The Ashes Settle III

As Lavender had predicted, the pair were looked at with a heavy amount of suspicion when they expressed their intention of leaving. However, Margaret let them go while emphasising to the others that they wouldn't be stupid enough to make the same mistake so soon.

"That was stressful but also a little nostalgic," Carolyn said after leaving the inn.

"Really? Were you a naughty girl back home?"

"I wouldn't say that. On the first night I spent camping with my father, we spotted a deer and ended up going on a night hunt. My mother was quite upset when she heard about it, so my father and I had to go through a lot to get permission for a second trip."

"Fufufu. I suppose you inherited your recklessness from your dad."

"You're probably right. He always did charge ahead without looking behind."

Lavender caught the hidden undertones behind Carolyn's response, but she pretended not to notice.

"The messenger should be over here."

"Okay. By the way, why didn't they come into the tavern?"

"I did invite them in, but who knows. Perhaps they were just scared."

"Who's scared?!"

Jumping out from behind a cart near a dilapidated horse shed, a young boy shouted to defend his dignity.

"Derrick? Did Mr. Benedict send you to call for us?"

"That's right. Is that a problem?"

"No, it's just a bit of a surprise. I'm glad to see that you're doing well."

When Derrick struggled to restrain a grin, Lavender openly chuckled with a playful smile. Derrick wanted to lash out at her, but he was more worried about Lety, so he chose not to waste any more time.

"Hmph, let's go."

Derrick set the pace for their trip to the church. He didn't want to draw attention by running, so they moved at a moderate speed. Though Derrick hadn't completely recovered from the fatigue of the previous night, thoughts of his sister pushed him forward.

Once they crossed into the slums district, there was an immediate shift in the atmosphere. The slums' residents were usually hostile to outsiders, but there seemed to be an added edge to their glares.

"Looks like they're ready to pounce right at us. The guards must be keeping them in check."

Despite the possibility of being recognised, Lavender boldly strutted with her bare face. The slums' residents were reasonably wary of unfamiliar faces after the fire, but there were still guards and government officials investigating inside the slums, so they were hesitant to take action without proper cause.

"You'll have to be more careful in the future, Derrick."

"I know. It's not like I haven't seen something like this happen before."

Carolyn's concern brought some warmth to Derrick's heart, but he quickly dismissed it. This was the norm for him, but Lavender's presence made him especially careful about exposing any weakness.

Fortunately, they made it to the church without any interference. When the three entered the church, there were still many children suffering from withdrawal symptoms, but their expressions seemed brighter than the last time Carolyn saw them. Derrick had informed her of what happened during the hectic night, so she wasn't expecting them to look so energetic.

'Perhaps the experience brought them closer together.'

While she was appreciating the changes in their faces, Carolyn noticed Lety was also lying down and was about to check on her when Benedict's office door opened. Stepping out from the office was Benedict, along with a downtrodden Mike. At first, many showed confused expressions, but soon their confusion was cleared.

"Everyone, Mike has something to say. Go on."

"..."

Although Benedict pushed him forward, Mike grabbed his shirt and stayed silent with his head down. It was starting to become clear that Mike had committed some mistake that he needed to apologise for, but it was still unknown what Mike had done.

"Mike, if you don't talk, then you'll have no help in your time of need. You should know what happens to burdens with no one willing to bear their weight."

"...I talked to an old man, about what I saw in here. But I didn't know who he was!"

Initially, the dots didn't connect for most, but Lavender kindly provided her understanding of what Mike meant.

"I see. So you were a little spy for the one that made all these children sick and sent men to attack the church."

Mike didn't respond, but from his body language it was obviously a silent admission.

"You snitch!"

"You ratted us out!"

"You loose-lipped bully!"

"Scum!"

Even the children suffering from withdrawal symptoms shouted insults at Mike, while the rest only stayed their hands from beating him because he was near the Priest. Mike had expected this response from the moment the Priest privately revealed that he knew of Mike's betrayal. It would have been hard to hide regardless, given that he would soon be afflicted with withdrawal symptoms, but he had hoped to be treated while everyone was ignorant of what he had done.

Like the children, Lavender didn't think well of Mike, but she wasn't about to put all of the blame on him.

"While what you did is certainly reprehensible, I highly doubt our dear Priest didn't find out about this earlier."

Carolyn quickly realised what Lavender's aim was, so there was no way Benedict couldn't do the same.

"Yes, I suspected that Mike was in contact with that man, but I refrained from taking action immediately. Can anyone tell me why?"

Most reacted to Benedict's question with confusion, but Lety slowly raised her right hand.

"Yes, Lety?"

"Was it, so that we could figure it out for ourselves?"

"That's correct, Lety. As a priest of the Alter faith, I am always willing and ready to hear your pleas and provide my assistance. However, there will come a day when I must depart to be of service to others. When that day comes, I wish that you have all learnt enough to stand strong even in challenging times. This time was an unusual case, but it is important to maintain a sliver of vigilance even around your closest friends. I believe everyone now understands the importance of this."

As the children nodded in agreement, Lavender clicked her tongue but didn't say anything else. Carolyn had mixed feelings about Benedict's approach, but she was willing to bury her dissatisfaction since no one was seriously hurt.

After Benedict's short lesson, the children's anger settled down, but they were still determined to see Mike be punished. With a vote led by Lena, it was decided that Mike would be expelled from the church and have two of his fingers broken, but since he had provided assistance in treating the ill children and making the barricade when the church was attacked, the punishment would only be applied after he had overcome the withdrawal symptoms of Henry's drug. Mike tried to argue, but the children refused to allow him to live with them after his betrayal. Even Carolyn's bleeding heart found it difficult to defend him. The most she could do was ask Benedict to check up on him from time to time.

Once judgement was passed down, Benedict invited Lavender and Carolyn into his office. Carolyn let Lavender head in first while she checked up on Lety. Apparently, she had pushed her body too much last night, so she got a fever from fatigue. Her symptoms were milder compared to the time after the kidnapping incident, so after promising to come back to talk with her, Carolyn entered Benedict's office.

When she entered the room, Carolyn found Benedict and Lavender engaged in a silent tea party. It was better than seeing them exchange snide remarks, but the atmosphere was still strained.

"Ms. Carol, please have a seat. I'll start our talk off with the conclusion of last night's operation."

This was one of the main reasons why Carolyn wanted to come, so she quickly sat down.

"First of all, you can now rest assured. That drug dealer will no longer be an issue."

Lavender had already shared similar news, but hearing it from Benedict allowed Carolyn to release the remainder of her tension.

"As I thought. You made your move while Carol and I were still fighting the fire, didn't you?"

"Correct. I must thank both of you for your efforts. Without them, I would have missed the final opportunity to catch him that night."

"I'm just glad you were able to stop him. But where did you find him? I assume he made it out of the house I fought him in."

"That's a little complicated. I believe Ms. Lavender will understand if I say it was a building owned by his local supplier."

Carolyn turned to look at Lavender, and indeed, she nodded her head in understanding.

"It seems they offered him quite a bit of support. Do you think they'll be upset at the loss of a customer?"

"That shouldn't be a problem. I've already reached out to them, and we've come to an understanding."

"Good. I couldn't allow that nutjob to do as he pleased, but they're definitely not an enemy I'd want to have."

"Um, you both seem to be moving the conversation along, but I'm still in the dark here."

If it was while Henry was still rampant, Carolyn would have let them continue since she didn't want to derail the discussion, but now that the case was wrapped up, she wished to clear up any gaps in her knowledge.