The next morning.
Duke Yuma was locking eyes with Cloney, the golden-eyed mage, in front of the palace.
“If something happens, contact me immediately.”
Since Yuma and Cloney were between a god and an apostle, they could always exchange messages.
Cloney looked up, meeting Yuma’s gaze and smiled bashfully.
“Got it!”
Yuma immediately added another line.
“Even if nothing happens, contact me when you arrive in the Wirend Kingdom.”
Cloney smiled bashfully once again.
One could clearly sense Yuma’s concern in his extra sentence.
“It’s quite nice to be worried about by someone else.”
Cloney glanced at Yuma and the others standing beside him.
Gathered closely to Yuma’s right were Bell, Cloney, Hestia, and the holy maiden Ermel.
Beloved ones were gathered. Cloney took dainty steps toward the group.
Hugging each person’s shoulders, she said,
“Don’t worry, don’t worry. You’ll come back safe.”
Bell grinned widely.
“You better come back without a scratch. Cloney, if you get hurt, I’ll make sure the one who did it pays in limbs.”
Bell’s comment was meant as a joke to ease Cloney’s worries, but it sounded too serious to anyone listening.
Hestia peeked her scarlet cat ears from atop the holy maiden Ermel’s shoulder.
“Keep in touch when you arrive in Wirend. And contact us when you enter the church.”
Cloney stroked Hestia’s cat ears.
“Isn’t there something delicious in Wirend? If I see anything, I’ll bring it back.”
“…Right. W-well…only if you have the time. Don’t worry about it when you’re busy.”
Cloney patted Hestia’s head thoughtfully.
But really, as the high priestess of the God of War, she had certainly matured quite a bit.
‘Thankfully, her cuteness is still intact.’
Cloney’s golden eyes sparkled as she looked at her companions. Finally, she approached the last person she needed to say goodbye to.
“I’ll be off now. Princess Brigitte.”
Brigitte let out a light sigh.
“…Alright, if anything happens to you, I’ll move immediately, so come back safely.”
Brigitte’s sigh came from the guilt and helplessness of having to expose Cloney to danger.
Cloney and Garoon walked side by side.
If the moment approached when the evil god Malphas would possess the holy maiden Yulicia of the Piggero Church, Cloney had decided to inform Yuma.
Yuma gazed intensely at Cloney’s back until she disappeared into a point.
*
Cloney walked down the street in a black robe.
He walked down the street.
In front of Cloney stood Garoon, the younger brother of Delfin, the second Holy Maiden of Piggero, who was a bit tense.
It wasn’t strange for Garoon to be anxious.
After all, they had set foot on the land of the Wirend Kingdom to embark on a journey to kill the Evil God Malphas, so it was only natural to feel nervous.
‘…What a remarkable person.’
Garoon looked calmly at Cloney, who was following behind him, and admired her.
Was it because he had heard she was a wizard of the 7th circle? Her composed demeanor seemed to reflect a certain confidence.
Garoon pointed with his right index finger to a bustling café in the capital of Wirend Kingdom, Casselfra.
Cloney understood what Garoon’s gesture meant.
They had already discussed it on the way.
The café was rather large and had two floors. Cloney climbed up the stairs.
Garoon’s quiet voice flowed into her ears.
“Over there.”
Following Garoon’s gaze, Cloney moved her eyes.
At a table sat a woman dressed in a thick black robe, with only a cup of coffee remaining in front of her.
Cloney placed her purchased coffee in front of the woman.
Then she raised her index finger to her lips and made a shush gesture.
With a flick of her right hand, a purple curtain of magic enveloped the area around Cloney, Garoon, and the woman at the table.
“Now, no sound will escape while we talk.”
It was a spell cast in preparation for the possibility of someone tailing Yulicia.
“An imperial wizard?”
Cloney nodded at the words spoken by Yulicia, the silver-haired woman.
“That’s right.”
“I serve her.”
Cloney understood Yulicia’s statement.
That meant she was referring to the Evil God Malphas.
Even after casting a spell to prevent sound from leaking out, Yulicia spoke in a roundabout way, which suggested some anxiety.
Instead of pointing that out, Cloney decided to reciprocate.
It’s not a bad attitude to prepare for all scenarios.
“I have a question.”
The Holy Maiden Yulicia of the Piggero Church nodded her head, still cloaked in her robe.
“Yes, go ahead.”
Cloney opened her mouth again.
“May I ask why you go to such lengths to kill the one you serve?”
“…Because it has to end at my level.”
Yulicia continued, and Cloney listened.
“My younger sister believes in him too.”
Yulicia’s younger sister, Yulian, also believed in Malphas.
“It’s not that I received any grace, but when my mentor at work was burned in an accident, I felt like I received grace. That’s when I started to believe in him.”
“After Suga got burned in an accident, I received grace. That’s when I began to believe in that person.”
Cloney stared at Yulicia as her words trailed on.
“When I talked to Yulian about that person, it was before someone I cherished got hurt by them. So, I acted rashly… Therefore, I have to put an end to my mistake.”
Yulicia looked as if she was blaming herself.
“That person… and the one who acted later have been erased from this world. If I were to disappear too, the mistakes would continue to affect those left behind.”
Cloney could feel the sincerity in Yulicia’s slowly flowing words.
“I have to bring this to a close with my own hands.”
Yulicia slightly lifted her head. As the robe pulled back a bit, her yellow gaze met Cloney’s eyes.
“So, thank you. For coming here.”
Yulicia’s words were not finished yet.
“This time, may I ask you something?”
Cloney nodded.
“Yes.”
“Why does your superior want to get rid of that person?”
“For the peace of this world. Probably.”
The peace of this world.
Suddenly, with such a huge topic coming up, Cloney was a bit surprised, but she thought it was understandable.
The God of War, Yuma, was a transcendent existence that had achieved divinity.
Yulicia asked Cloney one more thing.
“Then why are you being so proactive? I could be setting a trap.”
Yulicia pointed out a rather sharp part.
Cloney slightly raised the corners of her mouth.
“That’s why I was being quite careful. It seems like it’s not a trap, so I’m relieved.”
The conversation continued.
“The reason I’m being proactive is that it’s helpful to my superior. That’s all.”
Yulicia couldn’t find a lie in Cloney’s words.
Like Yulicia, Cloney couldn’t spot any falsehood in her words either.
Yulicia organized her thoughts in her head.
The conclusion was simple.
“I trust you.”
There was no doubt left.
“Then, please trust me too.”
It was time to trust each other and make the other believe in oneself.
“Alright.”
Cloney smiled and lifted her teacup.
Sip—
Finishing the conversation, that cup of coffee was delicious.
*
Yuma let the person who came to his door inside.
“Yuma… Yuma.”
The person repeated Yuma’s name like a spell twice as they entered, obviously the Cat-Folk Swordsman, Hestia.
“Have a seat.”
Yuma pulled out an extra chair in front of him.
“Uh.”
Hestia sat unusually quietly, evidence that she was feeling down.
“Cloney should be fine, right? She’s a smart one.”
“Cloney is a 7th circle mage. She’s so powerful that she’s referred to as a grand mage, even among other mages. Unless you’re a Sword Master, no one can underestimate Cloney. Even a Sword Master wouldn’t be confident in defeating her, especially since she’s become one of my apostles.”
It was just that everyone around was monstrous, while Cloney possessed enough power to be seen as a monster wherever she went.
“That’s right, Cloney has become Duke Yuma’s apostle. There’s no way she’d get hurt…”
Duke Yuma noticed a slight shadow cross Hestia’s green eyes.
“You are a swordswoman. A swordswoman full of talent. Some people would envy your talent. In fact, if you gathered all of them, you could form a small kingdom.”
Hestia’s talent was certainly not low. She was right on the brink of mastering her skills.
The path to becoming a Grand Master might be long, but in Yuma’s eyes, it was far from impossible.
“You have overcome your past on your own.”
Nightmares.
It was about overcoming the long nightmares brought on by the precarious power of the War God, Morg.
“I’ve watched you from the side all this time.”
Hestia turned to face him directly. Her face grew slightly warm. It might have been because it was their first moment alone in a while.
“Don’t underestimate yourself, Hestia.”
There was no need for her to be gloomy just because she couldn’t help Yuma as much or act like Cloney.
Yuma gently stroked Hestia’s crimson hair.
“You just need to do what you can. That’s what everyone is doing.”
“…Yes, I’ll reflect on it.”
Yuma played with her drooping crimson ears, which had lost their usual perkiness.
“You don’t even need to reflect.”
“Eeek!”
Hestia’s eyes widened, and she shot up from her seat.
“Th-then I’ll go!”
“Grow well.”
“Yes!”
*
Early morning.
The sun was slowly revealing itself from behind the mist.
Yulicia stood at the Seat of Prophecy in the Temple of the Piggero cult.
“Great Malphas.”
Yulicia pressed her hands together and bowed her head reverently.
And she trembled all over.
Like a mouse before a cat.
“The God of War, Yuma, has noticed the existence of our cult.”
A move was set to bring down Malphas.
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