Chapter 6: Scheming
Night fell, and a series of hurried, chaotic footsteps shattered the tranquility of Ragunna City.
At this moment, two slender figures were struggling to support a nearly lifeless body as they moved through the alleyways.
"Mr. Aeron! Please hold on a little longer!"
Phoebe's voice trembled with tears as she tried to rouse the injured man's consciousness, but the only response was his faint breathing.
"Phoebe..."
Cartethyia glanced worriedly at the young girl beside her before shifting her gaze to Aeron, whom they were carrying between them.
Aeron's face was drained of color, with a deep diagonal gash running from his left shoulder down to his chest. The flesh was torn open, and the dark red bloodstains on his clothes continued to spread. Were it not for his faint, shallow breaths, he would have been indistinguishable from a corpse.
This was the man's own devised strategy—a masterstroke of intellect that involved using himself as the centerpiece of a self-inflicted injury scheme!
After confirming Phoebe's resolve, he first separated from the unsuspecting young priestess. When the time was right, he inflicted this severe wound upon himself with a blade, then had Cartethyia notify Phoebe.
Thus, Aeron was reduced to this critically injured state, teetering on the brink of life and death.
His final words were a plea for Cartethyia to cooperate with his plan.
Cartethyia herself never expected to witness the same person attempt suicide twice in one day.
"Who could have done this to Mr. Aeron...?"
Of course, Phoebe, who remained completely in the dark, was having an even harder time.
Cartethyia took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm.
Since Aeron had gone to such lengths for her, she had to see the remainder of this plan through.
"It was... someone from the Order... They discovered that Aeron knows the truth about what happened twenty years ago and tried to silence him..."
Clearly, lying did not come naturally to Cartethyia; even she found the excuse somewhat far-fetched.
But to Phoebe, who was overwhelmed with emotion, the weight of these words was entirely different.
Connecting this with the recent undercurrents within the Order and Aeron's mysterious behavior lately, the innocent young girl instantly believed it to be true.
"But... but Mr. Aeron has always been..."
"...This isn't the time for questions," Cartethyia interrupted her, straining to support Aeron's body. "The Order's agents might still be nearby... His final instruction was for us to go to Montelli's residence."
Phoebe immediately understood Cartethyia's meaning. She stopped pressing further, and the two girls trudged forward with heavy steps toward the Montelli district.
Just as they finally reached the arched gateway leading to Montelli's home, the Echoes guarding the entrance stopped them.
"Please... let us through! We need help! Someone is critically injured!" Phoebe pleaded urgently. The "Guardian Echoes" wavered for a moment but remained blocking the entrance.
After struggling to reach their destination only to be barred from entry, even Cartethyia began to grow anxious.
Aeron, who handled external affairs, couldn't possibly be unaware of how sharp the conflict between Montelli and the Order was. Even under such extraordinary circumstances, it was difficult to expect any leniency from them toward the Order.
Yet Aeron chose to implement his scheme at night, and ultimately had Cartethyia and Phoebe come to Montelli—there must have been a reason for it.
So, what exactly was he waiting for—
Just as Cartethyia was still pondering, an elegant voice suddenly came from behind her and Phoebe.
"You are... from the Order?"
Following the voice, the second daughter of the Montelli family, who had returned late after handling family affairs, stood behind the two.
Cartethyia immediately sensed something and stepped forward at once.
"We are not here on behalf of the Order. There are injured people here who need treatment. Please allow us through!"
Hearing Cartethyia's words, Carlotta immediately stepped forward to check the condition of the injured.
But even the second daughter of the Montelli family couldn't help but be stunned by the scene before her.
Because the person lying before her was the priest who, just last night, had ended his own life right in front of Carlotta.
"...Huh?"
For a moment, indescribable shock flooded Carlotta's mind—she could hardly believe her eyes.
However, the shock lasted only a few seconds.
Carlotta quickly regained her composure. After glancing at Aeron's pale face and the gruesome wound on his body, she immediately took action.
"Call all the doctors who can come now. Quickly."
After calmly giving the order to the Echoes guarding the door, Carlotta personally helped lift Aeron's severely injured body and turned to Phoebe and Cartethyia, saying:
"You two, come in quickly as well."
After exchanging a glance, Cartethyia and Phoebe immediately followed Carlotta into the Montelli district. Seeing Aeron looking as though he was about to depart this world at any moment, they couldn't help but feel a sudden sense of relief.
(...What a reckless guy.)
....
By the time the culprit who had kept a group of people up all night finally woke up, it was already noon the next day.
"Damn, this is too much torment..."
Aeron touched the scars left on his body, feeling the lingering pain.
Even if he could fight his way back from death, this sensation of doing sit-ups between the living and the dead was something he'd rather not experience again.
"Shit, I should've just taken poison... If I'd died straight in the latter half of the night, I could've suffered less."
"Now you feel the pain?"
Just as Aeron was reviewing last night's "battle," Cartethyia's voice pulled him back to reality.
Aeron turned toward the voice and saw Cartethyia standing by the guest room door, her face devoid of warmth, showing only deep exhaustion and a hint of inexplicable anger.
"Just tell me—did it work in the end or not?"
"Hmm... What a stubborn guy... How did you end up forming a connection with the Sentinels..."
"Don't say that. I was quite happy to meet the Blessed Maiden, you know."
Hearing Aeron's words, Cartethyia cutely tilted her head to the side.
"Hmph... Such sarcastic remarks only work on the one by your bedside."
Aeron looked down and saw his adorable junior cutely slumped over his bedside, emitting cute snores. She was, after all, the one who had taken all his star-voices!
Unlike Cartethyia, who knew the details, she had genuinely worried about Aeron all last night, even staying by his side as he slept.
"Don't you dare do something like this again..."
Cartethyia was somewhat displeased; regardless of the circumstances, she still didn't wish to see Aeron resort to such extreme methods to resolve the issue.
"Next time, for sure."
Aeron paid little heed to the Blessed Maiden's suggestion, knowing there was still another matter at hand that needed addressing.
Click!
Just as Aeron was still conversing with Cartethyia, the bedroom door suddenly and silently swung open.
What followed into view was a head of silver hair parted down the middle.
"Oh? It seems I've arrived at just the right moment, Priest A·e·r·o·n?"
An unexpected visitor, arriving uninvited!