The golden embers were dancing in the air.
It was like seeing a golden wheat field in autumn, beautifully withering under the sunlight during harvest season.
Ena felt beauty in that scene while simultaneously recalling past horrors.
The inquisitor from the Holy Kingdom of Petra who once chased her to kill her, Martinez the Purifier.
The fanatic, who had been chasing Ena to kill her while she tried to escape to Tirna, now saved her.
Ena slumped down on the ground. Martinez picked up the fallen umbrella and held it out to Ena.
Ena unconsciously accepted the umbrella.
“Hey, how did you get here.......?”
"...I just happened to sense an ominous energy while passing by."
Martinez said in a somewhat awkward, stiff tone while staring at Dorothy.“Dorothy Gale.”
"Oh, do you know me?"
Dorothy, who made eye contact with Martinez, smiled brightly.
However, apart from smiling, her eyes were not good.
She was displeased that someone suddenly appeared and released the hostage Ena. Moreover, the power he wielded was somewhat uncomfortable.
"A witch belonging to Walpurgis Night. A madwoman who mainly handles familiars and has a history of killing other witches. I'm the type to memorize heretics’ personal information."
"Hmm. That's strange. If you know about me, you shouldn't be standing here so confidently."
Dorothy snapped her fingers.
The scarecrow, already angry from being burned by straw, swung a huge harvesting sickle.
It was then that golden light settled in Martinez's right hand.
-Clang!
The golden spark transformed into a cross-shaped shield, easily blocking the scarecrow's sickle.
Dorothy's eyes widened at the sight.
"Is that holy alchemy?"
The unique power used by Petra Kingdom holy knights.
The uneasiness and sense of alienation she felt when first seeing the golden flame - this was its identity.
Kya-ak!
As the scarecrow screamed and tried to swing the sickle once more, Martinez moved.
Beyond the shield, in his hand gripping empty space, a massive golden hammer suddenly appeared.
The hammer, swung with great centrifugal force, struck the scarecrow's abdomen, and the golden flame that burst forth engulfed the scarecrow.
Kya-ak!
The scarecrow screamed as it touched the sacred flame. With a bad constitution and a body made of dry straw, it was inevitably vulnerable to holy fire.
Watching the scarecrow slowly fall in the golden flames, Dorothy bit her lip.
"Why is the Petra Order saving a witch?"
Dorothy couldn't understand the situation.
Martinez was obviously trying to save Ena.
Did he not know Ena was a witch? That was impossible.
A member of the Order saving someone while knowing they're a witch - this made no sense.
"Who are you affiliated with? The Order in this city has no intention of crossing paths with us."
"I have no affiliation."
"No affiliation, and you're interfering arbitrarily? Don't lie! With that level of power, how can you have no affiliation?"
"I don't know much about that. What matters is right now. So what do you plan to do?"
Martinez stared coldly at Dorothy.
The golden hammer in his hand was pointed at Dorothy. As if he could strike her head down at any moment.
"Are you ending it here? Or will you continue?"
It wasn't just a verbal threat. Martinez was already letting holy power flow around him, ready to fight.
Dorothy distorted her face. She was angry about being interrupted, but even more so by Martinez's extraordinary power.
Much denser and greater holy power than an average Order's holy knight.
The holy alchemy power that could knock down the scarecrow with a single strike.
Wearing a gray hood that covered his face, his body type and voice suggested he wasn't very old.
Someone this young with such skills existed in Tirna?
Moreover, with the plan to take Ena hostage failing, Lupona could move again.
All she was left with was the Tin Woodman and the cowardly lion.
The other guys weren't brought, so these two were the only pieces she could handle right now.
In contrast, the opponent was an unknown familiar and holy knight.
Dorothy judged that continuing this fight was dangerous.
"How lucky."
Dorothy, maintaining her pride, pulled back the Tin Woodman and cowardly lion.
A strand of straw, burnt black, crawled like a snake between the scarecrow's charred remains and returned to Dorothy's hand.
"Next time we meet, it won't end this simply."
Dorothy tapped the floor twice with the toe of her jewel shoes.
Then she and the familiars vanished as if melting in the air.
Whoosh!
Ena, who had barely survived, could finally exhale.
Lupona, confirming Dorothy's complete retreat, dispelled her murderous sword and looked at Martinez.
Martinez also stared fixedly at Lupona in her black armor.
"You, that power..."
Lupona ignored Martinez's murmur, checked Ena's condition, then instantly leaped to the building's rooftop and disappeared.
Martinez could only quietly watch Lupona leave.
Although the power seemed ominous and dangerous just by looking at it, Martinez felt its essence wasn't entirely bad.
"That..."
Ena spoke then, so Martinez quietly turned around.
"Thank you for saving me."
"...I didn't particularly mean to."
Martinez was about to leave saying that, but hesitated as if something suddenly occurred to him.
Ena looked at him curiously. Come to think of it, Martinez coming to save her seemed unnatural from the start.
“Wasn't I never really away from District 41?”
What was the reason for coming to this 30-something district, the Violet Fox office?
Moreover, his hesitation to leave immediately.
"Um..."
As Ena carefully started speaking, Martinez reacted sensitively.
"What?"
"Ah, that is...We've met like this, and I've received help, so I thought it would be rude to just let you go."
"...So?"
"Would you like to have a meal before leaving? The office is nearby anyway."
Martinez pursed his lips and stared at Ena.
Ena responded with an awkward smile.
Inviting someone who tried to kill her to a meal. Was she at ease or just bold?
Martinez closed his eyes, let out a deep sigh, and answered in a slightly resigned voice.
"Very well."
*
Osian became worried when Ena returned later than expected while shopping.
Although Ena herself says she's fine, there were still many people targeting her in this city.
Ena Grundt is just a clerk at Violet Fox, a witch who is not officially affiliated with anywhere.
As a result, quite a few people were coveting her witch's power, witchcraft.
Notably, there were two witch groups existing in Tirna.
Hadn't a witch from the Walpurgis Night recently come directly to find her?
'I'm anxious, and this just won't do.'
At the moment Osian was about to go out holding a sword, the store door opened and Ena, who had gone shopping, returned.
"I'm back."
"You're late. What exactly happened...?"
Osian discovered Martinez, who entered the store after a slight time difference.
"...Don't tell me you've picked up another person?"
"Mr. Osian treats me like I'm some strange person who picks up stray cats. I brought him along to repay the help I received."
"Help you received? What help?"
Even though Martinez would no longer try to kill Ena like before, as a Holy Knight, he wouldn't be close to a witch.
Could Martinez have helped Ena?
As Osian's eyes narrowed at the strange feeling, Ena stammered an excuse.
"That, well, it wasn't that Martinez did something wrong, it was more like an accident..."
"Explain properly."
"Well..."
As Ena couldn't answer, Martinez stepped in instead.
"I helped because she was attacked by another witch. That's all."
What? Attacked by a witch? And Martinez helped?
Osian's eyebrows slightly raised.
"I told you to use honorifics."
"...yes."
Martinez belatedly recalled Osian's earlier words and timidly added one letter.
Only then did Osian nod with a satisfied expression.
"...Wait a moment, Mr. Osian. Are you more bothered by him not using honorifics than the fact that I was in danger?"
"That can't be. But in the end, didn't you return safely?"
Though he said that, Osian could roughly picture the situation in his mind.
She would have probably stepped into the alleyway knowing there was danger, just to meet Lupona again.
Ena's threshold for danger was too high compared to others. In situations where normal people would be cautious, she acted nonchalantly.
It was likely due to the life she had lived. The problem was that she herself wasn't very aware of this. Therefore, Osian didn't say anything more.
"Well..."
As Ena looked uncomfortable, Osian immediately changed the subject.
"So, did you come all the way here just to get a meal?"
It was a question that struck at the core, despite attempting to change the topic.
Martinez hesitated at those words, and Ena, sensing the atmosphere, quickly stepped aside.
"I'll go make some food."
With Ena gone and only the two of them left, Osian got to the point.
"Since you've come all the way here, you must have a separate purpose. What is it? Are you planning to request a commission?"
"Yes...(polite form)"
Although Martinez still struggled with honorifics, Osian didn't point it out.
He was more curious about why someone like Martinez would need a fixer's help.
"That is...I'm looking for a person...(polite form)"
"Looking for a person? Do you have an acquaintance in this city?"
"No...I'm looking for a missing person."
Using an even softer honorific, Martinez revealed his purpose.
"Looking for a missing person. Like a disappearance."
Osian nodded as if he understood.
Fixers would sometimes use force, but they also often helped find missing objects or people.
"Even so, why did you come to me to request this? You should be able to do this yourself."
"...I'm only specialized in finding heretics, I don't know where or what ordinary people are doing."
The words "ordinary people" came from Martinez's mouth.
Not finding a heretic or someone from another religious order, but coming to find an ordinary person.
"I'll need a precise explanation of what happened."
Martinez nodded and began to tell the story of what occurred in District 41.
*
Martinez's life after coming to Tirna was monotonous.
At 6 a.m., he wakes up, dresses neatly, draws water, and offers morning prayer.
Then he immediately starts cleaning the yard.
When morning comes, Dorthea yawns and begins preparing meals.
He slightly protested her not praying, but since she didn't listen, Martinez half gave up. At least she never missed preparing meals for the children.
The rest of his day is varied. He fetches drinkable water, repairs holes in the orphanage building, or fixes the children's toys.
Martinez didn't have such manual skills, but he had holy alchemy.
When he made toys the children wanted, they were always overjoyed.
Even though the power would disappear after a few minutes, who wouldn't be captivated by a toy shining in a brilliant golden color?
Dorthea would grumble that using the power was cowardly, but she would look at Martinez fondly as he never refused to help when the children asked.
"Hey. Isn't this job of playing with the kids actually more suited to you?"
Dorthea said this to Martinez, half-jokingly.
With a blunt tone and an expressionless face without any emotional fluctuations, although Martinez was initially avoided and wary by the children, things were different now.
"Rather, it seems you like the kids more than me. The kids too. Oh, it's heartbreaking. Some people stayed here continuously, but this rolling stone takes everything away."
"That's not true."
"Oh, it is. Even while pretending otherwise, you take such good care of the kids."
"I have other things to do. I live only to eliminate heresy, and I have been given that mission alone."
"There you go again. If you have such sacred power, you could just live by helping people. Isn't it too painful to just see blood while possessing such a noble power?"
"That is..."
Martinez held back his words.
He had never thought about living such a life before.
He had lived to punish evil with this power. Has he ever considered helping someone?
Martinez thought of the orphanage children.
Wearing shabby clothes but smiling purely, approaching him with pure innocence.
"...Still, I must complete my mission. And someday I will leave this place to return to how things were before."
"Even if the children hate it?"
"That's not important."
"Of course, it's your heart that matters. But as an adult giving advice, you can relax a bit. Why do you always carry such heavy things like nobility, mission, or destiny? You can be a bit more comfortable."
"...And you're trying to secretly smoke a cigarette."
"Oops. I was trying to smoke naturally while setting the mood, but you're quite sharp."
Dorthea ran away with a laughing face.
Martinez let out a small sigh looking at her. She's truly an unrelenting person.