Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Riki (2)
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Ras was secretly keeping watch on the church.
Not quite on the level of the Welton family's shadow knights, but at his realm of skill, erasing his presence was no difficult task.
'He's not showing himself.'
The paladin he'd spotted that day.
He hadn't seen him since the first sighting. Had he already left for somewhere else?
Not knowing that the man had been defeated by Jamie, Ras could only pour out endless guesses.
'If he's nowhere to be seen, there's no reason to keep up the surveillance.'
He hadn't appeared at all by this point, so it was right to assume he was gone.
Pushing aside his regret, Ras headed back to the count's estate.
On the way, he spotted a familiar-faced boy approaching from afar.
"Riki?"
He'd seen Riki often while monitoring the church.
The boy swept the church courtyard three times a day with a joyful face, but today he hadn't been seen since lunchtime.
He must have been out somewhere.
Ras called out to Riki with a smile.
"Hey— Riki!"
"Oh? Mister!"
"Ah, mister......"
Ras's expression crumpled slightly at being called mister so bluntly. There was a perfectly good word like big brother, yet he had to go with mister.
Ras was a young man who had only recently passed thirty.
"Call me big brother."
"Sure, big brother."
"......You're groveling for mercy now, huh. Anyway, where've you been?"
"I went to Jamie's place."
"Hm?"
The count's estate?
No matter how lenient the Welton family was about status, it wasn't a place a commoner could just come and go from freely.
Especially an orphan—no offense to the boy, but even getting close would be tough.
"Heh heh. At first they chased me off, but I begged and pleaded for just one chance to talk, and I barely got in."
"I see."
No amount of begging would normally get you into a high noble's mansion.
He'd been lucky. If the guard at the gate during that time hadn't been a kind soul, he'd have taken a beating.
But what did it matter? He'd come back unscathed, so things must have gone well with Jamie.
"So, why'd you go there?"
"Hee hee. Me? I've been chosen by Lord Zenith!"
For a moment, Ras thought he'd misheard.
"What?"
"I've been chosen. Hee hee. So I'm leaving tomorrow morning."
Riki's face looked a little bitter as he spoke of leaving.
"Still, it's a good thing. For the sake of my future self and my sister, I shouldn't feel down—I gotta stay strong."
"Y-yeah. That's great."
Was great the right word?
Ras's mind felt like a tangled mess.
Another selection in such a short span. By his common sense, it was impossible.
The gods didn't desire servants that badly.
'So it's true after all.'
He'd been certain before, but hearing it from Riki ignited a fierce rage within him.
What do you bastards think of children—of lives?
He wanted to storm the church right then, grab the bishop by the throat, and demand answers. If no proper reply came, he'd snap his neck.
Ras clenched his fist tight.
But in front of Riki, he didn't let it show. Smiling, he suppressed his trembling hand as much as possible and patted the boy's head.
"Do well there."
"Yeah. Meeting you on the way must mean nothing but good things ahead, big brother!"
"Yeah. Good things. All good."
"Then I'm off! Gotta pack. Not sure when, but I'll come visit you for sure later!"
"Do that. Later. We will meet again. Definitely."
Ras watched Riki walk away.
His expression cooled to ice.
Kicking off the ground in an instant, he raced toward the count's estate like a storm.
Departure was tomorrow morning.
'I'll show you bastards what punishment means.'
Dawn broke.
A crowd had gathered in front of the church.
They had come to bless the departing Riki.
They placed flower necklaces around his neck.
"Come back together with Sinno!"
"I'll follow right after!"
"Be happy!"
"Thank you all."
Riki bowed to everyone, his voice choked with tears.
Ban, standing beside him, hugged his one-and-only friend from the orphanage tightly, sniffling loudly.
"Come back safe, brother!"
"Yeah. Take care of Anna."
"Don't worry. Sniff, I'll miss you!"
Ban was more of a crybaby than expected.
Or had they become close enough for him to cry like this for Riki's sake?
Leaving him behind, Riki looked at his one and only sister, Anna, who was sobbing nearby. He had to leave her.
It was for a good reason, but his feet wouldn't move easily. He'd begged the bishop if there was no other way, but he'd been told it was unavoidable.
"Stay happy with everyone until brother comes back, okay?"
"......Uuung."
Anna was straining so hard not to cry that her voice came out muffled.
The siblings had never been apart even for a day. They'd never even considered separation. To Riki, Anna was part of his body, and vice versa.
Their first parting, even for something good, brought unbearable heartache.
"Listen to the priests and nuns. Tell big brother Ban if you need anything. I'll write often. Stop crying now. Your pretty face'll swell up."
And yet he was crying himself.
Anna could tell from the sobs in his voice, even without seeing. But she nodded without a single complaint.
"Be safe, sniff, be safe...... Come back safe."
"Of course. To see my pretty sister even a day sooner, I'll work harder than anyone to become a great priest. So you stay good too."
"Yeah!"
The siblings shared their final embrace.
As Riki climbed into the carriage, he waved to everyone seeing him off.
A priest already aboard smiled and said,
"All that awaits is a future filled with blessings. Steel your resolve and be a man about it. Got it?"
"Yes! Hee hee."
Off to the head temple.
No telling how long it'd take, but with sincere faith, steady prayer, and belief, he'd become a fine priest.
'I've been chosen by the lord, after all.'
The priest signaled, and the carriage set off.
"Brother! Come back safe! Be safe!"
Anna's voice rang out.
Riki turned, taking in the sight of his sister through the window with both eyes.
And shortly after the carriage departed.
Four swordsmen in light attire emerged from the forest.
The man at the forefront, Ras, pulled his mask up past his nose.
"Let's go."
Ras and the three Welton shadow knights began tailing Riki's carriage.
With utmost secrecy.
"They've left."
Jamie, who had been meditating, opened his eyes.
Just now, as Riki's carriage pulled away, Ras and his father's shadow knights had immediately begun pursuit.
They wouldn't intercept the carriage right away. They'd surely follow to the destination, confirm the villains' crimes with their own eyes, and then exterminate them.
He considered following but shook his head.
'No telling how far it'll be.'
To keep up without being spotted, he'd need to fly stealthily. Fine for short distances, but that wasn't likely here.
The carriage would run for hours at least, and with his current mana, it was impossible.
Even if he went, he'd arrive with mana depleted—what then?
The Full Body Breathing Method had its limits.
'There's a far more efficient way.'
Jamie smiled, summoning black mana.
The black mana spread like an ink blot in the air, gradually forming the shape of a building.
With fine finger adjustments, the structure gained intricate details.
It was the Zenith Church branch rooted in Hice.
A single black dot flickered within the translucent holographic image.
"Hasn't moved yet."
The black dot was the trace of black mana he'd planted on the chimera paladin's true core not long ago.
The one holding it was undoubtedly Bishop Lincoln.
Why was he still at the church?
If it were true divine selection, it wouldn't be so odd. But Riki was headed to a lab for chimera production.
Having personally dissected a chimera corpse days ago, he knew Lincoln's small core would be needed for this one too.
In other words, Lincoln had to go to the lab, like it or not. Yet the carriage had already left. Another one? Unlikely.
Jamie was certain.
'There's a magic device linking to the lab inside the church. And for implanting holy power, a high priest is essential.'
Thus, Lincoln had to head to the lab.
There were no other high priests in this Zenith Church branch.
'He'll move around when they arrive.'
If his guess was wrong, so be it.
A bishop-level priest was troublesome enough on his own.
He figured Ras and the shadow knights could handle it, but fewer strong foes tilted things in their favor.
Jamie was patient.
He memorized the spells needed for immediate response whenever.
How much time passed?
Jamie opened his eyes.
Smiling, he looked at the holographic screen floating in the air.
"Bingo."
The black mana trace had vanished.
Jamie headed straight for the church.
The time had come.
The bishop composed his expression in front of the mirror.
Right before the experiment began. His heart always pounded like a child's at this moment.
Even after over sixty years, he was still so childish.
But that proved seeing those 'expressions' was always fresh.
"Riki. What face will you make for me?"
He recalled the boy who writhed in greater despair than any and rejoiced in brighter hope than any.
Riki's gaze upon him surfaced.
Admiration, longing, respect, awe. The child had seen him almost as an equal to Lord Zenith.
He never missed sweeping the courtyard every morning to repay the grace. He attended prayers daily, offering several times more than others.
Just over a month, yet Riki had served more fervently than he, who had devoted decades to the church.
Riki had no choice.
Truth be told, there'd been no intent to bring Riki to the orphanage. Even if brought, no special attention.
It was thanks to his sister Anna. The month of happiness was solely because she was the sole blood kin of a child born with saintly qualities.
But today marked the end.
The boy who overcame despair into hope would be betrayed by the world today.
"No. Not betrayal. It's a blessing."
Lincoln's face twisted grotesquely.
Like smiling yet furious.
The inscrutable expression revealed his madness well.
"A little orphan reborn as a paladin."
Betrayed by the world?
Absurd.
From having nothing but his sister, he'd become a mighty paladin.
What was a paladin? Among priests, only those exceptional in combat and blessed with strong divinity.
Yet a powerless brat becomes such a grand existence. How could that be betrayal or despair?
A blessing.
"Yes. A blessing."
His madness-tainted face regained calm.
Back to his usual expression, Lincoln smiled benignly.
Pushing the mirror with his plump hand, ripples spread in a circle.
"You'll become a splendid paladin."
He stepped inside.
And there was the boy, bewildered by the unbelievable reality.
The boy, Riki, turned his head this way.
Soon he'd see. See him. What despair would he feel?
'Can you endure this trial?!'
Just before Riki spotted him—
"Pig, over here."
A black shadow yanked Lincoln by the throat.
Lincoln couldn't resist the sudden force. Unable even to flail properly, he was dragged inside.
"What?"
The doctor frowned and turned around.
Lincoln, who should have been there, was gone.