CHAPTER 131
The Asteria family cemetery.
I had made sure no one from the Asteria family would come, so it was just me, Iox, and Aigis.
Crunch—
Just then, I heard footsteps.
I looked up to see a robed Babiyen arriving with Lululio.
“Yo, Babiyen. How does it feel to be alive again?”
Babiyen stared at me intently, then let out a long sigh.
“Harua.”
She started running.
I braced myself for the sudden charge, and Babiyen reached out and grabbed my collar.
“What are you, some kind of fairy-tale prince?”
Her red eyes looked up at me.
What kind of nonsense was this?
“It’s true, isn’t it? You freed me from my family, secured their support for me, and even said everything I wanted to say to my father!”

I could feel the trembling in Babiyen’s body.
Before I knew it, she was resting her head against my chest, breathing softly.
“Why, just why are you doing all of this for me?”
Well, I guess…
“It’s because you’re that important to me.”
The bonds I’ve formed in this world.
Babiyen was one of the most precious of those bonds.
A person who would support me no matter what happened.
Because Babiyen was that person, I could act without hesitation.
The wind blew, scattering her red hair.
I wrapped my arm around her to shield her hair from the wind.
“I just did what I wanted to do. How you take it is up to you.”
Hardships constantly wear a person down.
But even those hardships can be overcome if you have someone with you.
I learned that fact through Babiyen, Aranseol, and many others.
I am weak.
Aside from having Resurrection magic, I had no special talents.
This world is harsh, and I wasn't strong enough to be the protagonist of a novel or a manga.
I, too, had wished to be a protagonist.
I dreamed of a cool world where I'd have some cheat-like Ability, wield it freely, and go on a rampage.
But I didn't have the strength of a Lord, nor the brilliance of a protagonist.
All I was given was Resurrection magic.
And the bonds forged through that magic were everything.
I can't stop Black Dawn alone.
I can't support the collapsing world by myself.
The me from that first day I fell into this world, the me who just wanted to seize all power for himself, would have laughed at this.
But now, I know better than anyone.
People are not that strong, and it’s not just me; even powerful beings like the Lords can’t do everything on their own.
The world is difficult.
There are endless problems that cannot be solved.
Such problems are not meant to be solved alone.
You can only find the clues if you search for them together.
“So, Babiyen, everything I did was also for my own sake. The stronger you become, the better it is for me, right?”
“...I’m not that talented. I only managed to become the Red Flame Lord’s disciple through money.”
“No, I’ve seen your talent firsthand.”
Lord-level talent.
I never expected that from the beginning.
The countless incidents I’ve been through until now.
The one who endured them with me wasn't someone else; it was because it was Babiyen.
That path wasn't something you could overcome with talent alone.
“Babiyen, I believe in you because it’s you.”
Babiyen will become strong.
Even if no one else expects it, I alone have faith in her.
Babiyen looked up at me.
She fought to swallow the tears welling in her eyes.
Babiyen, the girl who was never expected to succeed by her family, was eventually abandoned, and ended her own life.
She was now an adult who could swallow her tears.
“You’re doing all this on purpose, aren’t you? You know everything, and that’s why you’re doing this to me.”
What could I possibly know?
Babiyen took a sharp breath, bit her lip, and looked up at me.
“If not, then you shouldn't be doing this to me. You’re the one who seduced me first.”
What is she suddenly talking about?
“What did I do to seduce you?”
“You’re doing it right now. You only say things that are nice to hear and make my heart race. How are you going to take responsibility? What are you trying to do, setting a fragile girl’s heart on fire like this?”
Should I prepare a fire extinguisher?
It’s only natural to say nice things to the people close to me, what’s the big deal?

As I showed my bewilderment, Babiyen gently thumped her head against my chest.
“I love you, Harua.”
It was a continuation of her previous confession.
“I really, really, really love you.”
Has she lost all sense of shame now?
“I know you can’t answer me. So I’m just going to say it all now.”
She looked up at me and smiled so beautifully.
“I love you so much.”
It was a truly endless confession.

After confessing her heart out, Babiyen promptly imploded from embarrassment.
She was rolling on the ground, covering her face.
“Woah, she’s broken-ssumda.”
“Well, she had a good run.”
Leaving Babiyen to her devices, I stood beside Iox.
“So, this is the place.”
“Yes, it is. Lady Vanessa is buried beneath here.”
Before Vanessa’s gravestone.
Iox looked lonely as he slowly stroked the tombstone.
“Then, could you bring it up?”
Iox faithfully followed my command.
At his gesture, mana extended from his hand.
R-R-Rumble—
Soon, the earth of the grave was churned up, and a coffin rose from below.
The coffin was engraved with the crest of the Asteria Barony.
Thud—
As the coffin was placed beside the grave, Aigis approached, made the sign of the cross, and opened it.
Inside lay a skeleton, resting peacefully.
It was well-preserved, with no missing parts.
“Ah.”
Iox let out a gasp.
It must have been a difficult sight for him to bear.
No time to waste.
I gathered Resurrection magic in my palm and used it.
The seeping light enveloped the entire skeleton.
Bones were restored, muscles were formed, and slowly, a body began to take shape.
A moment later, a complete body was formed.
Aigis, ever perceptive, brought over the clothes she had prepared and dressed the body.
Iox stood there, his eyes wide with desperate hope.
“Ugh, mmm.”
Soon, Vanessa’s lips parted, and a voice flowed out.
“Lady Vanessa!”
Iox shouted and rushed to the coffin.
Perhaps thanks to the familiar voice, Vanessa opened her eyes and looked in his direction.
“Iox?”
At Vanessa’s call, Iox rushed forward and embraced her.
Then, he let loose the tears he had been holding back.
“Oh, oh, dear God.”
Iox sobbed uncontrollably, calling out to a god he had likely ignored his entire life.
Vanessa, not knowing the situation, patted his back comfortingly.
“Iox, what’s wrong? I’m safe. It’s okay, it’s okay.”
A bond that had been severed long ago.
That bond was now reconnected in the present.
At some point, Babiyen had come to my side.
Her expression suggested she understood, at least a little, what this feeling was like.
I wondered if this is how I would feel if I could one day save Shishiroka.
Watching Iox cry so sorrowfully, I briefly reminisced about her.
Iox only calmed down after Vanessa scolded him.
“If you’re going to cry, at least tell me why!”
She had a point.
Vanessa had just been revived and had no idea what was going on.
“Great-Aunt, allow me to explain.”
It was Babiyen who stepped forward to explain.
“Oh my, you are.”
She showed a surprised expression upon seeing Babiyen’s face.
And for good reason—the two looked so similar that even Iox had mistaken them.
“I am Babiyen Asteria, the 24th generation descendant of the Asteria Barony.”
“The 24th generation? Does that make you my grand-niece?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Oh my, oh my.”
Babiyen continued to explain everything.
The fact that she had died, that the war had ended, and the state of the current era.
After hearing the full explanation, Vanessa’s expression was somber.
It was only natural.
The news that she had died and that a long time had passed would surely be a shock.

“So this is…”
Soon, Vanessa snapped her head up.
“What they call time travel!”
I can see who Babiyen takes after.
Even if she is her great-aunt, it seems the Asteria bloodline runs strong.
“Iox.”
“Yes, Lady Vanessa.”
“What happened to the half-bloods we rescued together?”
“Under the protection of the Asteria Barony, they all either lived safely or passed away peacefully.”
“Excellent. Iox, you carried out your duties splendidly even while I was gone. I’ll give you a praise sticker.”
“I don’t have any more space to put them.”
“My, you used to like them so much. You’ve become an adult while I was away.”
“A lot of time has passed, after all.”

Iox’s face was overflowing with more joy than ever before.
The disillusionment I had seen earlier was completely gone.
“Alright. Then, Saint-nim?”
“You can just call me Harua.”
“Very well, Harua-nim. You said you needed information on the Imperial Family? Babiyen, who is the current Minister of Finance?”
“Um, I believe it’s Lord Karsen de Blanc.”
“Just as I thought. Then, I shall meet with Karsen.”
“Do you have a connection with him?”
When I expressed surprise that she had a connection to the Imperial Minister of Finance, she smiled brightly.
“We were senior and junior at the academy. Karsen owes me a big favor.”
Seeing her confidence, she must have some serious leverage on him.
I wasn't sure how things stood after so much time had passed, but it was worth a shot.
An opportunity had arisen from an unexpected place.
“I’ll be counting on you.”
“Consider it done.”
Even if things went wrong, Iox would be there to support Vanessa.
If things got rough, they could probably escape the Imperial Palace.
“Then, Babiyen.”
Finally, as if she had one last thing to say, Vanessa turned to her.
“If you’ve set your heart on a man, use whatever means necessary to never let him go. The Asteria bloodline never gives up on what it desires.”
“G-Great-Aunt!”
Babiyen’s face turned beet red.
To command the attention of a Lord and a Saint in one go…
She was, in many ways, a truly remarkable great-aunt.