At the beginning, when he first possessed this body, he might have been unsure, but now it was certain that the dark mage was targeting Rose.
In this situation, not using his power would be the same as pushing Rose to the edge of a cliff.
“No, this can’t be. Is there no other way?”
[If we were on Earth, maybe. But here, there’s nothing we can do.]
“Then do I just stand by and watch Rose die again?”
Ian’s voice was filled with despair as he lowered his head.
How long had he waited to reunite with her? How much effort had he put in to bring happiness to the child? Was he supposed to give up everything now?
Tears welled up, blurring his vision, and then they began to fall one by one.
[Ian, don’t use magic. Don’t break the seal of Fragarach. That way, you can hold out for a little longer. Then, go and find God.]
Ian’s head snapped up.
[God did not send you here to die.]
The stars attached to his body started to fall, gathering before Ian’s eyes.
[With this, you should be able to endure for a while. Find God as quickly as you can. If anyone can tell you how to survive, it’s God.]
Ian grasped the potion bottle made from the clustered stars.
“…Thank you.”
Tears, which had stopped, flowed again.
The potion bottle, filled with shimmering stars, held the power of the constellations.
They were once again using their regained strength to save Ian.
[Never forget, your happiness is our happiness. We’re always watching over you, so don’t cry.]
Even though nothing touched him, he could feel warmth wiping away his tears.
[Drink this and return. We need to rest as well.]
“Thank you.”
Without wiping his tears, Ian drank the power of the constellations.
***
Edelmar, with long strides, approached Ian and lifted his chin.
“You’ve gone pale.”
“Yes.”
“I heard you vomited blood?”
“Yes.”
Ian pushed away Edelmar’s hand and closed the ledger he had been looking at.
“Did you visit the palace?”
“Yes.”
“Were we right?”
Edelmar pulled a chair and sat down, replying.
“No. Fenrex couldn’t detect anything.”
Ian furrowed his brow.
“He couldn’t detect anything?”
“I met my brother, my sister-in-law, and the crown prince. Yet, not even the faintest trace of anything unusual.”
“………….”
‘If it’s not dark magic, why is everyone siding with Yekhaterina? Because of the flow? Isn’t that too strange?’
Edelmar, who had been observing Ian in deep thought, asked.
“Why did you vomit blood?”
“It’s because I used my power. At this rate, I will die within three months.”
Edelmar frowned at his calm response.
“You’ll die within three months?”
“Yes.”
“And you say that so casually?”
Ian looked at him, puzzled.
“Should I cry?”
This time, Edelmar was the one looking bewildered.
Ian waved his hand dismissively.
“There is a way to survive. So please, stop talking for a moment. I need to think.”
Edelmar crossed his arms and glared at Ian.
Who is this person, and how can he remain so calm after learning he will die in three months?
He hadn’t even called a doctor, so how could he be so sure of his impending death?
And what method is he referring to?
How could someone who’s been unconscious and confined to their room have any idea of a way out?
Ignoring Edelmar’s gaze, Ian tugged on the bell rope. A knock followed, and the door opened.
“Bring Fenrex.”
“I’m already here!”
Fenrex wagged his tail as he rushed into the room.
“You said you couldn’t pick up any scent, right?”
Fenrex, who had made a beeline for Rose, nodded.
“Yeah, there was no scent at all.”
Ian then turned to Edelmar and asked,
“Did you meet any mages by chance?”
“Mages?”
“Yes.”
Edelmar crossed his arms, thinking for a moment before answering.
“Yes, I met a few.”
“Fenrex, do mages give off a scent?”
Still focused on the sleeping Rose, Fenrex replied,
“Yeah, they smell like sunshine, just like Rose.”
“And what about the mages you met at the palace?”
“No one I met had that sunshine scent.”
Edelmar let out a frustrated sigh.
“What does this mean?”
Ian nodded, as if he had expected this response.
“It means the barrier magic in the palace prevented you from detecting it.”
“The magic installed for safety ended up hiding the enemy instead. We’ll have to bring my brother out and check again.”
“No, that won’t work.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you think it’s a secret that beastfolk can detect the scent of dark mages?”
Edelmar’s gaze shifted toward Fenrex.
Fenrex, who had been watching Rose with a smile, replied,
“No, anyone who knows about the beastfolk would be aware of that.”
“A wolf from the beastfolk visited the palace today, and it was with a Grand Duke. Today’s events will surely reach the ears of the dark mage.”
“They’ll prepare for it.”
“If I were them, I would.”
After pondering for a moment, Ian asked,
“Did you look into the date of Rose’s entry into the palace?”
“The invitation will arrive tomorrow. The entry is in three days.”
‘Three days.’
That was shorter than expected. Considering the dark mage orchestrated this, Ian had thought they’d use the entry to the palace as an excuse to keep him and Rose in the capital for as long as possible.
“For now, let’s stick to the plan. We can’t avoid the palace entry.”
“Agreed.”
“And Grand Duke, could you arrange a meeting with the High Priest under your name?”
Edelmar raised one eyebrow.
“The High Priest?”
“Yes, the highest I can meet under my name is a senior priest.”
“It’s possible, but why the High Priest all of a sudden… is it because of that three-month deadline?”
“Yes, only the High Priest can give me the answers I need.”
Ian had to give an excuse since he couldn’t say it was because of God, and Edelmar nodded in understanding.
“Let’s go right away.”
“What?”
“You said you needed to meet the High Priest, didn’t you? Let’s go now.”
Edelmar stood up from his chair and lifted Rose into his arms.
“Whine.”
“What are you doing? Put her down right now!”
Fenrex shouted angrily.
Edelmar soothed the whining Rose.
“Do you want to wake her up?”
“Damn it.”
Ignoring the angry glare from Fenrex, Edelmar looked at Ian.
“Are you coming?”
***
Whether it was because of Edelmar or because visitors were restricted at this time of day, the sunset-lit temple was quiet.
“Is it really okay to visit without any prior notice like this?”
“If it weren’t, they would’ve stopped us, don’t you think?”
Edelmar nodded toward the temple knights.
Indeed, the temple knights didn’t stop Edelmar, who had suddenly shown up requesting to meet the High Priest. Instead, they were politely guiding them.
“Is it because you’re royalty?”
“It could be that, or it might not.”
As Ian tilted his head at the ambiguous answer, the temple knights stopped walking.
“You can enter now. The High Priest will meet you inside.”
“Thank you.”
The temple knight, having fulfilled his duty, bowed slightly and departed.
“Where are we?”
“Main Sanctuary.”
As Edelmar opened the large wooden doors, the sunset light poured in through the stained glass windows.
True to its name, the Main Sanctuary was even larger than the place where Rose had received her baptismal name.
At the far end of the vast space, which was large enough to hold all the citizens of the capital, stood a statue of God with a kind expression. Kneeling in prayer before it was a figure who seemed to be the High Priest.
“High Priest.”
At Edelmar’s call, the High Priest stood up.
“It’s been a long time, Grand Duke.”
“Yes.”
The High Priest’s appearance was unremarkable. Brown hair, brown eyes.
Without his priestly robes, you could easily mistake him for an ordinary person if you met him on the street.
However, the smile on his face was as gentle as the expression on the statue of God.
“You seem to be doing well.”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“Denying it won’t change the truth.”
The High Priest chuckled softly and looked down at Fenrex.
“Greetings to the one who tames the boundless lands.”
“How do you know that greeting?”
“Because I am the High Priest.”
With that simple response, the High Priest then turned his gaze toward Ian.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Ian furrowed his brow slightly.
‘Waiting for me?’
While Ian was taken aback, Edelmar scowled.
“Waiting? You knew we were coming?”
The High Priest nodded.
“It was guided by the will of the gods.”
“Hmph, those gods again.”
There was a sharp edge to Edelmar’s words, but the High Priest simply pointed to the statue.
“There is a prayer room behind the statue. If you go there, you will find the answers you seek.”
Ian looked at the High Priest and then turned to Edelmar.
“I’ll be back. Please take care of Rose.”
“…Alright.”
As Ian approached the statue, just as the High Priest had said, a small door, large enough for one person to squeeze through, came into view.
Without hesitation, Ian opened the door and stepped inside.
‘What am I supposed to do here?’
Unlike the main sanctuary, the prayer room was stark, with nothing but a small candle.
“Am I supposed to pray?”
Just as the High Priest had done, Ian knelt and clasped his hands.
‘What else am I supposed to do? Should I call upon the name of God?’
Having never prayed in his life, Ian was at a loss for what to do when a sudden beam of light flooded the room from the ceiling, where there were no windows or openings.
《Listen. This is the way you will live.》
Unlike the voices of the constellations, this voice reverberated through Ian’s entire body, as if multiple voices were speaking at once.
《Save this world. This is both your blessing and your punishment.》
“What is this…”
《Seek out the five sacred relics. They will be the key to your survival.》
‘Sacred relics? The five sacred relics will save me?’
While Ian was trying to make sense of the message, the voice continued.
《Ugh, I can’t do this. What on earth is this about?》
Startled, Ian looked up at the light.
《Why does Aether give me tasks like this? That guy would be much better suited for this than me.》
Suddenly, the light vanished, and in its place stood a tiny woman, no larger than Ian’s thumbnail.
Thank you for the chapter!