What the Wind Takes Away Isn't Just Time

The merchant's carriage approached the city gate and was stopped by the guards on duty.

Mel Carlo, hidden inside a wooden barrel, naturally felt the carriage come to a halt.

"Routine inspection, what are you carrying?"

"Just some goods." The merchant smiled and took out 30 Oren from his money pouch, handing it to the guard.

The guard took the copper coins without counting them, just weighing them in his hand before clearing the way. "Alright, you can go."

30 Oren was neither too much nor too little, just enough for a round of drinks. These merchants occasionally transported contraband, but it didn't matter. Even if they caught a criminal merchant, the reward wasn't significant. It was better to maintain this relationship and skim some extra profit.

With no one around, Carlo had already exited the city. On the other side, Akai and the old Sword Saint arrived at the gang's courtyard. Before they even entered, they could smell a faint scent of blood. Chocolate was cowering fearfully outside the gate, and another child was similarly stunned by fear.

"What's wrong?" The old Sword Saint drew the sword at his waist.

"Someone's... someone's dead." Chocolate scrambled out of the main gate.

His legs felt like they were cramping. He wasn't unfamiliar with death, but the fear of death didn't diminish just because he'd seen it before.

"Chocolate, where's Mel? Have you seen Mel?"

"I don't know, I just got back." Chocolate got up from the ground.

The Knights instantly surrounded the courtyard. The old Sword Saint entered alone. Akai and Lily wanted to go in, but they were both stopped at the entrance. If the enemy hadn't escaped, it would be very dangerous inside the courtyard.

It was already known that cultists had infiltrated the Imperial City, and they hadn't been caught.

However, the old Sword Saint soon finished inspecting everything inside the courtyard. His movements were decisive, striking the throat in one blow and likely disarming the deceased.

The deceased clutched his throat, unable to stop the bleeding, and tried to resist with his last bit of strength. The enemy leaped back a distance, their footprints light, as if made by a child or a woman. However, an assassin could also do this by tiptoeing.

"Come in," Sword Saint Eugene called Akai into the courtyard.

"Do you recognize this person?" the old Sword Saint asked Akai.

Akai was a little hesitant to look but managed to see the deceased's face clearly. He said softly, "He looks like an investigator from the gang. He came when the Duke's daughter's purse was investigated before."

"Your friend Mel doesn't seem to be here. Do you know if he went into the city or was captured by the killer? How old is your friend?"

"About the same age as me," Akai replied.

The old Sword Saint stroked his chin. If that was the case, the little fellow named Mel could likely be ruled out as a suspect. It would be difficult for such a young child to kill an adult, especially with such fatal precision. A dagger was accurately thrown at the neck, followed by a stab to the heart with a short sword.

Only two moves were made throughout the entire process, making it look more like the work of an experienced assassin. It was common for members of the Imperial City Gang to be murdered by hired killers.

However, the Sword Saint soon noticed the wound on the person's hand – a penetrating injury. What kind of sharp projectile could cause that?

Anke watched quietly. He probably guessed what was happening. If he hadn't gone out to join the commotion, he might not have reached this point. He hoped that kid Mel had already run. Was he truly an Apostle?

"Go into the city and look for your friend? If you can't find him, he might have been captured." Eugene didn't ask further. This newly returned gang lieutenant probably didn't know what had happened.

The old Sword Saint, after all, didn't have a talent for appraisal. The traces he saw were due to his own keen senses, but as he aged, he had become a bit sluggish in this regard.

They searched for the entire afternoon but couldn't find Mel Carlo. A person like that disappearing into the city was like vanishing into the ocean, completely evaporated.

"Think for the best, child. Perhaps your friend isn't dead yet, just taken. I'll have someone investigate this matter," the old Sword Saint comforted him. If the other party was determined to hide their target, with their current information-gathering capabilities, even deploying the Knights would make it difficult to find the person.

Moreover, he couldn't mobilize the Imperial Knights for such a reason. Regarding identity, Mel Carlo was just an orphan.

But what benefit could the other party gain from abducting an orphan? If he were merely a witness, he should have been killed directly.

"What about the other child?"

"Chocolate doesn't want to come with us?"

"What a strange child. He doesn't want to go to the church either?"

"Yes, he doesn't want to go."

"Everyone has their own aspirations. I'll have my friends in the gang look after him, and you will come with me to train in the Knights!" The old Sword Saint left with Akai.

Lily entered the church to train with Sister Clabel. They would still see each other often, as they were in the same city.

Although they were worried about Mel Carlo, with their current abilities, they couldn't do anything. Besides worrying, they couldn't do anything else of practical use.

May the gods protect you, Mel.

Lily chatted happily with the nun. This old nun wasn't as rigid and harsh as other nuns; on the contrary, she was very kind.

"Lily, you originally believed in the Goddess of Light, so your entering the church is entirely the will of God," the nun said with a smile, gently placing her arm on Lily's head.

"Yes, my family believes in the Goddess of Light."

"But even if we believe in the same goddess, there are now many factions... Never mind, what am I saying to a young girl like you." The nun stopped at the entrance of the Knights' headquarters, changing the subject. "If you want to talk about big changes, Eugene's changes are truly significant. I can't see the confidence he once had in his eyes."

Lily paused silently. If that was the case, this old nun and Sword Saint Eugene had known each other since they were young.

"If Eugene had been born a little later, I believe he would have been the hero who defeated the Demon King. Unfortunately, by the time the Demon King reappeared, he was already a bit old."

"Is the Sword Saint very strong?"

"There were those with better talent than him, but they all died along the way. He became the Empire's strongest swordsman. But even now, I don't think he would necessarily be the Demon King's opponent if he were younger. I heard that when he returned, even his own disciple had died, but it wasn't the Demon King himself, just one of the Demon King's subordinates." The old nun seemed to be reminiscing, comparing her memories from her youth to the present.

Time, along with their youthful, passionate years, was carried away by the wind. They had grown old; how many more years could they live?

"Let's go, Sister Clabel," another nun serving the left guardian reminded her.

"Alright, I know. Let's head back to the church first, little girl."

They headed towards the church's convent. The male and female convents were separate, though they occasionally met at the cathedral, which was the headquarters of the Church of Light in the Gard Empire.

Akai followed the old Sword Saint as he stepped into the Imperial Knights for the first time. Unlike the Royal Knights, the Imperial Knights were a force entirely dedicated to war. They might not be adept at protecting targets, but they certainly didn't hold back when it came to killing.

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