Chapter 9: The Blessed Maiden is Worried
The afternoon sunlight streamed through the coffee shop's bright glass windows, casting warm patches of light on the checkered tablecloths.
Aeron sat in a window booth, observing the situation outside the café.
During these past few days at the Montelli residence, he hadn't been idle.
Although he knew who the traitor was within the Montelli family, organizing the intelligence and finalizing the targets had taken considerable effort.
Back in his days with the Order, Aeron had uncovered several of Montelli's secrets and naturally knew which individuals were more approachable.
Unfortunately, they would now be captured by his own hands.
Ah, it wasn't Aeron who doomed them—it was Leviathan. If they had grievances, they should take them up with Rover!
Moreover, Aeron currently faced another minor problem.
"...Didn't you just eat before we left? How are you drinking again now?"
"Th-this is none of your business!"
Aeron turned his head helplessly to look at Cartethyia, who sat across from him, taking small sips of her juice.
"You should be more mindful. If others found out the Blessed Maiden was just fattening up at Montelli's, it'd be disastrous."
"Mindful? Can we order more snacks then!"
Well, it seemed the esteemed Blessed Maiden hadn't quite grasped Aeron's meaning.
"Speaking of which, why did you follow me out? Wouldn't it be better to stay at Montelli's?"
"Ugh, you're going to do that kind of thing alone again, aren't you? I need to keep a close eye on you."
"Thank you for your concern, Blessed Maiden."
While responding to Cartethyia, Aeron kept his eyes fixed on the world outside the shop, scanning for potential locations where his target might appear.
Feeling somewhat ignored, Cartethyia grew a little displeased.
This man had barely been seen since bringing her and Phoebe to Montelli's.
Whether it was the deal he struck with Carlotta or his own preparations at Montelli's, Aeron had revealed nothing to Phoebe or Cartethyia.
Today, she finally seized the chance to spend time with him, only for him to be so distracted.
"I'm not just some child who causes you trouble... If you have matters to attend to, you could always discuss them with me?"
Cartethyia subtly probed for Aeron's intentions, hoping she might be able to help in some small way.
Surely, as a priest, Aeron wouldn't refuse an offer of assistance from the lovely Blessed Maiden!
With a hint of anticipation, Cartethyia pretended to casually watch Aeron, who finally turned his gaze toward her.
Aeron understood Cartethyia's meaning perfectly well—the Blessed Maiden felt uneasy and hurt, believing that despite her willingness to help, she was consistently excluded from his plans.
Of course, Aeron himself didn't see it that way.
The fact that Cartethyia and Phoebe could remain safely at Montelli's was already the most crucial part of his plan.
"Don't worry, I'll naturally tell you when I need your help. Besides, you'll have plenty to keep you busy later, won't you?"
Once Aeron concluded his affairs at Montelli's, he would no longer be involved in what followed.
Avinoleum, the Dark Tide, Resonance Power, the fate of Rinascita... these matters were simply beyond the scope of an ordinary person like him, who lacked even Resonance Power.
Even with the System at his disposal now, he had no desire to meddle in those messy affairs.
"Hmm... But you can't keep doing things like that every time..."
Cartethyia still remembered what Aeron had done right in front of her before. No matter what, she didn't want to witness such a shocking scene again.
"...? Then just don't follow me around."
"Do you even understand what I'm talking about..."
Cartethyia felt too drained to even retort to Aeron anymore. Just thinking about him going off to do that kind of thing again made her chest feel tight.
"And you were just saying those things to Phoebe earlier..."
"Of course I'd say uplifting things when guiding a junior! Besides, specific situations require specific approaches—that's what methodology is all about, Your Holiness the Blessed Maiden."
Moreover, who was Phoebe? She was the cutest cleric in the Order of the Deep, the esteemed wearer of pristine white stockings, beloved by all the clerics in the Order.
As for Aeron in the Order, while he couldn't be said to have made many friends, he had certainly accumulated countless enemies. How could the two situations be compared?
"And don't worry, this time it's just handling some minor issues. Nothing too dramatic will happen."
"That's not the point at all!"
Cartethyia still couldn't comprehend this man's logic. She felt like she was trying to spar with a hard, slippery stone—no matter what she did, she'd just be deflected.
"Alright, alright, little Carte. You know 'death-seeking' is my specialty—this is just making reasonable use of it."
"Grr..."
Cartethyia puffed her cheeks in mild anger. It was clear Aeron understood what she meant but was deliberately avoiding the core of her concern.
It seemed she wasn't sufficiently prepared to persuade him.
With that thought, Cartethyia took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, releasing all the pent-up frustration in her chest.
"Then promise me," her voice was soft but clear, "...you won't hide anything from me from now on."
Hearing Cartethyia's almost coquettish words, Aeron chuckled lightly.
This personality of hers was truly wonderful—no wonder she was a girl capable of connecting with the Crown and the Sentinels.
"Fine, fine, I agree to everything the Blessed Maiden says. Thanks for chatting with me to pass the time. It's about time to get moving."
"Hmm... Eek!"
Before Cartethyia could respond, she felt two pairs of hands pressing down on her shoulders. Two Montelli shop attendants, whom Aeron had arranged in advance, had quietly appeared behind her.
So this was what he meant by "get moving"!
"You..."
Cartethyia's face flushed bright red with anger, leaving her speechless. On one hand, her earlier words had completely gone in one ear and out the other for Aeron; on the other, she already had a premonition of what he was about to do.
Just kidding—how could a plan he'd prepared long in advance change just because of a few words from Cartethyia, dammit!
"I know you're anxious, but don't be, Your Holiness. Just sit here and wait for things to be resolved."
As he spoke, Aeron pulled out a pouch of Shell Credits and placed it on the table before them.
"Take good care of this esteemed young lady. Don't let her leave this shop until I return, or the Second Young Miss will have your heads."
"Please rest assured, Mr. Aeron."
Montelli's female shop assistant replied respectfully, clearly not doing this kind of "side job" for the first time.
After settling the angry Cartethyia, Aeron turned and calmly left the café.
After all, dying in front of children isn't good for their development.