Chapter 59: My Friends

Chapter 59: My Friends

“…”

“The Viscount and his wife were utterly devoted to their children, but honestly… what sort of curse must have fallen on a noble house? Tsk. First they lost their daughter, then they were caught in a fire and all died on the same day. It’s truly tragic. And even if their daughter were to return one day, what then? The house is gone too.”

Fay asked quietly. 

“Has the place been left abandoned since?”

“No. Just a few days after the fire, a group of over a dozen attendant priests stayed at our inn.”

Something felt off.

The innkeeper kept rambling.

“They asked if anyone nearby needed help, took care of patients, visited the lord’s manor, and heard the tragic tale of House Karris.”

“And then?”

The innkeeper’s expression turned admiring.

“They went to the site of the fire, collected the remains, paid to have them buried in the cemetery, and even cleared out the burnt ruins.”

“Do they come regularly?”

“No, not at all. This is the borderlands. We rarely see attendant priests from the Grand Temple of the Supreme Deity out here. They were exceptional, truly. Don’t you think? Thanks to them, even a humble merchant like me felt comforted. Ha ha.”

“…”

A chill ran down Fay’s spine.

A sudden fire, and then this group of priests, who normally never came, arrived within days to generously take care of all the aftermath?

They weren’t asked, yet they paid out of pocket to bury the remains? And they were from the Grand Temple of the Supreme Deity… again.

Should I try organizing the timeline?

Dott had asked them to investigate Chionel territory, and not long after, House Karris was consumed by fire. Then, just a few days later, the priests, who supposedly never came here, showed up, buried the bodies, and cleaned up. They even took on tasks the local lord neglected.

The sequence of events fit too perfectly to be coincidence.

Could it be…

Was this also the work of the ‘Shadow Sorcerer’?

“Let’s go.”

At Lucius’s words, spoken as he closed the book, Fay silently moved to follow. This time, neither Raphael nor Astein stayed behind at the inn. They came too.

— — — 

Step, step.

It wasn’t hard to find the grave of House Karris in the fairly well-maintained cemetery. Four newly made graves, the soil still fresh and grass yet to grow. They had already seen the maid’s grave near the entrance.

So it had to be these.

Digging up someone else’s grave on suspicion alone was too extreme. So Fay asked carefully. 

“Lucius, could you ask a gnome or another earth spirit to check what kind of remains are inside the coffins?”

Even with her strange request, neither Kassel nor the other two men questioned her. It seemed they already sensed there must be a reason.

“Sure.”

Something ochre-colored flowed from Lucius’s hand, soaking into the earth. The result came almost immediately. In his dark eyes, a cold restraint surfaced.

“What should be here… isn’t. Something else is inside.”

Fay braced herself.

“…”

“The maid’s grave is the only one that’s normal. These aren’t. If the bodies had burned, there should be blackened or charred traces, but what’s inside are old, white bones. No flesh, no skin. Whoever did this must have thought swapping in different remains was better than leaving the coffins empty.”

Fay nearly staggered. She had suspected it, but the plan was far more meticulous than expected.

If it were Dott, she would have chosen to silence her family forever. That would have been the safer route. The only people who could testify that the publicly recognized Lady Klein was a fake, and that Dott was their blood relative, had all been ‘killed’.

Who would have a reason to make it look like they died, then replace the remains?

There was only one answer.

‘It has to be the Saintess Kaphia!’

She was due to arrive at the Imperial Palace soon.

If she met Dott, now the ‘Lady,’ she would surely use that knowledge to trap her and turn it into a weakness.

‘So when Dott submitted that mercenary request, someone intercepted it and acted first. How calculating can you get?’

How could someone be like this?

‘She must have figured out Tricia Karris was actually Dott, just from a request to investigate Chionel territory. And then she made her move!’

Clever. Cunning. Vile, twisted plots.

Now that Fay suspected who was behind it, she made a declaration.

“I’ve confirmed everything I needed. It’s late. We should rest and leave early tomorrow. Also, please keep everything that happened in Chionel a secret for now. Even the fact that we came here.”

“Yes, Lady Fay.”

Even talkative Raphael kept quiet this time.

After a brief pause, Fay added, “Someday, I may be able to tell you why I came here, and what happened. When that time comes… I’ll tell you everything.”

Astein spoke gently. 

“You don’t need to feel pressured. I’m just glad I could accompany you on your journey. And I’ll keep your secret, absolutely.”

“There are so many stars tonight. Let’s go inside before the moon mistakes your eyes for fallen starlight and tries to take them away.”

Raphael quoted a bard’s verse, lightening the mood.

“…Thank you.”

The annihilation of a noble house. The swapping of the bodies that should have been there.

Even a seasoned soul might be overwhelmed by such a truth.

Yet they didn’t just promise to keep it secret. They also considered my emotional turmoil. Where else could I find people like this?

As she followed behind Lucius, her eyes began to sting.

‘I’ve really met good people… Even though I’ve lost so much, what I let go, what was taken, I’m happy…’

Later, as they each went off to rest, Fay was about to retire when Astein peeked his head out from his room. He looked like he had something to say.

“Ast? What is it?”

“Could we talk for a moment?”

“Of course.”

They stood together by the small window at the end of the corridor. Astein spoke plainly.

“Thank you, Lady Fay. Honestly… I know. I’m not good at anything on my own, and among us, I’m the most burdensome one.”

“That’s not true.”

There were plenty of nobles who were arrogant and useless. 

But Astein wore no ornament, just a practical, plain short sword. When they went to face the bandits, he didn’t complain about being asked to stay behind. He didn’t insist on going, either. His thinking was more pragmatic than princely.

After this journey, she probably wouldn’t get to call him ‘Ast’ again. Unless another similarly discreet outing happened.

“Raphael looks after me when he can, and my brother is generous… but I know that won’t last forever. Still, I think I’ll remember every moment since I met you.”

“Even though I dragged you into this journey and made all the decisions?”

“Far from it. You gave me something I never would’ve had – a thrilling experience, an adventure I never could’ve asked for. From our very first meeting until today.”

“Ast…”

Born a prince, yet his dream was to be a wanderer, an adventurer.

“You seem to be investigating something difficult, and though your circumstances are complex, you still let me come along. Thank you.”

Their faces were close. Just a slight turn, and their cheeks would touch. Yet their eyes were fixed on the dark night outside, as if by unspoken agreement.

Fay whispered, “I’m glad I got to come with you.”

Because… Prince Astein,

You were one of the few good people in my painful past. Even after I came back in time, you didn’t change.

Like Queen Rania. Like Sir Raphael. Like Brother Kassel, whom I’d never met before, but somehow trust completely.

Astein. I wish you everlasting luck. May a four-leaf clover bloom on every path you take.

“Good night.”

“Good night.”

Astein stood first and returned to the room where Raphael waited.

Fay pretended to head to her room, but once he was gone, she quietly tiptoed down the stairs.

It was late. The innkeepers were already in bed. In the corner of the first-floor dining hall, Lucius was waiting for her. Though there was no one around to overhear, they spoke in hushed voices.

“I’m sure now. Tricia is Dottricia. The timeline fits too perfectly.”

“Hm.”

“Before the mercenaries hired by Dott reached Chionel, someone beat them here, set the fire, and took the family. Even sent priests to tidy up afterward.”

“What do you want to do?”

Fay looked into Lucius’s eyes.

If she asked, he’d take care of everything. Saintess Kaphia, Dott – he’d drag them down. He’d even restore her rightful place as the lost lady of the house.

But… is that what I want?

Even after so much thought, she wasn’t sure. Just like she had never chosen the easiest path of becoming a Water Specialist.

“I want to wait a little longer. If someone’s helping her in secret, they must have a reason. Sooner or later, they’ll come to collect what they’re owed.”

“That’s true.”

“It’s absurd, isn’t it? Both of them caused me pain, and now one’s become the other’s unknown accomplice, tightening the noose.”

“As you said, watching from the sidelines might be punishment enough.”

Fay crossed her arms, hugging her chilled elbows.

Coming to Dott’s hometown made her feel all kinds of emotions.

It was a long, long journey. Even if she stole medicine and money from the family, how on earth did Dott get all the way to the capital region? Even knights on horseback would have taken a long time.

Her obsession was… frightening.

And yet someone even more fearsome existed in this world.

“Say Dott had a clear goal… what about her? Did her weakened divine power really twist her heart that much? I don’t know. Even if she’s cornered, would she ever ask for my forgiveness? I really can’t understand her.”

Before Lucius stood up, he left one final comment.

“Maybe the divine power stopped answering because her righteous heart was already crumbling.”

Their journey had lasted just four days, but everything was done now. And now that she’d nearly chased the truth to its end, Fay could feel her long-dormant anger burning bright again.

The next morning.

Before leaving for a more secluded destination, Fay opened a map and asked, “Where should we go next?”