Archaeologist Teyra.

He was once the 5th-tier mage of the Red Tower, but after becoming fascinated by an artifact discovered in the Colony, he spent the next 20 years relentlessly exploring remnants of forgotten eras, undeterred by danger.

From the very beginning, he found it strange that Carmaxes III had summoned him.

Although Carmaxes III’s support allowed him to stay in the Colony and continue his archaeological research, Teyra knew the truth.

Carmaxes III had little genuine interest in archaeology itself.

What he truly desired were the byproducts that accompanied the ancient relics Teyra uncovered.

Thus.

“Does the Sage God truly exist?”

Carmaxes III’s question puzzled him even more.

A question like that, out of nowhere.

Did he suddenly develop an interest in archaeology?

Still, Teyra answered sincerely.

“……So, according to what you’re saying, there is a possibility that the Sage God is real?”

“Rather than saying there is a possibility, I believe a more accurate statement would be that the Sage God does, in fact, exist.”

“Can you take responsibility for those words?”

“Yes.”

Even when pressed further, he nodded confidently—because he had actually seen the Sage God before.

It was during one of his many explorations into ancient mysteries.

He had ventured into the land of the Lizardmen, taking the risk of being discovered and killed, and there, he had witnessed it.

Visibly distinct. Unmatched in power.

Not a borrowed divine force like that of priests, but the very essence of power itself.

Reverence, fear, and euphoria.

The fervor of the Lizardmen who worshipped it was still vivid in his mind.

But why was Carmaxes III so curious about the Sage God?

He considered the possibility that the king had simply heard rumors and developed a shallow curiosity.

Yet—

‘This is serious.’

His expression was more solemn than ever.

As if he were contemplating a matter that could determine the fate of the nation.

“……Is there a way to confirm whether someone is the Sage God?”

“Confirm, you say?”

“Yes.”

An unexpected question.

“I apologize, but could you clarify what exactly you mean?”

“I mean it literally. Is there a way to verify if someone is the Sage God?”

“Rather than verifying, the Sage Gods are visually distinct from ordinary humans. In other words, they can be identified just by sight.”

“……Is that so?”

Carmaxes III’s face twisted slightly.

After a brief moment of thought, he carefully spoke again.

“……Then, what if the Sage God were disguised as a human? Would that be possible?”

“If you are purely asking about the possibility, I wouldn’t say it’s impossible.”

“Then is there a way to see through such a disguise? Preferably, without the target realizing they are being tested.”

As the questions continued, Teyra began to sense why Carmaxes III was asking about the Sage God.

‘Has someone appeared who is suspected of being a Sage God?’

A brief speculation.

But due to the lack of information, he didn’t dwell on it and simply nodded.

“I have never attempted it before, but in conclusion, yes, there is a way.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Teyra recalled an item he had recently obtained from one of the forgotten ancient ruins.

“Then, when the time comes, I’ll call for you. It won’t take long—this individual is coming to the Colony soon.”

“Understood.”

Suppressing his curiosity, Teyra responded and took his leave.

Left alone, Carmaxes III murmured to himself.

‘……If Marquis Palatio is truly a god—’

His eyes darkened with gravity.

***

The next day.

After concluding all his affairs in Lartania, Alon met Rine before departing.

“You’re leaving now.”

“I should.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

Unlike yesterday, the discomfort on her face had vanished. In fact, she seemed even more composed than usual.

No—she was trying to appear composed.

Hiding her true emotions behind a subtle smile, making a desperate effort not to show anything else.

Observing her, Alon hesitated for a moment.

And then.

“….”

“Pardon?”

He spoke calmly.

“The past is nothing more than the past.”

The faint smile on Rine’s face gradually faded.

Truthfully, Alon had debated whether to say this or not.

Because doing so would shatter the mask she wore, forcing her to confront a part of her past she wished to keep buried.

Yet, despite that—

‘If this could make Rine feel even a little bit at ease, then it’s worth it.’

That thought prevailed.

Of course, he didn’t know the details.

What exactly she had gone through.

Why she feared the revelation of her past.

But he had two plausible guesses.

One—her past likely involved an incident related to the schemes of an Apostle, leaving behind deep trauma.

When the truth was revealed, Rine feared that Alon and others might see her differently.

Alon also did not wish to force her to expose wounds she was desperately trying to conceal.

However, wounds that remain hidden never have the chance to heal.

That was why, after much deliberation, he chose to speak.

“—”

Just as he was about to continue, Alon slowly swallowed the rest of his words.

Instead—

Tap, tap—

He lightly patted her shoulder.

Even if it was out of concern for Rine, speaking without fully understanding what she had been through could be an insult to her struggles.

And there was no need for more words.

Unlike Seolrang, Rine would understand the meaning behind his gesture.

“I’ll be going.”

After patting her shoulder a couple more times, Alon turned to leave.

“……Thank you, Godfather.”

Hearing her voice, his heavy heart felt slightly lighter.

Because a smile had appeared on Rine’s lips.

Not the artificial one she had been forcing, but a faint, natural smile.

Seeing that, Alon thought—perhaps this was the first time he had seen Rine’s real expression.

“Yeah.”

He responded softly and walked away.

He wasn’t aware of it, but a small smile had also crept onto his own lips.

***

A small canyon on the northern outskirts of Lartania.

A desolate place, home to only a few scattered monsters.

Thud—!

Suddenly, a hand burst out from the ground.

A pale, bluish arm, as if belonging to a long-buried corpse.

Crack— crack—

The sound of bones snapping into place echoed as color gradually returned to the flesh.

Then, with a loud crumble, the mound of earth shattered, and from within, a naked woman emerged.

“Hah—”

Letting out a quiet sigh, the figure revealed herself—Apostle of Greed, Emil.

Brushing off the dust clinging to her body with an air of irritation, she stood up.

The bluish hue of her corpse-like skin shimmered under the pale moonlight.

But soon, with a series of cracking sounds, her entire body began reconstructing itself.

Before long, her flesh regained a healthy tone, looking entirely human once more.

Inspecting her restored body as if appraising it, she smirked and muttered under her breath.

“Oh, I died~”

Her tone was somewhat regretful.

Yet, for someone who had just spoken of their own death, her reaction was far too casual.

But then again, to her, death was not something to fear.

Unlike other Apostles, the memories granted to her by Greed allowed her to defy death a few times and return.

‘Marquis Palatio, was it?’

Now fully revived, the Apostle of Greed recalled the man who had “killed” her.

A mage—no, a True Mage—who had wielded magic with an utterly emotionless expression.

‘No matter how I think about it, he’s strange. By all logic, he should be incomplete, unable to use proper magic formulas—so why is his magic so powerful?…… And more than that, why does his mana contain divine energy?’

Emil’s expression twisted slightly in thought.

In truth, she had the power to escape the prison Alon had created for her.

The “Tome of Rotten Wood” she wielded contained an enormous reserve of mana, enough to facilitate an escape.

But due to the divine energy imbued in Alon’s magic, she was unable to properly access the stored mana within the tome.

‘His vessel was a little stronger than I expected, but…… I had suspected there was more to him. Meeting him in person, he was even more unusual than I imagined.’

She admitted to herself that she had underestimated Marquis Palatio.

‘Perhaps I should have broken him before executing my plan.’

The reason she had approached him so carelessly was because she intended to use him to awaken Rine as a vessel.

Everything pointed to it.

Marquis Palatio was crucially important to the vessel.

At the time, she had deemed him too valuable to kill.

‘Well, what’s done is done. First, I need to recover.’

Emil glanced down at her trembling hands.

Of course, she wasn’t capable of resurrecting endlessly, and there were significant risks involved.

For one, her abilities greatly diminished upon revival.

This was because her resurrection functioned through “body transference” rather than true restoration.

Instead of reviving in the same body, her soul would detach and inhabit a pre-prepared vessel.

In other words, no matter how much effort she put in, the moment she died, she lost everything that was tied to her physical capabilities—though her knowledge remained intact.

It was like restarting a game at level one but retaining special traits.

Still, since her experience remained, she could quickly regain her former strength.

‘Well, I can always prepare again. Good thing I didn’t use up my “materials” yet.’

Emil began restructuring her plan in her mind.

This time, she wouldn’t underestimate Marquis Palatio.

And she would ensure Rine fully awakened as a vessel.

After adjusting her plan accordingly—

‘This time, I’ll take it slow and steady.’

Smiling to herself, she stepped into the dark forest.

Thud!

“Ah?”

—She couldn’t move forward.

“Hello there.”

Under the blue moon, eyes as clear as a pristine lake gleamed.

Behind her, a blade had been gently, yet precisely, plunged into her back.