Freedom.
Finally, I have gained my freedom.
I didn’t expect to gain it so early, but anyway, good things are good, right?
Lara, after a long time, stepped out of her cage, breathing in the pleasant air and savoring her freedom.
“Chirp!”
“Phoenix. Ah… So now you’re Zizi?”
It was a cry that couldn’t be called powerful even in idle chatter.
As Lara turned her head at the sound, she found the Phoenix sitting beside her, its wings ablaze.
Lara chuckled lightly and turned her head back.
“Chirp!”
“Are you congratulating me for finally gaining my freedom? Thank you. It’s thanks to you.”
“Chirp? Chirp!”
“What do you mean by that? You haven’t helped at all?”
So shameless.
“Remember when Tia was learning the language of spirits? I went around the entire school telling spirits to inform Tia about the treatment that the chairman was experiencing.”
“Chirp…”
“You thought I wouldn’t know?”
“…”
Embarrassed, Zizi turned its gaze away, abruptly looking the other way.
Lara gently stroked Zizi’s feathers, smiling.
Though it seems not to care about others, it actually worries and thinks deeper than anyone.
Since it helps from behind without anyone knowing, everyone else remains unaware.
However, Lara knew that the Phoenix, which burns its own body, also has a warm heart.
Just by coming quickly when freedom was obtained and pretending to be indifferent while staying by her side, that was enough.
“It was a tough few days. My wings became dysfunctional because of Tia’s mistake. I had to survive in a powerless body, unable to use magic or enhance my physical abilities. Living with a child who treats me like a bug talking about the Great Spirit. Ugh. I never want to experience that again.”
The hardships inevitably become embellished when looked back upon later.
But even now, thinking about life with Tia was still too painful.
I never want to go through that again.
No matter what cost I am offered, I do not want to go back to the past.
However, if asked whether I want to forget the memories with Tia, Lara would say not at all.
“It was fun. Of course, that doesn’t dilute the pain, but it was an enjoyable and unique experience that I cannot deny. Living with Tia allowed me to see the world from a new perspective. I had this body that could interact freely with humans and instead focused only on the spirit world… Now I’ve started to look at the human world too.”
Perhaps it was the same for Tia.
Having lived her entire life only knowing the human world, she learned the language of spirits for the first time and entered the world of spirits.
And the first sounds she heard were none other than countless resentments directed at her—how terrifying that must have been.
Quite commendably, Tia immediately acknowledged her mistakes.
She realized her transgressions of viewing spirits merely as puppets that move and speak without being living beings.
She understood that spirits also feel pain and think just like individuals.
Usually, when one becomes aware that they have done something terrible, the defensive mechanism activates, leading them to deny or rationalize it.
But Tia chose to confront her mistakes, her guilt, and her remorse.
What Tia was born with was not just an extraordinary body.
But incredible mental strength as well.
She seemed to be a child born to become a superhuman.
“Is this the seed of the end…?”
The first child of the Holy Maiden becomes the seed of the end.
It was a well-known prophecy.
And Lara had a faint understanding of what it meant.
“Ugh! I don’t understand the complicated stuff! I’m going to enjoy my freedom now… Aah!”
THUD.
As Lara naturally stepped off the roof, her body fell down.
Her wings pitifully fluttered in the air, doing nothing to prevent the fall.
With a loud crash against the ground, Lara struggled to lift her head.
“Wuuuh… Speaking of which, I still haven’t recovered my wings…”
Tears threatened to fall.
At this rate, not only would I be unable to use magic, but I wouldn’t even be able to move comfortably.
The resentment I had just a moment ago towards Tia, whom I had thought so commendably of, began to bubble up again.
*
“This is supposed to be delicious when dipped in hot chocolate…”
Slurp.
I was already drooling.
Every time I looked at the bread in the bag, I wanted to shove it into my mouth right away, but I resisted.
I’m going to eat this with hot chocolate.
“Here I am, getting a free lesson and only taking advantage of it.”
Even I think I’m being too cheeky.
Despite begging for lessons and not having repaid anything so far.
Today, something small, but at least some bread…
“Hmm?”
As I entered the church and looked around, I couldn’t see Alexander.
Usually, during this time, he would have nothing to do and would be roaming around with a gloomy expression, emanating an aura like the right-hand man of the dark influence.
Could he be in his room?
Just as I was about to head towards Alexander’s room while hugging the bag of bread, I ran into a nun.
“Are you perhaps looking for Father Alexander?”
“Yes. That’s right. Do you know where he is right now?”
“He went to the Papal Office yesterday and won’t be back today. He probably won’t return until tomorrow.”
“Ah…”
Oh right.
Last time, Alexander clearly said there would be no classes this week.
I had completely forgotten and was excitedly bringing bread with me.
“Am I really that stupid…”
With heavy steps, I turned around and went outside of the church.
I wonder what Alexander is doing right now.
.
.
.
“It’s been a while since I last saw this.”
Alexander gazed at the magnificent view of the Papal Office and sighed.
It is a place that leaves me speechless no matter when I visit.
A place that is not unlike a city where all cultures and knowledge converge.
That is the Papal Office.
“I am Alexander.”
“Identification confirmed.”
As I presented my ID, a black entrance card was handed over from beyond the counter.
The colors indicate security clearance, with black being a rare color.
It was a top-tier access card, issued only to those who receive direct orders from the Pope and Cardinals to carry out missions.
Alexander passed through the crowded central plaza and entered the main building.
After that, he ascended the stairs without hesitation, passing through security doors guarded by soldiers until he finally reached the confidential area.
As Alexander cautiously opened the door, voices raised in argument came flooding out.
‘I’ve arrived a bit late for the meeting.’
An emergency meeting called by the Cardinals.
It was to discuss the prophecy mentioning the “seed of the end.”
It’s rare for prophecies to use such direct and extreme language as “end.”
So first and foremost, securing the Holy Maiden was imperative, but this was dragging on, which made the Cardinals and the Pope quite anxious.
‘Staying here would only tire me out.’
Alexander quickly assessed the atmosphere and quietly slipped out of the meeting room.
The origins of this situation lay entirely with the former hero, Leopard.
However, since Alexander had been assigned the task of controlling Leopard, it would be inevitable that he too would bear some responsibility.
Just receiving a warning would be manageable, but being publicly interrogated in front of all the Cardinals in the meeting room was something he wanted to avoid at all costs.
‘Shall I search first?’
Since he had already entered the Papal Office, there was no way to escape until the meeting ended.
To avoid those Cardinals that he found awkward, he had no choice but to hide away in a room.
But Alexander had something to do while he was at the Papal Office.
That was to search for Yulia’s magical signature in the archive.
If he had to go to the Papal Office library, now would be the perfect time since all the Cardinals were in the meeting room.
Alexander headed straight for the library.
“I want to access the archive.”
“What is your purpose?”
“Execution of a mission.”
“What is the content of the mission?”
“Black-tier confidential.”
“Yes, understood. Access to the archive has been granted.”
Calmly presenting the authorization, Alexander sat down in front of the search terminal after drawing the curtains around him, and only then did he realize his hands were shaking.
There was no avoiding the tension.
The fate of a person was being decided at this moment.
‘No way. Could Yulia be the Holy Maiden?’
Yulia is not the Holy Maiden.
Alexander was already half-convinced of that.
It wasn’t a matter of being 100% sure.
If even a slight possibility remained, he would never be able to shake off his doubts about Yulia.
Even though he had seen with his own eyes that his own hand wouldn’t heal after being injured, he still harbored suspicions about Yulia.
‘This will clear everything up.’
Ultimately, it was only a procedure to fully trust Yulia.
From now on, he shouldn’t feel apprehensive when seeing Yulia.
He would be able to look at her as an ordinary woman.
With such thoughts, Alexander cheerfully took out a folder from his bag.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Alexander put on his glasses and entered the data into the search terminal, filling in every single number.
After some time, the input was complete, and the search began, producing the intense sound of magic circuits activating.
“So quick. Of course… Huh?”
Search result: 1 entry.
Transfixed, Alexander’s gaze trembled as he looked down at the information that matched the data he had searched.
The details of the person he searched for were as follows:
– Real Name: Aerial Makarov
– Codename: Saintess
– Personal Status: Annihilation
Saintess.
It was a codename given to the Holy Maiden.
“Finish quickly and step aside! I want to use it too!”
“…”
Eventually, Alexander was forced to yield his seat due to the urgency of the one behind him.
However, even after stepping into the corridor, he remained stunned, unable to fully organize his thoughts.
He found out who the Holy Maiden was.
So should he report this directly to the superiors?
Or should he keep quiet?
At that moment, his head was tangled with such conflicting thoughts.
“Eh?!”
Suddenly, Alexander’s body was pulled somewhere.
The place he was dragged to was a dark corner.
In an instant, Alexander felt his throat tighten, lifting him into the air.
He only struggled for a moment, bewildered.
Once he recognized the face of the opponent, he completely lost the will to resist.
“Name one reason I should let you live.”
“…!”
Duke Dragania was glaring at Alexander with a cold expression.
