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The report did not mention his status as an imperial prince.

It’s just my speculation, but I believe it could be a case of information manipulation by the Union or the Mercenary Guild headquarters.

If they were to say they won’t purge him because he’s an Imperial family member, it would undermine their authority. On the other hand, if they were to acknowledge him as a purge target but mention his royal status, it could be interpreted as a gesture of consideration, causing mistrust and resentment among guild members.

Protesting to the Empire may not be fruitful, and declaring their intention to purge him could be seen as provoking a conflict.

Their actions could easily be seen as opportunistic, so they likely took a more assertive approach to avoid being perceived as indecisive or weak.

Standing at the reception counter, I pondered on that while casting my eyes down to the sword resting at my feet.

Inscribed on the blade, visible only to the Eyes of God, were the words “Holy Sword.” However, typically it would display the format “Item – Name” like, “Weapon – XXXX”.

The absence of a name indicated that this sword was unlike any other ever crafted before, including similar replicas.

Forged using the rare Lumicule steel provided by Demosthenes, the knowledgeable dwarf with insights into refining techniques of the previous era, and a special alloy known as Elhas which incorporated silver.

This single-edged sword was brought to life through the skilled hands of Matthios, the dwarven blacksmith, utilizing the intricate method of folded forging. It was distinct in both materials and craftsmanship from any other holy sword in existence.

I didn’t only test it with Eyes of God, but even kept it for practical testing. It had demonstrated the true effects of a holy sword, instilling confidence in its capability to face Tristan’s magic sword.

But the one I had to hand it over to was still in the middle of a life-risking game of tag.

“Helloo!”

Sofia who came to take away the school lunch greeted people with her usual happy voice which resounded through the hall.

She had completely gotten used to this place, so she greeted people on the way to the kitchen.

“Big sister, hello!”
“Hello. Be careful, okay?”
“Okay!”

Sofia had become more at ease, free from the initial tension stemming from her enthusiasm. She was now loved by the children of the church as a big sister in both name and reality.

The Apostle had seamlessly adopted the persona of Bernard to an uncanny degree, so Sofia hadn’t noticed his change.

“Oh, right! Fey sent me a letter yesterday!”
“Fey did?”
“Yeah! It said that she’s doing great!”

Fey was a beastman girl who used to attend the church’s school, and was now working in a noble’s mansion as a secretary ever since her talent was discovered.

Her exceptional work ethic and skills quickly earned her a reputation among the nobles, and word spread throughout Rondoville about the high-quality education provided by the school. Although there was the potential for her to secure future job opportunities through the school’s network, what truly mattered was seeing Fey thriving and happy.

“I see. I’m glad.”
“Yeah!”

Sofia seemed happier than usual due to the letter, but I guess I wasn’t one to talk seeing I was just as happy.

Just as Sofia headed to the kitchen with a smile, the branch’s door was pushed open.

“Illya, please come! A-Also, have you seen Sofia?!”
“Sofia is here. Is there a problem?”
“W-What is it?”

Sofia hurriedly returned from the kitchen, and the man pointed to the church’s direction when he spotted her.

“We have a heavily injured patient! We carried him to the church!”
“I-I got it!”

I suppose they carried the patient to the church but as Sofia wasn’t there they came to me instead.

Sofia’s recovery magic should be able to heal most injuries, so I don’t think I’m needed.

“Illya, please come too! Sofia alone might not be enough.”
“Oh, okay.”

So there are multiple patients… and quite a few of them too.

“Elize, can you tell Bard that I’m taking an early break?”
“Okay, got it. Take care.”
“I’ll be off.”

I exited the branch and pursued the two who had rushed ahead.

It would’ve been easy to catch up to them, but I ran slowly to not get detected. Instead, I controlled the distance and observed the patients’ conditions using Clairvoyance which could see through objects.

To my surprise, there were nine patients in total, deviating from my initial expectations. Among them were five in critical condition or severely injured, while the remaining four had minor injuries that didn’t require immediate attention.

Although the number of patients was relatively high, I was sure Sofia was capable of handling the situation. Little did I know that my optimism would soon be met with retribution.

Among the critically injured patients was Torsti, the human marked for purging. It appeared that the sight before me was the aftermath of a skirmish during the purge, but setting that aside, I couldn’t leave it to Sofia now that he was involved.

I reconsidered my thoughts and pursued the two ahead.

As soon as we reached the church, Sofia’s usual cheerful aura transformed into a composed expression as she started administering aid to the patients.

Her expertise was evident as she promptly attended to Torsti, recognizing the gravity of his wounds and providing immediate care.

Unable to call out to her due to her prompt action, I instead went to treat the other seriously injured patients.

“We aren’t in such a bad condition. We’ll head to the arena’s clinic instead.”
“Sorry… that would help.”

Without paying any attention to the guild members who considerately left the infirmary, Sofia remained focused on continuously casting recovery spells on Torsti.

However, the pace of his recovery was unusually slow.

Though it was not her fault, she didn’t… or couldn’t notice the underlying cause, so she started to panic more and more.

“Sofia, it’s alright. Calm down.”
“Y-Yes…!”

After ensuring that no one was observing us, I dispelled the barrier and commenced chanting the recovery spell – Heal.

While the four critically injured patients experienced a complete recovery, Torsti’s condition remained far from satisfactory.

I healed him enough to stabilize his life signs, but he still wasn’t in a state to move.

Gradually, Sofia’s magical reserves depleted, and she found herself succumbing to exhaustion, sitting down on the spot.

“Big sis…ter, I’m sorry… please take care of the…”
“There is no need for that.”

Instead of me, it was a male birdman who just entered the room who answered her.

I remembered his face. He was the vice master of Rondoville’s headquarters.

“I flew over when I heard the purge was finished. Looks like I made it in time.”

The vice master sighed and looked down at Torsti.

It was too fast for him to have flown from the Union headquarters of Rondoville in the royal capital… which means he must have been on standby in a nearby town until the purge was completed.

“W-What do you mean it’s not needed…?”
“There’s a possibility that he would flee if we heal him completely. It’s fine as long as he doesn’t die for now.”
“W-What…!”

Sofia tried to protest, but she tripped and almost fell due to exhaustion.

Supporting her, I looked towards the vice master (temp) who was about to put on the shackles on Torsti.

“If you do not wish for us to heal him any further, then please stop restricting him.”
“You say that, but you saw what happened to the guild members who fought with him, right? It would be too late if something happens again.”

Given the way he spoke, I sensed that he knew that Torsti was from the imperial family.

It would look silly if he managed to flee to the Empire, so he seemed to want to restrict him right here.

The reason he didn’t kill him to silence him was because he wanted to avoid it leaking to the empire through Barampax where Torsti was registered at.

“Or are you saying that you will take responsibility and restrain him?”
“Yes.”

I decided that was fine and nodded, and the vice master (temp) blinked in surprise.

“…Are you serious? You seem to be the branch’s staff.”
“I have the examiner’s qualifications.”

You couldn’t get qualified as an examiner without having your combat power and insight acknowledged.

I’m not sure whether that satisfied him or not, but the vice master (temp) smiled vulgarly.

“…Got it. The guild master will arrive another day. If he escapes before then, all the responsibility will fall on you.”
“Understood.”

I-I felt chills from his snake-like smile… but whatever. I wasn’t planning to withdraw my words.

If he runs we can just catch him again!

The vice master (temp) retrieved Torsti’s registration card from his belongings and left the infirmary. Sofia, having regained her breath and slightly recovered from fatigue, cast an imploring gaze toward me.

“Are we really leaving him like this…?”

I felt a sense of guilt like I was about to abandon a puppy that was thrown away.

I have means to properly heal him, but I couldn’t do it in front of Sofia for one, and there was a chance of the church breaking from it too…

The one who answered her question was the Apostle, who entered as the vice (temp) left.

“Sofia, Miss Illya should have some kind of an idea.”
“Pastor…”

The Apostle smiled at her and then looked at me.

I felt a sense of discomfort from his penetrating gaze and nodded, thinking it couldn’t be helped.

“Yes. As such, I would like to move him to the branch once his condition stabilizes.”
“As you wish.”

Sofia was still a little dissatisfied but she ultimately agreed for the condition that she would come running if his condition worsened.

Now if the Mercenary Guild announces that the purge was done, this matter would end at this.

…As if things would end so conveniently, considering trouble keeps increasing these days.

In less than a month after that, the Holy Raihand Empire would issue a certain declaration.

It was a retaliation using military force towards the Mercenary Guild and other organizations supporting it.

It was a declaration of war from the Empire.