Chapter 47
After finishing with Iomene, I left the Imperial Palace and went straight to find Erfa.
Ever since the Evil God fragment incident, I had been too busy with investigations and dodging reporters to visit her until now.
“The witch Erfa and…”
“I will guide you right away!!”
Because I had detonated the Evil God’s fragment right in front of everyone at the palace last time, people’s attitudes toward me had completely changed.
Thanks to that, I was able to arrive at Erfa’s laboratory in no time.
“Erfa? It’s me, Amael.”
After knocking cautiously twice, I heard a brief sound of crashing inside, followed by the door creaking open slightly.
“Oh, w-welcome.”
It looked like she had hurriedly cleaned up the room—her hair was slightly disheveled as she greeted me.
I gave her a small smile.
“Sorry for visiting so late. A lot has happened…”
Honestly, if I hadn’t arrived in the limousine His Majesty had gifted me, I wouldn’t have made it here at all.
The crowds outside were so overwhelming that taking a single step was nearly impossible.
At my words, Erfa fully opened the door and motioned for me to enter.
I stepped inside her research lab.
Now that I thought about it, this was my first time inside Erfa’s lab.
“U-um… what brings you here…”
“I know it’s a bit late to ask, but… you weren’t hurt, were you?”
At my question, Erfa nodded.
Her four hands fidgeted awkwardly in the air, clearly not knowing what to do.
She must be really embarrassed.
“I’m glad. I heard that if you get hit with a curse, the injuries can be severe. You need to stay healthy.”
“O-of course! I make sure not to put myself in danger. I’m fine. If anything, you were the truly amazing one, Saint-nim. You came back completely unharmed, even from the heart of the curse itself…”
“Haha. It wasn’t anything special.”
“Y-yeah…”
The conversation came to a halt.
Erfa absentmindedly played with her hair, while I found myself sinking into an inexplicable melancholy, unable to say anything else.
She’s beautiful.
Some people might find her four arms unsettling, even eerie.
But for me? She’s absolutely my type.
If I followed my heart, I would make things between us a certainty right this instant.
But for her sake, I had to suppress my emotions.
I just wanted Erfa to be happy.
I didn’t want her to stay by my side, only to be dragged into my inevitable ruin.
I forced myself to push my feelings down.
I had secured my emergency funds.
Now, all that remained was figuring out how to counter tracking miracles and how to use time-stop more efficiently.
The reason I came to the Mage Tower was to find a way to improve my use of time-stop.
“Actually, Erfa, I came here to ask for a favor.”
“Yes! Anything!”
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
I’m sorry.
I wasn’t in a position to return her feelings.
“I need to meet an expert in time magic. Is there anyone like that in the Mars Mage Tower branch?”
For a split second, disappointment flickered across Erfa’s face.
“The Tower Master, Orgen, is a leading expert in time magic. He rose to his position by publishing research papers in that field. If it’s Saint-nim requesting a meeting, I doubt he would refuse.”
“Thank you, Erfa. Then, I’ll go see the Tower Master now.”
“Wait!! Saint-nim!”
Erfa suddenly grabbed my hand.
“You… there wasn’t anything between you and Princess Iomene, was there?”
So she had been holding that in.
I shook my head.
Iomene did like me.
But considering her current mental age, it was probably more of a reliance on someone she could trust rather than romantic feelings.
And even if she did have feelings for me, I had no intention of pursuing a relationship with her.
Erfa alone was already making my heart ache like this.
I had no interest in entangling myself with even more women.
“There was nothing special. I was simply helping the princess stabilize her fragile mental state. That’s all—nothing more, nothing less.”
Erfa looked at me with a face of relief.
“I see… Sorry. That was a weird question to ask.”
She blushed slightly before flashing a bright smile.
And here I was, about to leave her behind soon.
“Erfa. No matter whether I’m here or not, always live for yourself. You need to be healthy and happy.”
“Of course!”
I nodded.
Then, Erfa stepped forward, cupped my face with her hands, and lightly kissed me.
The weight of my sadness deepened.
“See you again, Saint-nim!”
I forced a smile, doing my best to suppress the sorrow welling up inside me.
***
“Saint-nim! It’s been a while since we last met at the Inquisition Hall, haha!”
Orgen, the Tower Master, looked exactly the same as when I had last seen him at the Inquisition Hall of the Temple of All Gods.
A plump figure with long, white beard.
A classic wizard character.
I didn’t even have to go looking for him.
As soon as I stepped out of Erfa’s laboratory, the Tower Master was already waiting for me.
“I never imagined Saint-nim would want to see me! Could it be that you seek magical counsel regarding the princess’s treatment?”
“No, actually. I wanted to discuss something related to time magic.”
At my words, the Tower Master burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Time magic, you say! That happens to be my specialty. I must admit, I never expected Saint-nim to have an interest in time magic.”
A saint and time magic.
They did seem like an odd combination.
But I was a saint, wasn’t I?
“I have my reasons.”
A single vague sentence like this was usually enough to get by.
As expected, the Tower Master simply chuckled and nodded.
“Well, then I must oblige! What would you like to know about time magic?”
Finally!
I carefully posed my question.
“Does time magic consume a significant amount of mental energy?”
“You’re quite perceptive! That’s correct. The mana consumption itself is moderate, but the mental exhaustion is extreme. That’s why most practical applications involve stopping time only within a limited space. It’s used more for experimental purposes rather than in combat scenarios.”
“I see. Then how do mages usually handle that overwhelming mental drain? Are there any special training methods or techniques?”
Orgen shook his head.
“Time is an inherently complex concept that is difficult for the human mind to grasp. Rather than training one’s mental endurance, most mages use artifacts or special items to reduce the strain.”
That sounded promising.
“What kind of items do they use?”
“Devices such as psychic amplifiers made from magic crystals.”
“Are these items portable?”
“No. They’re designed strictly for laboratory use, so all portability functions have been stripped away. They are massive in size.”
Damn it.
So they were completely useless to me?
Just as I was about to let out a sigh—
“Well, there is a portable version of a psychic amplifier.”
Orgen’s words caught my attention.
“What kind of item is it?”
“The horn of a unicorn is the most powerful psychic amplifier in existence. With one, a portable psychic amplifier can be crafted.”
A unicorn’s horn??
Just hearing it, I knew it wasn’t something I’d find lying on the side of the road.
“Is there any way to obtain one?”
“Unicorns are nearly impossible to hunt. They use their powerful psychic amplification abilities to manipulate minds effortlessly, making them incredibly difficult for even trained mages or hunters to capture. That’s why there are so few available on the market.”
Ah…
So there was no way to get one?
“Well, our Mage Tower doesn’t have many in stock either… but do you truly need a horn? There is already a portable psychic amplifier that has been crafted. If you wish, I can give it to you.”
My eyes widened.
“Are you serious?”
“Of course. I’ve heard that you’ve been providing free elixirs and increasing research funding so that mages and witches can conduct their work more comfortably. And more than that—you saved the Empire. How could I refuse? At this point, I’m sure it will be of more use to you than to an old man like me.”
Orgen pulled out a locket-shaped pendant from a drawer and showed it to me.
“I crafted this in my younger years for research purposes. However, it was never actually used and has only been kept as a memento. If you plan to use it, it will need some adjustments and tuning. It should take about a week. After that, I will hand it over to you.”
Savior!! He’s a savior!!
“Thank you, Tower Master.”
“Think nothing of it. If you don’t mind, may I visit the Mage Tower’s temple occasionally to study Saint-nim’s healing abilities? I would like to interpret your miracles through the lens of magic.”
I was going to disappear soon anyway.
Might as well let him do as he pleased while I was still around.
Especially since he had given me something so valuable.
“Of course. Feel free to visit whenever you like.”
“I am most grateful.”
With that, I finally left the Mage Tower.
When I returned to the temple in the Emperor’s limousine, I was met with a full house—Imperial Guards, court mages, priests, and holy knights of the White Order filled the temple’s interior.
At the center of it all stood the Imperial Family.
“You’re already here?”
Surprised, I hurried forward, and Iomene launched herself from the Empress’s embrace straight into my arms.
“Like!!”
Yeah, yeah.
You little cat-like thing.
I stroked Iomene’s hair while the Emperor watched the scene with satisfaction.
“Iomene was so eager to see you that we hurried over. For the next two days, we leave her in your care.”
“Of course. I will stay by the princess’s side and assist her as much as possible until the procedure.”
The Empress cautiously approached and took my hand.
“Thank you so much, Saint-nim. I can’t even begin to express my gratitude…”
“It’s nothing, Your Majesty. And you don’t have to be so formal with me.”
But of course, she didn’t listen.
The Emperor, the Empress, and Princess Almeine all expressed their deepest gratitude until the very moment they left.
And at last, I was alone with Iomene.
She clung to me like a kitten, purring happily.
“Like!! Like!!”
I gently stroked her head as she rubbed her face against me.
“Now sleep!! Sleep together?”
“No, we can’t sleep together.”
“Because no marriage?”
Her innocent, childlike question made me chuckle.
I led her to the bedroom.
The holy knights and Imperial Guards stationed to protect her took their places outside, leaving just the two of us in the room.
I gave her some sweets and snacks, but she didn’t even look at them.
“Sleep together! Sleep together! Marriage! Marriage!!”
Watching her throw a tantrum, I sighed heavily.
Iomene’s mental age was that of a child.
Without thinking, I found myself speaking honestly.
“If you stay by my side, you’ll get hurt.”
“No hurt. I’m healed.”
“For now, yes. But later… Later, you will get hurt. Iomene, once your treatment is over, you must stop relying on me and live on your own. Strongly. Brilliantly. Can you do that?”
“No!! No!! I like Saint-nim!! Like!! Marriage!! Marriage!!”
She threw herself into my arms, clinging tightly.
A deep sadness washed over me.
“I’m sorry, Iomene. I’m sorry.”
Why…
Why were there so many women who loved me, yet I couldn’t be happy with any of them?
Why did I have to leave?
I wanted to be happy with Erfa.
I truly wanted to just live a normal life here as a saint.
But I couldn’t.
If I stayed, the people who loved me would get hurt.
I had to leave.
“I’m sorry, Iomene.”
Before I realized it, my emotions overwhelmed me, and tears began to fall.
Iomene looked startled.
“Don’t cry. Don’t cry.”
Panicked, she wrapped her arms around me.
Her pure, childlike innocence only made me cry harder.
Today, more than any other day…
I resented and hated the Goddess even more.
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