The investigation of the underground temple is currently almost exclusively controlled by the Minerva Empire.


    ording to Rina, other nations are too preupied with their own issues, and there’s also the risk of leaking the secret—specifically, that the summoning ritual was sessful.


    This truth must be kept hidden for now, so only the Minerva Empire and limited support from Savior are involved.


    Very few are aware of the secret.


    On the Minerva Empire’s side, only the royal family and I know about it.


    The same goes for Savior. Unlike the Minerva Empire, Savior has dispatched only a small group of people, so almost no one knows.


    Even those who do understand the gravity of the situation and wouldn’t dare speak carelessly.


    Moreover, Rina mentioned that leaders from various factions will gather to hold a meeting about this matter, so an official announcement will likelye soon.


    “Did you say Lord Luminous requested your presence?” “Yes.”I found it somewhat surprising that Kate was the one going.


    While it was inevitable since Luminous requested it, I couldn’t help but wonder if something was happening.


    “What exactly did Lord Luminous say?”


    “He instructed me to escort an honored guest from that location.”


    “An honored guest? Did he really say honored guest?”


    “Yes.”


    I widened my eyes.


    If even Luminous referred to them as an honored guest, it must be incredibly important.


    What could be happening at the temple that requires Kate to personally escort someone?


    I was curious.


    Moreover, I could take the opportunity to retrieve my grandfather rk’s remains, which are likely resting in the temple, so apanying her didn’t seem like a bad idea.


    “Could I perhaps join you…?”


    “No.”


    When I carefully asked, I was met with a sharp refusal—not from Kate but from Adelia, who was standing nearby.


    Adelia looked at me as if I were a na?ve child, her gaze filled with an unyielding determination to say no.


    In hindsight, it made sense.


    The distance from the dormitory to the underground temple was considerable, and only a small investigation team had been dispatched, leaving them with limited personnel. ???????Ё?


    In short, we’d have to travel by carriage, and the likelihood of an attack during such a journey would greatly increase.


    Feeling that no argument would convince them otherwise, I reluctantly nodded.


    “All right. Then, Kate, may I ask one favor?”


    “What kind of favor?”


    “If, by any chance, in the temple…”


    I began exining the situation based on the dream I had.


    The first thing to check was rk.


    Whether his remains were truly in the underground temple as I dreamed, and if they could be retrieved.


    I had mentioned this to my father beforehand, but he had been both shocked and skeptical, as he’d never heard anything of the sort.


    His harsh training of me was only meant to ensure I didn’t get myself killed somewhere.


    Even I wasn’t entirely confident about the dream, which was why I was entrusting this task to Kate.


    “You’re saying Lord Isaac’s grandfather is resting in the temple?”


    Kate widened her eyes in surprise at my exnation.


    It had been a long time since I’d seen her look so astonished.


    But, as I mentioned earlier, there was no certainty.


    For all I knew, it could’ve been nothing more than a figment of my imagination.


    Even if it were, it wouldn’t matter much, as it would provide material for spection.


    Regardless, it needed to be verified.


    Why rk hadn’t told my father the truth, or how he had discovered the existence of the underground temple, was a mystery for now.


    But I was confident we’d uncover the answers soon.


    When I performed the ritual, rk had left a message saying he woulde here himself.


    I had no idea what form that would take, but with Ariel’s ability to see spirits, we’d likely get a signal if rk arrived.


    “I’m not entirely sure. It’s just something I saw in a dream. So please, could you check it out for me this time?”


    “Understood. It could very well be a revtion from the gods.”


    “A revtion…”


    If I had to guess, it might be rted to the situation when I first arrived in this world.


    The summoning itself had seeded, but an entirely unexpected soul had been brought over, observing the events from that state.


    I wasn’t sure if it was right to call it a revtion, but as long as it helped uncover rk’s whereabouts, it didn’t matter much.


    “Maybe so. In any case, can you confirm it for me? Just don’t hastily retrieve the remains without verifying the situation first. It could cause unnecessary conflict.”


    “Of course. Still, to think Lord Isaac’s grandfather also dealt with demon worshippers. Could it be that Sir Hawk also…”


    Kate trailed off in a suggestive tone.


    She was probably asking if my father had also undertaken arge-scale campaign against demon worshippers.


    It seemed she believed that the extermination of demon worshippers had been a long-standing duty of our family, passed down through generations.


    Honestly, it wasn’t a far-fetched assumption, considering even I had made significant contributions to dealing with demon worshippers.


    But I shook my head firmly, denying her assumption.


    “No, my father said he’s never heard of such a thing. If my grandfather really is resting there, then our family’s mission must have ended with his generation.”


    “It sounds like a ratherplicated story.”


    “I’d love to investigate it myself, but the situation makes that difficult. For now, we need to confirm whether my grandfather is truly there.”


    Based on what happened in the dream, rk abandoned his mission as a hero of his own ord.


    Whether it was due to immense pressure or a sense of helplessness, no one knows.


    Furthermore, for reasons unknown, Father was never directly harmed by devil worshipers, despite his conspicuous red hair that would have made him stand out anywhere.


    This peculiarity isn’t just limited to Father—it extends to our entire family.


    Our lineage gained glorious honor through fierce battles against savage beastmen on the bordends, enduring physical and mental suffering.


    Unlike rk, who closed his eyes in solitude, our family had no “mission” passed down from the previous generation.


    “I understand. If it turns out to be true, what will you do? Will you make his deeds known to everyone?”


    “For now, I’ll write a simr story in a book. Even if I don’t know whether my grandfather truly did it, there are plenty of heroes who have passed unnoticed through history.”


    By the same token, I’ll add usibility to Zenon’s heroic acts.


    It could be described as a will that persists even after death.


    However, it’s merely a motif, not aplete retelling of his story—I n to fictionalize it to some extent.


    “An unnoticed hero… I’m sure it will turn out just as you hope, Isaac,”


    Kate said, smiling warmly before closing her eyes and making the sign of the cross.


    The sheer reverence she exuded from this small gesture made me smirk wryly, as I could somewhat guess what she was thinking.


    No matter what I said, Kate would attachyers of meaning to it, so there was no point in trying to exin myself.


    “Can themunication orb reach that area?”


    “No, it won’t. The entrance to the underground temple is deep within the mountains, so most forms ofmunication won’t work.”


    “Not even teleportation?”


    “Not unless it’s an official visit. Permission won’t be granted. We’ll likely have to rely on messenger birds.”


    “Messenger birds?”


    Hearing this, I made a puzzled expression.


    As everyone knows, messenger birds use a pigeon’s homing instinct formunication.


    However, they are costly and time-consuming, and even catching the birds is a hassle.


    The military is one of the few entities that still uses them asionally.


    Nowadays, even the military uses teleportation for crucial matters—it’s faster, more secure, and has an overwhelming range advantage.


    Naturally, messenger birds havergely fallen out of use.


    “Yes. The church trains messenger birds as a contingency. While it’s ast-resort measure, teleportation is unreliable for the underground temple.”


    “I see. Who typically receives the letters?”


    “Normally, I would, but since I’ll no longer be avable, the church will handle it. I’d like to send them to your dormitory, Isaac, but devil worshipers might exploit the system.”


    Impressive.


    I nodded in agreement with Kate’s exnation.


    I hadn’t considered messenger birds, but they mighte in handyter.


    “Can I see one? I’ve never used a messenger bird before.”


    “Of course. Please wait a moment.”


    Kate briefly left to retrieve it.


    Since the bird was in her room, it wouldn’t take long.


    Soon, she returned, holding a pure white pigeon with golden eyes that gleamed like something out of a legend.


    “Wow, it’s beautiful. Is this really a pigeon?”


    “Yes, it was raised with the church’s holy power.”


    As soon as Kate finished speaking, the pigeon pped its wings energetically.


    Startled by its sudden movement, I flinched, but the pigeon simply perched gently on my shoulder.


    Then, as if showing affection, it pecked my cheek a few times and rubbed its head against me.


    “Coo!”


    “Uh…”


    “Coo! Coo!”


    Could this be because of the pure blessing I received from Hirt?


    That seemed likely, as the pigeon was unusually affectionate for meeting me for the first time.


    Pure blessings, akin to divine authority, attract animals and nts—excluding monsters.


    Watching the pigeon, I gently stroked its head with my fingers. It moved closer to me, cooing softly.


    “Coo!”


    “It’s adorable. Does it have a name?”


    “… …”


    Despite my question, Kate said nothing.


    She simply stared at the bird with an unusual expression, her lips pressed into a thin line.


    Her rareck of emotion gave me chills until she muttered quietly:


    “…I’m jealous.”


    “Huh? Kate?”


    “I wish I could… be like that someday…”


    How much pent-up longing does it take to envy an animal?


    ★★★★★


    Meanwhile, at the chaotic underground temple:


    [Listen, I haven’t harmed you, right? Sure, I may look like this, but I’m still in my right mind. I’m here with Hirt’s permission, not as the Father of All Things, okay?]


    “Grr…”


    [I get it. You’re scared, but what can I do? My son wants to bury my remains. This is the only way.]


    The situation at the temple had calmed down somewhat.


    The dispatched investigation team wasposed of elite members who were indeed strong. However, rk was stronger.


    In life, he had ughtered the highest-ranking devil worshipers and disrupted their summoning rituals—a figure whose might rivaled or even surpassed that of the elven warlord.


    It was no surprise the investigation team was helpless against him.


    [Hey, is it hard?]


    rk tapped the knight he was using as a makeshift chair.


    Humiliated, the knight remained silent, though the sound of his gritted teeth could be heard intermittently.


    rk clicked his tongue at the knight’s stubbornness.


    [Knights never change, huh? All pride, no flexibility.]


    “Your confidence… won’tst forever…”


    [Yeah, yeah. Believe what you want. Doesn’t matter to me.]


    Around themy unconscious investigators, all subdued by rk’s overwhelming power.


    Despite the devastation, not a single person had died—he had knocked each of them out without killing.


    The knight beneath him had caught rk’s eye for enduring the longest, though it was little constion.


    “Grr… Huff…”


    [Quit whining. I’m just bones now—I should be light.]


    That’s not true. You’re unbelievably heavy.


    The knight’s thoughts were filled with despair.


    Despite being a skeleton, rk’s bones alone were unnaturally dense, not to mention the armor he wore in life.


    Unaware of this, rk leisurely enjoyed his “victory.”


    He wanted to leave, but doing so could lead to being mistaken for a monster—or worse, drawing the empire’s military.


    For now, he had no choice but to wait for someone reasonable to arrive.


    Fidgeting, rk checked his pockets out of habit.


    Finding nothing in his tattered pants, he sighed and looked at the knight.


    [Hey, do you—actually, never mind.]


    Shaking his head, he scanned his surroundings.


    [Hey, you over there.]


    “… …”


    [I know you’re awake. Answer me.]


    “Y-yes!”


    Startled, a man among the group raised his head.


    He was one of the archaeologists who had been studying rk’s remains before the incident.


    Though he had nned to feign unconsciousness until the ordeal ended, rk had somehow noticed he was awake.


    rk spoke in a serious tone:


    [Got any cigarettes?]


    “C-cigarettes?”


    [Yeah. Cigarettes.]


    Caught off guard by the odd request, the archaeologist hesitated as rk sighed wistfully.


    [I missed out on smoking before I died. Such a shame.]


    “… …”


    [Should I ask my grandson to include it in the book? A final puff before death—it’d be so cool, right?]@@novelbin@@


    What an oddly whimsical skeleton, the archaeologist thought.