"They're completely different. Divine power cannot activate magic. And what's carved on the surface of that structure is a magic formula."
"But this energy resembles divine power. It's similar to the origin of divine power described in ancient texts."
"I told you it's similar to magic power? It must be an ancient magic unreported to academia."
I understand these are opinions from experts in their respective fields, but…….
"So which one is correct?"
"Obviously I'm correct."
"There's no mistaking God's power."
Neither backed down an inch, both claiming this unidentified power as their own. It seemed I wouldn't get a proper answer from these two.
"……Hmm."
I was simply uncomfortable with the fact that I couldn't feel anything at all.
Passing by Xenon and Samuel who were locked in a war of nerves, I strode into the hall. The Durahans who had been chatting noisily called out to me in excited voices.
"Captain!"
[Captain!]
[You've come. Ganic seems…… busy playing with the baby lizardman.]
"Why is everyone gathered here?"
"Look at this, Captain!"
Pallides stomped her feet and dragged me before the structure. Approaching closer, I could clearly make out the form of the statue. This statue is…….
"It's missing its neck?"
"Yes!"
[The moment this statue's head flew off just came back to me!]
The moment I heard Tristan's shout, I felt the blood drain from my face.
The Durahans, unaware of my inner turmoil, continued to rejoice. And I could only look at them with hollow eyes.
Is this really something to laugh about? I couldn't even bring myself to scold them like that anymore. I didn't have the energy to deny it any further or claim some kind of moral victory.
It seems it's time to accept the inescapable truth that the Durahans are the Twelve Sinners.
My lips twitched as I asked with a somewhat listless voice.
"So, you were all there together?"
"All twelve knights were there!"
[Zigor, do you remember?]
[Of course, Nadav! I am the brilliant and fearsome knight Zigor!]
[What is that Ganic fellow doing not coming quickly. We need to tell the Captain about our memories!]
"Child-rearing is hard work, Tristan."
The Durahans seemed anxious to share their newly surfaced memories with me. They were so excited that my troubled expression apparently didn't register at all.
Even Nadav, usually so composed, was snorting with what seemed like excitement.
Clutching my throbbing head, I fell silent for a moment and took a quiet breath. Since I'm the only one who can communicate with them, I should listen to the past events slowly and check on what's urgent right now.
"This statue isn't dangerous, is it?"
"Dangerous?"
"You said there's power—whether magic or divine—residing in this statue. And there are some kind of formulas carved into it. Don't you remember anything related to that?"
It was Nadav who answered my question.
[Ah, perhaps you mean the Authority?]
"What's that?"
[That is……. I don't remember the origin, but this statue was imbued with Authority.]
At Nadav's words, Tristan cried out in an excited tone.
[That's right! The moment that Authority was shattered was truly tremendous!]
[Ah! It seems remnants of the Authority remain, Captain!]
[Leaving behind power so crudely! It's probably just an illusion chattering away like a magpie anyway!]
['Like a magpie'! That's a statement ignoring all Authority-users! Apologize immediately, Tristan!]
If this continues, the conversation will go off on another tangent. I hurriedly interjected between Tristan and Zigor.
"So what is it then."
What is Authority? Just from the name, it sounds terrifying.
"Um……."
While no one could give a concrete explanation, Pallides spoke up hesitantly.
"Y-you don't remember after all, do you?"
The owner of the memory Pallides was referring to wasn't me, but the 'past Captain' she remembered.
When I nodded, she muttered in a subdued tone.
"That is the Captain's power."
"What?"
"The Captain……."
When I frowned with a face showing complete incomprehension, Pallides avoided my gaze while trailing off. It was Tristan who continued where she left off.
[The Captain possessed Authority.]
[Only Authority can break Authority.]
[It was the Captain who blew off this statue's head.]
Nadav and Zigor followed with their testimony. Pallides, who had been hesitating, spoke up again while glancing at me.
"The Captain back then was magnificent, but we love the current Captain just as much. We absolutely don't mean to ask you to do that again."
Pallides explained, remembering the anger I had shown before. At those words, the other Durahans also seemed to recall the same thing, urgently raising their voices to say they 'respect the current Captain.'
And none of their words registered in my ears.
I stood blankly staring at the statue when Xenon and Samuel, who had been arguing at the entrance, finally approached and spoke.
"What are the Durahans saying? It's ancient magic, correct?"
"Isn't it divine power? That's why we can't approach any closer and can only watch from here?"
Xenon and Samuel waited for my answer with expectant eyes. After glancing at the two, I turned my gaze back to the statue.
The power in that statue is supposedly Authority. But these ones say their Captain had Authority too? And he blew off this statue's head. And they keep claiming that Captain is me.
I couldn't possibly rattle off such details. It was truly information I didn't want to know.
"They don't know."
"Excuse me?"
"The Durahans seemed pretty noisy."
"Yeah, they found this statue interesting. It has no neck."
When I gestured toward the statue with my chin, Pallides, who had been listening quietly, tilted her head.
"Um, Captain……."
"Right, Pallides?"
"Yes, yes!"
Fortunately, Pallides nodded right away. Xenon and Samuel clicked their tongues simultaneously at her helmet shaking vigorously.
The two began investigating the statue, each claiming to find evidence that the statue's power was either magic or divine power.
"……Lady Anelli?"
I said I was tired and needed to rest somewhere, dragging the Durahans out with me.
Of course, it wasn't actually to rest. There was no way I could properly rest in a place like this where something unknown was impersonating ghosts.
First, I headed to the central courtyard with the Durahans. The baby lizardman was still playing, clinging to Ganic and splashing in the water.
"Gather around, everyone."
I called the Durahans together with a serious face, and their dark eyes all fixed on me at once. Perhaps due to my grave expression, the Durahans also shared a tense atmosphere.
"Have you found many memories?"
[We're in the process of finding them!]
From their unanimous answer, it seemed they certainly had many memories of this place. In that case…….
"Do you remember breaking the altar too?"
[Ah, the chapel altar?]
"……So you remember."
Damn, the altar that was supposedly broken was the chapel altar? Of all things, the chapel altar they put the most effort into tending…….
"The Captain broke that one too."
At Pallides's cautious explanation, words of disbelief immediately sprang from my mouth.
"No way."
[Yes, the Captain broke it magnificently!]
[Even if other things are blurry, I clearly recall the Captain's charismatic gaze from back then.]
[Yes, even when I tried to stop him, he wouldn't listen. He even threw it to us after breaking it, saying the pattern was pretty so we should use it as a round table or something.]
Zigor, Tristan, and even Nadav testified in clear voices. Even Ganic, unable to speak properly while being swung around by the baby lizardman, responded with screams.
The sincere testimony of the Durahans was neither fully believable nor dismissible.
If the one who broke not just the statue but also the altar was the 'Captain,' then the person who should be branded a sinner is precisely that person, isn't it? Why do the temple records only contain the story of the Twelve Sinners?
Did God resurrect me to save the Twelve Sinners who unjustly became criminals?
No, but. What kind of human is that Captain anyway, then?
"Tell me honestly."
I brushed my troubled face with both hands and asked while suppressing the urge to cry.
"Your former Captain—is he insane?"
At my question, the Durahans spent a long while testifying to the 'greatness' of the 'Captain.' It was quite unfortunate that their method of proving his greatness was through detailed descriptions of destroying statues and altars.
* * *
"Not only blocking magic on the verge of activation but also creating such a solid barrier—if a mage capable of that were by their side, they would have escaped the forest long ago."
"Should I have recognized that a mage of such skill was present only after seeing it with my own eyes?"
"I apologize."
At the sharp reprimand, his subordinates bowed their heads. Frisian, who had been glaring at them with clenched teeth, turned his head away in irritation. Taking the hint to leave, the subordinates hesitantly exited the room.
Frisian had ultimately lost Anelli. The trail in the forest had been cut off at some point, and no matter how much he searched, he couldn't pursue any further.
He had established a base in Immon and called in search parties to scour the vicinity, but honestly, he couldn't expect results.
He should have attacked more secretly. Since they had already clashed once, Anelli would try to hide even more thoroughly. And to think such a skilled mage was accompanying him.
"The Magic Tower wouldn't have gotten involved, would it?"
Frisian frowned and touched his lips anxiously. The Magic Tower was always a group that maintained neutrality, so he hadn't even considered them.
But considering the relationship between the temple and the Magic Tower, the assumption that the two had joined hands to smuggle out the resurrected one was close to speculation.
Especially with Samuel accompanying them. Rather, it was more persuasive to think that Anelli had personally hired an unregistered mage.
In the first place, she was someone who purchased illegal magical tools so readily and sent the bill to Roam. She would have the capability to hire an unregistered mage somehow.