Abigail's Whereabouts
Priestess Maji looks up at Abigail with a bright, cheerful smile.
Abigail had come to the Luteria Church several times because she wanted to help the young priestess Maji. She had first visited when she was still getting the Divine Power, and from then on she kept her promise to come whenever she could.
She had not officially become a priestess, but she always kept her word to visit.
Every time Maji saw Abigail arrive, she greeted her with that bright smile, and Abigail spent time with her.
Abigail never prayed or went to Mass, but Maji never minded. She didn’t mind that Abigail was a little rough and a bit blunt, because her heart was warm and the time they spent together was truly good.
“Thank you for today’s help.”
Abigail gave a silent nod.
Abigail usually didn’t join the church events, but today was different. Though she was clumsy, she had helped care for the orphans with Maji, washed clothes, and cleaned alongside her.
For Maji, those were happy memories she had not thought about in a long time, the ones she had shared with Abigail in the past.
Maji, who only reached Abigail’s waist, held Abigail’s hand tightly and walked through the church.
Sunlight streamed through the long, narrow windows, illuminating the statue of Lutera. Abigail lifted her head.
In the dazzling light, a faintly shadowed statue stood there.
It was not smiling, but the delicate carving was filled with compassion.
It looked like the work of the carpenter Abigail had consulted with once before.
“If I pray… will Lutera-sama hear my prayer?”
“Abigail-nim wants to pray? Of course. Lutera-sama is a kind and loving goddess, so she always answers prayers.”
Maji puffed out her chest and spoke boldly. Abigail, who had been staring, lowered one knee before the statue.
Maji had known Abigail felt no love or faith toward the gods, yet seeing her kneel in prayer made her eyes widen in surprise.
Still flustered, Maji sat beside Abigail, took the offered hand, and prayed with her.
Because Luterianism emphasized inner faith, their prayers were always quiet.
Maji prayed first for the day to be blessed so Abigail could pray to Lutera-sama, and slowly opened her eyes.
Abigail’s face, still praying, looked peaceful yet somehow sad.
A while later, her eyes opened. Their gazes met.
“Abigail-nim… is something wrong?”
“No. Nothing at all.”
It was a lie.
Maji was sharp, but she could tell Abigail’s smile was forced, even if she tried to hide it.
The smile on Abigail’s face was beautiful, yet terribly clumsy at lying.
Maji squeezed Abigail’s hand and hugged her.
“If something is wrong, please tell me.”
“… … I know.”
Abigail quietly stroked Maji’s back.
Maji watched Abigail leave the church with worry in her eyes, but smiled and waved her off.
“Abigail-nim, please come again next time. Definitely! I’ll be waiting!”
“Yeah, I’ll come.”
Abigail smiled at Maji, turned around, and walked away.
It was a promise she would not be able to keep, but she didn’t want to worry that child any more than she already did.
On the street, Abigail picked up the luggage she had prepared and left the academy.
From afar she looked back at the scenery of Legandia.
The academy buildings stood in the innermost part.
“…”
Abigail stared quietly, then scowled and clenched her teeth, shaking her head.
She turned away as if shaking off the thought and set off with heavy steps toward somewhere.
* * *
“Um… are we doing simple sparring again today?”
Even as Zeroa asked, Rai stood with a crooked posture and scanned the gathered crowd.
Except for Miracles, he had grown tolerant of pain, so he rarely used potions or healing spells unless necessary.
It had been thanks to Abigail that he could spar in a way close to real combat, where he could break bones and fight without holding back.
He had skipped the occasional session before, but five consecutive days without Abigail was the first time.
With her absence, Rai had only done simple sparring, arms crossed, then grinned faintly.
“Let’s find her.”
“Eh? You know where she is?”
“Let’s start with the dorm, maybe she’s still there.”
“But it’s a girls’ dorm. Men can’t go in.”
“I’m the instructor here.”
Rai’s reply left Zeroa speechless.
“Who wants to punch Abigail?”
“I do.”
“Me too!”
“Me too!”
Everyone had the same thought.
“I don’t, though…”
Philia and Diana both raised their hands, Zeroa looked back and forth with uneasy eyes, then shook his head, but they ignored him.
The four of them headed to the dorm.
“I’ve never been to the dorm before.”
“Me neither.”
“It should be the first time.”
Philia looked around and answered Rai.
Rai shrugged as if to say, “Why say something obvious?”
Diana spoke up.
“I come here often. Abigail’s room… should be 304 on the third floor.”
“Should I wait here?”
“Come on. This is the only chance.”
Rai pulled along the reluctant Zeroa and stepped inside.
It had been a little tense at first, but soon Zeroa relaxed, seeing the girls’ dorm was the same as the boys’ with the faint smell of sweat in the corridors.
Everyone else was training hard, so it was only natural.
“Why are you making that disappointed face? What did you expect?”
“Zeroa-ya…”
“No expectations at all!”
Rai and Diana laughed as they playfully teased Zeroa.
A few girls spotted Rai, but after seeing Diana and Philia behind him they simply greeted and left.
Since it was a break, almost no students were in the dorm. Diana, undisturbed, turned the doorknob and asked.
“Is she not inside? Want me to break it?”
“We’re not delinquents. We can’t act violently.”
Rai sat in front of the lock, fished out a clip from somewhere, and slipped it into the keyhole.
“Ah, so as long as it’s not violent it’s fine.”
“Connecting people who don’t trust each other is a wonderful act in a harsh world like this.”
While he was thinking the line was too clever, a sharp click sounded and the door opened.
She was good at picking locks and fast too.
Ignoring the gaze on his back, Rai stepped inside.
The room was cleaner than he expected.
It had only the basic furniture provided by the dorm. Nothing Abigail had added or decorated herself.
There were traces of life, but her clothes and belongings were neatly organized, so the usual rough Abigail didn’t seem to live here.
“Whoa, can’t even organize like Abigail. Suddenly my heart hurts.”
Diana laughed and rummaged through the room to her heart’s content.
Philia, who had no hobby of snooping on other people’s privacy, circled the room silently near the door and felt something off.
There were traces of life, but no warmth of another person remained inside.
“She hasn’t been back in a while.”
Rai spoke as if voicing Philia’s thoughts.
“Is Abigail working somewhere and not back yet?”
“She doesn’t seem to be working.”
Sitting at the desk, Diana shook a letter envelope at Zeroa.
Then she handed the letter to Rai.
“I thought it was a love letter and read it. Oops, I messed up. Rai-kkang, read it yourself. I’m stepping out.”
With a serious expression, Diana led the curious Philia and Zeroa out.
Rai watched her go, then turned his gaze to the letter in his hand.
The letter had come from Elin, the white-haired detective she often bragged about being.
Reading the content, Rai instantly understood why Diana had looked so serious.
The three letters contained Abigail’s past and the targets she needed to settle her score with.
The last letter, sent a month ago, said to contact her if he could locate the target. It was clear this letter was not the end.
The final letter, listing the location of the target for revenge, would be in Abigail’s hands.
Rai quietly slipped the letter into his coat and was about to leave when an employee from the academy entrance approached the room.
“Hello, Instructor.”
“Hello. What can I do for you?”
“Oh, it’s not a problem for you. I’m here because someone wants to see Abigail. Since I didn’t have any prior contact, I came to check… but it seems Abigail is out.”
The employee glanced into the room, bowed, and turned to leave.
Rai called her back.
“Was the visitor a little white-haired kid wearing a hat?”
“Yes, that’s right. You know the person too, Instructor?”
“I know her well.”
Rai gave a wicked smile and followed the employee to the entrance.
Elin was lounging in the waiting room for visitor permits and smiled brightly when she saw Rai.
“Ooh, long time no see, Mr. Rai. Zeroa’s face is glowing too…”
The moment she saw Rai’s smile, Elin turned and ran.
Rai’s hand was faster.
He grabbed her ear and brought his lips close to whisper in a voice that made her shiver.
“Why are you running away?”
“Because you’re making that scary face! You’re angry, right? I didn’t do anything!”
Philia and Diana tilted their heads.
There was no killing intent radiating from him, and his smile looked normal.
The two felt the tiny difference and exchanged glances before quickly looking away.
“Nothing at all? Then what about the letter you sent to Abigail?”
“That’s… just a request. Please bring Abigail here! I’m in trouble!”
“It’s because that Abigail disappeared that I’m doing this.”
Elin jumped at Rai’s words.
“Eh?! Then… she left already. I had more information for you…”
“Tell me. And estimate where she went.”
“No. I can’t reveal a client’s information even if my mouth is torn apart.”
Elin had been terrified until a moment ago, but now she refused firmly with professional awareness.
Even though she had vowed she would never speak if angry, the moment she saw Rai’s bright smile, a chill ran down her spine.
“Lend me just one glove?”
“Use mine.”
Zeroa handed over his glove. Rai put it on and asked Elin.
“Do you like bathrooms or stables?”
“… … Both aren’t great… no one likes bathrooms, right?”
“Yeah, then stables.”
* * *
“Gya gya gya! Mr. Rai, Mr. Rai! I can reach it! I can reach it! Aaaah! The smell!”
Elin, whose head was grabbed from behind, shouted desperately with horse manure right in front of her.
The warmth of the freshly dumped manure hit her face. Elin shrieked and struggled, but she couldn’t escape Rai’s grip.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Warmer and softer than I thought.”
“I-I don’t like it-! This isn’t Rai’s style, just put me down already, just put me down!”
“I’m not the violent type. Now, take a big breath—don’t speak while it’s going in your mouth—”
“Uwaaaah! I’ll talk, I’ll talk!”
Elin screamed with her eyes tightly shut. Rai stopped and lifted her up.
Elin sighed in relief once she was free from Rai.
“How can people do such dirty things?”
“You seem to have little experience.”
“No, I mean… about Abigail.”
Seeing her head about to be grabbed again, Elin spun her words.
“Well, it can’t be helped. And I have a personal request to make of you, Mr. Rai. I’m sorry, but could you and the others step out? This is Abigail’s personal past story.”
At Elin’s serious expression, Diana turned first.
Since she was the curious type who would tease or joke, Diana left first. Philia glanced between Diana and Elin, then moved.
Zeroa followed too, leaving only the two.
Elin pulled a paper from her pocket and gave it to Rai.
“This is the request Abigail asked me to investigate.”
Rai read the paper in silence while listening to Elin’s explanation.
Abigail’s request, the information Elin had gathered so far, and the new fact she wanted to give Abigail.
After hearing everything, Rai frowned, looking troubled.
“I came here in person to explain rather than send it by letter. It’s a request, but I don’t want a vengeful spirit born from my actions.”
Elin spoke with a bitter expression.
“Abigail must have gone to the Bell Federation.”
“Yes, and the first destination was probably to find One-Eyed Jack, the mercenary.”
“The mentor from her mercenary days? You got the local situation and came to get help.”
“Yes. This is One-Eyed Jack’s location. His real name is Khalid Egerstein.”
Elin tore a paper from her notebook and handed it to Rai.
It wasn’t just Jack’s location; it listed people in the Bell Federation who could help.
These informants were worth their weight in gold. Rai looked at her, and Elin grinned.
“I repaid Mr. Rai’s light with this? No, I’m still in debt to you. Hehe~”
“Fine, keep it for now.”
Rai patted Elin’s head and stood up, slipping the paper into his coat.
It was time to catch his runaway student before her eyes went completely blind with revenge.
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