The letter arrived at my office on a clear, sunny afternoon.
"Lord Wilhelm. An express rider has arrived from the Marquisate of Ahrens."
Klaus, the Head of the Guard, approached soundlessly and held out a single sealed envelope. His emotions remained as unreadable as ever, though his movements were, as always, impeccably polite.
"Thank you."
I took the envelope and inspected the seal. There were two letters inside.
One was written in a hand I knew well—it was a letter from Rein.
“The streets of Ahrens are quiet now, and almost no one is falling ill anymore. The work the Marquis requested of me has been finished safely. However, the Church has told me that the same poison is spreading in other towns, so they’ve asked me to treat people there as well. Because of that, I am heading to the next town with Big Sister Therese and the others. Also, for some reason people have started calling me the ‘White Angel,’ which I find a bit troubling. I will be late coming home, but please do not worry. Give my best to everyone.”
The prose was unnervingly composed for a child. He did not boast of his achievements in Ahrens; he simply recounted them as tasks already completed. Even the mention of the "White Angel" was added as an afterthought, as if he were discussing a complete stranger.
As I read his detached words, a deep concern for Rein’s state of mind took hold of me.
I knew the nature of the treatment used on his skin. It must have been excruciating. Yet he had endured it for weeks to see his task through. Beyond that, he had spent his days saving lives in a city choked by death, working in the most harrowing clinic of them all. I could only wonder how many scars that had left on his young heart.
The letter, however, remained silent on such matters.
The thought of ordering his return in my capacity as head of the family crossed my mind.
But if I did, he might spend the rest of his life haunted by the memory of the cities he abandoned despite possessing the power to save them. It was I, after all, who had told him to “do as you wish.” I could not bring myself to go back on my word now and strip him of his agency.
That said, it was impossible for me to rush to his side. At the very least, I decided I would write to Mira, Lina, and Lady Therese.
His two attendants were surely by his side at all times. I had no doubt Mira would handle his protection and daily needs flawlessly, but what I truly wanted to ask of them was to watch over his spirit. I feared he was winding himself so tightly that the string might eventually snap. There are things only those in his immediate presence can notice. I wanted to implore them to keep a close watch.
As for Lady Therese, though she was young, I had heard she had been dispatched to many treatment sites as the face of the Church. She would surely know how to handle those whose minds were burdened by such tragedy. I hoped she would support the boy’s heart.
Then, I turned my attention to the second letter.
It was written on parchment—high-quality stock used for official correspondence. The seal bore the familiar crest of the Church. The sender was Cardinal Fesenmeier.
The contents were formal and polite. It began with an apology for the discourtesy of bypassing my approval as head of the house to make a direct request of my young son. It followed with a report on the disastrous situation in the territory neighboring the Marquisate of Ahrens—the Countship of Soest—and an explanation of the circumstances that led to the dispatch of Rein and Lady Therese. Finally, it stated that the Church owed a great debt to House Werl and Rein. The letter concluded with a request for my future cooperation should the need arise.
"So, the head of the house is the only one being kept in the dark."
I felt no real anger. I could read between the lines that time had been of the essence. Besides, even without a formal request, Rein likely would have gone of his own accord the moment he learned of the situation. The boy was far too kind for his own good.
How did things turn out this way?
I pressed my palm to my forehead and leaned my elbows on the desk. Angel, Saint-in-training, Cardinal—before I realized it, the boy had begun to walk a path far beyond my reach.
As I fell silent, Klaus spoke in a low voice.
"Lord Wilhelm. On that note... there is something I should bring to your attention."
"What is it?"
"Rumors of the 'White Angel'—who is almost certainly Lord Rein—have begun to surface even here in the territorial capital. It seems his true identity is not yet common knowledge, however."
I looked up.
"...So it has reached us even here."
To be honest, the news was unwelcome. Those who are elevated as symbols are eventually used by others for their own convenience. More importantly, the more attention he drew, the easier it would be for his true identity to be exposed. If the rumors had reached this territory, they had likely permeated the countryside quite deeply.
Rein’s identity was still a secret to the public, but it wasn't impossible that someone might connect the dots when he eventually enrolled in the Academy.
Yes. The Academy. Under normal circumstances, he should have already entered the Regional Academy, but his enrollment had been repeatedly delayed by his recovery and these dispatches. I worried that any further delay would be problematic. If he arrived too late to build the necessary social connections, it would haunt him in the future.
As I was weighing these thoughts, there was a knock at the door.
"Father, I’m back."
"Father, we're home!"
Albrecht and Heide walked in. Both of them were supposed to be away at the Regional Academy.
"You're back early. Is the term not still in session?"
"Well, you see, Father... the Academy’s gone on break for a while," Albrecht said, carelessly scratching his red hair. "Poison is being spread all over the place, so they've closed the school as a precaution. We had to turn right back around."
"If poison were released at the Academy, the heirs of the various houses could all be neutralized at once," Heide added, calmly expanding on her brother’s explanation. "We were instructed to remain in our respective territories until the situation stabilizes."
...I see.
I gave a wry smile. If the Academy itself was closed, there was no sense in rushing Rein's enrollment. Either way, there was nothing to be done for the time being.
◇◇◇
Dinner that evening was unusually boisterous. With the older two back from the Academy, the table was filled with the voices of my children for the first time in ages.
Yet, amidst the cheer, one face was missing.
And there was no way the two youngest would fail to notice.
"Hey, hey, Father."
"When is Elder Brother Rein coming back?"
The twins looked up at me from either side, their green hair swaying. Liese and Rose.
The words caught in my throat.
"...Soon, I hope."
I placed a hand on each of their heads.
"It will take a little longer. Rein is far away right now, helping many people. He’s doing very admirable work."
"Hmph."
"I wish he’d come home soon."
I felt exactly the same way. But for some reason, I couldn't shake the ominous premonition that this situation was going to be a long, drawn-out affair.