Chapter 58: The Knight’s Visit

Sena waltz around the streets uncaringly with her white cape skirting the ground. Her white cape has been tattered and dirtied but yet it still was white and her gilded golden armor made it shine despite the dirt in it. She went to this place where a chapel and a house for orphans are located. The chapel worships the God of Light and the Orphanage they manage is filled with Orphans.

She found the humble orphanage. It had an iron gate and she could see the little garden it has. A nun seems to be watering the flower pots and thus Sena walked and greeted the nun over the wall. The nun looked at Sena warily at first and then saw the sigil of her house. The nun got a bit surprised. She went out of the gate and greeted Sena.

“What can this humble servant of God offer milady...Saclea, I presume?”

“It is nothing...I am merely trying to see if the chapel needs help.”

“Ah, we do not have anything that really needed help. Nor, there are any foolish people that try to undermine the church.”

The nun said with confidence. The church of the God of Light spreads across the southern continent of old like weeds. The believers of the church numbers million and those who try to ‘mess’ with the church are usually hunted down or treated as heretics.

The nobles have power but not as much as the church. Those who try to give fault to the church usually have their lives turned into living hell. May it is the soldiers, citizens, or the common bandits, the church will find ways to give back.

“That’s good...then may I watch the children?”

“Does the lady have any interest in the young ones?”

“Yes, I am rather fond of them.”

“Oh my...”

The nun giggled while she giving a smile coming from her heart. Sena had an expression of happiness as she said those words. During the travel, she met little village boys and girls that are pure of heart. Maybe it is due to being saved that somehow she got fond of brave young ones.

“Please come in milady.”

The nun made Sena enter the compounds of the chapel and orphanage. While entering she saw the little girls and boys playing with a ball made from fur skin. There are others playing patty-cake while the others hide in the little trees in the garden. The compound was rather large so space for the little children to play was there.

“Aren’t they wonderful?”

“They are...it warms the heart.”

The nun smiled hearing that. Sena looked at the innocent little ones playing heartedly without any signs of vile or hatred. In the past days traveling she saw evil men and women. She saw the heartlessness of the world out there that it made her wonder how the powerless could survive. At first, she only wanted to be the shining knight with a firm back. Yet upon realizing that the tales she heard in songs and poems are really not that graceful as it seems. She began to think how foolish she was for being so naïve.

If she wasn’t saved that day by a little girl then she probably wouldn’t be here in the first place. She may have been injured and she may have looked at the world with the same tint. Her bloodlust might not have been disciplined and maybe her glory hounding would never be corrected.

So she looked at the sight before with pure eyes. The nun could see that the lady was rather happy seeing the little birds and robins prancing around. She thought that it was quite rare for nobles like her to visit orphanages. Usually, when nobles visit the orphanage they are to seek fine children to mold into their house as servants or soldiers.

So seeing that a lady with a gilded golden armor visited only to see them made the nun bit mellow in the heart. She could not help but watch the lady and the children together with happiness. This continued for a while before the other nuns made the children go back to the orphanage to rest.

The nun that was with Sena invited the lady for tea and Sena obliged. She wanted to know the state of the orphanage and if there is any request she might ponder about it. Thus, they entered the chapel and Sena saw the rather well-maintained interior. There is an altar located in the innermost part of the room. There are chairs for the believers to pray. There are also statues and the grained window glass has light shining upon the altar. They went past this room and entered the place where she and the nun can drink some tea.

There are a cloth-laden table and a chair. Sena sat near the table while the nun heats up a kettle, and poured the inside and prepared the tea within a teapot. Sena saw the mastery of the nun as she serves the tea gracefully. The nun took out some biscuits and put it on a tea plate.

Sena took some of the biscuits and sip on the rose-scented tea that the nun made. The taste of the tea was right for her and the biscuit was sweet and creamy. She was satisfied with the tea and biscuit that she can’t but say.

“These are fine...”

“Thank, you, to think that a lady of a noble house such as yours would even partake in this simple tea.”

“It's fine, I have been living on the road for a month and drinking tea is quite something.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, though may I ask why are there are few nuns?”

Sena has observed that aside from the nun who called the children. There were no other people she has met so far inside the chapel. Even the place she is sitting right now was devoid of anyone other than the nun she is talking to. The nun raised a brow, and she answered.

“We have been having troubles and the sisters and the priest are out.”

“Trouble, is it monsters or heretics?”

“Monsters, the Heretics have been dealt with in this town. They were living in the sewers of the town, smuggling goods but the Inquisitors have purged them.”

“I see...”

Sena sipped her tea. Heretics are the only one that has the courage to defy the church after all. They are many of them and enough that they could threaten a church or two.

“So do you need help in ‘purging’ the monsters? I worry for the children here.”

“I could not bother...”

“No, I still have time and my help might make the problem easily solve.”

The nun pondered. She then joined the tip of her hands together.

“Indeed, having to manage the children here without the fellow sisters and priests are quite hard. Very well, I shall not waste thy kindness.”

“Thank you.”

Sena smiled. Her intention in the first place was to visit the orphanage and see the kids. At the same time, she wanted to help because of something like a vow. As a knight, she wanted to protect people and little kids and children’s are the people she wanted to help the most.