The next day.
I rode in a carriage alongside Irene.
Our destination, as always, was the Astro headquarters.
I had playfully ntioned it as a "date," but in reality, we were headed for a serious matter.
The fox, gazing out the window, spoke as if she had expected this.
“Well... I had sowhat anticipated it.”
“Were you looking forward to it? Now I feel a little guilty.”
“Not really.”
Irene responded nonchalantly, her expression difficult to read.
Given all the recent hardships she had endured, perhaps she had been hoping for a day off.
Now, however, we were on our way due to so pending matters that needed addressing.
I spoke in a soothing manner.
“We’ll definitely go out next ti.”
“No need for that... I’m not particularly disappointed.”
“It wouldn’t sit well with otherwise.”
“Well, if that’s the case.”
The girl nodded.
Her face remained indifferent, but the tail behind her swayed as if in delight.
I softly smiled and reached out to pat her head.
As I continued my gentle strokes, I could feel the delicate twitch of her upright ears.
I found myself subconsciously playing with the wide rims of her ears.
“Ugh...”
As expected, the girl let out a soft sound.
Her breathing grew uneven, yet she did not pull away or remove my hand.
She rely bowed her head, letting out warm, trembling breaths.
A sudden curiosity crossed my mind, and I asked:
“Irene.”
“Mm...?”
“About your ears. Why do you insist others not touch them in public?”
“Ah.”
I was referring to yesterday’s incident.
I had tried to touch her ears in front of the other kids, but her quick hand intercepted mine.
With an uncharacteristic flush to her face, she had shaken her head.
—No... Only when we’re alone.
—Don’t do it outside. But I’ll let you touch them as much as you want on the bed.
I had to nod when Irene, clutching my sleeve, had said that.
Rembering that mont, I brought up the question.
When I watched her with a questioning look, her black eyes turned away as she leaned against the window.
She seed to avoid answering.
“It’s... nothing.”
“Hm?”
“I just don’t like people watching. I’m still not comfortable with humans.”
“If that’s the reason, I can’t argue with that.”
True.
Even I took ti to get close to her, so it was understandable that she wouldn’t want to appear vulnerable in front of unfamiliar children.
Especially considering the distrust she harbored towards humans.
Thinking that I was the only one she allowed near, the prospect of her forming more human relationships seed bleak.
I made a playful remark.
“Well, I’m still human.”
“You’re fine.”
“Why?”
“Because I can trust you... or rather, I’ve decided to trust you.”
“What if I betray you?”
“Then I’d die.”
“Pardon?”
“I’d die.”
Her eyes looked at steadily.
A faint smile played at her lips, but it couldn’t fully mask the bitterness of past experiences.
“If even you betray , I don’t think I’d have the courage to go on.”
“...”
“So.”
Once more, her head tilted to rest on my shoulder.
Leaning into , Irene whispered calmly by my ear.
“Don’t betray .”
“...”
“Don’t abandon , don’t hate , and don’t leave . If you do that, I’ll give you everything in return.”
“Responsibility... is that what you an?”
“Sothing like that.”
Responsibility is like a bond that acts on both sides.
Both the tar and the tad are bound by the ti they have invested in each other.
It’s much like a taut rubber band.
The mont one side lets go, the relationship collapses.
That’s why people live with a sense of responsibility.
“I’ll... do my best.”
I nodded quietly.
The reason I couldn’t answer with certainty was the hope that the promise would be kept, but also knowing it might not be possible—thus, the evasive words.
From her perspective, it probably wasn’t reassuring, either.
But as if it was enough, the fox smiled gently.
And so, we spent ti close together.
Clatter, clatter—
The carriage continued to rumble as it moved.
Even as we conversed, it raced on.
As the mist-covered cityscape ca into view, Irene finally spoke up, curiosity evident.
She was asking about today’s task.
“By the way... what’s this visit about?”
“It’s quite a serious matter.”
“A serious matter?”
“One of our mbers was attacked.”
“What...?”
A few days ago.
Right after we returned from our school trip, a report ca in.
I explained briefly.
“Technically, she’s more of an associate than a mber. She’s affiliated with the church, and we’ve benefited from her help in many ways.”
“You have connections with the church? I suppose nothing surprises at this point...”
“I needed to be aware of their politics.”
“So, what happened?”
“From what I’ve heard, there was an incident at the cathedral where she stayed. The entire clergy has gone missing, the inside is stained with blood, and traces of dark magic were found nearby.”
“Dark magic...?”
“I’ll explain in detail soon.”
“Got it. We’re almost there, anyway.”
Irene rose from her seat, preparing to disembark.
I added a few more words.
“Originally, we would handle this alone, but now that you’re part of Astro, I thought it would be good to bring you along as we announce your official induction.”
“I’ll do my best... if it’s what you want.”
“That’s reassuring.”
Before long, the carriage ca to a stop.
We headed straight for the headquarters.
Pushing open the hidden door at the end of the stairs, dozens of waiting mbers ca into view.
Each wore a pure white robe.
“Master. We’ve been waiting.”
At the forefront of the aligned mbers stood Neria.
Her long silver hair and clear eyes stood out.
I had heard she’d been dispatched until a few days ago, but it seed Lena had brought her back urgently.
She offered a polite bow.
“The mbers are prepared. I selected 30 of our best.”
“Let’s depart.”
“Understood.”
At my signal to Lena, she began creating a portal to our destination.
The space slowly twisted.
A doorway to another realm opened, and the robe on my shoulders flapped in the swirling mana.
We stepped through, heading to our target.
Five years ago, it was the war that drove out the dark mages who had run rampant across the empire.
The empire, having finally achieved peace, established organizations in every city to prevent similar threats from occurring again.
Their na was *Licht*.
In ancient language, it ant "Light."
These groups were congregations of clergy tasked with protecting cities and preparing for any unforeseen danger.
Only seasoned veterans could assu these roles as guardians.
In essence,
They were a spear forged solely to counter heretical cults.
A holy shield that covered cities with sacred words.
If soone had dared to directly assault a branch of *Licht*, it could only an one thing.
“A declaration of war.”
“It appears to be leaning that way,” Neria confird with a nod.
The girl slowed her steps and began to brief us in a calm tone.
“The cathedral was the only target of the assault. The nearby city sustained no damage at all. It seems to be an overt show of hostility toward the church.”
“A plausible theory.”
The church.
During the Great Purge, second only to the *Crimson Sword*, the church had played a significant role.
The world still did not know that *Kyle* was alive.
That’s why they chose the church as their target.
Attacking *Licht*, a symbol of post-Purge peace, was their way of announcing their return.
“It seems they’re preparing for a major move.”
“They must have decided that five years was enough to recover. Although it seems they are still cautious. The branch attacked this ti was one of the smaller *Licht* chapters.”
“Indeed, targeting larger branches in the capital would be risky for them.”
“The issue is that one of our associates was stationed there.”
“Lady dro?”
“Correct. The one who went missing in the attack is dro Gardnier. She held the position of Vicar and was in charge of the branch. We’ve lost all contact with her.”
“She was a devout priest... I hope she’s safe.”
I raised a candle to illuminate the area.
Light pushed back the darkness.
The flickering fla revealed the disheveled interior of the cathedral.
As soon as we arrived in the city, we infiltrated the branch and began investigating the scene.
We had already subdued the guards who were protecting the site.
“...It’s a ss.”
The fox muttered quietly.
Her words were apt; the scene inside the cathedral was a chaotic disaster.
Blood splattered everywhere, seemingly without a source.
No broken or damaged furniture—an eerie detail that made it all the more unnerving.
It was a scene that defied reason.
“So much blood, and yet... no bodies were found inside the cathedral?”
“Yes. That’s why it’s being treated as a disappearance rather than a massacre.”
“This is turning out to be a complicated problem.”
“It seems the guards have concluded that the clergy was kidnapped. Most of the security forces are now focused on the city instead of the cathedral.”
“Which made our infiltration easier. That’s one part I’m grateful for.”
We walked through the pitch-black interior.
The mbers continued to search every corner.
Finally, the investigation reached the basent.
Lena shook her head, indicating we hadn’t found anything.
“We’ve searched thoroughly but found nothing of significance. It’s likely, as the guards suspect, that they were taken elsewhere.”
“Hmm...”
I let out a deep sigh.
Should we start tracking outside? I was contemplating that when I noticed a small crack in my line of sight.
“Is that...?”
A thin crack, almost invisible, ran along the wall.
I activated my enhanced vision, covering my pupils with a slight lie.
Only then did I see the hidden traces beyond.
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Heh.”
No wonder the guards hadn’t found this.
The wall was coated with layers of dark magic remnants.
As if to conceal sothing.
I gathered energy at my fingertips.
Then, forming a single bullet, I aid directly at the core of the magical barrier entwined on the wall.
Without hesitation, I uttered the spell, and the bullet was fired.
“Shatter.”
*Crash!*
The wall crumbled like a shattered mirror.
Through the scattering fragnts, a hidden corridor was revealed.
A long, extending hallway.
“Such tricks won’t work on us.”
I took a step forward, a foreboding smile on my face.
Footsteps followed behind .
With our white robes fluttering, we moved toward the scene where the missing might be waiting.
Sowhere, it seed as if faint music was playing.
**anwhile.**
A girl watched the events unfold from the shadows.
She had been hiding by the stairs leading down to the underground.
Seeing familiar faces among those entering the mysterious space, she couldn’t hide her surprise.
“Yuda Snekers...?”
Her blue eyes blinked.
From beneath her deeply hooded robe, strands of platinum blonde hair peeked out.
The girl was none other than *Charlotte*.
The first princess of the empire, and one of the main characters in the original ga.
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