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The next morning, a somewhat youthful-looking woman visited early in the morning.

“Minette, are you there?”

Minette was what the people of Asven called Diana.

The woman calling for Diana outside the house was none other than the young village chief of Asven.

“Hmm? Where’s Miss Minette and you are…”

“Who are you?”

“Are you pretending not to know? We met just a short while ago.”

“Oh, you’re the chief.”

She seemed a bit flustered seeing me, but I responded calmly.

“What brings you here?”

“It’s nothing much… Is your wife still sleeping?”

Wife.

No matter how many times I hear it, that title always feels awkward, but I managed to hide my discomfort.

“She seemed quite tired yesterday, so she’s still asleep.”

“Is that so? Well, I did come rather early.”

Of course, Diana had been alert for a while now, but with Luna in the house, I couldn’t just let anyone inside.

“It’s a good thing at least you’re awake.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, as I said, it’s nothing urgent.”

By this point, I was quite curious about her purpose.

Why had she come here so early in the morning?

I looked at the chief, waiting for her to continue.

After a brief pause, she delivered unexpected news.

“Do you remember that the Papal See was planning to visit the Asven territory soon?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“That’s been canceled.”

I blinked in disbelief.

Canceled?

Just like that?

‘Could it be because of Isabel…?’

I recalled the recent events.

Isabel, who nearly died from a sword wound, had left in a rage, fleeing from Luna.

She had questioned if she had approached me with these intentions from the start.

Could this be related to avoiding conflict with Luna?

“Is this information reliable?”

“Of course. We received a letter from the Papal See yesterday evening. They stated that for some reason, their visit to Asven is delayed. It’s a unilateral notice, but what can we do? The Great Saintess has decided to change her plans.”

She mumbled in frustration.

I let her complaints wash over me.

‘…So we don’t need to leave Asven?’

I had planned to reconfirm the Papal See’s schedule.

To see if Isabel might be planning retribution against Luna under the Papal See’s authority.

But instead of revenge, Isabel chose to avoid the situation.

I glanced up at the chief.

Her face was surprisingly calm, as if she had expected this.

‘It’s a significant loss for Asven.’

The Papal See’s decision to delay their visit would instantly halt all traffic towards Asven.

The unilateral decision by the Papal See would cause losses that Asven alone would have to bear, yet the chief seemed unbothered, even serene.

And then,

“One more thing.”

The chief added in a firm voice.

“Early this morning, the Empire launched an air raid on the Bihakan territory.”

An air raid.

The heavy impact of those words lodged in my mind like a stake.

“Did you say an air raid?”

“You heard correctly.”

“Does that mean…”

She looked up at me with a slight smile.

“What else? It means war.”

What I had feared had come to pass.

The Empire had finally declared war on the Eastern Continent.

As soon as the Papal See moved its base, it naturally flowed into war.

And the one behind this was obvious.

Princess Rudine Eckhart.

No doubt it was her doing.

“There’s no need to worry too much. It’s unlikely the war will reach this remote corner, and it’s even less likely that the scattered countries will unite.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Yes, so don’t worry about it. There’s no reason for the Empire to set its sights on this place.”

True.

Unless Rudine knew I was here, there would be no reason for the Empire to be interested in Asven.

“I’ve conveyed everything I needed to. I’ll take my leave now.”

“…Thank you.”

“No worries. Make sure to tell Miss Minette when she wakes up.”

She gave me a final look before turning away and closing the door.

I returned to the bedroom and sat on the bed.

“……”

I stared at the wall.

From the Papal See delaying their visit to the Empire declaring war, everything was in chaos.

At that moment, Luna, who had been observing from outside, entered the room cautiously.

“Kyle.”

Luna stood there, looking at me.

That was all.

Despite our intense conversation the previous night, her eyes showed no sign of disturbance.

They were calm, like a summer sea.

And she still called me Kyle.

“Master, you’re awake.”

Diana followed Luna into the room.

Luna sighed and laughed, looking at Diana.

“How long are you going to keep this woman by my side?”

“Until I completely leave this world.”

“Ha, are you saying you don’t trust me now?”

“Yeah, I don’t.”

“And you trust this woman glaring at me from behind?”

“Of course.”

“……”

Luna let out a belated sigh.

Diana, watching, had a subtle smile on her lips.

“What’s your plan now?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, how long do you plan to waste time here?”

“I don’t have a set period.”

“…So you’ll just stay here indefinitely until you find an opening?”

I remained silent.

Diana had grown, but not to the level where she could take on the entire Empire alone.

So I had no choice but to wait for an opportunity until Rudine let her guard down.

And that was Diana’s original plan.

But Luna sighed in frustration.

“You’ll never get the Holy Relic that way.”

She shook her head and sat on a chair in the corner.

“Kyle. Rudine will never give up on you.”

“……”

“The war will end in the Empire’s victory. Once that happens, the Eastern Continent will fall under imperial influence, and Rudine will start searching for you. She’ll comb the entire continent if she has to.”

“Probably.”

“As time passes, the security will tighten. The search will narrow. Eventually, it’s only a matter of time before this place is discovered. The war was likely Rudine’s ploy too.”

“So, what’s your point?”

I asked coldly, and Luna smiled gently.

“Now is the chance.”

“Chance?”

“Yes, with the chaos of war, the Empire will be just as disorganized as the Eastern Continent.”

Indeed, she wasn’t wrong.

Diana, seemingly sharing the thought, quietly listened to Luna.

“Now is the only time to strike at the Imperial family.”

Her resolute voice echoed in the air.

So resolute it felt almost determined.

Her argument was logically sound.

But there was one flaw.

The imperial forces.

I didn’t have the power to break through them.

Just a brief opening.

Creating such an opening wouldn’t be difficult with Luna Winfred’s strength.

Infiltrate the heart of the Imperial Palace, create chaos, and seize the Holy Relic.

The theory was simple.

Once the relic was seized and the dimension torn open, it would all be over.

The problem is…

‘I’d likely die.’

Luna, unable to cross the dimension, would likely be subdued.

And she would face a horrific execution.

I met Luna’s gaze directly.

Then, I muttered softly.

“Will you help?”

The previous night, I had told her.

If she wanted forgiveness, she should help me one last time.

Helping me leave this world was the only way to seek forgiveness.

She hesitated to answer.

No, she couldn’t give a definite answer.

Her eyes, face, and hands were marred with the fear that she might never see Kyle again.

So I asked again.

I needed power immediately.

And Luna, as strong as she was, could provide that power.

“……”

Luna’s gaze on me was different from before.

There was no hesitation, only focus.

“Yes.”

And then, she gave a firm answer.

“I’ll help you.”

She clenched her fists, forcing a smile.

“Your sister…”

Luna stood and slowly approached me.

“Will definitely help you.”

Then she pulled me into an embrace.

The soft touch struck my head intensely.

“…I’m sorry.”

As I tried to push her away, my strength faded.

It wasn’t because I felt weak or compassionate.

It was because I needed her help.

I had to use her guilt out of desperation.

And I loathed the harsh reality that left me no other choice.

She stepped back, smiling with her eyes.

“I love you.”

“Crazy woman.”

The curses slipped out, uncontrolled.

Luna kept smiling at me.

“So, do you hate it?”

That terrible smile, at least today, felt sweet.

The hope of returning to my original world finally surfaced in my heart.

“No.”

I twisted my lips into a smile.

Mocking her submissive attitude, or maybe praising it, I muttered.

“I’m very satisfied.”