Ermes and the others had weathered the attack that came right after their breach.
Several tens of minutes later, they had pushed through sporadic ambushes and were now advancing through the dungeon under Laila's guidance.
"..."
The Hidden Sanctuary was a strange place.
The structure of the building, the rough, cave-like impression of its walls and ceiling—none of that differed from the dungeons he knew so well.
But interspersed among all that were lanterns placed at regular intervals, signs that appeared to serve as guides, and what crowned it all—glimpses of neatly organized corridors and doorways leading into what looked like orderly "rooms" lined with furniture.
The grotesque fusion of a labyrinthine dungeon and meticulously artificial construction. That was Ermes's first impression of the Hidden Sanctuary.
Laila, who was well-versed in the inner workings of the Church, naturally also possessed a fair amount of knowledge regarding the structure of this Hidden Sanctuary. The plan was for her to use that knowledge to guide them deep into the dungeon, likely all the way to wherever the remaining Archbishops were hiding.
As for Laila's absence on the other side, it seemed that a spy of theirs who had already infiltrated the Hidden Sanctuary would serve as a guide for Katia and her group in similar fashion.
With these arrangements in mind, Ermes followed behind the silently walking Laila at the head of the group.
At present, not a single soldier was attacking them. The sporadic ambushes had been extremely small-scale, and the soldiers who had presumably been stationed at the dungeon entrance would not easily pursue them once they retreated into the complex interior. Given all that, it was hardly surprising that the current situation had shifted into a quiet march—but...
"A... something feels off."
Even so.
Ermes's intuition, honed through countless dungeon raids, whispered to him that there was more to it than that.
"Feels off? What do you mean, Ermes?"
After a brief moment of organizing his thoughts in response to Sara's question, Ermes began to explain.
"First, the structure of the 'dungeon' is uniformly complex. In principle, entering is harder than exiting, and exploring is more difficult than either. That's precisely why pursuing intruders from the outside is so difficult—once someone infiltrates a dungeon, stopping them should be the absolute top priority from a defensive standpoint."
"Y-Yes. That's why the moment we broke in, they launched that kind of assault to prevent any intrusion at all—"
"And yet they were far too weak."
In short, Ermes laid out the source of his unease.
"If they truly meant to 'absolutely prevent any intrusion,' that first group alone shouldn't have been the end of it. The entrances are limited—if they were serious about stopping us, they would have rallied a second and third wave of forces to that very spot. No, rather, the Archbishop himself could have shown up from the start."
"...Y-Yes, that's right."
"I'm not saying the initial attack was careless. The people who actually participated in it probably did intend to stop us, but..."
"On the other hand, the 'reinforcements' from inside were astonishingly absent... I see, that does add up."
"Yes. So either there was some reason they couldn't commit any more forces, or..."
Niina's response deepened Ermes's reasoning further—until a voice cut in.
"—Who even cares?"
Raira, who had been walking ahead in silence this whole time, spoke up and turned around.
She kept going with a sour look on her face.
"Figuring out what those Archbishops are thinking right now won't get you anywhere. Besides..."
Then, her lips twisted into something faintly sardonic.
"Even if they were scheming something.
...You could handle it either way, couldn't you? Someone who possesses that absurd kind of magic, who can brute-force through any obstacle and smash it aside however she pleases—right?"
Her tone.
It sounded like criticism, like a barb.
...And yet, at the same time, it seemed to carry within it something terribly twisted—a mingling of irrepressible longing and revulsion.
"I really do envy you, you know."
"..."
"I don't know where you went or what you did to obtain that kind of power.
—
How fortunate
that you were able to find such a shortcut. And then you treated it with such arrogance, as though you could do whatever you pleased with it—distributing power only to those who would move according to your will, and to top it all off..."
"S-Sister!"
But at that moment, the one who cut Lyraila off and raised her voice was—Liliana.
This time, Liliana—having finally, in a sense, obtained the chance to speak to her sister head-on—stared her square in the eye and began to speak.
"Master isn't—Master isn't that kind of person!"
"...Oh?"
"Master worked so hard—she worked incredibly hard to master this magic! It's not like Bloodline Magic, something you're simply born with—this is magic she can proudly call her own! That's why..."
"Then let me ask you this."
However.
Lyraila's expression twisted ever so slightly at Liliana's words, but she smoothed it away and spoke in an even more frigid tone.
"This magic... you call it 'Creation Magic'?
—Is it
really
from beginning to end
something that man alone
came up with—
magic
that it is?"
?"
"......Th—that—"
"That's obviously not the case, right? I may not be as well-versed in magic as you all, but I am still royalty. My sensitivity toward magic should be sharper than most.
And when I look at it—that magic is far too
perfected
overly
so.
The kind of magic that a single individual could create from scratch with just a decade or so of effort."
Laila's deduction was correct.
The refinement to this degree had undoubtedly also been achieved through Ermes's relentless effort.
But the prototype that had served as its foundation—the Creation Magic itself—had been born from Rose and given to Ermes by Rose. That was an undeniable fact.
"Perhaps you did work harder for magic than anyone else. I'll grant you that.
—But even so. In the end, it all comes down to luck. Pure luck, coincidence, happenstance. The moment you wield power you simply happened to obtain..."
Finally, Laila fixed Ermes with her sharp gaze once more.
And declared flatly:
"—You, the other nobles, Aster—to me, you're all the same."
"..."
...These were surely words from the deepest part of Laila he had never heard before.
Judging whether those words were right or wrong would be far too difficult. It was not something the current Ermes could determine.
"...That may very well be."
And so, Ermes answered.
In truth, he could not deny it. How much of the power he had obtained was due to fortune, and how much was due to effort — drawing that line was exceedingly difficult. He had even heard the saying, "The ability to work hard is itself a talent."
Moreover.
"As you say, I was 'fortunate' enough to meet my master, fortunate enough to inherit Creation Magic, and fortunate enough to possess the talent to wield it to its fullest."
If Ermes had never met Rose.
He would most likely have died right there with a high probability — and even if, by some slim chance, he had survived, he would certainly never have arrived at Creation Magic.
In that sense, his power could indeed be called the same thing as Bloodline Magic — something he obtained by sheer luck.
On that one point, there was no question that Ermes had been fortunate.
...And yet.
After a brief pause, Ermes spoke.
"—That has nothing to do with it."
Laila quietly drew in a breath.
"Whether the power was obtained through good fortune or through tireless effort, whether it is envied or resented—
It doesn't matter. Because no matter how much anyone talks about it, it won't overturn or shift the power that someone possesses."
That was right.
Ermes, too, had envied the holders of Bloodline Magic back when he was oppressed for his Incompatibility. He had admired them.
But even then, even when he learned the truth of magic, even after returning to the Royal Capital—
He believed he had never, not once, denied the power itself.
"I don't mean to say that the process is meaningless. But rather than fussing over that, what matters far more is that I possess that power 'right now'—"
He affirmed that magic was something beautiful.
Under that conviction, he expressed his thoughts in return.
"What you do with that power 'from here on'—"
"I think that's the most important thing. Wouldn't you agree?"
Quietly. Matter-of-factly.
Yet Ermes fixed Laila with an unwavering, transparent gaze.
Laila received those words for a moment, her expression impossible to read, but…
…before long, she let out a soft breath and relaxed.
"……Well, I suppose you're right."
"!"
Somewhat unexpectedly.
She affirmed his words with startling candor.
"It doesn't matter what kind of process you went through to obtain that power. What matters is the fact that you hold that power now, and what you do with it from here on… Right.
Yes—I truly believe that's correct."
From there, she too spoke quietly.
But her red eyes held a passion befitting that hue as she looked his way.
…He vaguely understood that she had some kind of ulterior motive.
Yet he couldn't quite grasp what it was. probing further, Ermes continued with another question.
"…Earlier, Princess Laila described Creation Magic as 'not some trivial magic that a single individual could create from scratch with a mere ten years or so of effort.' What did you mean by that?"
"And what about it?"
"That. It's not something a 'mere Bloodline Magic user' would understand—at least, not a mage who takes their granted magic for granted."
"—!"
Laila's eyes flew wide open.
Ermes herself could tell from past experience. Grasping what kind of magic lay before her—at the very least, it was absolutely impossible for someone who merely enjoyed magic as a given.
What kind of magic it was. What concept and structure it was built on, under what philosophy it had been created. The act of tracing such magic's roots… something absolutely invisible unless you did "the same thing as Ermes and Rose."
Therefore.
"—
done it
have you
?
—the exploration of magic
"
"…I'll say it again. You really are not cute at all. Is it really that fun to dig up a woman's secrets?"
As if the question had cut into something deep.
Between Laila and Ermes—whose reactions confirmed as much—the tension sharpened in an instant.
Just as it was about to erupt into some form—
"All right, that's enough."
With a clap.
A crisp sound, a cool voice. Everyone's attention turned there in unison.
At the center of all those gazes, the voice's owner—Krono of the neutrals, his expression as calm and unchanged as ever—regarded the group and spoke again.
"Young people debating is entirely commendable. That each of you holds your own convictions is a wonderful thing, and growing heated from the exchange is nothing to be ashamed of. However—"
And then, calmly yet with just the slightest yet decisive shift in the weight of his voice.
"This is enemy territory."
He thrust the irrefutable fact upon them, sharpening everyone's awareness.
"Since those of differing positions have been forced to work together, friction is inevitable. ...That said, we can discuss the details later. I won't stop you from arguing, but we cannot afford to act at cross-purposes. —Take down the Archbishop. Do not, under any circumstances, lose sight of that primary objective."
...An argument no one could gainsay.
Restored to composure by his words, the group turned their attention forward once more. Lila, looking somewhat sheepish, turned on her heel and resumed leading the way.
And so the party set off again...
(...But still.)
As the new thought took shape, Ermes glanced behind him.
There was Crono, following along at a leisurely pace, his expression unchanged.
...He looked at him again, this time taking in his appearance.
Black hair, rare in this country, with slightly reddish eyes. Handsome, youthful features.
As befitting the son of the head of the neutral nobles, he looked remarkably young — probably around twenty... roughly the same age as his brother Chris, it seemed.
—And yet.
(That composure, that tone of voice from earlier... it was nothing like what you'd expect of someone his age.)
The argument and atmosphere with which he had admonished them just now — it really did seem like a stance that called Yurugen to mind.
Once again, he took note of the man: Crono von Feyblad. A figure shrouded in many mysteries.
And then there was Lila.
She, too, had her own designs, surely. For now, their interests aligned, which was why she was cooperating with the subjugation operation...
But there was no guarantee that would remain the case going forward.
(...I shouldn't let my guard down.)
Once more, he reminded himself of that truth. Ermes resumed walking.
◆
The calm march continued onward.
...However, given the exchange that had just taken place, the atmosphere was heavier than it had been before—almost incomparably so.
"...Come to think of it, Your Highness Lila."
Whether to ease the tension, or perhaps for some other purpose—
It was Chrono, ever neutral, who posed the question to Lila this time.
"We are currently on our way to subjugate the Archbishop.
...If you wouldn't mind, could you tell us who the Archbishop we'll likely be facing might be? Even if it's just speculation, that would be more than sufficient."
"...Yes, I suppose it's about time we talked about that."
Perhaps Lila herself had grown weary of this atmosphere. She was uncharacteristically forthcoming.
"That said, I don't have any useful information for you. Those Archbishops are all secretive to the last, and if I had anything worthwhile to share, I would have told you before the operation began."
"Indeed. Still... even just having a rough idea of what kind of person they are could make a difference when the time comes."
Accepting the reasonable point, Lila paused for a moment to gather her thoughts.
"I should say upfront—there's no guarantee that this is the Archbishop we'll actually run into. As Feybrad said, this is all speculation... but at the very least, the one we're currently heading toward is—"
After that preamble, she delivered the conclusion.
"The Archbishop Gregorio."
"I see. ...What manner of person is he?"
"I don't know how he fights, and to be honest, I've barely ever met him, so I have almost no idea what he's like as a person."
"However... the four Archbishops each have their own epithets. People around them started using them on their own, but each one is used with a mix of fear and respect, reflecting the field in which that Archbishop excels the most."
Epithets, huh.
That was quite telling, but it also meant the Archbishops were figures feared by those around them within the Church.
"For example, Archbishop Johann, whom Lily and the others fought. He was known as 'the Most Ruthless Archbishop.'"
"...I see."
That made perfect sense.
Rather, I was somewhat relieved that he wasn't an existence even more merciless than that—but no, I couldn't let my guard down. Still, at least I had a sense of the pattern.
"With that in mind. The Archbishop we're most likely to fight next, Gregorio, is..."
After this perfect example, Rylla paused for a beat.
Then she delivered the other's epithet.
"Apparently, he is known as—'the Most Merciful Archbishop.'"
"...Oh my."
Now that was a descriptor that left me quite uncertain how to react.
"Apparently, Gregorio was known for frequently carrying out charitable work. He would give alms to people in impoverished areas, and even took people who lacked talent for magic under his direct care."
"...From what you're saying, he sounds like a perfectly proper clergyman."
"Exactly—which is what makes him so unsettling..."
One after another, Sara and Niina offered their impressions of Rylla's explanation.
Ermes felt the same. The fact that nothing but proper behavior could be found was precisely what made him so eerie—especially after having seen Archbishop Johann.
"Well, I suppose we'll find out what he's really like once we meet him.
More importantly—we've arrived."
However, Ermes's eyes went wide at the words that followed from Lyra. This was because—
"We've arrived? It still feels like we're in the middle levels of the Dungeon, though…"
"Yes, we haven't reached where the Archbishop is yet. But—"
Lyra turned toward Ermes as he voiced his unease.
"Going any further from here by simply walking is impossible. Specifically, there's a system in place that only allows passage for those carrying a particular magical tool.
—So, I'll be using the spy I sent to Traukia as well. The room ahead is the designated rendezvous point."
Ermes nodded in understanding.
The deeper they went into the heart of the Hidden Cathedral, the tighter the security became.
Of course, Ermes could probably force his way through—but if a spy was already in place, it made far more sense to use that asset for a more reliable infiltration without alerting the other side.
"There's still some time before the scheduled rendezvous. So we'll take a brief rest there to prepare for the final battle… and for you lot, there's another benefit to that room."
"Hm?"
At her cryptic remark, Ermes and the others tilted their heads.
Lyra noticed this and smiled with a touch of irony… and something close to self-mockery.
"That room. —It's the 'Records Room.'"
"…You mean—"
Ermes understood precisely what her words implied.
Sensing that the others had reached the same conclusion, Lyra continued.
"You wanted to know, didn't you? What the 'Church' has been doing, and by what means it came to dominate this kingdom. The full picture of the Church—the Archbishop's faction—shrouded in mystery."
"…"
"Of course, we'll need to wait until we've regrouped. But even a little knowledge beforehand won't hurt. …Let's move."
An unexpected opportunity to learn more about the Church had fallen into their laps.
Facing this prospect, Ermes and the others were wrapped in a different kind of tension than before as they followed Lila onward.
Next time, will the mystery of the Church finally come to light? The story may start moving—stay tuned!