Chapter 57

“…Mr. Hein. …Lastly, I want to see the outside world.”

That is what the girl said.

At first, I doubted my own ears.

If she had followed my education perfectly, those were words she never should have uttered.

And yet, the girl was saying them now.

She was telling me to let her out.

In other words, there was a flaw in her education.

It meant this “Lastiara” was not “perfect.”

I searched for the cause. As a knight of Huzya, my immediate instinct was to protect the interests of the state.

I pinpointed the reason almost instantly.

No, perhaps I had known all along.

In the end—an education born of worry, fear, and suffering had failed to produce “perfection.”

Normally, I was supposed to teach her history and religion in a balanced manner. However, subconsciously, I had let her read far too many adventure stories, encouraging her to think about freedom and liberation. I had even gone so far as to find adventure tales with strong romantic elements that a girl her age might like, adapting and performing them for her.

I hadn’t just shown her the single straight path toward becoming the manufactured “Lastiara”; I had taught her the detours of being a “normal girl.”

Subconsciously, I had given her choices.

I knew that doing so would cause her pain—yet I had harbored the cowardly hope that she might reject the ritual of her own will, and I had acted on that hope without even realizing it.

Thus, the die was cast, and the girl obtained the right to fly out from her cage, the Great Cathedral.

The higher-ups must have had immense confidence in the girl’s completion.

Multiple layers of mental magic must have been applied since the creation of her physical vessel, and they could have tampered with the blood-based rituals as much as they pleased. I also knew that Palinchron, an expert in mental magic, had been examining the girl periodically.

By this point, they were certain that no matter what happened, “Lastiara” would be unable to refuse the ritual.

—The permission from above was granted, and the manufactured “Lastiara” flew from her cage.

I had hoped that Lastiara would go outside simply as a normal girl. However, reality isn’t that convenient. The girl’s purpose for going out was “adventure.” She was merely dreaming of the kind of “adventure” found in heroic epics.

In truth, I wanted her to do something typical of a normal girl.

Ideally, I wanted her to yearn for a normal life.

However, the girl never stepped outside the framework of a hero or a saint.

Just as I was about to give up, thinking that she truly was nothing more than “Lastiara.”

That was when I met him—

“—You, hiding over there. Come out.”

I encountered a black-haired boy covered in burns, looking as if he were about to die.

The boy answered.

“I’m not a thief…”

The boy had been hiding off the “Main Path” of the Labyrinth. I had my wind magic spread out, so I was able to detect his breathing and find him.

He was a strangely weak-looking boy.

I thought he might be a bandit, but judging by his appearance, that possibility seemed low.

I intended to give my usual response and move away from him—

“—You look interesting.”

But I was interrupted by the girl’s voice, full of curiosity.

Looking back, that was the beginning.

It was the moment the cast was finally assembled.

He was the first boy around her age she had shown such interest in.

Even Glen Walker, the strongest explorer, she had treated as if he were just an ordinary person.

Then, the girl cast every spell she could on the boy.

She tried to walk away as if nothing had happened.

However, having been with her for so long, I knew.

The girl was dying to know more about the boy.

—I realized I had been given a golden opportunity to do “the best I could.”

Once again, I cast the die.

Once again, I threw a cowardly, dependent die.

The night we saved the boy in the Labyrinth, I questioned the girl in a room in the Great Cathedral.

“My Lady, you’re interested in that boy from earlier, aren’t you?”

At that question, the girl’s eyes lit up in a way that was easy to read.

Someday, that innocent sparkle in her eyes would turn into a glimmer of madness. The reason was simple. Years of biased education had likely had a negative impact on her personality.

“It’s the end anyway. Why don’t you try traveling with that boy?”

And, if possible, I wanted her to find a path as a “normal girl.”

“But, Hein. I have—”

“I see… You fell in love with that boy. Let’s go with that story.”

“Wh-huh? Love?”

“If we do that, it’ll be harder for the Levan Church to complain about their precepts. It works as an excuse for going outside, too.”

“U-Um… Certainly, those precepts exist… but wait?”

“It works.”

Without waiting for her to finish, I piled up one piece of nonsense after another.

This was a lie.

The higher-ups would never approve of anything that might make “Lastiara” feel lingering regrets. Therefore, I wouldn’t report that she was going out for the sake of love.

My report to the higher-ups would be: “‘Lastiara’ has come to admire the ‘adventures’ of Saint Tiara and has stated that she wants to explore the Labyrinth one last time. This is an action born from her desire to grow closer to the essence of Saint Tiara; furthermore, she is difficult to persuade, so I wish to obtain permission for her to act freely.” I would push it through like that.

It would be difficult, but I would do everything in my power to make it happen.

In any case, I had to bring the boy and the girl together.

Even if it was just an act.

If we made it so that she was in love, there was a chance something might be added to the girl’s heart.

“—At any rate, I like it! I want to go on an ‘adventure’ just like Saint Tiara did!”

After a persuasion filled with lies, the girl answered, her eyes sparkling darkly.

At her answer, my face twitched.

As I thought, the manufactured “Lastiara’s” interest lay in a hero-like “adventure.”

It seemed my report wasn’t going to be a lie after all, which felt a bit frustrating.

—No, I’ll make it a lie.

The girl is leaving the Great Cathedral because she fell in love with the boy.

I’ll make it so.

“Yes, please try going on an ‘adventure’ with that boy. I’m sure it will be fun.”

“Hehe, hehehe, that sounds good… I like that.”

After that, for several days, I ran around the Great Cathedral without even time to sleep.

I obtained permissions from various departments, fabricated the utility of the plan, and piled machination upon machination. For some reason, that man Palinchron sensed what was happening and helped me out, which was a huge help.

Thanks to those efforts, I managed to completely deceive the higher-ups and somehow secured time for the girl to act freely.

It took several days, but it was undoubtedly worth the effort.

Feeling triumphant, I went to report to the girl confined in the Great Cathedral.

“My Lady, about the matter we discussed…”

“Discussed? Um, you mean the ‘adventure’ with Kanami?”

“Yes. When I brought it up to the higher-ups, it went through quite easily. It’s only for a few days, but you can act freely.”

“Wh-really?! Yes! Amazing, truly?!”

“My Lady, your language is becoming unrefined.”

The girl was overjoyed.

It was the kind of joy appropriate for her age.

However, that darkness in her eyes—that madness—would not disappear.

No, it couldn’t be helped.

I was not the one to erase it. It was that boy.

“I’m sorry, Hein. Oh, but! But I thought I wouldn’t be able to meet Kanami until after I became a Saint…! I’m so happy…!”

“I’m glad to hear it, My Lady. However, this is a top-secret matter. Please be extremely careful.”

“I know. So, what is the official reason for me going out?”

“It’s exactly what I said before. Everything starts because you fell in love with the boy, Kanami, and wish to be with him. In other words, love is the pretext. Naturally, since it’s the love of a living god, there will be those who find it unacceptable and try to interfere. The powerful knights of Huzya who will attack, the reaching hands of the inflexible, stubborn priests… But the boy, Kanami, will repel everything that approaches with his brilliant swordsmanship. That sight will be just like—”

“Wait, wait a minute. Is such a grand scenario really necessary? Isn’t this just your own hobbies running wild, Hein?”

“It is essential.”

Hearing that fake pretext, the girl seemed to think my hobby of writing fiction was running amok. It seems my image has become a bit skewed because of all the stories I’ve performed for her.

Still, if anything, she could keep believing that. I continued.

“Hein. Usually, wouldn’t there be other reasons, like admiring Saint Tiara and wanting to explore, or physical training, or deepening one’s knowledge of the secular world…?”

“Those won’t do.”

“N-No. That’s definitely just your hobby, Hein…”

“This also serves as a test for the boy, Kanami, who will be involved.”

“A test?”

“You’re thinking this too, aren’t you, My Lady? That you want that boy to stay by your side even after you become a Saint.”

This was my own speculation.

However, I needed her to think that way.

“Y-Yes… You caught me, Hein.”

Good.

I clenched my fist inwardly.

“It is as grand as you say, but if it’s a test to become your knight, this much is necessary. It serves as an excuse to send in knights for the boy Kanami’s training and trials. Well, it also serves as a means of periodic surveillance.”

And so, as the girl is protected by the boy, she will begin to harbor faint, sweet feelings toward his back.

Yes.

The royal road and the main path.

After all, a story must be at least this much.

Besides, for a girl prone to daydreaming, anything less wouldn’t be stimulating enough. A bit of over-the-top staging is just right.

“For now, shall we send someone like Palinchron to gauge the boy’s strength? After that, you will make contact, My Lady. Then, have the boy repel numerous knights. Of course, I will select knights that the boy is capable of defeating.”

I finished my explanation, but the girl still seemed unconvinced.

Was there really too much wasted effort in the staging after all…?

“It can’t be helped… But after we make contact, I’m going to do things my way. I don’t have any confidence in acting like I’m in love, and I think Kanami should know at least some of the story.”

The girl reluctantly agreed.

Perhaps because of the way she was raised, she didn’t seem to dislike these kinds of heroic stories.

However, telling the boy the circumstances too…

If possible, I wanted the boy to protect a beautiful girl who had appeared out of nowhere and fallen for him… but fine. I’ll prioritize smooth progress over the staging.

There are stories where feelings turn real while both parties are just acting, after all.

“Very well. I suppose that’s a fair compromise. In that case, I’ll dispatch Palinchron today. He’s got nothing but free time, and he has ‘Keen Eye’.”

“I understand.”

I smirked, thinking the plan was going well, and explained things to my collaborator, Palinchron.

Palinchron agreed without a second thought and began tracking the boy that night.

—And then, morning came.

I was astonished by Palinchron’s report the next day.

“—Wh-huh? The boy is equal to one of the ‘Celestial Knights’?”

“Yeah, from what I saw, there’s no mistake. Man, he was an interesting guy personally, too.”

“W-Wait. Until just the other day, he was a boy who almost died on the 1st floor of the Labyrinth, wasn’t he? And in just a few days, he’s reached the level of a ‘Celestial Knight’?”

“My information gathering confirms it. There’s no doubt that kid escaped by the skin of his teeth with major burns on the 1st floor a few days ago. But in just these few days, he’s conquered the 10th floor. It’s only a matter of time before he conquers the 20th. That kid is… just too abnormal.”

“Too abnormal? What do you mean by that?”

“I don’t want to say, because that’s for me to enjoy. I’ve got my own fun plans for that kid. …Well, if I tell you just a little, there’s even a suspicion that Christ Eurasia defeated Teida, the Guardian of the 20th floor. Oh, Christ is the alias that kid, Kanami, is using.”

I was left speechless.

Teida was a monster that even the party of the strongest explorer, Glen Walker, was no match for. If he had defeated that, he was at the level of a national hero.

“A Guardian of the Labyrinth…?”

“Yeah, that’s info from the guys at the Wald Guild. Plus, I took the liberty of checking the ‘Mana Lines’ to back it up. I’m sure of it.”

“Again, using the ‘Mana Lines’ without permission… Your skill really should be designated as forbidden magic…”

“I just confirmed the facts. My primary source was my connections in Wald.”

“I see… regardless, we need to change the plan…”

“Heh. You’ve heard this much and you’re still backing that boy?”

“Having heard it, I’m even more certain.”

I told Palinchron without hiding how convenient this was. Hearing that, he whistled and agreed to help modify the plan.

Palinchron likely hadn’t disclosed everything he knew about the boy.

But that didn’t matter. Whatever secrets he held, if the boy was a hero, then I would simply sublimate the plan into something sublime.

—I revised the plan overnight and set out to inform the young lady.

I found the young lady teasing Sera Radiant of the Celestial Knights and began explaining the plan.

By the way, I had Sera leave us. She has rather skewed tastes, so I was hesitant to include her in the plan. Plus, quite simply, I’m not very fond of her.

I explained the revised scenario to the girl—her face gradually brightened, and she nodded.

“I knew it…! Kanami is as impressive as I thought…!”

The girl seemed to have anticipated the boy’s rapid growth. Since she possesses the ‘Eye of the Pseudo-God,’ she likely foresaw it.

“Therefore, the knights who will attack you shall be from the Celestial Knights. Since we’re short on numbers, I will be participating as well.”

“Yes. Though, I don’t know if even the Celestial Knights will be much of a match for him.”

“Well, it’s just a bit of entertainment. The point is to make it a proper fight.”

“Hehe. I’m looking forward to it.”

Good, the details were set.

It was going to be a total farce, but I had to see it through.

“For the record, only I, Palinchron, and the higher-ups know that the official reason is your love. The other knights are in the dark.”

“Is that all? So almost no one will know.”

“The fewer people who know the truth, the better.”

Next was the task of ensuring the higher-ups didn’t hear about this “love scandal.”

This itself wouldn’t be much of a problem. Few higher-ups have made it as far as the Allied Nations, and most have no interest in the front lines. They’re all people who conduct business from behind a desk.

In fact, even if they found out what I was doing, they might just end up laughing it off. That is how much of a farce my actions were.

“Well then, Hein. I’m off.”

“Yes, and if I appear, please remember to act. I will also be acting as if the boy Kanami is your beloved.”

“…Hein. You really do love this kind of thing. You seem completely determined to be the one to come, rather than some other Celestial Knight. Your addiction to drama is quite a problem.”

“Yes, of course I’ll be the one to go. I’m curious about him myself.”

The girl left the cathedral with an exasperated look and headed toward the boy.

—The plan was in motion.

The revised plan was simple.

I would have the boy, Kanami, stir the girl’s emotions—the emotions of a “normal girl” who could be found anywhere. Then, they would nurture a happiness together that wasn’t just temporary, but one that lasted until death did them part.

I would report to the higher-ups something like: “She found a man during her adventure and eloped.”

With a hero like him, I was sure she could live happily even if assassins from Huzya came for them. I truly wished for her to spend an ample retirement, like the epilogue of a romance novel.

That was the “gentle” thing and the “best I could do” for her right now.

—And so, with hope in my heart, I waited for time to pass.

First, as planned, Sera went on a rampage.

However, the timing was a bit faster than expected, which made me panic. That woman’s loyalty—no, her ulterior motives—never ceased to amaze me.

Nevertheless, things seemed to settle down mostly according to the scenario.

After repelling Sera, the girl made contact with the boy.

Once I confirmed the two had become companions, it was my turn.

I brought Hopes along to observe. I figured Hopes, who wasn’t suited for one-on-one duels, wouldn’t end up winning.

Then, pretending to be a Celestial Knight who knew nothing, I performed the play with the young lady. She truly was my star pupil. She understood exactly how to tell a story. We exchanged grand, meaningful words and played our parts. My only regret was that I had a bit too much expository dialogue. I’ll have to fix that for the next creative play.

While the girl and I were in the middle of our play-acting, the boy uttered a line that left a lasting impression.

“—First, let me say this. To me, whether or not I’m Lastiara’s ‘beloved’ doesn’t matter. But Lastiara is a companion, so I want to make her dream come true. —That’s all.”

That is what he said.

Even though we hadn’t coordinated, he casually delivered the most perfect line for me.

I stared at him, stunned.

Hopes made fun of the words as if he were embarrassed by them.

Ah, Hopes doesn’t understand…

He doesn’t understand at all.

That was exactly what was needed.

Someone hiding that level of passion is the only one worthy of being the protagonist of a story.

—As I thought, it has to be him.

I felt my reliance on others reach its peak here. But since it could only be him, it couldn’t be helped.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I have been suppressed by fate until this day just to meet the right man—that is how much I liked the boy Christ.

If it’s that boy, he can protect the girl for the rest of his life.

It wasn’t a matter of strength, but a matter of the character required to walk through a story.

If it’s that boy, he can do what I cannot.

That was the moment I became certain.

I left the Labyrinth with a parting threat and recounted it to Palinchron with delight.

“—Haha! You’ve really fallen for him that much? If you’re happy, I’m happy too.”

“I’ve never been one for scheming, but it seems I have more talent for it than I thought. I’m starting to understand why the villains in stories enjoy plotting their misdeeds so much.”

“Well, now we just need to advance their relationship, but…”

“Hm? Young Christ gave such a passionate confession, didn’t he? Is more meddling really necessary?”

“No, you’re a drama-obsessed believer in ‘convenient plot devices,’ so you might be feeling relieved already, but I’m not. I think I understand Christ better than you do. There’s no one more weak-willed than him, you know? Reality is harsher than fiction.”

I thought that in just a little while longer, the two of them would realize how much they meant to each other, and the story would progress like a romance novel. However, Palinchron’s opinion differed from mine.

“You say things that make me uneasy.”

“Let’s check. I’m going to hijack the ‘Mana Lines’ now, so wait a second.”

Using the ‘Mana Lines’ of the Great Cathedral as a medium, Palinchron picked up visual information on the girl and the boy.

Apparently, the two were currently participating in the festival, taking that slave girl with them.

The young lady was playing around, excited for her first festival ever. And the boy, also unaccustomed to festivals, was playing around in the same way.

“My Lady…”

This might have been the first time I’d seen the girl looking so happy.

However, they looked less like a man and woman and more like two close friends of the same gender.

The boy didn’t seem to view the girl as a member of the opposite sex. I began to understand what Palinchron was trying to say.

“Damn it…! Indeed, rather than a man and woman, they’re more like siblings…”

“Right? To me, it doesn’t look like Christ has any intention of falling in love. Well, the ‘Boss’ is probably holding back in various ways.”

“But! I mean, it’s no exaggeration to say the young lady is the most beautiful person in the world, so there’s no way the boy doesn’t feel anything for her as a woman…!!”

“…Sigh. After all’s said and done, you’re just like Sera, aren’t you?”

“What?! Don’t group me together with Sera!!”

Indignant at such an offensive evaluation, I fumed.

Then, as I spoke with Palinchron, a new person joined the two.

“What…! Is that Alti of Wald, the Guardian who is cooperating with the Allied Nations…!?”

“Oh. You know her well. Very few people should know about her… But yeah, that’s Big Sis Alti.”

“Palinchron. If she’s an acquaintance of yours from Wald, get her away from them immediately.”

“No, no, it’s probably just a coincidence. Give them a break. She won’t interfere anyway. If anything, she’s the type to fan the flames if there’s a romance involved. That’s Big Sis for you.”

It was unexpected for Alti, a high-ranking official of Wald, to appear, but the Guardian truly didn’t do anything unnecessary. On the contrary, she talked a lot with the third party—the slave—and didn’t try to get in the way of the boy and girl.

Soon, Alti left with the slave, leaving the boy and girl alone.

With such a perfect maneuver, I had no complaints.

“We did it…! Thanks to the Guardian, they’re alone…!!”

Furthermore, conveniently, the two began to talk deeply about the Holy Birth Festival. If things continued like this, the girl’s secret would be revealed, and the boy wouldn’t be able to just stand by.

—However.

The girl didn’t try to speak about herself until the very end.

She only explained as much as she could without making the boy worry.

Even though there were only a few days left, she wouldn’t even disclose the deadline of her own life.

“Why…!?”

At this rate, the Holy Birth Festival would pass without the boy knowing anything.

In the end, instead of talking about herself, the girl began to ask about the boy’s story.

Her face lit up as she begged the boy for tales.

“—Wait, there’s no magic at all? Where you come from, Christ?”

“Yeah, no magic, no monsters.”

“Amazing! I actually want to hear more about that!”

“Eh, I wanted you to teach me about magic, though—”

“That story sounds way more interesting!”

Keeping silent about herself, she did nothing but listen to the boy’s stories.

I couldn’t understand why the girl was being so leisurely.

“What on earth is the young lady doing…?”

“Haha, don’t ask me. Hmm, maybe she’ll say it the day before?”

“Y-Yes. The day before… It’s only dramatic if she says it the day before. She must be aiming for a theatrical production. Damn it, my education is working in the wrong direction.”

“Yeah, let’s just wait and see.”

However, it wasn’t long before my hopes were crushed.

When I realized the two were moving within range of the ‘Mana Lines’ on the ‘Main Path’ and began gathering information, the Guardian said something outrageous.

—“As for why, well, it’s because Maria is in love with you.”

Hearing that, I broke into a fit of cursing.

“W-Wait…! What are you doing?! Aah, what have you done! You Guardian!!”

“Oho…”

“Palinchron, don’t just watch, use the ‘Mana Lines’ and do something—”

“That’s difficult. I may know Big Sis Alti, but I can’t interfere with this. Big Sis Alti has that kind of contract with Wald, you see.”

Palinchron wouldn’t move, citing international issues.

But at this rate, the boy would start worrying about the slave.

If that happened, the relationship between the boy and girl that we’d built up until now—

“—Hmm, hmm. So, in the end, what does Christ think of Maria?”

The girl hopped onto Alti’s comment.

Without interrupting, without being surprised—as if she were having fun, as if she were happy, as if that were the role she was supposed to play—she spun her words.

I was aghast.

“A-Ah…”

While aghast, a fact I hadn’t wanted to admit came to mind.

It meant—

The girl was trying to set the boy and the slave up together.

That was why she didn’t say anything about her own circumstances. She must believe that she, who is to undergo that ritual, has no right to be with the boy.

I could hear the sound of the entire plan falling apart.

And then, the reality of the ritual—which I had been looking away from until now—assaulted me.

“Aah… pant, pant…!”

A pitch-black malice weighed down on my back, and my breathing grew shallow.

The plan was a failure.

I knew it, like it or not.

The girl herself was declaring it.

In the end, it had been pointless to perform such a farce.

“Haah. Ha, haha, hahahaha…”

I laughed at myself, holding my reeling head with one hand.

Everything was happening in the palms of the higher-ups’ hands.

The girl had been adjusted so that she would absolutely undergo the ritual… and that was why they let me roam free without any worry.

They knew exactly which way a piece named Helvilleshine could move, and the piece named Lastiara was placed somewhere it could never be taken.

From the moment the piece named “Girl” was born, always…

Even if she was within my sight, she was placed where my hands could not reach…

With a dry laugh, I felt as if the world before me was turning black.

As I sat there crushed, feeling that there had been no hope from the start, Palinchron offered his impressions with a look of regret.

“A shame, Hein. It seems things aren’t going according to plan. The ‘Boss’ herself doesn’t seem to have her heart in it.”

It won’t reach.

It won’t reach.

It won’t reach.

My hands will never reach her.

It was so frustrating I couldn’t stand it.

At the enemy. At the situation. And more than anything, at my foolish self. Anger surged within me.

I was so frustrated by my cowardly self, who even now was still relying on others. I was pathetic for not being able to remove even a single shackle.

That’s why this arrangement was made.

The selection of a tutor.

It was an arrangement made as if to mock me.

Damn it…

Curse it all…

“Sigh, I guess this is as far as we can go… Maybe trying to make the ‘Boss’ fall in love was a reckless idea in the first place. If we had used a different approach to make her refuse the ritual…”

As Palinchron said, was it my naive plan, relying on convenient plot points, that was at fault?

If I had crafted the plan more meticulously, would the result have been different?

I thought it was a plan that made good use of the girl’s interests, but was that just a massive misunderstanding?

Is it my fault…?

Because of me, the girl is once again…!

“—Ah. But, seeing that ‘Boss’s’ smile disappear… it’s a bit sad. Is it because of the affection I’ve felt while raising her from birth until today?”

That’s right.

At this rate, the girl will never smile again.

No, it’s more than that.

She’ll vanish—and die! She’ll die!!

“To be deceived from birth until today, and then vanish without ever grasping even a tiny bit of happiness… It’s heart-wrenching, even if it is for the sake of the country. Right, Hein?”

For the sake of the country?

For the sake of the country, the girl is going to die…?

For something like that?!

Something like that! Something like that! Something like that is—!!

“—Something like that, I will not allow.”

The words spilled out naturally.

The words I had decided never to say until I died finally spilled out now.

In that moment, I felt the shackles that I could never remove fall off with a pleasant clatter. It was the sensation of a hoop that had been tightening and tightening finally coming off.

“Hoh. You won’t allow it? If you won’t allow it, what will you do?”

Palinchron asked me, his voice echoing in the room.

Seeing the expression on his face as he asked, I finally noticed something was off.

My innate talent for combat made me realize it.

A slight abnormality in the mana circulating within my body.

“…Palinchron. Did you cast a spell on me?”

“Yes, I did.”

Palinchron answered without a hint of guilt.

He looked me straight in the eye, standing defenselessly within reach of my sword, and confessed that he had betrayed my trust.

Palinchron knew that I wouldn’t be angry about it anymore.

I took a breath and responded.

“…I’m grateful. Thanks to your magic, I was finally able to put it into words.”

“No, it’s fine. It was all for my own purposes.”

Palinchron declared his selfishness without hesitation.

“Since when?”

“Quite a while ago. It’s a ‘Curse’ that takes a long time and has poor fuel efficiency. But even if I call it a ‘Curse,’ it’s not a bad spell. It’ll raise your power, Hein, and clear away your doubts. You’ll need it for the battles to come, won’t you?”

“Yes, you’re right… In that case… is this where we part…?”

I knew this secret meeting would be our last.

It was partly because the secretive Palinchron had used his hidden magic, but more than anything, I could hear the sound of gears turning. I could hear the sound of wheels that would no longer stop.

—From here on, Hein Helvilleshine would go tumbling down like a wheel.

I foresaw that destiny, and at the same time, I understood that this had been Palinchron’s goal all along.

In the first place, why hadn’t I questioned why Palinchron was naturally by my side as a collaborator? I can only think that I was under the influence of some kind of magic—a ‘Curse.’

Palinchron had likely been aiming for this from “quite a while ago.”

“No, I don’t know if this is the last time yet. I’ve sown many seeds, but I can’t predict which ones will grow. There’s a high chance we’ll meet again. It would be interesting if various things became intertwined…”

“I see… regardless, I will act for the sake of the young lady.”

“Yeah, that’s a given.”

“Then… I’m off.”

“Go ahead. Make sure you have no regrets. That’s all I’ll pray for.”

Palinchron didn’t pray for my safety or my success.

He only prayed that I would leave no regrets behind.

I gave a wry smile at his unchanging personality.

Leaving him with a single “Goodbye,” I walked out of the cathedral alone.

My footsteps were light.

Not just my feet. My heart and body were light as well.

Perhaps thanks to that ‘Curse’ removing my shackles, I felt an unprecedented sense of refreshment.

Huzya.

Helvilleshine.

The Celestial Knights.

My father, mother, siblings, and friends.

I was released from all those bonds—a first, certain freedom was filling my entire body.

“Hehe—”

Finally, as myself, I could move for the sake of the girl’s happiness.

The thought of it made me incredibly happy.

—At last, I have moved my piece forward.

Just one step forward.

Even knowing that if I place the piece there, it will surely fall.

Finally, I take one step—