A loud laugh comes from behind me.

'Haha!　Well said, brother Christ!　That's enough!　Oh, that's great!　The birth of a new hero (・・・・・・・・) is always exciting to watch, man!　Hahahaha--!

　Palinkron's laughter rang out as my eyes interrupted me and Rastiara's eye contact with each other.

　I don't mind laughing, but since I've also met the conditions you presented, I want you to act quickly.
　Frankly, this stalemate is nearing its limits.

　Sure enough, Feydert returns to the podium, stomping on the floor and shouting.

''Hey, what are you talking about!　Rastiara!

　He then calls out to the other young woman on the platform.

'Reki-sama!　I don't mind if it's a little rough on you!

　From the woman's features, she appears to be the 'deputy of the Senate' that Mr. Hein told me about.
　The 'Deputy of the Senate' called Leki calmly replied.

'Hmm. We're in the middle of a ceremony, though.
No problem!
Well, if that's what you're going to do. ......

　The woman starts muttering something.
　Then Rustyala held her throat and prodded her knees.

'd*mn--!

　He doesn't look like he's in pain, but he doesn't seem to be able to move.
　It looks like some kind of spell has been cast.

'Knights!　Catch the riffraff out there!　Anyone who stops at this life deserves to be guilty of treason against Hoosiers!　

　After confirming the motionless Rustyala, Feydert raises the loudest voice of the day and gives a stern order to the knights around him.

　It looks like they no longer have the luxury of time.
　In contrast, Palinclone returns with a laugh.

''Your decision was too late, huh!　Deputy Prime Minister!　Just again, good timing!

　At the same time as those words, someone came in from the rear entrance, making a noise.

　The person who came in was Mr. Hein.
　He was breathing on his shoulder and his body was torn apart and covered in blood.
　Furthermore, the other 'Seven Celestial Knights' (Celestial Knights) also entered from afterwards.

　Apparently, Mr. Hein, who had been stranded, had been driven to this point.

''Wha, what!　You guys!

　Feydert is surprised.
　By the looks of it, he may not know anything about the outside world at all.

　But I'm surprised, too.
　It's tricky to get more enemies in here.
　It's a bit different than planned.
　But I soon find out what Palinkron is after.

　Palinclone stood back to back with me and pointed the sword in his hand at the Seven Celestial Knights who appeared. Seeing this, Hein-san lined up next to Palinclone without hesitation and protected my back.

　The people around me groaned when they saw it.

　Following Rastiara's refusal of the ritual, and even more so, two of the 'Seven Knights of Heaven (Celestial Knights)' are trying to protect my back.

　You don't know what's going on.

''Hain, Palinkron!　What do you think you're doing?　You're going against your country!　

　Feydert also asks the reason for their rebellion.
　To which they answer shortly, with their backs turned.

'I am a knight in the service of the Lady. That's all.''
Um, I'm in the same boat.

　Hearing this, Feydert's face contorted.
　Then, after matching their answers with Aun's, Hein and Palinkron spoke in a whisper.

''Palinclone.......''
'I'll follow you there, Hein. My brother in Christ has fulfilled the requirements beautifully, and I've got some interesting visions.

　Apparently, Palinclone is willing to help us rescue Rustyala in earnest.

''Thank you. Mr. Hein, Palinkron.

　I give them both a small thank you.
　Palinclone returns it with a serious voice.

'But, brother. You still have a lot of enemies to take, don't you?　So, let's mix things up. Trust is a fragile thing, you know. We'll just have to add a few more things to the mix.

　I'm beginning to see the visions that Palinkron is seeing, and I'm beginning to see the visions that I'm seeing.

　I raise my voice - but without getting rough, I tell all the people around me.

'From your point of view, I may look like a fool who knows nothing ....... But even such a fool knows one thing. That is that the girl there does not want this ritual!　I'm terrified that this ritual will make me disappear!　Your freedom is being taken away, your will is being bent, and you're about to come to an unwanted end!　That's what people do!　Is that the will of the country!　Is that what the Levantine religion teaches!　Doesn't that hurt your hearts!　Really, is that what you want!

　It's not the words I had in mind.
　It's the nonsense of the momentum of the scene.
　But at this point, I don't care if it's a stupid theory or a poor sophistry. Because the goal is not to convince people.

　In contrast, the enemy also raises his voice in defeat.

''With such nonsense!　That's no reason to disrupt an event that the state has already decided on!　This is nothing but treason you're about to commit.　He's nothing but a sinner!

　Feydert also seems to have come to understand the purpose of Palinkron.
　He explains the legitimacy of the ritual as he works with the guests.
　He continues, asking for their cooperation.

''I'm sorry for our ineptitude, but I would like to ask the skilled knight lords to help us fix the situation!

　I don't think Feydert really wants his guest to take part in the rough stuff. However, out of the blue - he says he wants them to be a little more quiet for the sake of settling the situation.

　That's probably why he's saying that he wants to destroy even the slightest possibility.
　The reason for this is because if someone cooperates with us, even if it's fickle, we'll be in trouble.

　However, it was as good as confessing that even a little blade-injury would be very embarrassing.
　I am convinced that the distinguished guests are my Achilles heel, and I smile thinly.

　I can see a few of the armed guards with free hands trying to stand up, thanks to Feydert's shapeless argument.

　These are the people who want to use this opportunity to ingratiate themselves with the Fuzyards.

　That doesn't stop Feydert.
　He decides that if it's just an escort, he's fine with it.
　The power structure of the field begins to move.

　But then a huge torrent of magical power rushed through the entire temple.
　The huge, hair-raising magical power that rushed through the room made those who stood up cower their feet.

''--Ah. Indeed, it might be strange to come here and talk about morality. What the country decides to do is not something that can be changed by personal feelings ....... But I find what the boy says interesting. I'm not trying to help you. But I'd just like to hear a few more conversations between the present god and the boy there. Yes, ....... It's just a short conversation. Why can't I have that too?　Acting Prime Minister Feydert?

　Deere, stationed in the center of the room, speaks up and scrambles through the place.

　I drip sweat.
　Even though Dia's magic power is abnormal, her own physical ability is low. Even though it's helpful, I'd like you to be a little more modest in your provocations. Or, is it just my imagination that he looks like he's in a bad mood?

　Federt reveals his anger to Dia, who bites him unceremoniously.

'Apostle ......!　You're playing too much: ......!

　He glares at them with sharp eyes along with angry words, but Dia doesn't seem to mean it.

　Feudelt has decided that this is not the time to be bothered by Dia, and he next calls out to the knights at the entrance.

''The 'Seven Knights of Heaven (Celestial Knights)'!　Now, move it!

　I can hear the voices of the knights near the entrance behind me.

''d*mn, I can't help it. ......!
But Hein and Palinclone are ......!

　A low, aged voice and a dignified female voice.
　I'm pleased when someone is easy to break down.

　I aim, turn around, and call out.
　There's still room to change the balance of power.

'Mr. Radiant!　Rastiala over there is suffering!　Does that look happy to you!　Is that what you want to see!　Are you sure that's the right thing to do!

　I point to Rustyala, who is holding his throat, and call out to Mr. Radiant.
　Then the black knight next to me retorts.　

''No!　No, Hain, Palinkron, Radiant!　Recall, The Seven Celestial Knights are the knights for the upcoming Saint Tiara!　Don't make that mistake!

　I try to persuade the three of them with my low, aged voice.

　But even I'm determined to argue with them.
　Mr. Raydiant-san will never give it to me.

''That's a newsflash, isn't it!　Not the Seven Celestial Knights of Heaven (Celestial Knights) Hine Helvilleshain I know!　At least he's not a knight in The Saint Tiara!　Hey, Mr. Hein!　Isn't it!

　To counteract the persuasion, I talk to Mr. Hein.
　I'd like Mr. Hein, who has probably known me longer than I have, to break down Mr. Raydiant.

''Oh, oh ....... 'Of course. I didn't serve 'Saint Tiara', a great man from the past!　It wasn't the dead that I truly wanted to protect, nope, it was the young lady who lived there!　--I'm your knight in shining armor (・・・・・・・・・)!

　Despite being rejected so abruptly, Mr. Hein returned the favor well.
　I thanked him and added more words.

'As you've heard, Hein-san is a Knight of Rastiara!　Then, Mr. Radiant!　Which one are you!　Knight of Rath'tiara, Knight of Saint Tiara, make up your mind now!　Here!

　I agitate, focusing on the momentum so as not to give them time to worry.

'Kuu--!　I am!

　Mr. Raydiant's voice sounds lost, followed by a young girl's voice.
　It's Ragne's voice.

''Se-Senpai!

　Raydiant-san pointed her sword at her fellow 'Celestial Knights' (Celestial Knights) and moved to this side.

　It was fine if he just didn't bother to move. However, Raydiant-san was quicker than I expected, and he followed my side.

　Raydiant-san shouts to Ragne while turning over.

"Lagne, you're too young!　A word of advice from a senior citizen!　I've been screwed, but you can fight me or per Christ and fall down at random!　You're working for your hometown, so don't take it easy!
Ugh. ......!

　He also convinced Ragne to go further.
　The happy miscalculation continues.
　If Lagne-chan doesn't move now, the power relations on the entrance side will be reversed.

　The situation fluctuates, and the 'Seven Celestial Knights' (Celestial Knights) who are holding back at the entrance are discussing with sweat dripping from their hands.

''Of course, my uncle will fulfill his official duties, but ....... Oh no, this is .......
Me too.
In effect, there are three of them here or ......

　The three remaining were Hopes-san, the magic-specialized 'Celestial Knights' (Celestial Knights), and the Black Knight Persiona.

　I could tell from their voices that they were troubled.
　Hopes-san talks to the Black Knight with a disgusted look on her face.

The three knights who were prepared for this kind of situation have been turned over to ....... What should we do, Mr. President? Hypothetically, do you feel like you can win this four against four ......?　I don't like it: ....... It's not a good match for magic and ......
If you're outdoors, you have the means, but here we're getting people involved: ......

　Seeing the 『Seven Knights of Heaven (Celestial Knights)』 and the others rushing to attack, Feydert numbly shouted to one of the guests.

''Glenn!　Heroic Glenn, hold them off!
'Yes, yes!　It's me here!

　A man in the front row of the honored guest section answered it in a pathetic voice.

　The man stands up and turns around to look at me and slumps over.
　He's a man with red-copper hair and an uncharacteristically uncharacteristic look.

　If I didn't mishear him, he was indeed called 'Glenn'.
　That name means that he is the strongest labyrinth explorer.

　This man with a pitiful voice is the strongest ...... of this world?

　As I drip sweat at the sudden appearance of the enemy force, the girl sitting next to Glenn in front of me tugs at the hem of Glenn's clothes.
　She says something in a whisper.

　I'm thin, but I expand my magic 《Dimension》 and pick up the voices of Glenn and the girl.

'...... brother, you'll have to watch this place.'
Mrs. Snow?

　There was Snow Walker, the Dragon Man (Dragon Newt).
　She's the girl he met in the labyrinth a few days ago and only partied with once. Snow calls Glenn her brother. They're not at all alike, but as long as they're sitting next to each other in the guest section, I guess that's what they are.

　Snow speaks in a small voice, looking at us.

I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on in the future if you move poorly. ...... And besides, he's not a bad person.
'Well, if you say you're not a bad person ....... But if you say so, Snow, then .......

　I felt my eyes meet with Snow's.
　It's the same dumbfounded look as when he told me before, when we parted, that I wasn't cut out to be an explorer.

''Excuse me!　I'll pass!

　Then Glenn replies to Feydert in a loud voice.

'Glenn Walker!
"Because we're dealing with the Celestial Knights, who are under your command!　I don't even know what's going on!　I don't want to kill him and then be mad at him later!

　Feydert is incensed by the unexpected answer from the strongest.
　But Glenn, in a pathetic voice, makes a core excuse.

　Yes.
　A lot of people are thinking.
　I don't know because of what's going on.
　We don't know what they're going to say later.
　So you have to be quiet.

　Glenn, who has the strongest name, clearly spoke for me, and the flow around me changed.
　Feidert, who felt the danger of this, gave up on Glenn early and called out to the next person.

''Then the Sword Sage Lord--!

　Swordsman?
　It's like someone has an amazing nickname.
　It's an exciting nickname to hear in normal times, but I didn't want to hear it now.

　If this is the case, Feydert is going to call on everyone he knows within the guest circle. We don't want the enemy's strength to increase. As I was pondering whether to act now that Mr. Raydiant-san is here, I was already thinking of taking action, when an elderly man who seems to be a sword saint stands up and replies.

''No, I'm willing to do it, Acting Prime Minister. But, you know, if you're right about the Glenn monk, if you do it, there will be a lot of dead people. Also, the unexpected ones are the ones that are the most likely to kill you. Seriously, it's bad.

　He uttered the pathetic words as he looked at Dia in the center.
　Although Dia is putting pressure on the entire room, his eyes are focused the entire time. He continues to stare at the first man who was called the Sword Saint.

　Dia seems to think that this first man is the most troublesome in the place.
　In line with the frivolous first man, Dia returns the words lightly.

'You're not very good at listening to people, old man Aleis. I'm objective and I don't think the boy there is wrong in any way, so I just want to have a word with you.'
'This is objective, hey ....... A while ago you were such a ladylike girl ....... What is it, Sis? Did you fall in love with that black haired guy?
You old son of a b*tc*: ......!

　Apparently, they know each other.
　Sparks are flying in their eyes.
　From the looks of it, it doesn't look like the Sword Sage and that sort of thing is going to move soon.

　Seeing the situation, Faydert calls out to the surroundings further.

　I'm not going to stop that.
　The reason for this is because I felt that our situation was getting better.

　Voices are flying around, and the buzz around us is increasing.
　Perhaps because of the distracted responses of Glenn and the Kensei, the air in the room seems to have become buoyant.

　Some are trying to cooperate against Feydert, while many of the answers are not good.

　Dignitaries from various countries begin to speak as they please.
　There is no longer an atmosphere of ceremonial solemnity.
　The priests and knights around them are stuck in the midst of all the words of the various nations' representatives.

　It's getting to be just as Palinclone wanted it to be.
　Naturally, Palinclone, who is entrusted with their backs, will also get on board.

''Hahahaha, Acting Prime Minister-dono, oh!　I think this would be a 50-50 deal if they went at each other!　Hein and his brother in Christ are strong!　Hahahaha--!

　An elated Palinkron shouts to Feydert, "Palinkron, you!

'Palinkron, you!　d*mn it, that's why I was against welcoming a barbarian knight into the fold!　I am!

　Feydert swears.

　And then he tries to raise his voice even more to get things under control - and

　A roar rang out from the stage.

'Mmmm: ......'

　The woman on the platform, Reki, frowned and moved away from Rustyala.

''Ha, ha, ha--!

　Rustyala is gasping for breath along with a lot of sweat.
　From the looks of it, she is able to repel the woman's taut magic and is able to speak.

　Seeing this, Feydert calls out to Reki in question.

''Leki-sama!　Warding--?

　The woman called Leki replies with a sigh.

''No, it's amazing. This Jewelculus. He was able to forcefully break through the wards with his body condition. It's impossible to do more than this. I can't hold it in.
No!
I'd rather have you congratulate me on holding on for a few minutes.

　Federt crowded the woman and shouted accusations at her.
　But the woman didn't seem particularly bothered.

　Released, Rustyala stands up, wobbling, and looks determined.
　Then, with a voice that echoes throughout the room, she declares to everyone.

''Haha, haha--!　I command it in the name of Rustyala Hoosiers!　My knight Christ, Hain, Radiant, Palinkron!　When I'm reduced to a saintly tiara, take that sword and pierce my heart!

　With a clear intention, Rastiala said that he would rather die than become a saintly tiara.

　I don't feel the intervention of a 'fiction' there.
　I judge it to be Rastiara's certain will.

'All right!　Rustyala!

　The knights of Lastiara then return their voices.

'Good first words, Lord!　At least Christ and I do!
If that's what your daughter wants!
Oh, I won't let the little lady die!

　This exchange is watched by many guests.

　Some look at it with amusement. Some look on with displeasure. Some are moved by it. Some feel nothing. Some are moved and some feel nothing.

　I spread out my magic 《Dimension》 and pick up all the small voices that are buzzing around.

　Seeing the figure of the person receiving the ritual resolutely refusing, the number of people trying to get their hands on it seems to have decreased.
　In the midst of it all, wobbling, Rustyala begins to walk.
　Looking only at me, she slowly tries to get off the platform.

　Finally, it's over.
　The place is mixed.
　All that's left is to act.

　Nearby Feydert tries to stop Rastiara, and me and Palinkron try to move to stop him - and Reki, who is further up on the stage, stops him with a voice.

'Wait!　Don't move now!　Fedelt!

　Fedelt responded to the woman's voice, his body trembling and stopping.

　As a result, Rastiara walks on the carpet in the center of the temple without being blocked by anything. Me and Palinclone missed the timing to storm the place and stopped.

　The timing was missed - but it was also decisive.
　Reki, who was probably one of the organizers of the occasion, gave up his involvement in Rastiara.
　Hence, the surrounding guests, the priests, and the knights would not try to touch Rastiara. No, they couldn't touch him.

　Wobbling around, Rastiara continued to walk.

　In the midst of that, he picks up the talk of the two people on the platform with magic 《Dimension》.

''If you try to stop them here, Palinkron will definitely move ......
But I'm sure he can do it.
''That boy is probably no ordinary person either. Above all, we can't let a melee between the 'Seven Celestial Knights' in this situation.
But as long as Leki-sama is in the war, we can have as many as we want.
If even one of our country's important people is killed or injured, we will lose. Besides, it hurts to lose seven knights in this place. There's nothing we can do in this temple. It's impossible to keep that boy and the Jewel Cruze at bay without making any sacrifices.

　The woman shook her head and continued to admonish Feydert.

'Even if you get the piece called Saint Tiara, it will be a complete loss if you have too much to lose ....... For the sake of your plan, endure this place. If you endure, there is still a chance that both the 'Magic Stone Man' (Jewelculus) and the 'Celestial Knights' (Celestial Knights) will someday return to Hoozeyer's. --This battle is lost when Palinkulon and Hine betrayed us and that boy appears here unharmed.

　The woman calmly finished telling Feydert about the situation.

　Feydert bites her lip and glares at me.
　She is glaring at the irregularity that is me with a gaze that is a mixture of anger and hatred.

　It seems that he has finally acknowledged the inferiority of this place.
　The man called Feydert is no longer a threat.
　I remove my gaze from the platform and turn to Rustiala.

　Rustiala arrived at me unhindered.

　Exhaustion makes Rustyala laugh weakly.
　While laughing, she laughs, small and blunt - just one word of thanks to me, her companion.

'Thanks ......'

　I give a small laugh back and pull Lastiara's hand away without saying a word.

　From behind her, a somehow grumpy-looking Dia comes out. Apparently, she seems to have followed behind Rustyala. However, I don't know why she looks so grumpy.

　Although Dia didn't show any obvious disobedience, he was certainly interfering with the ceremony. There's no doubt that the position has deteriorated. I return Dia's intentions with a nod and agree to follow her.

　When I looked back behind me, there was Raydiant-san in wolf form.
　He turns his back to me and urges me to ride.

　It seems that he decided to become a leg after seeing Rastiara's condition.

''Mr. Raydiant-san. If you can, can you take Dia on board as well?　I'm on Rastiara's side.

　Making sure the wolf's head hangs down, I encourage Dia to get on.
　It seems that Dia also understands that her physical abilities are low, and she easily rides on Raydiant-san's back along with Rustyala.

　At that time, I thought I heard the angry voices of Dia and the priests who were accompanying her from behind. Ignoring it, I look at the entrance.

　The four 'Seven Celestial Knights' (Celestial Knights) standing at the entrance, and Hein-san and Palinclone, who are checking them out, are glaring at each other.

　Mr. Hein speaks to his former companion as if to threaten him.

'Please get out of the way. If you don't step aside, I will have to unleash my magic here. If that happens, there is a chance that this temple will collapse. You're the one who would be in trouble if the guests are harmed, right?

　Mr. Hein turned his palms to the four of them and coldly told them what Palinkron was going to say.

　In response, the Black Knight exhaled deeply and shifted off to the side to clear the way.
　The other three follow suit.

　Then I give a signal to all of them.

''Let's go. We'll run through.

　The first one to run out was Raydiant-san.
　With unnoticeable speed, he kidnapped the two girls and ran out of the room.

　Following that, me, Hein-san and Palinclone also run through and out into the corridor.

　The four "Celestial Knights" also follow us. However, they don't attack us right away. They probably think they are still close to the temple. If we fight here, there is a possibility that the aftermath will reach the temple.

　However, the four such 'Celestial Knights' (Celestial Knights) and the other four don't care about their worries, Hain-san chants a magic while running and releases a storm magic.

''--【Canon Zea】ah!

　Hein-san's magic, released as if to turn around, blows away the four people behind her.
　Confirming the distance between us, Hein-san looks ahead and speeds up his feet.

　I run as fast as I can to keep up with that.

　I go through the corridor, down the stairs and back the way I came.

　As I'm running as fast as I can so that the knights don't catch up with me, I find Leidyant-san stopping outside the entrance to the cathedral.

　I don't know why he's stopping there.
　I approach it with my doubts.
　Mr. Hein and Palinkron seemed to be the same as me.

　However, that question is broken when I see Deere standing on Mr. Raydiant's back.
　To be precise, I saw the pillar of magic fire rising from Deere, and I understood.

　As soon as the three of us pass through the cathedral and past Reidyant-san's side - Dia's compression upon compression of dense magic finishes building up.

''--[Flame Arrow, Scattered Flowers (Fall Flower)]''

　Dia wriggled a pillar of magical fire and scattered petals of flame in the air.
　Next, she transformed it into over a thousand arrows of fire, filling the sky and causing all of them to rain down on the cathedral like rain.

　Dia's magic, Flame Arrow, was no longer the laser-like magic of before.
　After receiving a lesson from Arti, she was able to control her firepower. It retained the shape of the flaming arrows that were considered common.

　Its swarm of flaming arrows destroys the entrance to the cathedral.
　They also destroyed the windows, the windows in the cathedral, and crushed all the entrances and exits to the cathedral that could be seen from here.

　In addition to smashing the cathedral, the flames make a lid on it.
　With this, my pursuers won't be able to come out from the inside so easily.

　With that confirmed, I turn to face forward.
　There's Dia, who is very good at it, looking at me as she kneads more magic.

'Christ, should I do more?　You can break it if you want to, right?
'Yes, no, I've had enough. Any more of this will only cause resentment.
All right. All right, wolf, that's enough. Just go ahead.

　Dia calls out to Mr. Raydiant and runs ahead of him.

　Palinclone bursts out laughing and Mr. Hein's eyes widen.
　I'm in a similar frame of mind to Mr. Hein.

'Let's go, Mr. Hein. This has bought us some time.

　But I can't remain stunned.
　He immediately resumes his escape.

　As we run down the grand staircase, the knights are waiting for us there.
　However, against the three of us, the terminal knights are not even enough to stop us.

　They cut down the knights one after another as if they were passing each other, and then go down the stairs.

　The same seems to be true for the female group in front of them.
　In the first place, there is no existence that has the speed to follow Raydiant-san who has become a wolf, and even if they could get close, they would be shot out by Dia's magic on their backs. From the looks of it, they seem to be safer than the three men over here.

　I'm relieved.
　As I reap the knights, I feel the response of being able to escape.

　I make a joyful smile and talk to Mr. Hein.
　It's to confirm our plan after we get out of the Hoosiers.

'We're going to flee to Gliard, the southern country, as it is. What do you and Mr. Hein and his team plan to do?
'Do you want to run south?' ....... That's wise. If I could, I'd like to follow you. I can still look good in this and I'll show you how useful I can be.

　Mr. Hein heard my plan and asked to come along.

"Oh, I'm going to leave on the way out. I'll follow you halfway through, though.

　Palinkron gives a different answer.
　For me, it was a helpful answer.

　It may sound heartless, but I don't consider this man Palinkron to be an ally, but in this case, we just have the same interests, and I don't want to be with such a dangerous man for a second. I don't want to spend one second with such a dangerous man. I haven't let my guard down yet.

　I nodded to them to show my approval.

　Then I kicked off the knights around me and ran through a courtyard with a fountain and down a path between conifers.

　Ahead of them, a group of knights, one in number, were waiting for them.
　They seemed to have gathered many knights at the gate in front of the drawbridge, but Mr. Raydiant easily jumped over their heads.

　We couldn't jump over it, so Hein-san released his magic to make a breakthrough and try to force his way through.

　The drawbridge hadn't gone up, so we succeeded in getting through with no problem.
　If it had gone up, it would have saved us from having to freeze the river with our dwindling remaining MP.

　Thus, the six of us made it through the drawbridge without incident, but next we were blocked by a wall of citizens waiting for the Nativity. A giant wolf suddenly appeared and the citizens retreated backwards, but there was no immediate way out because the back was clogged up.

　In front of the anxiously buzzing people, Mr. Raydiant stops and peers at us.
　To that, Mr. Hein answers immediately.

'We have no choice but to force our way to where the building is. From there, let's run on the roof of the building.''

　Hearing this, Mr. Radiant forced his way through the street, crushing the outside lights, signs, and roofs of the stalls, forcing people to avoid them.

　People screamed and became confused against the wolf's forced action.
　Taking advantage of the confusion, we, who are walking on the ground, also chase after Mr. Radiant in between the people.

　After some progress, we reach a group of buildings that could be used as a path, and we climb onto the roof.

　There, the six of us huddle together and proceed with our escape from the Hoosiers, keeping an eye on our surroundings.

　There are people below who are happily pointing at us as we run through. They seem to have mistaken us for a Nativity display or something.

　I turn around and look at the back of the room to check on my pursuers.

　I see the knights trying to chase them, but they are stuck in the middle of a wall of citizens. No one seems to be physically capable of climbing to the top of the building to chase them.　

　I'm relieved and call out to Mr. Raydiant.

I'm going to ask you to head to the Wald. I want to stop by your house and meet up with my friends. After we meet up with my friends, let's flee in a straight line to Gliard, the southern country.

　Mr. Raydiant nodded when he heard that.

'Feng ......'

　So I take a deep breath.

　The operation is a success.
　It's one of the best results I could have imagined.
　I'd like to call it a great success.

　There were more holes in the ritual than I thought. That's a good thing. No, maybe it was simply the fact that I was too strong. It is no longer possible for the people of this world to stop me. It was such a success that it seemed so.

　As I ran on the roof, I looked around at my achievements.
　No one is missing, no one has been killed by the enemy, and Rustyala is here.
　Even though I knew I shouldn't let my mind wander just yet, I could feel my cheeks naturally relax.

　Dia and Rustyala noticed this and smiled as well, looking at us. Their dresses were fluttering in the wind, and combined with that, their smiles were fantastically beautiful.

　--Ah, good.

　I'm so glad I was able to protect their smiles.
　All that's left to do now is to regain our poise in the south country and explore the labyrinth again.

　Moreover, by the looks of things, there's a good chance that Hein-san and Raydiant-san will also help us explore the labyrinth.
　All at once, they will have more friends and the labyrinth search will surely progress.

　The characteristics of the two of them are suited to exploring the labyrinth.
　Hein's wind magic, which is an effective means of attacking flying monsters, is an added bonus. Raidiant's beast form is a reliable ability in group battles.

　It's foul that he can fight while carrying someone on his massive body.
　By fighting with a slow-footed, magic-specialized companion like Dia, like now, the overall strength of the party will jump up significantly.

　If this is the case, it's not a dream for even Maria to join in.
　The self-defense ability, which was the biggest bottleneck, can be provided by Radiant-san.

　The thought of being able to give Maria a good report makes my cheeks smile even more.
　I can now confidently say to Maria that we can explore the labyrinth together.

　--I'm really glad.

　The operation to retake Rastiara.
　I knew that the risk was high.
　But when it was over, there was no downside to it, it was just an increase in the number of friends I could rely on.

　Dia made a full recovery and returned as a wizard, even more so than before.
　Rastiara has redeemed herself and is back to adventuring with me again.
　I'm sure Hein-san and Raydiant-san will be able to help with that as well. Their loyalty to Rastiara is evident. They are trustworthy as friends.

　If you add Maria to this (・・・・・・・), there are six of them.

　This is a large group for a party, but for me, a large number of people is not a bad thing.
　With my magic "connection", I can change parties as I go. There's no need to always stick to the challenge of all six members.

　It's not a good idea to have a newborn baby.

　From now on, as more and more people join us, we will be able to explore the labyrinth in various rotations.

　My dreams are expanding.
　I feel my options in the labyrinth increasing, and I can't help but laugh.

''Hmph.''

　Everything is going well.
　I'd like to show the reluctant me of a few days ago how well I'm doing now.

　Now I can say it out loud.

　I can say out loud that if I have a little bit of courage, I can do something even better.
　If you work hard enough, you'll get the results you deserve - that's what you get.

　That's what I want to tell them.

　Even if it is a different world where you can't believe in anything - that's why an ending like a story is waiting for me.

　I want to tell that to the past me.

　I keep running with a body that has become light as a feather.
　No more pain, no more anger.
　Anything is possible, I thought.

　And so we continue along the road of the roof of the building and cross the border of the Huzjaz.
　I lead the way down the Wart road to the hill where my house is located.

　Maria is waiting for us at the house on the hill.

　I feel like I can face Maria now, too.
　I would be able to face everything I had avoided for a long time and solve Maria's problems.
　I had the confidence to do so.

　That's how much room I had in my heart.

　That's why I wanted to see Maria.

　I couldn't wait to meet Maria, and then...

　What I saw was.
　It was smoke - rising from the hill where my house would be (・・・・).

　Something was burning on the hill and a lot of smoke was rising into the sky.

　--What?

　Seeing this, I feel as if I've dropped the margin I had in my heart into a puddle.
　Something black mixes with the uplifting feeling and I suddenly feel uneasy.

　I don't think about it, I just hurry and head for home.

　I run to the outskirts of the Valt, up the hill, and reach the source of the smoke.

　It was burning - it was my house (・・・・・・).

　Two girls are watching the house crackling and burning like a campfire.

　Sensing our presence, the two girls looked at us.

　They are Arti and Maria.
　Arti smiles and tells Maria, "Christ is here.

　Maria finds me and smiles.
　But that smile quickly fades.
　She looks at the five people behind me and her expression contorts.

　Arti whispers something and pats Maria's head.

　--It's funny.

　Funny how they are both unconcerned in front of the burning house.
　Funny how Arti's eyes love Maria.
　Funny to see Maria looking at Rustyala and the others and harboring a killing intent (...).
　Everything is strange.

　My mind is going blank.
　And a clear voice passes through my blank head.

　A very clear .......
　Crying, sad, painful .......
　Maria's voice.

'--Return your master, te ....... Ka, esithe ......--

　Maria was looking at me.
　She was looking at me with her empty 'eyes'.

　My heart jumped loudly - making a thumping sound.

　I felt a small pain in my chest.
　It was the first pain (damage) I had felt in the operation to retake Rastiara.

　Then it occurred to me
　Come to think of it, the only person who could inflict pain (damage) on me today is Maria.

　Only Maria there: .......

　That fact sent a chill through me.
　I was terrified in front of Arti and Maria, who were supposed to be my allies.