Chapter 7: Regression (6)
― You. Not a demon.
She suddenly appeared before me as I was running away and, out of nowhere, blurted those words.
― Not a minion either. What about the client? They deceived me. You, not my enemy. I only kill demons.
Jet-black hair.
Eyes of red light that shifted in hue as if they were alive and breathing.
She wore a mask shaped like the face of something—whether beast or monster, I could not tell—and let out a long sigh.
― Anger. Annoyance. Regret. Thought you weren’t a demon, had high hopes.
Muttering in terribly broken common tongue, she vented her frustration. Without realizing it, I stopped breathing.
It was because, the moment I saw her, I understood.
That thing was a monster.
No matter what I did, I would never be able to defeat it, nor escape from its grasp.
― I go back. Request wasted…? None? …Void. Yes, request void.
While muttering to herself, she glanced at my battered body and hesitated for a moment.
Then, as if resigned, she took out bandages and medicine from her bosom and spoke to me in a gentle voice despite my guarded stance.
― Calm yourself.
― I do not harm those who are not evil.
― You are human. Not demon. Not minion. No reason to fight. Understand?
With skillful hands, she treated my wounds, and after a brief moment of thought, even handed me food and water.
Then she looked at me and asked casually,
― You. Not remember me?
I gave no reply.
She grinned, smiling as though with a faint sense of nostalgia.
― I remember you. You, academy student. I definitely saw you when I was an assistant to my teacher.
― If possible, do not die and live. Seeing someone you know die, not pleasant feeling.
Live long, have many children, grow old, then die.
That is the way of humans.
With those words, she left me and disappeared without a trace.
That was the last time I ever saw her.
It was one of those memories I could never forget even if I tried.
“……”
Yuran, the demon hunter from the East.
Though I had never spoken to her before, I knew her to some extent.
In the Empire, someone with dark black hair always stood out—especially if they worked as a teaching assistant at Arpentia Academy.
A young foreign woman from the East.
A beautiful young assistant with black hair, though somewhat eccentric and clumsy.
She spoke the common tongue awkwardly, wore a strange mask on her head, and would often hum foreign songs….
That was the image of her known at the Academy.
‘Though that wasn’t the whole story.’
I had heard much about her true nature.
That she was a hunter who was nothing short of a nightmare to demons, demonkin, and their minions.
That, because of a self-imposed rule, she never harmed ordinary humans.
And finally… that she had close ties to dragons.
‘By now, she’s probably being accused of entering the country illegally.’
The reason I knew exactly what Yuran was going to go through today, and why she would clash with the city guards, was… admittedly, a bit embarrassing.
It was because I, too, had been caught by the city guards on the very same day as her and thrown into the same jail cell.
To elaborate, I had snuck out, drunk myself into a stupor late at night, picked a fight, and caused a commotion—earning myself a nice trip to the guardhouse.
‘…Even now, thinking back, I was such a damn idiot.’
I clearly remembered how, while being released thanks to my second brother who came to straighten things out, I had seen Yuran in a cell, bound tight like some wild animal.
“Ugh.”
Recalling that memory now, my face twisted on its own.
‘What on earth was I thinking, living like that?’
If not for my second brother quietly smoothing things over, things could have gone very badly… especially if Father or my eldest brother had heard of it.
I was imagining that awful scenario when—
“Um, junior?”
I turned my head at Lancia’s voice as she walked beside me.
We were both carrying bundles of food, clothing, and other things to hand out to the children at the orphanage.
“What is it, senior?”
“Oh… it’s nothing big, I just wanted to ask you a few things.”
I nodded.
I had a rough idea of what she might want to ask.
“Why did you want to go to the orphanage in the first place? And to one all the way out in the outskirts, at that.”
“Huh?”
That question, I hadn’t expected.
“Well… not to be rude, but most people would choose an orphanage run by the Cathedral, not one in the outskirts.”
She then lightly lifted the bundles in her hands as if to emphasize her point.
"Even spending your own money for it."
"Mhm."
Since I couldn’t exactly tell her the truth, I gave a vague answer.
"Well, the thing is…"
I thought of children as the future of this country.
It pained me to imagine such children struggling under the weight of reality before they could even bloom.
Above all, I believed it was wrong for innocent children to go without proper care because of the circumstances of adults.
Even though it was just a convenient excuse, Lancia nodded with sparkling eyes at every word I spoke, as if deeply moved.
"Junior, you’re really thoughtful. It’s hard to believe you’re younger than me."
"I’ve never met someone as kind and considerate as you, senior."
"Ahaha, even if you’re just being polite, thank you."
She let out a laugh, then casually said,
"Was that also the reason you joined the Church? Because you wanted to help others?"
"Well… I just came from confession, so I can’t exactly lie."
It wasn’t a pleasant story, but neither was it something I needed to hide.
"It was my father’s wish."
"Your father?"
She looked at me with surprise at my answer.
I shrugged as if it were nothing.
"The Gwendil Count family, my family, is noble only in name. Our history is short, and the only thing worth calling an achievement is when my grandfather, the founder of the family, charged into enemy lines to save His Majesty the Emperor."
"So it’s a family of warriors."
"If you want to put it that way, yes. Maybe because of that, both my older brothers and I are all rather large in build."
"Wow… I see. That’s why I was a little surprised at first when you said you weren’t a candidate for the Holy Knights."
Seeing her eyes sparkle, I gave an awkward smile.
"Anyway, my father is quite ambitious. He made my eldest brother inherit the family business, and even got my second brother into the Imperial Knights. I told him I wanted to become a knight or a mage, but he didn’t allow it. He said there was no need for another knight since my second brother already filled that role, and as for becoming a mage…"
I had to pause here.
Lancia was still listening intently.
"…My father wouldn’t permit it. Then he realized there wasn’t a single renowned clergyman in the family. Thanks to that, I was entered into the Church, my admission to the Academy was arranged, and a teacher was hurriedly brought in for me."
Before entering the Academy, I had been wasting my days in lethargy.
It wasn’t that he expected much from me—more like he was getting rid of a nuisance.
‘I wonder how he’ll react when he finds out that all my struggles end with me facing the executioner’s blade.’
While indulging in that pointless thought, Lancia cleared her throat softly.
"Seeing you makes me believe that faith isn’t tied to how long you’ve had it."
"Huh?"
"Well… since you shared a secret with me, I suppose I should share one of mine too."
I grew up in the Cathedral without parents.
She continued quietly.
"I wasn’t an orphan from birth… There was an unfortunate accident. I wandered from place to place until I was entrusted to the Cathedral, and from then on I grew up following the teachings of the Church, believing I survived thanks to the mercy of Ilionel."
She murmured as if entranced.
"There are many others like me. People who, for various reasons they can’t speak of, dedicate themselves to the Church. They all nurture their faith to repay Ilionel’s mercy. And the clearest proof of that faith is divine power."
Still speaking softly, she said,
"I believe you had a reason for asking me to keep silent a few days ago. And since someone with your power would surely act according to Ilionel’s will…"
"……"
"Then I will keep silent, as His will demands. I also won’t pry into it out of curiosity."
I said nothing.
Seeing my silence, she blinked awkwardly.
"Uh… Did I word that strangely? I thought maybe I was poking my nose into something, but I’m not very good at subtlety… If I’ve made you uncomfortable, I’m truly sorry."
"…No."
Seeing her give an embarrassed smile, I could only give a small nod.
Yes, now that I thought about it, Lancia Jintia had always been like this.
Wasn’t it said that when she openly opposed the Pope and was excommunicated, her eyes didn’t waver in the slightest?
She was, quite literally, a person who believed in her beliefs as much as she believed in herself.
Clumsy, yet steadfast and upright, without even a hair’s breadth of doubt in her path or convictions.
It was no wonder she came to be called a hero.
"Thank you for understanding."
After a brief pause, I spoke quietly.
Perhaps…
"You’ll understand my reasons soon enough, senior."
"Hm, I’m sure it’s something important and complicated enough that I can’t easily understand it, right?"
"No, it’s not as grand as that."
I answered her with a faint, wry smile.
"It’s not something only I can do, but… there’s one thing that I must do."
"……"
At my vague words, she fell silent.
A moment later, she let out a small laugh.
"It’s strange, you know."
"What is, senior?"
"The things you just said. Honestly, if you think about it, they’re nothing but vague statements. But for some reason, I found myself thinking, ‘Hmm, this is someone I can trust!’ and accepting it without question."
Lancia added in a cheerful tone, as if she were in a good mood.
"I’m not sure if I can actually be of help, but if you need me, just call. If you want it, I’ll gladly lend you a hand anytime."
"Are you sure? I don’t take those kinds of words as a joke."
"Eh, what does it matter? You wouldn’t ask me for something strange, would you?"
She chuckled.
"And I heard that a senior should always help and guide their juniors with reliability and trustworthiness. That’s how you become a ‘cool senior.’"
When I laughed at her playful words, she looked rather pleased with herself.
Then, meeting my eyes, she laughed awkwardly and said loudly,
"Ugh, having such heavy and serious conversations is exhausting. Don’t you think so, junior?"
As she stretched in an exaggerated way, I asked with a straight face,
"If it’s so heavy, should I carry some of it for you?"
"No! This is my task. Besides, I can get some training out of it too. And look over there."
Lancia stretched her arm out and pointed.
Following her fingertip, I could see the outline of a dilapidated building.
"We’re almost there. That’s it right there. That’s the—"
It happened then.
BANG!
"I said! Five times! I! Not illegal! I came here by official summons!"
Even from far away, a sharp, angry voice rang clearly in my ears.
A moment later, the faint sound of something being smashed followed.
"What on earth is this…? Junior, let’s go!"
At the sound, Lancia’s expression hardened, and she sprinted toward the orphanage.
Finally.
Thinking that, I immediately followed after her.
The building looked as though it could collapse at any moment.
In the clearing in front of it, quite a crowd had gathered.
Facing away from the orphanage, someone stood surrounded by what looked like over a dozen guards.
"I! Wronged!"
The clash of metal rang out, and the clearing was filled with the wave of armored men.
With each heavy step, the gleam of halberds flashed.
Every spear tip was aimed squarely at a black-haired woman.
On her head, a mask hung like a hat, rattling loosely.
‘Found her.’
Yuran, the demon hunter.
One of the people who would one day save the continent was standing right there before me.