“Thanks for the advice. My head feels clear thanks to you.”
“You’re thanking me so obediently.”
“Do you think I’m the kind of rude person who wouldn’t say thanks even in a situation like this?”
“......”
“I know, I know. I wasn’t like that with you, was I?”
As if pricked by her own words, Casey slightly averted her gaze and pouted her lips.
Ludger let out a small laugh as he watched her.
“Still, it’s good to see you’ve changed.”
“What’s with that? You’re giving compliments out of nowhere.”
“Seems I’ve changed too.”
“You?”
“If you’re human, it’s natural to change.”
Yes. He had abandoned omnipotence and opportunity, choosing instead to live as a human.
Someone’s teacher, someone’s colleague, someone’s child, someone’s precious person.
It was far more valuable than living alone upon a throne of isolation.
“So what now? Heathcliff is dead, and you’re going to live as Ludger Cherish. You’ve got a new identity—have you decided what you’re going to do?”
“There are things I’ve thought of, vaguely. But among them, what I want to do most is...”
“What is it?”
Ludger answered with a mischievous smile.
“I’ll keep it a secret.”
“What? You’re doing this now?”
“It’d be boring if I said everything. Watching what that person ends up doing later on is part of the fun.”
“You... were you always like this?”
“But I did decide what to do right away. Just a short-term goal, but still.”
They had reached the edge of the park.
People were beginning to appear again, one by one.
Their time talking together was almost over.
“Can you tell me that one?”
“No reason I can’t. I’m going to meet people. For the past three years I couldn’t do anything. I want to see how the people I used to know have changed.”
“Well... that’s very you. Guess that part hasn’t changed.”
“If too many things changed, that’d be strange in its own way.”
“That’s true.”
Their conversation ended there.
With a soft swish, thin ripples of water rose from the ground.
The water wrapped around Casey’s body like a cocoon, slowly bending the light and hiding her figure.
“Hey.”
Just when she was about to leave, Casey spoke.
Ludger, who had been quietly seeing her off, asked:
“What is it?”
“No, it’s nothing, just...”
Casey twisted a strand of her hair around her finger, embarrassed.
Her cheeks, half-hidden under lowered lashes, flushed red from shyness.
As she hesitated to speak, Ludger said the words she wanted to say—and to hear.
“See you next time.”
Casey’s face brightened at once.
“Yeah! See you later. Definitely!”
Shwaaa—
Her body was completely swallowed by the water, and her form vanished like a mirage.
Ludger quietly watched the place where she had disappeared.
She was probably returning to finish her story.
—or perhaps to write a new one.
“Thanks for waiting.”
At Ludger’s words, the shadow that had been silently watching emerged from behind a tree.
“Haha. You knew?”
Passius approached Ludger, grinning.
“Of course. Even if you grant me freedom, there’s no way you wouldn’t assign someone to follow me. And if someone was sent while avoiding bothering me, I figured it would be you.”
“Well now. I tried to hide, you know. Should I feel flattered or insulted?”
“At least Casey didn’t notice, so don’t be too disappointed.”
Passius was a Swordmaster who had reached the pinnacle of completion.
But instead of a knight’s upright, frontal style, he preferred to move silently like an assassin.
Because of that, as Empress Aileen’s faithful dagger, he could hide in the darkness and act unseen.
“So, you came to fetch me?”
“No? Her Majesty only told me to watch.”
“Even if she says that, attaching eyes to monitor me is inevitable.”
“Hahaha. Says the man who’s chit-chatting with his ‘monitor.’ Not that I could stop you even if I watched.”
During Ludger’s absence, Passius had grown almost unrecognizably strong.
He, too, was a veteran of the Holy War and one of the swords protecting the Empire.
He wasn’t on Lutus’s level yet, but the day he stood beside him would surely come.
But even Passius could not stop Ludger.
Even with three years lost, Ludger was still the first in human history to cast Eighth-Circle magic.
Assign someone to watch him?
Possible.
But the moment Ludger noticed, the meaning of surveillance completely changed.
“So, what now?”
“Hm. Since it’s been a while, I don’t want to go straight back.”
“Oh. Then how about a meal? I know a great place.”
“More than that, I want to meet someone. You know the Saintess’s location, don’t you?”
Passius’s expression tightened.
“...Well, I was strictly ordered to keep that information secret, you know?”
“You can ignore Aileen’s orders if you choose, so hearing you say that now is amusing.”
Ludger smiled playfully, and Passius burst into laughter.
“Well, that’s true. But refusing once before answering gives me at least a bit of justification, doesn’t it?”
“No argument there.”
“But how did you know the Saintess was here?”
“Just intuition. I can feel it faintly. Even though most of the holy power is gone, its afterglow doesn’t disappear easily. Not even after three years.”
He couldn’t pinpoint her exact location, but he could tell she was somewhere in the Imperial Capital.
Passius shrugged, defeated.
“Well then, I’ll guide you properly.”
“Please do.”
Ludger followed Passius toward where the Saintess was.
Over the three years of his absence, the Empire had developed significantly.
Many new transport lines had appeared.
They boarded a tram heading toward the outskirts.
Their neat attire attracted glances, perhaps because of their ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) appearance, but nothing escalated into a problem.
Soon the cityscape faded, replaced by peaceful fields.
Ludger had arrived.
“There it is.”
Passius pointed to a church on a hill.
“I’ll wait here. If I show up inside, it’ll cause... political complications.”
“I won’t be long.”
Leaving Passius behind, Ludger climbed the hill.
Sand and grass rustled beneath his feet.
A gentle breeze slid over the meadow, carrying the sweet scent of flowers from somewhere.
Ludger felt the texture of nature as he walked.
It was spring.
At the top stood a small stone wall and a wooden gate.
They were well-maintained.
The gate wasn’t locked—pushing lightly opened it easily.
Inside was a broad yard near the church, where more than twenty children were gathered with a woman.
Her back turned to Ludger, she was telling the children an amusing story.
As he approached, the children, engrossed in her tale, all turned to look at him.
Even at the sudden appearance of a stranger, they didn’t show fear—just looked silently at the woman.
“Oh my.”
The woman turned toward Ludger and let out a small exclamation.
“Children, Sister needs to speak with a guest for a moment.”
“But what about the story? It’s not finished yet!”
“Don’t be too sad. I’ll continue it later, alright?”
“Okay...”
Reluctant but obedient, the children stood up and went into the church.
Of course, they didn’t go all the way—they peeked through cracks in the door and windows to spy on the new visitor.
“It’s been a while.”
“Yes. It has.”
“I didn’t expect to find you in a place like this. Arke—”
“No.”
Before Ludger could say her old name, the nun cut him off.
“I threw that name away. On that day, three years ago.”
“......I see. Then how should I address you?”
“Surnia.”
She who had once been the Saintess—
Now Sister Surnia, caretaker of orphans—smiled gently.
“Please call me Surnia.”
“That name is...”
“Yes. It’s the name you’re thinking of. The future he gave me. I’m using it to honor him.”
“Is that... alright?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? The whole world pointed fingers at him and buried him in disgrace. So at the very least, I should reach out my hand to him.”
Surnia had done everything she had for the sake of one man.
He had never denied the evil he committed.
He knew perfectly well how insane his actions were.
He did it anyway.
The reason she sympathized so deeply with Ludger during their conversations was because they shared that same understanding.
“I see. Sister Surnia.”
“Thank you. Ah, and I heard the news. Are you doing alright?”
“I’m fine. Please call me Ludger Cherish.”
“So you chose that name.”
Ludger looked around.
A peaceful church in a quiet place overlooking a bright sky and green meadow.
It looked like something from an illustrated fairy tale.
“Are you satisfied living here?”
“Yes. Very satisfied.”
“I’m sure the Empire offered better conditions.”
“I didn’t want them. I just want to hear the world’s stories and tell stories to the children. That’s enough for me.”
Even stripped of most of her divine power, the existence of the First Saintess alone could shake the world.
The Empire had chosen not to use her, but to allow her to live quietly and hidden.
“What brings you here?”
“No particular reason. Since I returned, I felt something familiar, and thought of you. Seeing you well puts me at ease.”
“Hehe. I see. Everyone here is kind, so I feel very cared for.”
“I’m glad.”
“You seem to have more questions. I can see it.”
As expected of the First Saintess—her intuition was sharp.
Lost power did not erase experience.
“Is Catherine doing well?”
“Hehe. I thought her name would come up. Yes, she’s fine.”
“I see.”
“If you’re so curious, why not visit her yourself?”
Ludger scratched his cheek awkwardly.
“After all this time, it feels... inappropriate for me to show up now.”
“No way. Catherine would welcome you with joy. Though her emotional outbursts can be a bit extreme.”
At the word “extreme,” Ludger recalled their first meeting.
He couldn’t help but laugh in agreement.
“I’m glad she returned to her family.”
“Yes. All the brainwashing was undone, and she reunited with her parents. She’s helping with family affairs now. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to visit.”
“I want to, but I still have a lot to take care of.”
“Right. Three years have passed—you must be very busy sorting things out.”
“Still, I’ve finally gained freedom.”
Ludger looked down at his hand.
He held nothing, yet he felt lighter than ever.
“I’ll sort out everything I couldn’t do for the past three years. Slowly, one by one.”
“Hehe. I’m sure everything will work out. Everyone was strong.”
“Yes. I believe so too. I’m not worried.”
“That’s good. Oh, and could you tell the person waiting down the hill that I appreciate his consideration?”
Surnia seemed to know Passius was nearby.
Ludger nodded with a faint smile.
“Of course. I hope I haven’t taken too much of your time.”
“Not at all. It was good to see you.”
“I’ll be going now. Please take care.”
“Yes. Go in peace.”
After exchanging farewells, Ludger left the church.
The children, who had been secretly observing, rushed out and surrounded Surnia.
“Sister! Sister! Who was that handsome guy?”
“Yeah! Is he your boyfriend?”
“Oh, you little things. Of course not.”
“But he looked so good with you.”
“He’s far too popular for Sister to even think about. Now, where were we in the story?”
Hearing she would continue, the children eagerly returned to their seats.
“Ah, right. This is where we left off.”
With a gentle, tender voice perfect for young ears, Surnia resumed the tale.
“There was once a foolish man who sacrificed everything for one person.”
And today, too—
she lives honoring that man.