The courtyard of the church. In this vast space paved with cobblestones, preparations were proceeding apace.

As I stepped in with Ansem, the congregation in their simple vestments suddenly buzzed around us, looking fondly at Ansem and then returning to a straight face when they saw me standing quietly next to him.
To the people of the Imperial City Church, Ansem is their pride. And for some reason, I'm a poor friend of Anthem's. In addition to that, Ansem is always bothering me, so there's no way I can look at him favorably.

I'm not accused of being a good friend of Ansem and I, but ...... I'm completely taking advantage of the prestige of my friends.

A large magic circle was laid out on the ground, and the air was strangely clear. The air was strangely clear. They were preparing to set up wards.
The larger the ritual, the more careful the preparations. When I was still following Hunt, I had seen Ansem use the warding technique often enough to know about it.

In the courtyard of the vast church, there were several figures of the Church of the Light, the Imperial Knights, and the Hunters. If you looked closely, you could see some familiar faces.
He patted Ansem on the knee as he stood next to him and said.

'I'll just look around on my own, so if you need me, you can go ahead.

'.................. Mm.'

Ansem is not very assertive, but as a childhood friend, I can usually tell what he is thinking.
His sense of responsibility is the strongest in Ghosts of Sorrows. It's unlikely that he'll be in danger on the church grounds, and it's not my intention to interfere with his work.

Anthem lumbered toward the center of the square. I raised my arms in the air and took a deep breath.
Just being in a church is soothing and relaxing.

As I was observing the preparations being made, I suddenly heard a low voice.

'! Cry, cry, why are you here?

'?

Spinal reflexively, my body jolted into action. You hurriedly look in the direction where the voice came from.
There were the famous head of the Imperial Capital Branch of the Explorers Society, Gark Werther, and everyone's ally, Ark Rodin. All that was left was for Luke to come along and it would be perfect.

I had met Gark-san at the Martial Emperor Festival in Cleat, but it had been a long time since I had seen Ark. The members of the Son of the Holy Spirit, of which he is the leader, were all nearby.

When Ark saw me, he rolled his eyes. The people behind him were staring at him but his good-naturedness was worthy of the title of hero. The fact that he wasn't there when I wanted him to be is not a problem.

I nodded my head and raised my hand in enthusiasm. It looks like something good is going to happen today.

'Mr. Gark, Ark and the rest of you, it looks like you're all together. ......'

Mr. Gark's eyebrows twitched. I won't get down on my knees because I haven't done anything yet this time.
Normally, I would not come to such a dangerous place, but this is only because of the trust I have in Anthem.

Mr. Gark's lips were tightly pressed together, he said nothing, but for some reason his cheeks were drawn together and he was staring at me.
Then a thought occurred to me, and I punched him.

'I always come here after I'm called, but today I came before I was called!

'What?

Is this another one of those 'devil's schemes'?
As I smile hard-boiled, Mr. Gark comes stumbling up to me with his cheeks drawn together.
The look he threw at me from close range was enough to kill a man. As I took a step back, Mr. Gark said in a heavy voice.

'Cry, you ............, what are you going to do this time!

'..................What? '............No, I'm just here to observe Anthem's work.

Most of the time, I don't do anything. If you say it's my fault for not doing anything, that's all you're saying. .......

It's not my fault this time.

Mr. Gurk put his hand on my shoulder and said in an admonishing tone.
His tone may be admonishing, but his eyes are those of a murderer.

'Kry, enough with the bullshit excuses. I'm asking you what you're going to do now. Okay? This is-- this is one thing, but it's not cool. We're dealing with a different kind of entity, a curse. Look... the Church is asking for help from the Council. That's how I forced Ark to come back. He wasn't just a curse. He was a fearsome weapon. At the time, thirteen priests of the church sealed it in exchange for their lives.

'............ I might want to know the route you took to bring back Ark.

If possible, I'd like to have a direct line to the sympathetic stone. Well, even if I tried to give it to you, I would be stopped by Isabella and the other party members.
And I never heard that the thirteen sealed it in exchange for their lives.

'..................'

The chief of the Gark branch is quietly intimidating us. He doesn't raise his voice, perhaps because this is a church?
Just when I was seriously thinking of giving up and getting down on my knees under the pressure that gave the illusion of actual weight, Ark intervened.

'Well, well, Branch Chief, he must have some ...... reason. Besides, the more high-level hunters there are, the better. I've only had to deal with curses more times than I can count. ............ Right, Cry?

'! That's right, Ark.

This is it. That's Ark. Welcome back, Ark!
You're still as handsome inside and out as ever. Isabella and the others sighed deeply as I replied with a smile without thinking about it.

'Ark-san, you're indulging this guy too much, even though he's been forced to clean up his mess. ......'

'No, no, no, it's still been hard lately because of Ark's absence. I had to deal with Arnold, the emperor's bodyguard, the fox, and even the Martial Emperor Festival.

'Oh, I see. ............ That's a tough time for you.

Ark made a bitter smile. When I think back, I always say that Ark isn't here, don't I? But it can't be helped since Ark isn't here. I can't say he's here when he's not. .......

I'd like to put him in the Ghost of Sorrows, but it's difficult because there are times when being in a different party is beneficial. Anyway, please keep up the good work.

As soon as Anthem and Ark are here, this purification request is as good as a success. However, it's only when you have the strength that you can let your guard down, so let's take a stand.

I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it.

'This time, the purification of the spell, the strength is quite complete, but from my point of view, it is a tricky opponent, so be careful and stay alert!

'..................'

The always cheerful expression on Ark's face hardened at my encouragement. Gark's eyebrows twitched, and the mafia stared at me with a pale expression. Isabella and Chloe's reactions were similar. I don't know what to do, because the reaction is too great for such light advice.



An uncomfortable silence hung in the air. As if to dispel the atmosphere, Mr. Gurk said, word for word, with all his might.

'This, this operation will be conducted in the church, based on precise calculations. The level of the priests is also higher than in the past. In addition to the weakening of the curse due to the passage of time during the sealing process, the depth of the curse is assumed to be quite high in order to plan the operation.

That's ............ perfect. There is no longer any reason for the purification to fail. Furthermore, if I, the unlucky one, were to reverse it, it would be perfect.

'But you never know what's going to happen.

'............'

'Ah, haha......, I'm just kidding......, I'm just kidding.'

I immediately surrendered to the pressure in the gaze that was directed at me.
I'm used to hostility, but I can't stand it when people look at me like that, not just Gark-san, but even Ark.

Mr. Gark and Ark exchanged glances for a moment as I temporarily took a break from hard-boiling and tried to cover it up.
Just as Mr. Gark was about to open his mouth and take a step toward me, I heard a crazy voice.

'Hey, brother! I'm not sure why you're here ........................, but are you coming out too?

'No, no, no, no.'

I look towards the voice. The one who came into the church was Lucia.
I hadn't heard anything about it, but I wondered if she had been asked to do something too. She approached us with a short run and stared at us. Her expression was no less serious than Gark's and Ark's.

As an aside, when Lucia calls me brother, it is when she is in a hurry. She's in her rebellious years, and she feels uncomfortable calling me brother, so she tries to call me leader as much as possible, but it seems she still has her old habits. You ...... are in a hurry, aren't you?

I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you've seen it before. I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.
The leader of the group, Lapidus, stepped forward with a graceful gesture and scowled.

'Hmm ............, I didn't know that the "Thousand Transformations" that are always in the background would stand on the battlefield ............. It looks like it's going to be a very tricky case.

'Yowaningen! I've heard a lot about you, sir! It hasn't been long since the Martial Emperor Festival ended, but I heard that they're doing whatever they want! It's all ......'.

I'm not sure what to make of that. In the event that you have any questions regarding where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site.

I feel like I'm getting a bargain when so many beautiful spirits gather here. It's not that I don't get along with the Starlight, but Lapidus and Crus are the only ones I'm reasonably close to.

'............ It's unusual that Lapidus and the others would come to a job like this.

I'm not sure what you mean by that. They don't care about authority, nor are they bound by the fences of others.
I'm not sure what to make of that. I really envy you that each of your casual gestures becomes a picture.

'Sorcery is our specialty. A human curse is child's play compared to a spirit person's curse. If Lucia asks my opinion, I can't say no.''

'Yowaningen, are you perhaps unaware of the legend of the cursed crimson spirit stone?

I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but I'm sure you've heard of it.

I see. I see. ............ So Lucia pulled you in.
And it seems that Lapidus and the others have become much more rounded. They weren't bad people in the past, but if they can show their abilities to the people of the church in this case, they should be able to integrate into human society more.

'Ah, the legend of the cursed spirit stone. That's the one, isn't it? That's the one ............'

'...... Yowaninggeng, if you don't know about it, don't be so vain!

There are some things in this world that are better left unknown.
I'm not sure if you'll be able to find the right one for you.


'The recovery of the Spirit Stone has been our long-cherished wish for many years. It's also one of the reasons we came out of the forest. I thought this curse would be the one, but ...... it seems I was wrong. Spirit stones are not for the faint of heart.


I'm not sure if it's the same thing that Eliza was talking about when she said she was wandering around looking for something, but maybe it's the same thing.
I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.

'............ This is it. ...... Anyway, leader, please don't get in the way.

You don't need to be told that. I mean, I've never tried to interfere before. .......


But this time, we've got a really great group. I can feel the will of the Church of the Holy Spirit to never fail.


Just as I was thinking about this, a crazy voice rang out for the second time.


'K, Krei Andrich............! Why are you here, I didn't call you!


With a large number of knights in tow and the gaze of countless believers, a face with a recent history entered the room.
His expression was as if he had seen a ghost.
In their well-polished and uniform armor, there was an order that was different from the pure air of the church.

'Ah, ............ Franz-san. Yoo-hoo!

I'm sorry, I called out to him casually, out of habit from when I contacted him with the ...... sympathetic stone.

When Mr. Franz came close to me, he looked around and suddenly grabbed me by the collar and shook me.

He suddenly grabbed me by the collar and shook me violently. What the hell is going to happen? Ah! Is this the curse of the prophecy? Speak up, speak up!


The shaking attack was one of the few attacks that my warding fingers could not penetrate. I thought as I was helplessly shaken.

Apparently it didn't bother Yaho, but it was a really bad reaction. They asked me to come over, and then they complained about how I was doing, and I wondered what they thought of me.
For some reason, no one helped me when I was being shaken. Not to mention Ark, Lucia, Crus and other people who usually help me are all in a daze.

Oh no ...... I'm getting sick. I'll lose consciousness.

'Commander Franz, it's time for the meeting.

'............ Tsk. I'll be happy to talk to you about it later! I'm going to have a lot of fun with you later, including what happened with the magic sword and the magic academy!

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.
I'm just here to watch, but I'm in a bad way.

'Mr. Franz, do you have something against me?

'He got what he deserved, sir. Most of his stress lately has been related to the Yowaningens, you know!

'............'



I'm Lucia's brother and Anthem's best friend!
I'm Lucia's brother and Anthem's best friend! I'm also best friends with Liz and Luke, and I'm starting to feel like I deserve to be noticed.

Mr. Gark scratched his head and said.

'Come on, we'll go talk to them. This operation is being led by the church.

'Have a good day.

'............, you're going too!

I've been told what's going on,......, and I have some thoughts, but I guess I can't help it.
It's a good idea to listen to what they have to say, otherwise you might be in danger if something goes wrong.




'It's fine, but I'm not going to say anything, okay?

'Just come on!










The churches in the Imperial City were once rebuilt to fit Anthem's size. The auditorium chosen for the conference room had a ceiling so high that even Anthem could fit in, and there were special seats.

This was the result of Ansem's powerful healing power and his ability as a holy knight being recognized.
I don't know the details of his activities as a hunter, but it seems that he played a remarkable role in a case involving a relative of a top official of the Church.

He doesn't talk about himself much, so seeing him rise to the top like this makes me feel proud and relieved, and also makes me feel like I should do my best. I'm not going to work hard, though.

The strategy meeting begins quietly. The "Marine's Lament" purification plan seems to have been constructed very logically based on numerical values.

Curses are created by strong thoughts. The power of the spell depends on the situation and the power of the person who put the thought into it, so it tends to be unexpected, and it is known that the power tends to decay with the passage of time.
It is said that the proper use of the sealing power of the God of Light is to seal the spell and purify it when it has weakened.

The Church's plan was to estimate the strength of the spells based on the scale of the damage caused by the Lamentations of Marin in the past, and then, based on the passage of time and their experience with many spells, to estimate the power remaining in the spells and to attack with a force that would exceed it.

In addition, it seems that due to the nature of the spell, the forces have been gathered with a lot of room to spare, and they have prepared enough forces to subdue the spell even if its power has not diminished at all.
Although I had no idea about the details of the technique, it seemed to be impeccable.

When I first heard that they were going to unseal and purify the cursed objects in response to the prophecy of the curse, I wondered what would happen.
But now that they've called in Ark, Lucia, Lapis and the others, it's hard to imagine any failure. Or rather, there's no way to prepare any more forces. Even if you call Luke, he won't be able to cut the curse. .......


He is a man with a calm gaze, reminiscent of a calm water surface. He looks as if he could not kill an insect, but I have heard that he used to be a skilled holy knight.


'The Church has prepared a top-notch surgeon. With the help of the Knights, the Explorers Society, and the mages of the Academy of Magic, there will not be a single purification failure. Is there anything you're worried about?


There was a certain supernatural sound to his voice, a sound unique to those involved in the priesthood.
It reminded him a little of the fox priestess Sora, but he would not be ripped apart. He was different from the mere priestess Sora. There would be no objections.

As I nodded my head without thinking, Franz-san, who was sitting by the wall to my left, suddenly stood up.
In the midst of countless stares, he said in a clear voice

'I understand the process. But I would like to add ...... more people.'

'As ............ presented, we have prepared members that far exceed the expected strength of the spell. Is there any cause for concern?'

The priest narrowed his eyes and looked at Franz. The gathered priests of the Church of the Light Spirit were also buzzing at the unexpected words.
As expected of you, Franz, you're quite good at speaking up in this atmosphere. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I wondered if there was some hole in his plan.

For some reason, Franz-san stared at me and smiled deeply.



'What, it's a small matter ............, but these days, things are noisy. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for and what you can do to help.