Chapter 53
Watching Marc and Sieberon stick out their tongues at the order to finish the search within two days, the knights thought that the holy knights weren’t much different either. It wasn’t until they actually began the investigation and saw the change in their expressions that they realized they had been completely mistaken.
Even though they thought a “search” would simply involve inspecting the scene of an accident or patrolling, when they had to check two or three locations every hour without rest, they were inevitably shocked.
Forget saying they envied the honor and benefits enjoyed by the holy knights. Forget saying they wanted to take the holy knight exam. They had completely overlooked that the enemies the holy knights usually faced were either black mages who had abandoned their humanity or monsters driven solely by instinct.
Divided into two groups, the ordinary knights were utterly exhausted in less than three hours.
If it had been Teodor or Sieberon, they would have carried on the search while riding, but Marc was at least a man who could allow a brief rest to maintain efficiency. After completing about half of the assigned area, Marc veered off the path into the forest. With a hand signal, the tension drained from the shoulders of the following subordinates.
“Did we bring them for no reason? We’ll probably end up killing someone while chasing a slave trader.”
“They volunteered. Do you think they wouldn’t have anticipated this?”
“Judging by how they collapsed, I don’t think they did.”
Kenny, the rider just below Marc, chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.
Indeed, finishing the search of such a vast area in a short time might be routine for holy knights, but for a group of ordinary knights, it was a task that tested human limits.
“Still, we’re lucky. If this were Sieberon’s squad, they’d have passed out while riding.”
“That guy isn’t human.”
Marc clicked his tongue and sat on a rock, half his body pressed against it. He pounded his waist with his fists like an elderly man. Having not dismounted since the search began, both his waist and thighs ached.
Kenny massaged his stiff hands from holding the reins and gazed at the sky. When monsters or black mages appeared, they used signal flares powered by gunpowder for fast communication. Because of this, even during brief rests, holy knights habitually looked to the sky. Today, they did so more frequently than usual.
“The captain should be fine. What was he thinking, trying to search that huge area alone?”
“The most pointless worry is worrying about the captain.”
That said, the person who had most actively tried to restrain him was none other than Marc.
“What if a black mage is actually involved?”
“…Yeah, honestly, I have a bad feeling.”
When Leopold had plunged the Argent Empire into terror, he conducted unethical human experiments. Many of the victims were orphaned children. Now that Leopold was gone, monsters in animal form appeared instead, but before his death, the majority were human-made monsters.
The surviving black mage group was imitating Leopold’s methods. They couldn’t confirm it at the time because the black mage caught two years ago had taken his own life, but if their contact with the slave traders was related to Leopold’s human experiments, they needed to be eradicated.
At that moment, Sieberon’s squad came barreling down the opposite path, kicking up clouds of dust.
“Marc!”
“What, have you finished your search already?”
“Finish it? No, the path was blocked, so we had to take a detour. You were resting in the meantime?”
“Proper rest increases efficiency.”
“Easy for you to say.”
As Marc and Sieberon exchanged their usual squabbles, an explosion sounded not far off. Turning toward it, they saw black smoke beginning to blanket the bright blue sky.
“What is that, a signal flare?”
“Damn it! I knew this would happen!”
Marc shouted. The uneasy feeling had become reality.
The smoke was rising from the area Teodor had been assigned to search.
Teodor had been assigned the unusually large area but was investigating faster than even the two divided squads. Alone, with no subordinates, he did not rest. Each time his gaze drifted toward Nostri, where Charlotte was, he flicked his reins more frequently.
Not far away was Laszlo Village, part of the Floa territory.
Floa, backed by a massive rocky mountain, was a region advanced in mining technology. About seventy percent of the inhabitants worked as miners. But due to the constant dust and gunpowder from mining explosions causing respiratory illnesses, the villagers relocated slightly into the forest—forming Laszlo Village.
Laszlo Village housed the Gretel Orphanage, which had previously suffered flood damage. Being large and surrounded by forest, it was an ideal hiding place for slave traders. Teodor galloped quickly along the path cutting through the forest.
At the village entrance, the Gretel Orphanage came into view.
“Horses!”
“Wow, such big horses! Their coats are shining!”
At playtime, the children of the orphanage spotted Teodor and rushed over before anyone could stop them. Pepper, the vice-director of Gretel Orphanage, who had been supervising the children, hurried to intercept.
Having just been visited by the Lebelrain selection squad, the sudden appearance of a knight—an extraordinary one at that—startled Pepper greatly.
‘Is he here to adopt a child? He doesn’t look married.’
No, appearances can be deceiving. If he truly came to adopt, first impressions mattered. With such a distinguished knight, his wife would likely be beautiful, ensuring the adopted child a happy life. Pepper concealed her surprise and greeted Teodor politely.
“I’d like to speak with the orphanage director—or is the vice-director available?”
“The director is not present. I am the vice-director, so you can speak with me. What brings you here?”
Teodor paused briefly. He had already been visiting several orphanages and poorhouses. The reactions of those who had learned that volunteers had turned out to be agents of the slave traders varied—some were indifferent, some suspicious, some shocked. He roughly estimated that Gretel Orphanage would fall into the rare third category.
Usually, orphanages were viewed with suspicion by the villagers. But Gretel Orphanage was treated differently. They were neither looked down upon nor judged harshly; the children were treated kindly.
Of course, it hadn’t always been that way. Gradually, as some children were selected as priests through the Lebelrain system, the staff’s attitudes changed. As a result, the orphanage could care for the children in a good environment without worrying about public perception. Both the director and vice-director had long been responsible and loving toward the children.
“So you are the vice-director. Then I’ll get straight to the point. I don’t have time for lengthy explanations, so please understand.”
“Excuse me?”
“I am Teodor Arbelche, Captain of the Holy Knights.”
“Wh-who?”
Although the Floa territory was quite far from the capital, rumors about Teodor had spread even to the far edges of the empire. Pepper was shocked to realize that the man in front of her was Teodor. But before she could calm herself, more shocking news followed.
“Do you remember the Lebelrain selection squad that visited here a few weeks ago?”
“Yes, of course.”
Several children had passed the priest exams at Gretel Orphanage, so the selection squad always visited during the Lebelrain period. This time was no exception.
Even amidst the aftermath of the flood, their help allowed repairs to be completed quickly. Moreover, several bright and intelligent children had made it onto the selection list, making it unforgettable.
Pepper rejoiced as if it were her own achievement whenever the children she cared for were adopted or passed the priest exam.
“Has anyone else visited since the selection squad left?”
“No, no one has.”
“Currently, the temple is tracking the Kennys, who participated in the selection squad.”
“The Kennys…?”
The kindly noble couple who personally tended to and bathed the children. It was rare for nobles to volunteer like this, so she remembered clearly.
“They were part of the selection squad, but it has been revealed they were scouting children to sell to slave traders. They are now wanted, so check if any children are missing.”
“Oh my, what should I do? A slave trader!”
Pepper initially questioned, “What?” but then understood and paled.
‘I can’t believe it. I thought they were just unusually fond of children.’
Only then did she realize why the Kennys had examined each child’s face carefully and asked probing questions about their pasts, sending chills down her spine.
Shaking with fear, Pepper quickly gathered the children playing in the yard. With trembling hands, she counted them. When the numbers matched, she rushed inside the orphanage and rang the golden bell on the right side of the long corridor.
The clear bell sound drew the quieter, more composed children toward her. Pepper repeatedly checked if anyone was missing.
“Ellison…”
Pepper’s face grew tense.
“Ellison, where are you?”
She realized that Ellison, the youngest, was missing and shouted in panic. Another child raised a hand.
“Ellison went to Brother Ellen!”
“What? Ellen should be at the rocky mountain by now. You’re telling me he went there alone?”
Pepper turned pale, almost blue, on the verge of fainting.
