By Zephyria 
The Sun God could specifically observe those who believed in him. In the Indus Canyon, the Ninth God’s shadow was so deep that he might not have seen us. But the sun also shines its light on Yulan. How could I not have been seen?
Was it because I possessed a soul from another world? But how could that be, having taken on a body in this land? I was greatly troubled by these thoughts.
Marianne, her voice half-crying, continued to speak assertively.
“When I heard Prince Rubel was heading towards Yulan, I thought you were just sending some kind of message, so I waited… But just hearing your voice, I could tell Michael was perfectly fine! If you were perfectly fine, why did you crawl along so slowly? You’re a good runner. You made people worry.”
“…”
I almost said “I’m sorry, it was my fault,” but I swallowed the words. Ranunculus was a magical creature incapable of two-way communication. Marianne, after a brief sniffle, regained her strong voice and spoke spiritedly.
“Benjamin, Leon, John, Giselle, and I are all safe. We aren’t hurt either. The Sun God, feeling pity, gave us each an extra fruit, which we ate. Jealous? Now, among the 5th Circle Mages of Shierun, there isn’t a single person who can handle more Mana than I can.”
…
Should I have gone towards the Sanctuary of the Sun, even if it was difficult?
A moment of regret flickered through me. Ruben, noticing my state, gently placed his hand over mine. Yes, blindly stuffing myself with spiritual medicine would only harm my body. Embarrassed by my own greed, I let out a dry cough.
“Since I was living with a god, I asked him a few things. After nearly dying once, I was angry that they’d pushed me into a place like that without explanation, so I argued with him a bit.”
“…”
“But the Sun God said that the God of Oasis and the First Goddess were currently in the Magic territory searching for the Ninth God, so he thought it would be relatively safe. He figured the gods would be occupied, and the remaining conflict would be between humans.”
Gods didn’t necessarily have to be bound to their Origin. The Origin was not a chain, but an existence.
The Sun God manifested as Makrir and carried us. The God of Records left the lake as it was and wandered the world in human form. The God of Oasis couldn’t leave the Oasis simply to protect the fragment of my soul, and as soon as he handed it over to me, he promptly departed for the Magic territory.
Moreover, our group consisted of formidable individuals. If those black magicians hadn’t used their bizarre magic and resorted to the foolish act of collapsing the cave while fleeing, we wouldn’t have been scattered like this.
The Sun God’s assumption that it was a battle between humans wasn’t entirely wrong.
“Besides, the Origin of a god is usually planted and anchored in nature, so they can’t just move instantaneously. This Indus Canyon was originally something the Sun God possessed, but the Ninth God arbitrarily stole it. It’s not supposed to happen, and it can’t.”
The Sanctuary of the Sun had never moved since the creation of this continent.
Even the most capricious of gods, the God of Oasis, took over three hundred years to draw water channels from the center of the Shatun Desert and place them in the northern part of the Shatun Desert. The Statue of the Goddess’s Head, the Saras River, and the Lake of Memories had all remained fixed in their places for well over eight hundred years.
The explanation continued at length: it was incomprehensible that the power of the Ninth God’s Origin, created in a mere five years, would vanish instantly after leaving the Indus Canyon. The Sun God was also utterly bewildered and didn’t know how the Ninth God’s Origin had left the Indus Canyon or where he had established his next Origin.
This continent was made from the bodies of gods. The energy of all gods permeated the entire land, making it difficult to know where an Origin was placed before an Origin Proclamation. I recalled hearing something similar before.
“So, I asked if it was possible to create an Origin without an Origin Proclamation, and he said yes. Conversations between gods are apparently no different from issuing Divine Revelations. Even if you hear them, if they don’t respond, there’s no way to question them.”
“…”
“It’s like saying, ‘This is my land, so you can’t come in anymore,’ to a nearby god, and that’s an Origin Proclamation. Absurd, right? I thought so too. The Sun God was also frustrated because he couldn’t contact any other gods. What else could I do but accept it?”
“…”
“He said if you pray very earnestly to the Sun God, you might be heard… but the probability of not being heard is higher. So many people pray to the gods that their voices get quite mixed up. I’ll think about that later…”
Marianne’s voluble voice trailed off slightly. The Ranunculus fluttered its wings once. Had Marianne shifted her position? Or had her expression changed significantly? I watched her intently, concerned.
“They say the Indus Canyon is now filled with dense Contaminated Mana, and as it recedes, the overall balance is disrupted, so we don’t know when something else might collapse. Therefore, we probably won’t be able to go directly to Yulan. As soon as this Ranunculus is sent, we’ll be heading to Felix.”
“…”
“The number of zombies has also decreased, so it shouldn’t be too difficult. For now, we’ll go to where Hyoo Senior is, so if you’re coming, come here. Otherwise, send the next Ranunculus to your location. But if possible… I want to see you in person.”
“…”
“I miss you, Michael. There are so, so, so many things I want to say that I feel like I’m going crazy. So, stay healthy and let’s meet soon. Prince, you take care of yourself too. Goodbye!”
Peep. The Ranunculus flapped its wings proudly, as if announcing it had completed its task.
Marianne’s final farewell lingered in my mind, and as I remained frozen, Ruben released his Mana to feed the Ranunculus in my stead. As I watched him blankly, the child placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Mika.”
“…Yes.”
“Should we give up on the Divine object and go straight to Felix? That would be fine too.”
“…”
Instead of answering immediately, I retorted in disbelief.
“Then what about the Divine object?”
“We can ask others to find it.”
“…”
Impossible.
Only Rubel, who inherited Divine Blood, or someone with a complete understanding could distinguish it. Furthermore, Yulan was a place where the Duke Kiadris Family and the Duke Yeldidus Family had significant influence, meaning there were few reliable aura or Mana users.
Was my expression so terrible that Ruben was this worried? I let out a long sigh. To avoid worrying Ruben further, I forced myself to calm down. I clasped the hand on my shoulder and shook my head.
Comforting Marianne was something that could be done gradually. I wanted to do what I could before sending Rubel to the capital.
“It’s fine. He’s spirited, and… Benjamin is by his side.”
“…Really?”
“Yes. We’ve talked a lot since our Academy days, so he’s only looking for me. He’ll probably want to talk about Glotin Tenner… It’s okay to listen and comfort him slowly. He’s a smart child, so he’ll be fine with time.”
“…”
“As Ruben said, I want to meet the royals of Yulan first. If there’s no possibility of finding the Divine object, then we can head to Felix.”
“…Alright. Let’s do that. We’ll wait for the Ranunculus from the capital and Withrow too.”
“Yes.”
The pancakes I had for breakfast were cold and stiff, tasting unpleasant. However, neither Ruben nor I complained and finished the meal. I diligently took the medicine the child prepared for me. I had met another quack. He listened to my schedule and changed my cast to a lighter one.
During our remaining time, Ruben and I sat side-by-side, poring over various collections of myths about the Blue Turtle and the Golden Turtle. The sheer volume of thick and thin books spread across the bed left little room, forcing us to sit very close together.
As we read, Ruben would often nudge his nose against my cheek and grin. Every time Ruben inhaled, a ticklish sensation made my knees weak. I felt greatly embarrassed inwardly, wondering if I had ever acted this way towards Ruben.
❖ ❖ ❖
Ivan and his wife, who had been away all day yesterday, returned.
Ivan, having requested an audience with Rubel, sat with his wife pressed tightly to his side. Watching them, I subtly glanced at Ruben’s reaction. Rubel looked at Ivan and his wife with an indifferent expression, then turned back to me with a smile, looking puzzled.
…No matter how I thought about it, I suspected Ivan had misunderstood on his own, but I held back from asking.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Ivan immediately stated the reason for his half-day absence.
“I’ve made an appointment with Marquis Anton Murray.”
“Marquis Murray… the second consort’s?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“…Second?”
I asked immediately. Ivan’s eyes met mine, but he didn’t speak. As Ivan Bikoff lowered his gaze and waited silently, Ruben added an explanation in a gentle voice.
“The King of Yulan’s first husband passed away five years ago due to illness.”
“…Was it a political struggle?”
“Not initially. The first consort was a beautiful and extravagant person. Even after becoming consort, he went hunting five times a year, and five years after the royal wedding, he had a fall from his horse.”
“…”
“So, the first and second of the King of Yulan’s five children were born to the first husband. The third child onwards were born to the current consort, the second son of the Murray family.”
“…Hmm.”
He’s brought in someone significant. But Ivan currently holds the title of Baron. How did he manage to ensnare someone so prominent so quickly? I was both curious and amazed. With a sense of pride, I gazed intently at Ivan.
Then, he gestured towards my hand.
My hand? What… To hold? Hold what? Acting on impulse, I did as he gestured and clasped the hand of Rubel, who was sitting beside me.
After confirming that Rubel was holding my hand, Ivan looked directly at me and calmly explained.
“The individuals in the Imperial Noble Yearbook’s Information Bureau mostly operate under false identities, making it difficult for them to obtain noble titles in other countries. Lower titles can be bought with money, but you can’t ignore the intuition and solidarity unique to those who have lived in a region for a long time.”
“…So?”
“But I am a noble from the Empire. Even if my title is low, I am the fourth son of a Viscount family, I hold an Imperial Baron title, and I am the owner of a reputable trading company, even if it’s just in name. No one in Yulan can afford to treat an Imperial noble from Shierun Academy with disdain.”
“…Hmm.”
“A mere merchant cannot frequent the Yulan Royal Castle, so wouldn’t it be necessary to lure out a young royal? That’s why I sought out Marquis Murray first. Fortunately, we have a suitable bait.”
“Bait?”
“Isn’t the Second Prince here? He’s also unmarried.”
What?