678,

It had been a beautiful day.

But after Allen’s guards showed up, it felt like today was about to bring something truly heartbreaking.

On the way to the church, the guard had already begun explaining what had happened.

The mother and son had been badly injured again. Apparently, that man had shown up at their door and tried to force them both back home.

When Shier and his mother refused, the man started beating them.

Several nuns had tried to intervene, but the man didn’t spare them either. He attacked them too.

After the brutal assault, the man only fled when the guards arrived.

But by then, they’d already been attacked.

This time, it wasn’t just Elyse and Hilmirya—Yuna had come along too.

Yuna must have realized how dangerous the situation was and come along to prevent a fight from breaking out.

But Cyclone hoped things would reach that point. If Yuna stepped in, the other man would definitely be badly hurt.

At last, panting just like the guards who’d come before them, Cyclone and the others pushed open the church doors.

A number of priests and nuns were putting the overturned benches back in order. The moment Cyclone opened the door, everyone looked over.

The situation must have gotten out of hand. As soon as they saw Cyclone, everyone seemed to understand what had happened. They pointed toward the same place.

Toward the passage beside the church’s side entrance.

Usually, that was the priests’ quarters, where the priests on duty rested, as well as temporary lodging for one or two nuns on the night shift.

Of course, any extra rooms were also offered as temporary lodging to people in need.

Like Shier and his mother, the two people at the center of what had happened this time.

Back in the room from yesterday, Elyse stared at the blood covering the floor and pressed her trembling hands over her mouth.

A nun was cleaning the floor, but there was simply too much blood everywhere.

His side—and his back.

Shier was only half as tall as Cyclone. He was just a child.

What kind of person could beat such a little boy to this state?

Rags were pressed against the two major wounds in an attempt to slow the bleeding.

“You’re just in time! Quick! Stitch this child up!”

Cyclone glanced over and saw another priest beside the bed.

The older priest was operating on Shier’s mother, at the same spot Cyclone had treated yesterday.

It looked like that man’s attack had torn open the wound that had just healed.

“Do you… do you see how serious this is?! How could you operate on her first? You should—”

Cyclone started yelling on the spot.

But Hilmirya reached out to stop Cyclone, then pointed at Shier.

Only after looking where Hilmirya was pointing did Cyclone begin to understand what had happened.

“The boy said we had to save his mother first. Otherwise, he wouldn’t accept treatment before her, even if it meant dying.”

Cyclone understood. Looking at the small knife in Shier’s hand, Cyclone couldn’t help feeling sorry for the priest-doctor.

“Don’t just stand there! Start the operation! He was already showing signs of shock!”

At the priest’s shout, Cyclone shook his head once, forcing his thoughts back into focus.

“Hilmirya!”

“Understood!”

It might already have been too late. Judging by the amount of blood on the floor, Shier was in critical danger.

“The wound is large. I’m going to use a local anesthetic.”

Why?

As Cyclone performed the operation, he asked himself that question.

Why? What kind of person could be so cruel as to attack his own wife and child?

After an operation that lasted two full hours, the mother and son were finally out of danger.

They lay in separate beds, trapped in a nightmare with no telling when they would wake.

Cyclone sat beside Shier and watched him in silence.

The operation was over, but after losing so much blood, Shier probably wouldn’t wake for a while.

“You couldn’t find him?”

Yuna asked from behind.

“I heard he used to be a deliveryman. He knows every street and alley…”

“That’s just an excuse, isn’t it?”

Yuna coolly shot back at the guard’s explanation.

Still, Yuna didn’t press the matter any further.

Everyone understood why. Allen’s guards had only just arrived in the area, and they couldn’t keep up with a deliveryman who knew the streets so well.