Chapter 100: Farewell

Chapter 100: Farewell

In the end, under Alex's subtle guidance, the situation was resolved smoothly. The round-faced bishop believed he had tricked Alex, this "naive and upright" young man, and felt quite pleased with himself. Meanwhile, Alex used this opportunity to further distance himself from the sanctuary. Everyone got what they wanted and was satisfied. Every time Alex saw the round-faced bishop afterward, he wore a cheerful smile, and the bishop, in return, was just as enthusiastic, probably still mocking Alex internally for foolishly cutting off his own future.

But, as the saying goes, everyone has their own version of happiness.

Stone, however, was furious when he heard about it and dragged Alex, intending to confront the council. It took a lot of convincing from Alex to calm Stone down and make him drop the idea.

As expected, Alex's fiefdom was taken away. According to the council's orders, Alex was to study at the Tower of the Sky, and during that time, the fiefdom would continue to be managed by the sanctuary. Alex had anticipated this, as it was a common tactic—dangling the fiefdom like a carrot in front of him, with the promise of returning it if he later "repented" and realized that the sanctuary was the better place. But if Alex remained "stubborn," they'd find an excuse to give the land away to someone else.

That was fine by Alex—he hadn't planned on keeping the fiefdom anyway. With all the dimensional journeys and dungeons he still planned to explore, he didn't have the time or interest to manage land. Prolonged absences would only arouse suspicion. It was better to be free; that way, his disappearances could be easily explained.

For now, with the situation at the Fortress of Order stabilized and no immediate need for more manpower, Alex found himself with time to spare. Since gathering spirit crystals would take a while, he decided to take Fina and Ikaros out for a stroll.

How could he pass up the chance to go out on a date with two cute girls?

Unfortunately, neither this world nor Ikaros, the summoned angel, seemed to know what a "date" was. But the thought of spending time with Alex made both of them happy, so they eagerly accepted his invitation, and they set off to explore the city.

The northern sanctuary was located in the royal capital of the Northern Alliance, a city built into the side of a mountain, exuding the wild and bold spirit of the northern tribes.

Unexpectedly, Alex discovered a local snack unique to the north—a treat made by skewering wild fruits on wooden sticks, dipping them in sugar syrup, and letting them freeze in the cold wind. Each bite was crisp and tangy, with a hint of wild fruit sweetness and a touch of chill, making it quite enjoyable.

It reminded Alex of the sugar-coated hawthorns from his own world, and he immediately bought some to enjoy. Of course, he also bought a stick for both Ikaros and Fina, and they savored it happily.

"This is really tasty," Ikaros said, nibbling on the snack and squinting her eyes in delight. Though she still wore her unique attire, her appearance didn't cause much of a stir, as Alex had already instructed her to hide her wings. While the sanctuary could handle such rumors, stories of an angel wandering around the city wouldn't be good for Ikaros. In fact, very few people even knew about Ikaros' presence. The sanctuary higher-ups might have some idea, but they clearly didn't intend to interfere.

That suited Alex just fine. If they tried anything, he wouldn't hesitate to retaliate.

"Eat as much as you like. It's on me," Alex said with a laugh, patting Ikaros on the head. He was feeling generous, especially since the sanctuary had rewarded him with some money along with the spirit crystals—5,000 gold coins to be exact, which was about the equivalent of an annual bonus in his world, more than enough to indulge in some good food and fun for a while.

Even though Alex offered, both Ikaros and Fina were a bit shy about accepting too much. Left with no choice, Alex took matters into his own hands. He bought a variety of northern snacks for Ikaros, while he gave Fina a handcrafted silver piece from a northern artisan as a gift. Although Fina was a bit embarrassed, she eventually accepted it with a smile.

The silver jewelry was expensive, but Alex didn't mind. After all, this wasn't just a "date" but also a "farewell."

"Are you really leaving?" Alex asked, standing at the gates of the northern capital, looking at the priestess before him. Noticing his gaze, Fina nodded shyly.

"Yes, Mr. Alex, my pilgrimage isn't over yet, so I must continue my journey."

Life is full of surprises.

Alex shrugged. He hadn't expected that while he was preparing to leave the sanctuary, it would be Fina who left first. He had thought that after reaching the northern sanctuary, Fina would settle down. After all, a pilgrimage was a form of trial, not a lifelong marathon. Like Alex, who had originally been an apprentice guardian knight, his journey to "graduate" had been achieved after defeating the forces of chaos with Stone, fulfilling his advancement requirements.

In Alex's mind, Fina, as a priestess, had similarly completed her trial. After all, the "Gates of Hell" incident was no small matter. Although it hadn't led to a catastrophe, it was still a highly dangerous situation. As a member of the group that had prevented its reopening, Fina surely deserved a promotion, right?

When Alex went to find Fina, he was surprised to discover that she was packing her belongings, ready to leave. Since they had fought together and become friends through their shared battles, Alex decided to invite her out for a meal, following the customs of his homeland, and take a walk around the city.

"But Mr. Alex... are you really going to the Tower of the Sky?"

"That's right."

Hearing Fina's concerned question, Alex nodded.

"I'm really curious about the mysteries of magic, and to be honest... I'm a pretty lazy person. It seems like magic could help me avoid a lot of trouble."

"Haha..."

At this, Fina covered her mouth and giggled.

"That's not how it works, Mr. Alex. Learning magic is much harder than you think—it's even more difficult than divine arts. If you're thinking of doing it just to be lazy, you're in for a rough time!"

"Progress is made because people want to be lazy."

"Mr. Alex, you always say the strangest things."

Fina shook her head with a smile, then looked kindly at Ikaros, who was nibbling on her sugar-coated fruit.

"Well, I'm off now. Ikaros, take care of yourself, alright?"

Still nibbling on her snack, Ikaros nodded slightly in response. Fina smiled at her, then turned back to Alex.

"Goodbye, Mr. Alex. I hope everything goes well for you at the Tower of the Sky. And... please be careful not to reveal Ikaros' identity. While the tower is part of the Order, their attitude toward angels isn't as respectful as the sanctuary's. Some people there might have ill intentions toward her, so please be cautious."

"Thank you for the reminder."

Alex shared similar concerns but wasn't too worried. After all, Ikaros' abilities were practically a mage's worst nightmare. While she might struggle against heavily armored paladins, when it came to mages, all she had to do was activate her "Invasion Domain"—and things would be solid.

Of course, overconfidence was dangerous, so necessary precautions would still be taken.

"Well then, I'll be going."

"Safe travels, Miss Fina."

"You too, Mr. Alex. May the goddess bless you."

With that, Fina bowed respectfully, then turned and walked away. Alex stood there watching the priestess as she disappeared into the crowd, her figure vanishing before long.

After a moment of silence, Alex turned and patted Ikaros on the head.

"Let's go."

(End of the chapter)

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