The Saintess of the Sun, Adrianna.
Countless rumors swirled around her, yet her true nature remained veiled.
Some claimed she was breathtakingly beautiful; others swore she was hideous beyond words.
The reason opinions were so wildly divided was simple.
Adrianna rarely ever stepped outside the Sun Church’s Grand Temple.
Only when personally executing heretics, judging apostates who had forsaken doctrine,
or when traces left by the Sun God were discovered—
only then did the Saintess reveal herself.
And now, she stood before Evan.
Evan, who had never once directly summoned or contacted her.
…Yet she insisted that Evan had called her here.
Me?
When did I call you?
Did I summon you?
…What is she talking about?
Evan felt a throbbing headache coming on.
Another misunderstanding?
You again?
He swallowed a deep internal sigh.
But Adrianna had no idea what was going through Evan’s mind.
Whether his head hurt or not, Evan kept his expression perfectly blank even while meeting her gaze.
It was enough to draw genuine admiration from her.
Adrianna’s eyes were far from ordinary.
Sacred Eyes.
Commonly called “Holy Eyes,” they constantly overflowed with divine power.
Even Holy Knights found it difficult to meet her gaze directly.
Yet Evan?
He looked straight at her without the slightest flinch.
As if he felt nothing at all, maintaining his usual blank expression.
In truth, Evan simply had zero aptitude for divine power and couldn’t sense it at all.
…Exactly as I imagined. No—more than that.
Yes.
Only someone like this could be called the mastermind who toys with all the strong from above.
Even luring me out this time… it must have been to deal with the White Shadow Cult.
The White Shadow Cult.
Even the Sun Church had struggled to find any solid leads on them for ages.
Where they were, what they were doing—everything was unknown.
Their small, elite nature didn’t help.
Rather than gathering followers, they recruited only the truly capable, one by one.
And now a high priest—clearly archbishop-level, judging by his aura—had been found and killed.
Normally, someone like that would scatter powerful curses even in death, yet the lingering curse here was astonishingly weak.
How on earth?
She was genuinely curious.
It wasn’t as if he had suddenly grown too lazy to struggle in his final moments.
Why had a being who would curse the world with his dying breath gone so quietly?
Of course, that didn’t mean this place was safe.
The blood of an archbishop-level cultist was already rotten—pure corruption.
Only saintess-level divine power, or a holy relic, could cleanse it properly.
Had Evan known that in advance?
Had he “guided” her here precisely to handle the aftermath?
Evan hadn’t actually lured the Saintess.
She had come entirely on her own.
Drawn in by the fragments of information Evan had let slip.
Simply because she was curious about what he was doing.
…Wait. Don’t tell me I’ve been treated like a chess piece?
Pfft.
Adrianna laughed inwardly.
Any ordinary saintess—no, any ordinary cleric—would have been furious at the situation.
The audacity of a mere human trying to use a holy saintess as a tool would be infuriating.
But Adrianna was different.
Instead of displeasure, a strange thrill and competitive spirit rose within her.
A mortal dares to move me?
Interest outweighed anger.
Evan Alkart.
A truly unique individual.
She didn’t know his exact intentions for drawing her here, but she liked his boldness and meticulousness.
Enough that she no longer regretted the brief moment she had once feared him.
Fine. Just this once, I’ll move exactly as you wish.
But next time—
He would have to pay a proper price.
Whether that be information or something else.
Adrianna made that silent vow and smiled softly.
“No helping it. Cleansing the remnants of wicked heretics is the duty of our Sun Church.”
Without even waiting for Evan’s reply, Adrianna raised her divine power.
Dazzling white light poured from her body.
The Saintess’s unique sacred spell.
Kiiiiiiiing!
Divine power swirling above her head took form.
A halo.
By hierarchy, an 8th-tier divine power fiercely illuminated the entire room.
Warm yet intense light seeped into every corner of the laboratory,
eradicating without trace the evil aura of the White Shadow Cult and the remnants of the black magic Professor Moriarty had used.
“Ah… aaah…”
“This… this is divine power…”
“T-The Saintess…?”
The graduate students felt the divine power with their whole bodies.
Only now recognizing the Saintess, they stared in awe at the white light.
The pure white radiance emanating from the halo cleansed all impurity like the dawn driving away darkness.
The gentle light softly enveloped Professor Moriarty and Lati’s soul as they clung to each other, sobbing.
Within that light, Lati’s soul seemed to grow even more transparent.
***
In the Saintess’s sacred light, Professor Moriarty and Lati shared their final farewell.
The long-tormenting suggestion upon the professor had vanished.
For a brief moment, thanks to having dipped into black magic, he could now see souls.
Finally, the two faced each other.
Yet they could not remain together long.
The only reason Lati had lingered in this world was her attachment to her father,
and the various workings of the White Shadow Cult and black magic upon her corpse.
The moment all of that was “purified” by divine power, Lati’s soul could no longer stay.
“Lati… my daughter…”
Dad…
Was it the mercy of the gods?
The two embraced.
“Really… do you have to go like this? Hm?”
…
Professor Moriarty still wanted to hold on to his daughter.
He wanted even one more moment together.
Having lost his child far too early, he never wanted to feel that loss again.
He hadn’t shown her enough pretty things, had only seen her five days a week because he was “too busy with work.”
All those regrets had piled deep in his heart.
But Lati slowly shook her head as she looked at him.
Professor Moriarty knew too.
It was time to let his daughter go.
That was what a father who loved his daughter had to do.
Ah…
He let out a sigh.
If he had known it would end like this, he would have shown her a kinder face.
So that even after she left, she wouldn’t hurt—he should have shown her the best version of himself…
Dad.
Lati forced a bright smile.
I don’t hurt anymore.
All the strange things those weird men did to my body… the Saintess’s power just erased them all.
I think… I can finally rest peacefully now.
Normally, to release Lati, the black magic used to preserve her corpse would have needed to be removed.
But there was no need now.
Adrianna’s divine power had already cleansed every trace of darkness.
He could send his daughter off peacefully, without any harm.
Was this part of Evan’s plan too?
Professor Moriarty could only feel deep gratitude toward Evan in his heart.
…Yes. Lati. I’m sorry. My lingering attachment… it only tormented you.
No, Dad. I should have listened when you told me not to run…
Their final embrace.
They held each other one last time.
Lati whispered softly.
Dad… please cremate my body. My wish was to fly freely.
Lati’s final wish.
Professor Moriarty swallowed his tears and nodded.
“Yes… I will. My daughter…”
The last goodbye.
Lati’s soul faded slowly into the light with a satisfied smile,
leaving behind only love and gratitude for her father.
“Sniff… It’s so sad.”
“Lapis. Be quiet. You’re ruining the mood.”
The two whispering masterminds.
Thanks to them, even Evan, who had been watching, felt his tears dry up instantly.
…Yeah. What was I expecting from you two.
Swish—
Professor Moriarty slowly rose.
He approached Evan and bowed deeply.
He was no longer crying.
“…Thank you, Young Master Evan. This debt… I will never forget for the rest of my life.”
Gratitude from the depths of his heart.
No trace of madness or obsession remained in Moriarty’s eyes.
Only deep sorrow, and gratitude toward the one who had given him the strength to overcome it.
His disciples followed their professor and paid respects to Evan as well.
“It was nothing.”
Evan answered with his usual blank face.
“Truly, I did almost nothing.”
He meant it.
Royan had dealt with the archbishop, Frey had lifted the suggestion, and the Saintess had performed the purification.
Evan had merely been swept along by events.
Yet no one believed him—not Professor Moriarty, not his disciples, not even Saintess Adrianna.
In their eyes, Evan stood at the center of this entire tragedy and its resolution—an incomprehensible existence.
His humility only made him appear even more extraordinary.
As expected… no ordinary person.
He planned everything and still acts this calm…
The next head of House Alkart… a monster.
“…I shall take my leave now.”
“I will tidy up everything tomorrow and visit you again.”
“There’s no need…”
“I still need to look around this place a bit longer. I’ll visit you later as well, Young Master.”
Evan ignored the gazes filled with awe and misunderstanding and left the laboratory.
Fatigue crashed over him.
Returning to his assigned quarters, Evan opened the door.
Someone was already inside, waiting.
Charlotte.
Wearing her hat pulled low to hide as much of her face as possible, she stared at Evan.
Evan silently looked back at her.
Charlotte gave a wry smile and spoke.
“Can we talk for a moment?”
***
Back in his office, Professor Moriarty began tidying up.
His daughter’s keepsakes, the research materials he had gathered to revive her, the books on black magic—everything that had once been his entire world, the fruits of his obsession, he packed one by one into boxes.
They were to be burned.
He would keep only the memories of his daughter.
Painful, yet precious memories.
He had no intention of starting a new family.
But now, he had to move forward.
He had to pay the proper price for his sins.
The Sun Church had even sent their Saintess in person.
Escaping punishment would not be easy.
…Yes. But before that, I must repay my debt.
Evan Alkart.
The debt he owed him was immense.
How should he repay it?
Direct compensation didn’t seem like something Evan would want.
Then…
Professor Moriarty suddenly thought of an old friend who had suffered a similar pain.
He too had lost someone precious and was submerged in deep sorrow.
It might help him…
With Evan’s abilities, perhaps he could bring light to that friend’s grief as well.
And in the process, that friend’s influence would grow even greater.
Professor Moriarty pulled a sheet of stationery from his desk drawer.
He picked up his pen and began writing with utmost courtesy.
The letter was addressed to only one person.
The absolute ruler of the vast, frozen northern lands.
A letter to the Grand Duke of the North.