Volume 3 Chapter 21 ACT.57 One Solution
For after-action cleanup, the two bring the Count Eltor and his daughter back to the church within their territory.
"I don't think you're planning to run away, but we'll have to restrain you, just in case."
As soon as they arrive at the church, they enter the chapel and have the father and daughter sit down on a bench.
And with practiced ease, Noah uses the rope prepared in the supply room to bind the Count Eltor's arms behind his back.
The baron, showing no intention of resisting, silently complies with the restraint.
"Papa, are you alright?"
"Uh, yeah..."
"Don't worry, brothers aren't going to bully your Papa anymore. You're safe."
To console her worried father, Noah speaks to the young daughter in a deliberately cheerful voice.
With the couple settled down, Rai and Noah begin to discuss their next steps, keeping them in their peripheral vision.
"So, what should we do next?"
Rai, stroking his chin thoughtfully, considers the question.
Of course, their choices are limited.
While it's certain that the Count Eltor and his daughter will be escorted to the Holy Church headquarters, the daughter's frail health is a concern.
If they take her condition into account, it would be best to arrange a carriage and travel slowly over a reasonable period of time.
So, the first thing to do is──.
"First, send a pigeon to report the results to headquarters. Then, we'll procure a carriage and any other necessary supplies and set off."
As Rai makes the decision, Noah gives a "Ugh" sound, looking utterly exasperated.
He doesn't even try to hide his distaste, letting out a grumble.
"This is so much trouble..."
Rai mirrors Noah's expression with a silent nod.
Writing a report, sending a message pigeon, finding a suitable carriage, buying necessary supplies out of their own pockets, and researching the return route on a map...
"It is a hassle, isn't it?"
Rai ends up saying that aloud as well.
Purge Knights are, after all, frontline fighters, not administrative personnel.
The existence of Special Agent Priest Curtis is actually to handle all the paperwork and other miscellaneous tasks that inevitably arise from their battles.
Curtis, who generally works himself to the bone, allows Rai and the others to focus solely on their hatred for Reincarnators.
"Father, I can't thank you enough. Should we bring you something as a gift next time?"
"I'll split it with you then."
As the two of them let out small sighs, a knock sounded timidly on the chapel doors.
Before Rai could even think, "That's out of place for a chapel," the door swung open without waiting for a reply.
"Excuse me."
Entering was the priest who served at this very church.
They gave him a casual nod, since they had been using the place as a base and had met him before.
"A letter has just arrived for this church,"
"Ah, yes."
"Um, it's for you two."
At the unexpected words from the priest, Rai's face grew skeptical.
Since they hadn't been told anything about a dove or a swift horse, it was likely a normal letter.
Well, that made it even weirder.
Ordinary mail in this country took a long time to arrive – from sending to receiving.
That meant the sender of the letter might have sent it before Rai and Noah even took on this job.
A strange feeling crept over Rai as he cautiously took the letter from the priest.
It was a white envelope sealed with red wax.
The emblem on the wax seal was...
"From Saint Stella."
"You're making a really grumpy face, Senior."
Rai reluctantly ripped the envelope open.
Inside were 5 handwritten letters from Saint.
"Uh, just ignore 3 of them,"
After a quick glance, he dismissed over half of them as useless love letters and focused on the rest.
Detailed instructions for a new task, to be carried out after resolving the current situation, were written there.
──A letter detailing the relocation of the Earl's daughter, along with a carriage requisition form, was also included.
Noah couldn't help but twitch his face at the way everything was perfectly arranged, almost unnaturally so.
"How much did you... read... and... see...?"
Blind Saint Stella.
A strange girl who, despite always covering her eyes with a black cloth, lived her life just like anyone else.
While she was a beautiful girl, often compared to flowers and stars, what was she hiding under that beautiful gilded facade?
All Noah could hope for was that whatever was underneath wasn't something creepy or terrifying.
Rai scanned the letter's instructions, sighed softly, and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.
Then, he practically shoved the letter into Noah's hands.
"The return route and all the nitty-gritty details are in there. Just follow the instructions."
With that, Rai turned on his heel, ready to leave the chapel.
"Wait, Senior?"
Noah's voice was laced with confusion as he called out to Rai's back.
"I've got another job. So, Noah, you're in charge of taking them."
Rai gave a deep bow to the priest who'd delivered the letter, then turned and headed for the exit without looking back.
But a voice stopped him.
"Brother in Armor!"
At the child's voice, Rai's feet instinctively froze.
But he didn't turn around.
Couldn't turn around.
"Um... Papa was pushing himself too hard, you know? Thank you for saving Papa."
The words were clumsy and childish, but that made the gratitude all the more genuine.
As Purge Knights, soaked in blood day after day, they rarely got thanked for anything.
Especially not by a child.
"Senior, maybe you should at least pat her head or something?"
Hearing Noah's words, Rai almost took a step back towards the girl.
But it was only for a moment.
He *almost* took a step back, that was all.
Rai remained silent, offering no reply even to the girl's words, and exited the chapel.
With a strong stride──a stride built on a facade of strength.
And then, so no one could hear, he muttered,
"I don't have the right to do that."
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