The Black Cross’s Hunt and a Child of Light

Elsewhere in the forest lay the camp of the Black Cross Church. Here, the Old Priest, clad in armor, was meticulously tallying their remaining supplies.

“Last night’s battle was truly fierce,” the Old Priest sighed.

“Yet, that entity still managed to escape.”

“They know us well,” a monk remarked from the side. “After all, they were once one of us.”

“Father, Alaiya encountered them,” the monk added, a conflicted expression on his face. “Should we tell her the truth?”

“Not yet. It’s not the time,” the Old Priest stated quietly. “If we tell Alaiya before we capture that wretch completely, she might waver. And here, no one needs to be told how terrifying it is to waver. What is the situation among the rest of you?”

“…The whispers in some ears haven’t subsided, and some have already begun to change,” the monk replied. “We cannot remain in this forest any longer. We must return.”

“Return?” the Old Priest mused. “To return now would be to abandon our vows. The black tide will directly engulf the fringes if we are not there.”

“But if we continue like this, we might also become part of it,” the old monk said, looking away. “We have already lost our faith. The only thing left to fight those horrors is this conviction.”

“Let Alaiya leave,” the Old Priest finally declared. “She shouldn’t have to bear this burden with us.”

“Can you truly make her go?” another monk questioned. “You know her nature; she won’t leave easily. She is not like us. We need her strength.”

“Precisely because she isn’t like us, she shouldn’t have to face any of this,” the Old Priest said. “She is my only hope.”

‘She also took the same vows as us. She is one of us, but she is also different. This sin, she need not bear.’ The Old Priest gazed at a figure resting nearby, and a flicker of life returned to his usually resolute, ash-gray eyes.

“I don’t wish for her to accept the execution of fellow priests too early. It’s not good for her. So I wanted her to leave first… yet she still stumbled upon it. Is this fate?”

“Perhaps a mocking twist of fate.” As the Old Priest finished speaking, Alaiya rose and walked, step by step, to his side.

“Father, are there any orders?”

“…No, Alaiya,” the Old Priest responded. “Rest well.”

“…But, Father, you’ve been watching me,” Alaiya said. “Is something wrong?”

“Currently, there’s nothing major. You fought a great battle yesterday and need proper rest. There’s no need for watch duty; you can sleep soundly.”

“…I can’t sleep, Father.” Alaiya sat beside him, the small, white-haired girl clad in black combat attire. “It’s terrifying here, but with everyone together, it’s not so bad. Yet, more and more people… are gone.”

“…These are necessary sacrifices,” the Old Priest said. “They chose to uphold their vows.”

“And Father Corvin… still hasn’t been found.”

“We are searching for him,” the Old Priest reassured her. “Alaiya, you needn’t worry. Rest well. We plan to assign you to other tasks.”

“Father, do you want me to leave the forest?”

“No, it’s to do more meaningful things,” the Old Priest replied, though Alaiya looked puzzled. “Is Alaiya holding you back?”

“No, you have always performed exceptionally well. You’ve completed every task we’ve given you. You are the best among us.”

“Then why… won’t you let me take the formal vows?” Alaiya looked up at the Old Priest. Meeting her gaze, he seemed to see something in that moment. “Because the time has not yet come. You cannot make that choice yet.”

“Why?” Alaiya pressed on. “What am I still lacking?”

“You have things you need to do; you must obey orders.”

“…”

“Your talent, your light, should not be spent here. Not consumed in the darkness,” the Old Priest said. “It should shine where it is truly needed. I saw the battleground; your light is stronger than ever.”

“That wasn’t my light,” Alaiya suddenly interjected. “It was someone else’s. She ventured deep into that area with a Knight to rescue another nun.”

“Rescue another nun? It seems those soldiers weren’t mistaken after all,” the Old Priest said, surprised. “There truly was a nun who fled into the forest due to monster attacks. I didn’t expect her to actually be rescued.”

“Yes, that sister’s light was incredibly radiant,” Alaiya confirmed. “Truly, it was even more dazzling than mine.”

‘A light more dazzling than Alaiya’s?’ At this, the Old Priest was astonished. Alaiya was one of the few true Holy Light天赋者 he had ever encountered, her power comparable to that of the Saintess of old. For Alaiya to say someone’s light surpassed hers meant that individual…

“Father! We’ve found traces of their movements!” A monk approached, announcing, “Should we pursue?”

“Let’s go now,” the Old Priest said, rising and raising his sword. Alaiya spoke from the side, “I’ll join the hunt too, Father.”

“You will be on guard duty.”

“No, Father,” Alaiya insisted. “None of you can contend with that entity. Only I can. Let me join.”

“…Father, let Alaiya come,” another monk urged. “If we deal with that entity, the black tide might not even form. We could all go home together.”

“I want to go home together,” Alaiya said. The Old Priest nodded, gently stroking Alaiya’s head. “Then we will go together, but you must obey my command. My brothers, we are embarking on this hunt solely to defeat that entity.”

“Everyone, prepare to depart!” The Old Priest gave his final command. Everyone adjusted their gear, then headed towards the target area.

****

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, the five-person group continued their journey.

“Based on the residual light, we should head this way,” Anto said as he walked. Randall leaned close to Tikka.

“Can he really sense light? Can he truly see residual light?”

“Anto’s perception of Holy Light is different from ours. He is the most top-tier Holy Light sorcerer, a true Child of Light,” Tikka explained. “Just follow him; why are you talking so much?”

“Oh, nothing. I just find it hard to believe such a beautiful child is actually a boy. The thought of my good friend falling for a boy made me a little wistful, but then I thought, isn’t that even better?”