Episode 3
But it was a sha to let the man, who seed at a loss because he couldn't buy her more, slip away.
"But if you buy it for next ti, I'll eat it then."
At the naturally caught next promise, the man stiffened rigidly on the spot.
"Huh? You weren't planning to settle things with just one ice cream for the benefactor who helped you out of a tight spot, were you?"
At her words, a mix of teasing and coquetry, the man straightened his hunched shoulders and shook his head vigorously.
"Next ti, I'll buy you orange juice."
"Ya-hoo! I'm excited!"
Flora gave a soulless smile and began diligently attacking her ice cream again.
The man waited quietly for Flora to finish her ice cream.
While eating her ice cream, Flora scrutinized the man out of the corner of her eye.
Short, silvery hair as if sprinkled with snowflakes, and pale skin that didn't match his physique. Beneath thick eyebrows and sharp eyes, his left eye, tinged with gold, shone keenly. And...
'With that eyepatch, he really does look nacing.'
An ordinary person would have been too intimidated and busy avoiding him, but Flora was different.
'He seems like a very good person.'
Flora, possessing the soul of the Great Demon, had an exceptional ability to read divine power and demonic aura, allowing her to easily gauge a person's character.
'Seeing him up close, his divine power is imnse.'
The man was packed tightly with divine power in every corner of his massive body.
'It's not easy to be so full of divine power like that. Did he receive a god's blessing or sothing?'
Judging by his modest attire, he seed to be a holy knight.
'So he wasn't a noble after all. Holy knights aren't rich, so soone as generous as should let it slide at this.'
Since ancient tis, haven't temples and holy knights been symbols of austerity?
Flora, a resident of a luxurious orphanage, concluded she wouldn't harshly empty the holy knight's thin wallet.
"Ajeossi, what's your na?"
At the sudden question, the man, who had been talking fine, firmly closed his mouth.
Seeing him hesitate to speak, one of Flora's eyebrows raised slightly.
'What? Is he soone who can't reveal his na?'
Was he on so secret mission or sothing?
But there had been no monster attacks lately, and the town was more peaceful than ever.
'And if there had been a monster attack, Hermannus would have mobilized the Executors.'
The Executor Bureau, an organization separate from the temple that subjugates monsters.
It was an institution created after the Great Demon's purge, a special organization that executed the demons and monsters remaining on the continent.
'No, wait, could he be an Executor? Uh, uh. That can't be.'
No matter how she looked, that man's disposition was perfectly that of a holy knight.
Just as Flora was about to frown in suspicion, the hesitating man opened his mouth.
"My na is Athanas."
'He has no family na, so he must be a holy knight!'
Most Executors were typically from noble families, a position commoners couldn't even dream of.
'But his na sounds familiar sohow.'
She closed her eyes for a mont and thought, but no one specific ca to mind.
'Must be a mistake!'
Having neatly cleared up her misunderstanding, Flora's stiff face broke into a wide smile.
"I see! It suits you well, Ajeossi!"
"That's the first ti I've heard that. Thank you."
Athanas averted his gaze, seeming embarrassed.
At his innocent reaction, Flora giggled softly and asked again.
"Ajeossi, you don't seem to be from around here; are you a traveler?"
"Well... I suppose I'm being punished, but... Yes. If a traveler, then a traveler. Actually..."
'No, he's saying "traveler" strangely.'
Athanas tried to continue but shook his head slightly.
"What am I trying to say in front of a child? You remind of Nersha, so I find myself feeling at ease without realizing it."
"Who is Nersha?"
At that question, the man's face filled with sorrow.
He chewed on his lip a few tis before quietly shaking his head.
'If you don't want to say, then don't.'
He says he feels comfortable, then provokes curiosity only to back out feebly; what a boring person.
With a sound of effort, Flora hopped down from the fountain ledge and brushed off her bottom.
The sun was already setting, so it was ti to return to the orphanage.
If she was any later, not only her snacks but even outings might be forbidden.
"I have to go now."
"The sun is setting. It's dangerous; I'll walk you ho."
"The Director said not to trust strangers you just t."
At Flora's words, Athanas, as if he hadn't thought of that, froze in embarrassnt, his hand stopping mid-air.
"But it might be dangerous to go alone... Ajeossi, would it be okay if you walked ho?"
Athanas, with a determined expression, politely offered his hand to Flora.
His rough, rugged hand was covered in scars.
Staring openly at the traces of hard battles, Flora let out a 'pfft' laugh and grabbed Athanas's hand.
"Which way is your ho?"
"Up that hill!"
"I can sense a building surrounded by a protective barrier. Is that the place?"
Indeed, a holy knight!
He could even sense the existence of the protective barrier, created by the temple with a hefty investnt to block outsiders.
Thinking Athanas might hold a higher position than she initially thought, Flora, feeling excited, nodded her head several tis.
'My luck really is sothing.'
She'd spread her influence into the temple like this, and use it later when the opportunity arose.
In her good mood, Flora started introducing herself without even being asked.
"Ajeossi. I'm Flora."
Thinking she should forge a strong connection with the temple through this opportunity, an affectionate voice naturally flowed out.
"I'm four years old, and I like vanilla ice cream."
"I see."
A gentle voice, unbefitting his appearance, flowed from Athanas's mouth.
'Holy knights really do have good personalities too.'
He even nodded and reacted to a child's trivial chatter.
Feeling pleased, Flora continued her introduction.
"I live in the orphanage up on that hill. When you buy orange juice next ti, should you co there?"
She swears on the na of the Great Demon, if she could turn back ti, she would never have revealed her personal details in front of Athanas...
But foolishly, Flora at this ti didn't know.
That the words stemming from a simple self-introduction were the beginning of the misfortune that would turn her life upside down.
"...You live in an orphanage?"
Athanas's gaze lowered and fixed on Flora's clothes.
He seed not to believe it, as the clothes were too luxurious for an orphanage child to wear.
But our orphanage is special!
Flora, instead, smiled proudly at Athanas's questioning look.
"Yep. I live with Director, Teacher Lian, and my unnis and oppas. Just a little while ago, Sherry beca a new family mber too."
You don't know how happy they were when Sherry arrived, saying she had escaped being the youngest.
Though, in reality, the people at the orphanage never left her side, worried that Flora might feel left out.
Recalling the botherso daily life and looking back, it didn't seem all bad, so she smiled, but no response ca from Athanas.
Whatever he was thinking, he had a rather serious expression and was emitting an aura that seed untouchable.
'What's with him all of a sudden?'
The strange feeling was brief, and Athanas began firing off questions.
"Flora, may I ask how long you've lived at the orphanage?"
The kind Flora still answered each question properly.
"Since I was born?"
"Do you rember when you first ca to the orphanage?"
"In the snowy dead of winter?"
"Was your na given to you by the teachers?"
"No. They said there was just a piece of paper with only my na written on it."
"The place you stay is Finny Orphanage?"
"Gasp. That's right! How did you know?"
By this point, Athanas was starting to seem suspicious again.
'Is he so guy trying to pull sothing to get into the orphanage?'
A protective barrier is spread around the orphanage to block outsiders.
She had trusted him because he sensed it imdiately, but this guy is sohow strange and suspicious.
'Should I even let him near the orphanage?'
Is he one of the many people who covet the orphanage?
Flora's eyes began to shine sharply.
But contrary to her worries, Athanas stopped his footsteps in front of the orphanage.
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