Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Zenith Church (3)
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Riki stopped crying and looked at the two of them with an embarrassed expression.
He had nearly died, only to survive, and tears had burst out unbidden. Even back in Ribal, he had never cried so bitterly.
"S-Sorry. I cried like a baby."
"You are a kid. Kids can cry even harder if they want."
Ras laughed heartily and ruffled Riki's hair.
Under the touch of his benefactor, Riki's cheeks flushed with shame.
Ras chuckled and pulled his hand away from Riki's head, glancing at Jamie, who was sitting on a nearby bench.
That was some incredible magic, though.
He didn't know much about magic.
But he had coordinated with mages on joint operations several times before.
They were around 4th or 5th class.
They were quite advanced among mages.
The spells they cast had seemed impressive even to Ras. But compared to the magic Jamie had unleashed today... could he say they were better?
He wasn't sure.
That uncertainty unsettled him.
Magic on par with veteran mages who've seen it all.
Now he understood why Count Welton had assigned Jamie to him.
He had thought it was just because the boy was clever, but that was completely wrong.
Jamie was a genius.
A genius with talent beyond words, possessing veteran-level skill at just seven years old.
The thought made Ras's legs tremble faintly.
What kind of mage would Jamie become as an adult?
At the very least, someone I wouldn't even be able to meet the eyes of.
He too had been called a genius as a child.
Back then, he had been quite proud. But seeing Jamie now made him feel ashamed in retrospect.
"Go thank that kid over there. If it weren't for him, you really would've been in danger."
"Him...?"
Riki pointed at Jamie in disbelief.
Of course. The carriage had blocked his view, so he hadn't seen Jamie cast the spell.
"It was that child who cast the chain magic that wrapped around the carriage."
"Really? Not you, mister?"
"M-Mister?"
Ras's eye twitched at the word "mister," but Riki's attention was already fixed on Jamie.
Riki stared at Jamie with wide eyes. He had seen those chains mercilessly binding the carriage himself.
He had assumed it was Ras's doing. It was a reasonable thought, since he didn't know Ras was a paladin.
"Did you really do it?"
Riki took a step toward Jamie and asked.
Jamie answered with an annoyed look.
"Yeah."
"Thank you so much! I survived because of you! Thank you!"
At the affirmative reply, Riki's eyes sparkled as he grabbed Jamie's hand and shook it vigorously—too vigorously.
"Hey, hey, hey! Stop! My arm's gonna come off!"
"Thank you so much!"
As he shook the arm, Jamie's whole body shook along with it.
The kid's grip was that strong.
What the hell? How does a little brat have this much strength?
Or was he just weak?
No way. This body carried the blood of both the Welton and Bell families.
Objectively speaking, his physical abilities far surpassed those of other kids his age.
They were just overshadowed by his superior magic.
This kid's just freakishly strong.
Jamie frowned and struggled to pull his hand free.
His palm was red and hot. When he glared fiercely, Riki apologized with an awkward expression.
"S-Sorry. I got too excited and gripped too hard."
"Whatever."
"But... are you mad at me for something?"
Riki tilted his head at the curt response.
"Not really. We were just ships passing in the night. What's there to get mad about?"
Jamie's brusqueness came from lack of interest.
Why bother flattering someone he didn't care about?
He had been mildly curious why the dark, brooding kid from a few months ago had brightened up, but not curious enough to investigate.
"Let's head into the Zenith Church already."
The sun was setting.
It was summer, so it wouldn't get dark too soon, but he needed to attend dinner with his parents, so they didn't have all the time in the world.
He had to scout the church interior while Ras was around.
"Sure."
Ras agreed readily, knowing they were short on time.
He gave a brief farewell to the dumbfounded Riki.
"Well, we'll be off then. Maybe we'll cross paths again someday."
The two turned toward the Zenith Church.
Riki watched their backs and spoke up.
"You're going into the church?"
"Yeah? Why?"
Ras glanced back and nodded.
Riki grinned and pointed at himself with his thumb.
"Then let me guide you—as a thank you!"
To Riki, the church grounds were like his front yard.
I didn't expect him to be living at an orphanage.
Jamie looked at the smiling Riki.
The reason the boy, who used to wander the night streets with a weary face, was now so bright seemed to be the power of the Zenith Church.
Religion can be a light for those in hardship.
He despised the 12 Gods and their followers, but he wouldn't deny the positive effects religion could have.
The problem was how it birthed "fanatics" in the process.
Anyway, good for him. Even with Ras there, they might have been wary since they worshiped different gods.
But as the savior of Riki's life, it was different.
Just like now.
"Thank you so much. If it weren't for you, Riki would have been in big trouble."
The elderly nun in charge of the orphanage bowed gratefully to Ras and Jamie.
"As a priest of Goddess Pyro, it was only natural. Actually, this child played the biggest role in saving Riki."
At the mention of Pyro's priest, the nun's eyes flickered briefly before returning to normal.
Then she looked at Jamie with her usual expression.
"And this child is?"
"The son of the local lord."
"Oh. So you're the young lord."
The nun looked quite surprised to learn Jamie was the lord's son.
"I'm Jamie Welton."
"My goodness. I should have recognized you from that emerald hair. I'd forgotten."
The emerald hair color was a genetic trait passed down only in the Welton bloodline.
People usually recognized it by the hair, but outsiders to Hysis might not know.
That meant she wasn't from Hysis. Emerald was practically the symbol of Hysis.
So why was she pretending to be from Hysis?
Was there any need to?
As Jamie eyed the nun suspiciously...
"R-Really...?"
Riki stared at Jamie in panic.
He had never imagined the boy could be the lord's son. His hands and feet trembled.
He had spoken casually until now—what if he was punished for insolence toward nobility?
His only sister was blind.
Without him, what would become of her future?
"Uh... uh-huh."
His head spun.
Jamie squinted at Riki with one eye.
Why was the kid acting up all of a sudden?
Because I'm the lord's son?
Seemed like it.
Of course. Realizing the person he'd treated casually was nobility—and the heir of a great noble house—would cause anyone to panic.
He must be from Hysis... or maybe not.
He was a street kid wandering the nights.
He might know the land's ruler but not the hair color or face, living a life with no time for such details.
It was a bit pitiful, but only a bit. No more than that stirred in Jamie.
"Did you come all this way just to bring Riki back?"
Ras shook his head at the nun's question.
"We were in the area, and I heard the Zenith Church had taken root here this year. Thought I'd take a look around."
"Ah—sightseeing, I see."
The nun's face soured slightly at "sightseeing."
Indeed, relations between the Pyro and Zenith Churches were poor.
Her reaction said it all.
"I'll fetch the priest."
"We'll wait."
"Riki, why don't you show the young lord around?"
Ras and Jamie both frowned faintly—too subtle for the nun to notice.
Why try to separate me from Ras?
It could be nothing, but given the churches' rivalry, it felt suspicious.
They wouldn't try to harm Ras, would they?
He wasn't some pushover.
Just in case, Jamie decided to set up a safeguard.
"I'm having dinner with my parents tonight, so see you later."
Catching on, Ras smiled and replied.
"Sure, see you soon."
Riki was clearly uncomfortable.
And Jamie found that attitude irritating.
The constant side-glances and rolling eyes were annoying.
"Spit it out if you have something to say."
"Um..."
Riki cautiously opened his mouth, gauging Jamie's mood.
"This is the orphanage where I live..."
His behavior had changed since learning Jamie was nobility.
He's been agonizing over how to act around me.
And with Jamie saying nothing since, he'd been stewing alone.
A chuckle escaped Jamie.
"Treat me however you want."
"...Huh?"
"I don't care about that stuff."
High speech or low—it made no difference.
He had lived seven years in a great noble's body, but never once cared for authority.
No, he had no interest in others to begin with. As long as they didn't harm him.
At the ball, if the Simon brothers had just been annoying, he wouldn't have gone that far.
"R-Really?"
"Won't say it twice."
Jamie strode forward.
Riki stared at his back, then grinned broadly and dashed to his side.
"This way! I'll show you all around!"
Was it good to form bonds like this?
Jamie recalled his hazy past.
I can't remember.
Laughing and chatting with someone. Toasting through the night, praying for tomorrow.
Was that his life?
Or had he always been this empty monster?
He still remembered Jane's laughing and crying face clearly, but everything else was blurred.
Proof of how much time had passed.
Yeah. They're gone because I don't need them.
No need to dwell on the past.
That's why he had severed his emotions.
All existence was trivial.
Only fulfilling his goal mattered.
The fall of the 12 Gods. That's all I want.
Jamie gazed at the smiling Riki and reaffirmed his resolve.
"This is the room my sister and I use."
After touring the orphanage, Riki brought Jamie to his room to rest a bit.
"Anna. Big bro brought a friend."
When did they become friends?
It was absurd, but whatever—he didn't respond.
"A friend?"
A young girl's voice came from inside.
"Yeah. An amazing friend."
Riki opened the door and led Jamie in.
The room wasn't large.
Two children's beds and a drawer for underwear—that was it. The church handled clothes, so no wardrobe.
Jamie scanned the cramped space, tiny compared to his own room, then turned to the girl on the bed.
"Say hi."
"Hello. I'm Anna. Nice to meet you."
Anna stood and bowed from the waist.
But Jamie couldn't speak. He just stared piercingly at her.
Riki called out, puzzled.
"Jamie?"
"..."
"Jamie, what's wrong all of a sudden?"
"Ah. Sorry. Got lost in thought. Nice to meet you. I'm Jamie."
He didn't give his full name.
When Riki shot a questioning look, he nodded vaguely.
That wasn't important now.
What the hell is this kid?
A killing intent writhed within him, ready to lash out.
That girl named Anna.
She's born with the qualities of a saint.
In those eyes.
A special divine power flowed.
An old man with hair spiked sharply on both sides grumbled discontentedly.
"The test subject was usable, but it didn't meet expectations."
Bishop Lincoln replied with satisfaction, eyeing the pure white armored knight before him.
"I think it's fine. You can't expect perfection after just a few tries. This is sufficient for now."
"Good to hear you say that."
"More importantly, Doctor. Isn't it time to prepare the next one?"
"There's a child with saintly qualities?"
"That child isn't ready yet. She's the 'material' we need for flawless execution once the research is complete."
Bishop Lincoln thought of the blind girl Anna, cared for at the orphanage.
"The next one... right."
He grinned at the man called Doctor.
"Her brother would be perfect."