Amid the burning building, the sooty scent emanating from the black ashes vibrated. By then, the entire situation was resolved. I consoled the two won who thought I had died and captured all the unconscious heretics. There were a total of 10 mbers involved in this incident; nine were captured alive, while one was dead. By the ti I regained consciousness, the deceased's body was not just slashed apart but was gruesoly shattered to the point that "shattered" was the right description.
Initially, because of Miru's sudden action, no additional mbers ca to this building, but this much was a significant achievent. They were so secretive and operated in the shadows that finding them was harder than capturing them. Even though in my world there's a saying "physiognomy is science", distinguishing a cult group by appearance alone is like finding a needle in a haystack. Especially when they have their own thoughts and don't neglect their appearance to the point of advertising "I am suspicious". If they intend to hide their identity, they might never be found.
Thus, even capturing one was extrely difficult. In the kingdom, being a heretic alone placed one on the list of second-class wanted criminals, so arresting them wasn't easy. Hence, even though one died, capturing nine was a trendous achievent. If we interrogate this number, at least one might spill sothing useful.
The country I'm in, and the main stage of the ga, the Kingdom of Ginap, exercises strong public authority and maintains law and order. They have the right to ignore the human rights of powerful criminals like heretics. In this country, the way they treat criminals can be understood as "an eye for an eye" or "putting oneself in another's shoes." Interrogating heretics, classified as major criminals, was done using all sorts of unethical thods, to the point that they would not take their own lives. There are various ways, such as feeding them an elixir made by an alchemist or using ntal torture magic. Since it's a magical world, the interrogation can go beyond imagination.
"Phew... We've tied them all up here, now we just have to wait for the guards."
Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he looks around. Thanks to Erina and Miru performing their roles well, all the heretics were captured in a short ti.
"How about we go outside for a while? The burnt sll is making nauseous."
Miru, with a slightly uneasy look, suggests, agreeing with Erina's proposal.
Should we do that?
There's still ti before the guards arrive, and they would need to fill out so paperwork to get official recognition. In the ga, the screen would go dark, and it would jump directly to when the guards arrive. But in this reality, it wasn't that simple. After ensuring that the heretics, once awakened, wouldn't escape and were disard and restrained, they left the place.
"But, brother, you burned down this whole building... Is that okay?"
Miru, with a slightly worried look, asks in a light tone.
"If the dead heretic started the fire during the fight, then we just have to act like we're the victims."
However, for so reason, Miru frowns at this.
"It sounds a bit deceitful... Is that right?"
She asks with a hint of doubt, but I shrug it off.
"What's the problem? It'll be a hassle if we admit to starting the fire."
"True, but..."
Miru seems uncertain, tapping her fingers together.
"The father I knew wasn't like this..."
"Huh? What did you say?"
I barely caught her mumbling, but from the few words I gathered, she seed disappointed in . "Ugh... It's nothing!"
Personally, it was a bit hard to understand Miru's attitude of showing disappointnt. From her perspective, it's only been a day since she t , and today marks the second day. We barely know each other, so why is she making such a sad face? I don't know what her first impression of was, but it seems like my recent comnt might have lowered her opinion of .
"At least we only burned the building and didn't kill anyone."
Considering the fire's intensity that burned the building in an instant, it's surprising that, unlike the devastated buildings, the people were unhard.
"There's a thod to that!"
I boastfully cleared my throat and placed my hands on my hips with a confident smile.
Erging from the ruins, which can't even be called a building anymore, we inhaled the fresh air only to find many people had gathered here. Even if it's a secluded alley with few people, a dayti arson would attract everyone nearby. The crowd's gazes felt a bit embarrassing...
Thump!
"Ugh?!"
Suddenly, a sensation as if my heart was pounding violently coursed through .
"Brother?!"
"Harold?!!"
Erina caught as I swayed, nearly collapsing from the shivering pain.
"Harold, what happened all of a sudden? Is sothing wrong?!"
The disorienting feeling was similar to the discomfort I felt before I lost consciousness. It started from the heart where I was stabbed and felt like sothing wriggling throughout my body. It felt disgustingly similar to being infected by a giant parasite.
What is this... what is this wriggling feeling inside ...?
While pondering, a sense of overwhelming repulsion built up, but...
"Huh...?"
That sensation disappeared as if it were a lie.
It felt as if I had a very brief dream, but the discomfort quickly faded.
"Harold, is it because of that dagger? Is sothing wrong with your body?"
If I were to guess why I felt like this, it would probably be because of the ominous dagger. But I had no idea why I felt that sudden pain.
"It seed like it, but I'm fine now... It's good that I didn't collapse entirely..."
"Are you really okay?"
Miru leaned against , clearly more anxious and worried than Erina, but I patted her head to reassure her.
"Uhm..."
Miru, feeling my comforting touch, let out a content sigh.
"Harold, why don't you do that for ?"
Erina, perhaps jealous of Miru, grabbed my wrist with her eyes showing signs of being triggered.
"Hey?"
"Why have you been only good to her since earlier? I've been closer to you for longer. Shouldn't I be the one deserving that?"
Without giving a chance to speak, she continued to emotionally press .
"I also want you to pat my head."
She tried to force my hand to her head, and I resisted with all my might.
But I've been weaker than her for a while now, and no matter how much strength I used, I couldn't stop her.
"Wait a minute?! People are watching!"
As I ntioned earlier, many people's eyes were on us, which made this all the more embarrassing. Still, Erina didn't care about those looks and tried to force to pat her head like I did with Miru. So older won, watching Erina's behavior, whispered things like "Oh, young love~" and "She gets jealous even when her boyfriend looks at the air~", making feel even more embarrassed.
Just as Erina was about to make pat her head...
"We've received a report. An arson happened here, and you've captured so heretics, is that correct?"
Thanks to the guards arriving at this miraculous timing, I was narrowly saved from the impending humiliation. "Madam, we have completed the final trial."
After the arrival of the guards, we managed to settle everything and, after filling out a few docunts, received our reward. We were also issued a certificate indicating that we had captured nine individuals, and we returned to the Lobiath household to submit this as proof of passing the trial.
"Ah, I've just received word. You captured nine heretics, didn't you? That's sufficient."
At that, Erina burst into a radiant smile, and I was flooded with relief and a sense of accomplishnt, knowing everything was finally over.
"You've worked hard to complete the three trials. Honestly, I still wish my daughter would stay at the mansion... but a promise is a promise."
She crossed her legs, gave a faint smile, and blessed us.
"You can return to your adventurous life. If you need anything within my power, just write a letter."
At first, due to Mirina's stern gaze and rigid deanor, she appeared to be a strict person. However, as we got to know her better, she proved to be quite kind-hearted. One shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Her gaze remained sharp, but today, it seed kinder.
"Originally, I wanted my daughter to stay at the mansion and do more lady-like things. I was worried she might not be able to marry if she continued as an adventurer."
Suddenly, Erina's temperant flared up with an unnecessary comnt.
"In other words, I stopped you because I was worried she wouldn't marry. But now that you've brought back a man strong enough to defeat Elbert, even without power, I'm satisfied."
She said with a bitter smile, as if confessing her mistakes.
"Perhaps it would have been better not to give you the trials, since I was just looking for a man to marry my daughter."
"The main goal is achieved, so I don't care what you two do now."
She bowed slightly, conveying her deep apologies to her daughter and .
"I'm sorry for putting you through unnecessary trouble, but if it proved your capabilities, it allowed to send you off with a peaceful heart."
While Mirina seed a bit defeated, Erina gently touched her mother's shoulder, forgiving her.
"It's okay, Mother. I'm grateful from the beginning. Even without the power, you evaluated our abilities and understood the relationship between Harold and ."
Both mother and daughter seed to have mistaken that Erina and I were already married... I ntioned during the first trial that dating was prohibited, so why are they acting like this? The mood around and the two of them felt completely different.
"Ahem... I'm sorry to break the mood, but as I ntioned before, we are still under the prohibition of dating..."
I tried to tackle the topic, but the smiles on both Mirina and Erina's faces did not fade.
"Yes, that might be the case now, but it's temporary, right? Soon, you'll be able to marry officially, so I'm looking forward to it."
The logic of the dating prohibition did not resonate with them.
"Well, it might not be official, but since you both will eventually marry, I have a small request."
Seemingly having a new idea, she clapped her hands and was about to make a wish.
"What is it?"
I answered before Erina, with a tone suggesting 'I will reluctantly listen...'.
"Would you show a grandchild?"
For a mont, my mind went blank in shock.
Wh... What? Did I hear that right?
She seed to notice my internal scream and, with an unexpectedly lively voice, looked at both of us with enthusiasm.
"Dating is prohibited, but there's no prohibition on having a child, right? Since you two are destined to marry, don't you want to show a grandchild sooner?"
Absolutely not! Never! Is this even a reasonable request right now?! Mirina, seemingly oblivious to my internal objections, continues to laugh and insist on her wish to ... or rather, press it upon us.
"I hope the first grandchild is a boy!"
This recent remark was the final straw, completely overturning my perception of Mirina.
From a dignified and sharp, yet elegant woman, she suddenly seems like a weird individual who might casually suggest inappropriate things...
In the midst of my disappointnt and deep sigh regarding Mirina's light-hearted shift...
"?!?!"
Suddenly, a chill runs down my spine, making shrink back in fear.
The reason is simple...
The spine-tingling sensation fills with dread and fear in many ways.
I don't want to confront it, but I distinctly feel it... a malevolent gaze piercing through ...
It seed like Erina's switch was turned on due to Mirina's remarks...
"Harold~?"
"?!?!"
A syrupy word makes my body stiffen, and the approaching breath eventually touches my skin.
"Did you hear what my mother said? She wants to see a grandchild soon... so..."
Erina's sweet whisper accelerates my heartbeat.
"How about staying at our mansion tonight?"
Before she could finish, my voice, almost reflexively, jumps out.
"I decline!" I bolt away...
And as always, the pristine white doors of the temple open.
Leaving Harold behind, Miru heads straight to Morione's shrine.
"You were expected."
The mont Miru steps inside, a relaxed voice greets her.
However, the follower of the Black Dragon remained silent.
"Do you anticipate what I want to say?"
At that, Miru reluctantly nods and grimaces.
Noticing Miru's actions, the initially calm voice suddenly becos agitated.
"How many tis have I told you? You shouldn't et him. He's close to his downfall!"
The voice grows more irate, filling the place with a negative aura.
"How many tis do I have to tell you? Will you only understand when sothing happens?!?"
Morione, who was calm just a few minutes ago, now seems completely different.
"He would've t a aningless end, just like I warned...!"
Morione's eyes brim with tears, as if she nearly lost soone dear.
Perhaps Morione was the most anxious about the whole situation. Even though she could have prevented it, she didn't. She almost lost soone she would cherish more than anyone in the future.
"I apologize in advance, this might hurt, but listen... his misfortune continues just by your existence..."
It wasn't hard to empathize with her overwhelming sorrow.
Silence dominated for a while after those words.
Eventually, Morione, after regaining composure, says, "I'm sorry for getting angry before... but that just shows how much I wish for him to be happy..."
Upon hearing that, Miru speaks for the first ti.
"How long until the tragedy befalls him?"
Morione doesn't react to her words, only discussing the future plans.
When faced with Miru's question, Morione adopts a profound expression and ponders. "To be honest... because of the dagger that pierced Harold's heart today, his ti was significantly shortened. As I ntioned earlier, he was on the brink of ending his life there, but for so reason, he was spared from death. However, that dagger is..."
Morione seed to be telling Miru, but she was also muttering to herself, almost as if she was desperately calculating sothing.
"Mmm."
She eventually closes her eyes, invoking her divine power to glimpse multiple possible futures.
"I've figured it out."
Snap!
Opening her eyes, Morione arranges her hands in a composed manner.
"What is it?!"
Upon hearing her response, Miru hastily inquires, and with a solemn face, Morione, pointing with her index finger, declares the date when Harold will fall from grace and be forsaken by the goddess.
"One month."
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