"Wait..." Aria began, but she barely managed to utter the word before her eyes rolled back and she collapsed to the ground.
Fortunately, Cipher was right beside her and caught her once again. Initially startled, she wondered if something was wrong with Aria. But when she heard Aria's steady breathing, she immediately realized the girl had simply fallen asleep.
Of course, Aria wasn't absurdly capable of falling asleep instantly on the battlefield. This was a side effect of Feidric canceling the Haste spell.
Haste wasn't a simple buff that ended once cast; it was a unique spell requiring continuous maintenance. Feidric had to constantly expend mental energy and Magic Power to sustain its effects. He had only deactivated it after seeing the Black Knight withdraw from the fight.
This explained the bizarre scene of Aria collapsing mid-sentence on the battlefield.
As the Black Knight turned and slowly retreated into the distance, Cipher turned to Feidric and asked, "What do you make of what she just said?"
Feidric said, "I think there's a high probability that what Aria said is true. That Black Knight is likely a Paladin of the Oath of Vengeance, which means the Braun Family must have committed some truly heinous act."
Remembering Cipher's earlier cluelessness, Feidric briefly explained the general concept of the Oath of Vengeance.
It's worth noting that not just any vow qualifies one to become a Paladin. There are only a few established oaths, each with its own tenets. The three most renowned are the Oath of Devotion, known for its integrity and justice; the Oath of the Crown, known for its absolute loyalty and adherence to order; and the Oath of Vengeance, infamous for its "ends justify the means" approach and willingness to use violence to counter violence.
Of course, "renowned" is relative. Feidric, a voracious reader, was familiar with these details, but even Aria, who was equally clueless, had never realized Paladins could take oaths other than the traditional ones.
After learning about the Oath of Vengeance, Cipher couldn't help but ponder. It reminded her of Cassie, the girl they'd stayed with in that small village. If Cassie had possessed unwavering resolve, could she have become a Paladin of the Oath of Vengeance?
It was clear that the child had exhausted all her courage just to survive, making it impossible for her to possess the extraordinary willpower needed to become a Paladin. However, this realization sparked an idea in Cipher's mind: could the Black Knight have experienced something similar?
Though it sounded cruel, the complete annihilation of one's family was undoubtedly the most potent trigger for hatred.
Let's assume the Black Knight became a Paladin because her family was wiped out by the Braun Family. If Cassie had also suffered a similar tragedy, could the Braun Family be responsible for both?
These were just speculations, of course, but verifying them would be simple: Cipher could revisit the Braun Family's estate and check if any of the men had an "x"-shaped scar on their wrists.
This drastically narrowed the scope of inquiry from "every able-bodied man in the world" to "able-bodied men in the Braun Family," making the task considerably easier.
Cipher hoisted the sleeping Aria onto her back and continued onward with Feidric, beginning their journey back to Stone Pine City.
Logically, carrying a beautiful young girl on your back should be a delightful experience, right? But Aria had no curves to speak of and was wearing leather armor. Cipher felt none of the soft, fragrant warmth one would expect. Instead, Aria felt stiff and uncomfortable, not to mention she was currently soaking wet. Still, Cipher had no choice but to carry her.
As they walked, Cipher and Feidric continued their conversation, naturally focusing on the Black Knight.
Feidric's opinion was to ignore the situation entirely. The Black Knight might have some tragic backstory, and the Braun Family might indeed be villains, but they were just adventurers who wouldn't be staying in Stone Pine City for long. They'd likely leave soon anyway, so why get involved?
Cipher, however, had a different perspective, mainly because of Cassie. She had promised to help find the killer, after all.
At the time, Cipher had only made that promise to coax Cassie into staying alive, with no real intention of keeping it. But now that the killer seemed within reach, now that she might actually be able to fulfill her promise, Cipher decided to investigate. After all, she had given Cassie her word, hadn't she?
It took the trio about two hours to successfully return to Stone Pine City. Cipher immediately went back to her inn room and tossed the still-sleeping Aria onto the bed.
Are the side effects of Haste really this extreme? How can she sleep for so long? Cipher rubbed her shoulder, wondering. Maybe it's not just the Haste. We've been awake since yesterday morning and fought two battles. It's no wonder we're exhausted.
Sighing, Cipher first helped Aria out of her damp clothes, then quickly wiped her down with a towel before tucking her into bed. Cipher clicked her tongue. "Why do I feel like some kind of old nanny?"
She then grabbed the wooden bucket from the washroom, went to fetch hot water, and settled into a long, relaxing bath. Notably, after removing her shirt, she held it to her nose and sniffed.
Her wet clothes had been on her all day, and she'd even broken a sweat during the journey. Normally, this combination would have thoroughly infused the fabric with her body odor. Yet when she sniffed, she detected no scent whatsoever.
"It must be because I can't smell my own scent," Cipher mused. As she pondered this, she tore up the Purify (Transmutation School) scroll Feidric had given her. In mere seconds, her clothes were spotless and fresh.
"Still, I can't rely solely on this scroll. I'll need to buy a few more sets of clothes."
After her bath, Cipher crawled into bed for a nap. When she woke up, evening had fallen, and Douglas had already returned. After instantly slaying the Thief Captain, the remaining two thieves had turned tail and fled. Douglas had given chase, but shortly after, the tomb collapsed.
Douglas waited at the site for a long time, but with no sign of his companions, he reluctantly made his way back to Stone Pine City alone. When he saw his teammates safe and sound, he let out a huge sigh of relief.
Though the journey had taken some unexpected turns, the mission to clear the underground tomb was undoubtedly a resounding success—after all, the tomb itself had ceased to exist.