Chapter 53: Salvation Church (3)

A bloody exchange of sword strikes ensued. No—Lady Rien was pushing him back one-sidedly.

But that didn't mean Cruel was at a disadvantage. He was leisurely blocking her attacks, looking as if his mind was elsewhere. Occasionally, he even glanced my way.

So how must Lady Rien, who ordinarily took great pride in her knightly title, have felt?

Faced with the first outright disregard of her life, her eyes completely flipped.

"You...! You bastard!!"

"W-wait...!"

If they kept fighting like this, Lady Rien was in danger. I couldn't let her die, so I hurriedly stepped forward.

I didn't want to admit it, but the opponent was Cruel, a Hero. I knew all too well that he hadn't earned his Hero title through rock-paper-scissors.

After all, I'd watched his swordsmanship since we were young.

"Stand down, Lady Rien."

"My lord! But...!"

"That's an order."

If Cruel had been the one at a disadvantage, not Lady Rien, I wouldn't have intervened.

Lady Rien, perhaps shocked that I'd rarely resorted to giving orders, stared blankly for a moment. Then she bit her lip firmly and stepped back.

I felt a little concerned about her thoroughly battered mood, but there was something I needed to worry about first. I fixed my gaze straight ahead.

My eyes met Cruel's as he silently sheathed his sword. As always, just as I was about to speak first, he broke expectations and opened his mouth ahead of me.

"Are you trying to infiltrate the Salvation Church?"

"......."

The content was of a particularly unsettling sort, however.

I reflexively shut my mouth first out of bewilderment. The moment I realized it, I tried to part my lips as if nothing had happened, but there was no way Cruel would miss that opening.

A voice laced with certainty dropped down.

"You are infiltrating it."

"......Ha."

So what about it? Were you going to suggest we go together since you're infiltrating too?

Not that I'd agree, of course.

I forcibly raised the corners of my lips. He was probably staring right at my utterly unsmiling eyes right now.

"I believe this is none of your concern, Brother."

"Don't go."

"......."

What the—.

When he threw such a direct fastball right at me, I had no idea how to react.

Of course, my tongue being tied didn't mean I had any intention of meekly obeying him. Who would ever follow the words of an 'enemy' running toward the same goal?

'...Right, we were assigned the same mission, after all.'

Once my thoughts reached that point, my head cooled. The bewildered feelings receded, and my frozen tongue loosened.

Soon after, I broke into a wide grin. A chilly tone that didn't match my expression slipped between my lips.

"Whether I go or not is my choice."

"......."

"Isn't the situation a bit too far gone for you to start caring now? —Brother."

"......!"

Cruel flinched. His conscience had been pricked, or a raw nerve touched, or perhaps he was just flustered by the familial title.

Well, it didn't matter which one it was. He might not know, but I attached no real meaning to those words anyway.

I turned around without hesitation. I could have kept pressing the issue with this momentum, but it was too much of a waste of time to spend any longer with that bastard.

"So there's really no need for you to concern yourself with me. I don't find it pleasing in the slightest."

"......."

"If you've understood me, I'll be taking my leave now. Brother."

I hurried Lady Rien, who had been widening her eyes and looking back and forth between me and Cruel ever since she heard the title 'Brother,' and headed out of the alley.

I was one thing, but Lady Rien was another. Was this just the mark of a typical knight?

'It isn't the first time she's seen me act like this toward Cruel. She should be getting used to it by now.'

Or was she that bothered by the fact that she clashed swords with Cruel without recognizing him? It was only natural she wouldn't know it was him, since he was wearing a robe.

I deliberately distracted myself and quickened my pace, when I heard a low voice from behind.

"Your hair."

I paused mid-step.

"It'd be better to cover it with dirt or something."

Since you can't hide your eyes.

Cruel said nothing more after that. I pretended not to hear as well and slipped out of the alley.

Of course, my head was a mess.

'What's with that bastard? Why's he giving me unsettling advice and making a scene?'

Of course, the advice itself was correct. But my mood was truly... not great for taking it.

.......

"Lady Rien, is this about right?"

"Yes, it doesn't look at all like white hair."

"But why are you standing so far away...?"

"Just my mood."

"......."

I awkwardly tousled hair that was gray? No, brown? Anyway, a color that could never be called white.

As the dirt crumbled down past my shoulders, Lady Rien, who had simultaneously distanced herself from me at high speed, gave a tiny quiver at the corners of her eyes.

......Somehow, that felt a bit offensive?

"Lady Rien, I'm going to infiltrate the Salvation Church."

"Yes, I'm aware."

"You're not thinking of sending only me in there, are you."

"......!"

It was brief, but an expression of dismay surfaced completely on her face.

Seeing someone who was always so expressionless and stoic make a face like that was surprisingly refreshing in its own way.

I let a slight smile curl my lips and, with a sense of delight, gestured toward her.

"Come here. I'll specially give you my all to help with your disguise."

Crack.

"......Come to think of it, going in alone doesn't sound so bad. Lady Rien, you might as well just wait outside..."

"N...no. I clearly promised just a moment ago that I would not leave Your Excellency alone. A knight cannot break a promise."

"I'm fine with it, though..."

"I am not fine."

Your expression says otherwise. You look like you could cut ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠someone ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠down any second.

I'd forgotten for a moment. Lady Rien was also a powerful knight who could kill someone like me in an instant if she set her mind to it.

The moment I realized that fact, the corners of my lips that had been slightly upturned trembled awkwardly.

I-I wasn't going to die from this, was I?

At the hands of my own escort.

Thanks to my desperate dissuasion upon sensing a threat to my life, Lady Rien decided to lightly dirty only her face.

Of course, she disliked even that immensely and disguised herself with trembling hands... but, well, wasn't that better than smearing dirt on both her hair and face?

And now, at the mouth of the alley where the entrance to the Salvation Church was located, I tugged my hood down firmly one more time and spoke with solemn determination.

"Shall we go, then?"

"Yes."

"......."

"......."

...Wasn't she going to get kicked out immediately if she went in with that expression?

She'd had a fierce look on her face since earlier; in that state, it seemed like she'd get caught no matter what role she tried to act out. Was the dirt really that horrible?

"Lady Rien."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

"Why are you making that face?"

"It's nothing."

Nothing, my ass.

I swallowed the reflexive sarcasm and let out a small sigh. In the midst of it, she must have heard the sound with her excellent hearing, because she flinched slightly.

I pondered briefly on how to dispel this mood, but Lady Rien, perhaps taking my silence as a wordless pressure, hung her head deeply and blurted out. Her expression was painfully distorted.

"I apologize."

"Hm?"

I hadn't meant to scold her. No, I couldn't even be sure she was apologizing for the reason I was thinking of.

It made me uneasy. Whether in the Demon Realm or the Empire, whenever those around me reacted like that, it always led to a bad conclusion.

So when I reflexively furrowed my brow, she hastily added on, with an oddly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cornered attitude.

"From now on, I will never leave you alone."

"......Uh......"

Now I knew why she'd had that expression. But, the thing was......

'What about my private life, then?'

How would I take care of my business? So, for the sake of my safety, I should just give up my personal life, is that it?

My premonition had been right after all. When I heard that random apology, I should have changed the subject somehow.

The conclusion I reached after agonizing over how to refuse her burdensome loyalty was simple.

"......Thank you."

I'd agree for now, and next time I came outside, I'd bring someone else along.

"Let's go, then."

In case she tried to dwell on this matter further, I hurriedly resumed the steps I had momentarily paused.

Perhaps her mood had improved somewhat, because I felt a lighter presence follow behind me.

Yet, just in case, I turned around to look at her and was momentarily at a loss for words.

"......Please at least hide the sword."

"Ah,"

I quietly pressed a hand to my forehead while looking at Lady Rien's rarely flustered expression.

I'd sensed it before, but this person really didn't seem to have much interest in anything beyond the realm of 'knights' and 'swords.'

But wasn't this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a bit much, even so?

'Who, playing the role of a poor person who came after hearing rumors of the Salvation Church, openly straps a sword to their waist?'

"......Just bury it somewhere in the dirt nearby and come back. I'll go in first."

"That—, I'm sorry. It's dangerous."

She was restless. I could see it clearly: she felt it was shameless to ask me to wait because of her own mistake, but she was too worried to just let me go, leaving her unable to do one thing or the other.

Especially since she'd just vowed so openly not to leave me alone a moment ago, she'd be even more troubled.

The sight of her emotions of trouble seeping onto her expressionless face and causing a quake in her pupils—normally, I would have just waited until she hid her sword and came back. But unfortunately, I was in quite a hurry right now.

'I have to handle this faster than Cruel.'

Falling behind that bastard was absolutely not an option, and the off-chance of running into him inside was truly dreadful.

So there was only one method. Handling it faster than him.

"Hide it as quickly as you can and come back. I'll be off, then."

"Ah...! Cou, C-Count...!"

The voice that had burst out urgently rapidly died down.

Tsk, tsk. Given the location, she couldn't even properly call me by my title. We hadn't set any aliases or alternate titles either, so she'd be at a loss.

Well, it was troublesome for her, but a good outcome for me. Thanks to not getting caught, I hadn't wasted time and had come straight here, hadn't I?

'Is it that woman I should talk to?'

A woman was standing over there, at what looked like the entrance to the Salvation Church. Pretending not to notice the desperate, silent cry I felt from behind me, I boldly stepped forward...

Whoops.

Crash-bang!!

"Eek! A-are you okay?"

"......"

"H-how long must you have starved... Excuse me, are you in a lot of pain? Could you try to get up?"

I remained collapsed, not even lifting my head, and kept silent for a moment. The woman's voice rang out right above me.

Shit. I'd rolled all the way over here.

It didn't hurt, but it was mortifying enough to die. No—was I not feeling the pain because I was so mortified?

Still face-down, I subtly shifted my gaze to see Lady Rien behind me, looking this way and admiring me.

'No—why is she admiring me.'

And she wasn't just leaving that peculiar, unsettled expression behind as she turned without hesitation... She was going? She was really going? Something felt ominous. She wasn't going to cause some trouble, was she?

In my heart, I wanted to lie face-down like this forever, but there was no way that was possible. Either way, to get into the Salvation Church, I had to answer, so I opened my mouth with great effort.

"I'm... *Cough!*"

"B-b-b-b-b-blood!!"

I roughly wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

So the mortification really had stopped me from feeling the pain. To think my insides would become such a mess just from tripping and rolling a couple of times. Honestly.

First, I needed to reassure the woman in front of me. Since she thought I was an impoverished person, she'd be considering infectious diseases too. At this rate, far from getting inside, a complete no-approach order might be issued.

"Ah, this is... a chronic illness I've had since birth... It's fine. It's not contagious, and..."

"Ah... First, please come inside. There's a place to rest inside."

"But before that......"

It'd be good to preemptively dispel any suspicion.

"I heard... you could receive bread and water if you came here."

"Ah, yes! Of course!"

"Is there... no cost...?"

"Yes, so please come in without any worries."

The woman beamed widely, as if trying to put me at ease.

Wow, that just makes me more uneasy. Guess I won't even need to put on an act separately. My current mental state must be exactly that of the poor people here.

Without deliberately hiding my anxiety and suspicion, I sheepishly followed after the woman.