The room, furnished with a large bed and dining tables, was so spacious that even after an additional table had been brought in and joined, there was still plenty of room left.

It was the largest and most expensive room in the inn.

"It’s an honor. To think Sir Philip spoke so highly of me, heh. I got to buy him a drink next time I see him," said Miguel.

"The honor’s mine as well, Priest. I didn’t expect you to know anything about me."

As Elia and Miguel exchanged greetings, Ian, seated in a chair with the window at his back, leisurely scanned the room.

"Well, to be honest, I only found out recently. As you know, everyone tends to keep their mouths shut. Especially him."

"Of course, I understand. I’m not offended at all, so don’t worry. You can treat me comfortably too. You’re my godfather’s friend, after all."

The room was plain and somewhat dim, even with candles lit before sunset, but it was impeccably clean, without a speck of dust or any foul smell. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Of course, Ian had no doubt that his goddaughter had used her magic touch to prepare everything. The other rooms she had reserved were likely just as spotless.

"Is that so? Well, now, polite and sociable too. In many ways, quite unlike him—" Miguel joked, glancing at Ian, then abruptly stopped when their eyes met.

Forcing an awkward smile, he quickly corrected himself. "I mean, you resemble him, of course. And you’ve even risen to the position of assistant professor at the academy. Impressive, really. Haha..."

"If you’re done greeting each other, sit down. Food’s on the way." Ian cut in flatly, tilting his head to the right as he picked up an empty glass vial—the one Mukapa had returned earlier—from the table.

Miguel turned immediately. "That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day. My stomach’s about to stick to my back..."

Beside Ian sat Thesaya, while at the other table, Mukapa sat on the floor across from Lily. The two had been staring at each other for some time.

"This really brings back memories, Godfather."

As Miguel sat beside Lily, Elia approached and took the seat across from Ian. Ian slipped the vial ‌into his pocket dimension and smiled. "I thought we agreed you wouldn’t call me that."

"Wasn’t that just for the last request? If you prefer, I can call you by your name."

"I’d prefer that. ‘Godfather’ sounds too grand."

Nodding, Elia hopped lightly into her chair.

At that moment, there was a knock—followed immediately by the door swinging open.

"Your meal is ready, my lords." A waitress entered, balancing a large tray on her head while steadying it with one hand, an impressive feat in itself.

"Impressive... half-fairy, maybe?" Thesaya murmured in admiration.

"Mukapa, mind giving her a hand?" said Ian.

Mukapa stood up at once and approached her.

"Oh, thank you. I can finally breathe again."

The waitress handed over the tray without hesitation and began setting dishes on the table. Her lightly tanned skin and bright, vibrant smile gave her a lively presence.

"I heard you prefer meat, so I focused mostly on meat dishes. The only fish dish is the stew, so no need to worry."

"Good. Thanks." Smiling, Ian pressed a gold coin into her hand.

At her surprised look, he gave a small shrug. "For the explanation. And it includes the room and meal costs going forward."

Thanks to her clarification, he now knew that the chef’s signature dish had been a fish pie made with whole fish.

After quickly arranging the plates, the waitress took the tray back and smiled brightly.

"If you need anything, just call me. Truly—anything at all."

"Alright. We’ll ask for bathwater after we finish eating."

"Just call, and I’ll have it ready right away." With a wink and a bright smile, the waitress stepped out, humming to herself the moment the door closed.

"Let’s talk while we eat." Ian let out a chuckle and picked up a piece of well-cooked meat, not even glancing at the stew where a fish head floated.

Honestly, he would’ve preferred something Elia had made, but asking that right after reuniting for the first time in years felt out of place.

Standing atop her chair, Elia began pouring drinks one by one, smiling. "I’ll just have a drink. Mukapa and I already ate earlier."

That remark made Mukapa pause, a chunk of meat halfway to his plate.

Thesaya immediately seized the moment with a grin. "No need to be shy, Snub-Nose. You’ve got to eat a lot to maintain that build, right?"

"You’ve gotten quite comfortable calling me that, Elder," Mukapa muttered, placing the meat down at last.

Ian snorted softly, popping a piece of meat into his mouth just as Elia set a filled glass in front of him.

"I can’t tell you how surprised I was when I heard you were calling for me. Honestly, I thought I’d see you again when you visited the capital," said Elia.

"Guess no one told you why I called you, then," Ian replied between bites.

Elia nodded, glancing briefly at Mukapa. "No. Even when I asked, he wouldn’t say. Of course, I did hear that you’ve become the Archduke of the North. Congratulations, truly."

"Congratulations... sure." Ian let out a chuckle.

As Elia handed a glass to Thesaya, she added, "It’s a remarkable achievement. I heard you’ve even reached the level of a demigod—an achievement that will be remembered in history forever."

"Which makes it a celebration for you too, doesn’t it, little Half-pint? The Archduke of the North, the demigod, is your godfather," Thesaya added lightly after taking a sip.

Ian’s brow twitched slightly, but Elia nodded right away. "Of course. I was so happy and proud. Ah, thank you, Mukapa."

She smiled as she turned to him. Mukapa had carefully taken a glass and passed it to Miguel.

"In that case... there’s something I’d like to ask." Settling back into her seat, Elia began cautiously.

Her mismatched eyes gleamed with intent as she lowered her voice. "Does that mean divinity now resides in your soul?"

Ian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Everyone at the table, including Mukapa, who had been reaching for another glass, turned toward him at once.

After swallowing his food, Ian answered, "Just barely, and I don’t even know how to control it properly yet."

A low murmur of amazement spread through the group.

Smiling faintly, Thesaya spoke up immediately after. "I don’t know why you’re all so surprised. It’s obvious, isn’t it? Otherwise, how do you think he could see something like that?"

"What did you see?" Elia quickly asked.

Ian frowned and turned to Thesaya.

Covering her mouth with a hand adorned in golden chains, she gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I’ll stay quiet now. Go on, Ian."

"As I said, that’s all there is to it." Clicking his tongue softly, Ian turned back to Elia. "It’s nothing compared to true gods. And I have no intention of becoming one."

Mukapa finally resumed lifting his drink with two fingers, while Elia shook her head.

"Even reaching the level of a demigod is an extraordinary feat. Throughout history, only a handful of humans have achieved it. You have to transcend fate and your limits and raise your very existence high enough to touch the heavens."

Ian didn’t respond further and simply continued cutting his meat.

How the hell did that butcher bastard even ascend?

"Were there any conflicts during that process?" Elia asked carefully after taking a sip of her drink.

Meeting Ian’s gaze, she lowered her voice even more. "You don’t carry only divinity, after all...."

"Your curiosity really doesn’t stop, Elia." Ian let out a low chuckle as he brought the meat to his mouth.

Elia froze for a moment, then lowered her eyes, scratching her cheek. "I’m sorry. I just couldn’t help myself."

"We’ll talk about things like that later. For now, let’s get back to the main point."

Shaking his head, Ian chewed for a moment before continuing, "The reason I called you here is that Her Highness saw the future."

"Her Highness?" Elia’s head snapped up, and her expression stiffened. She knew that Seras only ever saw ominous futures.

"Yeah. She saw the capital falling." Ian swallowed and picked up his glass, speaking as if it were nothing.

However, it was enough to make Elia’s eyes widen even further.

"The capital... falls?" she murmured blankly.

Ian nodded and took a sip.

"Yeah. And we decided not to stop it. That’s why I pulled you out of the capital first."

"Lu Solar... my goodness." A low gasp escaped her lips.

Ian shrugged slightly as he reached for his fork and knife again.

"How could that even... I mean... the conflict in the center finally... into a civil war, no, not just that—" Elia muttered to herself, staring into the air.

She then suddenly turned back to Ian. "Does that mean the former Crown Prince will win?"

"That part isn’t certain yet," Ian replied, slicing his meat as he glanced at her. "What the princess saw was only up to the moment the capital fell. The true outcome will be revealed in the Papal State and the royal palace."

"Of course, if the palace still stands, then the empire hasn’t fallen entirely. But even so... the capital falling..." Elia trailed off, her lips moving soundlessly.

She stared at Ian for a moment as he continued eating, then lifted her glass and took several quick gulps.

"Does the great being know about this?" she finally asked, visibly mustering her courage.

When Ian looked at her with a slight frown, she hurriedly added, "I-I mean... the guardian of the Empire, the Saint of the Order. You’re officially acting as its representative, Sir Ian. That’s why I’m asking."

She was clearly trying to justify the question, grasping at any reasoning she could.

After swallowing his food, Ian shook his head slightly. "No. It doesn’t. It’s in a deep sleep. It’ll be a long time before it awakens."

He even made a faint show of disappointment, licking his lips before picking up his drink again.

"As I thought, something serious must have gone wrong," Elia said at last, staring straight at him. Her voice was low and faintly trembling.

Ian’s eyes narrowed slightly as he raised his glass, while she fidgeted with her fingers around hers and continued, "I’ve been worried about that the whole time. The preparation period was too short, and the collapse was far too abrupt. If it’s the kind of side effect I’m thinking of... then alone, there’s no way—"

"Enough," Ian cut her off coldly.

Elia flinched.

Ian set his glass down and added, "It’s not something you need to worry about. Or even think about. You have nothing to do with him, Elia."

Lowering her gaze slightly, she murmured, "Of course. I’m only concerned as a scholar and a believer."

Ian let out a quiet breath and replied in a subdued tone, "It’s fine. It’ll just take time to recover."

"Then that’s a relief." Elia nodded at last.

Though the worry hadn’t completely left her face, Ian said nothing further and resumed cutting his meat, partly to hide the bitter thoughts lingering beneath the surface.

"Don’t worry. In case you didn’t know, Ian actually met the great being in person." Thesaya added carefully, stealing a glance at Ian.

Elia exhaled softly through her nose, took a sip of her drink, and nodded. "Right. That was presumptuous of me. As you said, it’s not my place to interfere."

"I heard you became an assistant professor at the academy," Ian said then, deliberately changing the subject as he took a bite.

Looking at her again, he tilted his head slightly. "You must’ve studied pretty hard."

"It was more luck than anything. The professors thought highly of my dedication and curiosity." Elia replied quietly, clearly trying to let go of her lingering concern. "Of course, that also means I have to study fields I didn’t choose, and do some labor as well."

"Doesn’t sound like a small burden," Ian remarked, picking up on her tone.

Elia smacked her lips lightly and let out a small sigh. "I can’t deny that. It’s quite a lot, actually. Including handling the professors’ errands."

"Well, since that’s what you’re good at, they’re probably feeling your absence by now."

"They’ve probably already found a replacement. There are plenty of people at the academy who are far more capable than I am."

Ian’s lips curled slightly as he lifted his glass.

So grad students are overworked here too, huh?

Taking a sip, he added, "Judging by the new void spells you’ve uncovered, it seems you’ve fully committed to that path."

"Yes. Until recently, I’ve been researching dark magic, ancient civilizations, the void, and the ancient gods—recovering records and deciphering ancient texts and forbidden books."

Elia hesitated, then continued carefully, watching Ian’s reaction. "My goal is to organize and document everything systematically to uncover their true nature. I still have a long way to go."

Thesaya let out a quiet sound of interest.

Ian lowered his glass and looked at Elia.

"It’s strictly academic."

Elia quickly straightened up, blinking.

"I’m not learning dark magic or creating new forbidden texts. You need to understand things properly to deal with and control them correctly. I would never do anything reckless—"

"I know you wouldn’t." Ian cut in simply.

As Elia paused, Ian added with a faint smile, "That’s why I kept an eye on you. Even with all that, you never gave in or crossed the line."

"That’s because you showed me what happens to those who step into the darkness, Sir Ian," Elia replied, a faint smile finally appearing on her face as well.

Ian shrugged lightly and picked up his fork again.

"But why did you call only me? I’m sure Sir Philip has been waiting eagerly for your summons too," said Elia.