Chapter 110: The Orphanage and the Saint

“Sorry to trouble you.”

The girl in front of me was poorly dressed, with a dusty layer of yellow hair, and a slightly flushed face dotted with some faint spots.

There was no trace of evil aura on her—I thought to myself, silently tucking the crow I had killed with magic beneath my cloak.

At the same time, I saw the golden-haired young girl staring intently at me, trying to peer at my face hidden beneath my hood.

“Have you run into some trouble? Would you like to come in and sit for a while?”

As if seeing through my hesitation, the girl suddenly asked.

“No… I’m just passing by…”

The refusal was on the tip of my tongue but caught in my throat. That dark shadow standing atop the courtyard wall kept me on high alert. Why would a black mage’s eyes and ears be spying on this seemingly ordinary courtyard? If I couldn’t figure out why…

I peered past the girl’s shoulder through the crack in the door.

A warm light spilled out from the courtyard, and I could faintly hear the steady, peaceful breathing of those fast asleep.

“Are you sure you’re alright? You seemed to be lingering outside the gate for quite a while… being alone at night in a place like this.” The girl asked once more to confirm.

“Ah… actually, I’m a bit lost…”

Changing my mind about leaving, I spoke up instead. The yellow-haired girl smiled and opened the door a little wider.

“Please, come on in…”

“Is this really a good idea? Letting an unfamiliar stranger inside in the middle of the night?”

“It’s fine. Mother always teaches us to help those in need. And…” She paused, her voice soft but certain. “You don’t look like a bad person.”

Shifting my gaze slightly, I caught sight of her right hand, which she had been keeping behind her back, quickly sliding a thick wooden club into the nearby woodpile. The movement was smooth and discreet.

‘Well then…’ I sighed inwardly, finally stepping into the courtyard.

In the courtyard stood a three-story wooden building. Its hanging plaque was peeling and faded, but the words “Margaret’s House” were still faintly legible. In the corner, wooden toys like rocking horses lay in disrepair, looking completely run-down.

‘An orphanage…’ I realized silently.

My gaze swept across the eaves. Another crow was perched there with its wings folded, its dark red eyes seemingly peering down.

“Please wait in the courtyard for a moment. I’ll go let Mother know.”

“No need to worry,” I stopped her immediately. “I’ll only stay in the courtyard for a brief moment. Besides…”

Taking advantage of the moment she turned around, I flicked my finger. An imperceptible red shadow shot out with precision, and the crow on the eaves fell soundlessly, dropping behind the building.

For some reason, a premonition of an impending storm grew increasingly clear and intense, hammering in my chest.

“Mmh… that’s true, everyone is still asleep. Then why don’t you sit here and rest your feet?”

The simple, golden-haired girl dragged over a long wooden bench and placed it under the eaves. Despite her short stature, she worked exceptionally quickly and efficiently.

Hesitating for a moment, I sat down near the edge of the bench, and the girl sat down right beside me.

“By the way, why aren’t you asleep?” I asked softly.

“Oh, that… it’s my turn to keep watch tonight.”

The girl brought over some needlework, her crochet hook flying between her fingertips as she mended the clothes in her hands. Seeing no response from me, she blinked and explained further:

“Ah! It’s not because we’re worried about crime. Even though it’s a bit remote here, our neighbors are actually very nice. It’s just that in the past, some people abandoned babies at our door under the cover of night… so since then, someone keeps watch every night.”

Yet what concerned me was not this at all—I stared at the girl before me for a long while before suddenly asking out of the blue:

“Excuse me, but may I ask your name?”

“Huh?” The girl was taken aback, then answered with a hint of fluster. “How rude of me! I should have introduced myself earlier. My name is Iselaya—”

Was this a coincidence—or fate?

Iselaya. This name simply did not sound like it belonged to a girl from a commoner’s alley—those were usually names like Mariana or Annamarie—yet here she was, standing right before my eyes.

“Ah… it’s a bit strange, isn’t it? But it’s the name Mother Sister gave me… She told me that according to legend, this is the name of the Lady of the Lake.”

Iselaya offered a slightly bashful smile, but that was the absolute last thing on my mind. To me, this name had nothing to do with some legendary Lady of the Lake; it had a far more definite implication—

One of the female protagonists in the original novel, who was not some imposter chosen by men, but the true God-chosen Saint.

I was momentarily dazed, staring at her, entirely unable to imagine that such boundless divine blessing lay hidden within this small body. However, my intense gaze made Iselaya look confused.

“What is it? Is there something on my face?”

“No…” I shook my head. “I was just spacing out.”

With that, I stood up.

Black mages were watching this place… Could they have targeted the Saint too? But logically speaking, until the exact moment of her awakening, there should be absolutely no way to confirm her true identity by any means.

How did they set their eyes on this place?

I checked once more, confirming that there were no other traces of dark magic in the courtyard. But this wouldn’t do; even if I killed the crows acting as eyes and ears, they would send new scouts before long.

“Wait a moment.”

Iselaya’s voice came from behind.

“You must be exhausted. Why don’t you come inside and rest for a while first?”

Giving me almost no room to refuse, Iselaya caught me by the wrist and gently pulled me indoors. This place was indeed an orphanage; through the hanging fabric curtain, I could see rows of children sleeping soundly on bunk beds.

“Here… I’ll take you to the night watchman’s room.”

Still holding my wrist, Iselaya slipped quietly into a small room with a half-open door. Inside was a single wooden cot with clean sheets.

Through the window, one could keep watch over the courtyard outside—

“There, you can rest here.”

I was still feeling astonished by her complete lack of defense. Wasn’t she afraid of letting a wolf into her home? No, then again, for an orphanage protected only by a simple courtyard wall, any defense would probably be futile against those with truly malicious intent.

Iselaya gave me a warm smile.

“Alright, I’ll go prepare breakfast for everyone first. You rest here for now. Would you like to join us for breakfast in a bit?”

***

In the end, I didn’t join the orphanage for breakfast as Iselaya had suggested. Instead, I took advantage of a moment when she wasn’t paying attention to slip away.

Walking toward the bright areas along the road, it didn’t take me much time to find my bearings. I noted the conspicuous landmarks nearby, hired a two-wheeled carriage, and set off on the bumpy journey back.

Upon returning to my room at the monastery, I sorted through everything I had seen and heard tonight, knowing I had to warn Kritiya.

Kritiya leaned against the edge of the bed, silently staring at the corpse of the crow before her. After a long while, she spoke up:

“Why do you think she is related to the Saint?”

“Because… the relic of the prior Saintess reacted.”

I told a lie. Although there were rumors that the relics of the prior Saintess would guide the way to the new Saintess, the sacred remains did not actually possess any such special property.

Kritiya rubbed her temples, finally letting out a long sigh.

“If that’s the case, we have to find a way to protect that child.”

“And about Diya… we should also ask around to find out what exactly happened to Kaswin,” I reminded her.

Kritiya let out a low grunt, though I couldn’t tell if it was meant as agreement.

Even though we had only been in the Royal Capital for a single day, urgent matters that needed to be addressed were already crashing over us like a rising tide. Just as I was about to discuss further with her, a knock sounded at the door.

It was the voice of the personal maid, Sally, who had also accompanied us and was staying in the adjoining room.

“Miss, are you awake? Um… Bishop Amelius has come to see you.”