To be honest, the former Mulan had seemed extraordinarily determined to restore the Jonester Household to glory. So much so that even now, seeing the newspaper stirred an almost instinctive excitement in Mulan. In a sense, it was an affirmation of himself.
Still, Mulan could not help grumbling inwardly. He had dealt with that Mad Killer, whose name he still did not even know, yet aside from the publicity of appearing in the newspaper, the Valentine Police Department had given him no reward-at least, nothing tangible. Perhaps Leo would benefit a little.
I need to keep this newspaper!
With that thought, Mulan tucked the newspaper into his coat's inner pocket, then strode toward the southern district.
Days of strong winds and heavy rain had kept most people at home. Although the sky had not cleared today either, the weather was unusually pleasant compared with the preceding days, so Holy Temples across Valentine welcomed large numbers of worshippers.
When Mulan arrived at the Holy Temple in the southern district, crowds of worshippers were making their way inside.
This Holy Temple was not particularly grand, and Evan was presumably its only cleric. There were many such temples in the city. Watching the worshippers converge on it, Mulan could not help marveling inwardly at the Holy Temple's success in spreading its faith.
Naturally, Mulan did not wait outside. He entered the Holy Temple with the crowd. People filed in, found empty seats, and sat down quietly. Nobody raised their voice, and even acquaintances exchanged only a few hushed words.
Mulan did not know anyone there, so he naturally had no one to talk to. He simply found a less crowded spot and sat down, a little behind the middle. But no sooner had he taken his seat than an elderly woman beside him began studying him.
Unable to pretend he had not noticed, Mulan nodded to her. As though trying to confirm something, the middle-aged woman took a newspaper from her small bag and unfolded it.
"Oh, my God! Are you Lord Jonester?"
Valentine was a sizable city, but news of a retired officer eliminating the Mad Killer in a one-on-one confrontation that had all but amounted to a duel spread remarkably quickly. Coupled with the Valentine Daily reporter's vivid account, embellished with a few inventions, the story made a far greater splash than aristocratic gossip or dull politics.
The photograph of Mulan had also come out exceptionally well. Most Valentine residents, women in particular, would linger over it. Sitting close to Mulan, the woman happened to recognize him.
"Yes, ma'am, but we're in a Holy Temple. Please keep your voice down."
The middle-aged woman was delighted.
"So it really is you! You rid us of that danger. God's Holy Light must surely shine upon you. May God bless you!"
"Thank you!"
Mulan offered that polite reply, then rested both hands on his cane and looked toward the front. The middle-aged woman's attention also shifted forward. Cleric Evan was approaching slowly. Besides his spotless white clerical robes, he wore a Holy Temple ornament on his chest today: a metal ring surrounding a carving of three pillars of light.
Reaching the statue of the Holy Light, Evan smiled at all the worshippers gathered there. When he spotted Mulan seated among them, his smile grew even brighter.
"Wind and rain cannot hinder our devotion. The Holy Light will protect us all from darkness. Even when evildoers occasionally stir up trouble, those who feel the will of the Holy Light will rise to uphold justice, just as the valiant Second Lieutenant Mulan Jonester did!"
After praising Mulan, Evan saw no pride or delight on his face. Yet that only made him think more highly of Mulan. Unmoved by honor or disgrace, remaining true to himself-this was the sort of person God favored.
The prayer service was not lengthy, but many worshippers wanted to speak with Evan, pouring out their worries and all manner of trivial matters unrelated to God. Evan smiled throughout, speaking gently with each worshipper and offering his advice.
Mulan waited a long time before most of the worshippers finally left. In the meantime, quite a few had recognized the young man sitting there as the retired second lieutenant Mulan Jonester from the newspaper, either on their own or after hearing other worshippers mention him. Many stole a few extra glances at him as they departed.
Only once nearly everyone had left did Mulan stand. Evan slowly approached him and spoke first, his voice warm with approval.
"I've been waiting for you to come. I saw the newspaper. God sees everything you have done!"
Mulan looked at Evan and asked bluntly.
"Then did God see everything that killer did? If I hadn't intervened, many more people in Valentine might have died. What would God-or the Holy Temple-have done?"
Evan smiled and answered Mulan with complete candor.
"God has his own arrangements. Your appearance, for instance."
Mulan managed a strained smile. He did not much like that explanation. Just as he was about to say something, his brows suddenly drew together slightly. A peculiar sensation made him instinctively look a short distance away. As he focused his attention, he discovered that someone else was still sitting there. That person had now risen.
"Yes, God has his own arrangements. That fellow had already begun touching upon the inhuman. The Holy Temple might not have intervened, but we certainly would have stepped in before he did anything worse."
Surprised, Evan turned toward the voice. There was still a worshipper who had not left, and he had failed to notice him all this time.
Mulan's expression relaxed, and he greeted the approaching man.
"Hello, Sir Walton."
"Lieutenant, we meet again. As it happens, I witnessed your valiant performance yesterday. I must say, you were even more impressive than I imagined!"
As it happens? Like hell!
Mulan scoffed inwardly, but his expression remained fairly calm as he replied.
"You flatter me. One correction: I'm retired. Even before my retirement, I had already been dismissed from my post. You were there at the time too, Sir Walton!"
Mulan put a little extra emphasis on the final name and title. He had not forgotten those three shots in the courtroom. Had Walton not fired in court, the verdict might have been more favorable.
Yet Walton's face held nothing but a smile.
"That was the Imperial Military Headquarters' loss, but the empire will not let a talent like you slip away. If you're willing, I will serve as your guide and lead you through the doorway to another world!"
Unlike Evan, Walton did not mince words. He went straight to the point, bluntly dropping a bombshell into Mulan's mind.
Beside them, Evan grew anxious at once. He had discovered this unpolished gem in Mulan, only for this mysterious knight to throw fair play aside and poach him right inside the Holy Temple!
"Sir, Mr. Jonester is a devout believer in God. God would prefer to see him bathed in the Holy Light, and also..."
"Cleric, I too am a devout believer in God, and I too bask in the Holy Light. The same is true of the Dilga Empire itself. There is no contradiction here. I believe you think very highly of Mulan, but to the Holy Temple's archdiocese, he is merely another devout worshipper."
Walton's words were utterly blunt, and they left Evan speechless. He believed someone like Mulan would surely shine, but he was only the cleric of a Holy Temple serving one part of southern Valentine. He truly had no influence over the archdiocese's affairs.
Walton dominated the exchange completely. Their presence was on entirely different levels, like a kindly adult speaking to a child.
"So, Mulan, will you take a walk with me, or do you intend to continue praying?"
Without question, Mulan would not choose the latter. Even the sleep problem troubling him might well have a solution on Walton's side. And if it did not, he could always return to the Holy Temple. All he could do was silently say, Sorry, Cleric Good Head.
"I've finished my prayers for today. Cleric Evan, I'll come see you another time."
Evan sighed, suppressing the urge to give Walton a thorough beating. He repeatedly reminded himself that he was a cleric and must remain calm, then still had to smile as he answered Mulan.
"All right. I'll be waiting for you."
"Then we'll take our leave!"
Walton patted Mulan on the shoulder and led him out of the Holy Temple.