A Kindness Worth Admiring

Incitement—this word is terrifying.

Sometimes, just a few words, or even something as simple as a glance, can easily change how others think, pushing them to become more extreme.

But isn’t it often like this?

Sometimes, deep down, you’ve already thought about doing something you shouldn’t do.

Yet your rationality stops you again and again, telling you, “This is wrong.”

But what if someone is willing to give you a push?

What Aili is doing right now is being that push.

And yet, she clearly knows that Falk does not want to become that kind of person.

Falk is a kind priest.

But this kindness likely comes, for the most part, from the influence of his time training within the church.

The Royal Church is unquestionably a proper institution.

Even when Aili was Eric in her past life, he only borrowed the church’s location, using it as cover to establish the Nightingale House.

As for the church itself, Aili acknowledges its righteousness.

Moreover, the current emperor is widely praised as a wise ruler, and the empire’s future is bright.

There’s no way the church could be a corrupt place.

So Falk, who was taken in by the church, must have been taught from a young age to possess a loving and compassionate heart.

And it was precisely because of this gentleness and kindness that he gradually became such a high-ranking priest.

It was likely a positive cycle.

But—

That was only acquired through upbringing.

Some emotions come from the heart itself.

At the moment he saw his father die, as he hid in that grass pit, what kind of emotions did he feel?

“—Run, keep running, don’t look back, just keep running.”

His mother pushed him out of her arms, telling him to run without turning back.

Run to a place where there are people.

Run away from this danger, to somewhere he could live.

Even as his mother’s painful cries echoed behind him, and he heard the struggling resistance of the mercenary uncles he knew, he had to keep running without hesitation.

Move his legs.

Step onto the path of survival.

For a young child, that impact of blood was something he could never forget for his entire life.

“… ”

Falk clasped his hands together, fingers interlocked.

It looked like he was praying, yet also as if he was using that gesture to suppress the fire already ignited within him.

“…Ah, yes.”

He responded vaguely, as if unsure which stance to take.

His grayish-blue bangs covered his eyes.

Those dark pupils seemed hidden in shadow.

Aili looked at him, her pink eyes narrowing slightly.

“I have friends who are knights.

They told me about the recent bandit suppression operations.

Do you know? It seems they’re in the final stages now.

Once everything is dealt with, the news should be released.

Most of the bandits involved are from the group that was active more than a decade ago.

They’ve probably been uprooted entirely—including their leaders.

Maybe… your enemy is among them.”

This was still not fully public information.

Aili knew it only because she was part of the royal circle and had experienced it in her previous life.

What she could confirm was that the bandit leader she had captured was the very one who killed Falk’s father.

“… ”

“I see.”

Sitting beneath the shade of the tree, the wind stirred the green leaves above.

The leaves rustled, and the shadows danced along with them.

Aili wanted to observe Falk’s expression, but the shade was too dark for her to see his face clearly.

However, from his tone alone, she could tell that his thoughts and emotions were now leaning more toward that child who had lost his family, rather than the priest who always carried compassion.

Aili understood Falk.

Falk had never feared death.

His father had been a mercenary, and that fearlessness toward death was deeply ingrained in him.

Because of that, over the years, he had gradually let go of those emotions and accepted becoming a kind person, never intending to seek revenge.

But that fearlessness toward death had its conditions.

They never made meaningless sacrifices.

Nor did they wish to become disgraced spirits.

Such was the creed of mercenaries.

While accepting death, they also respected it.

To insult the name of those who had already died was, to them, a forbidden offense.

And that was exactly what Aili was doing now.

She described the deaths of Falk’s elders—the mercenaries—as miserable and worthless.

She made their sacrifices sound meaningless.

But because she framed it from the perspective of the bandits, Falk did not feel anger toward her.

Instead, he developed a deep hatred for those bandits who disrespected the dead.

“I might be able to help you.”

Aili pressed forward, speaking in a lazy tone, yet saying words that hooked directly into the heart.

“If you still remember what those bad people looked like when you were young, I can help you find them in prison.

Many of my friends’ lives were taken by them.

I hate them too.

And I hope you can find the culprit and take revenge for your family.”

Listen to that—how tempting an offer.

It couldn’t even be called a deal.

With just a word from Falk, she could locate the man who killed his father for free.

That man was already waiting for him in prison.

“… ”

But Falk chose silence.

His hands, which had been tightly clasped earlier, now relaxed.

He no longer looked like a child unsure of how to face strangers.

Instead, he carried a long-suppressed weight.

Revenge?

Of course he had thought about it…

He couldn’t say he had completely forgotten.

Nor could he claim he no longer cared about the past.

How could he possibly forget the scene of his parents dying before his eyes?

But…

“Speaking of which, miss, how is your leg injury now?

I still have some medicine.

I can have the nuns apply it for you.

If there are any costs afterward, I will cover them as well.”

Falk did not continue the topic.

He abruptly cut it off, as if forcefully snapping the thread of emotions tied to his past.

“Mm… it’s better.

After sitting here for a while, it’s eased quite a bit.”

Seeing this, Aili didn’t press further.

Pushing too hard would be rude—and too obvious.

So she simply followed his lead, rubbing her leg lightly.

“It should be nothing serious.

You don’t need to worry.

I didn’t come here to extort anyone.

On the contrary, what you said interests me.

If the children here don’t have very good meals, I can fund improvements—better food and living conditions, so they can grow up healthier.”

“…!”

Compared to the earlier oppressive atmosphere, Falk’s eyes widened instantly when Aili mentioned funding the church.

There was even a hint of surprise and joy.

Although this was indeed the Royal Church, and could be considered royal property,

the orphanage in the back was more like a civilian-run organization.

It originally formed from orphans taken in by priests and nuns, gradually growing into a larger orphanage.

“Besides this place, there should be other orphanages too, right?

Given the living conditions here, it shouldn’t consume all your money.

You must have supported many other children elsewhere as well, haven’t you?”

The royal family did provide some funding, but since it served commoners, it wouldn’t be overly luxurious.

At best, it would be moderate.

And while there was only one grand cathedral in the capital, there were countless smaller orphanages.

Given Falk’s personality, he would definitely want to support all of them.

But with his finances, how could he possibly manage that?

“Mm… yes. I do support other orphanages…

Most of it is done in the name of the church, so I just leave the money with them…”

When speaking of this, Falk returned to that slightly shy demeanor.

For him, doing good deeds seemed to bring a kind of embarrassment—

but in a positive way.

“I actually came here today to see the children and think about how I could help them.

I was just interrupted when someone bumped into me earlier.”

“Really, miss— I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t watch the children properly…!”

“No, it’s fine.”

Aili looked at Falk, smiling warmly.

“How could I blame you for being so kind?

You’re someone worthy of my admiration.

If only everyone in this world were as kind as you.”