43

Hamel asked in a voice that sounded as if he couldn’t believe it.

“So… you’re saying you became a priest?”

“Hehe. It’s temporary, though.”

Antonio answered, embarrassed, to Hamel’s question.

Despite that, a weak laugh kept escaping Antonio, as if he was pleased by Hamel’s surprised reaction.

Having become a deacon, Antonio took the ordinary priest exam to keep his promise to Hamel.

Already possessing bishop-level Divine power, Antonio passed the exam without difficulty.

He was then given a temporary priest position and assigned as the resident priest of Haidern.

“Bishop Arcen put in a lot of effort on this, in many ways.”

“I’m always in your debt.”

Hamel felt awkward but genuinely happy.

With the Chief priest dead there had been a vacancy at the domain’s temple, and this put their minds at ease.

Antonio chuckled and nodded.

“We can’t leave Mr. Ono alone forever. This is an order to reinstate him.”

“I see.”

An Exorcist priest is one of the order’s most valuable assets.

In truth, the bishop’s decision to let Ono stay in the domain this long was a great favor.

“Finally reinstated. Now I can leave this backwater town.”

Just then Ono, who had been listening to the conversation beside them, stretched as if bored.

“Huh? No. You are reinstated, but the bishop ordered that you operate from here for the time being.”

“…?”

Ono tilted his head as if he hadn’t heard correctly.

After tapping his ear a moment, he forced a smile and asked again.

“Sorry, I must’ve misheard. Been in the countryside so long my ears are rusty. Say it again.”

“So, the bishop says Mr. Ono will stay here for a while. There have been an unusually high number of demon appearances nearby lately.”

“…?”

Ono listened to Antonio with a blank expression, then froze like a statue.

Hamel left him be and asked Antonio.

“I’ve felt it too, but what’s the reason?”

Demons being found in a domain is so rare it might not even happen once a year.

In contrast, what had Hamel experienced in less than a year?

A super-class appeared in the Rengbaster estate, and demons swarmed the mansion in Haidern.

Even the salt mine and the port were tormented by demons.

In a way, stationing an Exorcist priest here might have been the obvious decision.

Thanks to Hamel hiding various details, the situation was only as bad as it was; had he told the truth about Zahhak’s existence or what happened at the mansion, the paladin and priest orders would likely have swarmed here by now.

Antonio nodded and answered about this.

“Not only Haidern, but demons seem to be gathering in the Rengbaster estate too. The order suspects the super-class’s death is the cause… but no one knows the true answer.”

“I see.”

Anyway, Ono was one of the estate’s key personnel.

It was reassuring if he stayed here.

“Ah, and there’s something to give Hamel.”

“What is it?”

“Please accept it.”

Antonio presented a sealed writ.

The writ bore the Pope’s seal.

“…What is this?”

“Congratulations on becoming an Exorcist priest of the order again.”

Antonio smiled brightly.

The imperial court had accepted the order’s proposal.

Now this estate was under the order’s jurisdiction across the board.

They now had a solid backing.

“That’s a relief.”

“Relief? Are you really saying ‘relief’ right now?”

Ono, who had been like a stone, finally snapped out of it and started raging, but Hamel was used to it now.

“Because of you I was exiled to this countryside, and you’re calling that a ‘relief’?”

Hamel simply let the words pass calmly.

Ono, who had been worked up by that stony reaction, suddenly lost steam.

“…Never mind. It’s not really your fault… I feel like I’m cursed; maybe I should undergo an exorcism ritual.”

Ono slumped like seaweed and began lamenting his lot for a long while.

Hamel had by now become somewhat familiar with Ono’s pattern.

Antonio could only watch the two with a look of amusement.

“You’ve grown quite close, the two of you.”

To that, both replied at once.

“Seems like it.”

“No. Not at all.”

Their answers were completely opposite, however.

Hamel left the temple and slowly looked around.

As the sun dipped, an orange hue spread across the land.

Villagers, finished with their farm work, gathered in small groups and headed home.

It was a tranquil scene.

“It’s nice.”

Hamel unconsciously smiled faintly as he took in the view.

Ono stared at Hamel.

Then he suddenly asked.

“Hamel. You… are you about to die or something?”

“?”

Hamel tilted his head, clearly not understanding.

Why the sudden provocation?

Given it was Ono, he wasn’t particularly surprised, but Hamel answered, curious about the reason.

“No. Why do you ask?”

“There’s a saying that when a person suddenly changes, they’re about to die.”

“Are you saying I’ve changed?”

Hamel asked, puzzled.

Ono snorted and replied.

“You’ve changed. You used to be like the dead—an apparition wandering in search of where you’d die.”

“…”

Hamel fell silent as he grasped the meaning of Ono’s words.

He couldn’t forget it.

It wasn’t such an old story, either.

It was only a short time ago.

Ono continued his blunt reproach toward Hamel without reserve.

“I hated that you were like that. Doing missions with you was the worst.”

“…I’m sorry.”

There was nothing to really argue back with.

Ono said bluntly to him.

“Enough. What I want to say is that you’re not like that anymore.”

“Different how?”

“Yeah. Now you’re… how to put it… you seem like a person.”

Hamel was surprised by Ono’s words.

Like a person.

It was the first time anyone had said that to him.

Of course it implied he hadn’t seemed human before, but still, it somehow felt good.

“That’s a relief.”

Ono, curious, asked back.

“What changed you like that?”

“…”

Hamel thought for a moment.

He knew the answer, but putting it into words wasn’t easy.

Countless faces and conversations rose in his mind.

After a moment.

Hamel gave a refined answer.

For all his long deliberation, it was a very short line.

“Because things I want to protect appeared.”

Answering like that, Hamel smiled brightly.

Ono widened his eyes in surprise at the sight.

He then snorted softly and nodded.

“Is that so? That’s something to celebrate.”

The two stood for a long time, gazing at the setting sun.

It was an unusually beautiful sunset.

Green shoots had sprouted along the road.

They signaled that spring had truly arrived.

In other words, it was time to set out on their journey.

“Are you ready?”

“I’ve always been ready.”

Daniel nodded as if it were obvious.

The red crest on his helmet, like his emblem, bobbed along.

Ono, mounted on his horse, lazily nodded.

He looked tired, having watered his carrot field even on the day of departure.

There was someone listening to their conversation with envy.

“You’re leaving.”

“…”

Antonio muttered, sounding a bit forlorn.

Hamel looked at him without speaking.

He couldn’t go with them.

Even if he had become a priest, he couldn’t take a visually impaired Antonio on the road with him.

It’s not that Hamel didn’t understand his disappointment.

They had met only recently, yet they had to part quickly.

But there was nothing to be done.

The estate could now function without Hamel.

Paradoxically, that was also because Antonio had arrived.

People like him increased the number of those Hamel could trust to handle the estate’s affairs.

Hamel no longer needed to be tied to the estate.

The estate would continue to develop.

“We’ll see each other again soon.”

Hamel calmly reassured Antonio.

Ono, watching their exchange with a bored expression, suddenly spoke up.

“You don’t know that. After all, you’re going to the colorless tower on a commission.”

“…”

Ono was right.

One reason for their hasty departure was the order’s request.

The colorless mage tower, pride and school and base of the empire’s mages.

They had requested support from the order there.

And Bishop Arcen, head of the eastern order, had assigned the commission to Hamel and Ono.

He knew Hamel’s next destination was the colorless tower where David had stayed.

The bishop was still a considerate person.

Unlike some others.

“Why? It’s not wrong, is it? You know a commission can run long and cross the night, don’t you?”

“…”

“That may be true, but…”

Hamel seldom sighed, but he let out one and answered.

Antonio, listening quietly, snickered at something amusing.

Then, looking somewhat relieved, he spoke.

“It’s fine. If they find traces of that person in the tower, won’t they give chase?”

“Yes, they will.”

Hamel nodded without hesitation.

Antonio smiled with satisfaction.

He wanted to help Hamel, not hold him back.

“I will wait. I’ll watch over the domain here so Hamel can return at any time.”

“That’s… appreciated.”

Hamel answered awkwardly at Antonio’s unexpected reply.

The sight was amusing, and people chuckled softly.

Antonio, in charge of the temple and acting deputy of the domain.

Arandel, responsible for internal affairs and domain management.

Benjamin of the Haidern-affiliated merchant guild.

And Dain, in charge of public order and military training.

They had all gathered in front of the mansion.

Despite being extremely busy, they had come together to send Hamel off.

“Travel safely.”

“Take care of your health, the lord.”

“Leave the trading company to us.”

A softened Arandel and a worried-looking Dain.

Benjamin spoke with confidence.

All their words and expressions were filled with affection for Hamel.

It was a strange feeling.

It was certainly an emotion he hadn’t felt before.

Tickled by the feeling, Hamel slowly nodded and spoke.

“I’ll be back.”

That was all.

Hamel smiled faintly and rode off.

Daniel and Ono followed in turn.

“The Tower Master, another student at the academy has disappeared.”

“…That’s the third time.”

The colorless tower’s master sighed deeply.

Something had clearly infiltrated the academy.

“Send more mages from the tower. Increase security and widen the search area, focusing especially on that forest.”

“Understood.”

The mage in the white hat who had reported this fluttered away.

The master sat alone, stroking his white beard.

“This is serious.”

In just a few weeks, children had already gone missing three times.

Yet the mages hadn’t found a lead.

There was only one reason.

A being that was difficult to deal with using magic.

“The order should arrive soon, I hope.”

As he muttered that, the master suddenly began to cough.

“Cough. Ahem.”

Frowning and steadying his breath, he reached for the glass of water on the table.

He quickly swallowed the tea inside.

“Phew. What a sudden tickle…!”

Suddenly seized by unbearable pain, the master clutched his chest.

It felt as if his throat were on fire.

At the same time, shredded red innards began to spill from his mouth.

‘Is this… poison?’

Even as his consciousness dimmed, the master tried to grasp the situation.

If it was poison, the tea he just drank was suspicious.

His breathing grew thin.

The body that had seemed to burn hot now felt unbearably cold.

He ground his teeth, straining to recall who could have poisoned his tea.

It was then.

Someone stood at the bedside of the collapsing master.

The witch in the white pointed hat, who they thought had left on orders.

She was Agnes Lowell, his favored student and vice-principal.

‘No, no.’

Only then did the master sense something was wrong.

Her magical aura was subtly different from her usual self.

Noticing the master’s reaction, she smiled as if surprised.

“Oh. How sharp. I should reward you for this.”

She murmured quietly and brushed her hand across her face.

Then her face changed to be exactly like the tower master’s.

“So, how is it? Quite a talent… Oh, how boring.”

She had been gauging his reaction, then let out a deep sigh.

The clattering of the master’s teeth stopped.

His hollow pupils were empty, reflecting nothing at all.