Ch.216Report on the Collapse of Patience (9)

The old village chief, despite his simple appearance, was quite evasive in his speech. He would dodge unfavorable topics or responsibilities with excuses like “I don’t remember well” or “That wasn’t my doing.” Yet he recalled every detail about matters unrelated to himself.

Kain neither pressured nor cornered the chief. He allowed him to make excuses and gave him time to explain. Instead, when the conversation flowed naturally, he would gently point out, “But earlier you said… that doesn’t quite match with this part, does it?”

While Kain remained relaxed, the village chief was sweating profusely. Whenever his family tried to approach, he hurriedly sent them away, anxiously concerned they might learn about his past actions.

Eventually, he revealed the bitter truth, which didn’t differ much from the testimony of Milena, the elderly nun in the hut.

“But I have no idea what happened to them after they followed the Children’s Crusade. Everyone died, got injured, went mad, or ran away, didn’t they? Laios and Ismene never returned home.”

On this point, he remained stubbornly insistent.

“They’re probably living new lives away from this cursed village. If they died… though it would be truly unfortunate, leaving this painful world earlier than others under the wings of the Two-headed Eagle is no fault.”

Kain didn’t get angry. He had no desire to be drawn into pointless emotional conflicts. Judgment about the village chief’s wrongdoings could wait. There were more urgent matters.

“But did only those bald missionaries come to this village? Besides those who urged participation in the crusade, were there no other clergy who visited?”

At this, the old chief’s face brightened considerably. Since this topic had nothing to do with him personally, he could speak without burden.

He said countless clergy had wandered through. When the limestone mine struggled, many auxiliary facilities and warehouses became vacant, which fortunately served as temporary lodging and meeting places. However, he mentioned that important items were stored near the chapel.

Since Garioth was the only place in the vicinity where many people could stay without worrying about accommodation costs, the clergy and their attendants spent money generously in the village.

The villagers were treated worse than servants or maids, but they were still happy. The children conscripted for the Children’s Crusade had left, reducing mouths to feed, and though not enormous, a satisfactory amount of money flowed in.

When asked if there was anything unusual, the old chief frowned.

“Their attire was strange. It’s natural to wear many layers in cold regions, but it’s unusual to wear multiple layers of thin, long clothes. And the places where they stayed were covered with sand, so we always had to carry brooms around.”

These were clothes worn by people crossing deserts. Thick clothing might block the cold but was inconvenient for movement. People prioritized mobility over warmth. They needed to escape the desert before freezing to death.

‘They must have been people transporting supplies and rescuing assassins,’ Kain thought, changing the subject.

“Were there any unusual incidents?”

“There was a commotion once. They were beating each other up from the chapel to the middle of the village. They said something was ‘stolen’ or ‘lost.’ When I asked what was stolen, they wouldn’t answer, which suggested it was quite important.”

At the end, the chief offered an excuse that didn’t sound like one.

“Of course, none of the villagers touched their belongings. We didn’t steal money or anything. They never accused us of taking anything.”

“I don’t think that,” Kain waved his hand dismissively. “Was Günther, the Patience, in this village at that time?”

“Well… so many people came and went that I’m not sure. But he settled here quite some time after the crusade ended. Everyone thought it strange that such an important figure would stay in a place like this. As you know, Günther was…”

Günther was the illegitimate child of a southern noble family. His family neither accepted him nor passed down any position to him. After wandering the world aimlessly, he entered the clergy at a late age and eventually became one of the world’s heroes. It remains unclear what connection he had with the north that made him stay.

‘I’ll find out soon enough.’

Kain leaned back. The old man sighed with relief. But when Kain took back his money pouch, the chief’s face hardened.

“I’ll give this money to the current village chief. Tell him to pass it to Laios when he returns. Instead…”

Kain pulled out another money pouch. It was smaller than the previous one but still full. The old man bowed deeply.

“Please pass this message: I pray for happiness in the newlyweds’ future.”

“Of course, of course,” the old chief said with a smile. But Kain didn’t hand over the money easily.

* * * * *

Despite his grumbling, the old man led Kain’s group to the chapel.

A priest about Kain’s age was busy cleaning, along with a boy and girl in their early teens. The old man introduced Kain’s group to the priest and then returned home.

“You’re from the White Blood Knights?”

After shaking hands with the priest who introduced himself as Weisel, Kain briefly explained his business. When he mentioned it was related to Laios and Ismene, Weisel’s eyes sparkled, though his enthusiasm quickly faded.

“They were wonderful brother and sister. The children’s idols. Actually, I became a priest because I admired her.”

“That much?”

“They were kind and gentle to everyone. Respectful to adults and never angry with children.

I still remember. When the children played too roughly, she would untie her long hair as if she had no choice, and everyone would be mesmerized by how beautiful she looked with her hair down.

If an angel were to descend with fluttering wings, it would probably look like that.”

“Could we see where they lived?” Lily interjected. “I mean, maybe we could find some clues about their whereabouts.”

“They lived here in the chapel. Shall we go together?”

The chapel, typical of northern architecture, was elongated with high ceilings. Behind it stood a house made of thick logs bound together, which had served as barracks when the military was stationed there.

“The ‘Children of the Fence’ all lived here together. That is, children who received the care of the Two-headed Eagle instead of the protection of a family.”

“Did Laios live here too?”

“Yes, he did,” Priest Weisel said, shrugging with a smile.

“I mentioned the children played pranks. They often locked the brother and sister in a room together.

In truth, with Laios’s strength, he could have easily opened a locked door, but whether he was playing along with the children’s pranks or wanted to be with his sister, he never got angry. She was terribly embarrassed.

But even the children knew she liked it very much. Whenever there was a wedding in the village, she would glance at him. He would assist the groom, and she would assist the bride.”

Weisel weakly traced the wall with his hand.

“I wanted to see them get married. If only they hadn’t gone to the crusade.”

“You didn’t go, Father?”

Instead of answering, Weisel rolled up his sleeve, revealing a large, distinct scar.

“I had severely injured my arm. I stayed here and became an apprentice priest after her. Father Ganisio, Sister Milena, and I prayed with tears.

We begged for their return. The news that reached us was nothing but ominous.

When the Seven Heroes became known to the world, the Father collapsed. Their names were nowhere to be found.”

Kain nodded. Maria, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, asked the priest:

“What kind of person was Laios?”

“He was loyal. Quite stubborn too. Once he set his mind on something, he never let go. If he had taken a wrong path, things could have gone very badly.

Everyone was surprised when he returned from the White Blood. We wondered what kind of place the White Blood must be for someone as stubborn as Laios to give up and come back…”

Weisel smiled.

“‘No. I could have done it if I wanted to. I came back because I missed you all.’ And he missed Ismene. That’s all he said.

Her face turned red and she cried, and the children laughed and cried too… I later heard from the adults that he had no talent for swordsmanship.”

Kain smiled bitterly. Laios seemed to be the same man wherever he went. Steadfast. Unskilled with a sword. But stubborn. A simple, straightforward, ordinary boy who couldn’t hide his feelings even if he tried…

Weisel interrupted Kain’s thoughts.

“That’s probably why Ismene got him a good sword.”

“…A sword?”

Maria’s voice sharpened. Lily also straightened her posture.

Surprised by the sudden change in atmosphere, Weisel blinked. Kain raised his hand as if to restrain his companions, but his voice was also excited.

“…Did you say a sword?”

“Ah. Yes. I mentioned I had injured my arm, so I couldn’t join the crusade. At that time, numerous clergy came here. This place was some kind of stopover. They kept important items here.”

“How did you know they were important?”

Weisel gave a twisted smile.

“The adults strictly warned us never to go near them, saying we’d be accused of theft just for being close. But I know. I saw her take a sword from there. I helped her.”

“…How?”

“I kept watch. When adults approached, I slammed my injured arm against the wall. What adult would ignore a child’s arm dangling? Thanks to the distraction, she was able to safely take the sword.

‘Laios was expelled from the White Blood because he was poor. Because he couldn’t use a good sword like the others.’

That’s what Sister Ismene said. Laios didn’t say anything, but that’s what we all thought at the time.

Noble children used good swords, while commoners’ swords broke after just a couple of clashes.

She wanted to get him a good sword.

So she took a sword from that storage. It must have been a good sword to be kept in such a place, right?”

Kain didn’t ask what the sword looked like. He had to struggle to contain his excitement. Instead, he spoke casually, as if it were nothing important.

“It probably wasn’t a very ornate sword. Otherwise, she would have been caught taking it out.”

Weisel nodded.

“When she showed it to me later, the scabbard looked very ordinary. It wasn’t much different from what adults carried around. But…”

“But?”

“We couldn’t draw the sword. It was no better than a club. We were worried. It’s awkward to give someone a sword they can’t even draw, right? So we tried to secretly put it back…”

“But that didn’t happen.”

“Oh my. There was such a commotion. The priests were fighting each other, and it was terrifying.

She and I got scared and hid it under the bed. ‘Weisel. You’ve done nothing wrong. This is my fault. So please keep it a secret. Okay? Please, I’m begging you.’

She was crying. What could I do? I promised, but that wasn’t enough for her. She made me swear by the Two-headed Eagle to keep it secret. So I did, and she hugged me tightly.

After that, well. The sword remained there. She, her brother, and their friends left. The chapel was empty, and I kept that sword hidden for a long time before returning it.”

“You returned it? To whom?”

“To its owner, of course,” Weisel blinked.

“I don’t know much about the crusade’s organization—who belonged where and such. But I know very few people survived.

So about 10 months ago, no, it’s been longer. About a year ago, I returned it. The timing was good. We were renovating the chapel.

‘We found this during the renovation. It doesn’t seem to be ours. It’s a bit late, but would you like to take it?’

He thanked me and took it.”

“…It was Günther.”

“That’s right,” Weisel smiled shyly.

“Now you must keep it secret too. Understood?”