"It happened some time ago. I was fleeing from the persistent advances of those so-called Hero Candidates when I was helped by the gardener employed at the academy... Mary's father, Lord Gaut. When I asked him if there was anything I could do to repay the favor, I learned that he was worried about his daughter. She had been attending the Society of Friends of the Night gatherings every day and had stopped returning home..."
"So, you started attending the meetings yourself just to bring the daughter back to her father?"
Sakura nodded, confirming Yugo's guess.
While Raiha and Setsuna looked relieved to learn that she hadn't actually been seduced by Kurotobari's ideology, Mary’s face darkened with a sour expression that was the polar opposite of theirs.
"God, that damn old man is so unnecessary. As if he actually gives a damn about me...!"
"Mary! You must not speak ill of your father. Lord Gaut worries for you from the bottom of his heart. You must know that he even tried to attend the gatherings to bring you back, only to be blocked by the other believers."
"Yeah, I know. So? What of it?"
Sakura’s words didn't seem to reach Mary, who continued to hurl abuse at her father.
As if to shake off the increasingly tense atmosphere, Raiha posed a question to Sakura.
"But if that’s the case, why didn't you talk to us about it? We might have been able to help..."
"Partly because I simply did not wish to involve you both in my personal attempt to repay a debt. The other half was... because I feared things would become even more troublesome if the other students who have begun attending the gatherings saw you there."
"By other students, do you mean Cyan and his group? Are there other students from Luminous Academy coming besides them?"
Once again, Sakura gave an affirmative nod. Mary let out a heavy sigh and took over the explanation.
"Shortly after she started coming, those types started showing up too. They kept talking to me over and over—I couldn't even focus on the meeting! They’re such a nuisance!"
"I do not know how the information leaked, but to think they would follow me all the way to a Society of Friends of the Night gathering... It truly is, how shall I put it..."
"I see," Yugo said. "The reason other students were coming to the gatherings might be because they heard Cyan and his group were participating. Regardless of the truth, if you just look at the situation, people would assume that the Hero Candidates support Kurotobari’s ideology."
"As if we didn't have enough superficial trend-seekers coming here because of the news, then those guys show up. The higher-ups of the association accept them because it means the number of Lord Kurotobari’s followers is increasing, but as far as I'm concerned, they're nothing but pests. There’s no way people like them could ever understand Lord Kurotobari’s justice!"
"Hmph! You're certainly infatuated with a brutal murderer," Marcos scoffed. "Is his justice really so noble?"
"Shut up! What do you know about Lord Kurotobari?! That man is the one who will become our Savior of Justice!"
Mary snapped at Marcos, slamming her hand onto the table as she stood up.
The others fell silent, startled by the sheer force of her reaction. Mary collapsed back into her chair and began to speak in a low, trembling voice.
"Lord Kurotobari isn't just attacking criminals. He's taking revenge for us...!"
"Revenge? What do you mean by that?"
"The people he killed... they were murderers. They killed people in the past. But they were never prosecuted because of a lack of evidence, or they got out after short sentences, and now they're living their lives as if nothing ever happened. They don't give a single thought to how much the families and loved ones of the people they killed are suffering; they just move on as if they've paid their debt. Lord Kurotobari is merely executing the punishment those people deserve. He isn't a cruel murderer. He is the Savior of Justice. Don't you dare deny him when you don't know anything!"
"Could it be that you, too...?"
"Yeah, that's right! Three years ago, my mother was struck and killed right in front of my eyes by a horse ridden by a drunk man! But the culprit only got a few years in prison... and he just got released recently. My mother is never coming back, so why does he get to?!"
Mary let out a groan of resentment, her fists clenched tight as tears spilled from her eyes. While everyone else remained silent, she continued with a voice laced with pure hatred.
"That’s why I decided. I'm going to ask Lord Kurotobari to judge that man. And while he's at it, I'll have him judge that other heartless bastard, too... my father!"
"Why, Mary?! Lord Gaut is the only family you have left! Why would you want him judged?"
"Don't mess with me! That man isn't a father! He’s already forgotten all about my mother! The proof is... he's been throwing away her mementos one after another! Isn't that proof enough that he doesn't care about her anymore?!"
Mary raised her voice again, screaming at Sakura. She was howling in anger through her tears, and just as she was about to continue her tirade, a voice cut through the air.
"The one who doesn't understand is you. Your father loves his family more than you know."