Though the invitation was sudden, Ren assumed Radius had something important to discuss.
"Sure. Where should we talk?"
"How about the room we used for the executive committee?"
"Right, sounds good."
Licia, who had been listening to the exchange, suddenly spotted Fiona nearby.
Fiona noticed her as well and approached, nodding when she saw Radius was present. She exchanged a meaningful look with Licia before speaking aloud.
"Licia-sama, would you like to join me for some tea? I hear the new cake at the cafeteria is quite delicious."
"I would love to. I’ve been curious about it myself."
With those words, the two girls left Ren and Radius's side.
They were clearly being considerate, giving the boys space to talk while planning to hear the details later. Before they vanished from sight, they looked back at Ren with gentle smiles, their lips silently forming the words, See you later.
Ren felt a surge of gratitude for their thoughtfulness before turning back to Radius.
The two of them headed toward the room they had occupied during their time as executive committee members. It took only a few minutes to reach it, and they stepped inside for the first time in several weeks. The interior remained exactly as they had left it; stacks of documents were still scattered across the table.
"Only a handful of people know the truth of what happened at Roses Kaitas," Radius began.
As expected, he intended to discuss the fallout of the incident. Since the events at the canyon were so significant, the circle of people with whom they could share information was extremely restricted. This was especially true regarding the fact that Ren and Licia had been trapped within the Time Cage and their desperate struggle against the Sword Demon.
"As for the Time Cage itself, the official stance is that the seal simply reached the end of its natural lifespan and dissolved. The reason a large portion of the mountain collapsed is being attributed to the sudden resumption of the flow of time."
"Does that mean—"
"The Time Cage was suppressing the overwhelming power of the Demon King's Army. That much is clear. Since the presence of entities like the Sword Demon was already theorized by scholars, we don't have to reveal that you two fought and defeated it. It won't become a national security issue. I’ve already made the necessary arrangements."
The Emperor and Estelle, for instance, had been briefed on these facts. Radius was simply emphasizing that very few people knew Ren and Licia had been personally involved in the combat.
"An investigation is underway, with the Leomelian Knights being mobilized. The conclusion remains the same: the Time Cage vanished because its ancient purpose was fulfilled. It follows the legends perfectly."
"Then there won't be any tension between Leomel and the Elfen Church?"
"Fortunately, no. To be honest, I personally have plenty of complaints I'd like to lodge against them, but..."
"...It’s likely for the best if we don't press the issue," Ren finished.
"Precisely. Considering the risk of a prying investigation being launched into the two of you, it's better to leave well enough alone."
The Time Cage vanished because its job was done. The mountain collapsed because time resumed. If the story ended there, it was convenient for Ren and Licia. While Radius clearly had his own frustrations regarding the church's negligence, he set them aside for their sake.
There were more pressing matters to attend to, making silence the wiser path.
"Because of that cover-up, these past few days have been quite an ordeal," Radius sighed.
"The investigation was that difficult?"
"No, keeping Ulysses in check was the problem."
Apparently, the Duke had been absolutely livid upon learning Ren and the others were caught in the disaster, and Radius had been forced to monitor him constantly. However, since Ulysses also understood the necessity of silence, he hadn't taken any reckless public action.
"I’ve also looked into other matters. To put it bluntly, there is no sign that the Elfen Church was hiding anything within Roses Kaitas. For instance, there is no evidence they intentionally concealed the Sword Demon."
"So, there's no chance Licia and I were set up?"
"None."
This conclusion was reached without ever explicitly mentioning the Sword Demon to the church officials. Radius had leveraged Leomel’s influence to grill the Elfen Church, watching closely to see if their answers held the weight of truth. Since defying Leomel would have been disastrous for them, the likelihood of a conspiracy was low to begin with.
"I also cross-referenced with the knights guarding the perimeter of Roses Kaitas. There was no trace of magic being used to deceive visitors that day. In that chaos, it would have been nearly impossible to cast a spell targeting only the two of you."
The probability that the Elfen Church had targeted them was infinitesimally small. That meant the reason they were pulled into the Time Cage lay elsewhere. The fact that the cause remained a mystery was the real problem.
"Ren, do you have any idea why you were caught in it?"
Ren had been weighing two possibilities since the battle ended. He wasn't entirely without clues.
(I'm still not certain, though.)
The first possibility was that since the Time Cage could not fully purify the Sword Demon, it reached out for the power of the White Saint to finish the task. Since Ren had once absorbed power from Licia’s mana stone, he might have been pulled in as an extension of her.
The second possibility involved Fiona. Ren had been influenced by her Black Priestess power back in the Baldur Mountains. Since that power was intrinsically linked to the Demon King, even a trace remaining within Ren might have caused the seal to identify him as a target for purification.
However, neither theory was perfect. He didn't know if the seal actually possessed a mechanism to drag people inside, and the second theory didn't explain why Licia would have been pulled in alongside him.
(Or perhaps it was a combination of both.)
Maybe the Time Cage had sensed them the moment they first approached Roses Kaitas, which would explain the strange dream they had shared. That felt the most plausible to Ren. Given that the Time Cage was a divine seal from the age of gods, such a phenomenon wasn't entirely outside the realm of possibility.
"Hmm... it seems you do have some idea," Radius noted.
"Yeah... just a bit of one."
"Tell me about it when the time is right. This is just a hunch, but I suspect it involves the White Saint's role as much as your own power. If that's the case, you should clear it with them before telling me. I can wait."
Ren gave a small, grateful smile. "Thanks, Radius."
The fact that the theories involved the "Special Constitutions" of Licia and Fiona made them difficult to discuss. He couldn't bring himself to speak of such sensitive matters without their permission, or at least consulting their fathers first. Radius understood that sort of integrity.
When he finally did speak of it, Ren decided he would tell Radius about his Magic Sword Summoning as well.
"By the way, Ren, is there anything you need from me?"
"From you?"
"Yes. As one of the people who was actually inside the Time Cage, if there's anything you want to investigate, name it. I’ll provide whatever support you need."
"I've already asked for so much... but, well..."
When he thought about what he needed to uncover, the list was endless. However, he knew exactly what his top priority was.
"I want to look into Holy Magic."
"I see. And how do you plan to do that? Honestly, after what happened with the seal, I'm not exactly inclined to recommend the Imperial Capital Grand Temple to you."
"Believe me, I'd like to avoid that place myself."
"Then let’s see... we need somewhere you can find reliable information—"
Ren’s desire to research Holy Magic stemmed from the wings that had manifested on Licia's back. That moment haunted him; he had to know what it meant.
"Actually," Ren interrupted, feeling a bit apologetic.
"Yes? What is it?"
"Radius, have you ever heard the term 'Divine Child'?"
"Divine Child? No, I’m afraid it doesn't ring a bell. What's this about a Divine Child?"
Ren didn't know if the term the Sword Demon used referred to the Ashton family or to Licia, but he decided to share what he had heard. He had already spoken to Radius about the Ashton ancestor, so this conversation felt like a natural extension of that.
"Before the Sword Demon died, it called either me or Licia a 'Descendant of the Divine Child'."
"A Descendant of the Divine Child... that’s news to me. However, if we want to decipher the meaning of those words, we should consult those deeply versed in Holy Magic. The Academy Principal is an option, but it might be better to seek out someone even more specialized."
"Then, would it be too much to ask for an introduction? Someone tight-lipped who can keep a secret?"
Radius replied surprisingly quickly. "I believe I can arrange that."
Ren leaned forward, his eyes filling with hope.
"You’ll have to leave the Imperial Capital to speak with them, but I can fulfill your request."
"Really? Where do I have to go?"
"You'll understand once you hear the name 'White Crown'."
Ren’s breath hitched. His lips moved soundlessly for a moment before the realization struck him. He thought of the sprawling metropolitan hub that stood as a testament to the empire's power.
"The City of Water... Eupeheim!?"
It was the territory of the Strong-Armed Ulysses Ignat, the second-largest city in the empire.
In the drawer of the desk in Ren’s room, the Black Invitation that Edgar had left behind at the Clausel mansion years ago was still waiting.