Chapter 6
Chapter 6: The Black-Haired Youth Remains Silent
In the ruins of the border town, broken houses looked like wounds torn by giant beasts, with exposed bricks and broken beams scattered everywhere.
The air was filled with the smell of burning and blood, and occasional low sobs could still be heard.
The beast disaster’s rampage had turned half this town into a desolate wasteland. The faces of survivors were written with exhaustion and sorrow.
The banners of the Temple of Light fluttered among the ruins. White-robed priests and nuns busily moved through the crowds, treating the wounded and praying for the dead.
The town’s residents, led by the church, began clearing the rubble and building temporary shelters, trying to rise again from this desolation.
Irene Claire, Cynthia’s deputy, walked into the town on a road covered with rubble.
Her red and white uniform gleamed coldly in the sunlight, the crimson knight order emblem on her chest displaying her identity.
Her gaze swept around, her heart inevitably feeling heavy at this tragic scene.
As a member of the knight order, she was long accustomed to war and disaster, but each time she faced such scenes, she still felt heartache.
Irene, originally executing beast disaster relief work, had just received a temporary order from Cynthia to go to the town church relief station and find a girl named Lufia, about fifteen or sixteen years old, who was Hien’s sister.
Hearing the name Hien made Irene feel uncomfortable. Originally, she had been responsible for assisting with Cynthia’s daily life—for her, a devoted admirer of the Crimson Flame Saint, it was perfect work. But she had been replaced by some man who came from who knows where.
She could only console herself that Cynthia must have her reasons for doing this, so she headed straight for the town’s relief station where survivors gathered.
Inside the relief station, the groans of the wounded mixed with the comforting voices of medical staff.
Irene’s appearance caused a brief commotion. Several church workers immediately recognized the emblem on her chest and respectfully bowed to her.
Under the staff’s guidance, Irene quickly found Lufia.
Lufia was crouched beside an injured child, holding a piece of gauze soaked with medicinal herbs, gently bandaging the child’s wound.
Her movements were gentle and skilled, her face wearing a warm smile that seemed to dispel the surrounding gloom.
Her waterfall-like black hair hung casually over her shoulders. Though her simple dress was worn, it couldn’t hide the pure and resilient aura about her.
This made Irene look at her a few more times. This girl was like a lily blooming in ruins, emanating a faint fragrance.
“Lufia?”
Irene approached and called softly.
Lufia looked up. Seeing Irene, she was slightly startled, then revealed a polite smile.
“Yes, I’m Lufia. May I ask who you are…”
“I’m Irene Claire, deputy commander of the Crimson Knight Order.”
Irene introduced herself.
“Commander Cynthia sent me to bring you back to the holy city Messiah.”
“Holy city Messiah?”
A trace of confusion flashed across Lufia’s face.
“Why would you take me there?”
Irene hesitated for a moment, then said.
“Your brother Hien is also there. He’s waiting for you.”
Hearing the name “Hien,” Lufia’s eyes immediately brightened, her voice somewhat excited.
“Brother… how is he? He’s in the holy city?”
Earlier, when Lufia had awakened, Hien was no longer by her side. The surrounding medical staff told her that despite others’ advice, Hien had left the relief station again, saying he had very important matters to attend to, and asked the staff to tell her to stay obediently at the relief station and wait for his return.
Since awakening, Lufia had been constantly worried about her brother. But she couldn’t leave the relief station to search for Hien, so she could only distract herself by helping others. Only when she learned Hien was in the holy city did her anxious heart settle.
“Yes, he’s… doing well, more or less.”
Irene nodded, her expression somewhat strange. She couldn’t understand Cynthia’s reasons for doing this, but it was obviously for that Hien fellow.
“Thank you.”
Lufia’s face showed a long-absent smile. She immediately stood up, said goodbye to the surrounding medical staff, then followed Irene away from the relief station.
Meanwhile, in the holy city Messiah.
Cynthia was returning from the central district council hall to the Ninth District Knight Order headquarters.
Her face was terrifyingly dark, and she was gripping her hat so tightly it creaked.
At the recent commanders’ meeting, she had questioned why the Temple of Light delayed support information when the beast disaster broke out, but received only a bunch of perfunctory excuses and high-sounding evasions.
What made Cynthia even angrier was that her questioning was met with cold mockery from a saint who had always been at odds with her.
“That bitch.”
Cynthia hadn’t mentioned at the meeting that she had fallen into desperate straits due to delayed support, nor had she mentioned Hien’s appearance.
She had only coldly warned everyone that if this continued, the next beast disaster might cause even more serious consequences.
After returning to her office, Cynthia’s mood remained terrible.
She didn’t even have the inclination to continue studying Hien’s body. Instead, she sat at her desk, staring blankly at the documents on it, even forgetting there was still a man in the office.
Hien saw that Cynthia’s face was terrifyingly dark, the documents in her hands nearly deformed from her grip, and the entire office atmosphere was so oppressive it was hard to breathe.
He knew that Cynthia was currently on the verge of an explosion—any small stimulus could make her completely lose control.
So he tiptoed to the tea cabinet on the side, took out a nearly empty can of black tea—obviously Cynthia’s usual favorite—added a spoonful of honey, and brewed a cup of warm sweet tea.
He carried the teacup and carefully walked to Cynthia’s desk, gently placing it beside her hand, saying in a gentle tone.
“When you’re angry, drinking something sweet can calm your mood.”
Cynthia looked up at him, only then remembering Hien was still there.
She saw the steaming cup of tea, and her expression softened slightly.
She picked up the teacup and took a gentle sip. The sweet tea fragrance spread through her mouth, her brow relaxed slightly, and her tense shoulders also loosened, seemingly calming her mood somewhat.
“Thank you.”
Cynthia set down the teacup, her expression still somewhat rigid, but much better than before.
“You’re welcome.”
Hien stood to the side. Seeing her expression soften, he showed a sunny smile, then quietly retreated to the sofa and sat down silently.
He didn’t actively ask questions, nor did he show any curious expression, only sat there quietly like a silent shadow.
He knew that his current identity was only that of a “soother”—a powerless, statusless commoner.
If he appeared too proactive, it would instead cause Cynthia’s displeasure, even making her feel he was prying into her secrets.
So he had to remain silent, pretend to be indifferent, and let Cynthia speak first.
The room fell into brief silence, with only the soft sound of teacup touching table.
Cynthia set down her teacup, her gaze sweeping over Hien. She saw him sitting quietly on the sofa, his expression calm, seemingly completely unconcerned about her emotional fluctuations.
This attitude surprised her somewhat, even made her feel unaccustomed.
She was used to people around her being respectful or carefully trying to read her thoughts, while Hien’s silence made her feel a strange comfort.
“Why don’t you ask me why I’m angry?”
Cynthia suddenly spoke, her tone carrying a trace of inquiry.