Ch.216Chapter 216 – There’s a Condition

Today, I finished my daily routine by repairing the students’ equipment.

At that moment, one of the students who had just received their repaired equipment was about to leave when they seemed to remember something, turned around, and approached me.

“Count Severio. There’s a priest from the Solar Order at the academy’s main gate requesting to meet with you. Do you know anything about this?”

“A meeting request?”

What the student told me was that there was a priest from the Solar Order waiting at the academy’s main gate who wanted to see me.

With the empire having shifted to a full wartime system, wouldn’t visits to academy students be prohibited on weekdays?

The Solar Order must be aware of the weekday visitation ban…

‘Has something happened?’

With various thoughts running through my mind, I walked toward the main gate.

“Good day, Count!”

“Ah, yes.”

“Hello, Senior!”

“Mm.”

I’ve grown accustomed to exchanging brief greetings with people I meet on my way to the main gate.

After all, there wasn’t a single student at the academy whose equipment I hadn’t inspected.

I’d even saved students who were dying from severe injuries sustained during training using my abilities.

The situation had been so urgent that while everyone else panicked, perhaps due to my experience with death, I calmly approached the injured student and used my power.

And just like that, someone who was dying became perfectly fine?

Since then, whenever someone suffered a serious injury, they all started looking for me.

‘Saint Eterna must be going through similar troubles.’

The mention of someone from the Solar Order made me think of Eterna.

These days, Eterna was on a journey to meet followers of the Solar Order in foreign countries.

Unlike me, who had been staying at the academy at Regina’s earnest request.

As I approached the main gate, the guard there bowed his head in greeting.

His armor and weapons were exceptionally clean for a guard, which was because I had repaired his equipment.

As a result, I was on fairly familiar terms with the guards.

“Count Severio. I was just about to look for you.”

“I heard a priest from the Solar Order has come.”

“Yes, that’s right. Someone from the Solar Order says they have a letter to deliver to you, Count. They said they would only deliver the letter, but insisted on handing it to you personally.”

Hmm? Wouldn’t it be more convenient to ask someone else to deliver the letter?

Why would they wait until this hour to meet me?

“I’ll guide you. Please follow me this way.”

I followed the guard to the visiting room where outside guests could be received.

Upon entering, I saw a man wearing the priestly robes of the Solar Order.

“Pleased to meet you, Father. I understand you’ve been looking for me.”

“Ah! Count Patos Severio! I am Bert, sent to deliver a letter from the Saint.”

The priest’s name appeared to be Bert.

Anyway, that’s not what’s important right now.

“You say Lady Eterna sent a letter?”

“Yes. I don’t know the contents myself. I was simply ordered to deliver it directly to you, Count. I was told to wait until I confirmed that you had personally received and read it.”

I nodded at Priest Bert’s words and accepted the letter he produced.

Despite having passed through someone else’s hands, the letter was immaculately clean.

After removing the wax seal attached to the envelope containing the letter, I took out the letter to see what was written.

◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈

Eterna Lumio Sol, Saint of the Solar Order, respectfully sends her greetings through this letter.

Currently, I and the Solar Order are on a tour of nations outside the Gelebrio Empire.

Many followers have found renewed faith through this tour, which is indeed a joyous occasion.

However, not everything during our journey has been pleasant.

Beings harboring malevolent energy and rejecting the laws of nature have begun to appear in great numbers.

I and the clergy of the Solar Order have the power to stand against these beings that defy natural law.

But others do not.

Therefore, as the Saint of the Solar Order, I am requesting help from Count Patos Severio of the Gelebrio Empire.

The land is being contaminated by those who reject the laws of nature, and I need your assistance, Count.

The contamination is too severe for us to resolve with our abilities alone, so I earnestly request your help to prevent more people from suffering.

If you wish to assist us, you need only tell the priest who delivered this letter that you “agree to the contents of the letter.”

The Solar Order will bear all expenses necessary for your journey here, so please hear our desperate plea and lend us your aid.

I pray for the well-being of your family.

◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈

“Hmm…”

Since Eterna had never written to me before or after becoming a saint, her handwriting was quite unfamiliar.

But reading the letter, I could quickly tell that Eterna was asking for my help.

Usually, letters like this would beat around the bush before getting to the point, but Eterna’s letter didn’t do that.

I’m not sure if she sent it without concern for formalities, or if the situation was so urgent that such niceties were a luxury.

However, considering that Eterna rarely asks for my help, the fact that she was directly requesting assistance suggested the situation must be quite dire.

Despite Eterna’s request for help, I couldn’t hastily agree to it.

Why? Obviously because of Sister Regina.

It had only been a few months since I died in an explosion and was resurrected after helping the Emperor of the Eastern Continent.

Because of that, my sister wasn’t particularly keen on me straying far from the academy.

Having lived for a long time, she didn’t show signs of anxiety.

Plus, I had used my ability to remove the trauma caused by that memory.

However, I couldn’t change the somewhat overprotective attitude she had developed because of that memory.

This was about Regina’s emotions, so perhaps my abilities wouldn’t work on it.

[Me: Sister, can we talk for a moment?]

[Sis: Talk? Wait. I’m with a guest right now. Let’s meet in your room in an hour.]

[Me: Okay.]

Just in case, I sent a message to Regina, and she responded immediately.

An hour later, when I returned to my room, a delicious aroma wafted from beyond the door.

“Welcome back. Haven’t had dinner yet? I’ve prepared something, so let’s eat.”

“Yes, Sister.”

Dinner, huh. Of all times, I’ve hit the worst possible timing.

I suppose I’ll have to talk while eating the dinner Regina has prepared.

The food Regina made was stew.

A dish with broth containing various vegetables, meat, and finished with spices.

Spices were very expensive, making ordinary people tremble as they used them sparingly, but Regina, being wealthy, generously added spices to her cooking.

Thanks to that, I would always scrape my bowl clean when eating the food Regina prepared.

There might not be the chemical seasonings created by scientists with doctorates, but she made up for it with a heavy dose of spices.

“Hmm, is something wrong? No appetite? Should I make something different?”

“That’s not it.”

Regina seemed concerned that I was picking at my food.

I looked at Regina and said,

“Sister.”

“Yes. Something’s bothering you, right?”

As expected… I can’t hide anything from Regina.

Though we haven’t spent that much time together, she immediately notices when I have something on my mind.

I summarized the contents of the letter I received for Regina.

About how I needed to resolve the contamination of the land caused by those who defy the laws of nature.

“So, are you going to help Eterna?”

“I think I should. It seems like the demon clan might be behind the contaminated land.”

The Demon Cult is an enemy that must be eradicated if I am to live peacefully in this land.

“Alright. I’ll give you permission.”

Regina surprisingly gave her consent easily.

“Really?”

“But with one condition.”

Of course, not without strings attached.

I had actually expected there would be conditions.

From Regina’s perspective, it must seem like I’m walking into danger again.

I looked at Regina’s lips, and upon hearing her condition for permission, I couldn’t hide my surprise.