After enjoying the delicious milk ice cream at Alme Titi’s Ice-Cream Shop, Falc went into town to do some shopping and then returned home. He had tried to pay for the ice cream, but once again, Alme had turned him down, saying that all she wanted was his opinion on the sample. He hadn’t even had a chance to take out his wallet… It was truly delicious, and he even got a second helping, so he felt even more indebted. Alme had told him when the ice-cream shop was scheduled to open, so Falc planned to be there first thing in the morning. Of course, he would bring a gift to celebrate the occasion. (I hope I don’t have any work scheduled for the day it opens, but we’ll see... I have a feeling I’ll be going on a journey soon.) Unpleasant premonitions like this one had a nasty habit of coming true. Sighing, Falc walked down the bustling main street. His destination was the horse-drawn carriage stand. Alme had used her ice magic on him before he left the shop, but after only a short walk, he was already covered in sweat again. The sky was overcast, and everyone else in town was looking cool and comfortable. It must be some kind of heat magic specifically targeting only him... When Falc reached the carriage stand, he immediately requested a personal-use one. There happened to be one available, so he was able to board right away. The high-class carriages were equipped with air-conditioning magic tools, so they were very comfortable. For someone like Falc, who always felt hot, they were a requirement. The fare was a little expensive, but he had plenty of money that he didn’t know what else to do with, so he figured he might as well spend it on things like this, to give back to society. After informing the coachman of his destination, the carriage set off at a leisurely pace. His goal was his workplace and home, the central temple in Lorio. It had taken him a while to get used to his new place of residence. As soon as the carriage started moving, Falc pulled out a necklace from under his clothes. The silver mithril plate in the center had a magic stone embedded in it, surrounded by engravings of spells. Falc solemnly removed the necklace, and as he did so, his hair and eyes gradually changed color. His nondescript brown hair turned the color of freshly fallen snow, and his calm brown eyes took on the translucent golden hue of amber. Finally, Falc, formally known as Falcert Laltos, felt at ease in his true form. The hair and eye color change was a transformation magic performed by the pendant. Transformation magic tools were top-class items that the government only loaned out to people with special status who had submitted the proper paperwork. Falc had said he didn’t think it was worth the trouble, but his mentor, the high priest, had recommended it, so he used it whenever he went into town. After hearing Alme's terrifying story about women fainting when they made eye contact with the White Falcon, Falc was glad he’d kept his true form hidden until now. If he had casually walked around the city as the White Falcon, he might have become a public menace without even realizing it… Still, I feel guilty, like I’m deceiving Alme…I never expected she would talk about me so much. Maybe I should have revealed my identity right then and there. I missed my chance... If I told her now, "Actually, I'm the White Falcon!" it would seem like I'm making fun of Alme-san's sincere support for the White Falcon... Would she hate me for that?) Thoughts raced through Falc’s mind. He’d honed his mind to a razor’s edge in order to achieve the rank of high priest, but it was useless in a situation like this. If this had been a pharmaceutical problem, he could have solved it in an instant. As he groaned, holding his head in his hands, the carriage pulled up in front of the temple. The temple in Lorio was so large that it could have been mistaken for a castle. Its white stone walls were adorned with blue murals, creating a graceful and refreshing appearance. The temple was divided into several buildings, including one for medical examinations, an inpatient ward, a hospice for the terminally ill, and a dormitory for priests. The expansive grounds were decorated with beautiful gardens full of greenery and flowers, and part of the area was open to the general public, who had no business with the temple. It was apparently a popular sightseeing spot. Falc avoided the busy main gate and entered through a side gate that was mainly used by those with connections to the temple. ―― Though lately, it seemed like there were more and more women loitering around the side gate... Glancing out the window of the carriage, Falc saw the women who had been milling about gasp in surprise and quickly scatter… It was a complicated scene, and he wasn’t sure how to describe it. He got out of the carriage at the side gate of the temple, and the coachman looked at him with wide eyes. It was only natural, since Falc’s appearance had changed so much between when he’d gotten in the carriage and when he’d gotten out. Giving a lengthy explanation would have been a pain, so he decided to let the man think whatever he wanted. Falc stepped away from the carriage and walked to the temple. He nodded to the guard and passed through the entrance, feeling the unique atmosphere of the temple envelop him. It was quiet and peaceful, with an odd sense of purity. The solemn atmosphere was the same as the one in the temple back in Beresrena

However, when he’d lived in the far north, he’d always felt a deep sense of loneliness along with that atmosphere. Since coming here, that feeling had softened considerably. Maybe it was the warm climate, or maybe it was all the flowers and cheerful music that overflowed the city. Or maybe it was because he’d come so far from the home he’d hated. As Falc walked down the beautiful stone corridors of the temple, he couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at his own self-deprecating thoughts. Now he was known as the "White Falcon of the North," but originally, he was just an ordinary, insignificant person. His family, the Laltos house, was a very small noble family from the city of Beresrena in the far north. He had an older brother and sister, both much older than him. His mother had died giving birth to him, and his father had sworn to honor her memory and never remarried. As a child, Falc’s body had been weak, and he was often sick. Most of his time was spent confined to his room. There had been nothing else for him to do, so he had spent most of his childhood studying and reading. Sometimes he would think he was getting better, but the next day he would be running a fever and nearly die, only to be resurrected by a priest... or at least, that’s how he remembered it. Falc’s kindhearted father had never given up on his weak son, always supporting and encouraging him. He had spared no expense in paying for medical treatment, and he had worked tirelessly to keep Falc’s life from slipping away. It was around the time Falc turned ten that he learned his illness was the cause of his family’s financial ruin. When he was ten, Falc’s father had been attacked by monsters and killed. It happened while he was going to a farm to buy nourishing food for Falc. They had managed to carry his body back to the temple, but it had been too late to save him. The day his father died, Falc lost his place in the family. His brother and sister blamed him for their mother’s death, for their father’s death, for the family’s financial ruin, and for everything else under the sun. He remembered well how he had apologized, crying and bowing on the floor. Even now, the memory haunted his nightmares. The pain and suffering in his heart were far worse than the physical pain of his illness. It felt like hell. Falc’s father had been his only support, and now that he was gone, the rest of Falc’s family had turned on him. Day after day, they ridiculed him, and Falc’s young heart was worn down in no time at all. It was when Falc was at his weakest that an elderly priest who had been in charge of his treatment said something that saved him. “There’s nothing I can do for the life that has already been lost, but there is still time to save the lives that will be lost in the future. If you’re good at studying, why don’t you try to become a priest? Don't waste the life your father worked so hard to preserve. Use it to the fullest and live.” The priest told him that was the best way to mourn his father’s death. Those words had filled Falc’s empty heart with hope, and for the first time in his life, he had a goal to work toward. From that point on, Falc became obsessed with his studies. If he didn’t keep his mind busy, the awful things his family said to him at home would play over and over in his head, so he devoted himself to studying in order to give his mind something else to do. As his body grew and his constitution changed, he stopped falling ill. When he entered the military academy to strengthen his body, he became tougher than most of the other cadets. His father had also been well-built, and Falc was happy that he seemed to be approaching his father’s stature as he grew taller. In the end, he grew so much that he surpassed his father in height. One of the main reasons Falc had entered the military academy was to get out of his house and into the barracks. After his father had died, his older brother had inherited the family estate, and Falc had felt pressured to leave the house as soon as possible. …Unfortunately, he and his family had never been able to reconcile. Falc continued his studies to become a priest while attending the military academy. The old priest who had guided him also continued to support him, and Falc was grateful for his help. Of course, he had vowed to repay that kindness for the rest of his life. Falc saved up money by hunting monsters on the side for the military, and eventually, he was able to transfer into the seminary. ―― And before he knew it, Falc had arrived at his current position. High Priest and military priest. Guardian angel of soldiers, the White Falcon of the north. That was his title. He didn’t care for the ostentatious part of the title, and it did make him a little uncomfortable, but... he was still glad to have reached the position he’d set his sights on. From here on out, he wanted to fulfill his duties with conviction.

“I want to reduce the number of people who die meaningless deaths, even if it’s just one person. And I want to make sure that the people they leave behind don’t have to suffer the way I did. I'll do everything I can to make that a reality." This was the feeling that drove him to do his job. It was something he kept in his heart, something he never discussed with anyone. Or at least, that was how it had been until today, when he’d received an unexpected reply from a civilian. The woman had responded to his feelings with gratitude and encouragement. She had said, “Thank you for coming to this town.” And she had even expressed a wish for the White Falcon’s safety. She hadn’t even seen him in person yet, but she was such a kindhearted person. When he heard her words, he felt a warm feeling spread through his chest. He could do without the warmth of the climate, but if it was this kind of warmth, he’d be happy. It was a pleasant feeling that brought a sense of peace. Whether it was when she first showed him the way, when she worried about the heat, or today when she was concerned about his body – she was always kind and gentle. There were plenty of people who approached him because of his status, his money, or his looks, but it had been a long time since he’d met someone who didn’t ask for anything in return and was just genuinely kind. The only people who came to mind were his late father and his teacher. (Alme-san... I hope we can become friends.) Even he thought it was a childish wish, but since he hadn’t had any friends during his childhood, he couldn’t help it. After he’d become an adult, everyone who had approached him wanting to be friends had only been interested in what they could get out of the relationship. ―― But if it was Alme, he thought, there might be a chance for sincere friendship to bloom. He sincerely hoped it would happen. As he walked down the temple’s hallway, his bitter thoughts shifted to brighter ones. He turned a few corners and went up a staircase, then stopped in front of a beautiful blue door. This wasn’t his own office; it was the office of his master, the high priest. It was the office of Dr. Lug Ray, an elderly priest who had been his attending physician as a child and had guided him to this point with his kindness. He was her great benefactor. “Master Lug, I’ve returned,” Falc said, knocking on the door and speaking as he entered. Inside, the high priest Lugh looked up from the thick book he’d been reading. He had long gray hair tied behind his head and a beard around his mouth. His white priest’s clothing was decorated with golden embroidery, a sign of his status. Despite his imposing appearance, Lug always wore a mischievous smile. “Ah, my errand boy has finally returned, has he? Did you manage to buy the sweets I asked for?” “Yes, I did. Here you are.” Alme handed him the paper bag, and Lug smiled in satisfaction. Lug had originally worked at the same temple in the far north as Falc, but a year earlier, he’d been transferred to Lorio. Falc had been sad to see him go, but he’d never imagined he would be transferred to the same place himself a year later. And now he was being put to work as his personal errand boy. He and Lug had known each other for a long time, and he was like family to him, so he didn’t mind helping him out... but running errands in the sweltering heat was no easy task. As soon as Falc handed over the sweets, Lug began chatting casually while nibbling on them. “So, Falc, have you gotten used to the city yet?” “Thanks to you, I’ve learned my way around most of the shops on the main street, but I’m still lost when it comes to the alleys and the underground streets. Plus, I’m still not used to the heat. And on top of all that, I’m not sure I like the idea of changing my appearance with magic... It’s such a hassle, so I was wondering if I could just walk around the city in this form?” Falc posed this question while helping Lug tidy up his cluttered desk. Changing his appearance with the Transformation Pendant was just too much of a hassle. He had tried entering the temple a few times in his changed form, only to be stopped by the guards. “I know it’s a pain, but until things settle down, you should keep changing your appearance when you’re in the city. If the White Falcon starts wandering around, it’ll cause an uproar, and you won’t be able to walk around town in peace,” Lugh explained. “Is that really necessary?” “Yes, it is. If that happens, I won’t be able to use you as my errand boy anymore.” “Th-that’s not a good enough reason...” Lug's only reaction to Falc slumping his head, was a stuck out tongue and a playfull smile.