Feeling the bright light beyond his eyelids fade, Cassian slowly opened his eyes.
Beneath the portal, priests and holy knights who had come to greet Elsez and her party were waiting.
Cassian was about to step off the portal and head toward them when he halted at the voice of Tezette calling from behind him.
“…Elsez?”
Following the voice, Cassian turned around—only to find that she was nowhere to be seen.
And one more person. Astaire was missing as well.
“Where did they go?”
Realizing that something was wrong, Cassian quickly scanned his surroundings, but he couldn’t find the two anywhere.
Rashiel, having assessed the situation in an instant, approached the warp portal’s core and placed a hand on it, reading the flow of mana.
The high priest who had come to greet them also noticed Astaire and Elsez’s absence and asked,
“The guests who were supposed to arrive with Your Grace…?”
“I saw them board the portal with us, but when I opened my eyes, they were gone. Isn’t this some kind of malfunction?”
Hearing Cassian’s words, the high priest’s expression stiffened in confusion.
Portals were made of magic-stones, capable of absorbing and storing surrounding mana.
The teleportation spell engraved into the magic-stone would activate using that mana.
Since teleportation magic only allowed movement to a single fixed destination, portals always worked in pairs, allowing travel solely between the two linked points.
In other words, it was impossible for Elsez and Astaire, who had boarded the portal with them, to have ended up somewhere else.
However, stating this fact outright could spread unease among those present. The high priest decided to handle the situation cautiously before investigating further.
“This is an uncommon occurrence, but it does seem that the portal has malfunctioned, as Lord Cassian suggested.”
He then instructed the priests who had accompanied him to inspect the portal.
Rashiel and Tezette watched them carefully as they worked.
The high priest then turned to the three men and made a suggestion.
“You must be exhausted from your long journey. Why not head to the temple first? We will investigate the matter here and ensure the missing guests are found and escorted safely after you.”
Cassian hesitated, but before he could respond, Tezette rejected the offer and firmly stated his stance.
“No, I will wait here until we find them.”
At his words, the high priest’s face darkened.
Waiting here meant keeping an eye on the priests, constantly pressuring them with his presence.
Just then, Rashiel walked past Tezette and toward the priests, speaking as he did.
“Standing around here won’t solve anything. Stop wasting time in the wrong place—let’s go.”
“You don’t seem worried about her at all.”
Tezette’s biting remark followed Rashiel.
For a fleeting moment, a crack appeared in Rashiel’s usually relaxed expression—but it was gone in an instant.
Regaining his composure, he turned to face Tezette.
“I just hate wasting time inefficiently.”
“…..”
“Then, Your Grace, feel free to sit here for days, worrying and waiting if that’s what you’d prefer.”
It was an unmistakable taunt.
Tezette’s gaze turned ice-cold as he glared at Rashiel.
Rashiel, however, did not avoid his stare and met it head-on.
As the tense atmosphere between the two thickened, the high priest was left at a loss, unsure of what to do. That was when Cassian stepped between them, blocking their line of sight.
“Stop fighting like children. Arguing won’t bring them back, will it?”
Then, turning to Tezette, he spoke in a soothing yet firm tone.
“I’m just as worried as you are, and I know you’re worried too. But for now, let’s go to the temple. Rashiel must have his own reasons for acting this way.”
Tezette continued to glare at Rashiel, but in the end, Cassian half-forced him along as they walked toward Rashiel.
And so, after much back and forth, the three men finally boarded a carriage bound for the temple.
****
Instead of an imperial palace where the emperor lives, the Holy Kingdom had a temple where the Saintess resided.
True to a nation devoted to serving the divine, its structures were pure white, radiating an aura of sanctity.
Against the backdrop of a golden sunset, the massive temple stood tall—majestic and breathtaking.
A carriage carrying three figures crossed the vast landscape and came to a halt at the temple’s central entrance.
As Rashiel, Cassian, and Tezette stepped out, a waiting holy knight approached.
“The Saintess is expecting you.”
Following the knight, the three men entered the temple.
The light of the setting sun streamed through the stained-glass windows high above, illuminating their path in warm hues.
As they walked deeper inside, a lone woman came into view, standing in the center of a grand hall.
At most, she appeared to be in her late twenties.
Bathed in the golden light filtering through the stained glass, she wore a pure white robe, matching the sanctity of the temple.
With a gentle smile on her lips, she gazed at them, looking almost like an angel descended upon the earth.
Her long lavender hair cascading over her robe and her enigmatic gray eyes added to her sacred presence.
Crossing the vast hall, where even their footsteps echoed, the three men approached her and bowed in respect.
“It is an honor to meet you, Saintess.”
“Welcome. You must be tired from your long journey, my proud heroes.”
Saintess Dike.
A being who had neither aged nor perished for countless years, dedicating her existence solely to the peace of the world.
The protector of this realm, a transcendent figure, and the embodiment of absolute virtue.
“This is the first time we’ve met since that final battle three years ago.”
Studying the three men standing before her, Dike continued.
“I may not have seen you in person, but I’ve kept up with your endeavors. You have all fulfilled your respective duties admirably. Truly commendable.”
“It’s too much praise.”
While Rashiel and Tezette remained indifferent to her compliments, Cassian responded with a smile.
Despite resenting his father for prioritizing justice over family, Cassian had still lived his life in pursuit of righteousness. And to him, the Saintess—this world’s guardian—was someone he had always admired.
“It saddens me that our reunion is under such unfortunate circumstances. However, seeing your familiar faces again brings me joy.”
“……”
“By the way, I heard there was an incident on your way here. The cardinal and the young lady who boarded the portal with you have gone missing, correct?”
With a composed expression, Dike was the first to bring up Astaire and Elsez.
Cassian nodded, reassuring her.
“But both of them are strong. No matter where they ended up, they’ll be fine.”
At that moment, Rashiel, who had been quietly observing Dike, finally spoke.
“Where did you send them?”
Cassian and Tezette turned to Rashiel in confusion, while Dike’s gaze also shifted to him.
The first thing Rashiel had done upon noticing Elsez and Astaire’s absence was read the mana flowing through the portal.
There, he had found traces of maren—the scars left behind where magic had been used.
Whenever a spell was cast, mana would leave behind a faint residual mark.
Ordinary magicians might have overlooked it, mistaking it for the portal’s own mana flow, but Rashiel, who had reached the pinnacle of magic, could perceive it clearly.
Even in its faint traces, he could tell that an immense power had been at work.
And to Rashiel’s knowledge, there was only one person in this world capable of wielding such magic.
Fixing Dike with a sharp gaze, he added the missing subject to his accusation.
“The two of them—did you send them, Saintess?”
He had come straight to the temple instead of lingering at the portal because he already knew.
This woman standing before him knew where Elsez and Astaire had gone.
Dike, silently watching Rashiel as he openly regarded her with suspicion, slowly curved her lips into a gentle smile.
****
“Hiiik! A monster!”
Reti, who had been clinging to Elsez’s shoulder, screamed in terror at the gaping maw of the water dragon.
Kyaaaak—!
Drool dripped from the creature’s fangs as it lunged at Elsez, ready to swallow her whole.
Right after being transported by the portal, the body was in the same unstable state as after using teleportation magic—mana flow disrupted and unreadable.
Because of that, Elsez couldn’t immediately move into a defensive stance.
‘I need to evade first, then counterattack…’
Just as she was about to throw herself aside to dodge the water dragon’s attack, Astaire materialized from the portal a beat later.
He, too, was completely defenseless.
‘Astaire is in danger.’
Acting swiftly, Elsez twisted her body, grabbed the unguarded Astaire, and rolled to the side with him.
The two tumbled across the ground.
Kwaaaaduduk!
The water dragon’s enormous jaws snapped shut just where they had stood, crushing the portal instead.
Seeing that, Elsez’s eyes wavered.
‘It seems we took the wrong portal… If that thing gets destroyed, doesn’t that mean we can’t go back…?’
At that moment, a familiar soft voice spoke from beneath her.
“…Lady Elsez?”
Astaire, who had been attacked before even opening his eyes, was still dazed. He blinked up at her in confusion.
“What is this…?”
“I’m not sure either, but it looks like we’re the only ones who ended up here. For now—”
Kyaaaak!
Before she could explain, the water dragon, having spotted them again, lifted its head and charged.
“…For now, we need to kill that rude beast that doesn’t know how to wait its turn in a conversation.”
Elsez swiftly dodged the attack and leaped into the air. Then, she stomped down with full force on the creature’s skull.
Kwaang!
A powerful shockwave rippled through the ground, shaking the earth beneath them.
Receiving a devastating blow, the water dragon collapsed unconscious.
Elsez casually kicked its body, sending it rolling into the lake.
“Now, let’s finish our conversation.”
Astaire burst into laughter as he watched Elsez dust off her hands like it was nothing.
But at that very moment, the lake behind her stirred.
The water dragon, having regained consciousness, emerged—its mouth gaping open, ready to devour her.
Astaire’s eyes trembled as he looked at Elsez, standing there, completely unaware of the danger behind her.
“Lady Elsez!”
Sensing that something was off, Elsez started to move—but it was too late.
Out of nowhere, a dark shadow appeared and struck the water dragon.
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