Chapter 09: Nothing can be done.

 

Note on Deacon is a Male not Female.

A few days after the Deacon Franz’s talk.

Not that, there was Al, who was …… keeping an eye on him in the vicinity of the church.

Of course, this figure has already been rumoured in the neighbourhood.

‘ (Since then, he just smiles at me no matter what I say to him. At least tell me when you’re going to …… lose your virginity. I won’t ask if it’s before or after, so ……Well, there’s no way he’s going to tell me.).”

Franz’s life has an almost constant rhythm and does not change every day. To the extent that shopping days and times vary somewhat. His behaviour is easy to read, but you can’t tell the signs that …… irregularities are about to happen.

” (I don’t know if it’s a man or a woman, If it’s not people of Gaumin(Royal Capital), then they are either aristocrats or those who are linked to them. But would someone who has a mansion in the nobility district be so crazy as to do such a thing? I’ m sorry to say it, but it’s a really different world I live in. They are so “high up” that they don’t even know the difference between a frontier baron like me and the people.

I think Franz is probably dealing with a wealthy metropolitan aristocrat from a popular district .).”

Who “bought” Deacon Franz?

“Mister Franz! Good morning!”

“Well, …… Good morning. Mary.”

One of the few church visitors. No. Visitor to Franz. A girl called Mary. She always attends the morning service. Often no one else is there and they spend time together.

She has been seen every day since Al started observing. Perhaps it is a habit of theirs that has been going on for a long time.

She has a fondness for Franz that is more than just a deacon and congregation ……, so much so that even Al, a newcomer, can see it.

“…. Mister Franz. Have you lost weight again? …… If you can’t eat properly, you can change …… parishes.”

“Mary. Thank you very much. But I have no intention of leaving this church, no matter how many times you say. I will only accept that sentiment.”

I feel like a complete peeping tom. …… While Al is so disheartened, Deacon Franz’s days are numbered.

……

…………

Then came a day.

As usual, when Mary came to the morning service, Franz had informed her that he would not be able to attend today’s service due to circumstances. It was from a distance, but Al focused his hearing on the physical enhancements. High-functioning peepers.

From a regular rhythm to a completely irregular event.

“(As a goddess follower, Did you find it dilemma…… to perform a worship service before performing a sexual act?)”

After that, the rest of the day was generally in the same rhythm as before, but in the evening Franz went to the public baths in the People’s District.

In this world, because of the ‘cleanliness’ of life magic, cleanliness is maintained to such an extent that it can be compared to Al’s previous life.

Perhaps because of this, bathing in hot water is treated as a luxury or luxury hobby.

Therefore, when ordinary folk bathe in hot water, it is often before marriage, before or after important work, or with some kind of …… meaning. And it is also said that the most common is before sexual intercourse.

” (Huh?). What am I to do in the end? I don’t need to look at the scene: …… Do i want to clarify just who you’re dealing with? But. And then what? It’s only a guess that the other party is going to turn their back on their support. No. I acted on a whim and didn’t think properly about what was going to happen …..”

Al now realises. The fact that a free quest prequel is underway has moved him a little, but Al has no vision of what lies ahead.

Deacon Franz is bought up and spends the night with a certain nobleman. …… So what?

Al has no money or means to save the church. In the first place, he has no intention of saving the church itself.

He just didn’t like the idea of Franz becoming a dead soul with no reward.

“…… haha…… but that’s Deacon Franz’s life ……. …… he was already prepared for it. It’s impossible for me to overturn that resolve, I’m just a random guy. …… I’ll just lose heart and think of it as a reference until the main story starts. ……?”

Deacon Franz emerges from the public baths, already in plain clothes, as if he were blending in with the people, rather than in his deacon’s uniform. And his steps lead him away from the town of the outsiders.

Disappointed with himself for being an idiot, Al follows Deacon Franz.

……

…………

Contrary to Al’s expectations, Deacon Franz disappears not into a corner of the People’s District lined with wealthy and aristocratic families, but into an inn for ordinary people, which is centrally located and only slightly more expensive.

‘Huh? A certain noble is in an inn like this?”

Al pauses for a moment, wondering, and then goes inside the inn, removing as much sign as possible.

Like many other inns, the ground floor is a dining room and bar, but this inn seems to be a little more classy and upmarket. The atmosphere is one of calm and tranquillity, a far cry from the noisy, cheap bars of the outer towns.

Outside, the evening darkness is falling, and it is a comfortable time to have dinner. There are already a few customers here and there at the tables.

Al checked his surroundings with a natural gesture and saw Deacon Franz against the wall of bar counter seating.

He also saw Mary sitting two seats away.

Sitting at the bar counter is not a good idea.

He asks the waiter if he can sit at a table by himself, pays for his seat first and Al takes his seat.

　Both of them were scared that they might have been caught in the act, but neither of them noticed Al.

　Rather, although they are seated far apart and do not speak to each other, Deacon Franz and Mary remain staring at each other with heated gazes. They don’t even tilt their glasses. A perfect meeting scene.

“(What is it? ….. Is that the kind of relationship you two have? Deacon Franz. The way you were talking back there…A clean body! The atmosphere in the air: …… Did they give you a drink? (No.
Is it strange for me to play the victim? I’m a stalking peeping Tom. ……)” {TL; Note, It’s Not a translator mistake, but rather they way Al is. He thinks something through halfway and leaves it at that, adds his Own nonsense at the end.}

Al asks for one of the restaurant’s recommendations and a bottle of spirits. Feeling somewhat foolish, he changes his mind and decides to at least enjoy the food. Incidentally, there are no drinking restrictions in this world. If you are too young, you will be stopped, but basically you are on your own.

What came out was thinly battered fried white fish.

When pierced lightly with a fork, the response is crisp and then fluffy.

Oil and steam from the meat come out of the pierce hole. The aroma convinces you that it is definitely delicious.

In this world, there is also a proliferation of magical tools, including refrigerators, freezers and even the equivalent of a stove that can emit high temperatures or maintain a constant temperature. Even in the inland capital, it is possible to eat seafood that is kept fresh to a certain extent.

In addition, the seasoning of meals is not particularly different for Al. Many of the foods he finds tasty even with the taste buds of his previous life. This may be due to the fact that the world is originally a game world.

‘ ((Oh, no. I can’t do it. I realize how stupid I am and peeking at the affair ……. …… Oh, it’s delicious. I’m still glad these fries are so good.).)”

While munching on his fries and sipping his drink, Al, for his part, senses Deacon Franz and Mary’s presence.

There is no particular movement. …… but then some kind of hand-sign-like finger movement.

” (What? What is it? It’s not an incidental or random finger movement. Clearly some kind of sign. (Instructions to Mary?)”

Both have been entranced and exchanging heated glances, but at this point, Mary leaves her seat. As if, she approaches a customer who has just walked in. …… Al noticed that Mary was ‘Going to kill him’ from the air she was giving off.

“Kya ……!”

“Dang! Oops. …… Excuse me for this. Miss.”

“…… No, no, my apologies too. I was a little drunk and …… sorry.”

Mary casually bumps into him and instantly bows her head. The gentleman responds in a hawkish manner, as if there is no problem.

With a polite apology, Mary leaves the restaurant.

The gentleman, perhaps a reserved guest, is ushered by the waiter to a semi-private table at the back of the restaurant.

Mary’s current series of interactions.

Deacon Franz, who was observing this casually but keenly.

It all started to smell fishy at once. Al sighs secretly, “I feel that there are many bloody events in this game. ……

‘ (Mary …… I thought you were a naive girl with a nice smile and in love with an older deacon …… but when you bumped into him, you casually stuck a needle in that gentleman’s hand. Just lightly, just a thin break in the skin. A fairly potent, slow-acting poison? Deacon Franz is already loosening up. The objective has been achieved. Does that mean the gentleman can no longer be saved?

I don’t know the interests or the background. ……Deacon Franz and Mary seem to be professional assassins. Totally. MANA could be detected within Mary…..Can you use some magic?

The human race really likes to kill each other. In that respect, Falconer are nice and simple. …… all they do is kill the demons in front of them. …… Oh …… I never thought I’d miss those battlefield days ……).”

Al feels ridiculous, differently than he did earlier.

I don’t know how Deacon Franz and Mary came to be “like this”, but if you follow the prequel to the free quest The Lord of the Abandoned Church, the deacon who became a spirit of death was actually an assassin before he died! …… Oh, I can only say that.

‘ (Huh. I’m done being involved in this event. I don’t care how Deacon Franz became a dead spirit. As I thought about briefly earlier, that church falling into disrepair can be treated as a countdown to the start of the main story. (…… Let’s go home).”

He throws the rest of the fish fry into his mouth and gulps down the rest of the spirits in his glass in one gulp.

Al leaves the restaurant.

……

…………

………………

“What a quick turnaround. You’ve got a real work ethic.”

“…………”

Al had his own agenda for daring to take the back roads, but …… he didn’t expect them to attack him as they did just now, earlier. He thought that if there was going to be an attack, at least another one would come.

Mary.

Slouched, natural posture.

Her eyes are vacant. No particular emotion is reflected in them.

She is not a warrior, as Al had expected. A professional assassin. Those who specialise in killing, not fighting.

The assassin is in front of the target to be killed and says, ‘I’m going to kill you now!’ and showing up is strange in itself.

(What? Are you sure there’s nothing there?)

The moment they enter into the intervening space. The dagger sprints forward. Towards Al’s life.

“…… shh!”

‘…… too late for that?’

He grabs Mary’s wrist very lightly. At …… and the same time, Al momentarily exerts his physical enhancements and …… Break.

“…… aggah!”

‘…… What? Are you really inept? Only from the front? Why?”

Although his head is full of questions, Al is also a Falconer madman. His body moves almost automatically to kill his enemies.

In a swift, fluid movement, he crushed his opponent’s knee with a front kick as it was, and Mary’s knee was bent into a shape that it should not have been.

At a speed that she may or may not perceive the pain, the next step is a headbutt while pulling back the wrist he has grabbed.

“………… Guhh!”

End.

Like a puppet with broken strings, Mary collapses.

She is squishy except for her right wrist, which Al has grabbed, and she is completely unconscious.

There is still no sign of the ambush, no movement or trace of any movement that will lead to the next one.

“Yeah. ……? Is this really all there is? What did you want to do? …… For now, I’ll take this to Deacon Franz ……?”

Al is full of questions.

But he also recognises that he is a frontier noble family.

He has heard that the attitude and thinking towards magic and fighting is fundamentally different from that of the noble families in the relatively peaceful territories closer to the centre, and he has actually seen with his own eyes the movements and mana flows of the private armies of the Viscount Beewley family and those associated with noble families that he saw in the Royal Capital.

It certainly felt different. A reality far removed from the ever-present battlefield. However, it is also about Al, who has memories of his previous life, of being in a hometown.

In this royal city, I am the foreigner, so it is right that I should adapt myself to my surroundings. I think so and practice it as much as possible.

However, Al is only concerned about the flow of mana, etc., and is not concerned about his everyday behaviour, which is alarmed as out of the ordinary and suspicious.

Why.