It was the following morning when Crownslayer found Jeanne and the others at their lodging. When they saw her, she seemed to be in a state of shock, as if she had received too much information at once and was struggling to process the impact.
"What happened? Did your Oripathy suddenly worsen yesterday? Why do you look so terrible after just one day?"
Lemuen, who had just woken up and was still in a daze, saw Crownslayer's extremely grim expression. She asked the question while walking toward the clothes rack to put on the halo above her head.
This halo was something she had asked Jeanne to help her take off last night. It was only through Lemuen's hint that Jeanne discovered she possessed such a misaligned skill—she could actually materialize the halo above a Sankta's head and then remove it.
As for why it was called a "misaligned" skill? Naturally, it was because the ability only worked on Sankta. After all, who else besides a Sankta walks around with a fluorescent light tube over their head?
However, Lemuen was very curious about Jeanne's ability and wanted to try learning how to materialize and remove the halo herself. As a Sankta, Lemuen knew the pain of her race; in this world, there was nothing more painful than being unable to sleep because you were being illuminated by a fluorescent tube at night. If she truly mastered this ability, even if she went back to Laterano to open a shop now, making millions a day wouldn't be a dream.
"It's nothing. I just suddenly learned the truth about some things I've misunderstood for years, and it's a bit hard to accept for the moment," Crownslayer replied, shaking her head to brush them off. After hearing Kal'tsit's account last night, she was in a state of total confusion, unsure of what the truth actually was.
But as the three of them looked at Crownslayer, who seemed to have lost her soul, they knew it was definitely no small matter. Otherwise, she wouldn't have such a look on her face so early in the morning. Still, they couldn't force her to speak. From the look of things, she hadn't even accepted the information she'd received herself.
"Excuse me, are Miss Jeanne and Miss Talulah in? Mr. Hellagur invites you to his office for a chat; it seems he has something to ask of you."
At that moment, a nurse arrived at the door. Hearing this, the two women set off for the office, though they were curious—why was Hellagur looking for them so early in the morning?
Inside the office, Hellagur and a staff member had already been waiting for some time. Jeanne and Talulah exchanged a glance; given the setup, this likely wasn't a trivial matter.
"I apologize for disturbing you both. Please, have a seat first."
Hellagur stood up with great poise to welcome them. If possible, he truly didn't want to trouble them again. But this morning, a nurse had told him about the three children's ordeal, specifically how the young woman named Jeanne could drive directly here without even knowing the route...
"Inviting you here so early has surely disturbed your rest. However, this matter is quite important to us."
"Not at all. We are the ones disturbing you by staying here. To say you're disturbing us is putting it backward, isn't it?"
Hearing Hellagur's polite words, Jeanne and Talulah exchanged pleasantries with him. However, Hellagur clearly didn't intend to waste time on formalities and asked them directly:
"I heard that Miss Jeanne can rely on intuition to find Azazel. I wonder if this ability can be used to search for people?"
Hearing Hellagur's question, Jeanne knew that the three children must have mentioned their conversation.
"Naturally, it can. My power will guide me to find their traces."
Upon hearing Jeanne's affirmative answer, the two people opposite her breathed a collective sigh of relief. This was a desperate situation. Over a week had passed since the district separation, yet more than a dozen children remained missing. Continuing the search blindly would just be a waste of time. If Jeanne could help them, perhaps those children still had a chance. Otherwise, in a massive city that had been shattered and reorganized, finding a few children was a fool's dream.
"Miss Jeanne, I sincerely ask for your help on behalf of Azazel. At least fifteen children are scattered across this city, lost because of the recent changes. I ask for your assistance. As for the reward, you may name it, and I will do my best to fulfill it."
Regarding Hellagur's request, Talulah didn't see any issue. When she was struggling to find the children herself, her first thought had been how much easier it would be if Jeanne were there.
Jeanne pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. As for what the reward would be, she hadn't decided yet; she would wait until there was an opportunity later.
Hellagur couldn't help but sigh as he watched the two leave. He didn't know if asking for their help was the right choice, but they simply didn't have enough manpower to find those children now; they must be hiding in very secluded places.
"Hmm? Why are you the only one left? Where did Crownslayer go?"
When the two returned to their room, they found that Crownslayer, who had been there just moments ago, had already departed. Only Lemuen remained, waiting for them.
"She said there were some things she had to confirm personally to be at peace, so she left to find someone. She didn't explain clearly, but she said she'd definitely thank us properly the next time we meet."
Lemuen spoke while maintaining the submachine gun in her hands. They could only marvel at the speed of Crownslayer's actions, having left in such a short window of time.
"We're going to help find some missing children in a bit. Do you want to come along, or stay here and rest for the day?"
Hearing that they were going out, Lemuen's interest was piqued immediately. She stopped maintaining her weapon; it seemed Jeanne's plan to head out suited her perfectly.
"I'm coming too! I got word that my revolving grenade launcher is ready and waiting for me at a pickup location. We can stop by and grab it on the way. I can't wait any longer..."
The two women looked at Lemuen, who was getting more and more excited, and could only shrug helplessly at each other. Under the circumstances, they couldn't think of any way to calm her down. She had been craving that launcher for so long, and now that it was within reach, her excitement was understandable.
In the end, Jeanne and Talulah each grabbed one of Lemuen's arms and tossed her into the car. Better to go get the gun first; otherwise, they wouldn't have a moment of peace today.