The forest at night was desolate, the occasional sounds forcing one to remain vigilant.
From time to time, the howl of a wolf echoed from deep within the woods, as if declaring this territory its own, rallying its pack for the hunt.
Seated in the driver's seat of the carriage, Haruya checked that his right hand was freshly bandaged before surveying his surroundings, wary of any sudden ambush.
Beside him was the nun who had taken over driving the carriage... She is called Cicely, 'Sister' Cicely.
What concerned Haruya now was how long it would actually take to reach the Imperial Capital. The letter in his possession needed to be delivered to the Minister as soon as possible.
"Nangou-san, may I call you that? Why were you traveling alone on such a dark forest road so late at night? Not only could you have encountered bandits like earlier, but there are also monsters lurking about." inquired Sister Cicely.
Haruya nodded, "I know. The thing is, my carriage broke down midway, and I needed to deliver something important quickly. That's why I chose to travel at night."
"I see. That must have been difficult. Still, thanks to you Nangou-san, we were able to make it safely." Sister Cicely spoke softly, the swaying oil lamp above the driver's seat casting light on her profile.
She appeared to be a rather young nun.
Squinting slightly under the flickering light, she focused on the road ahead.
Driving through this empty, lonely forest path carried a certain melancholy.
To dispel the oppressive atmosphere, Haruya posed a question, even if he might not receive an answer, "Then why were you traveling so late?"
"We were attending an exchange meeting organized by various churches. Some overcrowded churches send orphans to others with fewer staff to ease the burden. These children came from the western [Chrono] Church."
"I see. Will you also be going to the capital?"
"....."
At the mention of the capital, Sister Cicely's shoulders trembled slightly, as if the very word was unwelcome.
"W-We don't go to the capital often. Necessary supplies are provided by traveling merchants, some of whom pass by regularly. Are you... from the capital, Nangou-san?" Her voice was laced with caution.
While steering the carriage, she stared intently at Haruya, as if trying to discern whether he was lying.
Being scrutinized so seriously by a young girl, Haruya quickly weighed his options... 'To lie or not to lie...'
But anyone with common sense knew that outright admitting he worked for Minister Honest would be idiotic.
"No, I'm not from the capital. I'm just delivering a letter from my hometown to a relative living there."
"I... see..." Sister Cicely glanced back at the carriage where the two children were now asleep, and spoke softly, "Then I must advise you not to stay in the capital, Nangou-san. No matter how prosperous it may seem on the surface, in truth... Well, just don't linger there."
"Alright, I'll consider it."
"Good. I only tell you this because I believe you're a good person. If others heard me say this, it might bring trouble to the church..."
.....
Time passed, and the night deepened.
A slight shiver ran through Sister Cicely's shoulders.
Haruya removed his coat and draped it over her, "It's gotten colder." he said.
"Th-Thank you." She smiled gratefully, adjusting the coat with one hand while keeping the other on the reins, "This is..."
"Is something wrong?"
"N-No, it's nothing. Please don't mind me. Though I must admit, I'm surprised you don't know how to drive a carriage, Nangou-san."
"I've never learned... What if I veered off course or flipped it over?"
Truthfully, Haruya had never fully trusted vehicles, even in his original world. Yet without them, travel would be impossible... he understood their necessity.
In his opinion, driving a carriage was a skilled task requiring not only direction, but also managing the horses' condition.
"If there's time, I could teach you someday." Sister Cicely offered.
"I'd appreciate that."
The carriage sped along the road as the dense forest gradually thinned.
The wooden wheels turned rhythmically, the steady clop of hooves filling the air. In the distance, Haruya caught a glimpse of a domed structure... the top of a church.
Bathed in the glow of torches and oil lamps below, the church's spire stood out against the night.
"That's our church. There's one priest, four nuns including myself, and sixteen children."
Her gaze softened as she glanced back at the sleeping children...
Taking the left fork at the crossroads, the carriage jostled along the uneven path before finally arriving at the church's iron gates.
Two nuns stood at the entrance, deep in conversation. Upon spotting Sister Cicely, they hurriedly swung the gates open, the hinges creaking as they revealed a seamless stone-paved path.
'Not bad at all...' Haruya thought.
"Sister Cicely! Why are you so late? Did something happen?"
"We were worried sick!"
The two nuns bombarded her with questions, forcing her to explain everything.
Only after the explanation did they turn their attention to Haruya, their expressions unreadable...
"Nangou-san, could you lend a hand?" Sister Cicely beckoned.
"Of course."
"The other sisters will take the children inside. The priest is probably still in the chapel and won't come out for a while. For now, let's move them to the back of the hall..."
The 'them' Sister Cicely referred to were the dead coachman and the bandit Haruya had killed earlier.
As a nun, she couldn't bear the thought of leaving corpses exposed in the wilderness, intending to give them a proper burial.
'Truly, the mindset of the devout is simple, or perhaps naive?'
Haruya hoisted the two bodies over his shoulders and caught a familiar scent... gunpowder.
'Is it from the bandit?' He frowned.
"Is something wrong, Nangou-san?"
"No, it's nothing. Let's go..."
Following Sister Cicely to the rear of the chapel, they headed toward the cemetery beside the church.
Just then, a fierce gust of wind tore through, snatching Sister Cicely's hat away. A cascade of golden hair like flowing silk spilled over her shoulders, shimmering under the torchlight.
Bending to retrieve her hat, she straightened with an embarrassed smile, shrinking slightly, "Forgive me."
"Don't worry. Should I leave them here?"
"Yes... If only they hadn't met such a fate..."
"Some things are predestined."
Just as most plotlines couldn't be altered, saving those already doomed often required sacrificing someone else.
Haruya had learned this from 'Steins;Gate', though his interpretation might not be entirely accurate...
With the matter settled, he prepared to leave, only for Sister Cicely to stop him, "Nangou-san, why not rest here for the night? Traveling at night is dangerous. Tomorrow, a merchant caravan should pass through, you could join them to the capital."
"Would that be alright?"
"I'm sure the priest won't mind. There are plenty of empty rooms, which is why we take in children from other churches."
Fair enough. Haruya nodded, though he couldn't shake the unease from earlier... 'Something feels off...'
Sister Cicely led him to a wooden annex beside the church, its aged walls covered in ivy. Inside, however, it was immaculate.
Stopping at a door beside the second-floor staircase, she gestured inside.
"Please make yourself comfortable here. I'll inform the priest. I'll come for you tomorrow. Would you like supper?"
"No, I'm not hungry. Thank you."
"Then, once again, thank you for saving us earlier."
With a final bow, she left. Haruya exhaled, tossing his coat onto a chair before collapsing onto the bed.
The ceiling was adorned with floral patterns resembling summer blossoms, while the scent of flowers from a nearby vase lulled him toward sleep.
Before long, his consciousness began to blur... "Am I... that tired?"
Rolling onto his side, he stared at the door just as footsteps approached outside.
Attempting to rise, he lost his balance and tumbled to the floor, 'This isnʼt exhaustion!!'
As if his fall had been a signal, the door burst open– no, it was kicked open.
"Now!" Leading the charge was Sister Cicely, wielding a longsword.
Behind her stood a man, likely the priest.
"You–" Before Haruya could finish, the priest raised a gun.
"You're from the Empire, aren't you?! That coat bears a noble's insignia!"
'The coat?'
Twisting his neck, Haruya spotted the emblem near the shoulder.
'Is it really a noble's?'
Then it hit him... 'The gunpowder scent... Had that carriage been transporting explosives?'
Before he could ponder further, the priest pulled the trigger.
The bullet... never fired...
A towering man swatted it aside effortlessly, roaring: "Unshackle your soul!"
The next instant, the priest's upper body was pulverized, splattering against the opposite wall like peanut butter.
Sister Cicely screamed, her voice shrill with terror, "N-No! STOP—!!!"
Her cry lasted only a second.
A gust of wind brushed past Haruya, followed by the sickening crack of breaking bone. Sister Cicely's head spun a full 360 degrees...
Holding her limp body aloft, the shirtless man (his own head tilted at an unnatural angle) spoke coldly, "You're careless, Nan. These were Revolutionary Army spies."
It was one of the 'Four Rakshasa Demons'!
Outside, screams erupted, punctuated by explosions and the roar of flames.
The world beyond the room was engulfed in fire.
The man who had crushed the priest now hauled Haruya to his feet, "Seems the intel was off."
Haruya: "...."
Haruya remained silent as the inferno outside threatened to consume the entire forest...
That light was the invisible face of death...