another space opened, the surging mana caused the robes draped over our shoulders to flutter.

We stepped forward directly towards our destination.

***

The Great Extermination.

Five years ago, a war that drove out the black mages rampant in the Empire.

Having finally achieved peace, the Empire, to prevent similar dangers from recurring, decided to deploy organizations against cultists in each city.

Their name was Licht.

In ancient language, it meant ‘Light.’

They were a gathering of priests who protected a city, existing to guard their territory and prepare for any unforeseen dangers.

As they performed the role of guardians, only certain veterans were assigned to these positions.

In short.

A spear established solely to keep cultists in check.

A shield that covered the city with holy words.

If a branch of Licht was directly attacked, it could only mean one thing.

“A declaration of war.”

“I believe that’s likely the case.”

Neria nodded in agreement.

The girl slowed her pace, then calmly began her briefing.

“The attacked location was only the cathedral. There was not even a slight damage left in the nearby city. It seems they intended to overtly express their hostility towards the Church.”

“A plausible conjecture.”

The Church.

During the Great Extermination, the Church had been the most active force after the ‘Red Sword Saint.’

The world didn’t know that Kyle was alive.

That’s why they targeted the Church.

By attacking ‘Licht,’ which symbolized the peace after the Great Extermination, they intended to convey their return.

“It seems they intend to make their move in earnest.”

“They must have judged that they’ve recovered sufficiently over the past five years. Yet, they seem to be exercising some caution. The branch they attacked this time was one of the smaller Licht branches.”

“Indeed, targeting the larger branches in the capital would be too much of a burden for them.”

“At any rate… the problem is that our side’s collaborator was residing at that branch.”

“You mean Medro.”

“That’s right. The person missing in this attack is Medro Gardinier. She held the position of General Delegate and was also the overseer of that branch. Contact has been completely cut off.”

“She was truly an upright cleric… I hope she is safe.”

I held up a candle to illuminate our surroundings.

A halo of light dispelled the darkness.

In my flickering vision, the disordered interior of the cathedral came into view.

As soon as we arrived in the city, we infiltrated the branch and were slowly surveying the scene, continuing our investigation.

We had casually knocked out the guards protecting the area nearby.

“……It’s a mess.”

The fox murmured softly.

As she said, the scene in the cathedral was truly chaotic.

Blood, whose origin was unknown, splattered everywhere.

There were no broken, shattered, or damaged parts, but that very fact sent shivers down my spine.

It was a scene somewhat beyond common sense.

“So much blood, yet you’re saying no bodies were found inside the cathedral?”

“That’s correct. Therefore, it was processed as a disappearance, not a death.”

“That’s quite a troublesome problem.”

“The guard corps seems to have concluded that the priests were kidnapped. Most of their forces are concentrated on the city rather than the cathedral.”

“Thanks to that, our infiltration was smooth. That much I’m pleased with.”

We walked through the pitch-black surroundings.

The members continued their thorough search.

Finally, we finished checking the basement.

Lena shook her head. It meant she hadn’t found anything.

“We searched every nook and cranny, but there was nothing special. It’s probably as the guard corps suspects, that they were taken elsewhere.”

“Hmm…”

I let out a deep hum.

Just as I was contemplating whether to begin tracking them outside, a small crack appeared in my sweeping vision.

“What’s that…?”

A thread-like crack, so small it was difficult to discern with the naked eye, was carved into the wall.

I consumed a small lie to cover my pupils.

Only then did the hidden traces beyond it become visible.

I let out a hollow laugh.

“Ha.”

No wonder the guard corps couldn’t find it.

Dozens of layers of intertwined black magic residue coated the wall.

As if to hide something.

I infused power into my fingertips.

Then, I created a single bullet and aimed it directly at the heart of the barrier, where demonic energy was entangled.

Following the unhesitating incantation, the bullet was fired.

**“Break.”**

Crash—!

The wall shattered into pieces like a mirror.

Amidst the scattering fragments, the space hidden behind the barrier was revealed.

A long, extending corridor.

“Such cheap tricks won’t work.”

I wore an ominous smile and stepped forward.

Thump, thump—!

Numerous footsteps followed behind me.

We moved forward, our pure white robes fluttering, towards the scene where the missing individuals would be waiting.

Somewhere, music seemed to be playing.

***

Meanwhile.

There was a girl watching the snake.

Hidden on the stairs leading to the basement, she couldn’t conceal her surprise as she watched those entering the mysterious space.

Because a familiar face was among them.

“Yuda Snakers…?”

Her blue eyes blinked.

Between the deeply pulled-up robe, a glimpse of platinum hair peeked out.

The girl’s true identity was none other than Charlotte.

She was the First Princess of the Empire and one of the main characters in the original game.