Kaine Of Blood · Red Annise

After addressing a few more agenda items, Johanna brought the meeting of the Knights of the Stigmata to a close.

“Miss Flo—wanna grab something to eat after this? I know a place with delicious pancakes.”

“I’m sorry, Lady Annise—I’ve already got plans after this.”

“Aww! What a shame. I wanted to get to know Miss Flo better—well then, I’ll invite you again~”

“Yes. If there’s another chance, please do.”

＊＊＊

“You got turned down, huh~”

Annise walked alone down the cathedral corridor, whistling.

Just as she was thinking about inviting some of the girls she knew in the cathedral instead—

“Annise.”

“Oh? That’s rare—Senior Kaine actually calling out to me.”

From behind, the Fourth Stigmata—Kaine Kaiwell—called out and stopped her.

Dressed head-to-toe in leather accoutrements, with arms and face wrapped in layer upon layer of bandages so that no features could be seen, he looked every bit a hunter.

Even the only exposed area—the eyes—was obscured by a leather hat pulled low, so Annise couldn’t make them out.

Always giving off the scent of blood, Kaine was an odd presence even within the Holy Church.

“What’s up? Oh! Is this an invitation to eat? But Senior Kaine, your mouth’s wrapped in bandages too—how would you even eat? I mean, I can’t even imagine what Senior Kaine normally eats.”

“I have no intention whatsoever of eating with you.”

“Oh… then what is it?”

“I must, by any means, kill Sid Ranorus—I expect your tracking abilities.”

“Ahaha—expectations, huh. Well, thanks.”

“I’m telling you to take the search seriously.”

It seemed he could see through Annise’s frequent slacking.

So he came to drive the point home—Annise made a bothersome face.

“Still, Senior Kaine’s usually so cool but he’s pretty fired up now. Both Senior Sheena and Senior Kaine change when it comes to the Shikai Tribe—well, I can’t see Senior Kaine’s eyes, though.”

For seventeen-year-old Annise, the persecution of the Shikai Tribe that ended ten years ago was distant history.

At seven, Annise had not taken part in the Shikai Tribe hunts.

Therefore she couldn’t fully empathize with older people like Sheena and Kaine, who harbored an almost pathological hatred for the Shikai Tribe.

“Ah! C-could it be—are you avenging Senior Selva?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s just—a cursed tie with that one.”

“A cursed tie—that means Senior Kaine’s best friend, right?”

“……..”

“I’m joking. Please don’t be that angry—I’ll search seriously whether you tell me to or not—I want to meet Rinrin again too!”

Saying that, Annise ran down the corridor as if fleeing from Kaine.

She sauntered off—waving her hand with her back to Kaine, turning the corridor corner and vanishing.

“Of the Ranorus clan… Sid Ranorus.”

Left alone, Kaine muttered Sid’s name while a quiet anger seeped from him.

＊＊＊

――Meanwhile.

――Florence Cuticle walked alone down the marketplace street of the capital.

‘Was it all right to turn down Lady Annise’s kind invitation…? She treats even someone like me kindly—surely she isn’t offended…?’

Florence was troubled by having declined Annise’s invitation to eat together.

She fully understood that none of the members of the Knights of the Stigmata were bad people—but the intimidating presence radiated by those battle-hardened veterans was more than a twelve-year-old girl could bear, and she always shrank in the tense atmosphere of the convocations.

She had been looked after since childhood by the Third Stigmata—Sheena Aytel—but due to rank their seats were apart, and during convocations Sheena switched to work mode and emitted the same unapproachable pressure as the others.

Amidst that, Annise—close in age and seated nearby, who lightened the mood just right—was Florence’s only hope.

If possible, she wanted them to become closer.

‘Ah… in that case I should have postponed my plans and accepted Lady Annise’s invitation… surely Lady Annise must be displeased…’

Incidentally, Annise herself didn’t care in the least.

She apparently intended to keep trying to pursue Florence whenever a chance arose.

As Florence walked along, fretting—

“You filthy little thief!”

“You tainted blood!”

—Some violent voices echoed from a back alley.

She stopped and peered in—finding a boy of the Shikai Tribe, seemingly younger than her, being beaten by two men.

Seeing that, Florence forgot her earlier worries and intervened between them and the Shikai boy.

“What do you think you’re doing!?”

She raised her voice without fear in front of the two grown men.

“Oh, isn’t this a clergywoman? Perfect timing.”

“This kid stole smoked meat from our shop. That’s why we’re teaching him a lesson like this.”

“Clergywoman, please have this impure blood taken away.”

“The heresy designation for the Shikai Tribe ended ten years ago. Calling them impure blood is discriminatory.”

“But the fact remains he stole from our goods, doesn’t it?”

“Even so, adults resorting to violence against such a small child…!”

“Little miss, are you really with the Holy Church? Defending the Shikai Tribe like that—this kid might be an accomplice of Sid the prince-killer!”

“…!?”

――Sid, the prince-killer.

Sid became a notorious criminal who threatened the populace after murdering Second Prince Sylvan Lengnard.

Because of that, popular discrimination against the Shikai Tribe had intensified, and at worst, a Shikai individual uninvolved with a crime could face harsh punishment for even minor offenses at the discretion of the guards.

“Understood. I will take responsibility and bring this Shikai Tribe member to the guards. This is the payment for the ruined goods.”

Florence pulled coins from the bespoke, well-tailored robe she had been given when assigned to the Knights of the Stigmata and handed them to the shopkeeper.

It was more than enough to buy the stolen item and leave decent change.

“Well then—it’s in your hands, miss.”

“We’re just running a business here, you know—please understand.”

＊＊＊

“Um, are you all right?”

After making sure the two men had disappeared from the alley, Florence knelt—unconcerned about dirtying her robe—and spoke to the collapsed child.

“Ugh…”

“Such terrible wounds…there was no need to go this far.”

A closer look revealed the marks of a slave collar still imprinted around his neck.

‘The collar’s indentation—after the Sid incident the Shikai Tribe’s standing worsened and they were likely abandoned by their masters. Driven to steal from hunger, they end up like this… so pitiful at such a young age.’

The Shikai Tribe boy was very thin and trembling in small fits.

“First I’ll treat your wounds—【Heal】.”

“Am I… going to be executed…?”

With Florence’s restorative magic mending his wounds, the boy asked in a frightened voice.

“It’s all right. I used a ruse to satisfy those people, but I have no intention of handing you over to the guards.”

“Then… what will happen to me now?”

“You don’t need to be so afraid. You must be hungry. Can you stand? I’ll prepare a meal for you.”

“R-really…?”

“Yes, really.”

She took the boy’s twig-like, emaciated hand and gently helped him to his feet.

Supporting him by the shoulder, Florence resumed walking toward her intended destination.