After Shurio parks the carriage in front of the church, Alfred doesn’t say anything and only bows to me. Afterward, he climbs down the carriage and heads straight into the church.
I tell Shurio to wait for me here before chasing after Alfred.
When I enter the church, I notice the weak orange sunlight penetrating the vertical lattice windows on the left and right.
In the middle of the church are ten rows of wooden benches, each row containing multiple benches placed side by side.
No worshippers are currently inside the church. Just one old, petite nun with a candlestick in hand, lighting the other candles around the altar.
Noticing us enter, the nun—Marie— looks back at us.
When her gaze falls on me, her small eyes widen. “Oh my. Lian-sama…” Then grow even wider upon shifting toward Alfred beside me. “…and Al?”
Although Marie looks confused as she tilts her head to the side, she still flashes us a smile, cheeks rosy, wrinkles forming in the corners of her eyes.
Following that, Marie starts walking toward us. “What made the both of you visit the church this late… Huh…?” She stops right before Al. Frowns and looks at him, worry in her eyes. “What happened to you, Al? Why are you this muddy…”
Alfred simply glances down at the white bundle in his arms, not answering Marie’s question. He then takes a small, quiet breath and closes his eyes. After several seconds, he reopens them and turns to Marie. “…Marie.”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry, but can I ask for…a burial and a funeral prayer?” Alfred gently lifts the small white bundle so that Marie can see it better.
Marie stares at the white bundle before looking back up at Alfred with a questioning expression.
Marie’s confusion is no surprise.
The bundle looks too small to possibly contain a corpse. Implying that it does will only make people think they heard wrong.
Alfred heaves a small sigh, face tired. “This is all that’s left of the corpse. It’s been left exposed for too long, so… only the bones remain.”
“…So that’s it.” Marie nods, not questioning him any further. She then puts her hands together and prays for the white bundle.
After a while, Marie slowly opens her eyes again and shoots Alfred a gentle smile. “I understand, Al. I’ll fulfill your request and bury them. Can you tell me the name of this person who has passed away?”
Alfred lowers his head. Purses his mouth, looking like he’s suppressing something inside. But after a while, he stares at Marie, eyes reddened and pupils dark like the dusk and night, and slowly starts to say. “…Sunny Fram.”
Marie once again widens her small eyes after hearing that.
“Fram” is a rare surname.
In this village, only Alfred possesses that surname.
For the deceased person to have the same surname as Alfred can mean…
YOU ARE READING
Nurturing the Hero to Avoid Death
Romance"Please, I implore you to save the world." This is what a goddess in white says to me in a pure-white space. Such is the standard line that suggests the game is about to begin. Please say this stirring line to boys and girls with sparkling eyes! It'...
