Chương 41: Henry’s Memories (4)

"Take good care of Sophia. And make sure Rachel knows her sister is safe," Asher had called out, leaning his head from the carriage window before heading back to the academy. So the fake Princess's name is Rachel, and her sister is Sophia. Henry watched the carriage depart, a lingering thought gnawing at him: How does he know things that I, having lived through over a hundred lives, still didn't know? He returned to the Knight's barracks and headed toward the communal dormitory for the service staff.

He had entrusted Sophia to a female cook there, asking her to look after the girl. Sophia clearly hadn't slept a wink due to the sheer stress. She was currently eating a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, her tattered rags from the night before replaced by an oversized dress. Upon seeing Henry, she hesitated, wanting to ask something but stopping herself. He took it upon himself to speak first.

"He's been released. And I've found a way to get word to your sister. With any luck, you two will be reunited soon." As a Shadow Guard, Rachel's physical prowess and stealth should allow her to slip away from the palace with ease. Previously, she had been shackled only by the fact that her sister was a hostage. Now, there was nothing left to hold her back. Sure enough, that evening, as Henry returned from the communal baths, he found a figure clad entirely in black waiting in his room.

"You claim to have my sister?" The voice was raspy, stripped of its gender-defining tone. It was a stark contrast to her performance as the Princess, where she could maintain a high, crystalline voice like a normal noblewoman. Henry casually walked past her, grabbing a tunic from a nearby rack to pull on.

"I've already seen your true face; there's no need for the charade. Rachel, isn't it?" Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

"How do you know...?" Rachel furrowed her brows and yanked down her mask.

"Enough games. Where is my sister? If you dare lie to me..."

"Sister!" A child's joyful cry rang out from the doorway. Sophia had been brought to the room and immediately lunged into her sister's arms. The little girl was a mess of tears and snot, unable to utter a coherent sentence beyond calling out her sister's name. Henry stepped back outside to give the siblings their privacy, only returning once the sound of weeping had finally subsided. Sophia had cried until she was exhausted, falling fast asleep against her sister.

Henry looked at the siblings sitting familiarly on his bed, noting the damp patch where his bedding had soaked up their tears, and forced himself to swallow his complaints. Rachel looked up at him, asking calmly, "Alright, tell me. How did you find her?"

"It wasn't me. It was someone else."

"Asher Griffin?"

"... Yes. She was held in the Cathedral's basement; he's the one who helped her escape." Rachel fell silent for a long time. No matter how she turned it over in her mind, she couldn't fathom how someone like Asher - lacking power, reputation, and wealth - could pull this off.

"How is he now? Is he safe?"

"He's at Imperia Academy. We've arranged to meet tomorrow. Naturally, you'll need to be there as well." Rachel suddenly found it somewhat amusing.

"He isn't even a Candidate, so why is he so invested in this? When I asked, he claimed helping me was the 'will of the gods.' Do you believe that, Sir Knight?" Henry replied, "I stopped believing in the gods a long time ago."

"Then why are you helping us?"

"Perhaps... I simply no longer wish to be comrades with those who are incompetent, arrogant, and morally bankrupt." As Henry spoke the words, he found them almost laughable. He had begrudgingly accepted such "comrades" for over a hundred lifetimes, only to realize just how much he truly loathed it. Perhaps Captain Hak was right, sometimes Henry was as slow-witted as a block of wood. If his subconscious deemed something too troublesome, it would automatically bypass the thought.

He had known he lacked the power to choose better allies, so he had forced himself to accept his lot. So why did he suddenly believe it was possible now? Perhaps it was because that youth, Asher Griffin, felt no shame whatsoever in calling himself an emissary of God. Perhaps it was because he actually achieved what Henry could not. Perhaps the fact that Rachel was still alive served as living proof that fate could indeed be altered. It was like a tiny flicker of light in a pitch-black tunnel.

No matter how far away it might be, it was still something to steer toward. This time will be different. The faith that had long since died within the Vice-Captain of the Knights began to burn once more.