“Cough.”

Alicia covered her mouth to avoid spitting out the water she was drinking, and Eric covered his mouth to stop himself from bursting into laughter.

“Even though part of the lobby is open to outsiders, we have the image of the Knighthood to maintain, don’t we? We can’t leave it like that, can we? So I went down right away and searched everywhere, but they weren’t there.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. So I strictly instructed the sentries not to let just anyone in. Even if our security is breached, it should be by a magician, not like this. It’s embarrassing.”

“I see. Well done.”

“By the way, sister-in-law, are you feeling hot? Should I have more water brought?”

Alicia, who had been turning her head away and fanning herself, unable to bear listening anymore, forced a smile towards Allen.

“It is a bit hot, but I’m fine.”

“Then shall I open a window? It seems to be getting cooler now.”

“Thank you, Lord Allen. I’m really fine. I’m about to leave anyway.”

“Why? We were supposed to go together.”

Eric’s grinning face was annoying, but Alicia was too embarrassed to meet his eyes right now.

Still, trying to act as if nothing was wrong, Alicia replied.

“It seems you’re busy, so I think it’s better if I just go.”

“Go together, sister-in-law. I’m not busy at all these days.”

‘Please be quiet, Lord Allen. If I stay here any longer, I might die of embarrassment.’

If she was going to die anyway, it might have been better to die of curiosity instead.

Regretting inwardly, Alicia turned her head away, avoiding Eric’s persistent grinning gaze.

But Allen, oblivious to Alicia’s feelings, kept chattering away.

This time, she truly understood why Eric had grumbled about Allen’s mouth.

“I can take over for you, senior. Hurry and go together.”

“Shall we, then? There’s nothing urgent, just handle the approval documents on my desk.”

“Understood. Don’t worry and go home quickly.”

“Oh, no. It’s fine. I don’t want to trouble Lord Allen unnecessarily.”

Alicia declined once more in confusion, but Allen, who was unusually kind today, wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“Oh, sister-in-law. What trouble? Even without the senior here now, it doesn’t affect the work at all. Don’t worry and have a safe trip home with the senior.”

Allen bowed deeply and even opened the door himself.

With no other choice, Alicia glanced sideways at the oblivious Allen and stood up.

In the end, without being able to ask about ‘that woman’, which was the reason she came here in the first place, Alicia awkwardly smiled and said goodbye to Allen and his subordinates before leaving the room.

“Welcome, Russell Commander.”

“Grand Priest.”

On the day conveyed by the priest Eric had met at Allen’s villa last time, Eric had a ‘meeting’ with the Grand Priest.

The Grand Priest, with his impressive long white beard, smiled kindly and offered Eric a seat.

“I’m sorry for making you come all the way here when you must be busy.”

“Not at all. I have many things I want to ask as well.”

“I’m sure you do.”

“I’ve heard some information about the divine artists.”

The smile disappeared from the Grand Priest’s face.

“The number of divine artists going missing has been increasing recently.”

“Are there more besides those two?”

“So far, 11 have disappeared. The whereabouts of the remaining 9 are still unknown.”

Eric closed his mouth with a serious expression.

“We don’t know exactly how many magicians there are, but the gradual disappearance of divine artists is disadvantageous for us.”

“That’s true.”

“Is there no possibility that they have fallen from grace?”

Eric hesitated before asking.

The reason the Grand Temple was in charge of managing the divine artists was to reduce the possibility of them falling from grace like the magicians 500 years ago through divine purification.

He was careful because it could easily be interpreted as blaming the Grand Temple for negligent management.

“Of course, we’re keeping that in mind as well.”

But the Grand Priest answered unexpectedly readily.

“It’s not certain, of course. We haven’t found any living divine artists yet, so it’s difficult to confirm. Moreover.”

“?”

“You must have heard that the magical power of the divine artists discovered this time had all disappeared?”

“I heard. They say it seems to have been stolen.”

“Losing that much magical power means death. So we can’t rule out the possibility that they were used. Whether willingly or unwillingly.”

“I see.”

“That’s why I added the condition ‘secretly’. Even if the Grand Temple’s management has become lax, if that fact becomes known externally, it would make the divine artists anxious and could become an international issue.”

“I understand. I’ll do what I can.”

“Thank you.”

“Should I inform Lord Edinburgh as well?”

“No. This is an order I’m giving to you. His Majesty the Emperor has already approved this matter, so I’d like you to move as quietly as possible.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Use only those you can truly trust, but don’t tell them the details. Including your vice-commander and the rest of the Knighthood.”

“Understood.”

Although the situation wasn’t entirely convincing, Eric accepted it for now.

“But why me?”

“You’re the right person for this. Um. In terms of human relationships, that is.”

“Pardon?”

“Don’t ask any further.”

“……”

Faced with the Grand Priest’s firmly closed, stubborn mouth, Eric gave up on asking more.

“May I ask just one more thing?”

“What is it?”

“Does the Grand Priest also know about the Zero Knighthood?”

“…… I do.”

“Strictly speaking, isn’t this their job? Are they not involved?”

“They are moving.”

“Ah.”

“But there’s a bit of a problem with the person in charge there right now.”

“A problem?”

“I can’t say more than that. Anyway, I’ve said all I needed to say.”

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

It didn’t seem like the Grand Priest would answer even if he asked more.

“If you find out anything, let me know immediately. If you request a meeting, I’ll grant it urgently.”

“I’ll do that.”

“Then I’m counting on you.”

After greeting the Grand Priest, Eric withdrew from the place.

His head was full of questions, but there was no one who could answer them satisfactorily.

“Oh, sister-in-law!”

“Hm?”

As she was returning after returning a book to the Grand Temple library, Alicia turned around at the sudden familiar voice calling her on the street.

“Oh my, Lord Allen. Hello.”

“What a pleasant surprise to meet you here again, sister-in-law. Where are you heading?”

“Oh, I’ve finished my errand and was on my way back to the Russell mansion.”

“Wow, that’s perfect timing. I was just on my way to deliver something to the senior. Shall we go together?”

“Sure, let’s go together.”

Alicia started walking towards where the carriage was parked, accompanied by Allen, who was as sociable as ever.

“Oh? Isn’t that the senior over there?”

Eric could be seen walking on the other side of the street.

“You’re right. I wonder where he’s going.”

“Indeed. He said earlier that he’d stopped by the Grand Temple and was heading back to the mansion. Since we’re here anyway, why don’t we take the senior along?”

“Should we? But Eric, was he at the Grand Temple?”

“Yes. He said he had a meeting with the Grand Priest.”

“We could have run into each other. I was just coming from the Grand Temple library.”

Alicia and Allen changed their direction to follow Eric.

As they turned the corner following Eric, they found themselves in a quiet street, unlike the bustling outer area.

It was a pretty street lined with quaint buildings, each with a small courtyard in front, rather than shops directly adjacent to the road.

“I didn’t know a place like this existed. It’s so pretty.”

“Indeed. I wonder how the senior knew about this place. It doesn’t seem like his style. Ah. There he is.”

As Eric stopped in front of a single-story café with a pretty green roof, the door opened and a boy who looked a bit bigger than Ryan ran out.

The boy saw Eric and smiled brightly, opening his mouth with a loud voice.

“Dad!”

Allen and Alicia froze on the spot.

After watching silently for a moment, Allen pulled the frozen Alicia behind a small shrub as Eric seemed to be turning around.

“Lord Allen?”

“Just a moment.”

Suddenly pulled along, Alicia was startled, but Allen shushed her and peeked out over the shrub, looking at Eric again.

Alicia also turned her head, following Allen’s gaze.

Eric was smiling, half-squatting to meet the child’s eye level as they talked.

Then the child smiled brightly and spread his arms, and Eric, also smiling, picked up the child and opened the café door.

The woman Alicia had seen at the Knighthood headquarters last time came out from inside, and they went in together.

Snap. Crack.

At the sound of a branch breaking, Allen slowly turned his head towards Alicia.

It was the sound of Alicia unconsciously breaking the shrub she had grabbed.

“Uh, sister-in-law. This is, well, there must be some misunderstanding…”

Allen, flustered, didn’t know what to do and hastily closed his mouth.

‘What on earth is that man lacking that he’s doing this while leaving our sister-in-law?’

‘No, more than that, who is that child? The child looked quite big, so does that mean it’s a long-term relationship?’

‘Huh. Then he hid this and even got engaged? How can there be such a thief, such a con man? To think I’ve trusted and respected such a senior.’

Allen was on the verge of tears, feeling sorry for Alicia who had somehow ended up with such a man.

‘Even if he’s my senior, I can’t abandon him even if he’s the worst of humanity, can I? I have to make the senior come to his senses somehow. That’s my duty as a junior.’

After seriously considering what to do, Allen solemnly opened his mouth towards Alicia.

“Sister-in-law, please stay put. I’ll grab him by the hair.”

“?”

Wondering what on earth he was talking about, Alicia looked at Allen.

“You don’t need to intervene directly, sister-in-law. I’ll just wreck him, so don’t worry. I’ll even beat some sense into the senior if I have to.”

Watching Allen ramble on seriously, Alicia quietly laughed.

“!”

Although Alicia was clearly laughing, cold sweat suddenly ran down Allen’s back.

As Allen froze in fear without realizing it, Alicia stood up from behind the shrub where they were hiding.

“Sister-in-law?”

“I should go back.”

“Sister-in-law-”

Allen looked up at Alicia with a tearful expression and then stood up.

“But sister-in-law. How can you leave like this? Are you really okay after seeing that?”

“I’ll go first.”

“Sister-in-law-”

Alicia turned around without hesitation and started walking back in the direction they had come from.

‘At least get angry. If you just say the word, I’d gladly pull the hair of even my respected senior.’

‘But is it really ending like this?’

However, Allen couldn’t let it end this way, if only because he regretted all the effort he had put into helping the two of them until now.

So he quickly caught up to Alicia who was walking ahead.

“Sister-in-law. There must be some reason for this. I’ll give the senior a stern talking-to-”

“Don’t say anything.”

“Yes, yes ma’am.”

Startled again by Alicia’s quiet tone, Allen unconsciously stood at attention.

Although she wasn’t angry, the cold aura emanating from Alicia’s entire body was too frightening.