Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Catharsis

The serious and meticulous head of security first gave Ingram a formal noble’s bow before speaking.

"Priest, Miss Xavier wishes to speak with you about a matter of faith."

"Is that so... It seems the child has found her own path through her tribulations..."

The Elder Priest mused with his hands behind his back, then nodded to Evans.

"I’ll go change my clothes and be right there. Please ask Miss Xavier to wait a moment."

Evans, of course, had no objection.

Ingram then nodded to Jon in acknowledgment before turning to leave, leaving Jon and Evans to stare at each other.

Just when Jon thought the cool-looking man would remain silent forever unless he spoke first, Evans opened his mouth.

And his first words were of praise.

"I saw everything just now."

"You are... truly impressive."

For a man with his personality to say such a thing meant he truly believed it, and it wasn’t just some polite compliment.

It’s just as they say—praise from an honest man holds more weight.

So Jon just smiled, shifting the helmet he was holding to his other hand, his tone light.

"Of course! I’m always this amazing!"

Evans nodded and continued.

"Mm. Miss Xavier also said that she hopes you’ll be present when she speaks with the Priest."

"Me?"

Jon blinked, immediately guessing what Reya had in mind.

’Looks like she didn’t just come to the church to bait the enemy. She has her own important arrangements...’

’Perhaps... this is where the legend begins...’

With that, he had no intention of lingering and said to Evans.

"Then let’s go."

...

As Jon walked into the prayer room, Reya was just getting up from before a divine statue, having apparently just finished her prayers.

When the girl saw Jon enter, her emerald eyes overflowed with joy—a stark contrast to the coldness she had shown when rejecting Geoffrey earlier.

"Mr. Jon, you’re here."

She walked up close to Jon, her small hand naturally taking hold of his surcoat.

Jon raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing.

Reya, however, seemed oblivious to how intimate her gesture was, chattering on like a cheerful little skylark.

"I secretly saw everything that happened outside! Mr. Jon, you’re so amazing! The way you backed Newman into a corner until he was speechless—it was so cool!"

Hearing her gush like a fangirl over her favorite idol, Jon couldn’t help but laugh.

"What’s so cool about that? I was playing the part of a villain looking for trouble, wasn’t I? It was more menacing than anything."

"Menacing? Not at all! It was just plain cool!"

Reya puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction, looking like a little pufferfish.

"And I never would have guessed that Newman was actually a bad guy!"

"If it weren’t for you, Mr. Jon, I probably would have just dismissed him as another annoying suitor... trying to orchestrate a ’chance encounter.’"

Jon glanced at Reya, placed the helmet he was holding on a nearby bench, and said casually.

"I was only planning on testing him at first. I didn’t expect he was actually dirty and would expose himself so easily."

"Still, running into that guy today was a major breakthrough."

"A major breakthrough?"

Reya asked, confused.

"What is it?"

"Information about the organization that targeted the Heta County Noble Union Chamber of Commerce, conspired to kidnap you, and attempted to assassinate Rosalind."

The red-haired girl gasped, her emerald eyes widening in shock.

"Really!?"

From inside the prayer room, the distance and the crowd’s noise had made it impossible for her to hear the details of the conversation between Jon and Geoffrey.

And when Royce stepped in and the crowd of believers gathered around, she could only vaguely make out what was happening.

And now Jon was telling her that Newman was such a crucial lead!?

The girl couldn’t help but grow anxious.

"But didn’t that tall clergyman take him away? How are we supposed to get information out of him?"

"He was taken away, and we won’t be seeing him again. But don’t worry."

Jon gently patted Reya’s arm, reassuring her.

"I already made an agreement with the Knight. Once they have the results of Newman’s interrogation, he’ll have the Priest send a copy to the Golden Maple Leaf Trading House."

The moment his words fell, Reya froze for a second before lunging into his arms, burying her head against his chest.

Jon froze.

It wasn’t that he was flustered by a girl’s hug; it was because he was wearing a full suit of armor and worried she might scrape her face against it.

He instinctively moved to hook his arms under Reya’s, as if to lift her high into the air.

But the next moment, Reya’s trembling voice drifted up from his chest, stopping him in his tracks.

"Mr. Jon... Th-thank you..."

The girl’s voice was broken, choked with sobs and whimpers.

"Back then... when the knife was at my neck... I thought I’d never see my father or Sister Rosalind again!"

"Now... we finally... we finally have a lead..."

The girl’s cries grew louder, as if she were finally releasing all the pressure that had been building up inside.

In a situation like this, what could Jon possibly say or do?

She was only an eighteen-year-old girl who had been through so much, yet she had always buried the pressure deep down, putting on her most cheerful and brightest face for him.

Now that she suddenly had news of her enemies, it was only natural for her to lose control of her emotions.

He let out a soft sigh, sitting down on a bench in the prayer room with Reya in his arms. He gently patted her slender, sobbing shoulders.

"There, there... it’s all in the past... We have a lead now. We’ll be on their trail soon enough..."

"We just need to be patient and lay our plans... Once we have intel on the enemy, we can even set a trap and counterattack..."

"Mhm... mhm..."

Reya sniffled and answered softly.

After the initial, intense wave of emotion passed, she gradually regained her composure and looked up at Jon.

The girl’s face was a mess, streaked with tears and snot. A red mark was pressed into her left cheek from Jon’s breastplate. Gone was her usual cute and beautiful appearance; she looked more comical than anything else!

But the words she spoke were laden with deep emotion.

"Mr. Jon... thank you, really... You underwent the trial of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom for me, and now you’ve found information about our enemies..."

"I... I have nothing to give you... I don’t even know what I could possibly give you to repay your kindness..."

"Sigh..."

Jon sighed, unsure how to respond.

’This is getting more and more complicated.’

’If this keeps up, what am I going to do when she’s completely fallen for me?’

Fortunately, a gentle voice spoke up at just the right moment, saving him from the predicament.

"You two, it seems I’ve arrived at an inopportune moment?"

It was the church’s Priest, Ingram Rich.

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