Lord Edinburgh asked, looking at the corpses lying side by side.

“Among these are also divine art users belonging to the Great Temple.”

“What?”

“We’ll need exact identification from the Great Temple, but here.”

A subordinate handed Lord Edinburgh a piece of paper.

“Some of them had permits issued to divine art users in their pockets.”

“They were newcomers.”

Lord Edinburgh muttered, looking at the date written on the permit fragment.

Not everyone with magical power becomes a divine art user.

Implementing divine arts by formulating spells with magical power was harder than one might think.

Moreover, since mathematical and physical knowledge was needed for formulation, one had to study constantly while being a divine art user.

So even with strong magical power, it was difficult to become a powerful divine art user without academic knowledge.

This person lying here must have gone through that process to be recognized as a divine art user, but died not long after getting permission.

Lord Edinburgh, feeling sorry, observed a moment of silence and then gave orders.

“Collect the bodies properly so we can identify them and notify their families. Transport them to the capital.”

“Understood.”

Lord Edinburgh’s face was stern as he turned away after giving instructions.

‘What on earth happened? Is there a connection, or were they sacrificed?’

[This is the timeline separator]

It took several days just to purify the scattered magical beast corpses in the temple ruins.

After the priests finished purification and gathered all the corpses in one place, divine art users then used divine arts to create fire to burn them.

Though it was a dark night, the surroundings were bright due to the divine art-created flames shooting into the sky.

Looking at those flames, Lord Edinburgh felt goosebumps from the strange silence despite being surrounded by many priests, divine art users, and subordinates.

It felt like an instinctive warning, similar to the killing intent he had often felt on battlefields.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Alicia, are you asleep?”

“Mother.”

Alicia, lying in bed, answered weakly and raised her upper body at Countess Lancaster’s quiet call.

“You’re not sleeping.”

“I can’t sleep.”

“I thought so.”

With a pitiful expression, the Countess approached and sat on the bed.

Then she stroked Alicia’s cheek.

It pained her heart to see her daughter’s face looking even more haggard in just a few days.

“Shall we sleep together with mom tonight after a long time?”

Alicia silently moved to the side.

The Countess lifted the blanket, got in, and lay down hugging Alicia.

“Is it hard?”

There was no answer, but Alicia’s body trembled in her arms.

She patted her silently and kissed Alicia’s forehead touching her face.

“It’s okay. Everything will be fine.”

“But there’s still no news.”

Alicia soon whimpered again.

“They say everything’s fine, but no one tells me anything.”

“Alicia.”

“I don’t want to just stay blankly like this and then hear bad news.”

“There won’t be bad news.”

“But mother.”

“You have to believe that. Eric must be struggling hard too.”

“……”

“Besides, the current High Priest is especially talented in healing. He’s treated severely injured people like Eric before and sent them out perfectly fine.”

“Then can Eric be like that too?”

“Of course. And you need to stay strong and endure well so Eric can be at ease later, right?”

After a small sobbing sound was heard, the Countess handed Alicia a handkerchief from the table as she stirred to wipe her tears.

“Crying this much, our daughter has really grown up.”

“…… Don’t people usually say the opposite?”

“You’re crying because of a man, so you’ve grown up.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. You’re my daughter, so it can’t be helped.”

“What?”

“It’s nothing.”

Countess Lancaster gently stroked Alicia’s hair as they faced each other.

She always thought her mother was someone she had to take care of, but her mother was still a mother after all.

Just her mother’s touch stroking her was a great comfort to Alicia.

“Get some sleep, even a little. I think news will come tomorrow.”

“Will it really come?”

“Yes. Trust mom and get some sleep. You don’t want to show Eric this haggard appearance, do you?”

Alicia nodded slightly.

“Then you need to cheer up more. You don’t want to worry Eric as soon as you see him after he’s come back from near death, right?”

“Yes.”

Alicia obediently closed her eyes.

Listening to the sound of the Countess patting her, Alicia felt at ease and soon fell asleep.

And the next day, as her mother said, she received news that Eric had woken up.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Eric.”

“Alicia.”

Eric, sitting on the bed with a haggard appearance, smiled and reached out his hand to Alicia, who had rushed to the Russell Count’s residence.

“Why are you standing there? Come quickly.”

Alicia, with an expression like she was about to cry, carefully approached Eric and held his hand.

As the large, warm hand grasped hers, tears quickly welled up in Alicia’s eyes from the sense of relief.

“Why have you gotten so thin?”

“……”

“Sit down. You look tired.”

Eric pulled a chair next to him and, still holding her hand, pulled Alicia to sit down.

Alicia, seated as she was pulled, kept her mouth tightly shut.

She felt like tears would fall if she opened her mouth.

“Why are you so quiet? Aren’t you glad? I’m extremely glad.”

“……”

“I missed you terribly.”

“…… I missed you too.”

She should greet Eric with a smiling face when she sees him.

She should say she firmly believed he would return safely, so she waited bravely.

She had resolved this over and over in the carriage on the way to the Russell Count’s residence.

But tears burst forth, and Alicia buried her face in the bed.

“I really thought something happened to you…… hic.”

“What do you mean something happened, I’m perfectly fine like this.”

“Huuung.”

Finally, loud crying broke out.

Eric, not knowing what to do, carefully stroked Alicia’s head as she cried with her face buried.

“Don’t cry.”

Eric was flustered.

He didn’t know Alicia would cry this much.

“Don’t cry, Alicia. I don’t know what to do when you’re like this.”

Sobbing at Eric’s touch stroking her head, Alicia spoke haltingly.

“I’m sorry. This happened because of me.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s because I left you alone. I’m sorry.”

“Hic.”

“I shouldn’t have left you alone. I shouldn’t take my eyes off you after all.”

“…… Don’t treat me like a child.”

“Come to think of it, didn’t I tell you not to go anywhere and not to follow strangers? You didn’t listen. Like a child.”

“Hic. Sniff.”

Eric had said it as a joke because Alicia was crying so much, but it had no effect at all.

Anyway, Alicia probably couldn’t have done anything if the magician had been determined.

Feeling sorry, Eric gently stroked Alicia’s head again.

“Stop crying now. We’ve met after a long time, won’t you show me your face?”

“…… My face must be a mess right now.”

Alicia answered with her face still buried.

“Can your face ever be a mess? That’s quite surprising.”

“…… What are you saying, really.”

Eric laughed hearing Alicia’s voice trembling.

“Are you laughing now? I heard something terrible happens if you laugh while crying.”

“Sniff.”

“Ah, you laughed. Something terrible might really happen.”

This time Alicia’s shoulders shook slightly as if she was holding back laughter.

“Are you really not going to show me your face?”

Alicia asked with her head still buried.

Her eyes were probably swollen and her face red, so she would surely look a mess.

But she didn’t want to show such a face even though they were meeting after a long time.

Alicia asked with her head still buried.

“…… How are your wounds?”

“The wounds have all healed. I’m like this because of the magical energy from the magical beast wounds.”

“Does it hurt?”

“It’s fine. It’s thanks to your good first aid last time. If not for that, I would have been in real trouble.”

Alicia felt a little relieved at Eric’s cheerful voice.

Still with her head down, Alicia silently raised her upper body slightly and hugged Eric.

She felt more at ease hearing Eric’s heart beating properly.

While gladly hugging Alicia, Eric asked, sounding disappointed:

“Are you really not going to show me your face?”

“I can’t show you a swollen face when we’re meeting after a long time.”

“I don’t know if I’m feeling sad or what, really. Then when can I see it?”

“In a few hours?”

“Then I’ll have to hold you until then? It can’t be helped. This is what you want, not me, right?”

“…… What are you saying.”

Alicia’s laughter sounded softly.

“Ah, you laughed while crying again?”

“Nothing terrible happened earlier either.”

“……”

Eric raised his head for a moment and sighed looking at the ceiling.

“Ha, I really want to do something terrible.”

“?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Feeling regretful, Eric tightened his arms hugging Alicia.

The wound area seemed to throb a little, but he didn’t care at all.

“Ah, this feels good.”

At Eric’s low voice of satisfaction, Alicia snuggled further into his embrace.

I hope my swollen eyes go down quickly.

I wish I could see his face properly soon.

I came here resolving not to cry so many times, but I cried as soon as I saw him and couldn’t even see his face properly, what a foolish thing to do.

Eric asked Alicia, who had been quiet for a while:

“What are you doing?”

“I’m reflecting.”

“Ah.”

“And feeling relieved that you’re safe.”

“Ah.”

“……”

“If you’ve reflected and felt relieved, can I see your face now?”

“It hasn’t even been 30 seconds yet.”

“I think I followed your words right away back then?”

Alicia laughed softly and finally raised her head.

A smile formed as soon as her eyes met Eric’s.

“Where on earth is something wrong? You’re just pretty.”

Eric grumbled playfully.

The word ‘pretty’, which he had thought even thinking about was cheesy, came out of Eric’s mouth naturally.

“I could have seen you earlier. What a waste of time.”

Eric smiled and stroked Alicia’s cheek.

As soon as his affectionate touch landed, Alicia’s eyes reddened.

“Why, why are you crying again.”

A flustered Eric quickly wiped Alicia’s tears.

“Why are you crying again? Are you not going to show your face again?”

“Sniff.”

“Are you laughing while crying again?”

This time Alicia really laughed.

Her eyes curved prettily, causing the gathered tears to fall, but it still felt good.

“I love you.”

“…… I’m really going to do something terrible at this rate.”

“?”

Eric lightly grasped Alicia’s chin, who was looking at him, and lifted it.