Chapter 45: Shaking Church
Among the Church Knights were members of the Anti-Hero Alliance.
This fact sent the church into a panic. This was fatal to those who were in charge of escort duties. It was a fact that would have negated the very idea of the escort mission.
"First of all, I want to decide what we can decide."
"What decisions can be made?"
Heinz's words were clearly filled with sarcasm, but Sorenne did not react to them and continued talking.
"We must stop letting the hero candidates live in the dormitory."
"Let's hear the reason."
"Because it is too dangerous to keep them all together in one place."
“I suppose. We don't know when the Mages who are supposed to be guarding them will fire their magic at them."
Heinz added a layer of sarcasm. As bad as it sounds, this is something that can actually happen.
"There is no fact that there was an Anti-Hero Alliance in the Mage Order."
"Nor can you prove that there were not."
The Church Knights also denied it. This is the result of that.
"...I know that. That's why we made the decision."
"What about their way home?"
"We'll give them minimum escort"
"What do you mean, minimum?"
Since she went to the trouble of saying this, there must be a reason why she dared to thin the escort. Heinz asked for an explanation.
"Because the impact of betrayal is small. The top ranks of the hero candidates are capable of defeating the escorting knights. As long as they are not careless, they should be able to protect themselves."
"That means no escort."
"They need a shield to prevent the bombing."
"I see"
If they were to engage in a decent swordfight, the hero candidate would win first. The only thing they fear is magic tools.
"Cutting down the lower classes"
"What?"
Heinz was indignant that the church was still coming up with such a joke of a proposal.
“If the knight escorting them betrays them, they have no power to resist. It's the same when someone attacks their place of residence. It's not so much that we cut them off, it's that there's nothing we can do."
Things are different than they have been in the past, and the church cannot protect them even if they wanted to.
"It's fine if you let them act together with the higher class."
"It could become a hindrance. Who should they protect? It's the result of thinking about it properly."
“So that's what it comes down to."
"I just prioritized it. And this idea is not wrong."
"……I see."
He doesn't want to admit the idea of cutting off the Class C candidates, but as a practical matter, it is not realistic to build a system to protect all the hero candidates. Then again, Heinz's priorities are the same as the church's. Heinz was concerned about Class C because of Ren, who in a different sense is not an existence that should be protected.
"The knights and mages will go through background checks. The results will be out in a few months."
"The timing is good, but is there a way to begin with?"
"We'll check their actions over the past few months. Have they been in contact with strange people? Or have they been acting strange?"
“It's easy to say, but can you really do it?"
He doesn't see how it is possible to find out what Sorenne is talking about. Proving that they did it is possible with third-party testimony, but he can't even think of a way to prove that they didn't.
"If we don't do it, the church can't be the church."
“Wouldn’t it just take time to check it blindly?”
"Then tell me a better way! Don't just complain, give me a solution!"
For Sorenne, this was the end of her patience. There is no way she can handle escort duties with the assumption that there is a traitor in the order. Even so, Sorenne remained in charge. The mental burden was heavy.
"...It's not something you can just come up with right off the bat."
“You guys are clients, right!? Ask the guild!”
"What does the guild know?"
"Don't you know? After the attack, several knights and mages have been killed or captured by the guild. The Guild says they are all part of the Anti-Hero Alliance."
"What proof do they have?"
"Because they attacked. Most of it."
"Whatever you say, you accepted it well."
It was strange to Heinz that the church believed the guild's words.
“Of course, I protested. When I complained, they returned those they had captured. I didn't think it was possible, but when I questioned them, they admitted to being part of the Anti-Hero Alliance."
"Then there is no problem, is there?"
If they are able to prove it properly, it means that the Anti-Hero Alliance within the Knight Order and the Mage Order has been identified.
“How do they figure it out? If we knew that, we would have no trouble."
"Yes, but"
"Even so, the guild wouldn't provide us with any information. There must be some information they learned during the interrogation."
"Yeah, about that, we also requested information."
"So!?"
Sorenne expected that the guild would not be able to refuse the request if it came from the client.
"It was rejected. I was told that it was a request for an escort, not to flush out the Anti-Hero Alliance."
"Did you accept it?"
"I have no choice but to accept it. The request is exactly that."
“…So if you request them to eradicate them, will they do it?"
"Maybe"
"What's that!?"
Sorenne was surprised that Heinz readily agreed to her words, which she had meant to be sarcastic.
"Actually, I don't know. But I think it's not strange when they collected that much information."
"...Why don't you pull that one out?"
"You should know. All the information is in one man's hands, and he never divulges it."
"...It's the client's job to obtain it."
From Sorenne's point of view, it was information she wanted to obtain at any cost. If that were the case, her current trouble would be resolved.
"Maybe so... but you're not part of the Anti-Hero Alliance, right?"
"Don't you dare insult me!"
“Don’t get angry. I'm just asking just in case. I thought, from what you said, that they were probably lying about keeping the information."
"A lie?"
"It's a trap to attract the Anti-Hero Alliance to them. If they just get rid of Ren Takashiro, they can overcome this situation. The fact that they attacked him proves that the Anti-Hero Alliance is in a hurry to get rid of Ren Takashiro.."
Those who were caught in the bait were those who had been killed or captured.
"......What a surprise."
Sorenne was surprised to learn that he had the audacity to use himself as bait.
"Do you know why we care about him? He may be a failure as a hero, but he's an excellent schemer."
"You don't mean to say that you want him not as a hero, but as a vassal?"
"That's something I can't talk about with the church. And even if I wanted to, it would be difficult to make it happen."
"Why? If it's a country of you three people here, there's no way you wouldn't want that."
Sorenne doesn't know Ren. He thinks like any other hero candidate.
"It's the way he behaved the last time I saw him. He was completely cut off from everyone around him. It wasn't just the hero candidates. He didn't pay any attention to me either. He wasn't like that before."
"I've only heard stories about him."
"I see... I'm off-topic. Anything else about the escort mission?"
"……No"
The topic inevitably turns to Ren. The reason was vaguely understood by everyone in this place. The escort mission is on the verge of collapse due to the discovery of a traitor inside the Church. If it was Ren, he might be able to break out of this situation. They have such expectations. It is an expectation that has no basis in fact.
Anyway, the return of the hero candidates to their place of residence was carried out on the same day. This was impatience on the part of the church.
They don't want to cause any more situations where the escorting knights and mages would attack. It was too late for that, but the church thought so.
The Church's idea of training the hero candidates at the academy completely lost its meaning after this day. After the next day, only a few hero candidates came to the academy.
◇◇◇
Ren, who should have been escorting the Hero Candidates without appearing in public for a long time. He was in a place where the people concerned would not expect to find him.
Ren is walking leisurely around, which is surrounded by high walls. If one were to look at him from the side, he would appear to be taking a walk.
In fact, Ren didn't come here with a decision of what he was going to do. He just felt a bit stuck and came to this place.
However, no matter how much he walked, the walls just kept coming up. Just when he thought he was going to have to leave without gaining anything, a voice reached his ears.
"Mama"
It was the voice of a young child. Looking around to see where the voice was coming from, he saw a door a short distance away, and a small hand reaching out through a gap in the bars.
The hand was about the height of Ren's knee. He went to the door and found, as he expected, a boy, only about three years old, standing there leaning against the gratings.
(……A child in the monastery?)
The presence of a child was disconcerting to Ren, who believes that monasteries are places where boys are forbidden.
"Mama"
The child, without paying any attention to Ren as he approached, stretched out his hand and called for his mother.
(Mama? ……Oh, her?)
Ren can understand the child's behavior, which ordinary people cannot. The child's gaze was on a spirit who appeared to be the mother. The spirit stares at the child with a sad face. When her gaze turned to Ren, he understood the situation.
(Barrier…… is the monastery off-limits to spirits?)
Ren noticed the existence of a barrier that was stretched along the wall. He also found out that because of it, the spirit could not approach the child.
Ren is cold to people, but he makes an exception for spirits and children. Especially when it comes to children who can see spirits, he cannot leave them alone.
Forgetting the reason for coming to this place, Ren, without hesitation, cut open a part of the barrier.
(Now you can get closer, right?)
The mother's eyes widened in surprise, but she immediately conveyed her gratitude to Ren with a happy face and approached the child.
"Mama! Mama!"
Even the child is screaming with joy. If that happens, there is no way it will not attract the attention of others.
"What are you screaming about?"
A woman's voice is heard from the other side of the wall. At the same time, there is the sound of a woman rushing toward them.
A woman appeared through the grating. It was Kazuki.
"Ren!?"
"……What are you doing?"
"That's my line. What are you doing here?"
"Walking."
“Walking? Can you afford that?"
"What are you talking about?"
Knowing the meaning of Kazuki's question, Ren played dumb.
"Don't play dumb. Didn't you receive an escort request?"
"I don't know?"
Ren persistently played dumb.
"It's no use. I met your mistress at the academy."
"...Rin?"
In the end, he had to admit it. There is no need to hide it in the first place.
"Well, you need to take a break. Wait a minute, I'll open the door now."
"Eh? I'm a man though."
"So what?"
"This is a monastery"
"Ah, you thought men were forbidden? No, men work in the monastery. Come on in."
"Yeah."
Prompted by Kazuki, Ren walked through the door and went inside. So is the spirit. The spirit was not waiting for the door to open. The child had moved away from the door, so she went inside to get closer.
"There is no point in physically keeping the opposite sex away. Only by knowing the opposite sex and maintaining a pure heart can you be called a true saint."
Kazuki did not notice such a thing and continued talking. And Ren is not going to say it either.
"What's that?"
"Director-sama's Words"
"Are you going to become a nun?"
"No. I told you before, didn't I? A nursery teacher."
"Ah, I see."
There were many other children around. Some of them were quite large, even for nursery school students. The reason for this was clear from Kazuki's next words.
"To be exact, this is an orphanage."
"...So that's how it is."
''It's not exactly a nursery school, but I'm glad I found this place.''
"I see"
"I'll do my best to give my love to the children. All the way until the children feel loved from the bottom of their hearts. That's all I can do."
"That's"
Ren doesn't feel that he was loved by his parents. Kazuki's words sounded like she was conscious of it.
"……Sorry"
It hit the mark.
"Don't tell me that you are thinking that you don't want other children to become like me?"
"......Yes."
"Are you going to work here forever?"
"I'm going to."
"I see……"
“It's not just about Ren. I also want to atone for my own child. Because of that..."
Kazuki was talking about her feelings, but she couldn't speak until the end, and she looked apologetic and fell silent.
"I didn't complain about anything, though, did I?"
"But……"
“Even I think that it would be better if there were no children like me. So I think it's a good thing that Kazuki chose this path, and I'm happy for you."
"……Thank you"
Kazuki's eyes filled with tears at Ren's unexpected compliment. She had just started the job, but she felt as if she had already been rewarded with those words.
"Ah, you made Kazu-nee cry."
"Eh?"
Seeing Kazuki like that, the children gathered around her.
"Terrible! You made a girl cry!"
"No, it's not me"
"Say goodbye, bad guy!"
"Ha?"
One after another, the children came and blamed Ren.
"All right, we're all going to make him say goodbye!"
"Say bye!" "Say bye, say bye" "Let's do it!"
"Hoh. It's fine. Are you going to stand up to me, you brats? That's fine. I'll deal with you all together! Come on!"
Ren stood tall in the face of the children who were trying to defeat him.
"Eh? Wait, Ren?"
When Ren said it, it didn't sound like a joke. Kazuki was in a hurry to stop Ren, but the kids moved before she could.
"Let's go!" "Let's defeat this bad guy!" "Get him!"
"Come on, if you want to come, come! I'm the strongest!"
"No way!?"
Kazuki was stunned by Ren's appearance as he dealt with the children in high spirits. He had a smile on his face that she had never seen before.
"Uooh! Not bad! But, that's not enough!"
"Ei! Even this!" "Get him!" "Now! Defeat him!"
"Uwaa! Damn it! I'm going to be killed! I'm going to be defeated!"
"Now! Defeat him!" "Just a little more!" "Go for it!"
"No! I'm defeated! I looostt!"
"Yay!" "We beat him!" "We did it!"
Ren fell to the ground in an exaggerated manner. The children around him were excited.
"One more time!"
"That's it for today. Once the bad guy is defeated, he's done for the day."
"Eeh~"
"Let's do it again next time."
"When is the next one?"
"Let's see...... three days at the earliest. If that's not possible, I'll tell you two days after that. If that's not possible, I'll tell you the next time before the end of the day. If I didn't show up, I gave up.
"...I see. Understood."
The children seemed convinced after listening to Ren's words.
"Eh? Is it okay to make such a lax promise?"
And Kazuki was surprised by that.
"It's not lax. I made a very specific promise."
"But……"
Ren says it's specific, but Kazuki doesn't think so. If he gave up at the end, she doesn't think it's a promise.
"I didn't say they have to wait forever. I mustn't say that."
"Why?"
"These guys are orphans, aren't they? I'm sure they've been tricked like that before."
"Maybe Ren too?"
"Someday, again, this time. These are unreliable words."
"I see... not good, me. All I can think about is what to expect from the children."
"That's right. If the expectation becomes a reality. No, is it okay to have a dream even if it doesn't come true? I don't know about that."
He has already given up having both dreams and expectations. Ren's words sounded like that to Kazuki. Kazuki held back the tears again and smiled.
"It was unexpected. Ren likes children."
"It's just as Kazuki said. I think children have the right to be loved. I think so too."
"I agree. After all, Ren is kind."
"Huh? Me?"
"You're kind to people who have been hurt."
"……No such thing"
Ren turned away with a slightly sulky look on his face. This is also the first time Kazuki has seen Ren's expression. It is an expression that shows Ren's true colors. And Kazuki stares at it.
"...What are you looking at?"
Ren asks while averting his gaze.
"Ren's true face"
"……Are you an idiot?"
"I'm an idiot."
"…………"
The atmosphere was about to get good, but unfortunately for Kazuki, something got in the way.
"Ah, it's Director-sama."
"Eh? It's true. What happened?"
An old woman approached at a very fast pace from the monastery building. Kazuki, not expecting her to come here in that manner, could only watch her.
"Where's the old woman who won't die!"
"Eh!? Yes!?"
Kazuki cannot hide her surprise at the director's attitude. It was the first time for Kazuki to hear the director speak in such a manner.
"I know you are there! That damn old lady!"
"Director-sama, who is it?"
"She is an old woman. Don't hide it, tell me where she is!"
"...I'm sorry. I have no idea."
"What? Then who broke the barrier?"
“Barrier? ......Ah."
Kazuki's gaze turned to Ren, who was blending in with the children. Ren, who looked at her, had a look that said he don't know what she was talking about. The director, who had suddenly appeared, also noticed Ren's presence through Kazuki's gaze.
"Who are you?"
"I'm a student at the Church Academy."
"Are you Kazu's classmate?"
"Yes"
"...You."
The Director narrowed her eyes and stared at Ren.
"Yes?"
"Silver Wolf."
Ren's street name came out of the director's mouth.
"Who are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb. There is only one silver-haired student at the academy."
"You know very well."
Just as the Director says, Ren is the only student with silver hair. If she knew that he was a student at the academy, she would know right away.
"Is it you who broke the barrier?"
“I’m sorry. Unintentionally."
"Reason?"
"Because the mother's spirit wanted to get close to the child. The child was calling desperately."
"...You are the disciple of that old woman?"
The Director readily accepted Ren's explanation. With this, Ren also understood that the old woman she was referring to was Babaa.
"If it's about Baaba, then yes."
"Really, that idiot won't teach you good things."
"That's a misunderstanding. It wasn't something I was taught, I was able to do it from the beginning. I have a little confidence in my spiritual relationship."
"...From the beginning?"
"From when I was in the other world."
"Hoh."
The Director's eyes narrowed when she heard that. She stares at Ren as if searching for something.
"...I see. So that's what this is about."
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing. But I didn't expect you to come here."
"Is there a problem?"
"...No. I just heard various rumors. I didn't think you'd fit in at the monastery."
"Better than being told I'd fit in at the monastery, isn't it?"
"As expected, you're that old woman's disciple. You can't stop talking."
"Are you close to her?"
All that comes out of her mouth are complaints, but the Director's words convey a feeling of closeness to Babaa.
"...Not close. We have known each other for a long time."
"I see"
"Is she still fine?"
"Not really."
"What are you talking about?"
“At this rate, she only got a few years.”
“Is she… sick?”
In an instant, the Director's complexion changed. How can you have a shallow relationship with someone you can hate? No matter what kind of relationship it is.
"No, she's possessed by a spirit. It's her daughter's spirit, so isn't it correct to say she is possessed?"
"……I see."
The Director was not particularly surprised when she heard that it was the spirit of her daughter.
"Do you know her daughter?"
"Well, yes."
“Her daughter is at her limit, she cannot stay in this world for long. Babaa is willing to ascend to heaven with her."
"It won't be stopped?"
According to Ren's explanation, Babaa is trying to kill herself. If so, the Director thought she could be persuaded.
"Why should I stop her?"
But that doesn't work for Ren.
"Don't you care about Barbara dying?"
“I will mourn her death, but I hate this world and think it would be better to go to heaven.”
"...I see. May I ask you one thing?"
"What is it?"
"Why do you protect the world you hate?"
"Protect? I have no intention of protecting it."
“However, as an adventurer, you have received a request. Isn't that protecting it?"
The Director also knew that Ren had a request to escort the Hero Candidates.
"I never thought of that. I'm just doing the request for the money."
"Sometimes you kill people for that money."
"I'm not trying to defend myself, but it's not about money, it's about living."
Ren does not intend to kill all the Anti-Hero Alliance. If they just attack them and it is difficult to capture them alive, he has no choice but to kill them. He does not want to kill them all, but he has no reason to hesitate to do so.
"Do you want to live in a world you don't like?"
"I'll correct you. I don't want to live. I don't want to die, I just feel frustrated that the world is getting rid of me."
"...You're distorted."
It's something Ren has professed many times, but it's also the first time the Director met with Ren. The Director's eyes widened slightly at the completely unexpected answer.
"That's how I was raised."
"Do you ever think about changing?"
"I'm not saying I don't think so, but I don't think I'll do it."
"Why?"
"If I wanted to live instead of just not die, I would definitely move toward destroying the world."
“What are you talking about!?”
Furthermore, words came out of Ren's mouth that surprised the Director.
"I can see the consequences. It would be like committing suicide."
"What makes you think that?"
"If you want to live in a world you don't like, you have no choice but to destroy it. Isn't it normal to think that way?"
The only way to make life easier is to get rid of the things that get in your way. For Ren, that means destroying the world.
"...Then it's as if."
"Ah, do you know by any chance?"
"If the world rejects me, I'll fight against the world. Do you know about this?"
"It's a little different. But it's the same thing. Is it the words of the Demon King?"
"No. Those are the words of the Savior."
"Huh?"
Even though the words are similar, the demon king and the savior are completely polar opposites.
"Why do you know the words of the Demon King?"
"But what about the savior? I heard about it for the first time since I came to this world."
The church worships heroes. Students summoned from other worlds are hero candidates. Even Ren, who knows a lot about the Church, had never known the existence of the Savior.
"It's an old story. It's over thousands of years old."
"I see. There was such a being?"
"It's only a legend."
Thousands of years ago, it was certainly a legend.
"But still, the Director-sama is waiting for it?"
“…Why do you think so?”
"Waiting for a savior rather than a hero is more like a church. That's the only reason."
On the other hand, there was such a legend, and a church that didn't worship a savior was strange to Ren.
"That's right. But can people be happy just by putting their faith in others?"
"No. What is given can be taken away at any time."
"...That's right"
Hearing Ren's words, the Director showed a slightly depressed atmosphere.
"Can I ask you one more thing?"
"What?"
"Wouldn't it be more right to keep doing something with your life than to throw it away?"
"...What do you think?"
Without answering, the Director just returned the question to Ren.
"For me, life is a small thing. I know that to do something in this world, you have to be alive."
"...That's right"
"It's not something a child would say to the head of the monastery. Now then, I'll excuse myself."
"I see."
"I'll come back later"
"What?"
"Maybe. I promised the children I'd come back."
"When's next?"
"You'll have to ask them. Well, then."
With his back to the Director, Ren heads for the door. But it will be a long way to the door.
Because it is not easy to talk to each and every child that clings to his feet, to promise to come back, and convince them that he is leaving.
"He's a man that children like."
"Right. I'm surprised too."
"Is it so?"
“Normally, Ren keeps other people away. Even when we talk, I always feel the wall.”
Such a Ren shows a completely different face to the children. Kazuki was also surprised.
"Not the children?"
"It's hard to imagine Ren's feelings, but I understand a little bit of how the children feel."
"Hmm. What's that?"
“I think they feel the same way about Ren as I do.”
Even from the brief exchange, she could see that Ren understood the children's feelings. If he could understand them, she thought, then they could understand him even better.
"Is he an orphan too?"
"Yes. I heard that his mother tried to kill him. And that he killed his mother."
"...It is natural to be distorted."
Hearing about Ren's past, the Director frowned.
"Why?"
"Hmm?"
“I don't think Ren is distorted. He is just throwing a lot of things away. And I think that's also a result of trying to keep only what's right."
There are so few right things in this world that Ren can accept. People can't understand that.
“I see… are you in love with him?”
"...I can't."
"That's right. Ordinary people can't deal with that. It will be a painful experience."
"……Yes"
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