“What do you think I am?”
I asked.
“Eliya’s.”
“……”
I froze in place.
My body wouldn’t move, as if time had stopped.
‘My, uh…’
No matter what.
Eliya leisurely petted and brushed the Moon Deer.
…Thud!
“Ouch!”
Bradley dropped his broom.
The sound of the broom hitting the ground snapped me back to reality.
“I’m so, so sorry…! I-I was just surprised….”
“Surprised? Why all of a sudden?”
“Well, I-I forgot the items my wife asked me to bring today! I just remembered! Yes….”
“I see.”
Eliya was unfazed.
A child who still didn’t understand love.
She was clumsy at feeling emotions too.
‘…Ah, this idiot.’
I felt like strangling my own neck for ascribing meaning to it.
My own.
So, she meant it as possession.
Eliya is my master.
A commoner is like an object belonging to that master.
So by the most literal definition, I am indeed Eliya’s.
‘Just die. Just die from choking…!’
Embarrassing.
Hearing such words from a kid made me want to die of embarrassment…!
I felt a burning gaze from somewhere.
I turned my head, sweating.
Ria was waiting behind Eliya.
Her black eyes burned like her hair color.
I shook my head hurriedly.
I tried to convey my intention as much as possible with my eyes.
‘No, no. You know that’s not what I meant…!’
It was understandable if a serving master dared to refer to a commoner as “mine.”
But still, it wasn’t something to get that angry about…!
You know it’s not what I meant!
“Judas?”
“Y-Yes, my lady?”
My voice came out stupidly high.
Could someone just kill me? Eliya?
“Your face is red.”
“Ah… this is….”
“Why are you sweating so much?”
“It’s just… a bit hot here….”
“But it’s still winter.”
“Um… I was playing with the Moon Deer a little while ago, and I might have gotten a bit warm.”
“You didn’t look that hot when I arrived.”
“……”
You’re so smart…
I envy your good memory and knowledge.
Eliya observed me as if I were some strange creature.
Then she suddenly asked.
“Are you in pain?”
“…No. I’m fine. Perfectly fine. Healthy. Yes.”
“Hmm. Is that so…?”
She seemed to accept my response.
Eliya gently brushed the Moon Deer again.
I tried to calm my mind as much as I could.
I wanted to splash cold water on myself.
Eliya suddenly moved and said.
“I heard a bit about the situation. Starting with Shylock and the other knights.”
Her tone was casual as if discussing everyday life.
“They’re those under Duke Balak’s orders. They’re targeting you.”
“…Yes, that’s what I heard.”
“But I think…”
Eliya picked up the comb again.
She softly brushed the back of the Moon Deer.
“I don’t think that’s the case.”
“Excuse me…?”
“I suspect they have other motives.”
I remained silent and listened.
“Of course, they won’t just leave you alone. You’re the nominal target. They’ll do something to you. But I think there’s another purpose behind it.”
Why is she telling me this?
Eliya glanced at me.
I met her gaze obediently.
“So, I won’t immediately chase them away or take action against them. There’s not enough information to disclose yet. In the process, you might end up in danger.”
Eliya surmised there was a real goal behind Balak’s actions.
To find that out, she means to use me.
I couldn’t understand why she was telling me this.
“Um… I see what you’re saying. But I don’t think you really need to tell me….”
Eliya is my master.
Regardless of any plans I might have to run away, that’s the current situation.
So, she can use me.
The Eliya I knew was always like that, so it wasn’t particularly surprising.
In the end, surviving through it would just be up to me.
After all, Eliya didn’t mean to kill me.
“…That’s true.”
Eliya suddenly murmured.
A small monologue.
As if she genuinely wondered.
“Why am I…?”
Eliya continued to look at me quietly.
Her big eyes blinked.
She stopped combing and tilted her head several times before resuming.
“Anyway… Keep that in mind. I’ll do my best to ensure nothing happens.”
“Yes… Thank you.”
Eliya stepped down from her perch.
She stood in front of the Moon Deer.
As she naturally moved beside me, I took a step back.
“And I was impressed by your story about persuading Shylock.”
“……”
Wait a second.
Did Hermis mention that part?
She promised there wouldn’t be anything to worry about…!
“I heard you were near the front lines.”
That was just a lie I threw out because I needed it.
I still had no clue what my body’s original owner, Judas, was doing back then.
“You didn’t tell me about it….”
“Yes?”
“No, never mind.”
Eliya remained expressionless as if nothing happened.
She simply looked up at the Moon Deer.
Eliya’s cat-like red eyes met the clear, innocent black eyes of the Moon Deer.
“Are you finally going to acknowledge me?”
I thought we had been friends for quite a while already….
But Eliya didn’t seem to think so.
She cautiously extended her small hand to the Moon Deer.
Her slender wrists were faintly exposed.
White and clean.
The bruise I’d seen before was now gone.
I wondered why I focused on that detail.
Why was I relieved to recall that fact?
Eliya’s small hand touched the Moon Deer’s face.
This had happened before.
Not long after she brought it home.
At that time, the Moon Deer had stepped back.
But…
Today the Moon Deer was calm.
It didn’t reject Eliya’s touch.
Instead, it leaned its face gently into her hand as if asking for more affection, just like what I did.
“…Ah.”
Eliya recoiled in surprise.
She stepped back as if startled.
Then the Moon Deer looked at Eliya.
As if to ask why she wasn’t petting it more.
Eventually, the Moon Deer approached Eliya first.
It brought its head close to her awkwardly hovering hand.
The Moon Deer rubbed its head against Eliya’s hand.
Eliya gazed at the scene, dumbfounded.
As if it were a faraway sight.
Then she cautiously moved her hand.
She gently stroked the Moon Deer’s face.
Her startled expression gradually turned into a smile.
Like a flower blooming slowly.
Eliya carefully touched her forehead against the Moon Deer.
The Moon Deer didn’t flinch.
It moved its head gently.
Eliya shook her head slowly as if to nuzzle back.
Feeling the warmth of the Moon Deer and the texture of its fur.
A bright smile revealed her small teeth.
Round cheeks, eyes beautifully folded.
While stroking the Moon Deer, Eliya turned her head.
She looked at me.
Her eyes, narrowed at the corners, gleamed red.
She didn’t say a word to me.
She just smiled even brighter.
That unfamiliar smile I had never seen before was so dazzling.
I stood there silently, just watching Eliya.
Why does this girl make me feel choked?
*
Ria is Eliya’s personal maid.
Though the mansion has many maids, only Ria serves solely for Eliya.
From the day Eliya began her training in the family, it has always been Ria.
The first task of the day would be to awaken Eliya.
And it’s also the time Ria enjoys the most.
Though she doesn’t show it outwardly.
She wakes up early in the morning to wash herself first.
Water runs over the burn scars that wrapped around her body.
The melted and twisted scars are quite hideous.
But she didn’t hate those scars.
She couldn’t hate them.
Thinking about what caused them.
Having those scars is a secret no one knows about.
After completing various preparations, Ria carefully opened the door to Eliya’s bedroom.
Ever since Eliya was found in Judas’s room that morning, Ria had been anxious every time she opened the door.
Fortunately, Eliya was peacefully sleeping in bed.
She was snugly covered up to her neck with the blanket, holding her cat doll tightly.
Ria watched Eliya with a warm smile.
She always arrived earlier than the scheduled wake-up time for this moment.
Staring at Eliya, who slept like an angel before waking her up.
It was the only joy in her life.
The comforting smile was not solely unbothered.
Undisguised guilt.
Disgust for her weak self.
A face clouded with multiple complex emotions.
A moment for which Eliya wasn’t able to see; she was truly grateful.
It was almost time to wake her up.
Mornings pass too quickly.
With a hint of reluctance, Ria drew back the curtains.
Brilliant sunlight flooded the room.
“Lady Eliya, it’s time to wake up.”
“Umm….”
Eliya muttered but promptly got up.
She never failed to wake up on time.
Sometimes, it would be okay if she dragged it out like a child.
Once she woke up, Eliya immediately checked the flowerpot.
A small plant placed on the windowsill.
The moist soil.
Not a sprout has yet emerged.
But it must be growing.
The Anemone seeds.
Eliya smiled contentedly.
Since the day she bought the pot, Eliya had started every day with a smile.
Watching her check the pot every morning filled Ria with guilt and gratitude.
She had thought she would never see Eliya’s bare face again.
Especially to Judas. She was really grateful.
…The shock of hearing the words “my own” was something she couldn’t forget.
*
The weekend arrived.
Currently, the two things I desperately needed could be summarized as money and power.
Things needed to live alone after leaving this place.
I could save money through the Information Guild steadily.
I was also diligently building strength.
After being guided personally by Gawain, the pace quickened.
However, this “strength” is quite vast in scope.
Winning against someone in a fight is power.
Protecting myself from someone else’s threat is also power.
This weekend, I aimed to solve a request from the training facility, which pertains to the latter.
I needed the power to protect myself from Eliya’s magic.
‘In the tragedy, Eliya was choking my neck while I slept.’
Eliya is an exceptional wizard.
But she wasn’t as strong as I was.
For that tragedy to occur, I would need some magical measures in place.
‘The fate that is shown must inevitably happen.’
It’s fortunate that it’s not a game where the options are limited—I can move freely, seeking means to confront that inevitability.
Simply running away doesn’t guarantee safety.
When the situation arises, a shield will be essential.
‘What is commonly referred to as a magic barrier. A trait that can block any spell for one time.’
The formal name is “Blessing of Grace.”
There are several traits that end with “~Blessing.”
The effects vary.
Such as blocking close-combat or ranged attacks.
Among them, I chose the blessing that counters magic.
The blessing series allows only one trait to be obtained.
‘Moreover, since Balak is also targeting me, it’ll be useful in many ways. He’s a wizard too.’
Gaining this trait hinges on the location.
I need to repeatedly perform certain actions at that specific place to earn the trait.
‘Perfect timing—I’ve got a good excuse for it.’
Today, I’ll be visiting the Molsin Church.
The pretext is a request.
A trivial request came through the training facility, and I decided to take it on.
The content was simple.
To guard a probationary priest while they gather herbs.
In an area rumored to have wild animals like wild dogs.
‘Having a hunter’s instinct should be handy.’
First, I’ll wrap up the request, then focus on acquiring the trait afterward.
However, there’s one point that troubles me.
To earn this trait, I need to take a specific “action,” and I’m unsure if it will be acknowledged in this world as it does in reality.
‘If I can prevent a tragedy from occurring altogether instead of just overcoming it with the trait… that would be ideal.’
The gap between the impending tragedy remains.
What could happen in between?
If I knew the reason, I could think of alternate measures.
That was the question I had asked Eliya.
The response of “mine” quickly faded from my mind.
‘You stupid idiot…! Trash!’
The only possibility that came to mind.
The most plausible reason at present is Eliya’s power.
The insane flame.
A power that constantly stimulates the user’s violent tendencies.
And it is also affected by the user’s violence.
It’s a cycle of madness between the insane flame and violence.
‘The insane flame has often been compared to the sun. In fact, the color resembles that of the sun.’
The insane flame and the sun.
Digging into that information might be helpful.
Of course, that won’t be easy.
If it had been easy, I wouldn’t have wasted thousands of hours on Eliya in vain.
‘…It’s not entirely my fault for being reckless, but still.’
I didn’t delve into it like a scholar, but I know a bit about the Sun Church and its mythologies.
I don’t remember any information that would be particularly helpful.
Then I should shift my focus elsewhere.
Perhaps delve into the history dealing with the era before the sun and moon were separated.
‘There was a priest who specialized in that research….’
I recall both his name and appearance.
The problem is, I don’t know where that man is at this moment.
Should I ask the Information Guild to find him?
‘Who knows how long that might take. Aside from his name and appearance, there’s hardly any information. A quest involving finding a person takes users years in game time…’
It had been a while since I stirred so many thoughts, and now my head ached.
It was not a problem I could solve immediately.
I would need to ponder this later.
Just then, a sudden question rose in my mind.
‘Why is Eliya acting so calm?’
After the events of her birthday, Eliya fully awakened her power of the insane flame.
In other words, she would be continuously stimulated by violence.
Yet since then, Eliya has been oddly calm.
So calm that it almost made me forget the essence of her power for a moment.
‘Is she merely holding back? Or… has something changed?’
This was a question I couldn’t figure out, no matter how hard I thought.
Just when I was wrapping up my thoughts, someone approached me.
“Oh, Judas. You’re out early.”
It was Argon.
He had also volunteered for this request.
We met at the entrance of the training center.
“I just arrived as well.”
“And that… was it Sir Hermis?”
Argon spotted Hermis, who had been waiting with me.
“Yes. Hello.”
She had to follow me everywhere, so I brought her along again today.
We boarded the wagon and set off.
Our destination was a city called “Selene.”
We needed to go to the church there.
‘Even when I first took the request, something felt strange.’
The name alone was odd.
It didn’t seem like just any city I recognized from the game.
Every time I heard or pronounced it, a stirring feeling welled up within me.
‘As if I’ve heard it somewhere…’
Not me, but it was likely Judas’s body reacting.
A feeling of nostalgia that’s hard to describe.
Unsure.
That was why I chose this church.
I thought I might be able to learn something about Judas too.
Once we entered the city, we walked to the church.
The scenery of the city felt inexplicably familiar.
Although it wasn’t a place from the timeline I knew.
Could it be a remnant of Judas’s memories?
“The people seem to be staring at us.”
Hermis whispered in my ear while she looked around.
I nodded slightly.
“That’s accurate, but they’re being overtly uncomfortable about it. It seems like a town that dislikes outsiders.”
The Selene I remembered didn’t have this kind of atmosphere.
Every passerby shot us displeased glances.
Especially at Hermis.
As if looking at some despicable criminal.
“Lady Hermis, have you been here before?”
“This is my first time today.”
We just walked quietly.
Trying our best not to stand out.
Suddenly, something came to mind, and I turned to Argon.
“By the way, Argon-senpai. Where does Richard-senpai go every weekend? He seems busy.”
“Oh, that’s….”
Just as Argon was about to respond, a young man walked out from the entrance of the church.
A man dressed in a white priest’s robe of the Molsin Church.
“Greetings, brothers.”
“Are you the ones who’ll be helping me today?”
We nodded together.
I quietly observed him.
‘Green eyes. Light brown hair. …Wait a moment, could it be?’
The name of the priest who had studied the era when the sun and moon were one is none other than…
Aquinas…
“Nice to meet you. I am the probationary priest, Aquinas.”
…I found him!
I concealed my delighted feelings and introduced myself.
“I’m Judas.”
“I’m Argon.”
Then Aquinas looked at Hermis.
“And you are…?”
“I’m Hermis. I have been assigned to escort this gentleman here.”
An escort for an escort.
How amusing this must look.
Aquinas merely nodded nonchalantly as if it were ordinary.
At that moment, another figure appeared from beyond the church’s wall.
A middle-aged man dressed in the same white priestly robe.
He bore the symbol of a crescent moon on his shoulder.
As he walked closer and caught sight of me, he abruptly stopped.
“That is Bishop Herald.”
Aquinas explained helpfully.
When Argon and I bowed our heads in greeting, the middle-aged man named Herald belatedly responded with a kind smile.
‘…What is this?’
Herald, standing some distance away, was staring at me intently.
The lingering gaze felt discomforting.
Aquinas brought my attention back.
“So, can we ready ourselves to leave? I’ll explain the details while we walk.”
“Ah, yes… that sounds good.”
I quickly dismissed him from my mind.
More importantly, ahead of me stood Aquinas.
A probationary priest who might unveil stories related to the sun.
And in this church, I might acquire the trait I wanted.
Following Aquinas along the path, I walked alongside Argon and Hermis.
*
Herald watched the retreating figures of the group.
His gaze was fixated on a single boy.
Golden eyes brimming with confidence.
Black hair.
That was definitely “the boy.”
The one he thought had died after failing a mission.
‘What has happened…?’
Why is he still alive?
And looking so well off.
Herald struggled to suppress the confusion swirling in his mind.
It was difficult to find out on his own.
It was awkward to approach the boy and ask him directly.
First, he needed to contact the person who had initiated that affair.
Someone who had been announced to be on a pilgrimage.
The one who had found Judas back then.
‘I’ll need to inform Angra about this…’
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