Chapter 63

A loud burst of laughter erupted from behind me.

“Haha!! Christ, my man, you really made her say it! That’s more than enough! Ah, it’s wonderful! Witnessing the birth of a new hero is always a heart-pounding sight! Ahahaha!!”

Palinchron’s laughter rang out, cutting through the momentary connection between Lastiara and me.

Laughter was fine and all, but since I had fulfilled his conditions, I wanted him to start moving. Honestly, this deadlock was reaching its limit.

Sure enough, Fedelt stomped across the floor as he returned to the altar, shouting at the top of his lungs.

“Wh-what are you saying, Lastiara?!”

He then called out to the other young woman standing on the stage.

“Lady Leki! I don’t care if you have to be a little rough!!”

Based on her appearance, she seemed to be the ‘Proxy of the Senate’ that Hein had mentioned. The woman called Leki responded calmly.

“Hmm. The ritual is still in progress, however.”

“I don’t care!”

“Well, if that is what you wish…”

The woman began to mutter something.

Suddenly, Lastiara clutched her throat and dropped to her knees.

“Urgh—!”

She didn’t look like she was in pain, but she seemed unable to move. It looked like some kind of magic had been cast on her.

“Knights!! Apprehend the insolent fool standing there! Anyone who hesitates to follow this order shall be guilty of treason against Huzya!!”

Once he confirmed that Lastiara was immobilized, Fedelt barked out his strictest command of the day to the surrounding knights. He looked like he was completely out of patience.

In contrast, Palinchron laughed as he shot back.

“Too slow on the draw, Mr. Proxy Prime Minister! And yet, it’s just—the perfect timing!”

The moment he spoke, someone burst through the rear entrance with a heavy thud.

It was Hein.

He was gasping for air, his body covered in gashes and soaked in blood. The other Celestial Knights followed close behind him. It appeared that Hein, who had been acting as a rearguard, had been driven all the way back here.

“Wh-what?! You people!!”

Fedelt was stunned. From his reaction, he might have been completely unaware of what was happening outside.

However, I was surprised as well. Having more enemies show up here was a problem. This was slightly different from the plan.

But I understood Palinchron’s aim immediately.

Palinchron stood back-to-back with me and pointed his sword toward the newly arrived Celestial Knights. Seeing this, Hein stepped up beside Palinchron without a hint of hesitation to guard my back.

The surrounding crowd broke into a roar of confusion.

First, Lastiara had rejected the ritual, and now two of the Celestial Knights were acting to protect me. No one understood what was happening.

“Hein! Palinchron!! What is the meaning of this?! Do you intend to defy the state?!”

Fedelt demanded an explanation for their rebellion. Without turning around, the two gave short replies.

“I am a knight who serves the Lady. That is all.”

“Yeah, pretty much the same for me.”

Fedelt’s face twisted in rage at their words. Meanwhile, having coordinated their answers with perfect timing, Hein and Palinchron spoke in low voices.

“Palinchron…”

“I’m siding with you on this one, Hein. Christ here filled the requirements perfectly, and it gave me a rather interesting vision.”

It seemed Palinchron was now seriously going to help rescue Lastiara.

“Thank you. Mr. Hein, Palinchron.”

I whispered a small thanks to them. Palinchron replied in a serious tone.

“Still, brother. There are still a lot of enemies if you’re planning to kidnap her, right? So, let’s stir the pot a bit more. Don’t worry, the trust between nations is a fragile thing. We just need to add a little more ‘justification’ to the mix.”

The vision Palinchron was seeing began to materialize for me as well.

I raised my voice—maintaining my composure but ensuring I was heard by everyone present.

“To all of you, I might look like a fool who knows nothing… But even a fool like me can understand one thing. And that is that the girl standing there does not want this ritual!! She is terrified of disappearing because of it! Her freedom is being stolen, her will is being bent, and she is being forced toward an unwanted end! Is this how humans act?! Is this the will of a nation?! Is this the teaching of the Levan Church?! Does your heart not ache for this? Are you truly okay with this?!”

These weren’t prepared words. It was just nonsense fueled by the momentum of the moment.

But at this point, I didn’t care if it was a stupid theory or a childish sophistry. My goal wasn’t to win an argument.

The enemy shouted back, refusing to be outdone.

“Such drivel!! That is no reason to disrupt an event decided upon by the state! What you are doing is nothing but rebellion! You are nothing but criminals!!”

Fedelt seemed to have caught on to Palinchron’s goal. He began preaching the legitimacy of the ritual, directing his words at the distinguished guests. Then, he requested their cooperation.

“I apologize for our incompetence, but I ask the skilled knights among you to assist in settling this matter!!”

Fedelt probably didn’t actually want the guests to get involved in a brawl. Rather, he was implicitly asking them to remain bystanders for just a bit longer so the situation could be suppressed. It was a statement born from a desire to crush even the slightest possibility of interference.

If anyone decided to help us on a whim, it would be a disaster for him. However, by saying that, he was essentially confessing that even a minor scuffle would be a huge problem for the state.

I felt certain that the guests were the Achilles’ heel here, and a thin smile touched my lips.

Thanks to Fedelt’s desperate appeals to logic, I could see several skilled guards among the guests beginning to stand up. They were the types who thought to use this opportunity to put Huzya in their debt.

Fedelt didn’t stop them. He had judged that as long as they were just guards, it wouldn’t be an issue.

The power balance of the room began to shift.

But then, a massive surge of mana rippled through the entire temple.

The hair-raising, colossal pressure of mana swept through the room, making those who had stood up freeze in their tracks.

“—Ah. Certainly, talking about morality at this point might seem strange. A decision made by a nation shouldn’t be changed by personal feelings… However, I find what the boy says quite interesting. I don’t particularly intend to lend a hand. I just want to listen to the conversation between that Living God over there and the boy for a little while longer. Yes… just a little more conversation. Is even that not allowed, Mr. Proxy Prime Minister Fedelt?”

Dia, seated in the center, spoke up and threw the room into further chaos.

I broke into a cold sweat. Even if Dia’s mana was abnormal, his physical abilities were low. While I appreciated the help, I wished he’d be a little more subtle with the provocation. Actually, was it just my imagination, or did he seem to be in a bad mood?

Fedelt showed blatant anger toward Dia’s disrespectful intervention.

“Apostle…! You go too far with your games…!!”

He glared with sharp eyes filled with rage, but Dia didn’t seem to care in the slightest.

Judging that he couldn’t afford to deal with Dia right now, Fedelt called out to the knights at the entrance.

“Celestial Knights! Move, now!”

I could hear the voices of the knights near the entrance behind me.

“Urgh, it can’t be helped…!”

“But, Hein and Palinchron are…!!”

One was a seasoned, low voice, and the other was a clear, ringing female voice.

I rejoiced, knowing there were people back there whose resolve was easy to shake.

I turned around, timing it perfectly, and called out. There was still room to redraw the map of this battlefield.

“Ms. Radiant! Lastiara is suffering over there! Does she look happy to you?! Is that the sight you desired?! Is that really, truly okay with you!!”

I pointed at Lastiara, who was clutching her throat, and appealed to Radiant.

Then, the black knight beside her barked back.

“No! You’re wrong, Hein, Palinchron, Radiant! Think again! The Celestial Knights are knights for the ‘Saint Tiara’ who is about to descend! Do not forget that!”

He tried to persuade the three in a seasoned, low voice.

But I shot back without yielding. I wasn’t going to let Radiant go.

“That’s news to me! The ‘Celestial Knight’ Hein Helvilleshine I know is different! At the very least, he isn’t a knight for some ‘Saint Tiara’! Isn’t that right, Mr. Hein?!”

I threw the question to Hein to negate the persuasion. I needed Hein, who had known her much longer than I had, to break Radiant’s resolve.

“Y-yeah… Of course. The one I served wasn’t some historical figure like ‘Saint Tiara’! The one I want to protect from the bottom of my heart isn’t a dead person, it’s the Lady who is alive right there! I am the Lady’s knight !!”

Despite being put on the spot, Hein answered perfectly.

I added more words while feeling grateful to him.

“As you heard, Mr. Hein is Lastiara’s knight! Then, Ms. Radiant! Which are you?! Lastiara’s knight, or ‘Saint Tiara’s’ knight?! Decide right now! Right here!!”

I pushed the pressure, focusing on momentum so she wouldn’t have time to hesitate.

“Ngh—! I…!!”

Radiant let out a conflicted cry, followed by the voice of a young girl. It was Ragne’s voice.

“S-senior?!”

Radiant pointed her sword at her fellow Celestial Knights and moved over to our side.

I would have been satisfied even if she had just stayed paralyzed with indecision. However, Radiant joined our side faster than I had expected.

As she defected, Radiant shouted to Ragne.

“Ragne, you’re still young! Take some advice from your senior! I’ve gone and done it now, but you should just pretend to fight me or Christ and fall down appropriately! You’re working for the sake of your hometown, so don’t push yourself too hard!!”

“U-uh, uuu…!!”

Furthermore, she was even helping persuade Ragne.

Pleasant surprises just kept coming.

If Ragne stayed out of the fight, the power dynamic at the entrance would be completely overturned.

As the situation shifted, the Celestial Knights hovering indecisively at the entrance discussed the matter while breaking into a sweat.

“Of course, I intend to carry out my official duties, but… man, this is…”

“Likewise.”

“So, in effect, there are only three of us left…”

The only ones remaining were Hopes, the magic specialist Celestial Knight, and the Grand Master, the black knight Perciona.

I could tell how troubled they were just by their voices.

Hopes looked disgusted as he spoke to the Grand Master.

“Three of the knights specifically prepared for a situation like this have defected… What should we do, Commander? Do you honestly feel like we can win a four-on-four? I’m not feeling it… The elemental affinity with their magic is terrible…”

“If we were outdoors, I’d have ways, but in here, we’d involve the civilians…”

Seeing the Celestial Knights hesitating to attack, Fedelt lost his patience and shouted toward one of the distinguished guests.

“Glen!! Hero Glen, take them down!!”

“E-eh! Me? Right now?!”

A man in the front row of the guest seating answered in a pathetic voice.

The man stood up, looking around restlessly. He had reddish-bronze hair and a face that lacked any sort of vigor.

If I hadn’t misheard, he had definitely been called ‘Glen.’

The weight of that name implied he was the strongest Labyrinth explorer. Was this pathetic-sounding man really the strongest in the world…?

As I broke into a sweat at the sudden appearance of a powerhouse enemy, a girl sitting next to Glen pulled on the hem of his clothes. She was whispering something to him.

I subtly expanded my magic, Dimension, to pick up their voices.

“…Brother, just watch and see for now.”

“S-Snow?”

Standing there was the Dragonnewt, Snow Walker. She was the girl I had met in the Labyrinth a few days ago and paritied with once. Snow called Glen her brother. They didn’t look alike at all, but since they were sitting side-by-side in the guest section, I assumed that was the case.

Snow spoke in a low voice, casting a glance toward me.

“…Moving recklessly now will affect our future. …Besides, that person isn’t a bad person.”

“Geez, even if you say he’s not a bad person… fine, if you say so, Snow…”

I felt like our eyes met. She had the same exasperated expression as when she told me I wasn’t suited for exploring before we parted ways.

“Sorry! I’m gonna pass on this one!”

Glen then shouted his response back to Fedelt.

“Glen Walker!!”

“I mean, the opponents are your own direct Celestial Knights! I don’t even know what’s going on! I’d hate to kill someone and get yelled at later!”

Fedelt flew into a rage at this unexpected answer from the “strongest.”

However, in his pathetic voice, Glen had made an excuse that hit the nail on the head.

Exactly.

Most people here were thinking the same thing. They didn’t know what was going on. They didn’t know what the repercussions would be later. Therefore, their only choice was to wait and see.

By having Glen, the man with the title of the strongest, state it clearly, the flow of the room shifted.

Sensing the danger, Fedelt quickly gave up on Glen and called out to the next person.

“Then, Sir Sword Saint—!”

Sword Saint? Apparently, there was someone with an incredible epithet like that here too.

Normally, that’s a title that would get me excited, but right now, I didn’t want to hear it. At this rate, Fedelt was going to call on every acquaintance among the guests. It would be a problem if the enemy’s strength kept growing. Now that Radiant was on our side, I was considering making our move when an elderly man, presumably the Sword Saint, stood up to answer.

“Nah, I’ve got the motivation, Mr. Proxy. But like the Glen kid said, if I do this, there’s gonna be a hell of a lot of corpses. Plus, the most unexpected person here is giving off the most dangerous killing intent. It’s bad. Real bad.”

He spoke those pathetic words while looking at Dia in the center of the room.

Though Dia was exerting pressure throughout the room, his gaze remained fixed. He was staring down the elderly man called the Sword Saint. It seemed Dia judged this old man to be the most troublesome person present.

Matching the elderly man’s light tone, Dia shot back casually.

“That’s a nasty thing to say, old man Alais. From an objective standpoint, I just think the boy over there isn’t necessarily wrong, so I want to hear him out a bit more.”

“Objective, huh… And to think you were such a modest child until recently… What is it, Sith? Did you fall for that black-haired boy?”

“You shitty old man…!!”

Apparently, the two were acquaintances. Sparks flew between them as they locked eyes.

From the looks of it, the so-called Sword Saint wasn’t going to move immediately either.

Seeing this, Fedelt began calling out to others in the vicinity. I didn’t stop him. In fact, I felt like our situation was actually improving because of it.

Voices flew back and forth, and the surrounding commotion grew. Perhaps due to the half-hearted responses from Glen and the Sword Saint, the atmosphere in the room felt like it was beginning to drift.

While some voices tried to cooperate with Fedelt, many were unfavorable. High-ranking officials from various countries began speaking their minds freely.

The solemn atmosphere of the ritual was long gone. The surrounding priests and knights stood paralyzed amidst the crossfire of words from the representatives of various nations.

Everything was going exactly as Palinchron intended.

Naturally, Palinchron, who was guarding my back, leaned into it.

“Hahaha, Mr. Proxy Prime Minister!! If we actually fight, it’s looking like a fifty-fifty split, don’t you think?! Hein and Christ are strong, you know! Hahaha!!”

An elated Palinchron shouted at Fedelt.

“Palinchron, you bastard!! Damn it, this is why I was against recruiting knights from barbarian nations!!”

Fedelt spat out curses. Then, just as he was about to raise his voice again to settle the situation—

A thunderous sound echoed from the altar.

“Mmph…”

Leki, the woman on the altar, grimaced and backed away from Lastiara.

“Haa… haa… haa…!!”

Lastiara was gasping for breath, drenched in sweat. It appeared she had repelled the woman’s magic and regained her voice.

Seeing this, Fedelt called out to Leki in confusion.

“Lady Leki?! The barrier—?!”

The woman called Leki replied with a sigh.

“Good grief, this *ewelcrux is something else. Even in that physical condition, she forcibly broke through the barrier. I can’t do any more. I can’t hold her down.”

“No way!”

“In fact, I’d like you to praise me for holding her for several minutes.”

Fedelt pressed the woman with words of reproach, but she didn’t seem particularly bothered.

Though she was unsteady, the liberated Lastiara stood up with a look of firm determination. Then, in a voice that rang throughout the room, she made her declaration to everyone.

“Haa… haa…! By the name of Lastiara Huzya, I command you! My knights Christ, Hein, Radiant, and Palinchron! Should I ever degrade into something like ‘Saint Tiara,’ use your swords to pierce this heart!!”

With clear intent, Lastiara declared that she would rather die than become Saint Tiara. I felt no ‘fabrication’ in those words. I judged it to be Lastiara’s true will.

“Understood, Lastiara!”

Lastiara’s knights followed suit with their own replies.

“Spoken like a true master! At least Christ and I are on board!”

“If that is your will, my Lady!!”

“I… I won’t let you die, Lady Lastiara!”

Many of the guests bore witness to this exchange. Some watched with amusement, some with disgust. Some were moved, while others felt nothing at all.

I expanded Dimension to pick up every one of the small, murmuring voices. Seeing the person at the center of the ritual firmly reject it seemed to have discouraged others from intervening.

Meanwhile, Lastiara began to walk, though her steps were faltering. She fixed her eyes on me and slowly began to descend from the altar.

Finally, it was over. The room was as chaotic as it could possibly be. All that was left was to act.

Fedelt, who was nearby, tried to stop Lastiara, and Palinchron and I moved to stop him—but then Leki’s voice from the altar halted everything.

“Stop!! Don’t move yet, Fedelt!!”

Fedelt reacted to the woman’s voice, his body trembling as he forced himself to stay put.

As a result, Lastiara walked across the carpet in the center of the temple without any further obstruction. Palinchron and I stood still, having missed the timing to cause an uproar.

We had missed the timing—but it was also decisive.

Leki, who was likely one of the organizers of this event, had given up on interfering with Lastiara. Therefore, the guests, the priests, and the knights wouldn’t lay a hand on her. No, they couldn’t lay a hand on her.

Lastiara continued to walk unsteadily. As she did, I picked up the conversation between the two on the altar with Dimension.

“If we try to stop her here, Palinchron will undoubtedly move…”

“But against someone like him—”

“That boy isn’t normal either. Above all, we cannot allow a full-blown battle between Celestial Knights to break out in this situation.”

“But if you were to join the fray, Lady Leki, surely—!”

“If even a single foreign dignitary is killed or injured, we lose. Furthermore, losing the Celestial Knights here would be a heavy blow. We cannot make a move inside this temple. It is already impossible to suppress that boy and the Jewelcrux without sacrifices.”

The woman shook her head, continuing to reason with Fedelt.

“Even if we obtain the piece known as ‘Saint Tiara,’ if we lose too much in the process, it defeats the purpose… For the sake of the plan, we must endure. If we endure, there remains a possibility that the Jewelcrux and the Celestial Knights will one day return to Huzya. This battle was lost the moment Palinchron and Hein betrayed us and that boy appeared here unscathed.”

The woman finished explaining the situation calmly to Fedelt. Fedelt bit his lip and glared at me. With a gaze mixed with anger and hatred, he stared at the “irregularity” that was me.

It seemed he had finally acknowledged their disadvantage in this place. The man named Fedelt was no longer a threat.

I shifted my gaze from the altar to Lastiara. Without being stopped by anyone, she reached my side.

Exhausted, Lastiara gave a weak smile. While smiling, she offered a short, blunt word of thanks to me, her comrade.

“Thanks…”

I gave a small smile back and took Lastiara’s hand without saying a word.

From behind her, a seemingly disgruntled Dia emerged. It looked like he had followed behind Lastiara. I had no idea why he looked so annoyed, though.

While Dia hadn’t shown explicit rebellion, he had certainly obstructed the ritual. There was no doubt his standing had worsened. I gave Dia a nod in response to his silent intent, acknowledging that he was coming with us.

Looking back, I saw Radiant in her wolf form. She turned her back toward us, signaling for us to mount. Seeing Lastiara’s condition, she had decided to act as our transport.

“Ms. Radiant. If possible, could you take Dia as well? He’s on Lastiara’s side.”

Once I saw the wolf’s head dip in a nod, I urged Dia to get on. Dia seemed to understand his own low physical capabilities and readily climbed onto Radiant’s back alongside Lastiara.

At that moment, I thought I heard the angry shouts of the priests who had been accompanying Dia from behind us. Ignoring them, I fixed my gaze on the entrance.

The four Celestial Knights blocking the doorway and Hein and Palinchron, who were keeping them in check, were locked in a tense standoff.

Hein spoke to his former comrades in a threatening tone.

“Step aside. If you don’t, I will be forced to release my magic here. If that happens, there’s a chance this temple will collapse. You’re the ones who would be in trouble if the guests were harmed, right?”

Hein held his palm out toward the four, coldly delivering the lines Palinchron had intended to say.

In response, the black knight exhaled deeply and stepped aside to clear the way. The other three followed suit.

Then, I gave the signal to everyone.

“Let’s go. We’re running through.”

Radiant was the first to bolt. With blinding speed, she snatched up the two girls and leapt out of the room.

Following her, Hein, Palinchron, and I also sprinted out and into the hallway.

The four Celestial Knights pursued us as well. However, they didn’t attack immediately. They likely still considered us too close to the temple. If they fought here, the aftermath could reach inside.

But Hein, not caring about the concerns of those four, chanted a spell as he ran and unleashed a blast of tempestuous magic.

“—Canon Sehr!”

Hein’s magic, released as he turned around, blew back the four pursuers.

Confirming the gap had widened, Hein looked forward and increased his pace. I ran at full speed to keep up.

We cleared the hallway, ran down the stairs, and retraced the path we had come.

As we dashed at full speed to keep the knights from catching up, I found Radiant standing still outside the entrance of the Great Cathedral.

I didn’t understand why she was stopping there. Though filled with doubt, I approached her. Hein and Palinchron seemed to be in the same boat as me.

But those doubts vanished the moment I saw Dia standing on Radiant’s back.

To be precise, I understood as soon as I saw the pillar of magical fire rising from her.

Just as the three of us cleared the Great Cathedral and dashed past Radiant’s side, Dia finished constructing a high-density spell, compressed over and over again.

“—Magic: Flame Arrow - Fall Flower.”

Dia manipulated the pillar of mana, scattering flaming petals into the air.

Then, he transformed them into over a thousand arrows of fire that filled the sky, raining every single one down upon the Great Cathedral.

Dia’s Flame Arrow spell was no longer the laser-like magic it used to be. Having received personal instruction from Alti, he was now capable of controlling its output. It maintained the shape of conventional fire arrows.

That swarm of flaming bolts tore through the cathedral’s entrance. Furthermore, he shattered every single window in the building, sealing off every entrance and exit visible from here.

After crushing the structure, he used the flames to create a lid. With this, the pursuers wouldn’t be able to easily emerge from the interior.

Confirming this, I turned my gaze forward.

There stood a triumphant Dia, looking back at me while molding even more mana.

“Christ, should I do more? I can bring the whole thing down if I want.”

“N-no, that’s plenty. Any more than this and we’ll just be inviting a permanent grudge.”

“Understood. Hey, Wolfie, she said that’s enough. Keep going.”

Dia called out to Radiant, and they took off ahead of us.

Palinchron was stifling a laugh, while Hein’s eyes were wide with shock. My own state of mind was much like Hein’s.

“Let’s go, Mr. Hein. This bought us some time.”

I couldn’t afford to stand around dazed. We resumed our escape immediately.

As we sprinted down the grand staircase, knights were waiting for us. However, against the three of us, rank-and-file knights couldn’t even serve as a speed bump. We cut them down one after another as we passed, making our way down the stairs.

The group of girls ahead seemed to be faring similarly.

In the first place, there was no one fast enough to keep up with Radiant in her wolf form, and even if someone got close, they were picked off by Dia’s magic from atop her back. From the look of it, they were in a safer spot than the three of us.

I felt a sense of relief.

As I swept aside the knights, I felt the tangible thrill of a successful escape. With a joyous smile, I spoke to Hein to confirm the plan for after we cleared Huzya.

“We’re planning to flee to the southern nation of Gliard. What will you do, Mr. Hein?”

“Fleeing south… That’s wise. If possible, I’d like to accompany you. I have some influence in those parts, so I’m sure I can be of use.”

Hein requested to join us after hearing the plan.

“Ah, I’m bailing halfway. I’ll stick with you for a bit, though.”

Palinchron gave a different answer.

It was an answer that relieved me. It might seem cold after he helped us this much, but I didn’t consider a man like Palinchron an ally. This was merely a case of interests aligning; my honest feeling was that I didn’t want to spend another second with such a dangerous individual. Even now, I hadn’t let my guard down.

I nodded to both of them, signaling my consent.

We scattered the surrounding knights, dashed through the courtyard with the fountain, and sprinted down the path lined with conifers.

Waiting at the end was an especially large force of knights. They seemed to have gathered many men at the gate before the drawbridge, but Radiant leapt easily over their heads.

Since we couldn’t jump like that, Hein unleashed a spell to blast an opening, and we forced our way through. The drawbridge hadn’t been raised, so we managed to cross without incident. Had it been up, I would have had to use my dwindling MP to freeze the river, so it was a lucky break.

Thus, the six of us successfully cleared the drawbridge, only to be blocked by a wall of citizens waiting for the Holy Birth Festival. The people retreated at the sudden appearance of a giant wolf, but because it was so crowded behind them, a path didn’t open immediately.

Radiant stopped before the anxious, murmuring crowd and glanced back at us. Hein answered instantly.

“We have no choice but to force our way to where the buildings are. From there, we’ll run across the rooftops.”

Hearing this, Radiant pushed forward, avoiding the people by trampling through lampposts, signs, and the roofs of street stalls. People screamed in confusion at the wolf’s forceful advance. Taking advantage of the chaos, those of us on the ground wove through the gaps in the crowd to follow Radiant.

After making some progress, we reached a cluster of buildings that could serve as a path and climbed onto the roofs. There, the six of us huddled together, making our escape from Huzya while keeping a sharp eye on our surroundings.

Below us, people pointed and looked on with delight as we ran past. Apparently, they had mistaken us for a performance for the festival or something similar.

I looked back to check for pursuers. I could see the knights trying to follow us getting stuck because of the wall of citizens. It seemed none of them possessed the physical ability to climb onto the buildings and chase us.

I breathed a sigh of relief and called out to Radiant.

“Ms. Radiant, head for Wald for now. I want to stop by my house and regroup with my companion. After we meet up with her, we’ll head straight for the southern nation of Gliard.”

Radiant nodded at my words.

“Phew…”

I let out a long breath. The operation was a success. Among all the outcomes I had envisioned, this was nearly the best possible result. I could even call it a grand success.

The ritual had more holes than I expected. That was a stroke of luck. Or perhaps, it was simply that I was too strong. It felt like a success so absolute it made me think that no human in this world could stop me now.

I looked around at our achievement as we ran across the rooftops.

Without losing anyone, and without killing any enemies, Lastiara was right here. Though I knew I shouldn’t let my guard down yet, I felt my cheeks naturally relax into a smile.

Noticing this, Dia and Lastiara smiled back at me. Their dresses fluttered in the wind, making their smiles look almost ethereally beautiful.

—Ah, thank goodness.

I was so glad I could protect their smiles. All that was left was to regroup in the southern nation and resume exploring the Labyrinth.

Furthermore, from the looks of it, there was a high possibility that Hein and Radiant would help with the exploration as well. Our party had grown all at once; Labyrinth exploration would surely proceed smoothly.

Their traits were well-suited for the Labyrinth. Hein could provide an effective means of attack against flying monsters with his wind magic. Radiant’s beast form was a reliable asset in group battles. Being able to fight while carrying someone on that massive body was almost like cheating. By fighting with a magic-specialized ally with low mobility like Dia on her back, the party’s overall strength would skyrocket.

With this, even Maria joining us wasn’t just a dream. Radiant could cover for her lack of self-defense capabilities, which had been the biggest hurdle. My smile widened even further at the thought of giving Maria the good news. Now, I could confidently tell Maria that we should explore the Labyrinth together.

—I’m so glad.

The operation to rescue Lastiara. I knew the risks were high. But now that it was over, there were no downsides—I had simply gained reliable allies.

Dia had fully recovered and returned as an even better mage than before. Lastiara had reclaimed herself and would adventure with me again. Hein and Radiant would surely lend their strength as well. Their loyalty to Lastiara was beyond reproach. They were worthy of trust as companions.

If we added Maria, that made six of us. It was becoming a large group for a single party, but having many people wasn’t a bad thing for me. With my *Connection magic, I could clear the Labyrinth while swapping party members. There was no need to insist on all six people challenging it at once.

First, the four of us—myself, Hein, Radiant, and Maria—could advance through the Labyrinth. If we got tired, I could use Connection to swap in Lastiara and Dia. As our group grew, we could explore using various rotations.

The possibilities were expanding. I felt the options in the Labyrinth increasing, and a laugh escaped my lips.

“Heh…”

Everything was going perfectly. I wanted to show my current self to the passive version of me from a few days ago. My current self could say it loud and clear: if you show a little courage, you can obtain something even more wonderful. If you work hard, you’ll get results to match.

That’s what I wanted to tell him. Even if this was an alien world where nothing could be trusted—it was precisely because of that that a storybook ending was waiting for me. I wanted to tell my past self that.

I continued to run, my body feeling as light as a feather. There was no more pain, no more anger. I felt like I could do anything.

Our group continued along the path of rooftops and crossed the border of Huzya. Guided by me, we ran through the streets of Wald, aiming for the hill where my house stood.

Maria was waiting at the house on the hill. With the way I felt now, I felt like I could face Maria properly. I could face everything about myself that I had been avoiding and solve Maria’s problems too. I had that confidence. My heart had found that much room to breathe.

That’s why I wanted to see Maria. I wanted to see her soon, and then—

What met my eyes was… smoke rising from the top of the hill where my house should be.

Something was burning on the hill, and a large amount of smoke was drifting into the sky.

—Eh?

At that sight, I felt as if the peace in my heart had been dropped into a puddle. A dark stain mixed into my elated feelings, and I was suddenly overcome with anxiety.

Without thinking, I simply hurried toward the house. I ran to the outskirts of Wald, climbed the hill, and reached the source of the smoke.

The thing that was burning—was my house.

Two girls were watching the house as it burned like a campfire, crackling as it went. Sensing our arrival, the two girls looked toward us.

It was Alti and Maria.

Alti smiled and told Maria, “Christ is here.”

Maria found me and smiled. But that smile vanished instantly. Her expression twisted as she looked at the five people behind me. Alti whispered something and stroked Maria’s head.

—Something was wrong.

It was wrong for the two of them to be so calm in front of a burning house. The way Alti looked at Maria was wrong. It was wrong for Maria to be harboring killing intent toward Lastiara and the others.

Everything was wrong. My mind started to go blank.

And then, a clear voice pierced through my blank mind. A very clear… almost crying, sad, painful voice.

Maria’s voice.

“Give me back… my Master… Give him… back…”

Maria was looking at me. She was looking at me with hollow “eyes.”

My heart gave a massive thud—beating with a heavy sound. I felt a small pain in my chest. It was the first pain I had felt during the operation to rescue Lastiara.

Then, a thought occurred to me.

Come to think of it, the only one who could have inflicted pain on me today was Maria. Only the Maria standing right there…

At that realization, I felt a chill. Standing before Alti and Maria, who were supposed to be my allies, I felt nothing but terror.