Chapter 586
“yes.”
-Cow!
I don’t know why he keeps playing jokes like this these days.
He keeps opening his mouth wide and pretends to swallow my face.
Don’t you know that’s a fucking scary thing from a cat’s point of view?
I’m feeling weird and I’m not, so this is just scary!
It’s fortunate that I didn’t do meaningless and useless things like patrolling the imperial capital.
It’s a bit scary because you’re like a kid who has nothing in his brain except playing with a cat all day.
Ellen lies on the bed, muttering with me at her bedside.
Fortunately, these days, Ellen doesn’t get dazed, which is good.
I am glad that the effect of animal therapy is very good.
“cute.”
hmm.
It’s not too hard for you either.
Of course, Ellen’s expression darkened when she looked out the window where it was still snowing.
It’s coming sadly
Seeing the snow cover everything in the world, there’s nothing Ellen can do. Eyes are not monsters.
There is nothing a hero can do in heavy snow.
So all I can do is take a break.
After idling around for a while, Ellen hugged me and woke up.
hmm.
Is it lunch time already?
This is what time melts away.
* * *
Lunch hour.
Heinrich and Louise were also eating at the banquet hall, as if they had returned from their walk on time.
However, it was a slightly different atmosphere than usual.
Not the atmosphere between the two of them, but the atmosphere of the banquet hall.
-Students who wish to apply for the Yellow Island snow removal work, please make a list and report it to the House Superintendent.
Employees were delivering notices to people entering the banquet hall.
All over the ecliptic, there will be a flood of snow removal operations now.
It’s not compulsory, but it’s a sense of responsibility or a sense of mission with power.
So it was crowded with students who put their names on the list.
It’s a scene where superhumans covered in blue flames of magical power are clearing the streets of the ecliptic with shovels, not spears and knives… … .
Of course, there are superhumans as well as magic majors and supernatural powers. If they are mobilized to clear the snow on the ecliptic in their own way, they will be able to provide quite meaningful help.
no, wait.
Ellen was about to eat, but her eyes were on the crowd of volunteers for the snow removal.
… … I’m doing it, but I can do it.
You are a snow-clearing warrior.
“Uh, Ellen.”
As Ellen brought food and sat down nearby, Heinrich pretended to know. Beside him, Louise von Schwarz was slicing sausages.
“Are you going to clear the snow?”
“Because there is nothing to do.”
It’s not dangerous, but… … .
Did you know that cleaning snow makes you hate snow?
No, it seems that you already hate it enough.
“You can do it if you want to. Make sure to use your skills… … . There’s no law saying it won’t help. If you think about it, there might be a better way.”
“ah… … . Yes, sister.”
As if Louise had no intention of forcing Heinrich’s actions, it seemed that she was half-way ready to allow it.
Snow falling is probably the most urgent problem in the ecliptic right now.
If things get too serious, consider contacting Liana.
Still, there are things everyone can do rather than just resting, and that’s helping people, but there’s nothing dangerous. So the normally quiet atmosphere was a little excited.
Many of them were aristocrats, talented people picked and picked by the empire.
They fought for humanity in the face of a crisis called the Gate Crisis.
No matter where you come from or how you grew up, the mindset that you have to use your power for someone is inherent in your experience.
That’s why I was from a noble background, Nabal, and people seemed to die because of the snow, but of course I thought I had to move.
In the thought that people seem great, but in the end sad.
suddenly.
somewhere.
something burned… … . Same thing.
I smell burnt.
what?
Looking around, I could only find the source of the smell.
Ludwig.
“Ludwig… … ?”
Heinrich narrowed his eyes while looking at Ludwig.
Not only did it smell burnt, but it was like a full body wound.
“Guys… … .”
Ludwig slowly approaches Ellen and Heinrich.
“I kinda… … .”
“Hey, why are you here? what happened?”
Heinrich got up from his seat, and the others were staring blankly at Ludwig, who had become a beggar.
“I kinda… … . only once… … .”
Ludwig muttered blankly.
“Can I help you… … ?”
It was clear that he had gone through something out of the ordinary.
* * *
When it seemed clear that Ludwig had gone through some hardships, Heinrich, Ellen, and Louise finished their meal as they were.
Exit the banquet hall and head to the B class dormitory lobby.
“I need to wash up first. Are there any injuries?”
“Yes, I am not hurt… … I wasn’t hurt… … . yes… … . I wasn’t hurt… … .”
Louise grabbed Ludwig’s shoulder as he repeated the same words as if he was out of order.
“Wash it first. Let’s cool down, change our clothes first, organize our thoughts, and then talk. Understand?”
“yes… … . Yes, Commander… … .”
Ludwig slowly nodded his head in a daze at Louise’s words, which seemed to be gently admonishing him.
We all watched in a daze as Ludwig staggered towards his room.
“what… … . What the hell happened to him?”
“… … I don’t know.”
“I think I was at the scene of a fire… … .”
Ellen was looking toward Ludwig’s room with a worried look in her arms.
* * *
Ludwig soon washed and changed and came out into the lobby.
Still didn’t seem to have calmed down.
Ludwig explained the situation with repeated repetitions of how engrossed he was. Originally, he wasn’t a very good talker, but now that he’s been through something big, he can’t help but be more talkative.
“plunder?”
“uh… … . People… … . I set fire to the temple where the priest is… … . loot… … . I killed all the people in the temple… … .”
Ellen, Louise, and Heinrich couldn’t help but open their eyes.
“It was too late when I went. people all die The temple is on fire. I went in to find the priest, but already… … . miserably… … He was murdered… … . The building just collapsed… … .”
Ludwig was crushed by a collapsing building, but superhumans don’t die that much.
Ludwig was buried with Rowen’s body in the collapsing temple and escaped on his own.
And, I watched as the guards and wizards who arrived to rectify the situation put out the fire.
Arriving guards investigated Ludwig and sent him back after finding out he wasn’t involved.
I wonder if it was because he jumped directly into the scene of the fire that the burnt smell came out so badly.
In the end, Ludwig had no choice but to return to the temple without being able to do anything.
“In this case… … . It shouldn’t be like this. That’s right. What did the priest do wrong? It wasn’t the priest who did the wrong thing. What did the temple people do wrong? When people see the fire, they say that it went well, and that they are glad they died. That’s not okay.”
Ludwig’s eyes showed anger.
“I am… … . I don’t know. Shouldn’t this be happening? I can’t help but think like that. and… … .”
Ludwig looks at Ellen and Heinrich and says.
“I know that the person who did this must be punished. But how to find them… … . I really don’t know.”
Ludwig muttered blankly.
“I saw people who looted the temple and fled. I want to find those people. Find out why did you do that? Why did you have to… … . I’d like to ask a question too. He was a good person who tried to save people. He was a good man, but why did he kill him… … .”
Ludwig even saw the culprits himself. However, he himself does not have the power to investigate, and even if he does, he does not think he will be able to catch the criminal.
“Sorry. I’m not qualified to ask you guys, but still… … . Because I can’t… … .”
Ludwig’s expression and eyes were boiling with sorrow, resentment, and anger.
Ludwig has no power, no power. And, he doesn’t even think he can solve it.
So, I returned to the Temple to seek help.
Someone who might be able to help you, who has the power, has the power, and even has the wisdom.
There was only one person that could come to Ludwig’s mind.
“only once… … . Can I help you just once… … ?”
Of course, there would have been none other than Ellen Artorius.
Ellen looked at Ludwig with a desperate expression and nodded as if it were natural.
“huh. I will help you.”
Feeling guilty towards Ludwig, Ellen, of course, couldn’t refuse the request.
* * *
The arson of Tuan’s temple, and murder and looting.
Ludwig asked Ellen for help, and Ellen said she would help without hesitation.
Louise and Heinrich didn’t answer right away, but they were still listening to Ludwig’s words.
Ludwig described what he saw as much as he saw it.
“The priest said. There were people who were destroying the temple, and there were also people who wanted to set it on fire. maybe… … . Maybe the people who used to do that kind of thing did it together… … . I think so.”
His hatred of Tuan and Als faith sometimes leads to attacks on temples.
Graffiti and desecration of temples, of course, there are people who sometimes try to set fires.
And that arson attempt led to a real incident.
“Are you sure everyone in the temple is dead?”
At Ellen’s words, Ludwig nodded.
“When I entered the temple… … . I haven’t seen anyone alive.”
Once Ellen decided to help, her expression was calm and unwavering.
“And, that it was the work of ‘normal’ people.”
“I saw people plundering the temple and returning. clearly… … . I think they said things like food is better than this stuff. No, it’s not like I heard it, I heard it. clearly.”
After listening to Ludwig’s words, Ellen pondered for a while and looked at Ludwig and said calmly.
“There are many priests whose physical abilities aren’t that great. But an archbishop-level priest… … . Is it possible to be killed by civilians?”
okay.
That’s the problem.
Even if it was an attack by the vengeful, would it be possible for the archbishop-level priest and everyone in the temple to die?
I was thinking the same thing as Ellen.
But at Ellen’s words, Ludwig shook his head.
“I did think of that too. But if Priest Rowen had been able to fight, he wouldn’t have used me as his bodyguard in the first place. And when things go wrong during the cleanup… … . I took the priest and ran away.”
Ludwig’s words also have some truth.
If Archbishop Rowen was a man capable of fighting himself, there would be no reason to use Ludwig as his bodyguard. Because he sees no reason why a man who can fend for himself should.
“And the size of the temple wasn’t that big either. maybe… … . I don’t think there was a paladin. None of the bodies were wearing armor… … .”
There is an extreme shortage of priests and most combat-capable troops are in Allied positions. And it was not the headquarters of the Knights Templar, but the individual temples of the five main religions in the ecliptic, and the scale was also small.
The fact that there wasn’t even a single paladin is understandable.
The shabby temple could have been attacked by a mob, and it was not impossible that all the people were killed.
A mob broke into the temple, killed priests and believers, and set fire to the temple.
It’s not at all unlikely to happen. but the odds are slim. That’s because the reality of the empire is that the Tuan faith and the Ars faith are being persecuted.
Ludwig found it difficult to bear the anger of the people being directed at the innocent in such a way.
“As you said, if it was the mob, neither the guards nor the Templars would be able to catch all the criminals. And that goes for me too.”
It’s not like Ellen has any talent.
“Is that so… … .”
Ludwig went looking for Ellen, thinking that there might be another option, since someone other than himself, someone more intelligent than himself, would be better than he was.
However, Ellen is not what you will find there if this is a temple raid and looting by a mob.
Ellen was silent and contemplating, as if there was a high possibility that I would not know if what you said was true.
In such a situation, Louise von Schwarz looked at Ludwig silently.
It was clear that Louise was very fond of Ludwig because of his good heart. And yesterday, I was in a position to receive direct help.
That’s why, it seemed clear that Ludwig wanted to help with anything now that he was having a hard time.
“I don’t know the details, but there are a few issues that need to be made clear.”
“which… … ?”
“That this case should be considered in three stages.”
Louise points a finger.
“Murder.”
“arson.”
“And loot.”
“This case is divided into three stages like this.”
“So the important thing is the order first.”
“Whether it was murder, arson, or looting. In the first place, we should clarify what the purpose of the raiders is.”
Louise breaks the case apart.
“It is possible that looting was the purpose. Assuming that the temple was raided for that purpose, it would have been discovered and killed by the priests during the looting. Then it must have been stealing before plundering. When the theft was discovered, the priests were killed, and later set on fire. I don’t know why you need to set fire to it.”
Louise continues speaking slowly.
“Murder may have been the purpose. If so, they would have raided the temple, killed the priests, and plundered the empty temple. It might have been a waste of things in the temple to leave as it is. Setting the fire may have been an expression of anger in its own way.”
Heinrich was also quietly listening to Louise’s words.
“It is highly unlikely that arson was the purpose. If the fire had been set, the priests would have escaped the temple. But Ludwig, you said that when you entered the temple, all the priests were dead. If so, arson must have happened after the murder.”
A story about the sequence and purpose of events.
Arson is the next priority.
The words that looting or murder would have been the purpose and arson would not have been the purpose. At those words, Ludwig lost his spirit.
“The order… … . Why is it important… … ?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Louise says
“Because the murderer, the looter, and the arsonist might be others.”
Louise looks at Ellen.
It’s a gaze that seems to understand what it means.
“That means the three things may have happened at different times and by different people.”
“okay.”
Louise said that what seemed like a single event might actually have happened at the hands of others.
“Even if it was the actions of the mob in the first place, those who killed the priest, those who stole things, and those who set the fire would be different, and the time when they happened would be different.”
“and.”
“Like you said, Ludwig, even if the temple’s guards are lax. I think this way of thinking is right.”
“No matter how many mobs there are… … . No matter how incompetent the priest is in combat.”
“The possibility that a priest the size of an archbishop could have been killed at the hands of a mob… … . It looks very low.”
Both Louise and Ellen seemed to judge that this incident was something out of the ordinary.
In the end, nothing will change if you sit down and talk.
“Let’s go to the field.”
Ellen says so.
The crucial difference between Ludwig and Ellen.
In the land of men, there is no door that does not open before the name of Ellen Artorius.
The same goes for the Guard and the Knights Templar.
“I… … . sister.”
Heinrich also cautiously looked at Louise and said.
Louise looked at Heinrich with a firm expression as usual. This person, she seems to be infinitely cold to be honest, but in the end, she is the one who killed her two younger brothers with her own hands for Heinrich’s sake.
It’s hard to fathom how much he hates Heinrich and how much guilt Heinrich feels.
“It’s helping a friend, so there’s no way I can tell you not to do it. I am also about to add a word.”
Heinrich, as well as Louise, were on their way to rest.
I didn’t come here for a political purpose.
“Of course, if it’s dangerous, we’ll have to stop.”
Louise said that while looking at Ludwig.
“So I will follow.”
She seemed to want to get everyone out of the way if she judged it dangerous, regardless of helping or not. From her point of view, there was no reason to stand still and watch Heinrich get involved in dangerous things.
“Go, thank you… … .”
When Ludwig offered to help Ellen and even an unexpected person, Ludwig’s expression became ecstatic.
this something
things are getting bigger.
somehow this thing. I don’t think it will end normally.
This situation where the people gathered here suddenly get involved in something suspicious.
I have a feeling this isn’t going to end very well.
I feel like I want to dry it like a chimney, but after all, it’s a cat, so I couldn’t say anything except meow.
