WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Natty

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◈ The Regressor and the Blind Saintess ◈

Chapter 86: Investigation

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In the manor’s reception room, Albrecht sat across the table from Rene, still unable to gather himself as he blankly turned over the words he had heard moments before.

“Yes, well...”

‘Why?’

Why had she reacted like that when he had apologized? And not just anyone, but him? Albrecht himself had apologized, no less.

The questions continued without end.

Having never experienced anything like this in his life, Albrecht kept questioning himself for a long while before reaching a conclusion that was dangerously close to self-justification.

‘Ah, the Saintess is blind!’

Since Rene was blind, she had no way of knowing how beautiful Albrecht was. That had to be why she reacted that way.

Eternally beautiful, beloved by all. An angel sent down from the divine realm. The most perfect creation.

Were those not descriptions that could only be understood through sight?

Only then did Albrecht nod in understanding.

After doing so, he felt much better and was about to speak again.

‘...Then what about my voice?’

Another thought came to him, freezing his mind.

Albrecht’s voice was sweet beyond measure. Then why did neither the Saintess nor the Apostle beside her marvel at it?

No, setting that aside, he could understand the blind Saintess. But the Apostle could see Albrecht’s beauty, could he not? Then why was he acting so indifferent?

Albrecht felt his heart pound. His golden eyes, shining as though the midday sun had been set within them, trembled with unease. A quiver beginning at his fingertips spread through his whole body, and a precarious air began to seep from him.

Watching from beside him, Count Vaischur wanted nothing more than to flee at once.

He had expected this, but that did nothing to ease the ache in his heart.

The embodiment of self-love. A child ignorant of the world. Someone with not even a speck of tact and a disastrous inability to read the room.

It was understandable that his superior, who possessed all three traits, could not make sense of this situation. Still, could he not remain calm for once? They were not here for a social call.

Count Vaischur truly, desperately wanted to run away. Unfortunately, that was impossible.

This was his manor. If he fled from here, he would have nowhere to go but the streets.

Phew.

A sigh slipped from Count Vaischur’s lips. After glancing at Albrecht, then at Rene and Vera across from them, he spoke.

“Your Highness, would it not be time to get to the point?”

“Ah.”

Albrecht jolted, shaking off his dazed expression before clearing his throat.

“I had something to think over and was rude to keep my guests waiting.”

You are the guest.

The words rose in Count Vaischur’s throat, but he held them back. He was a man who firmly believed in the duties of a loyal servant devoted to his country and the imperial family.

It was truly enough to make him sigh.

“May I speak of the matter at hand now?”

At Albrecht’s trembling question, Rene nodded.

“Yes.”

Another brief reply. Albrecht’s pupils shook once more.

“R-Right! Then I shall begin!”

Ahem!

“I came here because of what happened the night before. It seems that the reason the Apostle of the covenant went to the Gutter aligns in part with our own purpose. That is why I came to ask for your help.”

Rene’s fingertips twitched at those words.

It was for a different reason than earlier that day. Hearing that Vera had gone to the Gutter brought back what had happened before the prince arrived.

Vera, barely forcing out words in a voice she had never heard from him before, and herself, unable to say anything before him.

Their conversation had ended vaguely when Albrecht came.

She should have said something, but she had missed the moment and failed to tell him what she wanted to say.

Rene curled the hand resting on her lap into a fist and spoke.

“What kind of help are you asking for?”

“I would like you to help investigate the Gutter.”

Rene’s body twitched again. Sitting beside her, Vera noticed and asked Albrecht.

“I believe you should first explain why you are investigating it.”

His tone was as blunt as ever. The difference was that the irritation in it was much clearer than usual. Anger and irritation toward himself had tangled together within him.

It was an unmistakable emotion. Confusion appeared on Albrecht’s face again.

“R-Right! Honestly, I have been acting carelessly all day!”

With a forced “Ha ha!” Albrecht suppressed his rising embarrassment and continued. In its place came a serious expression.

“Disappearances have been occurring.”

“...People vanish from the Gutter all the time.”

“Not just the Gutter. Across the entire capital. I mean simultaneous incidents occurring in every district except the First through Third Streets.”

The First through Third Streets were the nobles’ residential districts. Albrecht was saying that disappearances were occurring everywhere else.

Naturally, Vera’s expression hardened. Rene reacted the same way. Her head, which had been lowered until then, suddenly lifted toward Albrecht’s voice.

...This was not the time for it, but Albrecht felt a small measure of delight at finally having both of their attention.

Then Rene asked.

“Shouldn’t measures be taken? If it is happening over such a wide area...”

“It is not as easy as it sounds.”

Count Vaischur answered.

Looking at Rene and Vera, he explained in a troubled voice.

“A public investigation is impossible under the circumstances. If we go stirring things up recklessly, we may end up burying the case entirely.”

“Why?”

Rene’s question was only natural.

This was an incident occurring across the imperial capital. Parvan was so vast that it would take several ordinary kingdom capitals put together just to match its size.

That meant the number of missing people had to be at least in the hundreds. Yet a public investigation was impossible in such a serious situation.

Vera was the one who answered the question that had occurred to Rene.

“...The nobles are suspects. Is that correct?”

“Oh, Apostle, you are quite perceptive.”

It was not perception so much as Vera’s familiarity with the Empire that had allowed him to reach that conclusion.

Disappearances on such a massive scale, yet only the nobles’ residential districts remained quiet. Albrecht had gone to the Gutter to investigate it, and now he had personally come to ask outsiders like them for help.

“That is correct. We believe nobles may be behind these disappearances.”

Albrecht openly revealed their suspicions.

“If there is a culprit, we suspect one of them must be involved. However...”

“If you poke around in the wrong places, the backlash will be severe.”

“...That is so. It is shameful to admit, but the current imperial family is not particularly powerful.”

Vera understood exactly what Albrecht meant.

The current imperial family, or more precisely, the current Emperor, was too weak and had to watch the nobles’ reactions.

Vera knew this because he had used that weakness to make deals with nobles in his previous life.

Imperial authority weakened, and the noble faction’s influence grew stronger. Naturally, conflict between factions and secret dealings became more rampant, plunging the Empire into greater chaos.

There was no need to say more. Even the reason the Emperor had acted three years earlier, on the day Seven Days and Nights of White Night began, was tied to this.

It had been an undertaking intended to restore greatness to the imperial family.

Of course, it had ended in failure, with the Emperor moving only within the Empire.

Furthermore, it had not been an undertaking that needed to happen.

‘It will be resolved once the Crown Prince ascends the throne.’

Four years from now, the First Prince, currently the Crown Prince, would become Emperor. The imperial family would then enter an unprecedented golden age.

After briefly recalling his previous life, Vera looked at Albrecht and continued questioning him.

“So that is why you went to the Gutter?”

“Yes. No matter how I consider it, there is no place better than the Gutter for making so many people vanish without a trace.”

Vera nodded. It was true. There was no place easier to dispose of bodies than the Gutter.

“...You are investigating the cartel that has newly settled in the Gutter. Is that right?”

“I am glad we understand each other so readily. What do you say? Can you help us?”

Expectation filled Albrecht’s voice. He was clearly certain that the answer would be yes.

Vera frowned at that expression, then looked at Rene.

Rene would make the decision.

Realizing from the suddenly quiet atmosphere that Vera was waiting for her opinion, Rene’s fingertips trembled.

They obviously should do it.

That thought came to mind, but different words left her lips.

“...Will you give us time to think? I cannot give you an answer immediately.”

She was asking for a little time.

With a crack, Albrecht’s smile fractured.

* * *

Albrecht, who had gone rigid, left with Count Vaischur’s assistance.

Only Rene and Vera remained in the reception room.

Once they were alone again, the awkward atmosphere from before Albrecht’s arrival returned.

Feeling Vera’s presence beside her, Rene drew in a deep breath.

They could not go on like this forever. She had to ease this atmosphere.

Fortunately, Rene knew how.

If she wanted to convey her feelings, she had to use her mouth, her words.

“Vera.”

“Yes, Saintess.”

“What do you think?”

At Rene’s question, Vera answered more hesitantly than ever before.

“...I will simply follow your opinion, Saintess.”

“Really? I feel like this is already the second time you have said something so nice, then broken it.”

Vera’s body jolted.

Sitting on the same sofa, Rene felt his surprise through the vibration.

“Once in the mountain range, and once this time. No, you also kept your lips tightly sealed and fought the Dragonian when we first met. If we count that, it has been three times.”

“...I am sorry.”

“You should be. You should apologize as well.”

“I apologize.”

I am all right. I do not care in the slightest what sort of life you lived or what kind of person you were.

Those were the words she needed to say, but why did the words coming out sound so cold?

Rene resented herself for being unable to make her body obey her heart.

“Vera.”

“Yes.”

“Was it truly for my sake?”

Vera could not immediately answer.

When he looked back, the feelings underlying those actions had been for himself.

Rene was so precious to him. Seeing her in danger hurt him more than being injured himself. That was why he had chosen to be hurt alone.

His body might suffer that way, but his heart would be more at ease than ever.

Rene spoke to the silent Vera.

“Vera, do you know something?”

“Please, tell me.”

“...You mean so much to me.”

Her words came out slightly unsteady.

Even in this situation, she felt embarrassed saying them.

“You mean so much to me that I do not want you to be hurt.”

Rene knew.

She knew that Vera cared deeply for her as well.

Though it took a form different from love, the feeling of holding each other dear was still exactly the same.

Rene slowly moved the hand that had rested on her lap to the side.

She felt around for Vera.

Then, her hand found his.

“You want to pursue the light, don’t you?”

“...Yes.”

“And you said you needed me for that.”

“...Yes.”

Rene tightly held Vera’s hand and continued.

“Then couldn’t you trust me?”

Vera flinched.

Vera’s fingertips trembled.

So that he would not waver, Rene clasped his hand more tightly and continued.

“You said you could pursue the light only if you were with me. Then that means I am your light.”

“...”

“Then trust me. No matter what kind of person you were, I trust you, Vera...”

Rene spoke with unembellished sincerity.

She knew that such raw sincerity moved the heart more than any dazzling words. She had learned that from Vera.

“...So please trust me a little too. If I am your light, do not doubt that light.”

Vera looked at the snow-white hand resting over his.

He engraved her words in his heart.

Had he been unable to trust Rene?

Was that why he had tried to hide things from her again?

“Vera.”

“Yes.”

“What is your answer?”

Vera considered for a moment before answering.

“...Saintess, you have spoken truly.”

Vera’s hand curled around the snow-white hand resting over his.

Their fingers intertwined.

The answer that came to him was simple.

He had been someone who could not even trust the light he pursued.

Once again, it had been Rene who awakened him to that.

With that thought, Vera gave a small, self-mocking laugh and stroked Rene’s hand with his thumb.

In the quiet atmosphere, their warmth mingled for a long time.

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