PATH OF THE STAR HUNTER

“Don’t worry, everything’s fine, don’t cry; you’ll stop looking pretty if you cry.” Comforting the girl in a childish and fatherly way, Desmond caressed the girl’s cheek, wiping away the tears with extreme care while using a tiny amount of soft water mana to soothe the pain in the girl’s knees.

A loving smile accompanied by the warm glow within his lovely blue eyes made Desmond immediately a source of comfort and security for the girl, who soon calmed down as she was comforted and lulled to sleep by Desmond.

The girl’s pretty little hands clung to Desmond’s armor as he carried her in his arms, and it seemed that the girl had no plans to let go of the newfound source of warmth and security.

Looking at the little girl’s infatuated face, Desmond smiled tenderly at some memories from the past and stroked the little girl’s short dark hair without paying much attention to anything else.

Not to mention his natural charms that were already terrifyingly and unfairly high, the Desmond of now was a weapon of mass destruction that would not be resisted by any single mother...or priestess.

Unlike Desmond, who avoided motherly women like the plague, Cecilia, on the other hand, couldn’t be more vulnerable to someone who radiated so much paternal charm. This evoked a part of her that had always wanted a family, a father, something that was not altogether uncommon on earth for both women and men dating partners several years older.

Even the goddess of the hunt Artemis could not have fired a more accurate arrow at Cecilia’s heart which did not stop beating like a nervous and timid little fawn.

Unable to understand her feelings at that moment, Cecilia just put a hand on her chest as she felt her heartbeat like crazy as she watched, blushing up to her neck, as Desmond played with the girl in his arms.

.....

Unfortunately, Desmond was too focused on his own business to notice Cecilia’s current appearance, and Kyuru wasn’t by his side to feel the emotional tide within Cecilia.

However, Cecilia soon became distracted by taking care of the rest of the children, so those turbulent emotions that she did not understand remained in the back of her mind.

Hours passed, and Cecilia accompanied the children playing with them, helping in the kitchen, and feeding the little ones before teaching reading and writing classes for the older ones. All this while Desmond watched from the sidelines, still with a very spoiled four-year-old girl in his arms.

Desmond was also able to see how sincere Cecilia was when it came to caring for the well-being of the children within the orphanage. Even though the hunter would not accept it easily, his liking for Cecilia increased several notches.

The same could be said for Cecilia; she gained a new understanding of the man who had promised to protect her as her knight. Though she could feel it, that deep darkness still lurking deep inside; he was a complicated man, or so Cecilia thought now.

After saying goodbye to the children at the orphanage, both left the place and covered several of the destinations that Cecilia had planned to visit today. This took several hours, during which the interactions between the two were scarce because both Desmond and Cecilia had several things in mind.

Both Desmond and Cecilia had noticed that they were being monitored, but no matter how long they waited, the other party never made a move; something Desmond was grateful for; for he was in no condition to give another fight.

“You seem to be pretty good with children,” Cecilia commented, trying to find a way to break the silence.

Desmond smiled and replied, “I’ve always liked them.”

Desmond’s sincere smile stunned Cecilia for a moment, but another question popped into her mind as soon as she recovered. “Do you want to have children of your own?”

Nothing but genuine curiosity colored Cecilia’s words, and Desmond found no problem answering such a trivial question honestly. “I have thought about it, but now is not the right time, though that doesn’t stop my wife from bringing up the subject. The funny thing about the whole thing is that she’s even younger than me. I really don’t understand her rush; still... in a way, I can’t wait to see what our children will look like.”

Although sincere and warm, Desmond’s answer hit Cecilia with a gigaton of power in her chest, without understanding the reason; Cecilia felt quite conflicted about Desmond’s response.

“I didn’t know you were married.”

Perhaps because the very notion never crossed his mind, Desmond didn’t notice Cecilia’s strange voice and answered simply. “I don’t usually talk much about my personal life. Besides, you didn’t ask; In any case, I don’t think her holiness, Cecilia, has anything to do with you.”

If there was an award for the idiot of the year, it was likely that Desmond would have won it with that answer, also possible that he did not care. After all, no matter how beautiful Cecilia was, Desmond had zero romantic interest in her.

On the other hand, Cecilia didn’t quite understand what these strange emotions she was feeling, not to mention that something like the romance was quite alien for a church-raised girl like her.

In reality, even though Cecilia knew that people had children and she understood concepts such as marriage, she had no idea how babies are made, something Desmond would find quite hilarious if he knew.

As if it were a matter of habit, another awkward silence was generated between them. Still, this was shorter; the expression of both turned around as Desmond and Cecilia saw what was waiting for them right at the gates of the church complex.

Four holy knights, accompanied by four older men whose uniforms Desmond identified them as bishops. Unless the king planned to visit the church today, it was safe to say that these people were here for Desmond and Cecilia.

One didn’t even have to wonder if the intentions of the people present were good or bad. It didn’t have to be a genius to know that these people were here with bad intentions.

“Your Holiness, please come with us; there are important things to talk about.”

Although the tone of the man who spoke was cordial, one only had to observe the combat-ready posture of the four holy knights to know that this was not an invitation but an order.

Immediately an air of malevolence and bloodlust filled the air as intense and furious fluctuations of mana emanated from Desmond, disturbing the air around him.

Knowing that he was in no condition to engage in combat with four holy knights simultaneously, Desmond had opted for what he believed was the best course of action; act tough as fuck.

It was almost ridiculous how much mana Desmond spent just to bluff, almost burning through fifty percent of his mana pool to give the impression that he was about to go on a rampage in a big way.

However, Desmond’s course of action proved to be the correct one; after a few seconds in which the four knights were ready for combat, one of the bishops immediately stepped forward to mediate the situation.

Although trying to gain some ground diplomatically, the bishop made it seem like this was nothing more than a misunderstanding, and Desmond had overreacted, something Desmond didn’t miss.

To the surprise of both Desmond and all the men present, Cecilia was quite adamant about the matter, though she asked Desmond to back off. Still, she made it clear that it was all due to the lack of courtesy of the holy knights, who did not greet her, and even held their weapons threateningly before the holy priestess, a sin difficult to ignore.

Finding a valid excuse, Desmond withdrew all aura of aggression. He regained as much mana as he could as, with an apparent show of courtesy and respect, he bowed to Cecilia and apologized for his behavior.

The expression of both the holy knights and the bishops darkened after the entire exchange; it was clear that they had lost part of the advantage in the argument and had been intimidated by Desmond, leaving them little room to maneuver and make things difficult for Cecilia.

Desmond watched all these subtle changes intently, trying to make out anything he could. As soon as he saw the bishops’ expressions relax before giving way to a confident smile, Desmond knew that this was only the beginning of the problems he would face today.

Thinking to himself how unskilled he really was in political discussions, Desmond looked at his partner helplessly, not expecting anything from Cecilia. Not because Desmond underestimated the girl, but because he knew very well about Cecilia’s background; the girl wouldn’t stand a chance against the old church foxes.

“We ask you to accompany us, her holiness, Cecilia, to the main meeting room.”

Following the path laid out by the bishops, Desmond accompanied Cecilia as he prepared for another kind of battle, one in which he had no confidence.