Rubia has gone weird.

Well, it’s not like her acting strange is a new thing, but…

Lately, it’s been even more pronounced.

I sat on my bed, recalling what had happened just a few hours ago.

“Y’know, I’ve actually revered the God of Light for quite some time now…”

This was the day after the whole Sian fiasco.

Rubia suddenly popped by, looking all flustered, and dropped this curious tidbit on me.

She launched into some random religious talk out of nowhere, expressing her faith in the God of Light.

I was so taken aback, thinking, “What’s up with her?”

Did she perhaps think my wings were somehow connected to the God of Light?

So, I said, “Um, I think you’ve got the wrong idea. I have no connection with the God of Light whatsoever.”

I’m neither an apostle nor the deity itself. We’re completely unrelated!

“Of course, you can believe whatever you want, Rubia.”

Maybe I was overthinking things, and she just came to have some innocent religious chit-chat.

As a modern person, I was all for respecting freedom of religion.

But the moment I said that, Rubia exclaimed, “I-I’m so sorry! I don’t actually believe in the God of Light! I just said that on a whim! The only one I believe in is you!”

With that heavy declaration, she burst into tears.

Why on earth was she acting like this? I stood up to check on her, only for her to grab my ankle and start sobbing uncontrollably, pleading me not to leave.

It seemed she misunderstood that I was about to abandon her!

“I-I messed up big time! Please don’t abandon me…”

Here was a grown woman throwing herself on the floor, begging like her life depended on it.

I was flustered and had no choice but to reassure Rubia somehow.

What on earth was she talking about?

I never had any intention of abandoning you!

As I fumbled for the right words, I might’ve gone a bit overboard, saying, “You’re the most precious person to me!”

Given the situation, I had no choice but to be dramatic.

After all that chaos, I finally managed to calm Rubia down and sent her back to her room, which led to the current moment.

Even now, as I sit on my bed, thinking back on what just happened makes my head spin.

Rubia is getting way too dramatic.

This is usually how she is, but this time, she really took it up a notch.

‘Sounds like she’s been pushing herself too hard lately.’

Naturally, that thought crossed my mind.

Of course, I’m not a businessperson, so I can’t fully understand the struggles of one. But I know running a business is no walk in the park.

Just managing a single store is tough, and here Rubia is, managing an entire enterprise by herself.

And not just running a business but doing it all while hiding her identity.

The toll it takes must be unimaginable.

She might say she’s fine, but I’m sure she’s feeling utterly exhausted.

No matter how much of a munchkin Rubia is, she’s still human.

Her bizarre behavior might just be a signal that she’s overwhelmed.

Thinking this only made me feel a mix of guilt and gratitude.

‘This person definitely needs some looking after.’

If Rubia ever finds herself in danger, I’ll drop everything to help her, no questions asked. Even if it means facing considerable risks.

That’s what I decided.

‘Well, avoiding danger from the start is preferable, though.’

Of course, that’s just hypothetical. It’s always better if nothing dangerous happens in the first place.

So, I ought to treat her well every day.

If she ever has worries, I should be the first to say, “Come to me anytime” or let her know I’d be ready to “handle” any problems that come her way.

That’s how I can be there for Rubia.

I came to that conclusion and redirected my thoughts back to the original matter.

‘The Guild Meeting and Sian Rudebeth’s death.’

Not to mention the Holy Church.

Big, pivotal events have been shaking the status quo left and right.

The Holy Church, long held in high regard, is crumbling down, new organizations are rising up, and the influential tycoon who was shaking up the Empire’s economy has fallen overnight.

There’s certainly a wind of change blowing through the Empire.

‘It’s time to be vigilant.’

Most of the recent happenings have ended in our favor, and while the Empire might be busy chasing down an irregular, I can’t let my guard down completely.

Even just counting the Swordmasters affiliated with the Empire, there are three.

And there’s no doubt they’re hiding powerful weapons.

While the Empire keeps stumbling along, their foes should never be underestimated.

After all, we’ve seen plenty of disguises they’ve used in the past.

If our luck turns south, we could easily find ourselves targeted by the Empire’s wrath as the Black Fangs.

So right now… we need strength.

Strength that won’t be swayed by anyone else’s intentions.

Strength that can not only follow the current but create the current itself.

‘Our current power is quite significant, but…’

Power is always in short supply.

Blood and Bone.

The final boss from the previous work was the Demon Lord of Domination.

A Demon Lord who absorbed the power of beasts to wield double the strength.

So who will be the final boss in the sequel?

This is purely speculation, but… they would likely be stronger than before, not weaker.

So, it’s best to prepare for an even mightier adversary than last time.

‘Regardless, it’s essential to be well-prepared.’

Whether to prevent impending doom or to have the strength to withstand other factions’ turbulence.

Reinforcement of power is imperative.

And I have a good idea of how to go about it.

‘The Holy Sword.’

What a bizarre situation this is.

I, who don’t even believe in gods, suddenly gaining holy marks and immense divine power.

Normally, divine power and holy marks are great for healing and exorcism but do little to enhance offensive capabilities… unless there’s a Holy Sword in the mix.

With just this divine power, I can fully unleash the potential of that Holy Sword.

Perhaps even a broken Holy Sword could yield greater power than the complete Holy Sword the protagonist wielded.

‘Did the blacksmith say he was halfway through the restoration?’

Using leftover artifacts, he attempted to restore the Holy Sword. I distinctly remember him saying he was halfway successful.

He was a money-loving guy, but his skills were no joke.

If I wait a bit longer, perhaps a complete restoration would be achieved. That was my thought as I left it be.

‘Still, it’s better to bring it back sooner.’

There are things I want to experiment with.

Above all, in case of any unexpected situations, it would play a sturdy role.

Maybe this is excessive worry, but it’s not impossible that a Swordmaster could suddenly drop by.

‘Besides, if it’s a matter of restoration, I can do that myself.’

While I had asked the blacksmith to take care of the repairs due to many other things needing my attention, I know the game system better than any blacksmith.

I could probably grasp the theory even better than any blacksmith could.

There’s also an option to hire a few people and build my own smithy to do the repairs myself.

Or just hire that blacksmith at a ridiculously high wage to make him work under me.

Since the importance of the Holy Sword has increased, I’d be willing to invest that much.

In the end, whatever choice I make, there’s one thing that’s clear.

‘It looks like I have a destination in mind.’

This time, I’ll be heading to the blacksmith’s street.

I quickly set off in that direction.

Not that I walked there, of course.

Going to the Dwarven village where the blacksmith’s street was would take over a month if I walked there.

‘…But flying, I could get there in three days.’

As long as I don’t go advertising myself as, “Hey, I’m a suspicious guy in the Empire, come arrest me!” it’s best to avoid that.

Luckily, I could adjust the size of my wings to a degree, so if I minimized them, I could hide them behind my clothing.

I decided to take a train like a normal person.

Knock, knock!

With that thought in mind, I knocked on Rubia’s door. But no response came back.

Wondering what was going on, I opened the door only to find Rubia drooling in her sleep.

It seems she dozed off while reading.

[How to Overcome Fear?]
[Ancient Monsters, Demons, and Gods.]
[Fearsome beings from outside the world.]

Why was she reading this kind of book, I wonder?

[Adult Diapers: There’s no shame in aging!]

There aren’t any older folks in this mansion, so I have no clue why that booklet is on her desk.

But seeing her peacefully sleeping like that, I didn’t want to disturb her, so I quietly closed her door.

Sure, the Mana Train can only be boarded with a noble present, but luckily there was another noble person present.

So I headed to the room of that girl.

“You’ve come,” she greeted me in a calm tone, with her blue ponytail swaying.

Lucy Valierre seemed rather composed.

Looks like I’ll have to team up with her for this journey.