"I'm Fail Nightley of the Blood Sacred Knights. I thought I should at least pay my respects to the church, but—""
He showed up. This isn't what Lutz said... and sooner than I expected.
A young man with sharp features and red hair, clad in flawless silver plate from head to toe. The very image of a knight. It seemed he had been sent alone. He looked a little younger than me. Not some great dignitary... wait.
The surname Nightley rang a bell. I'd only seen it at festivals, but wasn't the Knight Order Commander known by that name? If so, this youth might be kin to the commander—maybe his son, given his age. In any world, be it a company, a knight order, or the church, connections are everything. Making a connection with this guy wouldn't be a negative for my future life. If I played my cards right, I might even get assigned to headquarters...
But a problem arose immediately. I was seen punishing Olivier and Katarina with divine retribution. I tried to explain that I was a hero, that they were weak, and that it was self-defense, but the distance between Fail and me remained. He still wouldn't meet my eyes. But there was still a chance to recover. I rubbed my hands together and lowered myself about two steps.
"Well, well, thank you for coming all this way from the capital."
"'Gesu'?"
"You must be tired from your long journey. Please, come this way. It's nothing special, but I have tea and sweets..."
"No need. Let's get straight to business."
Fail said that and quickly left the blood-stained church. He was completely unapproachable. Honestly, all knights are so stiff.
His "business" was to stop the internal conflict among the heroes. So, it had nothing to do with me. That Lutz, saying whatever he pleased. But I was glad. I dutifully followed him. Fail then turned a displeased face toward me.
"I don't need an escort. Besides, why don't you wash your face? You're covered in blood."n"Please, don't say that. I might have some hints for the Torture Demon. I've been reviving all the heroes around here."n"I'm not interested in that. I'm here to stop the heroes from killing each other."
...I know that, but won't resolving the cause of their infighting be the fundamental solution? But I decided not to say it out loud. Because I needed him to like me. He's the son of the Knight Order Commander, so he must have some brilliant ideas... I don't know, though.
"Still, this is terrible..."
Fail looked around the town and frowned. I agreed.
"It really is. Because of the secret police, there are fewer people around, and places like the tavern are deserted. The master is lamenting it."n"...Looking at this situation, you're worried about the tavern's business?"
Uh oh? Did I mess up?nI followed Fail's gaze. There was nothing but an ordinary puddle of blood. What? You mean the town is dirty? Stop being so nosy! I'm already overwhelmed with cleaning the church. I haven't even dealt with the piles of corpses, so what more do you want me to do?
"I cannot allow heroes to be killed openly in the streets. I will stop their tyranny."
Ah, so that's what you meant. Heh, I'd become numb from dying too much.
"Priest-san!"
Hm? A childish voice called me. It was Rubibel.
"There are children in this town too?"
Fail's expression softened slightly. He didn't seem to dislike children.nHere's my chance...! I'll show him how popular I am with the children.
But my ulterior motive was extinguished by the "smell of trouble" that tickled my nose.nI looked at the man holding Rubibel's hand. They say not to judge a book by its cover. But you can't see someone's inner self. To instantly determine if someone could be an enemy, you need to judge their inner self from their appearance. Well, judging from his appearance—
"Duff, duff. Rubibel-tan, you don't have time for detours..."
Black. Utterly black. Pitch black.
"Who are you? What's your relationship with Rubibel? Where's Gram?"n"Uh, well..."
The man stammered at my rapid-fire questions. Gram, with Rubibel, also smelled of crime. He's a thug. But this man smelled of crime on a different level. If Gram is the type of criminal who sells little girls, this man is the type who buys them. Rubibel spoke for the tongue-tied man.
"You see, I'm buying a present for my brother. But it's a secret, okay?"n"I... I see. And this man?"n"He said it's dangerous to go alone, so he offered to come with me."n"...A stranger?"n"He's not a stranger. We're friends now, right?"
Rubibel smiled up at him, and the man let out a breathy, awkward laugh. Kids really can become friends with anyone. But this was no time for warm thoughts—being alone was dangerous, sure, but being with that guy was worse.
The man was probably a hero. Face him directly and I'd lose for sure. I shot the knight a look. If anyone could handle this—
"What a good girl," Fail murmured.
What!? Fail was smiling! How could he relax in a situation like this? This was a walking red flag! Was he pretending to be calm to throw the enemy off guard? I leaned close to whisper, "He's definitely suspicious, right? We should get her back to Gram's guardian."
Fail's smile faded, his eyes hardening.
"What a crude man. She said she's buying her brother a gift. Let her be."
...What. I just stared. What was wrong with him? There was a crime scene in progress right in front of him, and he looked like he was watching a sunrise. He wasn't acting. He truly believed what he said. So he's naïve? A believer in human goodness? No sense for malice at all? How could a knight—a knight—be this unguarded?
"Come with us, both of you!" Rubibel said brightly.
The man froze. The expression said it all: he couldn't have us tagging along. Of course I wanted to follow—Rubibel needed watching. But I couldn't just abandon the knight's inspection.
"Let's go," Fail said.
What— He was smiling at Rubibel. "Wait. What about the investigation?" I asked.
"The men of the Nightley family are always kind to children and women. To one who is both—doubly so."
His smile held no shadow, not even a flicker of doubt. Ah. So that warmth was pure. Not lust, not manipulation. Just... goodness. What is this guy's deal? He's impossible to read. Still, it worked out for me.
"Then we'll survey the area while escorting Rubibel," I said.
"You stay here."
I ignored that.
And so, I found myself wandering the market with this strange little party.
"Lively place," Fail remarked, eyes widening slightly. Rubibel puffed her chest with pride. "Told you! This market's amazing. They sell everything here—look!"
She pointed at the same clothing stall as before. The baskets overflowing with clothes hadn't changed, but today even armor gleamed among them. Fail picked one up and exclaimed, "It's... light! And this dull finish—how refined! Shopkeeper, what material is this?"
He looked ecstatic over a piece of armor clearly inferior to the one he already wore. Déjà vu. Just like with Rubibel earlier. I got it now—Fail was a sheltered noble. Raised in comfort, surrounded by kindness, given only the best of everything. A man grown in the greenhouse of virtue. That's why he couldn't sense malice. Why he couldn't tell shoddy goods from fine ones. He's the type who'd fall for a scam—or a cult.
"Price?" he asked.
The shopkeeper's eyes gleamed as they swept over Fail's immaculate armor, then he smiled. "Fifteen gold coins, sir."
And there it was—daylight robbery. But compared to the armor he usually wore, it probably sounded cheap. Fail's eyes sparkled as he shoved the bundle into my arms. "Here, hold this. I'll try it on."
He's seriously going to buy it? I thought. But stopping him wouldn't help. A knight of his rank wouldn't listen to me anyway. Wait.
I looked around. My blood ran cold. Rubibel was gone.
Damn it, lost her again!
"Sir Knight, excuse me, but Rubibel—"
My words were cut off by a scream. Right there, in the heart of the bustling market, violence erupted in broad daylight.
"Spawn of the demon—be purified!"
Blood sprayed. A head hit the cobblestones with a wet, final sound, and silence swallowed the market. Damn it. Of all times... I grimaced, glancing at Fail. He stood frozen, his face pale. Aegis, blood on her face, smiled as she held up a star.
I glanced at Fail. He was frozen, wide-eyed. Of course he was. A man who flinched at a puddle of blood—what would seeing this do to him?
"Sister..."
Notes:
• Fail - a male hero with a tragic past, formerly part of a notorious bandit group, now seeking redemption and a fresh start as a hero.
• Lutz - a male friend of Julius from cleric school, moved around a lot between Hello Work Temple, Fegefeuer, and Church Headquarters, works hard with the desire to not work.
• Katarina - A female adventurer known for her cheerful demeanor but cursed with a tendency to die repeatedly.
• Olivier - A male adventurer burdened by the constant deaths of his companion Katarina.
• Rubibel - a female beastkin girl and former slave, full of wild energy, plays until the heroes are distressed, part of Gram's party.
• Gram - a male thug-like hero who frequently forgets to pay resurrection fees, occasionally snaps and tries to kill Julius, yet kind to children.
• Aegis - a female red-haired holy knight in silver armor, harsh to others and herself but shows weakness to Julius, to whom she swore loyalty, leads the Secret Police Squad.