CHAPTER 127
After being seen off by Saintess Lua, we left the Holy Land.
The Holy Church decided they would gradually add to the list for the Resurrection magic.
That was a task we could handle on our way back.

“We’re finally off to meet the Ice Lord-ssir!”
Lululio, looking excited, exclaimed that life in the Holy Land had been boring.
In the Holy Land, most people spent their days in prayer and religious study.
For Lululio, who had lived a life bursting with dopamine back on Earth, it was an endlessly dull place.
“The only thing worth looking at here was the Saintess’s face…-ssir.”

I couldn't argue with that.
She was probably the only source of dopamine in this place.

“Don’t you agree with her.”
As if reading my mind, Babiyen jabbed me sharply in the side with her fingers.
Just leave my ribs alone.
But whereas she would normally have thrown a punch, she settled for a poke.
Whenever our eyes met, she would look away shyly and give a small smile.
It seemed a good night’s sleep had mellowed her out considerably.

Watching the two of us, Lululio raised an eyebrow.
“……Did you two sleep together-ssir?”
“Well, we did sleep.”

And then I got punched.
I take back what I said about her mellowing out.

The carriage continued smoothly along the main road.
Only a few of the visitors to the Holy Land knew that I had been there.
Therefore, no one reacted as the carriage carrying the “Saint” passed by.
For those who had come seeking Resurrection magic, it would have been the shock of a lifetime.

“Lady Aigis, you said it doesn’t take long to get to where the Ice Lord is staying, right?”
“Yes, it’s a city not too far from the Holy Land.”

The carriage ride wouldn't be very long.
And, just as Aigis had said, we soon arrived at the city.
Its name was Marenta.
It was once famous as a mining town, but its population had dwindled after the veins of ore ran dry.
Perhaps for that reason, its public security was rather poor compared to neighboring cities.
Even in the capital, thugs roamed the streets openly.
It went without saying what the security in a remote city like this would be like.

Of course.
Even thieves knew to pick their targets carefully.
A woman taller than most adult men, her entire body packed with muscle and clad in armor.
The Divine Lord, Aigis.
When we walked with her, no one dared to approach us.
Everyone avoided even making eye contact, let alone starting trouble.

“For all I’ve heard, it seems like a nice city!”
Aigis’s bright laughter was a little tragic.
With her around, public security would always be excellent.

“All the buildings in the city are old models-ssir.”
“Well, the city’s lifespan is effectively over.”
Lululio and Babiyen commented on the city’s scenery.
The city was as old and dirty as its security was lax; there was nothing to be done about it.
Still, having all been to Nox, everyone seemed to take this level of squalor in stride.
No matter how bad it was, an above-ground city was bound to be better than an underground one.

“Babiyen, where is the Ice Lord?”
“He should be around here. The problem is, his house doesn’t look any different from the others.”
“The house of a Lord has no distinguishing features?”
“I told you before. He’s a simple man, the complete opposite of the Red Flame Lord.”

So he was literally the naturalist type.
“I had the impression all mages were greedy.”
“It’s not so much that mages are greedy, but that magic itself is a greedy pursuit. The reagents and conditions required to learn a single spell are incredibly demanding.”
True, even with Holy Magic, I wouldn't have been able to do it alone without my teacher Rapiel’s help.

“Come to think of it, Harua, you have incredible luck with fortuitous encounters. Others struggle and grasp for them, yet you’re surrounded by them.”
“Getting Resurrection magic in the first place was a fortuitous encounter, I guess.”
“Whether that was a blessing or a curse, I can’t say.”
I did think that if I had any other Ability, I might have lived a more peaceful life.
But since it was Resurrection magic that allowed me to survive when I was transferred to the Radiance Faith, it was a pointless what-if.

“Hmm.”
Just then, Aigis quietly scanned our surroundings.
Her eyes held a sharper glint than usual.
“Lady Aigis, is something wrong?”
Aigis was almost always smiling cheerfully.
It was rare for her to adopt such an attitude.
“I can feel Divine Power.”
Divine Power?
As I showed my confusion, Aigis narrowed her eyes slightly.
“Yes, but it is not the Divine Power of our Church.”
That meant there was someone in this city who had received power from a Transcendent.

“……Could it be the Radiance Faith?”
There were several religious orders in the 1st World, Astrape.
Among them, the most renowned was the Holy Church, and the most infamous was the Radiance Faith.
Fame, good or bad, was an indicator of a religion’s scale.
If they weren’t affiliated with the Holy Church, there was a high probability they belonged to the Radiance Faith.

“We cannot be certain until we confirm it ourselves. However, they are scattered about, and there seem to be quite a few of them.”
“Should we catch them?”
The Radiance Faith were the ones who had been causing all sorts of problems in connection with Black Dawn.
We needed information from them, especially since we had to capture Bloody Crown to get to Ganibal, the Sin of Gluttony.

“We don’t know the situation in this area, so moving rashly would be unwise. Since you are with us, Lord Harua, it would be best to avoid drawing attention.”
Aigis decided to prioritize my safety over dealing with the Radiance Faith.
A proper judgment for a bodyguard.

“Then, how about I move on my own-ssir?”
Just then, Lululio made a suggestion.
“I can use my status as a member of the Regular Army to gather information smoothly, and if things get dicey, I can escape-ssir.”
Lululio had managed to escape safely even when the Sin of Wrath appeared.
At this point, if she fled at full power, there were very few who could catch her.
Besides, as a member of the Regular Army, she would know how to search for people.

“If it gets dangerous, prioritize your own safety.”
“Yep, I’ll be back in a jiffy-ssir.”
Lululio told us not to worry before dissolving into light and vanishing.
She must have figured she’d attract less attention by acting separately from us.
Whether it was truly the Radiance Faith or not, we left the matter to Lululio.
In the meantime, we decided to focus on finding the Ice Lord.

The fastest way to find someone in a place like this was to check the local tavern.
As luck would have it, we found an open inn and stepped inside, where we saw the innkeeper wiping a mug.
In a tavern, everyone’s lips loosened, and they’d spill all sorts of stories.
Thanks to this, innkeepers couldn't help but overhear worldly affairs and information.
Thus, the person who knew the most about a town was always the innkeeper.

“Welcome.”
“Innkeeper, I’d like to ask you something.”
I immediately took out a silver coin, and the innkeeper’s expression softened.
Most things in the world that money can’t solve are because you don't have enough money.
“I heard the Ice Lord is in this town. Do you know of him?”
“Hmm, you’re not the first to ask about him today.”
Someone else was looking for the Ice Lord besides us?

“Was there someone else looking for the Ice Lord?”
“Yes, one person asked before you. It’s not exactly difficult information to share, so I told them.”
Who could it be?
No one came to mind, so I just nodded for now.
“The Ice Lord lives in a building near the abandoned mine. The miners used to work there, but the building is unused now.”
A Lord living in an abandoned building.
Hearing it again, I still couldn't figure out what kind of person he was.

“Thank you.”
I handed him the coin and we headed for the abandoned mine.
As befitting a mining town, the abandoned mine wasn't far.
The entrance to the mine bore heavy traces of its long-abandoned past.
Nearby, there were various items left behind by the workers.
They were all old tools, too worn to be of any use.
And near that abandoned mine, just as the innkeeper had said, stood a lone stone building.
It was old and weathered, showing many signs of neglect.

“A Lord lives in a place like this?”
“The Lords are a group of many different personalities.”
Babiyen, who already knew the Ice Lord, didn't seem particularly surprised.
Seeing her reaction, I understood why she trusted him.
A man like this would have no reason to fall for Black Dawn’s temptations.

“There is someone inside.”
Aigis had already sensed a presence within the building.
There was no reason to delay.
We immediately entered the old building.
It had once served as a dormitory for many miners, so the building itself was quite large.
We had to climb the stairs to find the Ice Lord.
We had just reached the third floor when we started to hear footsteps from a distance.
They had noticed us and were approaching.
Are we finally going to meet the Ice Lord?
As I held that thought and looked down the far end of the corridor.
There, we came face to face with someone completely unexpected.

Someone we truly hadn't thought of in the slightest.
“Uh.”
A bewildered sound escaped from Babiyen, who was standing next to me.
It was only natural.
To her, this was a man who could have been her fiancé.
The 2nd Prince, Dreivan Gladion.
The very man who had demolished the Grace Magic Tower.
He stood there.
And with him were several Imperial Knights.
A brief silence fell between us and them.

“Greetings to His Highness, the 2nd Prince!”
The fastest to react among us was Babiyen.
As a former noble, she lowered her head and offered a noble’s greeting.
Hearing Babiyen’s words, I registered that this was real.
The person standing before our eyes was indeed the 2nd Prince, Dreivan.
For a moment, the thought ‘Why?’ crossed my mind.
What on earth was a prince doing in a remote town like this?
No matter how I thought about it, nothing came to mind.

Dreivan, facing Babiyen, raised his eyebrows.
He then slowly looked us over.
I could feel a chilling sharpness in his eyes.
Recalling how he had executed the elders of the Grace Magic Tower in the past, he was not a sane man.
“You’re not the Ice Lord. A noble?”
“I was formerly a noble.”
“Hmm, the details don’t matter. Aigis, Commander of the Holy Knights, I did not expect to see you here.”
Among us, the one Dreivan recognized immediately was Aigis. Aigis was the Divine Lord and the Commander of the Holy Knights in the capital.
It was plausible that even a prince would be acquainted with her.

“Indeed, Your Highness. I also did not expect to see you again in a place like this.”
“This is too much to be a coincidence. Are you here to meet the Ice Lord?”
It seemed the person who had asked the innkeeper for information was one of Dreivan’s attendants.
For some reason, the 2nd Prince was looking for the Ice Lord.
“Yes, that is correct. We are here to ask for a personal favor.”
Aigis spoke on our behalf.
She deliberately did not mention me or Babiyen.
Dreivan was not a friendly figure.
There was nothing to be gained by revealing that I was the Saint with Resurrection magic here.

“Your Highness the 2nd Prince, what brings you all the way out here?”
He could have just sent an attendant, so why did the 2nd Prince come here in person?
“An Emperor’s decree.”
An Emperor’s decree.
In the Empire, there was no statement more powerful.
“The Ice Lord is to accept the position of Royal Mage Captain. That is the Emperor’s decree.”
The situation was unfolding in a truly unexpected way.