“Robert.”
After Teresa died, I tried to live as if nothing had changed.
In fact, nothing was really going to be different.
It was merely a connection that only I remembered and something only I knew.
If I suddenly changed, it would actually seem more awkward to them.
It’s complicated, to be honest.
It’s also true that I tried to escape from such residual thoughts.
I’ve already experienced several times that getting swayed by such things isn’t good.
Teresa just died. Just a person I used to love in the past.
She was someone whose death couldn’t mean anything to me anymore.
…by my hand.
“Robert?”
I don’t know how many times I’d been called, but when I looked up, Adrian was staring at me intently.
This kind of thing has been happening quite often lately.
I find myself zoning out and getting caught by Adrian.
It’s not a side of me I want to show when it’s just the two of us, but things don’t always go how one wants.
“I’m sorry. Just lost in thought for a moment.”
“We need to move tomorrow. Do you remember what I wanted to do last time?”
“Are you talking about implanting divine power?”
Saying “to implant divine power” is not something trivial.
Though we are friends and have a pretty close relationship, implanting divine power into a human body means that a connection is established.
I can’t help but wonder what will happen if a mental bond is formed.
I’ve been thinking about this ever since Teresa recalled memories of my previous life, but this time definitely feels unusual.
It didn’t matter if someone knew about my memories,
but I was just curious about how they would see me through those memories.
I didn’t want sympathy, nor did I want to be seen as pitiable.
But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t benefit from it.
If I could utilize magic power in a different way or if the total amount significantly increased… honestly, it’s a proposal that’s hard to refuse.
“I suppose we should think a bit more carefully. We can do it on the way back, can’t we?”
So, it’s better to postpone it.
When I responded with a small smile, Adrian nodded as if he had no choice.
It had already been a week since we stayed at the Temple of the Moon.
Now, we needed to move to the depths of the South, so we wouldn’t have that much leisure time anymore.
“That’s true. We’ll stop by the temple on the way back anyway.”
“Then I suppose we should start getting up. We need to go see Lord Berod.”
“…Oh, has the time already come?”
The risks Adrian would face as we headed deeper were significant.
Of course, with the paladin and Berod arriving later, I was here as well.
Protecting Adrian was this group’s top priority, after all.
No matter how many times I paid attention, it would never be enough.
As I reached out my hand, Adrian cautiously grasped it, sensing my presence.
It seems this level of contact was becoming okay now.
At first, just touching him would make my face turn red, leaving me much more embarrassed in various ways.
Still, when walking, I preferred wrapping my arm around him rather than holding hands.
The gazes of the Paladins have improved compared to before, and now we only occasionally encounter the strange looks of the Priests watching us.
“I feel much more refreshed while I’m here. I think my body feels lighter too.”
“It’s only natural to be affected. After all, this is the Temple of the Moon.”
If you were to ask me whether I felt any influence, I could firmly say no.
I don’t know the relationship between the Moon Stone and this temple.
It was uncertain why the power of a mere relic persisted, but I definitely felt something here.
I think that’s also the reason why Teresa regained her memory.
If there were no limits to this power, wouldn’t it have influenced Adele as well?
Suddenly thinking about Adele made me unreasonably curious about her well-being.
I wonder how she’s doing and what kind of reaction she’ll have when she reads my letter.
Given her character, she’ll probably try to ask me directly, but I still have no idea whether she’ll come all the way down south.
The new year has just passed, and various administrative issues must have piled up, but will she really come all the way to the south crossing the center from the north?
Still, I thought it would be nice if she came.
There’s something I need to confirm, and seeing Adele would ease my heart a bit.
While she is here, I wouldn’t have to go to the Imperial Family.
I was rather thinking it would be better for her to come.
How long had I walked? After a while with Adrian, we eventually reached the meeting room where the high-ranking Priest and Berod were.
Since I didn’t need to enter, I was about to send Adrian in when the door suddenly swung open, and Berod appeared.
“I sensed a presence and came out, but it seems you were all together.”
“I will take my leave now. Then—”
“No. Today, I think it’s better for you to listen in on the conversation. After all, it’s about the deep south, and more than anything… it’s a relevant discussion.”
His attitude was drastically different from before, but he clearly conveyed his intention that I should attend the meeting.
What on earth are they planning to talk about?
As I entered, I felt everyone inside looking at me.
In that moment, I realized that today’s topic was probably more about me than the south.
“…Is there some kind of issue?”
As I asked in that serious atmosphere, a Priest sighed and shook his head.
Based on their slightly hesitant attitude, it didn’t seem like I did anything wrong.
It merely appeared to be a bit troublesome for them.
But what’s with this stiff atmosphere? The answer to that question came from Berod’s words.
“I hear you know the Grand Duke guarding the north.”
“That’s true.”
I tilted my head slightly at the mention of the Grand Duke, but when I realized it was related to Adele, I quietly responded.
I was puzzled as to why Adele’s story suddenly came up.
Yet that question gradually transformed into a thought of disbelief in my mind.
That thought combined with Berod’s subsequent words was slowly turning into certainty.
“Are you perhaps quite close? For example, close friends like the Saintess?”
“Close friends… might be an exaggeration, but I don’t think we’re distant acquaintances.”
“You’re saying you’re not close, but not far either. Then I believe this letter needs some explanation.”
“I think we need an explanation for this letter.”
I gazed quietly at the letter that Berod had handed me.
The handwriting looked like it was written in a rush, but I soon realized it was penned by Adele.
It was her habit to write like this.
As I confirmed the contents of the letter, a chuckle escaped my lips.
“I’m going to meet Robert. The rest can depart first, so Robert should be left behind.”
The letter was neatly sealed with the Grand Duke’s emblem.
I couldn’t help but let out a sigh, slowly wiping my dry face with my hand.
I didn’t dislike her straightforward character. In fact, I was drawn to it, which is probably why I became close to her.
However, it was indeed true that her nature put me in a difficult position.
Adrian’s eyes, still fixed on Berod, sharpened further.
It wouldn’t have been surprising if the magic power he was releasing froze everything around us.
Of course. Sending the letter like this was enough to lead to misunderstandings.
I couldn’t find the words to explain this situation, so I chuckled at Adrian, who was curious about the letter’s contents.
“Robert is not an object.”
Adrian muttered, seemingly angry after hearing the letter’s contents.
At first glance, it’s understandable to think like that.
She wasn’t treating me like an object when she said that, but to others, it was enough to make them think she regarded me quite lightly.
Adrian, who was acting unlike herself, gripped her arm even tighter and looked at Berod.
“When did the Grand Duke say he would arrive?”
“He mentioned he would likely arrive at night, so I believe he can join us before we depart.”
“…What does she even think of Robert? I thought we were in the same situation, but apparently, that wasn’t the case.”
I wasn’t sure what she meant by ‘same situation,’ but it seemed her opinion of Adele had changed negatively.
She hadn’t been very fond of her to begin with.
Strangely, the more awkward I felt about Adele, the more negatively I thought about their meeting.
In reality, their personalities were nearly opposites.
If Adele was rough and cold, Adrian could be described as gentle and idealistic.
If two such contrasting women met, and I was stuck in the middle…
Well, I thought I probably wouldn’t end up seeing anything good come of it.
“Since she said she’s going to meet Robert, Robert should go out to greet her, right?”
“Still, she’s coming to see me, so I should go. Otherwise, that wouldn’t be polite.”
It was none other than the Grand Duke.
No matter how focused the Order was on religious matters rather than status, they couldn’t ignore Adele, who bore the title of Grand Duke.
And in terms of strength, she didn’t fall short of Berod, so having her alongside would undoubtedly be reassuring from the Order’s perspective.
However, what troubled them was Adele’s usual attitude.
She was such a free-spirited woman that even the Imperial Family couldn’t control her properly; how much less so would the Order?
I needed to be clear about this part.
“You can just behave as usual, even if the Grand Duke comes. As mentioned in the letter, he’s probably just coming because he’s taken an interest in me.”
“…That’s the problem, isn’t it? It would be a bit better if the Saintess were here.”
They still looked anxious, but at least the fact that the Saintess was here seemed to give them some comfort.
No matter how much of a troublemaker Adele might be, she would definitely be respectful towards the Saintess.
Considering the likelihood of acting out of turn in this situation, it was probably very low.
When Adele moves like that, there’s bound to be a reason in her own way.
And if anything goes wrong, I can just speak up.
In the past, when Adele seemed like she might cause trouble, I stepped in to stop her.
Having gotten used to such things, even with her joining, unexpected situations shouldn’t arise.
After explaining this position thoroughly to the priests and paladins,
Soon, the time was drawing near for Adele’s arrival that night.
Since she said she would meet me, it was about time to head out to greet her.
As I tried to go out, Adrian grabbed my arm again and asked if it would be better for us to go together.
“It’d be better if I went with you. That way, I’d feel more at ease.”
“You won’t harm me, will you? Are you sure it’s okay?”
“Let’s go together. It’d be strange to think of Robert as just an object, so it’s better for me to say something.”
Though it wouldn’t really make a difference what Adrian said, it seemed better than going alone, so I gladly accepted.
Berod’s gaze was unsettling, but I didn’t mind it.
I was just a bit excited that Adele would be arriving soon.
If she was coming all the way here, it meant she must have read the letter I left and was planning to share her thoughts.
If not that, then she might be recalling memories from the previous incident.
Walking out of the conference room with Adrian, we followed the only path leading to the Temple of the Moon.
It felt slightly embarrassing that she held tightly onto my arm, but it was nice that she was considering me, so I said nothing.
Yet, the more we walked, the clearer the presence I felt from afar became.
The sound of a wolf treading on the dirt, and the breath of a woman coming at full speed while holding the reins.
It resonated in my ears more clearly than ever.
“It seems like we’ll meet soon.”
“Is that so?”
The time to reach there would be just a moment.
Hearing my words, Adrian squeezed my arm with a serious expression.
So close it was unnecessary for simply walking, we stopped in our tracks at a volume that anyone nearby could hear.
There, we gazed into the darkness.
What appeared through that darkness was a white wolf, along with the woman holding the reins above it.
Her pale blue eyes, paler than moonlight, seemed unchanged, and as soon as our eyes met, I couldn’t help but smile.
It seemed the same went for Adele. She looked at me and quietly smiled.
“It’s been a while, Robert.”
Unlike before, her voice was soft, and it was clear that something had changed within her.
For the better, I hoped.
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