'Huh?　Who was there just now?

　I was waving my sword in the shade of a tree, and Rastiara asked me at the opening.

''No, I've always been alone ....... I've been training my sword because I've been bored.''

　I was able to answer him with an unfamiliar face, probably because of my training with Tiara earlier.
　Rastiara looked a little strange, but soon returned to her usual face and sat down near me as I wielded my sword.
　Then, while looking at me silently wielding the sword, he speaks to me.

''Hmm ....... Ryner really is a model student, isn't he? Both as a knight and as an academy student.

　You'll be praised for your sincerity, but there are people who are more exemplary than you are.
　For example--.

The paragon of knighthood is ex-chancellor Quager, or maybe even his brother.
'Hmmm, I think those two are just workmen. I feel like I'm a knight because of my job. The only person I consider a knight to the core is Ryner.
That's right, ....... Thanks.

　He explained why, and I received honest praise for it.

　And I admire myself for really growing up.
　I never thought at the time of the 'Dancing Tournament' that I could talk about my brother's story with Rustyala. When I heard the current assessment of "Brother is a workhorse," I was able to properly accept it without getting angry.

　After all, my brother was not a perfect knight who protected everything equally, he was just an ordinary man who could be found anywhere. When I was a child, I thought my brother was a perfect knight, I just made the mistake of seeing him struggling to get his work done in the rear. I can now wholeheartedly admit that fact.

...... Now, I have good news for that fine knight liner.

　Rustyala watches me alone and pensive enough, and then goes into her own business with a smile.

''The other day, Al-kun and Emily-chan, I got permission to properly 'draw blood'. The preparations for the ceremony are mostly done. If we can get ready as early as this evening, we can finish the preparations and start the rituals tomorrow morning.
...... You went out of your way to find me to tell me that?

　I didn't tell anyone where I was going when I left the Helvirshein house this morning.
　I feel ...... a little bit sorry that Rustyala, the greatest man in the cathedral, walked around just to contact me, who had no idea where I was.

'Hmm, well. But somehow I knew (・・・・・) Ryner was here, so it was quick to find him. I've always had good instincts, I've always had good instincts, you know.
'Oh, oh ....... Sounds like it. ......

　For a moment - I almost look towards the bushes.
　The source of Rastiara's sharp intuition is undoubtedly Tiara-san. But I can't turn my attention to that bush in front of the girl here who calls herself a good intuition.
　Desperately, I don't divert my attention and focus only on the Las Tiara in front of me.

''Well then, we're going to meet up with Ryner at the cathedral from now on. But before you come, you have to go home. Now Sera-chan is waiting for you at your house with the two guys. They want to say thank you to Ryner.

　I was summoned for a ceremony, but before that I was told to stop by the house.
　This shows that the four of us were visiting my house at first.
　However, since I wasn't in the Helvirshain family's house, it was probably a matter of Rustyala running around in a daze to find me.
　It's just like her to have Rustyala, the most important person here, running around.

'You have Al and the others at home. But they thanked me a lot on the first day. ......
You still want to thank me. Wow, I knew you were my sisters. "Jewelcrus" are such good girls.
Really?　Like you, Emily's was a pain in the ass, too.
No, no, no. All girls are like that.

　I wonder if that "everyone" that Rustyala is referring to is the Christ Party as an example. Certainly, compared to those guys, it wouldn't be too much trouble, no matter what kind of guy they are.

　When I give up my rebuttal with an unconvinced look on my face, Rustyala tries to hurry back the way we came.

''Well then, Ryner, get him back home early. I'll go back to the cathedral first. I have a few more preparations left to do.

　A year ago, the Nativity ritual had the help of a lot of Hoosier priests, but this time we had to do it on our own. Apparently there are still some preparations for that.

　Rustyala looks busy - but his eyes are shining like a child's before a festival, and he's about to return to the cathedral.

　I watch her carefully.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work for you.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most of your time with us. I'm not going to be able to tell you what to do, but I'll be able to tell you what to do. He's always smiling and makes you feel like you'll be fine if you follow him. She's like a grown-up sister with room to spare.

　Seeing her gives me a little hope.
　Tiara-san said it's impossible, but if we talk about it, maybe--

Rastiara, give me a minute.
What are you talking about?
'I have one last question: ....... What if--what if?　What if Saint Tiara didn't want tomorrow's ritual to be ...... 're-birth'?

　Upon hearing my question, my ideal boss Rustyala turns around and answers immediately.

''--that's not happening (・・・・・・). What's the matter with you all of a sudden?

　It strikes at the same time.
　A pressure, enough to crush your back.

　As if to tear off the casual air that had been there until now in an instant, a magic power that stabbed my skin leaked from Rustyala's entire body.

　I almost fell backwards unceremoniously.

''............!

　Even though he was gripping his sword, bracing himself, and was in a state that could be called warlike - he almost sat down with just that one word.

　Of course, the pressure wasn't battle intent, nor was it a killing intent. It would simply be that Rustyala simply responded strongly to a statement that was a bit off-putting.

　Still, it was a horrible pressure.
　You almost get swallowed up by the strong, casual reply.

　The reptilian eyes that you can't imagine from her goddess-like appearance.
　The golden pupils shine like the sun that burns through everything.

　When you stare at her lightly, you are drawn to the depths of her eyes. Regardless of how much malice she has in mind, she will be burned to death regardless of her intentions.
　This is the essence of Rustyala Hoozeyers.

　-- Scary (...).

　I know I'm winning in power (level), but I thought so.
　I was reminded of the fact that my power is all papier-mâché.

　But because I'm a fighter, I'm not going to step back for the sake of the masters who have taken time out to help me. I conquer my fears and say firmly back.

'How can you assure me that's not going to happen?　You've never met or talked to me. ......
'I've certainly never met her, but I've seen Lady Tiara's life, you know. So I know what I'm talking about.

　The affirmation of an immediate answer continues.
　It seems that the answer to this question of mine has been fixed in Rustiala's mind from the beginning.

　However, seeing me, who hadn't yet taken a step back, Rustyala continued to talk about it in a whisper. She goes on to tell me the basis for her assurances.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. A room with only a single maid of honor and a stack of books. I grew up there all the time, despite being of the same desperate bloodline. From the time she was born, her body was poisoned by the Devil's Poison, and she had to suffer every night. Dying and dying and dying and dying all the time - in the midst of daily close proximity to death. Lady Tiara was sinking into the depths of despair. She hated the world. She almost gave up on life, thinking that she would continue to suffer and die without anyone noticing her and without the meaning of her birth. ......

　It was Tiara's childhood memory.
　Rastiara speaks of it as if it were her own.

'--then Kanami appears. ''I might be able to heal you,'' he said, and the door to that unopened room was opened. It was like a heavenly light that reached into the dark deep sea ....... Tiara-sama's heart, which was closed like a shell, was opened a little bit more ....... That (...) story began.

　Rastiara brags about Kanami's arrival and tells the story with the panache of a bard.
　Her cheeks rise with excitement, her golden hair leaps with magic, and the heat of the sun on her twin eyes increases.

'Then Kanami would come to check on Lady Tiara on her sickbed every day. Kanami said it was an experiment to find a cure for her sister, but there's no doubt that Kanami was sincerely worried about Tiara, because she was that Kanami. Because she was that Kanami. And it is from Kanami that Tiara-sama learns for the first time to feel the warmth of a human being, which is normally given to her by her parents. ......

　I feel an inexplicable fear as Rustyala speaks vaguely and moodily.
　I know she's excited, but it's so crazy that I want to close my eyes and ears. But it's so crazy that I want to close my eyes and ears.

'As you know, thanks to Kanami, Lady Tiara's body will be restored. You will be saved from the depths of despair. It's no wonder, because if he dies here, the history of Hoosiers will be lost. ...... Afterwards, Tiara-sama's recovery is called a 'miracle' on the continent, and she returns to her original position as a princess. The father-king was thrilled, and there were rumors that she might become the next queen. But Tiara-sama didn't want the right of succession after all this time. There was nothing attractive about it. It didn't matter. It's only natural--

　I wonder why this woman seems to enjoy talking about other people's affairs so much.
　Just like Tiara-san said, Lastiara seems to be mistaking that thousand-year-old story for her own affairs.

'Because there was something more appealing to her than such a trivial thing. It was the five heroes who showed up at the Hoosiers to save the world!　The three "apostles" - and the two "gentiles" who follow them!　Especially with Kanami, who had saved her life, Lady Tiara wanted to be with her!　I wanted to keep walking next to you and live with you forever!　That was far more appealing than the position of a princess!

　Having said that, Rastiara exhaled with a huff.
　Right now, Rastiara must be very satisfied with disclosing his favorite hobby to the public. His brother had a similar habit, so he could calmly analyze it.

　And perhaps because of the temporary release of the hot things inside him, Rustyala regained his composure a bit. He realizes to himself that he's been talking about it for a long time, and he's a little embarrassed about it.

"...... and anyway, Tiara-sama should be united with Kanami. Now, a thousand years later, they should definitely meet again.

　There was no longer the intimidating feeling that froze everything he saw with fear. A beautiful girl who could be mistaken for a goddess just pouted.

'Because, unlike me, she's a real princess. She's not an imitation. Yeah, that's right. That's - that's not me (・・・・・). It wasn't me.

　I was about to close the conversation with that one word when I saw his expression for the first time.
　His eyes are narrowed, his eyebrows are furrowed, but the corners of his mouth are loose. It looks like he's sad, and it looks like he's happy - and expectant.

　I wasn't exactly sure what emotions I could read from its expression, but I listen with the closest thing I know to substitute it.

'Are you ...... envious of Ms. Tiara?'
Do you envy him?

　Of course, that was misguided. But the good-natured Rustyala doesn't just deny my mistake, he gives it a second thought.

You may be right. I have a pretty jealous streak in me ....... But more than that, I love you, Lady Tiara. I'm a big fan of Tiara-sama's stories, and I sincerely support her happiness. Yeah, I think I'm rooting for you.

　He replied with a flattering smile, devoid of any negative coloration.
　Although I don't have as keen a 'gut feeling' as Tiara-san, I intuitively thought that Las Tiara meant what she said. That's why I don't agree with a lot of things.

'But you like Christ too, don't you ......?　How could you back down so easily?

　We've confirmed they're bromanticidal.
　I also confirmed that Rustyala is jealous now.
　And yet, the girl in front of her is trying to give away her lover to someone else.

　To this contradiction, Rastiara replies very easily.

''Hmm, maybe because of the ...... order?''
In that order: ......?
The order of magnitude of my 'likes'. My 'love' is probably only about a tenth of Maria's or Snow's. I think that in a love story, the girl with the biggest 'love' should be given priority. I think that in a love story, the girl with the biggest 'love' should be given priority. Isn't it the basics, the basics?

　The basics of a love story: ......?　

　I was so stunned that I almost lost the words to reply.

　I've been predicting this for a while, but this woman is still strange.
　Hearing it from her mouth makes it stand out.

　Rastiara has developed her own rules and adheres to them. That rule is a common promise if it's a play or novel. In other words, this guy - who is a supporting character who doesn't even like the main character much - is probably saying that he doesn't agree to have a happy ending with that main character.

　That's why he easily gives away his chance to Tiara-san.
　He's not afraid to hand it over to others.
　Probably, even if that former slave girl or the dragoness took my lover Kanami, I'm sure I would be able to congratulate her with a smile.

　Indeed, the emotion of 'love' might be less than normal people .......

　Well, no.
　There is something different about describing the feelings of this violent and sidelined character of a woman as thin.
　This guy enjoys everything and is always laughing. At all times, Rustyala Hoosiers is enjoying life.
　There was a section of him that enjoyed everything, whether it was labyrinth exploration, world adventure, battles, daily life, danger or safety, enemies or allies. If there was the only time I ever saw him sad, it was when he couldn't even get up on the stage.

　Rather, because the feeling of 'love' is more intense and all-around (...) than normal people, this kind of exclusivity is distorted......--.

　--I'm not sure how to persuade them.

　I came to that conclusion when I realized the answer that awaited me.
　I'm not going to be able to catch up with Rastiara's values in the mindset of an ordinary person like me.
　The only people who can catch up with him and convince him are probably Christ and his fellow women.

　With that thought in mind, I decide to agree with the idea. I'll let the Lord handle this one. It's for the best. I don't want to poke around too much, honestly. It's not a good idea.

"...... Okay. If you've made up your mind, you can leave it at that. I'm not going to say anything.
That's my brother, Mr. Hein's brother!　You understand!

　Honestly, if it wasn't for the precedent of my brother, I wouldn't have understood half of what I'm talking about now. That's how ridiculous this guy's story is.
　And I'm going to tell you that in no uncertain terms. I don't want to be treated as one of them.

'No, I get it, but I don't have any sympathy for you. I don't know what the hell you're talking about, dude.
'What?　...... cheeee. Well, I knew you'd say that. So is that the end of that story already?
Oh, forget it. I see now that you need Saint Tiara's Rebirth more than anyone else.

　Now I can betray him without gloom at tomorrow's ritual.
　I'm sorry to Rastiara, but Tiara-san was more 'decent' than me.
　That's why I'm going to take Tiara-san's side.

　It may be rough, but "decent" or not is one of the criteria that I trust.

''Ok. Then I'll hurry back to the cathedral and get ready. You can come over here right after you stop by the house. Maybe if things go at a brisk pace, we'll start the ceremony this evening.

　As I pledge my betrayal to my heart, Rustyala runs back to the city at a trot. I say goodbye to its back and wave to it.

''Yeah, go ahead. I'm going to meet Sera and the others properly and then I'll go over there.
Bye Bye!

　Rustyala responded to that by waving his hand with his back turned.
　Even though it was a small run, it wasn't long before Rastiara, with his basic physical abilities, disappeared from sight. Until then, I continued to wave my hand as a loyal knight - and when the figure disappeared completely, I called out to the nearby bushes.

''Why did you let it go until it was like that?''

　In the meantime, I blame the saints of the previous generation, who call themselves parents, for the abnormality of the saints of this era.

''Yeah?　Is it my fault?

　Tiara, who came out of the bushes quickly, shook her head as if to say that she was heartbroken.

''It wasn't me. It was already like that when my consciousness came out. In fact, I'm even a little taken aback that Foozeyers raised that thing,
So, it's our education officer's fault?　As I recall, your brother and Palinkron were in charge: ......
'The Descendants of Helvirshine and Mr. Legacy's reincarnation at ......?　If it's those two, ...... it's probably your fault, Legacie!　Legacy you're basically a thing!
'I knew it. ....... If the saint says so, there's no doubt about it: ......!　d*mn, that Palinkron guy: ......!

　If anything, I don't feel like it's my brother's fault this time, but I'll blame it on Palinkron. It can't be helped, because if you blame that guy, you can usually turn around and get it right most of the time.

　Me and Tiara-san cursed Palinclone Legacy to the fullest extent, and then calmly sorted out the current situation.

'Putting aside the joke, ...... is it true that you like Kanami the most?　At least that's what Rastiara thinks, and he's going to give you a turn.
'Oh no, I like it in its own way, but...' I don't think it's the best, you know?　Absolutely not. I've been looking at Dia, Maria, and Snow in my daughter, and I honestly don't feel like I can win!
Yeah. If we beat those guys, it's a disaster.

　Mr. Tiara has great strength and skill, but he has a relatively decent personality. She's missing a lot of things to line up with the guys around Christ.

'I don't know how my daughter can be so judgmental about my feelings ....... The only thing I know is that it's impossible to 'relate' to my daughter anymore. My voice can no longer be heard by my daughter .......

　I've heard the word 'affinity' before when I fought the Palinkron. I'm aware of the extent to which it was necessary to master the power of "the one who steals reason".
　I want a little more explanation, I thought, and as usual, Tiara-san sensed that for me.

'Oh, you don't know?　Then I'll teach you about "affinity" on the way home. This is something that will be relevant to tomorrow's ritual. It's one of the essence of magic!
Thank God.

　Thus, the two of us pick our way back to the mansion slowly, so as not to run into Rastiara, who has left.
　On the way back we have a conversation that resembles a farewell address.

''I see you're done preparing for the ritual - ....... Maybe the one we just had will be our last class. ......
Yeah, I guess tomorrow is goodbye.
Tomorrow, or at ......

　When I think of this being the last time I practice, I slow down a bit. It was a near-death experience, but when it's over, I feel like it was a fun day in its own way.

　But I don't look back. There is something more important to us than that feeling of loneliness. After a couple of steps, our steps are no longer in doubt.


◆◆◆◆◆


　-- 'Affinity' is the overlap of life.

　It is said to refer to how much the souls are very similar to each other.

　By multiplying souls of the same quality, 'affinity' is to sublimate them to a higher level of soul.
　Essentially, a dead soul dissolves into the world. However, if a soul of the same quality is nearby, it will be absorbed before it dissolves. It was explained to me that this was one of the 'essence of magic' that Tiara-san discovered after repeated magical development a thousand years ago, but to be honest, I didn't understand half of what he said.

　It seems to be the same as the "number that cannot be expressed in numbers," a vague phenomenon that we cannot explain clearly even though we are convinced of its existence based on our experience a thousand years ago.

　What I managed to understand is that because Rastiara and Tiara-san are now far apart in soul form - if two souls enter one body, they will conflict with each other and one of them will disappear.
　On the contrary, Christ's companion, the former slave girl and The One Who Steals the Reason of Fire, have very similar soul shapes - that the two souls are able to merge beautifully in one body.

　I finished listening to the story about 'Affinity' on the way back to the Helvilleshain house, and then I parted from Tiara-san once in front of the main gate of the mansion.

''Well then, I'm going to sneak in from the garden,''
What, you're going in the house?
'Yeah, because I want to hear the two examples of what you two are talking about, too. I'll hide in the shadows again and listen in secret.

　After saying that, Tiara-san, who thought she was going back to the cathedral, disappeared into the garden of the mansion.
　Although a servant regularly patrols the garden, Tiara-san with that good intuition would not be caught.

　Without worrying about my mentor, I walked into the mansion.

　Immediately, one of the maidservants rushes down to me and informs me of our guest's arrival.
　It seems that Sera is waiting for me in the guest room, just as Rastiara had said.

　On the way, I move quickly so as not to keep my seniors waiting, despite the glares of my family members who despise me.
　Even though we're talking about being my guest, the other party is a knight of the noble Raydiant family, a nobleman of high rank. Even in the mansion, a high-class guest room had been assigned to me.

　I opened the door to that room with great vigor and entered.
　Inside, as expected, three people were waiting for me.

　Sera-san, the knight, Al and Emily, the searcher. First of all, Sera-san speaks to me on behalf of the others.

'You're interrupting me. From the looks of it, I'm sure the young lady has told you about it.
'Sorry I'm late. I had some free time and was swinging my sword on the outskirts of the city.
"Ho. It's an impressive way to spend the holidays. Our young knights are so flabby these days.

　They lightly raise their hands to each other and exchange greetings.
　The two explorers at the back had their heads down in a huff, so I smiled and responded that there was no need for that and ended the greeting.

'But your sister is still awesome ....... I got a bunch of questions while I was waiting for you .......
'My sister is ....... Oh, you mean Christ?
''Yeah. He should have had it up his sleeve at the 'dance competition', but he still seemed to be obsessed. It was hard to fake it, you know.
One sleeve won't stop you, sister.

　Sera frowns and reports back to me on her interactions with my sister. From her expression, I can clearly see that she suffered the same thing I did. If I look closely, I can see that the two people behind me had similar expressions. My sister seems to be gathering information without regard to anyone else.
　I'm afraid that one day I'll be able to get to Christ on my own.

'Well, let's put your sister aside and get down to business. I'm done negotiating with the two men you brought with you, and I'm about to finish preparing for the ceremony. The young lady said she would perform the ritual tomorrow morning, are you ready?
Yes. Sure, you can go whenever you want.
Good answer. I'm really glad you're here.

　For me, it was an obvious response, but Sera was truly relieved to hear that I was joining in.
　Following that main point, the two people who were waiting behind me come forward.
　Al, who bowed deeply again, thanks me.

'Thank you so much, Ryner-san. Thanks to you, I think we're going to be cured of our illness.
'Oh, it looks like Rustyala will be able to fix you up. That's good. I've said before I don't think you're going to have to thank me.　I'm just doing my job.
Still, I can't help but thank you for all the hard work you've done to date.

　Emily bowed her head in time with Al.
　They're really polite to each other.

''By the way, I'll be outside the cathedral during the ceremony. If something happens, I'll be slowed down if it's me. ...... If Emily is held hostage by the enemy, I'm sure I'll put her before you all.

　And he tells me where the day of the ceremony is.
　I thought I could accompany Emily, who would be heartbroken, but that didn't seem to be the case.
　Emily, of course, strongly agreed.

'Yeah. If you're held hostage (・・・・・・・・・), you're going to be in so much trouble, so you need to hide outside ....... We'll do our best to get rid of the anxiety. I'll be fine on my own, so don't worry about it, Al.
I'm not worried about it. Mr. Reiner's there for me.

　The two of them had made a bit of a tumultuous prediction.
　It was as if they were promised an attack by someone on the day of the ritual.

'Mr. Serra, ....... Perhaps you could go to .......
Let's get something straight. On the day of the ceremony, that Feydert guy is going to do something to me.
'I'll cut to the chase. May I ask why?

　Serra explained, indignantly, but with an awful serious face.

'They have blatantly manipulated me behind the scenes to pull me away from the cathedral. Because of that, I must leave this place now. There is a full boatload of people from the mainland outside the mansion. The only reason I'm here now is because I've managed to buy some time under the guise of handing over business to you, the knight.

　That Mr. Serra is leaving for one of Rastiara's big events: ......?
　I don't know how Feydert got around to it, but it was done well.

'There was an accident with former President Quager, who was on his way to the mainland. I have to go to the mainland to make up for it.
"Mr. Quager had an accident ......?
"I don't know if it was Feydert who caused the accident. But there is no doubt that he has successfully negotiated with the Senate and assigned me a replacement knight. Now that he's gotten me away from them and reduced the security of the ritual, he'll surely move on.
If you know that much, why don't you just ignore those orders: ......?
'If you ignore me, you will put yourself in a bad position, not me, young lady. The fight isn't just for today. We need to stand our ground and not leave any openings. ...... Above all, the Lady is ordering you to go.

　I'm sure Sera doesn't mean it either. She bites her lip and announces her non-participation in tomorrow's ritual - but looks me in the eye, saying she's not worried about it at all.

'...... me and your daughter have faith in you. It's a good thing that you're not the only one who's interested in this. I believe that as long as we have that trump card in you, we will not be defeated.

　Eye to eye, he says that the trump card is me, not Sera.
　I gulp down the fact that I'm about to look away.

　It's very conscience-wrenching: .......
　I'm a less than trash knight who doesn't think anything of betrayal .......

"Don't look at me like that. Of course, it's not like we didn't do anything about it. I'm going to have someone I can rely on to guard me on the day of the event instead.

　It seems that Sera-san has conveniently interpreted that guilt twisted face for me.
　She promised to reinforce me, a younger subordinate, to dispel my fears.
　I had an idea for that reinforcement.

'You must be Lagune-san, right?'
'Yeah, one of them is Ragne. I'm calling for another one ...... and that one probably won't make it. I hope the two of you can split up tomorrow and escort them well.

　They say there's a third one, but it's uncertain, so they don't want it to count.
　Tomorrow they want two people - just two - to pull off a ceremony that was guarded by over a thousand people a year ago. That's what Sera asks me to do, with encouragement.

'I trust that with the two of you, we won't be late, even if we have to face all the knights in the cathedral.

　All the knights are against me - indeed, even if all of them (・・・・・・・・・), including Ragne (・・・・・・・), I should be able to do it on my own.

　Wind magic is excellent against many.
　Worst case scenario, I can just use the wind cocoon to envelop Rastiara or the temple. With my training to date, I've got enough power to sustain that magic for several hours.
　As long as a guardian class enemy doesn't appear, we can definitely do it.
　There aren't many enemies of that class. It's almost certainly safe to say that we'll be fine.

''Leave it to me. I will definitely protect Rastiara. I swear on this sword.

　By rumbling the knight's oath, I'll remove Sera's fears.　

　To be honest, I can't guarantee that Rustyala's wishes will be met.
　But I'll keep Rastiara's life intact. Even if it's at the cost of this life.

　Satisfied with those words, you are about to leave the room with an appearance of no time left.

Mm. I'll leave it to you.

　Sera left me strongly, as if she were saying goodbye to this life.

　I guess we're going to leave the Confederation like this. Without saying anything else, Sera-san left the room. Following that, Al and Emily also thanked me again before leaving.

　I was the only one left in the guest room.
　This is the end of my appointment with Rastiara.
　I'm not going to be able to get to know you better.

'Did you hear that?'
I will. Be careful tomorrow. Somehow, I'm sure there will be an attack.

　Tiara opened the window of the room from the outside and entered the room with the dexterity of a monkey. She must have been sticking to the wall outside the whole time and listening to the stories inside.

　Then he made a 'prediction' that was contradictory but 'somehow' and 'must'.
　It would be better to move on, thinking that the situation that Sera-san feared would happen.

''Then I'll have to go to the cathedral right away and escort Rastiara to .......
'I need to get back to the crypt too. Because at the end of the ritual preparations, we'll probably move this body to the temple.

　We all get ready to head to the cathedral.
　On the way, Tiara calls out to me in a slightly amused manner.

It's finally here. It's not an exaggeration to say that tomorrow, the results of your training up to today will be put to the test: ......!
'Yes, ....... I just don't feel like I'm getting much stronger, to be honest. ......

　There's no point in lying, so I answer honestly.

'Yeah. To be honest, I don't feel like I've been taught well either.
Hey.

　To that, Tiara, her teacher, replied honestly.

''Haha. Well, I can't say it's perfect, but I think I was taught reasonably well.
...... I'll work out the rest on my own. I'm grateful to you.

　It's always been the case.
　Basically, the greats of a thousand years ago don't have time for this. Hence, with Mr. Loewen, Ayde, and Titi - the policy was to only teach them the bare bones of the skills they were good at, and to perfect them on their own.
　I'm not going to complain about that now. I'm just grateful.

　We joke around with each other as we leave the Helvirshain house and walk down the wide streets of Hoozeyers, passing through the usual 'eleventh crossroads' and arriving at the cathedral.
　As usual, the fortress-like cathedral is surrounded by a fence and a river. A line of knights are lined up on the bridge leading to the main gate.

　I can walk through the main gate with dignity, but Tiara-san can't.

''Well then, I'm going in from the garden again, so this is bye-bye, right?

　As a matter of course, Tiara seems to be planning to sneak in through the back. She must have crossed the fence and the river when she came out. Just like in the mansion, I see her off without any worries at all.

''See you tomorrow.''
Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow.

　I'll finish up today's farewell for the last time in my life tomorrow.

　Then I go through the main gate while greeting the security knights, and Tiara-san runs off towards the back of the cathedral.

　We walk through the large grounds.
　Along the way, there are large flower beds and stairs that are uselessly large, and it's a struggle just to reach the building. As I come to the door of the cathedral, I sense the difference in the air around me.

　I felt a sense of discomfort in the knights passing by.
　It's really just a minor discomfort - a knight with a face that you don't see often at this time of day is walking out, their expressions are slightly stiff, and the noise filling the garden is a little louder.

　But the sensations that have been sharpened over the past few days have given me a certain confidence.
　Tomorrow, I'll be facing my fellow knights.
　There will be some familiar faces lined up, such as my classmates at the academy - but even so, I'll make up my mind to cut them down without any hesitation at all.

　Once I've made up my mind, I move on.
　The magical wards of the cathedral, which are always on, caress my body. Ignoring that feeling, I head to the temple at the far end of the building.

　Apparently the planned location for the ceremony is the same as it was a year ago.
　I head straight for it, expecting to find Lord Rastiara there.

　When I came to the big door in front of the temple, I heard women talking to each other. Even without having to listen in, I knew the owner of the voice and the content of the conversation.

''-- I can finally meet you ......!　To that legendary Lady Tiara: ......!　Ragné-chan, it's, um, that tiara-sama!
Yes, it's Ms. Tiara, isn't it?　I wonder what kind of person he is. I've heard he's the greatest person in the history of not only this country, but the world, so he must be the real, real 'best'. I'm looking forward to it!
'I'm looking forward to it too. I wonder what we'll talk about when we meet. I think it's best to listen carefully to the part of the story that's being snatched up. Oh, I'm really looking forward to it.

　With a giggling sound, the doors of the temple were opened.

　At first glance, the first thing I thought was that it was empty.
　There were only two people in the too large room. Rustyala Fuzzyaz and Ragne Kaikwola.
　The last time I had come to the temple, it had been decorated with gleaming furnishings and a large number of fine chairs. All of those things have been removed, so there is really nothing to see.
　There was just a beautiful marble floor spread out and stained glass at the top of the platform.

　On the floor of that platform, Ragne and Rustyala were working together to write a magic circle on the floor.
　With an old parchment in hand, they were chatting away.

　According to what I heard beforehand, once that magic square is completed, Rastiara will sit there from the night before and unify his mind. Presumably, he will continue to pour the magic power into it and activate a large scale magic ceremony.
　I don't know the details of the ritual, but I have a rough idea of what to expect.

　I approach the two people on the platform, beating the inside of the temple into my head for my escort.

'Rustyala, I've been talking to Sera. Is there anything I can do to help you over here?
Welcome home. But I don't think there's anything special about it. This post will be over soon, and that doesn't mean I'm tired enough to need to be vigilant: ......

　Rustyala tilts his head to find out what I can do to help.
　But after all, I will be needed from tomorrow morning.

　I'm not going to be able to do anything about it. And if the enemy is going to poke him, it will definitely be there. A year ago, at the ritual, that's when Christ poked me.

Okay. All right, I'll just take a nap in the corner. You guys enjoy the ride and get ready to go.
'Right. Shall Ragné be on guard this evening and Ryner in the morning?

　Immediately I move to the temple wall and begin to rest, letting my body rest. It's a little chilly, but it's enough to allow me to sleep.
　I boldly decide to sleep soundly and close my eyelids.

　In the darkness behind my eyelids, I hear Ragne's voice.

'I'll leave you to it while you're able to move, young lady. On the other hand, tomorrow is going to be tough, so I'll ask you to take care of her then.

　To be clear, if Rastiara is in a good enough state to move like she is now, she doesn't need an escort.
　She said that she couldn't get a handful of guardians (guardians) in front of Christ, but that doesn't make her any weaker. She is still a bundle of violence, and she is still a present-day god who is not suitable for a bunch of knights.

　Hence, I'll be on guard from early tomorrow morning--

　Rastiara begins praying in front of the stained glass windows early in the morning, when the sun is not even up.
　The prayers are like magic building, consuming magic power and requiring a great deal of concentration.
　And by the time the sun rises, her strength and magic power are empty.

　--there.

　Until then, let's take our time to rest.
　Too much tension and too much urgency can lead to failure.
　You need to focus on being in the best condition possible.

　It's a hunch - and I think that's the best way to go about it.

　I can hear the innocent voices of Rastiara and Ragnet talking from afar. In order to rest my body, which has been exhausted by Tiara's practice, I force my consciousness to sink to the depths of the darkness and shut out the light and noise from the outside world.

　Then, the last night before the ritual is over.
　Even as he sleeps, he has a sense of time.
　I sensed in my dream that we had entered the day of Tiara's scheduled death date.

　Today, when the sun fully rises, Tiara will be completely annihilated and all of her powers will be passed on.
　Not Las Tiara, not Feydert, not anyone in the Hoosiers - I will be the heir to the legend of the Hoosiers.
　That historic anniversary. The day of the true ceremony, which was not fulfilled a year ago, is now - the day of the true ceremony.