The sun shone brightly over the capital, Vizag.

  Near the Main Church of the Goddess of Light, Reyla sat quietly on a wooden bench beneath the shade of a large tree. The leaves above her rustled softly whenever a warm breeze passed through them.

  In front of her stretched a small open field where several children were playing. Their laughter filled the air as they chased each other across the grass, kicking a worn leather ball back and forth.

  Reyla watched them silently.

  "Now it's really over," she muttered under her breath.

  "Such tedious work… chatting with those old geezers just to get some cash."

  She sighed and leaned back slightly against the bench.

  Her gaze drifted toward the children again.

  What should I pick as a souvenir for Aleck… she thought.

  Father will surely like a book… but which one should I choose?

  She remained lost in thought for a moment.

  Footsteps approached.

  A man stopped beside the bench.

  "I thought you went to the frontline," Reyla said without turning.

  Ethan stood there, dressed in a simple dark suit instead of his usual armor.

  "That was the plan," he replied calmly. "But something happened. I was told it was no longer necessary."

  He looked unusually tense, his expression heavy.

  Reyla turned toward him, surprised.

  "What happened, Big Brother Ethan? I've never seen you like this."

  Ethan straightened slightly before speaking.

  "Father Lucen died two days ago," he said.

  "The guard who witnessed the perpetrator said the man had a sun tattoo on his face."

  Ethan's fist clenched tightly.

  "Oliver died as well… along with many casualties near the Knight's Watch."

  Reyla froze.

  For a moment, she couldn't even breathe.

  "I knew Fritz would attack Father one day because of his resentment," she said quietly, forcing her voice to remain steady.

  "But this time… he dragged others into it as well."

  She lowered her eyes slightly.

  "So where is Fritz now?" she asked.

  "In his stolen castle?"

  Ethan's expression calmed somewhat as he answered.

  "Don't try anything reckless."

  "This morning, Fritz was officially named a Baron by the King. He is now the Baron of Aster, under the direct watch of the crown."

  Reyla blinked in disbelief.

  "He became a Baron?"

  "Yes," Ethan replied. "It's suspected he negotiated some kind of deal with the King."

  "He must have possessed something valuable enough that the King couldn't refuse."

  Reyla thought about it for a moment, but nothing came to mind.

  "Nevertheless," Ethan continued seriously, "do not do anything against him now."

  His tone carried a clear warning.

  Reyla remained silent.

  Then she spoke quietly.

  "Aleck…"

  Reyla's face crumbled slightly as she imagined the expression Aleck would make when he heard the news.

  She slowly turned toward Ethan.

  "Big Brother Ethan… I don't think we'll be able to live at the church anymore. The new priest might even throw Aleck out."

  She fell silent.

  For a long moment, neither of them spoke as a soft wind moved through the trees above them, scattering a few dry leaves across the ground.

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  After a while, Reyla spoke again, this time with a more serious expression.

  "Will I be able to join your service as a knight?"

  Ethan looked at her, surprised by the sudden request.

  "…Alright," he said after a moment.

  "But," Reyla continued, "you must allow Aleck to stay at your residence so that he can have a normal life."

  "I think… Father would have wanted that."

  Ethan nodded slowly.

  "I understand what you're thinking by joining the knights," he said.

  "But don't act recklessly."

  "You might fall into Fritz's trap before you even get your revenge. He was already strong enough, but I've seen some of the people working with him… and believe me, you won't want to face them unprepared."

  Reyla didn't respond.

  She didn't look at Ethan.

  She didn't look at the children playing in the field either.

  Her gaze had drifted somewhere far away, lost in a distant memory.

  After a long moment, she slowly removed her nun's cap.

  Golden hair spilled down over her shoulders, shining softly beneath the afternoon sunlight.

  ??

  Inside the basement of the main church, a meeting was being held.

  Around a round table, five people were seated. In the center of the table was a glass container, and inside it was a black object. The object was slowly moving.

  "I can't believe that mercenary had the Mark," a man in priest attire said. A sun pendant hung from his neck, and his entire body was covered in ceremonial clothing.

  "That man seemed suspicious from the start," another priest said. His skin was tanned, and his hair had turned completely white with age. "But we couldn't decline a request from the Grand Duke back then."

  "What about that nun who was always with him?" the man with the pendant asked. "Do you think she has the Mark as well?"

  "Vareen is right," another man said. He wore the same priest attire, but with golden linings on his clothes. "We can't be sure unless we thoroughly check everyone related to him."

  "Don't be stupid, Helios," another priest spoke calmly. He wore full white priest attire and had a sun tattoo on his forehead.

  "You know that church is connected to the Grand Duke. Most of his donations will disappear if we start investigating everyone there. Moreover, the sun mark is popular among young people. We cannot judge its authenticity unless…"

  He looked toward the glass container holding the black object.

  "…Grand Archbishop Sir Aurelias finds a way to communicate through the godling."

  The man sitting closest to the glass jar had his hands crossed on the table. He wore a full white priest robe with golden buttons. His skin was pale, his face clean-shaven, and his white hair neatly combed.

  He spoke in a deep voice.

  "I have decided to give the godling to the kingdom's researchers. They might be able to replicate the regenerative nature of the Mark."

  None of the others objected. They remained silent.

  "Forget about that priest," Aurelias continued. "Our main focus should be the man named Fritz. We must understand why the Goddess sent a revelation to remove Ethan Greywhite from Embrek."

  "And this man simply surrendered and handed a godling to us. He is dangerous, yet the Goddess seems to be assisting him for some reason. We must monitor him closely for any anomalies."

  "Archbishop Cassian, what is the report on the King?"

  Cassian responded, "Sir, the King seems to be leaning toward the nobles who support war to expand the territory, but he is still waiting for the Church's response. He has not yet fully followed his own desires."

  Aurelias remained silent for a moment.

  "I have not received another revelation since the last one," he finally said. "So we will continue to act as planned."

  "And send a priest to Embrek immediately. We cannot allow fear to spread among the devotees."

  "That will be all for today."