Rublier looked up at the ceiling and pondered. When did my memories of Satin become clear?

Perhaps… that day.

It was shortly after entering the academy. He saw Gjorn, who usually stuck with Satin, wandering near the entrance, unable to enter the classroom as class time approached. Rublier, passing by while looking for his classroom, immediately sensed why Gjorn was lingering.

Satin hadn’t arrived yet.

The academy was originally a simple structure, but as it grew into a specialized educational institution over the years, it expanded haphazardly.

As a result, new students often opened the wrong doors and had to apologize at the beginning of the term.

Rublier memorized the layout immediately upon entering the academy. But most students preferred to learn the layout gradually as they attended classes.

That clueless guy should search for his girlfriend instead of waiting quietly. If it were Satin, she would have already asked passing academy staff to find the Sel Wio heir.

Rublier turned around and ran back down the corridor.

He didn’t know where Satin was, but he ran, driven by urgency. Students hurrying to their classes stepped aside upon seeing Rublier.

They probably thought he was late for class. Although the academy encouraged quiet conduct, students often sprinted down the corridors to avoid being late.

“Oh my, you startled me!”

“Sir Rublier, are you late for class?”

The students whispered. In reality, he was moving further from his classroom in search of Satin. Rublier crossed the long corridor in one go. He approached a sharp turn.

As he slowed down to turn, he collided with someone from the opposite direction. A white figure fluttering like a bird briefly entered his view. He knew who it was the moment they collided. Oops, but there was no time to catch her.

The person, pushed by Rublier’s force, fell to the ground.

“…Ouch.”

Satin struggled to get up, grimacing at him.

Rublier was momentarily speechless.

It was both fortunate and unfortunate. It was fortunate that Satin was coming as expected, but unfortunate that he had knocked her down.

Rublier grabbed Satin’s hand, which was searching for support. Holding it firmly, he helped her up.

“You’re so small I didn’t see you, kid.”

He really hadn’t seen her.

If she had been a little taller, he would have noticed her sooner.

Then she wouldn’t have fallen.

A soft warmth gathered in his palm. Despite her awkward expression, Satin’s body temperature was innocent.

Rublier let go of her hand, feeling the awkward atmosphere emanating from Satin. The warmth that had lingered for a moment quickly dissipated.

Just around this corner, Satin would be able to find her way to the classroom. Even if she missed it, Gjorn, who’s waiting in front of the classroom, would call out to her.

That should be enough.

Rublier quickly turned his body. He had to go farther than Satin, and he was already late. He sprinted at full speed and entered the classroom last, where everyone was already seated. Only then did a belated question arise.

Satin wasn’t a child who would cry just because she got lost, so why was he so anxious? What kind of impulse was that?

Thinking about it, there were many such impulses with Satin. He always spoke and acted impulsively around her. But sometimes, impulses brought opportunities. Their marriage was the result of one such impulse.

It still didn’t feel real. To be honest, it wasn’t a situation that would feel real. He had left the newlywed house right after the wedding.

It had already been fifteen days. During these fifteen days without Rublier, Satin must have been alone in the newlywed house. Of course, the maid and servants Satin had brought with her were there, but they were employees who served Satin and managed the house, not its owners.

He had met Satin after a long time and seized an opportunity that might never come again, only to be separated for two months right after. Even though he had intended to minimize his absence, unexpected stories made that difficult.

Though he was Satin’s husband, he was also the leader of the Holy Knights. He had to at least confirm the traces of what was said to be the work of evil spirits.

Rublier shook his head.

Nevertheless, he missed Satin, whom he had left behind.

* * *

Each day passed like a shooting arrow.

Starting from the town where he first heard of the ‘work of evil spirits,’ Rublier toured the nearby dioceses one by one. He asked the archbishops he met afterward about the ‘work of evil spirits.’

Their reactions varied. Some had heard of it somewhere, while others had no idea. Few had seen it with their own eyes.

What exactly did the archbishop see to describe it as an inexplicable phenomenon?

No matter how much he pondered, there was no clear answer from the archbishops, who were often old and out of touch.

Rublier decided to meet with lower-ranking bishops and priests instead of the archbishops. After all, archbishops were high-ranking clergy who managed the bishops and priests under them.

Some meticulous and detailed archbishops would be well-versed in all the rumors within their dioceses, but others, who disliked bothersome rumors, might not be.

If the Papal Palace was the trunk of a tree, the archbishops were the branches, and the bishops and priests were the leaves. Rublier decided to start examining those small leaves.

The Holy Knights toured the dioceses thoroughly. Most were sparsely populated and quiet towns, very different from the capital.

Unlike the capital, where social activities continued late into the night, small rural towns started their day at sunrise and ended it at sunset. They were slow, dark, and predominantly old towns.

“It is an infinite honor for the representative of His Holiness to visit such a humble town.”

While archbishops occasionally went up to the capital to meet the Pope, most priests lived their entire lives in one town.

Most had only heard rumors about the young knight from the guardian family who had been appointed as the leader of the Holy Knights just a year ago. Thus, the arrival of the Holy Knights was a significant event in these rural towns.

Time was running out. The two-month business trip was almost over, yet there was little to show for it.

Rublier met with the priests at the clergy house, focusing on questioning them about evil spirits and strange phenomena. However, he still did not get a satisfactory answer.

“Evil spirits… I’m not sure what Sir Paladin is trying to find out. It’s questionable what an evil spirit even looks like, but if such things were wandering around, wouldn’t it be a big deal? Besides, our country is a Holy Kingdom under God’s protection.”

“Anything will do. Has no one witnessed any unusual phenomena?”

“Well… Oh, may I ask how long you plan to stay? Our clergy house is humble, so we need to arrange separate accommodations for the knights.”

The response was lukewarm. Even though it was already past the scheduled departure date for the capital, Rublier was wasting precious time day by day with no end in sight.

However, it was time to make a decision. The Holy Knights could not leave the Pope’s side indefinitely. The same was true for Satin. The new bride had been alone for too long.

Since the phenomena were said to occur rarely, once every ten or twenty years, it would be best to send someone to monitor the situation over a longer period.

“No need for accommodations.”

Rublier declined.

It was time to return. Regarding the work of evil spirits, he would report to the Papal Palace that there were such stories in the provinces.

It would be somewhat insufficient, but it was the best he could do. At least, that’s what he thought until then.

Rublier looked at the map spread out by his lieutenant.

“We seem to be around here.”

The lieutenant pointed to a vague area.

It had been three days since they were relying solely on the map in unfamiliar territory. Traveling along more remote routes than initially planned made the return journey difficult.

The farther they rode, the rougher the roads became. The paths in the remote areas, rarely touched by human feet, were uneven and narrow. Naturally, their speed had to slow down.

Rublier’s horse, a pitch-black steed, could run day and night regardless of the rough roads, but the horses used by the Holy Knights were much weaker.

Naturally, Rublier had to match the pace of the knights.

“Commander!”

One of the knights, riding at the edge of the formation, called out to Rublier, who was organizing the formation. Rublier turned his gaze.

“What is it?”

“Look over there.”

Rublier pulled the reins and approached.

Black objects were scattered across the wild field where the grass grew wildly.

Rublier raised his hand. The Holy Knights, understanding their commander’s signal, simultaneously slowed their horses and stopped. Leaving the knights behind, Rublier crossed the field. The wild grass rustled and bent under the hooves.

There was no need to dismount. Still on his horse, Rublier confirmed the identity of the black objects.

They were pitch-black crows.

“Why are there crows here…?”

The lieutenant, who had followed Rublier into the field, murmured in shock.

Rublier looked up at the sky. The sky was clear. It was an inexplicable event why the birds that should be flying in the blue sky were lying dead in the field.

And then.

‘Very occasionally, when we see inexplicable phenomena, we attribute them to the work of evil spirits.’