Thibault and Ves were waiting for us on the first floor.
I first addressed the bespectacled journalist. “Thibault, you’re going to see King Flèche, aren’t you?”
“Ah, uh, yes. I want to tell him what happened and thank him for his help. This all became much bigger than I anticipated, and I’m sure there will be problems in the future, but things have settled for the time being, at least. Thanks to your items, I should be able to walk around Hanche and resume my job in peace,” Thibault said, his eyes wet with what I assumed were tears of relief.
I couldn’t tell whether it was the fact that we had stopped the Faith or the prospect of finally quitting the knights that gave him the most peace of mind.
“We’re giving you these items, so use them as you see fit. That reminds me, I thought that your speech was great. I watched from the city square. You’re really made for public appearances.”
“D-Do you really think so?! Thank you! Your words have given me some much needed self-confidence!” he exclaimed, his hands balled into fists.
I fully believed that he would become a famous journalist known for his great articles.
“Good luck. Well then, I’m going to send you to the Lèvres palace. I’ll drop by to say hi to King Flèche once I return home.”
“A-All right. Thank you so much for everything.” Thibault bowed to us with a smile, and I teleported him away.
Perhaps he had gotten used to the feeling, as he seemed perfectly calm even as light engulfed him and he disappeared from the barracks.
Next up, I turned to the twins. “Fouet, Barre, do you mind going home before we do? I’ve teleported the other female knights to the Mercure estate, but I feel bad about having Canon deal with them all by himself.”
“Oh, wow, poor Lord Canon. So you ended up helping the female knights too, madam? Well, I suppose I can see why. They would have struggled here,” Barre said.
“It would indeed be best if we returned home immediately,” Fouet agreed.
With that, the two of them headed straight to the Mercure estate. Ahn and the others knew the twins a little, so I believed they’d feel relieved to have them around.
“Last up is...”
I looked at Ves.
“We have both achieved our objectives, haven’t we?” I said.
We had worked together specifically because he told me that he wanted to get rid of the Faith in Hanche. Seeing as their plot had been revealed and the priests and bishops were currently at the main church, I assumed he was pleased with the results. Even if the king and his ministers returned to Hanche, they likely wouldn’t attempt to help the Faith again.
People would follow Thibault’s example and spread the news throughout the entire kingdom, making it impossible for the government to manipulate the truth again. And seeing as the king was away, he wouldn’t be able to stop them until it was too late.
“Ves, a lot happened, so the two of us weren’t able to talk properly earlier, but I have many questions for you,” I said.
Just like us, he would be leaving the Royal Knights once we wrapped up here.
Ves, leaning against a wall, glanced my way. His dark red hair swayed in the breeze flowing in through the window.
“Me too. I want to ask you about the elfin you mentioned the other day.”
“Looks like we want to talk about the same thing, then.”
“Seems like it. You can go ahead first.”
Since he had given me permission to ask my questions, I explained my situation to him.
“I’m currently looking for my former teacher, an elfin, although I’m not entirely sure if she’s still alive. Since your magic teacher is also an elfin, I was thinking that I could perhaps ask them if they know anything about her whereabouts. Could you arrange a meeting between us? I know that elfins don’t like to mingle with humans, and that they’re not close with one another either, but I desperately need a clue to begin my search.”
“The elfins I know live as a group in a hidden village. I won’t tell you where it is, but I can ask around to see if they know about your teacher.”
“That would be a huge help, thank you. My teacher’s name is Finis.”
“Huh...?”
Silence fell over the room.
“Finis? You’re kidding, right? Finis?” Ves repeated, astonished.
What could possibly have shocked him so much?
One thing was for sure: Based on his reaction, he definitely knew something about my teacher.
“Do you know her? Is she alive? Is she in good health?” I pressed.
“Alive? She...” He paused, seemingly deep in thought. “You said your name was Lam, right? And that you were alive five hundred years ago?”
“Yes. Things happened, and I died once, but my disciples triggered my reincarnation. I told you all that before, didn’t I?”
A troubled expression on his face, he still looked like he was pondering something.
“I was still dubious about your claims,” he said. “Was your name different in your past life, perhaps? Could it be...?”
A glint of hope and anxiety flickered in his eyes.
I didn’t know what had prompted this reaction, but I nodded at his question. “It was. Back then, my name was Aurora.”
He gasped, and his eyes shot wide open.
My name definitely rang a bell in his mind.
“No way... But if she lived five hundred years ago, it would make sense. Her name’s the same, and her spells...” he muttered.
“Is something the matter?” I asked.
Ves looked back at me. “Your name in your past life was Aurora Ibrusus, right?”
I was surprised that he had figured out my full identity with just my prior first name alone, but I didn’t feel the need to hide it, so I nodded. “Y-Yes.”
Ves took a deep breath, his gaze still fixed on me. “I don’t detect any lies in your words, so it looks like you’re telling the truth. I’ll be honest with you too, then. My true name is Vesper Ibrusus. Finis is my teacher too. We’re fellow disciples, you and I.”
It was my turn to be astonished. “Fellow...disciples?”
“My real mother’s an elfin, but she left when I was a baby. She entrusted me to Finis who became both my mother and my teacher.”
He brushed aside his hair, revealing pointed ears that looked just like my teacher’s.