The Blind Saintess, Ayla
In the shady corners of the empire, the Eye-less Saintess, Ayla, had been the protagonist's steadfast ally in the original story. What stood out most was how she never abandoned the orphanage she protected, even at the very end. She was the kind of person who shielded the weak, offered help without hesitation, and willingly sacrificed herself for others. It was right after witnessing her final moments in the novel that I began to sense something was off.
So then. Where exactly was the place she had fought so desperately to protect?
"The slums."
The coachman's face twisted with obvious panic at my words.
"My lord. B-but—"
"The slums."
"...Understood."
For the record, we were traveling in disguise. 'Your Highness, this is—' 'No. From now on, we're a married couple. Just a wealthy pair of nobles who don't quite look the part.' Ren had wavered for a moment, but after I pushed the issue, we successfully adopted new identities.
The inside of the swaying carriage was wrapped in silence. The only ones present were our black slime, which could only manage a single squeak, and Ren, who was quiet by nature. I glanced at her from behind my mask. She, too, wore one that covered her entire face. There was a simple reason we had gone to such dramatic lengths to hide our features.
'No need to stir up the neighborhood for no reason.'
The slums. One of the shadows of the imperial capital, a place nobles despised above all else. Conversely, the people living there regarded nobles with equal hostility. Encountering one in the slums meant constantly worrying whether your head would still be attached by the end of the day.
'I might need to hire a mage later.'
Even though we'd covered our faces in a hurry, I had to admit the disguise was flimsy. Still, it was the best option we had for now.
The carriage jolted once, then came to a stop. Outside the window, the city still looked pristine and dazzling.
"...My lord, we've arrived at the warp gate."
'Thank the gods for magic.'
The warp gates were essential for efficient travel between districts. They were supposedly created through a combination of ancient civilization technology and the efforts of a single genius mage. I only knew the details from a passing mention in the original novel. What mattered right now was that these gates would make it far easier to seek out the talents who could help me.
"Let's go."
To avoid looking like some country bumpkin marveling at magic for the first time, I put on as much airs as possible and handed the coachman two silver coins through the window.
"Yes, sir!"
Unfortunately, I had overlooked one critical detail.
The warp's effect hit me like a sudden rush of wind. My stomach lurched violently.
"Urgh!"
"Are you all right?"
This pathetic, weak body of mine rejected even the most advanced mana applications with extreme prejudice. I had to spend quite a while inside the carriage just calming my spinning head.
"I need a healer more than ever now."
"Truly, for Your Highness to come to a place like this—"
"Hey. Watch your tone."
"...Is there someone here that my husband wishes to recruit?"
She corrected herself immediately after my reminder, though that characteristic bluntness still lingered. Even so, it was a remarkable improvement. Just getting the word "husband" out of her mouth had taken considerable effort. I shook my head to clear the memory and answered her question.
"Of course there is."
The talent who would later earn the title of the Eye-less Saintess was here in the slums. She had to be. I refused to even entertain the possibility that she wasn't. After all, if the imperial family was still filled with the same worthless scum as in the original story, then it made no sense for the other key figures from the novel to be missing.
"Ren, look around. What do you see?"
"Trash, filth, the figures of impoverished commoners, and crumbling shops, my lord."
"Exactly."
We had arrived in the slums—the empire's shadow, a place that could only be called its underbelly. Broken-down structures clustered together like graves, filled with people the imperial system had cast aside. And what happened in a place like this? All manner of filthy deeds occurred on a daily basis.
"Hungry... so hungry..."
"Please, just a single coin..."
People drained of all vitality begged on the streets, including children who hadn't even reached proper age. The empire was still at war with outside forces, and countless families had been torn apart as a result. Those left behind naturally drifted here.
'Yeah. This is it.'
The imperial capital overflowed with luxury and indulgence, while this place reeked of poverty and starvation. No matter where you went—even inside a novel—the stark divide between classes was impossible to escape.
"Um... over here..."
I turned at the small voice calling out to me and found a filthy child staring up at me.
"Your High— I mean, sir."
Ren stepped in front of me the moment the child tried to approach.
"It's fine. Let them come."
"But..."
"They don't know anything about us. They're just desperate and starving, so they're begging."
That was exactly it. The child's eyes were trembling in real time, clearly unsettled by the current situation. A suspicious pair had suddenly appeared in the slums. Even with our disguises, we obviously didn't belong here. We looked like we had money. That alone was reason enough for the child to approach us despite the fear.
"P-please, could you spare some food...?"
"You don't need money?"
"Huh...? B-but my little sibling is starving back home..."
"I see."
A wave of genuine pity rose from deep inside me. This tiny child already had a younger sibling to worry about.
"What about your parents?"
"They... passed away. The barbarians took them."
"....."
An orphan. The kind of pitiful child whose survival in this brutal slum was a miracle in itself.
"Ren."
"Yes."
"If I gave this kid money right now because I don't have any food on me, it'd just get stolen, wouldn't it?"
"It would, my lord."
Ren agreed without hesitation.
"Hey, kid."
"Y-yes...?"
"Want to come eat something tasty with me?"
"...Ah."
The child finally sensed something was wrong and looked up at us with frightened eyes, but it was already too late. I had decided to feed this poor little one until they were full.
"Th-there's so much...! Thank you so much...!"
"This is your house, right?"
"Y-yes, it is...!"
"Go on inside. I'll watch until you're in."
"Thank you! Sniff, thank you...!"
Only after watching the child disappear into the house, tears of gratitude still streaming down their face, did I finally turn away with a clear conscience.
"Your High— Husband."
"Who the hell is 'Husband'? Ren, are you cheating on me already?"
"....I am not."
"It was a joke. What is it?"
"Why did we not go straight to the orphanage? Why waste time here...?"
"You mean why I spent time helping?"
"Yes."
"When you see someone pitiful and in danger, you help them. Isn't that what nobles are supposed to do?"
"....?"
Ren tilted her head in confusion. Ah, right. The nobles in this empire were nothing but self-serving idiots. We walked the slum streets with the child for a while. Curious gazes followed us from every direction, but none of them turned into action. Starting trouble with nobles in the slums would bring nothing good to anyone.
Still, if I had to sum it up—this place was hell. Even a short walk with the child made that painfully clear. Especially when I saw someone lying motionless in a dark alley up ahead, their body already stiff and lifeless. This was a miserable corner of the world that offered not even the slightest concern for those who might already be dead or dying.
And it was right here that the expert physician, healer, and talent I had been searching for was waiting.
"Good thing that kid's house was on the way, huh?"
"W-wait a moment...!"
Just as I was about to step forward, a loud crash echoed from inside the house, and the same child came bursting back out.
"Hm? Why'd you come back out?"
"K-kind noble...! Where did you say you were going just now...?!"
"Us?"
The destination slipped from my mouth once more.
"Ashen Cradle."
It was the kind of name that made you think it would take good care of lost little lambs.
"There! That's where I go...!"
"Huh...? But you live here."
"The teacher there teaches kids like us how to read and write. And when we grow up, they help us find work too."
Damn it. I nearly teared up at the last shred of humanity left in this rotten world.
"Then... would you guide us there?"
"Yes...!"
Having earned the child's trust through our earlier kindness, they began leading us without the slightest hesitation. We trudged through muddy puddles, ignoring the desperate pleas of beggars on every corner, until—
"Whoa..."
We came upon a building that somehow still stood despite looking like it should have collapsed years ago.
The rusted iron gate creaked pitifully on its hinges.
"...This is it?"
"Yes!"
The child turned to me with a bright expression, as if proudly showing off their home.
Ashen Cradle. I had finally found the name of the church building. This had to be the place.
'What kind of life have you lived...'
Ayla. The noble soul who sacrificed herself for others until the very end in the original story. Feeling a surge of emotion, I stepped inside the Ashen Cradle orphanage.
"Huu..."
Thick smoke seeped in through the holes in my mask.
"...Cough."
My weak lungs couldn't handle it and forced out a dry cough.
"To think such distinguished guests would visit this humble place."
A woman spoke. The thick tobacco smoke—no, mana herb—clung to her full lips in a strangely captivating way. Seductive, even. The first impression Ayla gave off was an intense presence that felt like it could trigger some long-forgotten school-day PTSD.
"I'll keep it simple. Listen and decide for yourselves."
"What..."
"There is nothing here that you want. Nor is there anything you can obtain. If the children are your goal..."
Beyond the haze of mana herb smoke, the nun's crimson gaze bore down on me like a beast protecting its territory.
"Then I'm afraid that's unfortunate."
One corner of her mouth curled upward as contempt and mockery filled her eyes.
"The children here are already someone else's property, or scheduled to become merchandise."
She declared it flatly.
"...."
A brief silence fell. Ren wouldn't move unless there was a direct threat to my safety. Ayla, for her part, had already said everything she needed to and was simply watching for my reaction. I took a moment to think in that suffocating atmosphere—not because I was overwhelmed, but because I was figuring out how to clear up her misunderstanding.
"...Well, this is awkward. I don't think I've come to the wrong place."
"Hah..."
I went along with her assumption. She thought we were here to buy the children as goods, but that we couldn't. Except what I actually wanted to purchase wasn't them.
"You."
"...?"
"I came to buy you."
Because my only goal had always been her.