It really was exactly this kind of vibe when Fake Rania lured me out, wasn’t it?

She made this huge fuss, saying she knew where the person I’d been desperately searching for was.

Back then, I’d followed without thinking.

I truly believed Rania was the Duke’s daughter, and I didn’t know a thing about people whose souls had been stolen. I’d been careless—plain and simple.

But now?

Her gaze slid to Priest Daniel walking ahead.

You’re extremely suspicious right now.

Even more than Rania was back then.

I was already doubting you, and you’re basically planting certainty in my head.

You said someone was dying, didn’t you?

But when you ran into me just now, you were acting so relaxed. You even offered to get me whatever I was looking for.

When I said I didn’t need it, only then did you bring up Jainer—like you were terribly sorry.

With this incredibly urgent look on your face.

He didn’t seem to realize he’d made that expression at all, but to Camilla—who was especially good at reading faces—it was unmistakable.

Unlike usual, he was panicking right now.

Because Jainer’s condition is bad?

Well. Maybe.

Either way, that means he knows something happened to Jainer.

Jainer could truly be injured and in his hands... or every word he said could be a lie.

Either way, it meant Daniel was deeply connected to why Jainer had vanished so suddenly.

And maybe me meeting him here wasn’t a coincidence, either.

Was he waiting? For the moment I came alone to this Khan branch?

Or had he been following me from the start?

Yeah... to other people, I probably look pretty sloppy right now.

Like I’m in the perfect state to be kidnapped.

Right now, Camilla had no one with her. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Because she was visiting a Khan branch, she couldn’t bring anyone else. For that reason, she hadn’t brought Dorman or any other attendants—not even an escort.

Jainer had said that Khan would never meet a client who wasn’t alone, for safety’s sake.

But that doesn’t mean I’m alone.

[That bastard. He’s the one who used to hang around that Pope bastard a lot, isn’t he?]

[Hey. That guy just smiled. Isn’t something off?]

[It’s weird, it’s weird! It’s freaking weird!]

[And running into him right here, too. Should we just erase him on the spot? You’re still wearing that magic sword Ravi made on your ankle, right? If it’s urgent, I’m going in even if you don’t give permission.]

[There’s holy power that can put someone to sleep. Just say the word.]

So reassuring.

Listening to the voices of the priest spirit Arena and Zeno, Camilla quietly followed behind Daniel.

“This way.”

“Yes.”

When their eyes met, Camilla flashed a bright, innocent smile like she didn’t know a thing.

Either way, one thing will be decided.

What kind of person Daniel really was.

The smile on Camilla’s face deepened as she followed him.

*****

“Koong-koong-koong, we plant the beans! Koong-koong-koong, we stomp the ground!”

...What is that?

Jainer, who’d been unconscious, opened his eyes at the low child’s singing that burrowed into his ears.

A strange ceiling swam into view through his blurry vision.

This is...

Where the hell am I?

“No, Doggy. Not koong-koong-koong—when you go koong-koong-koong, you hit the floor.”

...Doggy?

When his vision fully cleared, an utterly unfamiliar scene unfolded in front of him.

Maybe five years old? A little boy was scolding a black doggy... a wolf.

Yeah. That was scolding.

Hands planted firmly on his hips, shaking his head with stern finality—he looked like a strict teacher lecturing a student.

“Koong-koong-koong, we plant the beans! Koong-koong-koong, we stomp the ground! Ssok-ssok-ssok, the sprouts came up! No, no—when you do ssok-ssok-ssok you don’t hit it, either.”

[.......]

The black wolf—who’d been lying on the floor and halfheartedly keeping the beat—finally let out a silent sigh.

But when the child started singing again, it matched the rhythm anyway.

“You...”

“Huh? You’re awake!”

“Who are you?”

At Jainer’s question, the child threw one hand up high and shouted.

“My name is Rio! Sunshine Orphanage—ah! I don’t live there anymore.”

“...Rio?”

Rio, who’d introduced himself like he was reciting a memorized tune, suddenly realized something and laughed, heh-heh.

“This place is...”

“Our Doggy brought you here, mister.”

“I’m not a mister. But... Doggy?”

Looking at the black wolf, Jainer got a rough sense of where he was.

There was only one place in the world that could own a black wolf that huge—carrying that kind of presence.

The master of Khan couldn’t possibly not know.

And Rio.

He knew that name, too. The child Camilla cherished was named Rio.

Why am I...

He understood this was Sephra, but he couldn’t make sense of why he was here like this.

I definitely collapsed.

He remembered the situation ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) before he went down fairly clearly.

He’d dealt with all the enemies who suddenly appeared and attacked him, but...

I had to take a severe injury myself.

They’d used some unknown sorcery, leaving him no time to avoid it.

What were those things?

How was he supposed to describe them? Living liquid?

When some of his attackers muttered something, a black something formed around him and wrapped around his entire body.

It felt like being sucked into a sticky swamp.

That filthy feeling.

Like all the energy in his body was being drained into that sticky thing.

He’d moved to evade it, but he still took a heavy hit.

By the time the fight ended, he couldn’t even breathe properly—then he blacked out and collapsed on the spot.

And now I wake up in Sephra?

How was he supposed to understand this?

The black wolf Guardian picked him up and brought him here? How did it even know?

“Then why are you here?”

Well, fine. Everything was fine. Just being alive meant he was ready to understand any situation.

But why?

Why was a kid hanging around here like this?

“To play with Doggy.”

“With Doggy?”

“Our Doggy isn’t home much. It’s always gone somewhere.”

He probably didn’t know anything about summoning Guardians. No—more accurately, he didn’t know what a Guardian even was.

Only this child would call the black wolf—known as the Guardian of death—a “Doggy.”

“Then why don’t you take it outside and play?”

“Nope.”

“Why?”

“Our Doggy said it’s guarding you, mister.”

...Is it really guarding me?

Isn’t it monitoring me?

Only then did it click.

Arsian—that bastard—must’ve assigned the Guardian to watch him. To watch him while he was with Camilla.

And when he collapsed, it probably brought him here.

“Ha.”

So a Guardian really is a Guardian, huh? I didn’t notice at all.

Feeling like he’d been blindsided, Jainer laughed hollowly.

“Hoo.”

After a short sigh, Jainer got up.

His condition wasn’t as bad as he’d expected. Someone must’ve treated him with magic.

Why?

That man who’d pointed a sword at him and tried to kill him so viciously last time?

He couldn’t understand what Arsian was thinking.

Wouldn’t it be better for him if he just let me die?

Thinking it was truly unexpected that Arsian had saved him, Jainer walked to the window.

A bead was already in his hand. He flicked it lightly out the window.

The bead burst, and a bright line of light shot high into the sky.

A magic flare used by Khan—how he signaled his location to his subordinates.

How much time passed?

He didn’t know how long he’d been unconscious, but his people were definitely searching for him right now.

“Koong-koong-koong, we plant the beans!”

Leaning against the window, Jainer let out a short sigh again—and the child’s song drifted into his ears.

He stared blankly at the child playing with the Guardian.

The kid’s face—smiling brightly like he didn’t have a single worry in the world—was strangely hard to look away from.

“Looks like living is fun.”

The words slipped out before he could stop them, and then he sighed. What the hell was he saying to a child?

Maybe he wasn’t in his right mind after getting hurt.

“Uh....”

Rio had stopped singing at some point and was staring straight at him. Another sigh escaped Jainer at that gaze.

“Mister, is living not fun for you?”

“...What?”

But when Rio tilted his head and asked that, Jainer’s eyes widened.

“Ha.”

He let out a small laugh. Hearing something like that come out of a kid’s mouth was... weirdly refreshing.

“I’m trying to live in a way that’s fun.”

“Someone said trying is a good thing.”

“Who?”

“Big Sis!”

“Big Sis?”

“Big Sis Camilla. Last time I tried to memorize up to fifty, but I forgot in the middle. She said it was okay because I tried.”

“She’s a good big sister.”

“Yeah! Big Sis is a good big sister. So, mister, don’t be too sad.”

“...What?”

“If you tried but living still isn’t fun, that isn’t your fault. Don’t be too sad.”

“.......”

Does he even know what he’s saying? And I told you I’m not a mister.

After staring at the child for a moment, Jainer ended up laughing again.

“Ha... hahaha.”

He didn’t know how long it had been since he’d laughed this loudly—this genuinely.

Rio tilted his head at Jainer’s reaction, looking like he had no idea what was funny.

“Here.”

The child had come up close at some point. He pulled a few candies from his pocket and held them out to Jainer.

“If you eat this, you’ll be happy.”

“Happy?”

“Yeah! Sweet stuff is happiness!”

“Did Camilla tell you that too?”

“Yes!”

Looking down at the candy in his hand, a faint smile returned to Jainer’s lips.

Happiness...

When was the last time he’d felt joy and happiness over something this small?

“Happy stealing candy from a kid?”

At that moment, a low voice came in.