Without realizing it, I found myself worrying about the Magic Tower's future.
Perhaps those thoughts showed on my face, for Xenon, who had been watching me, hesitated.
He moved as if to approach me, but Moriko stepped forward to address the Tower Master, forcing him to stop in his tracks.
"Heh heh, still as reckless as ever. What are you thinking, barging in like this?"
"Why is this old weasel here?"
At the sight of the two appearing so friendly, the nobles were once again thrown into shock. Among them was Lillia.
"That's because the one receiving the Magic Tower's guarantee happens to be the finest paladin in our temple."
"Hah, honestly."
"By the way, I see you still haven't fixed the habit of warping instead of using perfectly good doors. Her Majesty was quite startled thanks to that."
"If she didn't consider that calling a Magic Tower mage might mean arriving via warp, then that thick skull of hers is the problem."
Until now, every place had been somewhere I wanted to leave, but for the first time in my life, a place I actually wanted to visit had appeared.
'That Tower Master seems like someone I'd get along with.'
Though he raised his disciple Xenon to be soft-hearted, the Tower Master himself appeared to have a fiery and uninhibited temperament. And that completely unreserved attitude toward the Emperor, too!
As I watched in admiration, a quiet whisper reached me from nearby.
"W-wait, aren't relations between the Magic Tower and the Temple supposed to be bad?"
Lillia was asking urgently, clinging to Mother's arm. Mother quietly nodded in answer.
Yet the questions rising on Mother's face remained unresolved.
"But why are they acting so……."
Lillia couldn't finish her sentence. And she wasn't the only one.
"They're not as…… bad as the rumors say?"
"Indeed."
I could hear the nobles whispering among themselves. I glanced at them briefly before turning my gaze to the Emperor. His face had noticeably stiffened.
This only made Heinrich's calm expression beside him stand out more.
Heinrich, who had been watching the exchange between the Tower Master and the High Priest, leaned closer to the Emperor and whispered something.
The Emperor's grip on the armrest seemed to tighten, but soon he made an effort to relax his expression.
"Since we've gathered with good intentions, let past grievances be resolved. I was unaware my guest was the Magic Tower's heir. Had I known his identity, I would have treated him accordingly."
At the Emperor's words, the Tower Master narrowed his eyes.
"Even if he weren't the heir, no one should dare treat a Magic Tower mage carelessly."
"Such insolent words before His Majesty!"
"The Magic Tower has kept quiet for quite some time, but I didn't realize the people of this world had grown so ignorant."
The Tower Master sneered as if it were ridiculous. The Emperor's royal knight trembled with rage on his face. He looked ready to draw his sword at any moment.
"If not for my disciple's request, I wouldn't have come to such a gathering!"
The Tower Master clicked his tongue in disapproval and turned sharply to look at Xenon. Xenon, who had been standing awkwardly, coughed and subtly avoided his master's gaze.
Suddenly, I recalled the magic safety education Xenon had once lectured me about at length.
Back then, surprised by Xenon's unexpectedly knowledgeable demeanor, I had asked if he learned it by getting hit.
'And Xenon didn't give a definite answer.'
He probably did get hit. I could all too easily imagine the Tower Master swinging that staff around.
"Did you accept the invitation in my stead just to receive this kind of treatment?"
The Tower Master's rebuke turned toward Xenon this time. Xenon shrugged at his master.
"Well. You know perfectly well why I accepted the invitation."
"You brat, you!"
The Tower Master, about to shout something, made an effort to compose himself. Then, abruptly, he turned his head following the direction Nesi and Gamon were looking.
Hmm, toward me, that is.
[Long time no see.]
[Ah, so this is the human who was with the little one.]
[Thanks to him, the fragile male has become a bit more mature.]
[He still looks like a little one to me. Is he already at the age for courtship?]
I was probably the only one in this room who could understand what Nesi and Gamon were discussing.
I hadn't realized what a blessing that would be.
"A Resurrected One, I see."
"Indeed, a Resurrected One."
Following the Tower Master, even Moriko looked at me with meaningful eyes. As I calmly received their gazes, the Tower Master abruptly turned away, ignoring me.
"Let's just get the Magic Tower's guarantee over with."
Was it my imagination? The Tower Master seemed to view me with some disfavor…….
'It must be my imagination.'
When has he ever seen me before?
* * *
The Magic Tower's guarantee itself didn't require many preparations.
What was needed were the mana stone to be used for the guarantee, the subject of the guarantee, and a mage to prove it.
Since it involved using a mage's mana as collateral, this was an extremely high-risk act, but that also made its reliability absolute.
And when the Tower Master himself stepped forward, need I say more?
"B-but, Tower Master!"
The mage the Tower Master had brought was stomping his feet, unable to hide his worry.
Yet the Tower Master didn't seem particularly tense.
"Do you think my disciple would ask me to give a false guarantee?"
"Of course I don't think Lord Xenon would do such a thing. But how can we trust the Temple!"
And in the midst of all this, I couldn't hide my surprise at that unfamiliar title 'Lord Xenon.' Lord Xenon. Lord.
"I apologize, but Sir Samuel's faith is beyond doubt, and the oath he swore on his god is absolutely trustworthy. Therefore, there will be no problems for your Tower Master."
At Moriko's words, the mage looked at Samuel with distrust. His attitude had softened somewhat, likely because he heard Samuel had sworn on his god.
"Place your hand."
At those words, Samuel obediently placed his hand on the mana stone. The Tower Master's weathered hand covered it.
It was truly a rare sight. A Tower Master channeling mana to verify the truth of a clergyman's words who had sworn an oath to his god.
I stared at the mana stone glowing brighter and brighter, then shifted my gaze to Moriko.
He had been dealing with everyone with a consistently gentle expression.
But if one looked closely, it became clear. There was no trace of warmth in Moriko's eyes.
'Naturally, he would be displeased.'
The Temple had already officially announced that this entire situation was caused by monsters. Yet the Emperor not only didn't believe it but demanded the Magic Tower's guarantee as well…….
That must have looked like a declaration that he wouldn't trust the god.
Since the Magic Tower and Temple had different positions, Moriko wouldn't openly express dissatisfaction like the Tower Master. He would simply harbor the unpleasant feeling.
And the one to apologize for that displeasure would likely be Heinrich, wouldn't it?
'If he also subtly hints at the Emperor's unstable mental state…….'
It would make things much easier. Whatever Heinrich might be after.
"I have confirmed it. I guarantee with my mana that this paladin's words are true."
The mana stone that had been glowing brilliantly gradually lost its light. The Tower Master, confirming the mana stone maintained its intact color, removed his hand and declared curtly.
"Now then, I will take my disciple and leave this unpleasant place……."
"Since you're already here, could you provide one more guarantee?"
Interrupting the Tower Master, Moriko suddenly raised his voice. At his abrupt request, the Tower Master's eyebrows shot up, and the Emperor narrowed his eyes as well.
Seeing Samuel's puzzled expression, it seemed this hadn't been discussed beforehand.
Moriko, now receiving numerous gazes at once, slowly turned to look at the Emperor.
"I heard that the god's blessing proven by divine oracle is being tainted by false rumors."
With a gentle smile on his face, Moriko gazed at the Emperor.
"Since Your Majesty seems to trust the Magic Tower's guarantee, why don't we verify the sanctity as well?"
At those words, the Tower Master looked bewildered.
"What is that weasel-like fellow saying now?"
"The Temple fully upholds the will of the god who granted us the Resurrected One. However, I understand that not all people share the same faith. But since a good opportunity has presented itself, I propose this."
The Emperor glared at Moriko with fierce eyes. Yet Moriko, without letting his smiling face falter in the slightest, turned back to the Tower Master.
"Well, is it possible for the Magic Tower?"
"……I apologize, but the Magic Tower's guarantees cannot be performed consecutively."
The answer came from the mage beside the Tower Master. He cautiously gauged the atmosphere before continuing his explanation.
"Verification using mana is extremely dangerous and difficult. It's equivalent to performing high-level magic, so sufficient time must be allowed between attempts."
"My, my."
Moriko sighed softly upon hearing the mage's words. He clicked his tongue with an expression of feigned regret.
"It would have been a good opportunity to confirm the god's blessing. What a shame, Your Majesty."
I was certain Moriko had known from the start that consecutive guarantees weren't possible.
Gazing at Moriko's eyes, as calm as could be, I was convinced. That priest knew it was impossible.
He simply intended to point out the Emperor's distrust before everyone and indirectly reproach him.
'At the very least, the Emperor has completely fallen out with the Temple.'
And naturally, he would have fallen out with the Crown Prince he chose as well.
Heinrich would have quite a struggle to appease their feelings, but for me, there was nothing to regret about the situation.
Moriko shook his head pointedly at the silent Emperor and turned away as if nothing could be done.
That was the moment.
"I'll do it."
Xenon, who had been standing with a sullen expression, strode forward to the mana stone.
At that sight, the Tower Master and the mage frantically grabbed Xenon. Even Moriko couldn't hide his bewilderment this time.
"I don't know why people are still making such a fuss over Lady Anelli, but I'd appreciate it if we could end this here."
"This madman! Do you think the Magic Tower's guarantee is a joke?"
"I know it's not."
Xenon replied to his master in an irritated voice, then looked at me.
"I just need to stake my mana and prove that Lady Anelli is a blessed person, right?"