Volume 1 Chapter 2 ACT.1 Purge Knight Rai Conwell - Part I
It was a night when a crimson crescent moon leered in the sky.
I saw the end of the world that night.
The road I walked with my mother, the plaza where I played with my kind sister──all were crushed and burning.
My home, which had always been there, was half-torn away by something I couldn't even name, but I was fine.
I didn't see any of our neighbors, but I wasn't lonely.
Because my mother and sister were with me.
My sister was huddled and asleep on a puddle of red, and wouldn't wake no matter how much I shook her.
My mother was embracing me, and though it was such a hot night, she was cold.
So, I laughed.
I wasn't lonely, we were all together, so even if the world ended, it was alright.
──That's why, at that time. I should have ended with everyone else.
* * *
"──Hah!?"
Rai jolted awake from a horrifying nightmare.
The morning sun streamed softly through the window, and the chirping of birds was a refreshing melody that colored the room in the "Donkey's Mane Inn," where Rai lived, but it was the worst possible way to wake up.
Rai sat up, feeling a dizzying headache that mercilessly threatened to split his groggy head open.
Stumbling, he made his way to the bucket on a stand in the corner of the room and peered inside.
It was filled to the brim with clean well water that Saria had brought him the night before.
Looking at his reflection in the mirror-like surface, Rai scowled, as he did every morning.
Slightly long, black hair, a face with delicate, androgynous features, and amethyst eyes.
The figure of a boy who could even be mistaken for a girl, depending on the viewer.
"I thought I'd be a little more handsome by 17."
He muttered to himself and splashed water on his face.
After wiping his face with a hand towel, he soaked the towel in the water and wrung it out.
Then, he took off his shirt, soaked with sweat, and wiped himself down with the wet towel.
Rai's body was a stark contrast to his face, a well-toned physique marred by various scars of all sizes.
After drying off, Rai quickly changed into his usual attire──the black-themed uniform of a Holy Church administrative staff member──and left the room.
As he descended the stairs, the lively sounds of the morning reached his ears.
The "Donkey's Mane Inn" was a typical traveler's lodging, with a dining room on the first floor and accommodations on the second, and it was also a popular dining spot in this famous tourist city.
The guests who had stayed the night before and the local residents were savoring the delicious soup and homemade bread.
"Oh, good morning, Rai!"
"Good morning, Ms. Saria."
Upon seeing Rai, a busy young girl working in the dining room greeted him with a morning hello.
This girl with chestnut braids and freckles was named Saria.
She was the daughter of the couple who ran the "Donkey's Mane Inn" and its de facto poster girl.
"You're late today. You usually wake up early to go running."
"I just couldn't shake off the sleepiness."
"Yeah, you were late yesterday too. Don't push yourself too hard, okay? Here you go."
"Thanks."
Rai accepted the bowl Saria handed to him.
On top of the bowl was steaming vegetable soup, pickled vegetables commonly eaten in this region, and bread.
After sitting at his usual spot, Rai gave thanks to the goddess who blessed him with the food and began to eat.
"By the way, is it really that busy working for the Holy Church? Staying over for days and going on business trips sounds like a hassle."
"Well, I'm in a department that frequently interacts with the outside world. Plus, being young and single makes it easy for me to be used."
Rai chuckled lightly as he said this.
Of course, it was a lie.
Rai Conwell was actually a Purge Knight, another top-tier knight within the Holy Church, known as the Heretic Hunter.
His specialty was purging reincarnators and those who abetted them.
By nature, the identities of Purge Knights were kept secret from the public.
Rai himself was officially a Holy Church administrative staff member.
"Don't overdo it, okay?"
Rai smiled back at Saria, gratitude shining in his eyes.
Saria's cheeks turned a shade of pink as she caught his gaze.
"Wow, things are getting steamy this morning!"
"You two look perfect together──just get married already!"
The regular customers, witnessing the scene, erupted into teasing shouts.
"W-wait a minute!"
Saria flustered at the comment, worried it might give Rai the wrong idea.
Just then, a robust woman stomped up, setting down a tray piled high with orders.
"What's wrong with you all──are you drunk this early?"
With that fierce proclamation, the one in charge was none other than Mrs. Kawette, the lively owner of the place.
"Honestly, Rai and my daughter? They don't quite match up!"
"M-mom, that's a bit harsh──"
"──Besides, Rai's way too 'pretty' for my girl!"
"Mom!?"
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)