In the deep night, when the moon rose overhead.
“Well then, I’ll be back,”
“Mm.”
“Be careful, please.”
As Rudell spoke, Kurt and Silphier waved their hands.
Watching the two, Rudell asked Leje,
“Are you ready?”
“Yeah, I’m ready.”
Leje nodded at Rudell’s question, held her breath, and Rudell tightly grasped her hand.
At that moment, a black shadow spread from beneath Rudell’s feet.
The spreading black shadow morphed into a swamp, engulfing their bodies.
It felt like entering a weightless space.
Before their eyes unfolded a scene of a world dyed in black, as if painted with ink.
Just a little longer.
Muttering this, Rudell began moving forward, holding Leje’s hand.
Before them stood a closed door, but it was as if there was nothing there, and Rudell and Leje passed through the closed door, advancing along the hallway where the guards patrolled.
Despite openly walking through the hallway, none of the many guards showed any interest in the two.
In fact, they were in a world of shadows, not reality.
As they strolled through the shadowy world, Rudell searched for a legitimate place…
A short while later, in the shadows of a deserted hallway, Rudell and Leje revealed themselves.
Phew…!! I thought I was going to suffocate! By the way, where should we go now?
“You said to follow the clues…”
Breathing heavily, Rudell responded to Leje.
[Tonight, at the time the moon rises above, follow the clues.]
Though they had no idea what the clue was, it must have been something identifiable enough to warrant being written down in a letter.
Just then…
Is that clue… this?
Did you find something?
Leje, looking around, squinted her eyes as if she’d discovered something.
Following her gaze, Rudell saw a doodle on the wall.
This is…
It was a messy doodle, as if drawn by a child, but it clearly bore the emblem of the Gaia Church.
After glancing at it for a moment, Rudell turned to survey the surroundings and soon noticed the same doodle on a nearby pillar.
Looks like we should follow this.
How they figured out where to escape was a mystery, but there was no time to ponder that now.
Rudell and Leje began to walk, trailing the doodles.
After avoiding patrolling guards and sneaking through the shadows for a while…
Here…
Before long, they stopped in front of a small door.
The doodle unmistakably drawn beside the door indicated this was their destination.
…
Leje met Rudell’s gaze and silently nodded, while Rudell reached for the doorknob.
Click. The door opened, and they stepped into a dark room with not a single beam of light seeping in.
Creek!
With a sound fit for a horror movie, the door closed, and the two advanced cautiously through the pitch-black darkness.
After wandering for who knows how long…
Welcome, Count Weinstein, and Duchess Lagrind.
With a familiar voice, lights illuminated the surroundings.
I’ve been waiting.
Moments later, they saw a small table.
Seated there was a young priest with blonde hair and wall-like eyes.
*
Priest Filson.
He was the priest who welcomed Rudell and his party when they arrived at the Temple.
Filson?
What are you doing here…
Rudell and Leje exclaimed, startled by his unexpected appearance.
But it was only momentary.
They regarded him with cautious eyes.
There’s no need to be so wary; I did send that letter.
I see…
Then, there was no reason for them to be on guard against him.
Please, have a seat.
Finally letting their guard down, Rudell and Leje sat down as Filson stood up, inviting them to take a seat.
Carefully, the two positioned themselves at the table.
So, what is it that you wanted to call us for?
It’s about Eleor.
…
So, something had certainly happened to her.
Rudell silently regarded him, thoughts swirling in his mind.
Recently, an anonymous tip was given to the church. It was reported that individuals presumed to be from the Church of the Eaters of Death have been spotted.
As expected…
Rudell let out a low sigh at that remark.
Breaking three years of silence, they had returned.
At this moment, ahead of the Hero Selection Tournament, the Holy Council decided to resolve this matter without informing the public.
The Holy Council…
The Holy Council.
It could be said that it operated the Yustania Kingdom.
Considering the power, tradition, and prestige of the church, the ten most influential factions formed the council, coordinating their opinions to ultimately decide the direction the Yustania Kingdom would take.
The position that orchestrated their opinions and made final decisions was none other than the Pope.
To resolve this incident, personnel were dispatched from the Gaia Church and a few other factions, but…
They lost contact, right?
That’s correct.
That was no longer surprising.
Seeing Filson nod, Rudell pondered that thought while rubbing his throbbing forehead.
What on earth happened to the dispatched personnel that had a saint among them, causing them to lose contact?
What exactly was a saint?
A representative of the god chosen to be born alongside the Pope.
To send such a being into a dangerous place so carelessly was unfathomable from Rudell’s perspective.
Those dispatched were considered elites from their respective churches. Their skills are guaranteed.
And yet they lost contact?
The church suspects the presence of a traitor.
A traitor…
Rudell calmed the rising agitation within him.
Certainly, if there was indeed a traitor within, it would make losing contact understandable.
In war, information is more critical than anything else.
Even the strongest fortress can crumble because of just one traitor—a common occurrence throughout history.
So, have you found that traitor yet?
At Rudell’s subsequent question, Filson shook his head.
Well, if catching a traitor were easy, there wouldn’t be a reason to betray at all.
With that thought, Rudell let out a short sigh.
Any suspected individuals?
Not yet…
Haa…
Of all the times, is it ever possible I won’t have to step in?
In this utterly hopeless situation, Rudell sighed once more.
If possible, please investigate Carvel.
You’re talking about Carvel? Why…
Filson looked at him with a puzzled expression, clearly not expecting that.
At the same time, Rudell pulled a letter from his pouch and handed it to him.
It was a letter Rudell had found in Carvel’s office.
I found this letter while snooping through his room. I apologize for intruding, but, you know the circumstances.
Hmm…
It seemed that even the act of snooping around a senior official of his own church made Filson uneasy, as he let out a low groan while accepting the letter.
After a moment, he began reading the letter and, shortly after, squinted his eyes and nodded.
Indeed… there’s something suspicious going on. Of course, I can’t be certain just based on this.
I’ll leave the investigation to you; I’m just an outsider.
What happened within the church was a matter for the church to resolve.
Although their previous actions hadn’t instilled much confidence, Rudell had other matters to attend to.
Understood. Now, getting back to the main topic… I have a request for both of you.
…
As expected, it seemed to lead this way.
Knowing the situation already, Rudell and Leje silently looked at Filson.
Count Weinstein and Duchess Lagrind, I ask for your help in locating the saint.
Sure.
I’ll do that.
To begin with, Eleor was a friend that both had known for a long time, before she was even a saint.
They couldn’t abandon a friend.
Rudell and Leje nodded, and Filson respectfully bowed his head towards them.
And thus, the night grew deeper.
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