Chapter 645

Their eyes met for just a moment.

"Leave the temple within an hour," Cherwyn commanded sternly, taking a step back.

Lucia, still holding the parchment, also stepped back to clear the way, moving opposite her.

"Follow me," the priest addressed the knights without waiting for an answer, turning sharply as he passed between Cherwyn and Lucia.

Clank— Clank—

The knights began moving toward the gate behind him. Anton was the last to turn among the knights, but his retreating figure was quickly obscured by the squires following behind.

Watching them head for the gate, Cherwyn turned to the nearby priests. They turned and headed for the gate as well, surrounding the knights as if escorting prisoners.

He must have really gotten on her bad side.

Ian looked back at Lucia, who was standing there holding the parchment. Her gaze was darting between him and Mev behind him. The slight softening of her eyes behind the mask was no illusion.

"It saddens me that you had to face such unpleasantness the moment you arrived from your long journey, Agent of the Saint," Cherwyn said calmly.

Having turned back to face Ian, she placed a hand on her chest and bowed slightly. "I offer my sincere apologies. I will take full responsibility."

"There is no need to apologize. I know it was a matter beyond the temple's control," Ian replied.

It wasn't empty talk. They were paladins sent by the Great Church. The temple had no choice but to accept them.

"Just coming out to help like this is taking enough responsibility."

"You honor me by saying so." Straightening her posture, Cherwyn offered a graceful smile. "I only did what I should have. I didn't even provide much help. In fact, it's more like I helped them rather than the Agent of the Saint."

Her red eyes curved meaningfully as she looked at Ian. "If I had let them continue their stubbornness, they would have lost their lives."

"Well, I trusted the High Priestess to step in before things escalated that far," Ian replied without denial.

Cherwyn's smile deepened slightly.

"I didn't know you were such an eloquent speaker. I was surprised that you mentioned reasons beyond what I had thought of. I certainly didn’t expect you to reject the Great Church’s summons so readily, either."

None of them would have.

Ian curled one corner of his mouth. Just like the paladins, Cherwyn had never even considered the possibility that he wasn’t a follower of Lu Solar. Such a thing simply didn’t exist within the logic of this world.

"Did you plan to stop me even if I answered the summons?"

"Of course." Cherwyn answered Ian's question immediately, glancing at Lucia beside her before adding, "How could I just send away the benefactor I've been eagerly waiting for? Besides, I know very well what you would face if you went to the Great Church now."

"So all that fuss was unnecessary..." The smile on Ian's lips turned bitter.

Only now did he realize why no quest had popped up. Even if he had done nothing, the matter would have resolved itself.

"It seems I only showed up late to claim credit. A little embarrassing, isn’t it?"

Still, it had not been meaningless. If anything, Cherwyn now seemed to feel an even stronger sense of indebtedness toward him.

"However, thanks to that, I was able to fulfill the duty I owed to my benefactor."

As she added this, Cherwyn let out a quiet, controlled cough. The priests behind her straightened instinctively, and she faced Ian with solemn composure.

"I offer my formal thanks, Agent of the Saint."

With those words, she lowered herself to one knee. The priests behind her knelt as one, and Lucia, holding the parchment, bowed her head as well.

Ian’s eye twitched—not just because of their reverence.

Swoosh...

Through the windows carved into the temple walls, a gentle orange light shimmered, spreading warmth through the space. The sacred flame of the Brazier was burning brighter.

"Thank you sincerely for protecting the next Saintess once again, Agent of the Saint," said Cherwyn.

"It started because of me, so I only did what I had to. Besides, without Priestess Lucifer, I wouldn't have been able to return safely either," said Ian, not because Lu Entre seemed to be watching, but because he genuinely meant it.

In fact, he intended to apologize to Cherwyn regarding this matter.

"You are humble. But even if what you say is true, nothing changes."

Keeping the smile on her lips, Cherwyn added, "The temple will repay this debt without fail. And as long as it does not mean turning our backs on the heavens, we will support the Agent of the Saint no matter what."

"I understand, so could you please stand up now?" Ian said, smacking his lips.

He was starting to feel uncomfortable. Cherwyn was, after all, far older than she looked.

"If that is your wish, gladly," Cherwyn replied with a light chuckle as she rose, brushing her golden hair back into place.

The priests behind her stood as well, and she met Ian’s gaze with a gentle look.

"Only now does the burden on my heart lift a little. I have been counting the days since I learned the Vice High Priestess was safe."

"Vice High Priestess?" One of Ian's eyebrows arched slightly. He glanced back at Lucia, who was raising her head. Her eyes, surprisingly, held no trace of joy.

"I appointed her formally this time. After all, anyone who returns alive from beyond the Black Wall is more than qualified." A strange smile spread on Cherwyn's lips as she answered.

"That way, she won't be able to leave the temple either," Ian added with a smile.

Cherwyn didn't deny it, only tilting her head slightly.

"You made a wise decision, Saintess." Mev stepped to Ian’s side just then. Still holding the reins in one hand, she had her helmet tucked under her arm.

Cherwyn’s smile deepened as she looked Mev’s way. "My greetings are late. It's been a while, Sir. I was looking forward to the day we would meet again."

"I am also glad to see you again." Mev bowed politely.

"I heard the frontier is very dangerous. Seeing you safe with my own eyes relieves me."

"It is thanks to the temple's support. Thank you."

At Mev's polite reply, Cherwyn's smile softened further.

Cherwyn turned slightly as she added, "This should be enough to ensure you won't run into the paladins again. Now, let me escort both of you inside."

The priests waiting behind her turned and headed toward the entrance. Immediately, the middle-aged priest who had opened the gate approached Mev and took the reins.

Snort...

Moro, catching Ian's gaze, obediently followed the priest to the side. After exchanging a look with Mev, Ian took a step forward.

"Do not worry about them. I will watch them leave. The Vice High Priestess will guide the two of you," Cherwyn added.

Watching Ian approach, she took the parchment Lucia was holding. Unlike Lucia, she grabbed it carelessly with one hand. There was no mistaking what she thought of the Great Church.

"The priests will prepare a meal and bathwater. Rest as much as you need and recover."

"How thoughtful. I will do so." Ian nodded.

Turning alongside him, Cherwyn said, "I believe there is not a single Northerner who doesn’t know the Agent of the Saint enjoys a proper bath. And I have much I wish to ask you. Several matters I’d like to discuss privately as well."

She looked toward him with a reserved, questioning expression. "Could you spare some time after you have rested sufficiently?"

"Does tomorrow work for you? I don't intend to stay long."

At Ian's answer, Cherwyn smiled as she approached the entrance. "Then I will arrange a time tomorrow afternoon. If there is anything you need, please tell me. I will help with anything if it is possible."

"In that case, could you gather a few dwarven master craftsmen for me?" Ian asked as he stepped into the hallway beyond the entrance. Warm air, distinctly different from the outside, enveloped him.

Taking in the hallway where candlelight flickered here and there, he added, "I have quite a few pieces of equipment that need repair. Most of them are ancient dwarven relics."

"They will be fighting over the chance to do it, so that won't be difficult. I will prepare it as soon as the day breaks." Cherwyn answered at once, then turned to Lucia at Ian’s side. "Guide them well. I will stop by my office and then go supervise the paladins."

"Yes, High Priestess," Lucia answered, lifting her mask to reveal her face.

Quickening her pace, Cherwyn looked back at Ian and Mev. "Then, I will see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

"Thank you for your hospitality."

As Ian and Mev bowed in turn, Cherwyn smiled and turned away. Clutching the parchment in one hand, she strode forward and disappeared among the priests moving through the hallway.

"You both did great," said Lucia.

Catching Ian's gaze, she smiled broadly and looked back at the hallway opening in the wall ahead.

"We’ll go this way. The others are waiting upstairs."

Ian nodded lightly. "Looks like the paladins gave you trouble too."

"Well, they did ask this and that. Though I didn't tell them a single thing they wanted to know. They don't have the right to force an answer from me. At least, not inside here," Lucia replied with a low snort.

Walking at an easy pace, she added, "They tried to be sneaky, but it ended up backfiring on them. If we had met outside, we would have been the ones in trouble. And yes, blood might have been shed... but still."

Entering the hallway connected to the side wall, Lucia lowered her voice. "As we expected, the Great Church is chasing you, Sir Ian. Now that they know your location, things may get more troublesome soon."

"It's fine. Soon they won't have the leisure for that," Ian replied calmly, looking around the hallway.

Not a single priest walked this way, as if the passage had been cleared just for them. Only the warm candlelight flickered softly across the dry stone walls.

"Don't tell me—" Lucia's eyes widened a beat late.

Ian nodded. "Yeah. He's finished his preparations. I don't know the exact deadline, but he'll reach the front lines soon."

Swallowing dryly, Lucia looked at Ian and Mev in turn before asking, "Which front line will he cross? Is it the Eastern Front as expected?"

"Probably. ...Though we can't rule out the possibility of the North." Ian shrugged.

He mentioned the North because of the dream, because in that vision, the North had been in ruins. However, this wasn't a conversation to have while walking down a hallway.

"We’ll talk about the rest once we’re inside."

"Okay."

"More importantly, the Saintess seemed to have a lot of questions. Did you not tell her everything because of the paladins?" asked Ian, changing the subject.

Lucia nodded. "I told her only what she absolutely needed to know. Not because of those paladins—I just felt I should decide the rest after speaking with you. The High Priestess is trustworthy, of course... but you know...."

"Yeah. Good job." Ian smiled. He could guess what Lucia was trying to say. Whatever the case, Cherwyn was of royal blood. In that sense, Lucia's cautious judgment deserved praise.

"So..." Nodding, Lucia's gaze shifted from Ian to Mev. "Did you two have a good time on your way here?"

Mev, who had been walking silently, stumbled for a moment.