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Glenn used the ability of the Lunatic Map Chart to take the children left behind by Luceria and Banum back to Linz Village, which had been designated as the occupied territory.
He gave the innkeeper of the inn where Glenn was staying a considerable amount of money for raising the children and asked if she could look after Banum's children until they found proper guardians.
Fortunately, just like in the original story, the kind-hearted innkeeper who loved children gladly accepted.
She even laughed warmly and said that if the children wanted to, they could live in this village permanently.
Luceria was so moved that she repeatedly bowed her head to the innkeeper while thanking her.
And so, one day passed.
The inn in Linz Village became crowded with people who had come to see the five adorable newcomers.
“Wow... That's amazing.
Is this one a fairy?”
“They're spirits.
That one is a spirit hero.”
“They're different?”
“Who cares about that?
They're cute, and that's enough.”
On one side, the women hugged Renne, the spirit, and Ellie, the spirit hero, tightly.
“Goodness... In all my life, this is the first time I've actually seen an elf with my own two eyes.”
“Hahaha!
Sorry, little girl.
By the way, books say elves are good at hunting and archery.
How about learning archery from this old man?”
On the other side, the men showed interest in Tethys, the elf they were seeing for the first time in their lives.
Meanwhile, Colin, the human boy who felt uneasy surrounded by demons, had the innkeeper staying close to him and talking to him with her characteristic warm gaze.
“Thank you.
Really... thank you.”
“You don't need to thank me.
I don't know all the details, but I heard you've been through a lot.
While you're in this village, just make yourself comfortable.”
The mature demon girl Aina was welcomed by the villagers without any trouble, and she expressed her gratitude to them.
Luceria quietly smiled as she watched the warm scene.
“I was worried they might be scared.”
The children were surrounded by dozens of people from Linz Village, so it would have been understandable if they had felt frightened or uncomfortable.
Fortunately, however, the children looked happy.
“But are you planning to leave them here?”
“Well, for the time being.
There isn't really anywhere else they can stay.”
Even if he searched the entire continent, there were very few places in Seong Yohan's memories that could accept humans, demons, spirits, spirit heroes, and elves together.
‘In a world with as many religions as there are gods in the heavens, discrimination against other races is practically the norm.’
Of course, there was a better solution.
Renne, being a spirit, should ideally go to the world of spirits, while Ellie, being a spirit hero, would be better off passing through the Hall of Souls and going to the world of souls.
However, as long as those children did not want to be separated from each other, Glenn intended to let them stay together like this for the time being.
-Your minimum lifespan has been fulfilled.
From now on, your lives are up to you.
-Always be grateful for your lives, and live by saving children who are in a similar situation.
Just as Banum had once said when he left those young lives behind after they had grown enough to take care of themselves, Glenn thought it would be better for these children to grow into proper adults and make their own decisions.
“Brother.”
Luceria spoke cautiously.
“Could I talk to you for a moment?”
“Of course.
Let's go outside.”
Glenn already knew what Luceria wanted to talk about.
So Glenn quietly took her to the outskirts of the village.
“Thank you, Brother.”
Outside the inn, which was filled with the cheerful noise of people welcoming the new residents, Luceria looked up at Glenn.
Her kind purple eyes had become unusually serious.
“Do you remember what you said to me when we were in Angrelcher Castle?”
“I remember.
You asked about my identity at the time.”
“Then could you answer the question you asked me back then?”
-I know you're not that kind of person.
So, Brother, please tell me when this is all over.
-I want to know.
What kind of person are you... and what are you hoping for?
Those were the words Luceria had spoken when Glenn used magic energy to break through the security of Angrelcher Castle's secret passage.
“We didn't have time to talk then because everything was so chaotic.”
As if recalling what had happened that day, Luceria moved her gaze around before looking directly at Glenn again.
“You truly are a mysterious person, Brother.
You saved me when I fell victim to the Black Church's schemes, received an amazingly accurate revelation, discovered the location of the Black Church's headquarters, gathered people, and eventually became officially recognized as the Third Saint.”
“You never failed to distinguish yourself in any battle you participated in during the Holy War.
And now you even have enough influence to affect the course of the war.”
Just as Luceria said, Glenn had changed beyond recognition from the moment Seong Yohan first possessed him.
Glenn, who had once been the son of a declining noble family and was called a good-for-nothing, had now become an important figure supporting the Holy Empire.
“I was also greatly influenced by you, Brother.
By following in your footsteps, I've grown, even if only a little.
You are my savior and my teacher... so much so that I prayed to God every night, wishing that I could become like you.”
Her gaze slowly lowered.
Her pale, slender hands had nowhere to go, so she nervously rubbed them against each other.
“But recently, I realized something.
You have far more secrets than I knew.”
“And I even realized that those secrets are pulling you away from being a Saint of the Church.”
“Because there is no Saint who acknowledges demons, uses magic energy, and even uses magical tools forbidden by the Church.”
Luceria calmly listed the things Glenn had done.
Yet there was no contempt or disappointment in her voice.
“But the Supreme God has not abandoned you, Brother.
He has still granted you holy power and miracles.”
Confusion and uncertainty could be seen in her trembling purple eyes.
Luceria was simply confused by the contradiction created by Glenn's existence.
“Then I suddenly thought.
Ah... I really don't know anything about Brother at all.
Without truly knowing you, I've only been looking at you the way I wanted to see you...”
Luceria raised her head.
Her lost purple eyes looked at Glenn sadly.
Because this was the only way she could find the answer.
“Please tell me, Brother.”
Who are you?
What do you know?
What should I do?
She wasn't asking because she wanted to collapse in despair.
She wanted to understand the truth and take one step forward.
Luceria asked Glenn, and Glenn gave her a faint smile.
“All right.
I'll tell you.”
Even when the same words were spoken, their impact could vary greatly depending on the listener's attitude.
When someone suspects another person, everything they hear feels suspicious.
On the other hand, when they trust someone, they try to understand the meaning behind that person's words.
Luceria was in the latter position now.
During the ten days she had spent traveling through the Land of Demons with Glenn, she had realized that her compassion went far beyond the limits defined by the Church's scriptures.
In the end, she had come to love the justice Glenn showed more than the rigid and, depending on one's perspective, cruel doctrines written in the scriptures.
It was a kind of justice that judged good and evil by looking into a person's true nature rather than their race.
It was difficult to realize immediately, but it was also much closer to an ideal form of justice.
In other words, she was ready to hear what Glenn had to say.
And so, Glenn decided to reveal part of the truth about himself to Luceria today.
“Saint Luceria.”
Glenn's gray eyes stared at Luceria.
