Chapter 123 - Senior Holy Knight and Sunny Land [14] (1/2)

123. Senior Holy Knight and Sunny Land [14]

When we destroyed the Red Drop and raised voices of joy, it began to rain again.

However, the rain was too weak; it couldn’t even be called a drizzle.

Looking up at the sky, thin clouds covered only the area around the royal castle. The drizzle was contained in this area solely.

No doubt that this rain was produced by Rain.

When I slowly turned back,

「Haa, haa…」

There was the figure of him gripping his broken soul dress.

I sensed something ghastly, seeing him desperately making it rain by pouring in whatever tiny spiritual power he was left with.

(Just what the hell is pushing Rain this far…?)

When I was thinking about that,

「Tsk, bastard! Cut it out! Stop the futile resistance!」

A senior Holy Knight swung up his sword, still in its scabbard.

At that moment,

「S-Stop!」

A little girl, who was probably no more than 10 years old, stood in the way and covered for Rain.

「W-What the hell is this girl? Where did you come from?」

When the senior Holy Knight scratched his cheek in a puzzled manner,

「Se-Serena! Why did you come out!?」

Rain, wide eyed, shook the shoulders of the girl who was called Serena.

「B-Because… Because foster-father was being bullied…」

「I, see… You are a really kind girl…」

I listened to the conversation between the two and looked around.

Then I found a part of the floor in the throne room that was opened up like a door.

(…Is that a『hidden door』?)

It looks like Serena was hiding over there, no, she was hidden there.

(From that reaction, there’s no doubt about it…)

It seems that she was the reason why Rain continued to make it rain.

I stepped forward and called out to him.

「Hey, Rain. If you don’t mind, could you please tell me? There’s something going on, isn’t there?」

Why did this guy, who considered the Black Organization as ”trash”, become a member of the Black Organization?

Why does he cling so persistently to make it rain?

And the mysterious girl, Serena.

(I can’t see this man, Rain, as a bad guy…)

I’m sure there must be some deep circumstances.

「……」

He grit his teeth, looked around, and finally looked at Serena.

He was probably thinking about her『hereafter』.

「You will be taken away to the Holy Knights Association after this. If you care for her, you’d better explain the situation without hiding it.」

Will he speak the truth or remain silent?

Depending on Rain’s choice, the weight of his sins will vary greatly.

There is no doubt that it will have an impact on how Serena will be handled.

Rain, who understood that instantly,

「…………Aa, I got it.」

Nodded, after a long silence.

「Long ago, I opened an orphanage in a conflict zone of a small country and gathered war orphans who had no relatives. We all helped each other and kept on living. Though poor, we were happy.」

As he recalled the memories, Rain slowly began to speak.

「But that happiness crumbled down overnight. It was a day five years ago that I will never forget. It was a truly peaceful day as usual. I plowed the field, ate lunch, and then I went to buy foodstuffs once a month as usual. When I bought a month’s worth of ingredients in a distant black market and returned home, everyone… was eaten by monsters… Right in front of me!」

It must have reminded him of that time.

His voice was trembling.

「I killed all the monsters right away. Then, when I tried to bury the deceased children, a girl came back to life. That is Serena.」Rain said, embracing Serena with his trembling right hand.

「I immediately rushed her to the hospital and had them treat her by scraping together what little money I had. Fortunately, they saved her life, but… the monster left behind the worst parting gift. A curse.」

Curse. An unexplained power exercised by monsters.

Effects, activation conditions, and curse dispelling methods, little detail is known about them.

「Serena was inflicted with the『Curse of Rain』. It’s forever harmless where there is『rain』. However, once you go『out of the rain』, burning pain assaults your whole body bringing about eventual death. I was shocked when I heard so from the doctor. They said the death rate from this curse is 100%.」

100%… which means certain death.

「After that, I ran around with the weather forecast newspaper in one hand. Single-mindedly searching for『rain』. However, such a life cannot last long. The fickle rain clouds disappeared completely one day. Sunshine poured down, and Serena suffered through hellish pain. I lamented my own powerlessness. When I cried and screamed,『God』appeared before me.」

「…God?」

「Aa, it was a mysterious old man who called himself the『hermit of time』.」

「!?」

Rain’s answer made me gasp.

(H-Hermit of time? Meaning… Rain is a『transcendent』!?)

I exhaled slowly and calmed my mind.

「Then, through a fairy tale like event, I manifested my soul dress. A soul dress which can make it rain, Last Drop.」Rain said, turning his eyes to the long sword that had broken from the middle.

「I was able to control the rain at will. I trembled with joy thinking, “This can nullify the curse of the rain. Serena can live a normal life.” But that joy was only momentary. We were kicked out of the village before reaching even a month.」