CH 67

Rick Pov

Time flies when you're talking, and before I knew it, it was nighttime.　

I saw them off outside the restaurant.

"It was a fun day. Thank you."　

"See you at school tomorrow."　

"Good luck with your work."

There's something I should have said before we parted.

"Wait a minute. You know what? How about we take Sania somewhere soon?"

They seemed to understand what I mean by that.

"No problem. My schedule is flexible, so let me know as soon as you decide when."　

"I'm available anytime, so let me know as soon as possible."　

"I'll let you know as soon as I can. We'll work out the details of where we're going and so on."

The two said, "I'll look for a place where we can take a day trip," and left.　

I returned to the restaurant just as they were out of sight.　Well, let's go back to work today.

The next day, I was supposed to go about my normal routine at .......　

The change came after the morning's physical training and lunch.

The first thing that changed was the way the instructor, Sherifa, came into the classroom as usual, but today she was dressed differently.

She was wearing the "white armor" of a Temple Knight and her beloved sword on her waist.　

She was fully armed.

"I'm sorry. I'm about to go to class, but suddenly I have to go on a mission."

The instructor continued to talk while everyone looked at her suspiciously.

"As some of you may know, there has been a kidnapping in town. There have been several disappearances of city residents in recent weeks, and yesterday we received a report of a suspicious person seen taking a child."

Is that what Gervas was talking about?　

I stood up.

"Instructor. Are those rumors lately about Darzain, by any chance?"

The instructor looks a little surprised.

"I am surprised. I am not sure, but I think it might be so. Normally, I would have left it to the Knights of the State, but they are on the other side. As you all know, this city is huge. Thanks to the lack of manpower, I've been sent out as well."

The instructor told the students to stay in the classroom and wait for the substitute to arrive in a few minutes.

"I guess what you said yesterday was true."　

"Oh, you didn't believe me!?"　

"I'm sure you didn't see it firsthand. If so, it's only natural that people would listen to you half-heartedly."

I call out to Gervas and Refia joins the conversation.

"Gervas. Don't you know any other details?"

Gervas growls a little thoughtfully.

"I've heard that someone was seen with the mark of Darzain on his body, and that around the same time the guild received requests to search for missing persons, mostly young women and children, which led me to believe that they were kidnapping them for use in some kind of weird experiment or ritual."

I see.

"So you didn't see them take the kid?"　

"Yeah, I was speculating yesterday, but if the instructors are serious about this, then it really does sound like they're behind it."　

"By the way, do you have any idea where they could take people and lock them up?"

Gervas's expression disappeared at my question.

The eyes of Refia narrowed as well.

"You're not thinking of anything strange, are you?"　

"I'm not going to do anything stupid. I just thought I'd let the instructor know and see if it would help in the search."

Gervase exhaled lightly.

"There are plenty of ways to lock up a person. For an extreme example, all you have to do is to attack a house in the area and silence the people who live there. And it doesn't have to be just one place, does it?"　

"What if it's just one place?"

I continue.

"Darzain has been designated by Gnosis as a target to be eliminated. This is where the Academy of Theology is located, and Gnosis has a strong influence. This is where these things happen, so why shouldn't it be here?"

"Rick thinks Darzain will perform some sort of ritual in this city?"　

"I don't know, but I think it's possible."

Such a bold thing to do in enemy territory.　

At least there must be something that has to be here.

"Well, if we're going along that line...aren't the ruins suspicious?"　

"Ruins...are you kidding? That place is fortified with knights and holy knights? There's no way they could get in there."　

"That's right..."

Ruins...the symbol and landmark of this city.　　

It is also an important place for Gnosis, which currently manages it, as it has a past where the "Holy Sword" was unearthed.　

Visitors are allowed to see the places that have already been explored, but it is said that the government and Gnosis are jointly investigating the unexplored places.

Naturally, security is tight, with knights keeping a close eye not only on the unexplored areas but also on the open areas.　There is no way they can bring in a kidnapped person when it takes so much trouble just to enter.

"I don't think it's the ruins, but I agree with you about the underground part. I think the water veins are suspicious."　

"Oh, that could be it. I think it's possible, because they can get in from any well in the city."

Gervas nodded his head in agreement with Refia's opinion.　The water used for daily life in this city is basically pumped from underground water veins through wells and has been used to support the life of this city for a long time.　

Certainly, it would be suitable as a space to hide people.

"But they can't always get in there, can they?"

The structure of the wells in this town has a conduit at the bottom of the pit to draw water in, and water is carried to the well from there.　

This conduit is certainly wide enough for a person to pass through, but the amount of water flowing into it varies from day to day, so on days when there is a lot of water, the flow is not only difficult but impossible to pass through, and in some cases the conduit is buried by water.

Gervas, perhaps sensing this, muttered, "Oh, if you put it that way."

Refia, after a short delay, also looked convinced. It seems she has noticed.

"It might work temporarily, but not for the long term..."

A place where dozens and dozens of people can be kept...a spacious building, say....

"Like here?"

Refia and Gervas lightly fume at my mutterings.

"Most unlikely, right?"　

"That's a funny joke for Rick."　

"I guess so. I didn't think I said that.

We cut the conversation short as the classroom door opened and a substitute instructor entered.　

In the end, no one came up with a good candidate, but I took my book off the desk and wondered if there was anything else I could have done.

After the afternoon class, I decided to hurry back a bit.

I think it will be okay, but I'll tell Angie and Sania not to go out, just in case.

It would probably be for a few days.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going home first."　

"No, we're going, too. The instructor's not back yet, and I'm a little worried."　

"Right."

I was going to go home first, but they said they would come with me.　

We packed our bags and headed back to Kaikotei.

It's not a long way, so if we hurry, we can see it before we even know it.

As we were about to enter the restaurant, we almost bumped into a customer coming out.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was in a hurry."

"It's okay, no problem."

The customer walked out of the store with her companion.

"She was so beautiful, wasn't she?"　

"Yes, she was. But she was with a man, so give it up."　

"Damn. Beautiful women are always taken."

The two of them were perhaps relaxed now that they had arrived, and they were talking lightly to each other.　

I listened to them as I entered the restaurant.

"Hey, Rick, welcome back. You're back early today."　

"I'm home, Angie. By the way........ where's Sania?"

"We're out of seasoning, so she's out shopping...what's wrong?"

Angie was cleaning up a pile of empty plates. That's a lot.　When I explained briefly about Darzine, Angie-san frowned a little.

"That...might be a little dangerous."

"The Temple Knights are working on it, and I'm sure it will be cleared up in a few days, but you might want to stay off the streets just for that period of time."　

"Rick. I'm a little worried about her. If it's the market, the streets are obvious, so we won't be miss each other, right?"　

"Right. I'm sorry, but would you mind picking her up?"

Angie, who had heard our conversation, became a little worried and asked me to pick her up.

"I understand. I'll be back in a little while. Gervas, Refia. Let's go."

"Yeah."

"Okay."

We leave the store and head for the market.

"Shucks. We'll be embarrassed if nothing happens."　

"That's all right. We'll just be embarrassed. It's a small price to pay, isn't it?"　

"When we find Sania, let's talk about yesterday."

As we were talking while walking quickly, I saw a familiar little figure at a little distance from us.　

It was Sania. It seems she is safe.　

I inwardly patted my chest. It seems I was overly concerned about her.

"Oh, hey, Rick?"

Sania made a curious face and came running toward us.　We also quickened our pace to run up to Sania.

"Huh!?"

Refia shouts.　

My eyes widen in surprise.　

Before I knew it, a black-robed figure was standing beside Sania.

"What?"

Sania froze in surprise at the black robe that appeared next to her before she knew it.　

The black robe pressed a cloth-like object against Sania's mouth.　

Sania tried to move as if to resist, but she lost her strength and collapsed.

The black robe carried Sania and turned his back on us and started to run.

"Oh, hey! Wait!"

I was momentarily frozen by what was happening in front of me, but I chased after her.　

A little later, the two next to me also start to run.

"What the hell is that guy!"

Refia shouts, but I don't have time to respond, and I'd much rather know.　

What is that guy? Is he really Darzain? Why Sania?The questions spin around in my head and I can't put them together, but I force myself to put them aside and concentrate on running.

But the distance between me and the black robe is widening, not narrowing.　

Damn! What's going on? How can he be so fast with one person in his arms, even if it's a child?　

The black robe slips between passersby and enters a deserted alley.

"Rick! Refia! Keep following him! There's only one way out of that alley! I'll go around ahead of you."　

"All right! Come on! Refia, let's go!"　

"Yeah."

I and Refia follow the black robes into the alley.As we run down the alleyway, we gradually close the distance between us.

We're almost there....

There was another black robe standing at the end of the alley.　

Is he one of them?　

The black robe holding Sania passes by next to the fellow who seems to be one of them.

The standing black robe drops a dagger from his cuff into his hand and readies it.

"Rick! Keep going! I'll cut him down!"

Refia looks at me with a strong gaze.

"I understand. Don't push yourself too hard."　

"I'm not going to let him beat me. Just go!"　

"Sorry!"　

I walked past the black-robed man with the dagger at the ready.　

He didn't attack.I heard Refia's footsteps stop behind me.

Refia.... Don't push yourself too hard.

Praying for her safety, I put strength into my running legs.