As Seiden finally reached the castle, he noticed Felton preparing to leave and frowned. Felton, who was urgently mounting his horse, saw the returning knights and desperately called out to Seiden.

“Where are you going? Where is the Saintess?”

When Seiden approached and asked, Felton dismounted and hurriedly explained.

“She went to the orphanage in Rivierto with Duke Lylester!”

Seiden’s brows furrowed after hearing Felton’s angry shout.

“……The orphanage in Rivierto? What do you mean?”

“The orphanage was attacked. There are injured children there.”

Seiden, looking at Felton, stiffened when the orphanage and injured children were mentioned. A cold, unpleasant sensation crept up Seiden’s neck.

“Did you say there are injured children?”

When Seiden asked in a chillingly low voice, Felton, sensing something strange, looked puzzled.

“Yes? Yes. They said there are severely injured children.”

Felton’s answer made Seiden’s heart sink coldly. Something felt wrong. Kabillon, who had approached them, asked in confusion.

“Then why didn’t the priests go with you?”

“That man……! No, Duke Lylester gave us the wrong directions. We kept ending up in the forest. I returned because something felt off. Then he left with the Saintess alone!”

Trying to calm his rising anger, Felton unfolded the map he was holding.

“This is the map showing the location of the orphanage. The Duke’s forces are with them, so nothing should happen, but it’s my duty to stay by the Saintess’s side. So we must leave now.”

Felton sighed in frustration and then looked at Seiden, realizing something was amiss.

“But how did you return so quickly? Did you catch the culprit? And who are the woman and child?”

“Ah, that’s…….”

Kabillon was about to explain the unfortunate incident they had just experienced when Seiden suddenly dismounted and snatched the map from Felton’s hand.

“Is it here?”

Seiden pointed to the marked spot on the map, and Felton, taken aback, nodded.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Seiden quickly scanned the map, memorized the route, and then handed it back to Felton before urgently mounting his horse. Without giving anyone a chance to stop him, he turned his horse and sped off.

“Si-Sir!”

Kabillon called out to Seiden, confused by the lack of orders, but Seiden didn’t look back even once as he galloped away.

* * *

“Ow!”

The child, who had been clenching his eyes shut, couldn’t endure the pain and cried out. Bellota, who had been carefully treating the child’s deeply cut, bleeding arm, paused.

“Does it hurt?”

Bellota asked apologetically, and the child, with tearful eyes, looked at her and spoke.

“It stings too much……. Can’t you stop……?”

When the child whimpered, Bellota looked at her sympathetically before changing her expression to a smile.

“How about this? If you endure the treatment, I’ll give you a gift.”

“A gift……?”

When she said that, the child’s tear-filled eyes sparkled with curiosity and anticipation.

“Yes. It’s a gift only for brave children. What do you think? But if it’s too painful, I suppose I can’t help it and will have to stop the treatment.”

Hearing those words, the child quickly shook her head, stopping her tears.

“I-I can endure it!”

The child, determined to prove her resolve, extended her arm to Bellota and clenched her eyes shut again.

Charmed by the child’s adorable determination, Bellota suppressed a smile and resumed treating the wound. Despite the continued pain, the child flinched but didn’t withdraw her arm, allowing Bellota to identify the cause of the injury. Just as Geril’s subordinate had reported, the orphanage had been attacked by monsters.

The monster that had attacked the child in front of her was a salverk. It resembles a giant beetle, but hundreds of times larger than a regular one, and salverks moved in swarms. They climbed walls and roofs and sucked human blood, leaving the orphanage devastated. As reported, there were many severely injured children.

The child she was treating now had been stabbed by the salverk’s sharp antennae. Its antennae carried a curse that required immediate treatment.

“Saintess.”

While Bellota was focused on treating the child, Geril, who had been organizing the orphanage with his subordinates, entered and took a place beside her. If Felton had been there, he would have jumped up and said not to talk during treatment, but Bellota greeted him without showing any sign of discomfort.

“Duke, could you please wait a moment? I think I can finish the treatment soon.”

“Ah, of course. Please, go ahead without worry.”

Geril raised his hands as if to show he meant no harm and took a step back, watching Bellota treat the child. A soft blue light began to emanate from Bellota’s hand, which was touching the child’s gruesome wound.

Geril stood with his arms crossed, admiring Bellota’s profile as she focused intently, a slight frown on her forehead. The sacred sight caused the pulse at Geril’s neck to beat greedily.

She was truly a beautiful woman, no matter how many times he saw her. With such beauty, he was sure that everyone would covet the place beside her, even if she weren’t a saintess. As Geril imagined himself beside her, he glanced at the child when Bellota finally finished the treatment and let out a small sigh.

“It’s all done, Mila. You did very well.”

Bellota said with a gentle smile, and Geril, uncrossing his arms, approached with a very kind smile and patted the child’s head.

“Let’s see, it’s all healed. You were very brave. What a good child.”

Geril tried to lift the child up to portray a kind man, but the child quickly stepped back, which made impossible. Embarrassed by his small stumble, Geril cleared his throat, and the child asked Bellota,

“What about the gift?”

“Gift?”

“Yes, the Saintess said she would give me a gift if I finished the treatment.”

“Ah? Ahaha, yes, of course. A good child who receives treatment deserves a gift.”

Geril exaggeratedly searched his pockets, realizing he had nothing suitable to give as a gift. He hastily pulled out the brooch pinned to his chest and offered it.

“Here, take this. Do you see this purple jewel? It’s made of magic stone. It’s very precious.”

Geril smiled benevolently, but the child’s expression remained indifferent.

“I don’t really like that……. I don’t have clothes to wear it on…….”

Bellota suppressed a bitter smile at the sight. The child was only six years old and wouldn’t understand the value of such a brooch, especially growing up in a quiet countryside.

Bellota rummaged through her pocket and pulled out something to give to the child.

“How about this? As promised, it’s a gift for a brave child.”

In Bellota’s hand was a pretty pink lollipop. Though it was insignificant compared to the brooch, it was more precious to a child than a magic stone.

Mila happily took the lollipop and bowed to Bellota.

“Thank you, Saintess! My arm doesn’t hurt anymore!”

Then she ran outside excitedly. Embarrassed, Geril put the brooch back in his pocket.

“Well, I should have brought candy instead.”

Bellota, who was watching the child run off, turned to Geril with a smile.

“She’s too young to understand Your Grace’s intentions.”

Geril, looking back at Bellota, frowned. Sweat was beading on Bellota’s forehead as she kindly defended the child.

“Oh no! Saintess, aren’t you overexerting yourself?”

Overly concerned, Geril approached to wipe her forehead. But before his hand could reach, Bellota stood up and stepped back, leaving his exaggerated gesture unfulfilled.

“I’m fine.”

Bellota murmured softly, and Geril smoothly clenched his hovering hand, showing a worried face.

“No, you must take a break from the treatment.”

“No, I…….”

“I insist, Saintess. If something happens to you, I won’t forgive myself.”

Bellota looked at Geril, who was sternly insisting with a firm face.

“The priests will arrive soon, so please rest until then.”

At those words, Bellota remembered that the priests had not yet arrived at the orphanage. Could they have lost their way? Realizing she hadn’t thought of this due to being absorbed in the treatment, Bellota’s face showed concern.

“Could the priests have lost their way?”

“The path is quite complicated, so it’s possible. I’ll send someone to check immediately. Meanwhile, you should get some fresh air outside. The remaining children are being treated with potions, so it will be fine for a while.”

Bellota hesitated for a moment and then nodded. She felt dizzy after treating more than a dozen children right after the intense encounter the previous night. The encounter hadn’t been prepared for, unlike the past few months, leaving her body tense. She couldn’t deny Geril’s suggestion to rest.

“Just for a moment then…….”

“Yes, just a moment. This way, please.”

Geril quickly approached and supported Bellota by the shoulders. Bellota’s shoulders tensed at the sudden contact, but Geril didn’t let go, and she couldn’t push him away again, so she reluctantly walked with him.

When they stepped outside, they saw children playing in the desolate garden. They were the children Bellota had treated earlier. Geril led Bellota to an old bench where they could see the children clearly.

“It’s a good sight. These are the children you saved, Saintess.”

Geril murmured warmly, glancing at Bellota. Even in this situation, Bellota couldn’t take her eyes off the children who were laughing and running around. Seeing everything unfold as he had anticipated, a satisfied smile appeared on Geril’s lips.

Bellota, who showed boundless mercy to everyone, had a particularly soft spot for the weak, especially children, and among them, orphans in situations similar to her own childhood. This was information Geril had gathered over several years.