Day after day, I worked.
Training with Miss Sera in the afternoons.
Refreshing baths afterward.
A warm meal at the local pub—quiet, cozy.
Then back to the mansion for a peaceful night's sleep.
That had become my daily routine.
Simple. Steady. Predictable.
Meanwhile, I kept tabs on the Hero Party.
Ramon, Silver, Emma, Lily—and now their new fifth member—had been diving deeper into dungeons, growing stronger each passing day.
Their journey was relentless, and even from a distance, I could tell they must be working hard and increasing their strengths.
Time passed.
Before I realized it, a whole year had gone by.
I was seventeen now.
---
One morning in the library, Miss Sera entered, her tone brisk but calm.
"Well, I won't be training you today. I've got some urgent business to handle," she informed me.
"Oh... okay," I replied, barely looking up from the ledgers I was reviewing.
She gave me a look. "What? Are you _sad_ about it? You know, you _could_ still train while I'm gone."
I sighed. "Tell me, which idiot trains or works in their _free_ time?"
Without missing a beat, she pointed at me. "This idiot. Didn't you read entire books, learn languages, and translate texts in your so-called free time?"
"Alright, alright—leave already, Miss Sera. I still have work to finish," I replied with mock annoyance.
She smirked. "You know, even with that expressionless face of yours, I can _tell_ when you're annoyed."
_Tch. So she knows that much, huh?_
Before leaving, she gently stroked my hair and said, "It's nice to see you opening up a little more. Maybe I should let you call me _Master_ now, since I'm your sword teacher."
"Right... _Master_, didn't you say you had urgent business to attend to?" I shot back.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm going. No need to be all grumpy," she chuckled as she finally walked out.
_Sigh... where did that cool, intimidating Grand Marshal from the throne room go?_
Now she's teasing me more than ever. And isn't she the one expressing more lately?
---
Once my palace duties were wrapped up for the day, I left around noon.
With nothing else scheduled for the afternoon, I wandered through the busy market streets, grabbed something tasty for lunch, and kept walking. No destination. Just letting my legs lead the way.
Before I realized it, I found myself standing in front of the **Central Church**.
Again.
It was the third time I had come here—without really intending to.
Maybe it was curiosity.
Maybe it was something deeper.
"I haven't seen her since then..."
I thought about Lady Sera—the one from the church, not the sword master.
Our conversation that day after I woke up... the way she avoided my questions.
What was she hiding?
Before I could stop myself, I walked through the large doors once again.
---
**Third visit. Same silence.**
But this time, I wasn't just passing by.
I was here to find something.
Or someone.
---