Chapter 410
With a fresh smile lingering on her lips, Israfil sat calmly with her eyes closed.
Perhaps it was because the meeting was unexpected. All other questions were set aside—only joy filled the air.
Simon, wondering how best to greet her, subtly adjusted his posture.
“Gratula mi Kibilis. It’s been a while, Lady Israfil.”
A greeting used among Saints and High Priests. Of course, this was the Dark Alliance, so there was no real need for such formality.
“Ah.”
Israfil looked genuinely moved.
Sometimes, just a simple courtesy and respect can earn deep affection.
Beaming like a blossoming flower, she rose from her seat and opened her arms.
“Come here, Simon!”
“Lady Israfil!”
The two embraced tightly in a reunion hug. In the Holy Federation, touching a Saint was considered a grave offense, but Israfil responded with bold intimacy.
She was rather tall. Simon hadn’t finished growing yet, but she still towered over him. Israfil gently ran her fingers through Simon’s hair.
“Simon!”
As always, Simon’s mother, Anna, peeked her head out from the kitchen.
This time, the two of them hugged. From her apron came the sweet scent of apple pie.
“You must be so hungry. Sit down. I put a lot of effort into dinner today!”
“Yes! Mom!”
What Simon had missed most of all was his mother’s home cooking.
And so, the four of them sat around the table, chatting warmly as they enjoyed dinner together.
Scooping up a bite of Anna’s one-of-a-kind tomato omelet—something you could never eat anywhere else—Simon felt an overwhelming sense of happiness.
Israfil and Anna giggled as they chattered away, while Richard didn’t dare join in, preoccupied with reading Israfil’s mood.
It seemed those two didn’t exactly have a comfortable relationship.
“But how did Lady Israfil end up coming all the way out here?”
Simon asked quietly.
Though they were having a peaceful moment around the table, from Keyzen HQ’s perspective, this was an unprecedented state of emergency.
After all, the Saint of Efnelle had infiltrated deep into Dark Alliance territory. It wouldn’t have been strange if the ‘Crows’ from across the country came foaming at the mouth to track her down.
“I used a rather troublesome method.”
As she said this, she gently touched the black choker around her neck.
“It’s an artifact that seals the power of a Saint. As long as I’m wearing this, I’m free from the Dark Alliance’s detection.”
“B-but sealing your powers like that... isn’t that too dangerous? I mean, this is the heart of enemy territory...”
“It’s fine.”
She lightly stroked the backs of Anna and Simon with her slender arms.
“My beloved sister and nephew will protect me. Won’t you?”
“O-of course!”
Simon clenched his fist as he replied. Anna smiled brightly too.
But curiously, Israfil left out Richard, who was by far the strongest person present.
Richard, however, just smiled as if used to it. It was the kind of attitude of someone who accepted being taken for granted. He carefully watched all his actions around her.
‘Lete or Lady Israfil... Neither seems to like Father much.’
Still, she wasn’t as openly hostile as Lete had been. Israfil occasionally joked with Richard, and whenever she did, Simon and Anna would burst out laughing in response.
The two of them hoped Israfil and Richard could grow a little closer.
And so, dinner came to an end.
“It was worth risking the trip into the Dark Alliance. It’s been so long since I’ve felt this kind of family warmth.”
Israfil said, elegantly wiping the corners of her lips.
“Was it good?”
“Yes, Sister.”
For the first time, Israfil’s ever-closed eyes opened slightly, revealing pitch-black irises reminiscent of the abyss.
“So good, I want to kidnap you to the Federation and eat it every day.”
“Ohohoho! Oh, come on~”
To Anna, this was an immense compliment, and she blushed with a bashful smile. Meanwhile, Richard was sweating and averting his gaze.
“It was just a joke.”
Israfil’s eyes gently closed again, and she flashed Simon a playful smile.
“Well then, dear brother-in-law.”
Richard cleared his throat and took on a more fatherly demeanor.
“Perhaps now is the time to share your proposal with Simon.”
“You’re right, Brother-in-law.”
Israfil turned her body to face Simon squarely. Her graceful posture made Simon tense up and sit more properly.
“Lady Israfil. What sort of proposal...?”
“Simon, I’d like to request a mission from you.”
Simon’s eyes widened in surprise. A mission? From a Saint? For him?
Israfil tilted her chin slightly, her eyes still closed.
“I sense a great evil rising in the northern parts of the continent. This aura becomes even clearer when I’m in the Holy Federation.”
In the far north of the Holy Federation lies the Kinber region, where snow falls year-round. Israfil explained that the aura of evil was growing stronger there.
“I went to eradicate that evil myself, but I failed. It was tightly sealed away.”
Israfil’s closed eyes turned toward Simon.
“And to unseal it, both holiness and darkness are required.”
“...Ah.”
“Among all the necromancers I know, the only one who can freely move through the Federation while hiding his identity and evading inquisitors is just one person.”
That she would go so far to say this—It made Simon feel a bit proud.
“This evil will one day threaten not just the Holy Federation, but even the Dark Alliance—eventually the whole continent. Simon, please accept my request. Stop this evil before it grows any further.”
Simon thoughtfully stroked his chin.
“Hm, that ‘evil’ sounds a bit abstract, though.”
“You’ll know it the moment you arrive. I’ll assign you an excellent guide.”
‘...Hmm.’
From Simon’s perspective, it actually wasn’t a bad proposal.
First, staying in the Holy Federation during break would allow him to completely escape Magnus’ pursuit and threats. He was planning to leave Leshill soon anyway.
Second, he had spent most of his time in Keyzen. Training in holy magic and white magic within the Federation was a great opportunity.
Holiness and Darkness—growing strong in both would also strengthen his new technique, Chaos.
And third, he owed Lady Israfil his mother Anna’s life. That was a debt that had to be repaid, no matter what.
“Alright.”
After some thought, Simon nodded.
“You risked your life to come all the way into the Dark Alliance to ask me. I can’t pretend I didn’t hear it. I’ll take your request.”
Israfil raised her hand to her mouth in surprise.
“I haven’t even mentioned the reward yet.”
“Eh? Ah, haha! R-right!”
That reaction only seemed to raise Israfil’s affection for him even more. Her head turned toward Richard.
“Brother-in-law.”
“Yes, Sister-in-law.”
She gave a gentle smile.
“...Truly, I can’t help but acknowledge you.”
Richard chuckled and took it in stride, as if it were obvious—but he also turned to Simon with a dramatic thumbs-up.
“Simon, I heard from Lete you have talent in Divine Beastology?”
Simon scratched his earlobe awkwardly.
“Not sure if I have talent, but it’s my favorite subject.”
“If you take on this mission, the reward is 10,000 gold. And I’ll also give you a top-tier divine beast artifact, something you could never get in the Dark Alliance.”
10,000 gold!!
And a divine beast artifact only obtainable in the Federation?
This was a must-do. Simon shot to his feet.
“If you entrust me with it, I’ll give it everything I’ve got!”
* * *
Night had fallen.
Meow! Meow!
Nyaa!
Since the topic came up, when Israfil asked what divine beasts Simon had, he took out Whitey and Blackey from his holy subspace.
“They’re so cute!”
The former Saint of Miracles and the current Saint of the Divine Sea were in their pajamas, admiring the playful antics of the kittens.
When Anna dangled an ornament tied to a string and swung it around, the kittens raised their adorable front paws and instinctively pounced like little hunters. Their squeals and mewls echoed through the house.
Simon, who had just returned after finishing the dishes, watched the scene with a soft smile.
‘So this is what Father meant when he said Mom had returned to her girlish days.’
Anna and Israfil, both graduates of Efnelle, were closer than anyone.
Meanwhile, Richard was cleaning up the cat fur on the floor, letting out deep sighs.
“So much shedding. Once your mom and sister-in-law are done playing, put them back in the holy subspace immediately.”
“You’re not going to watch them, Father?”
“I have no interest in any creature that isn’t human.”
Then, the next morning.
As he lay flat on the floor trying to lure the kittens with a toy, Richard met eyes with Simon, who had come down for a drink of water.
“……”
“……”
Meow~!
The kittens ignored Richard and charged straight toward Simon.
* * *
Two days later.
Simon departed for the Holy Federation with Israfil.
He had heard they’d prepared a long-distance teleportation magic circle, so Simon expected to whoosh through the air and arrive in the Federation in a blink.
Clatter, clatter.
But reality was far from ideal.
“……”
The sound of wagon wheels turning and merchants chattering could be heard.
In a small, dark, shaking crate, Simon and Israfil were squished together in an extremely tight space, facing each other as if entangled.
‘I’ve been in this situation somewhere before!’
Sweat was running down the back of Simon’s head.
To endure the cramped space, their legs were interlocked. One wrong move, and knees might touch... some very awkward areas.
Every time the wagon bumped over something like a stone, Simon’s heart jumped along with it.
And even in this situation, Israfil’s beauty didn’t fade in the slightest. Her body, pressed closely against his, carried a faint scent of a tropical seaside resort.
Simon, doing his best to look elsewhere, cautiously opened his eyes.
Israfil was staring straight at him. When she gave him a sweet, smiling gaze, Simon quickly turned his head with a blushing face, and a soft giggle escaped from Israfil.
“......L-Lady Israfil.”
“Yes~?”
“You’re a Saint. Do we really have to travel like this?”
Sneaking through the border in a merchant wagon crate, Simon had experienced it a few times before, and it was always grueling.
She chuckled.
“We can’t let the Holy Federation discover us either, you know.”
“……”
“I came in the same way. Stuffed into a crate, just like this.”
They were literally stuffing a Saint into a cargo box and smuggling her across borders.
If one of the merchants transporting this wagon turned out to be a follower of the Church of Dave, they might take their own life out of guilt and sacrilege.
“We must be nearing the Gate of Holiness now.”
The Gate of Holiness at the Holy Federation’s border.
It filters out unholy objects and hidden necromancers.
Israfil reached out her arms.
“I’ll protect you, dear nephew.”
And she gently embraced Simon.
A soft wave of holiness spread from her body and wrapped around Simon. Embarrassment flooded his face with heat, nearly knocking him out.
“Ah.”
Then came Israfil’s soft whisper.
“If I hold you too tightly, that could be a problem. Strictly speaking, you and I don’t share a drop of blood.”
“!!!”
Just as Simon’s face flushed bright red, he felt the moment they passed through the Gate of Holiness.
Finally, Israfil released him and said,
“Just kidding.”
If she jokes a second time, he might really die.
As Simon sat there with a dazed expression, Israfil chuckled like a mischievous adult.
“Um... Lady Israfil.”
Fearing the silence would only make things more awkward, Simon forced himself to speak.
“So... this guide you mentioned, the one who’s going with me—who is it?”
Israfil smiled brightly.
“Curious?”
* * *
“Ah, ah-choo!”
A girl with a drowsy face sneezed. The attendant brushing her white hair laughed.
“What’s wrong, Saint Lete?”
The girl blinked awkwardly.
“...Ah, mm. I’m not sure. Maybe I caught a cold or something.”
The attendant chuckled.
“How could a Saint catch a cold? What a funny joke.”
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters