Bellota’s breath caught at those words. The shocking news of the orphanage being attacked instantly erased all thoughts of the full moon from her mind. Bellota hastily set down her utensils and stood up.

“I have to meet Priest Felton.”

“Calm down, Saintess. My subordinates are guarding the orphanage. Isn’t that right?”

Geril asked with a reassuring expression as he stood up following Bellota.

“Yes, of course. It is safe now. We have also sent emergency potions and supplies.”

Despite this, Bellota’s face did not ease. Without knowing the nature of the monsters that attacked the orphanage, she couldn’t be sure if the potions Geril provided would be effective. Especially since children are fragile and they often succumb to curses that potions cannot cure.

“But the children’s condition is not good, so we need to monitor them.”

“In that case, I must go there myself.”

Geril muttered softly and then looked at Bellota.

“Saintess, please stay here. I will go.”

But Bellota did not respond quickly. Geril raised his eyebrows leisurely and watched Bellota’s face as she struggled with a deep dilemma.

Soon, Bellota looked at Geril with a determined face and answered.

“I will go with you.”

* * *

“What is this method of luring the creature?”

Seiden, having met the militia of Torcana at the same place as yesterday, got straight to the point. The men, who had been anxious all night fearing the Holy Knight Order might not return, brightened at the sight of the knights and nodded.

“Bring it here!”

At the man’s command, who seemed to be the leader, other men were seen dragging someone from afar. As they approached, the identity of the trembling figure between them became clear. Recognizing it instantly, Kabillon frowned and looked at Seiden.

“……”

Seiden, too, stared impassively at the child being dragged toward them.

When the child finally arrived in front of them, the knights’ faces were filled with indescribable bewilderment. The small, thin child, who seemed no older than six or seven, was too scared even to cry, just hiccupping. His small body was bound with ropes.

“Isn’t this a child?”

Kabillon questioned, unable to hold back, and the leader of the men looked at him.

“This is the only way.”

“What do you mean, the only way? The child is crying!”

“The only way to lure the creature is with the blood of a child.”

A cold silence fell among the knights at those words. Only then did Seiden look away from the trembling child and stared at the man.

“All the children of the village have been eaten by the creature. The surviving children fled with their parents. This child is the only one left in the village.”

Seiden opened his mouth, staring intently at the man.

“Where are this child’s parents?”

He said in a quiet, leveled voice. Kabillon glanced at him. But the man, knowing nothing about Seiden, answered without a blink.

“That’s not important. We were saving the child to catch the creature when we’re ready, but since the knights have come, we are offering everything we have. You must have seen the full moon last night.”

Seiden’s eyes slowly hardened.

“That’s surely an ominous sign. If that moon only rose over Selento…”

The man shivered in fear and looked at Seiden with a determined face.

“So, we must not fail.”

It was as if the child was nothing more than an object.

At that moment, someone came running from afar, crying out, only to be stopped by the men who sensed it. The knights’ gazes all turned in that direction.

“Don’t do it! Noah!”

When the emaciated and haggard woman cried out the child’s name, the trembling child responded.

“Uh, Mom…….”

“Noah! Please return Noah……!”

The knights all realized that this woman was the child’s mother.

“Can’t you be quiet! Didn’t I tell you that the knights would save Noah!”

“Use, use my blood. I’ll be the bait……. Huh…….”

“Haa…… Elise……. How many times do I have to explain that we need the child’s blood to ensure the lure works? Huh? This is the only way to save the village!”

“But you need— you need to draw blood!”

“It’ll only take a moment! Damn it, we’re all going to die, what’s wrong with a few drops of blood!”

“Please…… All I have left is Noah……. You know that, please……!”

The woman’s desperate cries echoed. Some knights couldn’t bear to watch and turned their heads.

“Take her away.”

When the man gave the cold command, other men grabbed Elise by her arms and tried to drag her away. Elise struggled, calling out for Noah, and Noah also started crying in response. The once quiet place quickly turned into chaos.

“I’m sorry. For showing you this. We’ll settle it soon.”

The men, embarrassed by the commotion, bowed politely and apologized. Watching this intently, Seiden suddenly pulled on the reins and rushed towards the woman being dragged away.

Huh. Kabillon, sensing what was about to happen, held his breath.

“Huh……? I’ll handle it…….”

The man, who thought Seiden was coming to help with the struggling woman, waved his hand but was struck hard on the head with the flat of a sword and collapsed, unconscious.

“Gasp…….”

The man holding Elise’s other arm also collapsed from a blow to the head. The remaining soldiers turned pale at Seiden’s sudden action.

“What are you doing!”

The leader, enraged by Seiden’s unexpected behavior, shouted, but Seiden didn’t even glance at him. He dismounted and approached the still sobbing Noah.

“W-wait……!”

The men surrounding and restraining Noah tried to stop Seiden with cold faces. However, when two of them fell foaming at the mouth after a single strike, they quickly scattered and fled. Easily dispatching the obstacles, Seiden stepped over the fallen men and picked up the crying child.

In the place that turned to ruins in an instant, tension and fear filled the air. Seiden, with an indifferent face, approached Elise again. He handed Noah to the stunned Elise, just like the men.

“N-Noah!”

“Mom!”

As soon as Noah was put down, he ran to his mother and cried loudly. Seiden watched Elise, who was holding Noah tightly and crying desperately, and asked.

“Is there a reason you must stay in the village?”

Elise looked up at Seiden. Her eyes were filled with confusion.

“There’s nowhere to go……, nowhere to go…….”

Elise answered, lowering her head. How could a delicate woman, with a child, escape? Through the monsters surrounding the village.

Watching her, Seiden turned to Luke.

“Luke.”

“Yes!”

Luke, who had been watching the scene with an angry face, immediately ran forward at Seiden’s call.

“Take this mother and child to the capital. Take care of them.”

Elise’s eyes widened at his indifferent words. The soldiers watching were also bewildered but none dared to step forward and stop him.

“Yes, understood. Please, come this way.”

Luke, answering firmly, dismounted and gently helped Elise and Noah onto his and another knight’s horse.
After watching this, Seiden mounted his horse and commanded the knights.

“Return to the castle.”

The leader, who had been anxiously watching the situation without a word, couldn’t hold back and shouted.

“What are you doing now!”

Seiden tried to ignore him, but the man, his face red with anger, ran up to block him.

“Damn it! Leave the child! Who do you think you are……!”

Seiden looked at the man glaring at him with bloodshot eyes.

“You said you’d help! You said you’d help! We gave you our last card because we believed you……!”

The man, seething, was met with Seiden’s calm reply.

“This village will be annihilated.”

The man’s eyes widened at his words.

“W-what?”

Dumbfounded, the man asked again, but Seiden continued in a low voice as if speaking to his subordinates.

“Soon, the monster they fear will appear,”

“…….”

“Even if, by some luck, that monster disappears, another will eventually show up and attack until not a single one is left.”

“…….”

“I promise we won’t come back to this village until then.”

Seiden added in a low voice, looking down at the man with cold eyes.

“It seems God has sent the monsters to clean out these vermin.”

The men’s faces turned pale at Seiden’s cold murmur.

“From now on, anyone who blocks the path of the Holy Knight Order will be treated the same as monsters.”

Seiden’s quiet command sent a chill running down the back of the man still standing in his way. Seiden mercilessly pulled on the reins and moved his horse. The man, realizing Seiden was ready to trample over him, quickly threw himself aside to avoid the horse.

The knights lined up and followed Seiden. Since they all had their swords drawn, not a single soldier dared to confront or block them until they were out of sight.

“Sir, is it alright to return like this?”

On their way back to the castle, Kabillon asked worriedly, and Seiden immediately replied.

“Do I need to repeat myself? I have no obligation to save scum who have given up their humanity.”

Kabillon nodded at Seiden’s calm answer. Indeed, there was no need to feel sympathy for a village filled with people who treated the weak this way.

“Then what about Rivierto?”

“We’ll inspect it tomorrow, and if it’s in the same condition, we’ll return to the capital immediately.”

“Yes, understood.”

Kabillon didn’t speak further, and Seiden quietly led the way.

Seiden intended to relay the same decision to Bellota as soon as he returned to the castle. However, it wasn’t Bellota waiting for him at the castle.

“Sir!”