episode_0006

That knight, his name was Raven.

As Licia watched Raven walk away after their conversation, a bitter smile crept onto her face.

In truth, she had two things she was hiding.

One was that she had no intention of going to university despite her interest in studying.

It was merely a means to an end, not the end goal itself.

And secondly, she was not the only survivor in the village.

No one had survived that day in the ruins.

*****

Her name was Licia.

She was eleven years old. As for peculiarities-

– Crash!

“Ouch…!”

“What are you doing? Get out of my sight right now!”

She was living in a considerably broken home.

While good and bad are relative, she thought it couldn’t get any worse than this.

Regardless of whether it was justified or not, there were a few reasons for it.

One additional peculiarity was that she was an orphan.

To be precise, her mother had passed away early, and her father had stolen the household money and fled. So, practically speaking, she was an orphan.

Her peers looked at her with prejudiced eyes, but that wasn’t a big issue for her.

This was something she could understand and tolerate to some extent. She had learned from experience that making a fuss about it would only make things worse.

The problem arose for the following reason.

“If your father hadn’t been the way he was!”

“Calm down, dear. You’ll wake the kids.”

And also because some of the money she had taken belonged to her uncle, who was her younger brother.

No one could maintain their composure after years of hard work crumbled overnight.

But even considering that, her uncle was harsh. He may have been limited to being drunk, but you couldn’t expect much from someone who drank more alcohol than water.

Still, he was her guardian and held a relatively high position in the village as the village secretary.

“Uncle.”

“Why are you here.”

Even she thought she was quite bright from a young age.

She often memorized what was taught at church and even learned to read on her own.

Although her uncle didn’t teach her to read, she thought that if she studied on her own to help him, he might at least pat her on the head and praise her like other children her age.

So, hoping for praise like other children her age, she entered the room where her uncle was working and said, “I know a little about reading.”

“I don’t remember teaching you. Did your brother teach you?”

“No, I… I studied on my own.”

“I don’t need your help, so get out.”

Unfortunately, her efforts were in vain, as her uncle’s sharp gaze and her aunt’s mocking smile continued.

And even his drunken insults. She thought she might die if she didn’t watch out, although he hadn’t hit her yet, she wondered if he would as she grew older.

How much worse could the situation get than this?

“Did you steal everything? Then burn it all!”

“What about the ones trying to escape?”

“Don’t ask questions, just take care of it!”

Surprisingly, there were.

Barbarians from the north had gathered to plunder.

The horrifying sounds she thought she would never hear in her lifetime subsided, and there was not a single intact house left standing.

The invaders not only trampled the village but also seemed to want to erase everything by setting fire to it. The fire that raged for two days consumed everything that was left.

And finally, two days later, the girl rose from the ashes of the church, coughing.

“-Phew!”

Breathing heavily, her head spun obediently.

She hadn’t seen everything, but she had a rough idea of what had happened.

In the secluded corner of the church, hiding herself, the sound of fluttering wings, a tearing scream, and silence.

The church collapsed at the moment when the savage found herself hiding.

“I thought I was going to die.”

Trying to shake off the horrifying thoughts, Licia suddenly realized that she had no injuries on her body.

It was so alien. Beyond the realm of alienness she had imagined.

It was almost impossible for a young girl to survive unscathed under a collapsing building and a raging fire… No, it was simply impossible.

And she knew what to call the thing that made such impossibilities possible.

“……Miracle.”

In this world, there are many kinds of magic, but even in the lofty church, there was one magic that was considered the greatest.

For example, pulling bread endlessly from a small pouch to feed the hungry,

Praying for rain to fall on a drought-stricken land,

Or driving out a plague that had engulfed a city.

The magic that only the chosen saints and holy maidens could perform, the most sacred magic revered in the church, was called a miracle.

There was a nun who miraculously pulled out bread endlessly from her embrace and shared it with the hungry.

There was a warrior who stood alone against countless heretics and emerged victorious. There was also a saint who drove out the plague and brought peace, and saved everyone from the scene of an earthquake.

So, it was likely that there would be at least one miracle of coming back from death.

At the same time, she could intuitively realize.

If she learned magic, she would surely reach a high level. Just like all the saints and holy maidens before her.

But why did someone like her, who could be far from faithful, experience such a thing?

And if a miracle were to manifest, if salvation were to come, why did it happen now?

She looked around. There was nothing left of the surroundings.

No matter how many times she shouted to see if there was anyone around, there was no answer. It was clear that she was the only one who survived. Whether it could be said that she survived even if she was resurrected from the dead, she wasn’t sure.

Soon, it started to rain. Even the faint embers were extinguished, emitting a pungent smoke.

The girl instinctively sat in front of the familiar ruins, which used to be her home, and waited endlessly.

While walking from the church to her home, she got scratched by the pieces of wood sticking out from the ruins, but the sharp pain didn’t bother her much.

The humans she called family weren’t exactly kind to her.

But she still wanted to be loved. Even if she didn’t receive applause for her outstanding qualities, she hoped for at least some attention.

That’s why she waited quietly.

She didn’t know what she was waiting for.

The bandits in the nearby forest, perhaps a merchant passing through this place, or maybe just waiting to die.

But would she resurrect even if she starved to death.

She wasn’t sure. But it didn’t seem very important. For some reason, she had a strange conviction that if she didn’t hope for it herself, she would die as it is.

If nothing happened as it is.

It might have been a story that ended like that.

“…Hey, can you hear me?”

“……?”

The squelching sound of footsteps in the mud stopped behind her. Through the rough sound of rain, an alien voice penetrated.

It was a voice she had never heard in the village before. Had someone come from elsewhere.

Only then did Licia slowly turn her head.

Judging by the armor she had never seen before and the horse she was leading, he seemed to be a knight.

“Shall I take you to the nearby city?”

When she raised her gaze a little, his face came into view.

Instinctive desire for life, fear of death suppressed by maturity, and a handful of hope that cannot be abandoned.

Mixed with various emotions, her distorted expression clearly reflected in the eyes of the knight who spoke to her.

Whatever the reason for fearing being alone and rejected.

Ultimately, she was once a human before being a saint, a young child who longed for warmth.

“……Ah.”

The girl could realize it in an instant.

She was the one waiting for salvation, for miracles to come.

The girl nodded slightly.

*****

The knight who introduced himself as Lavender left her at the nearby church as he said.

Was she abandoned again? No, at least it must have been his own form of kindness. The life of a knight who had to wander around could not be any different.

On the first day at the church, she was busy dealing with curious children, and it wasn’t until she lay down in bed at night that she could finally have some time alone.

It was only when she was alone that she could organize her thoughts.

The church said that salvation lies in the existence of adults and miracles in the salvation of others.

But can miracles that even oneself cannot save be truly called miracles? And most of all, why did it have to be me as the target.

There are plenty of people who are more faithful than me, and there are plenty of people in positions who can truly help many others.

I never even wished for miracles from God. I just wanted someone to love me and feel that warmth.

What is salvation, why are there miracles, and why did I have to be the target.

If it is fate for a saint to save others, then who will save the saint left alone in the world.

Curious about that, she decided to ask directly at the university where there might be another saint or study their theology to find the answer.

She decided to act a little more like her peers.

As the only survivor of a village where there were no survivors, she pretended to be a person in need of sympathy, wrapped in enthusiasm for studying.

With a gentle smile, the saint said, “I want to go to the university.”

If things go as she thought, she would eventually have to go to the Papal Palace.

So maybe she could join him on that path.

She made a promise that when he returned, she would go to the university and finally get the answer she wanted.

“…I don’t know.”

But miracles that are of no help even to oneself have no place on this earth, so it doesn’t matter what happens.

*****

It seemed that Lycia had a lot on her mind.

It’s understandable considering all she has been through. Moreover, if she were to unravel that through enthusiasm for studying, it wouldn’t be a dangerous hobby but rather something to be encouraged.

Of course, you need money.

But since she said she wouldn’t ask for it, it should be fine.

Besides, well, if there’s nothing around that could be a source of income, she thought it wouldn’t be a problem to spend some time in Bolle, a place similar to her hometown where she spent her childhood.

My real hometown in this life, all that remained was a sense of nostalgia for Spawn Point. What do I care about a hometown that drove me away.

So she promised to come back after the Northern Expedition was over.

After that, nothing happened. She checked to make sure everything was ready before leaving, and finally went to find her words.

Referencing modern memories for her name, she named him Sancho, taken from a literary name, as many others called him by a different title.

In recent times, Sancho was increasingly thinking that his name was nothing more than an official decision made arbitrarily.

Even the stable boy realized that fact.

“Stop eating so much, you pig….”

“I came to find the horse.”

After hearing that much, the stable boy’s expression changed, and before his thoughts could change, he quickly addressed Sancho.

It was clear that he had lived better than the owner.

Perhaps still remembering the food that was eaten or taken away, Sancho sadly shed tears.

But fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any major issues with movement. In fact, when he mounted, the saddle felt softer and the ride improved.

With no issues, it was time to depart now.

As he left the city gate, he glanced back at the gazes he felt.

Lysia was standing near the gate, waving her hand slightly. I also responded by waving my hand back.

The girl stood by the gate until she became a mere dot and disappeared.