#086

I thought my jaw would drop the moment I saw it.

Instead, I was a bit disappointed.

“Anyway, this means the Saintess will know immediately if anything happens to me. Of course, I can also call for her before such a thing occurs. Isn’t it amazing?”

“…….”

“…You’re allowed to be a little surprised.”

Instead of being surprised, Athanas ground his teeth.

“…Did you commit such an act relying solely on that?”

“Solely on that?! What blasphemy! This is a Sacred Relic personally bestowed by the Saintess!”

If anything, I was the one about to jump in surprise.

No, how could he be this unimpressed?

‘Does he think I’m lying?’

Since I mentioned there was no particularly noticeable aura until it was activated, it was understandable that Athanas didn’t believe me.

“I know it’s hard to believe that someone like me possesses an item that can call the Saintess. But this really is a Sacred Relic given by her.”

“…It’s not because I doubt whether it’s a Sacred Relic or not.”

‘Then what?’

“The fact that you might have been in danger, and I might not have known it….”

“No, I told you, I’m not in danger! How could I be in danger with this Sacred Relic?”

“…….”

Without a word, Athanas grabbed my other hand.

‘What the—?’

Then, he pushed me straight onto the bed.

Before I knew it, I was blinking my eyes, both hands pinned above my head.

Athanas whispered to me in a low voice.

“…Can you still say that now?”

‘Seriously, what is this?’

Is he taking a mount position against an opponent who isn’t resisting and pretending he’s won?

Is he an idiot?

“No, would I just stay here with my eyes wide open even in a dangerous situation? I would have resisted before it ever got to this!”

“Then what do you think would have changed?”

I was about to answer “Of course it would have,” but then I paused.

‘…What is this guy’s combat power again?’

I rolled my eyes, contemplating. If I spoke confidently and then got suppressed in an instant, wouldn’t that be completely embarrassing?

‘No, in the first place, it’s not like I’m going to settle this with Andrea via a submission hold.’

The important thing right now was to prove that this situation was not dangerous to me at all.

I spoke with a confident expression.

“Actually, there’s one more trump card I haven’t mentioned. I can use it even when my hands are pinned like this. Therefore, the current situation isn’t dangerous to me at all. No, you could even say it’s advantageous. The enemy would be off-guard, thinking they’ve completely neutralized me. Athanas, you were thinking that too, weren’t you?”

“…….”

“…Of course, I can’t tell you what that trump card is. It’s my very, very last hidden move. It’s not that I don’t trust you. But you never know what might happen, right? If there’s an enemy who can read memories, if even one person’s memory is read, both of us become endangered. That’s why I don’t want to know if you have a hidden move either. Wouldn’t that make us both safer?”

“…….”

Athanas remained mounted on top of me, staring at me in silence.

An incredibly awkward and uncomfortable silence followed.

“…Uh, I’m suffocating a bit, could you please get off?”

Only then did Athanas let out a small sigh and release my arms.

I rubbed my wrists and stood up.

‘Wow, he’s really rubbing it in….’

He would have understood if I just told him.

Does he really have to do this mounting thing to establish the hierarchy?

Meanwhile, I felt a bit sorrowful sensing the difference in our stats. To think I have to grovel even to Athanas, who isn’t even a mid-tier Unit yet….

“Anyway, I’m truly sorry for acting without consulting you. I searched the entire orphanage but couldn’t find any trace of Adelaide, so I grew impatient.”

“…I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean to get angry.”

Athanas continued.

“However, just because there is a way to escape danger doesn’t mean the moment itself isn’t perilous. So, if you think you’ll be in such a situation, please be sure to tell me. No, just tell me all your destinations. When, where, and what you plan to do….”

‘…Am I some kind of village bus?’

As if I have a fixed route and timetable?

“How can I know and tell you in advance what I’ll be doing that day? And how am I supposed to notify you if the schedule changes? Most importantly, what difference does it make if you know?”

“…I can go rescue you when it’s urgent.”

“This will save me in most situations, so it’s unnecessary.”

“Do not trust the Sacred Relic too much.”

“If I can’t trust this, then what am I supposed to trust?”

“Me….”

“What can one Holy Knight do in a situation where even the Saintess’s Sacred Relic is useless? What, do you have some amazing hidden Blessing?”

Athanas shut his mouth tight, looking frustrated that I’d hit the nail on the head.

I let out a deep sigh.

“Athanas, I’m not ignoring you. But if the worst-case scenario happens, shouldn’t at least one of us survive? That’s the rational way.”

I tucked the Sacred Relic back inside my clothes.

“By the way, we should think about a way to contact each other. I got away today by saying I had a prior engagement, but tomorrow I might be stuck and unable to move. It would be good to have a way to tell you so you don’t waste your time….”

“…I will come to meet you at the appointed time.”

“What?”

“I, unable to contain my longing to see my lover as soon as possible, will come to wherever you are.”

Athanas began to spout nonsense with a serious face.

“…And until you come out, I will linger in front of the door and ask every passing person when you think you’ll emerge. Then, those people will feel burdened and won’t keep you for long.”

‘Is he crazy?’

“If you do that, imagine what people will say….”

“They’ll say I’m blinded by love. Just as I wish.”

…No, does he really have to combine ‘Operation: Press the Player’s Trigger Button’ with ‘Operation: Rescue Adelaide’?

This guy is the type to enter a bathtub while wearing clothes just because he wants to do the laundry while washing.

I replied with disgust.

“That operation… it’s better to postpone it. I’ll come out at this time tomorrow on my own. So, absolutely do not come to meet me. Do you understand?”

A lover visiting every day at a workplace where a total old-school stick-in-the-mud works?

Just thinking about what kind of lecture that old-school guy would give after seeing that made me dizzy.

“Is there a reason we must postpone it?”

“Right now, I want to focus on finding Adelaide’s whereabouts. With all my strength.”

Athanas didn’t look entirely convinced, but he seemed to let it slide for now.

“Are you certain Adelaide is not at the orphanage?”

“I think I’ve met all the children between the ages of 8 and 10. I’ll check one more time just in case, but I’ve looked through all the name tags in the rooms. She’s definitely not among them.”

“How did you know Adelaide’s name wasn’t among them?”

‘…What does he mean?’

“What do you mean ‘how’? I just read them, and if the name isn’t there, it’s not there.”

“…If she was called Adelaide when she was the Saintess, she would be using a different name now. Do you know that name?”

‘Ah.’

For a moment, my thoughts stopped.

The apostles had separate apostle names, right?

Since it was a setting that didn’t appear in the game, I had completely forgotten about it.

“…I didn’t think of that.”

Since it hadn’t been long since I learned that names change upon becoming an apostle…. I added it as if making an excuse. The back of my neck felt hot.

“Uh, what would her current name be? It probably isn’t that different, right?”

The Saintess’s original name and apostle name were identical except for one letter.

“I cannot know. While there are cases where it doesn’t differ much from the Baptismal Name, there are also many cases where they receive a completely different name.”

“…Then I have no choice but to search based on the appearance I know.”

Since her hair and eyes hadn’t turned white yet, she would have black hair and obsidian-like eyes. Although a young Adelaide never officially appeared in the game, I was confident I would recognize an 8-year-old Adelaide immediately.

“First, I’ll get close to the children and ask naturally.”

While I was pondering what kind of questions would make the children naturally start talking about friends who are no longer at the orphanage, Athanas suddenly said this.

“Before you go to meet the Bishop tomorrow, could we meet for a moment?”

“…Before 4 AM?”

“Yes.”

“Why at that time….”

“There is something I want to give you.”

‘Can’t he just give it to me at this time tomorrow?’

I didn’t understand, but since Athanas looked so serious, I simply nodded.

‘He’s probably going to give me some kind of amulet before I meet a Vassal of the Othergod.’

Other than that, there wasn’t much more to discuss.

Athanas was collecting information on the head of the research institute, but the only update was that nothing unusual had been detected yet.

Once the discussion of the operation ended, I quickly flopped onto the bed.

“Fabio?”

“Wake me up later.”

“…Is that a good idea?”

“I woke up at 4 AM today. If you have a conscience, shouldn’t you yield one day to me?”

I mumbled with my eyes closed.

Come to think of it, didn’t that bastard Athanas always fall asleep before I even agreed?

Truly an absurd fellow.

“…Fabio.”

‘What if you call me. I’m just going to sleep.’

I felt Athanas sit down beside me.

‘…Is he checking if I’ve fallen asleep?’

For a moment, I had a feeling that if I opened my eyes, our gazes would meet at a very close distance, but then I thought, well, I just won’t open them. It seemed like a good idea. Athanas needs to experience a bit of role reversal to realize how absurd I am….

I fell fast asleep instantly.

* * *

‘I shouldn’t have trusted him!’

I asked him to wake me up just once, and he just fell asleep with me?

Is he insane?

The feeling when I opened my eyes to a foreboding premonition and saw Athanas’s sleeping face….

I didn’t wake up late in the evening, but the entire lunch hour had vanished.

‘What on earth does Athanas do at night to nap that much?’

Normally, I would have let it slide over missing one meal, but today was unacceptable.

To think I have to play with children on an empty stomach!

‘Won’t I collapse?’

But perhaps because I had a body accustomed to farm work, I didn’t actually collapse.

However, it was a bit embarrassing because my stomach growled loudly while I was playing with them.

“Fabio, here.”

Just then, a five-year-old child took a snack out of their pocket and gave it to me. They had saved it from lunch today without eating it, and they wanted to give it to me.

‘I’d rather starve to death than eat that.’

I saw you take that out with the hand you were just using to wipe your nose.

But since I couldn’t reject the heart of the child who handed me the biscuit with blushing cheeks, I took it and ate it with a smile.

‘…I have no choice but to trust the sterilizing power of stomach acid.’

Then, other children started rummaging through their pockets to give me something. I could only laugh when I received a handful of dried beans that had been saved to feed birds.

‘Kids, I’m not a pigeon….’

There was even a child who gave me bread that still felt warm.

“…Where did you get this from?”

“I got it from the kitchen!”

‘Shit….’

In the end, I spent the afternoon conducting a participatory play on why one shouldn’t take things without permission. Andrea, seemingly having nothing to do, would watch me play with the children from a distance and then disappear.

‘Like a CCTV.’

In the meantime, I tried asking the children to tell me about friends who had left the orphanage, but I couldn’t get a single clue about a girl with characteristics similar to Adelaide.

If a player had taken Adelaide, it must have been at most six months ago. That’s when I possessed this body. However, even the children who had lived in the orphanage since they were infants replied that they had never seen a girl similar to ‘Adelaide’.

‘Am I remembering something wrong?’

Was she from an orphanage other than the Capital Church? Or did the game intentionally describe it differently?

‘…Looking at the list would be the most certain way.’

How can I look at the list naturally?

Should I say I want to help with the work as a token of gratitude, like I did with Antonio?

For now, I decided to bring it up lightly.

‘…If there’s something they’re hiding, they’ll definitely prevent me from helping.’

* * *

The next day at four in the morning.

As soon as I opened the door to the study, warm and dry air rushed against my face.

‘Did they light a fire?’

Yesterday really was too cold.

I had dropped my pen several times because my fingers wouldn’t move while I was transcribing.

‘…I said I was fine, but they cared for me.’

Andrea was nowhere to be seen, perhaps having stepped away for a moment.

I hesitated while taking off my coat.

‘What do I do with this?’

The identity of the item I received from Athanas was a reliquary that could be worn around the neck.

That gruesome item where lovers keep pieces of each other’s bodies….

The silver-white box with Athanas’s name engraved on the outside was sparkling.

‘…I hope there’s nothing inside.’

Chapter 87