Armida was looking gruesome since morning. Her eyes were sunken and her skin was rough as if she stayed up all night. I thankfully completed the report, but maybe she didn’t like it because her face looked very dull.
“Hhhhh. What do I do now….”
Armida who was seated at the table started whining.
Shura spoke from beside as if comforting her.
“Please don’t worry a lot.”
“Do I look like I can do that? How can I bear looking at that shitty bitch acting like she’s doing well!”
“What do you mean shitty?”
“There’s this nasty bitch called Katrianne.”
I watched while taking a sip of the soup.
“They’re coming too?”
“That’s what I’m saying. Above that, with both of them, it makes it two Great Saintesses.”
“Princess Ignes and Princes Sierra?”
“Yeah.”
“Who cares.”
“Hm?”
“I mean you know… What is a Valkyrie like her who doesn’t know anything about the world going to do with those two immature princesses? All she can do is go sightseeing.”
Armida looked a bit relaxed at her words.
“Would it really be like that?”
“Indeed, so don’t worry much about it. They wouldn’t have gathered anything yet too. Honestly, if they had found something, we would’ve been informed of it too, right?”
“Right?”
“Hmm. So, all you have to do is go and hand over the report well. Remember what I said earlier? Just do that.”
Armida who finally felt relieved, raised her spoon to have soup and glanced at me.
“What about you?”
“Of course, I wouldn’t go.”
“You should go too!”
“Urgh no, I hate to.”
I flatly expressed my refusal.
My identity can be exposed if I go there. Because Katrianne can see my face within the mask through perspective magic. Of course, I can’t guarantee that she will use the perspective magic on me, but I can’t risk it too.
“Why?”
“That shit can use perspective magic, right? I hate to be showing my face around. Can’t you see by the way I’m wearing my mask around always?”
“But you show your face to me, don’t you?”
“That’s because it’s you, but they’re strangers. I feel awkward.”
Shura helped me from beside. She knows about my situation very well.
“True. Master felt awkward and shy when he met me for the first time too.”
“But don’t you meet people often?”
“That’s because I’m wearing the mask.”
“Is that so?”
Armida put her hand slightly on my mask. A bright light rose and a gentle aura wrapped around it.
“What did you just do?”
“I put an obstruct magic. Now she can’t see you with perspective magic.”
The problem with her is that she’s very skillful. Obstruct magic is level 5 magic. You need to be at least level 7 to perform this magic without casting, but she did it with a brush of her hand.
“Why did you have to go to that extent?”
“Because you need to go as well. It’s way better to have you who’s good at talking do it than me.”
“I need to go see of Padilla. She’s going to the Castle of Divinum today.”
“Okay then. We had to go to the Castle of Divinum too you know.”
Eventually, I had to go.
But I didn’t hate it to be exact. Because Princess Ignes would be there if I go. I thought I’d never see her again after parting with her last time, but destiny made us meet again somehow.
***
We arrived at the Castle of Divinum around noon. There wasn’t any identity verification at the entrance too. Perhaps because they heard about our arrival that they left the doors open already.
Wow, discrimination is such a serious thing here. When I entered here in shabby clothes, they did a thorough checking, but this time it’s a safe entry. I mean, indeed, there’s a big size difference in discrimination here. Reverse discrimination where only small people can enter.
I entered the administrative office and looked at a priest doing office work. This man is still working here. Looks like the mess I caused here last year wasn’t the way out for this guy.
“Okay, I’ve checked it. Please go in.”
We got out of the administrative office, went through the penitentiary, and walked for long before we reached the entrance of the central square. It was a path that had to be passed with reverence, but we just chatted our way out. Because it was like the back of the kennel to me and was just a courtyard of the villa for Armida.
I looked at Padilla who was soon about to go to the dorm.
“Padilla. You have to do your own tasks here. Even if it’s uncomfortable, bear with it for a few days.”
“Yes. I know a bit about that too.”
“Also, you might feel interested and try to go on the path of asceticism or something. Don’t go. It has no use.”
Padilla slightly widened her eyes.
“No, how come?”
“Look at Shura. She didn’t go in the path of asceticism, but still, she’s getting treated as a Great Saintess, isn’t she? And, don’t do anything stupid if the guardian doesn’t show empathy. If you do that, you’ll only be suffering till you die.”
The guardians will become part of the new era and will be dragged into violent battlefields later. Perhaps if there was someone who faced more difficulties than me in the destruction, it’d be the ones from the new era.
It’s a wreck if you go here. You’d be wiped out if you make a mistake. I mean, like in my previous life, the entire new era will be wiped out by the brave charge plans of Katrianne.
That shit does anything just like that. You need to think when your life is on the line, but she just does it when she feels like it.
“Sure. I get it.”
“And don’t be surprised if something happens at the Hall of Divinity too.”
“What do you mean something happens?”
“There’d be a small problem when the door opens you know. It’s all that our sister Armida did, so stay quiet and don’t worry about it.”
Armida spoke abruptly.
“It was you who asked me to do to it!”
I ignored her and patted Padilla’s shoulder.
“Okay then, work hard. See you later.”
“Sure.”
Padilla went into her dorm. Though there was a priestess by her side, I didn’t feel nervous. She was considered to be a queen and now she has to do everything on her own, I don’t know if she’d be able to do well.
But since I did it too, there’s no way that she’ll be unable to do it.
“Brother, we need to go this way.”
Armida lead me and Shura towards the main building. It was a four-story building built with arches aligning them, making it the tallest structure for a temple.
Temple buildings weren’t built higher than this. Because there is a doctrine that religious activities should be performed from a low place. Grabbing the places where people live and the farmland they use to harvest food for daily use to expand the land area is an issue, but it could also be considered as a praiseworthy thought.
As soon as we entered the main building, I caught a glimpse of a familiar-looking silver-haired woman passing by. She was wearing a full-body metal armor with a sacred symbol on it like some kind of a holy knight. She was also wearing a one-handed mace and shield on her waist and back.
‘Oh, my ex-fiancée.’
She was none other than Princess Sierra.
She was always arrogant and dignified. Face hardened as ice and never showed a reaction at any situation, and always lived with divinity in heart, as if it was the essence of faith.
But that was all just rumored about her. I’ve only seen her three times this time.
My first meeting with her was in the early days of destruction, during the inauguration of the new age. Absurdly, at that time I heard her say ‘Who are you?’ to me. The time she asked who am I, her fiancé as if she had never even seen a portrait of me.
The second meeting was around the time of destruction when I was shunned by everyone and wandered around like a beggar. I heard her say ‘Please go to the battlefield with honor’ to me. Anyone could say she meant to go and die.
And today is the third time. I want to take off the mask and see what she has got to say to me today.
‘But she’s still pretty as ever.’
She had those foolish features and looked tenacious, but had clear, black eyes like obsidian.
A well-balanced figure holding the right posture looked sculpted like a statue and her tight lips looked red as a dark shade of makeup.
As I was staring at her for quite a while, Shura looked at me questionably.
“Master. Is that someone you know?”
“I don’t know. I’m seeing her for the first time.”
“Then?”
I looked away from Princess Sierra who was getting out of sight. She has no connection with me in this life. Though it looks like there might be one soon, it certainly wouldn’t be the connection of a lover.
The Princess had no interest in me, and I have no reason to pay attention to her as well.
Even married couples are strangers when they break up, would it be any different in the case of a fiancée I’ve never seen. As I broke the engagement before, we’re both strangers now.
“Since she’s a Great Saintess. The weapon she’s wearing on her waist is ‘Vermont, the Soul Destruction Pendulum of the God of the Earth’.”
At the mention of it, Shura’s eyes followed the back of Sierra and Armida looked at me with an unexpected look.
“Brother, how did you know that?”
“I’ve seen it in the Hall of Divinity before.”
“Is that so? You indeed have keen eyes. How did you know it at one glance?”
Honestly, I can’t tell with just a single glance too. Am I Josef or something, how can I know it by just a glance. I know because I’ve seen it many times.
“That’s because you look at it by taking interest in it. I too live by taking interest in everything. Then your eyesight will get better.”
“Enough. I hate it. It’s annoying.”
Armida walked forward while waving her hand. It looked like she was going to live like that forever. But, it wasn’t bad. Because her biggest charm is that foolishness in her personality.
If Armida had a personality like Princess Sierra, I probably wouldn’t have been able to live with that stiffness.
“It’s here. You just have to go in.”
Armida stood in front of a door on the fourth floor. Embossed with colorful patterns, it was no less than that of a regular door, except for the antique atmosphere.
As I grabbed the door handle and entered in, I was met with a dull interior. There was nothing. Of course, including a table or chair, there were no fixtures at all. Everywhere I looked, there were only walls.
“Do what here?”
“You need to go in further.”
Armida stood at the edge of the room and pushed a wall using her hand. The wall was pushed inside gently and revealed another room inside. It was a secret stone chamber. The dullness was the same as before, but thankfully it at least had a table and chairs.
“There was such a secret room I see.”
“Hmm. Because the conversation we’re going to share starting now should not go out at any cost.”
“By the way, did you use the same place last year too?”
“Hmm.”
I scratched my head and started examining the room thoroughly. As I slipped under the table and looked for something, Armida asked while blinking her eyes.
“Brother. What are you doing right now?”
“Ah, just.”
“What do you mean just?”
“It’s nothing much, so don’t worry.”
Under the table, I discovered a square-shaped crack and using my Yojo, I pulled out a small crystalline from within it. It looked like an enchanted essence.
I put that essence in my mouth and spoke towards someone.
“Evelyn, I’m letting you off the hook because I’m here. If you install anything in our residence I’ll kill you for real.”
As I put the essence inside my pouch and came out, Armida questioned me again.
“Brother. What on earth did you do in there?”
“Greeting.”
“To whom?”
“To the room.”
I clicked my tongue and shook my head, speaking nonsense. I don’t know what these sisters are up to. I thought they were trying to find a friend who left home, but instead, I’m the one under surveillance.
I checked around the room and took my seat as nothing appeared.
After quite a while, three ladies entered the secret room in the same way we did. It was Katrianne, Princess Ignes, and Princess Sierra.
Katrianne greeted Armida with a big smile.
“Armida, long time no see.”
“Yes. Have you been doing well?”
“Um. Somewhat.”
“Is there any outcome?”
“Um. Somewhat.”
Though it looked like a regular greeting, there was a sharp confrontation between the two that contained around five thousand emotions. Though I expected it, it truly looks like they don’t get along well.
I suddenly turned my head towards the gaze fixed towards me. It was Princess Ignes. She stared at me from up to down with a meaningful look in her eyes.
I stared at her with narrow eyes
“What are you looking at?”
“Nothing. It’s weird that you’re wearing a mask.”
“Are you seeing a person with a mask for the first time?”
“It’s not common you know.”
I felt a thorn by her words. I feel like she was examining me. I crossed my legs and avoided her eyes. Though I wanted to look at my first love’s face, at this moment, her actions made me feel anxious.
“Are everyone gathered?”
Suddenly, a hologram of a woman appeared in the room. She was wearing a cape inside-out with a cone hood and shoulder pads. I couldn’t tell who it is at all as she was wearing a nose-high mask.
I poked the side of Armida.
“Who’s that?”
“Shh. She’s the Valkyrie Queen.”
“Ah, Prosia?”
“No. That’s Nemisona, the Valkyrie of Matter. There are two Valkyrie queens you know.”
It somewhat looked like the Valkyries of the Creation God turn out to be queens.
“But why are her clothes like that?”
“Originally, everyone at our Sky City Kronos was like that.”
The translucent Nemisona slightly glared at me. Looks like my constant questions about her were a bit loud.
“Who is that guy?”
Armida stood up cautiously.
“He’s Kaoyan Anuki, a human master who will be helping me.”
“Is that so? Okay.”
Right as Armida sat down in relief, Princess Ignes put her hand up and gave her opinion.
“Miss. Nemisona. I’m sorry to say this, but I have a suggestion.”
“Speak.”
“Today’s meeting is very confidential and important.”
“So?”
“I can’t be together with a person who is hiding their identity with a mask.”
Said Princess Ignes and stared at me. It looked as if she was urging me to take off my mask. Indeed, something was strange. Ignes doesn’t judge anyone by her trivial taste or appearance.
I looked at Nemisona.
“Uhm. Sister Nemisona. Looks like that elf Princess is asking you to take off your mask immediately?”
The atmosphere of the meeting hardened coldly like ice in a split second. I just screwed up with Valkyrie Queen and Princess Ignes at the same time in informal.