The god revered by the empire is the Moon God, which is why this tower, closest to the moon, is named Moon Tower.
There was a time when I wondered if the moon would truly be visible up there at the very top, but now I was about to go directly to the highest floor.
After all, I had received an invitation from the Saint.
Below the Moon Tower is the Cathedral, and as I made my way through it to the entrance of the Moon Tower, a holy knight was guarding the entrance.
As I briefly made eye contact and smiled, the holy knight approached quietly and began to move his lips.
“…Are you Prince Robert Taylor, by any chance?”
“I’ve been walking around the surroundings. I’m curious if the moon has risen.”
Hearing this unclear question, the holy knight smiled and opened the way, answering.
“Today is a full moon. Please, go in.”
It could be considered a kind of code.
Only those with permission could enter the Moon Tower, so only those granted by the Saint could harbor doubts about whether the moon had risen.
The word “full moon” meant the Saint existed. I nodded my head and entered, and soon the interior of the Moon Tower came into view.
In reality, despite the grand name of Moon Tower, the interior was just part of the Cathedral.
Many people were curious, but there was nothing special to it.
I had entered here a few times before, but each time I was told it was a new moon.
However, this time I would certainly be able to see her.
As I climbed the spiral staircase to the highest floor, there was a door that looked exceptionally special at first glance.
It was a door I was familiar with.
I had waited for the Saint at this door many times before.
After a moment of hesitation, I lightly knocked on the door and spoke.
“This is Robert. Is it alright if I come in?”
BANG—
“Please wait a moment, Yurika will open it for you…!”
Instead of a response, I heard the sound of something spilling from inside.
Hearing Adrian’s voice, who sounded startled and a bit frantic, I could roughly imagine the situation inside.
It seems one can’t be perfect in everything.
Even the Saint, a symbol of purity, wasn’t always as composed as I thought she was during our last meeting.
She must have dropped something again this time.
So I calmly waited, and soon the door slowly opened, revealing the Saint peeking out.
“I didn’t expect you to come in person.”
“Yurika is cleaning inside. She had to clear away some glass shards.”
“…I see.”
Just from hearing her voice, could my expression be read? Adrian gave an awkward smile and walked toward the sofa inside.
Even though it was the Saint’s room, there was nothing particularly special about it.
It was just like a room where a woman lived, with the interesting point being that the moon appeared quite close from here.
Also, there were very few windows.
“Do you live here?”
“Of course. This Moon Tower is my home.”
“I heard that Her Highness the Princess also visits here, but it seems she hasn’t come yet.”
“She’s staggered her arrival. She has something personal to discuss with me.”
It must be about the South I mentioned earlier. However, there shouldn’t have been any issues in the South at this time.
Since we decided on a crackdown in the meeting, the South could only be quiet for the time being.
After hesitating for a moment, the Saint then invited me to sit on the sofa and took her place.
However, she didn’t jump straight to the main topic.
Since it must be a heavy topic, Adrian started the conversation by mentioning that it was the first time he had brought a man here.
Usually, even the holy knights wouldn’t come in.
“It seems unusual. Usually, the paladins don’t come in here.”
“Did I commit an offense?”
“No, it’s fine since I permitted it. And if we’re talking about Lord Robert, can I say I know him well now? After all, he helped me last time.”
Adrian smiled softly, his demeanor mixed with kindness.
I can only assume that our previous encounter left him with a positive impression of me.
While it wasn’t bad, thinking of him as just a good person felt a bit burdensome.
If someone were to ask if I’m genuinely a good person, my answer would have to be negative.
Anyway, he mentioned he’d never had a man in here before.
I wondered if it was really okay for me to be here.
Before I arrived, wasn’t this supposed to be a “no men allowed” area?
I glanced at the saint, worried that unnecessary rumors might spread, but her face showed no sign of concern—she was simply happy that I had come.
“By the way, Lord Taylor, do you have any plans for winter?”
After that sudden question, Adrian looked puzzled for a moment but quickly took on a more serious expression.
His smile shifted from warm to a more serious vibe, suggesting we were about to discuss something important.
“So it’s about the South, isn’t it?”
“…Yes, that’s right. It’s related to the children we saw last time. And as a saint, it’s something I can’t avoid.”
Adrian’s complexion seemed slightly darkened.
The topic he was about to discuss didn’t seem bright, and he let out a small sigh as he hesitated, his lips trembling.
“You already know about the sorcerers in the South.”
“Yes, I don’t know the details, but I understand they are different from magicians.”
“Sorcery generally requires offerings. It can be animals, plants, or any living essence used in their rituals.”
“I recall the children we saw last time were like that. Is that why you were asking me if there’s something I need to do in winter?”
Helping the saint would be a good deed, but the problem was I already had plans that winter.
Even though I wouldn’t be there all day, visiting Adele remained unchanged.
Adrian nodded, but I found it hard to ask what it was about.
Winter… I honestly thought it would be quite busy.
Dealing with the crown prince was a hassle, and I intended to stay in the North for at least a month.
Getting friendly with the people of the North was a must.
That way, when the time comes to approach the imperial family, I might have some support.
“I’ve decided to head South this winter. Like the children we saw last time, I plan to save people in similar situations.”
“I see. I’d like to go too, but it might be tough for me.”
“…What?”
Thinking back, there had indeed been some activity at the cathedral around this time—was it headed South?
When I mentioned I couldn’t go, Adrian flinched and asked back.
While there was a purpose for me to go South, I couldn’t postpone heading North either.
If the schedules were different, I could push myself, but this time, going North took priority.
“I have to go North this winter. I already have plans.”
“When you say North… are you going to meet Lady Adele?”
“That’s correct. I have to personally repay a favor.”
Actually, the reason was to return the handkerchief she had given me, but I felt grateful to her in my own way.
Just her not asking too much about me was already a huge favor in my eyes.
After hearing my intentions, Adrian’s expression darkened even more, and he pouted slightly, lowering his head.
“Then there’s nothing we can do. I didn’t realize you had ties with Lady Adele.”
“I didn’t know.”
“Well, I was with you at the last Full Moon Festival. It was just a brief encounter.”
“Did Lady Adele attend the Full Moon Festival?”
She seemed genuinely surprised by that.
Honestly, it was surprising. For someone who usually hides away in the North and rarely shows up for events held in the capital, it was quite a thing for her to suddenly attend the Full Moon Festival.
“Yes, I had some business with her, so we were together for a while. Heading North is also related to that.”
“Together… you say.”
Her voice turned a bit cold, and unlike before, her expression was now devoid of any laughter, eyes narrowing slightly.
As Adrian stroked his shadowed face, he smiled softly and continued speaking.
The shadow that had passed for a moment had completely disappeared.
“In fact, I had met Lady Adele before. If we’re enjoying the festival together, then can we call it a friendship?”
“We’re not friends. We just happened to see each other a few times, and this time we ran into each other by chance.”
“Oh, I see.”
He smiled again.
It seemed he got some positive reaction from my answer, as Adrian softly chuckled and took a sip of his tea.
The action was so natural that for a moment, even I couldn’t feel any awkwardness.
What part of ‘not friends’ was there to be happy about?
Though his face remained largely unchanged from before, it was clear he was oddly pleased.
Now that I think about it, when Adele mentioned knowing Adrian, she had a puzzled expression.
Perhaps their relationship wasn’t that great.
“By the way, do you know exactly when you’ll be heading out?”
“Probably after the New Year. The actual expedition will take place in the summer, so I’m planning to go before then.”
…For some reason, it seemed better to avoid talking about Adele.
I didn’t want to stir up unnecessary disputes.
So, as I brought up the South again, Adrian responded with a serious expression.
“I don’t think it will be so dangerous. We didn’t encounter any sorcerers or non-human races last time. Besides, I’ll just be healing from the back, and Lady Taylor will probably be accompanying me as well.”
“Then I’m not really needed, am I?”
The healing will be done by the Saint, and I was known publicly as just an ordinary Duke’s offspring without any special talents.
But when I questioned why he would invite me to join such an event, a blush crept up on Adrian’s cheeks.
Her pale face turned crimson, and after hesitating several times, she finally spoke.
I thought she might say something embarrassing, but what she said was quite surprising from my perspective.
“I wanted to repay you for what happened last time. You didn’t need to look after the children, but you stayed late because I got hurt.”
“I wasn’t looking for repayment. Moreover, the healing you did for me was something I should be grateful for as well.”
“Healing is nothing special to me. It’s not something I can consider a favor. Actually, I’ve heard rumors about you, Lady Taylor.”
I caught her gaze. If there were rumors, they likely weren’t good.
If she had heard such things, wouldn’t she harbor some negative feelings towards me?
However, her expression showed no signs of any cracks.
Her flushed cheeks remained as she was just embarrassed about the current conversation.
“I heard you’re quite frail, so there’s the Temple of the Moon in the South.”
“The Temple of the Moon, you say?”
“It’s a place that only the Saint can fully utilize. If you visit, you can imbue your body with divine power. I can share a bit of myself with you, essentially… implanting it in your body.”
I was already aware of that.
It was also something I already knew.
One of the reasons I wanted to go to the South was that Temple of the Moon.
However, it was true that I was puzzled by the idea of having Divine Power implanted in me.
If the Saint’s Divine Power were to be implanted in this body, the weaknesses I possessed would be significantly compensated.
But still, it would surely be a difficult task for Adrian. So why would she go out of her way to do something like that for me?
After a brief silence, it seemed that Adrian noticed the question I had in my mind.
Tap, tap. She fidgeted with her fingers, deep in thought, and then cautiously parted her lips.
“…I just wanted to do it for you.”
“What?”
“There are things you can feel even without seeing. It’s true I’ve lost my sight, but there are things only Divine Power can show.”
Like how one thinks of oneself, or the emotions captured in one’s gaze.
Adrian smiled as she explained this. I could imagine what kind of gaze might have been directed toward her. No matter how much they called her a saint, the views on the blind weren’t exactly favorable.
“I’ve heard rumors about Lord Taylor. Weak, with a bad personality… I know it’s rude to say this in front of them. But what I want to say is, I’ve realized that Lord Taylor is different from those rumors.”
Her voice gained strength.
It seemed she wanted to confirm that I was still listening, her voice slightly rising, and my lips curled up faintly.
It wasn’t a lie that I was different.
It might have been a rumor, but hadn’t I been living a completely different life before they spread it?
I wanted to dismiss it as a misunderstanding, but I couldn’t readily open my mouth to the next words.
“I’ve actually been wanting to ask Lord Taylor something continuously. I wanted to say this when we met again, but I never expected to see you like this today.”
“There isn’t much I can do for you.”
“This is a simple request. Although… um, it might be a slightly difficult request.”
Even though she couldn’t see me, her gaze was precisely directed at me.
Perhaps it was due to her Divine Power.
Even without being able to see, what did she feel from me?
After waiting for a moment, Adrian slowly continued speaking.
A soft and calm tone, yet it felt like her voice was getting smaller out of embarrassment.
“May I meet Lord Taylor again later…? Not just by chance like today, but I want to meet again and talk longer. I mean, um…”
Struggling to find the continuation, Adrian hesitated, biting her lips.
“What if I could become friends with Lord Taylor, is what I’m thinking. That’s why I want to see you a little more closely. Today, I can’t do that because Miragen came to visit, but maybe in the future.”
“…Friends, you say?”
A laugh slipped out for no reason. Was this the reason she wanted to go to the South with me?
It was a rather saintly demeanor.
Who would’ve thought she would hesitate at such a simple wish to be a friend?
The South.
There was no reason not to go.
I had things I was looking for, and there was no reason to refuse the saint’s help.
Besides, since it was after the New Year, I had already been to the North, so I had some leisure.
Adrian’s demeanor as she waited for my answer seemed a bit anxious.
Was she worried I might refuse? Holding Adrian’s slightly trembling hand gently, I replied.
“If you wish for it, then you may proceed.”
I thought of it as a connection, and I decided to continue it.
However, I never expected that it would turn into a friendship.
As I smiled faintly, Adrian also grinned, her smile shining brighter than I had ever seen before; it felt surprisingly delightful.
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