Outside the Room
Knock knock—
Two soft knocks interrupted Gut, who was meditating cross-legged on the floor.
Rising, he grabbed his jacket from the coat rack and threw it on before opening the door to see the visitors.
"Miles, and… Mut?"
Gut blinked in surprise at the noble youth Mut standing next to Gumi's steward, Miles, as well as two unfamiliar men behind them.
"What are you doing here? And who are these two?"
Gut asked, his gaze passing over Miles and Mut, locking onto the figure of the slightly balding man behind them—Himmel.
This guy... even though he's smiling kindly, the pressure from him is enormous.
Not as overwhelming as when I first met Master Serie, but still far beyond what I can handle now.
"It's good to meet again, Mage," Mut said cheerfully. "Allow me to introduce them."
"This is my uncle, the lord of the Countdom of Granat, Count Granat."
Count Granat gave Gut a slight nod of courtesy.
"And this is the Hero Himmel, the man who defeated the Demon King."
Mut beamed. "After we parted in Appetit Town, I was able to safely reach the Countdom thanks to meeting Hero Himmel along the way."
Unlike the formal Count, Himmel casually extended his fist for a fist bump, greeting Gut informally.
Upon realizing that the slightly balding man was indeed the legendary Hero Himmel, Gut couldn't help but take a longer look.
No wonder the pressure was so heavy. If it's Himmel, it all makes sense.
However...
Gut glanced at Mut, his expression complicated.
This kid's luck is absurd. First me, now Himmel—every time he's in trouble, some powerhouse shows up to save him.
Could that secret place Mut is aiming for really hold something extraordinary?
Shaking away the wild thought, Gut refocused on the present.
Since Miles and Mut were one thing, but with both the Count and Himmel personally coming, something serious must be happening.
Without wasting time on pleasantries, Gut directly asked their purpose.
Seeing Gut's straightforwardness, the four men exchanged glances, and Count Granat stepped forward to explain what had been discussed earlier at the conference hall.
"So Master's guess was right. Aura really did get beaten?"
"She even abandoned her puppet army just to flee... tsk."
"So originally, the plan was to recover the fallen warriors' remains and enshrine them in a church to prevent demon influence and gradually break the control of the Obedience Balance through the church's sanctity, huh…"
"Not a bad plan."
"But now, with Master Serie's newly developed Purification Magic, things have changed…"
Gut quickly grasped the situation.
As Count Granat continued, explaining how their mages didn't have enough time or mana to learn and cast the Purification Magic, he eventually asked Gut for help—to persuade Serie to act herself.
Facing the sincere expressions of the four men, Gut hesitated for a moment but ultimately remained standing where he was.
He neither stood beside them nor outright refused.
"I understand your feelings. If I had Master's power, I'd be happy to help as well."
"But the choice is hers to make."
"Just as she never interferes in her disciples' personal affairs, as her disciple, I will not influence her decisions."
Having made his stance clear, Gut continued:
"I will bring you to see Master, but if she refuses, I hope you will accept it."
"After all, the Magic Examination at the Holy Capital—Strahl is also extremely important for humanity's future."
Hearing Gut's implicit meaning, Count Granat nodded immediately.
"Rest assured, Sir Gut."
"Whether or not Lady Serie agrees, she will always be the hero of the Countdom of Granat, someone we will honor and respect forever."
"Good then."
Gut breathed a sigh of relief.
"Come with me, I'll take you to her room."
"No need to bring them over. I've already agreed."
A cold, emotionless voice interrupted. In the hallway ahead, a door opened, and Serie stepped out.
"I will stay in the Countdom of Granat for five more days."
"If the timing works out, I will personally cast the Purification Magic on the fallen warriors' remains."
Serie's gaze swept across them all but lingered a little longer on Himmel.
Gut was surprised by how readily his Master had agreed. He looked at her, puzzled.
But Serie ignored his gaze, simply waving her hand at the visitors.
"I've made my promise. You may go."
Having received Serie's personal assurance, the four visitors wisely chose not to linger. After expressing their gratitude, they respectfully withdrew.
Once they were gone, Serie beckoned her disciple.
"Come in."
"Yes, Master."
Gut followed Serie into the room and closed the door.
A letter wrapped in mana floated toward him.
"You're probably wondering why I agreed so easily," Serie said.
"Take a look at the message brought by the Meteorite Bird at noon."
Gut unwrapped the folded letter and began reading.
The letter explained that the current king of the Central Lands had passed away from illness in the Royal Capital, and with both his funeral and the new king's coronation needing full attention, all activities across the Central Lands were suspended.
As the Holy Capital was closest to the Royal Capital and the heart of the continent's religion, it was fully mobilized for these two events.
Among the suspended activities was the First Magic Examination hosted by the Continental Mage Association (Headquarters).
Even with the most conservative estimates, the examination would be delayed by at least three weeks.
Thus, Gut finally understood why Master Serie had looked so displeased at noon—and why she could so readily accept the Count's request.
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Powerstones?
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