Joy took a deep breath in front of the Duke's office. From a very young age, she had been afraid of crossing this threshold.
Contrary to the opinions of outsiders, she knew that Duke Partlan, despite his role as the head of one of the five ducal families, was a man of ordinary temper. But at the same time, she also knew he was capable enough to be the leader of a prestigious house. So, Joy hesitated to enter the place where her father handled his affairs.
But today, things couldn’t be the same. She had chosen this path herself.
She had come to a place where she had confidently declared her intentions, for Lucy, the person she considered her lifelong benefactor and close friend, had decided to take action. If Joy couldn’t do this, how could she ever stand by Lucy’s side?
To walk alongside Lucy on equal footing, Joy couldn’t afford to merely circle around the same spot.
"Father."
Just as Joy knocked on the door, a voice from within invited her to enter.
Those who did not know Duke Partlan might call his voice suffocating, a voice that could grip one’s heart. Even those who knew the duke shivered at its sharpness.
Hearing it, Joy forced a calm expression and opened the door.
"Come in, Joy. I’ve heard a lot from Jeff. They say you’ve accomplished much at the Academy?"
"I haven’t done much."
"Not much? I’m a mage myself. I know well what it means to interpret the magic of the great wizard Erginos."
Seeing Duke Partlan’s satisfied smile, which on the surface looked displeased, Joy returned the smile and closed the door behind her.
"So, what brings you here? Judging by your expression, it doesn’t look like you came just to greet me."
Duke Partlan, resting his elbows on the desk and interlocking his fingers, gazed at Joy with his fierce, indifferent eyes.
"I have a proposal for you."
In most cases, this would have been a situation where one would break into a cold sweat from fear, but Joy stood her ground, facing her father confidently.
"A proposal? Not a request?"
"Yes. It’s a proposal. It must be a proposal because it’s something that cannot be handled by simply making a request."
"Interesting. What’s this proposal?"
"The Fairy Queen’s Forest. How much do you know about it?"
"Has it been about half a year since we last met?"
Following Lucy’s request, Feivi visited the Arteia family and was warmly received by Count Arteia.
While Count Arteia had respected Feivi, he hadn’t been as enthusiastic as other believers. However, after the incident with the Dark Evil God, his attitude had shifted completely.
After watching the recorded footage from the crystal ball, Count Arteia fully recognized Feivi as someone worthy of being called a saint, and though the sun was brightly shining beside her, Feivi herself radiated a light that made even the brightest sun seem dim in comparison.
And now, more than half a year later, Feivi once again appeared before Count Arteia, her light now shining in a way that left him momentarily speechless.
It wasn’t the same pure light from her naturally kind heart, but rather the light she now emitted because she was loved by the Divine One.
"Surely the Divine One doesn’t love just one person."
From the moment Count Arteia witnessed the miracle of Lucy Alrn, he had firmly believed in the existence of the Divine One.
However, he also had to admit that the contents of the holy scriptures didn’t align perfectly with reality.
In a world tainted by a hazy light, only one person shone brightly with the Divine One’s light. So, the idea that the Divine One loves everyone equally had to be a lie.
Now, Feivi, who stood before Count Arteia, was proving that the Divine One’s love wasn’t meant for just one person.
The Divine One did not love only one; they would show love to anyone worthy of it.
For Count Arteia, this was hope and joy. If he could truly purify himself, he too might one day radiate such a warm light.
"Of course. The Divine One still loves everyone in the world equally."
"Ahh."
"Just not enough to the extent that it’s all-encompassing."
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Feivi responded casually, and Count Arteia’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"Not enough?"
"The Divine One is certainly kind, but they are not omnipotent."
"If someone heard that, they’d say it’s heresy."
Those from the Church of the Divine One all believed that the Divine One was omniscient and omnipotent. The scriptures taught this, and everyone accepted it as truth.
But Feivi had said it wasn’t true. Even the greatest of the Divine Ones had limitations.
"I believe so too."
Feivi smiled bitterly, fully aware of how her words might be seen as heretical.
"But just because something is considered heresy doesn’t make it a lie."
"Assuming what the Saint says is true, may I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"If the Divine One is neither omniscient nor omnipotent, why do you continue to worship them?"
Most people believed in the Divine One because they believed in their omnipotence.
But if the Divine One was neither omniscient nor omnipotent, if even they had limitations, why would anyone worship them so devoutly?
"Because I know the Divine One is good."
"Good?"
"Even though the Divine One may have their limits, they strive to make this world a better place. They don’t turn away from their mistakes but seek what’s right. That’s why I believe in them."
Her answer came without hesitation, revealing Feivi’s true feelings and why she lived as a saint, serving the Divine One.
"Is that answer sufficient?"
"...Yes. I also understand why the Divine One favors you."
"Thank you for the compliment."
"And if it’s not too much trouble, may I ask you about something else?"
Though Feivi’s perspective had deeply influenced Count Arteia, discussing the Divine One in this way was something that didn’t need to be shared openly.
If anyone misinterpreted her words, she could be accused of heresy, and her position as the saint could be at risk.
Yet, Feivi freely offered these words to Count Arteia.
"One reason is that the Divine One loves you because you believe in Count Arteia."
Lucy believes Count Arteia will help her. Then, Feivi must also trust her, for her faith is more devout than anyone else’s, and it cannot be wrong.
"And another reason is that I must show my sincerity to gain Count Arteia’s true heart."
"Could you elaborate further?"
"Count Arteia. We are about to challenge something that even the heroes of the Mythical Age could not achieve. Because the Divine One desires it, we aim to create a miracle."
Would you join us in this great endeavor and help make the world a better place?
As Feivi finished her speech, smiling gently, Count Arteia, his eyes red with emotion, had already knelt to the floor.
That was to retrieve the Dark Evil God sealed within a large dungeon.
Once the being was thrown into the Fairy Queen’s Forest, all the energy there would converge toward its master, and only then could an unexpected disaster be avoided.
It felt a bit like setting off a landslide to remove falling rocks, but at least we could control the situation rather than facing an unpredictable avalanche.
To prepare, when I visited the large dungeon in the Soladin Kingdom, I was greeted by the lord and the local powers with formal gestures.
"It is an honor to have such esteemed guests visit this humble place!"
The lord bowed so deeply it almost seemed pitiful, and I could sense the fear in his actions.
Why is he doing this? The lord of a dungeon area should have some authority, shouldn’t he?
There’s no need to be this respectful.
I tilted my head and glanced at my companions again.
Benedict, the continent’s greatest knight. The Sword Saint, the pinnacle of swordsmanship. The Apostle of the Art Guild. The third prince of Soladin. The virgin skeleton. And myself.
Hmm. We do look a bit dangerous. One wrong move, and I feel like someone’s head might roll.
‘This is troublesome. Being too noticeable isn’t ideal.’
Given what we need to do, it’s not good to attract attention.
If the followers of the Dark Evil God figure out what we’re planning and head for the Fairy Queen’s Forest, it would complicate things.
What should we do? Should we retreat and sneak out later?
<I don’t know. But there’s something else that seems more troubling.>
‘What do you mean?’
<Think about it. How could they have known we were coming and be waiting here? They couldn’t have prepared so quickly.>
‘Huh?’
Now that you mention it, that’s odd. How did they know we were coming? There was no time for them to prepare!
"I’d love to fully enjoy this happiness, but unfortunately, I must guide you and then step away."
Guide? Guide us? Who are they going to guide us to?
"The First Prince of Soladin Kingdom is waiting for you."
...
Why is he here!?