SOTBW - 244

Venus blinked uneasily, his expression troubled as he meticulously recorded every word Belshua had said. Though Venus had been unable to contain his excitement whenever the topic of Aron came up, he now seemed lost in thought. Sensing this, Belshua fell silent, patiently waiting for Venus to gather his thoughts.  

“…You said that Aron could see possibilities,” Venus murmured quietly after a long pause. His face was tinged with melancholy.  

“Even back then, there was no possibility of completely eradicating the Seriths, was there?”  

“You have an impressive ability to deduce things.”  

Belshua’s calm compliment left Venus unsure how to respond.  

He had already suspected as much when the Astruns—those miracle-working magicians—had sealed the Seriths away in the northern ruins. How could anyone defeat a monster that even those heroes couldn’t destroy? Perhaps the world truly was destined for destruction.  

Seeing Venus’ darkening expression, Belshua set his teacup down with a deliberate clink. Startled by the sound, Venus quickly straightened his posture and adopted a more archbishop-like demeanor.  

Belshua rose from his chair and gave Venus’ seemingly weary shoulders a light pat.  

“Don’t despair so much. New possibilities can emerge as time passes.”  

“Is Mahilen’s presence here also due to one of those new possibilities?”  

Venus watched Belshua’s retreating figure as the dragon walked toward the wall covered in ritual research diagrams.  

Gwyneth had claimed that Belshua wouldn’t lift a finger even if the world were to end tomorrow, but Venus disagreed. If this dragon truly cared nothing for humans, he wouldn’t have spent countless years guarding the northern ruins of the Astien Empire.  

Venus didn’t fully understand why Mahilen chose to conceal his identity and pretend to be human, but he believed there must be a reason—a necessary secret tied to saving the world.  

Mahilen remembered the Astruns as vividly as if he’d seen them just yesterday, which spoke volumes about the depth of his feelings for them. The subtle emotions that flickered in his eyes and voice whenever he reminisced were proof enough.  

Would Mahilen really stand idly by and watch the world crumble, especially after it had been reborn on the sacrifices of the Astruns?  

Perhaps Venus harbored some hope, placing expectations on this transcendent being. But his thoughts weren’t entirely unfounded. After all, Belshua, who supposedly only observed events from afar, had come here to save Najane Schnicks.  

With faint hope stirring in his heart, Venus gazed silently at Belshua standing before the wall. Belshua scanned the neatly organized research results before plucking a single sheet of paper depicting a ritual diagram.  

“Perhaps.”  

Belshua’s relaxed response drew a sigh from Venus.  

“You’re being deliberately vague.”  

“I merely act according to the wishes of the second star of the Astruns.”  

“…You mean Sylin?”  

Belshua offered no further answers to Venus’ question. Realizing that their conversation had reached its limit for the day, Venus looked down at the densely written pages in his hands.  

Just reading the words filled him with a sense of satisfaction. Particularly surprising was the revelation that Aron, practically the founder of the Holy Church, and Mackanon, who had vehemently opposed the church, were close acquaintances.  

If he published this information, people might dismiss him as insane. But Venus was eager to share the astonishing fact that the great emperor of the Astien Empire had once trailed after Aron like a devoted shadow.  

Though there were some studies suggesting that the heroes of the era when the Seriths first appeared had interacted to some degree, very little was known about Mackanon’s connections to the Astruns. Sharing this would surely remind everyone just how extraordinary Aron truly was.  

Moreover, Belshua had stated that Aron was one of the few who had broken through their limits.  

Indeed, Lord Aron! Venus had always thought him remarkable, but to learn just how incredible he truly was…! With excitement bubbling in his chest, Venus began transcribing his notes onto another sheet when he suddenly paused.  

Come to think of it, he had recently met someone who mentioned the third star of the Astruns…  

“The third star of the Astruns you admire so much is in Noctis Fortress. If you meet them, consider taking them as your disciple. It’ll be quite amusing.”  

Venus recalled the peculiar woman he had met among the Romsoa Knights—fiery red hair and emerald-green eyes, the symbol of the Elgort family…  

As Venus continued transcribing his records, a strange realization dawned on him, albeit belatedly. Now that he thought about it, Rakhshu Elgort was also said to have flaming red hair. That detail was written in Aron’s diary, so it had to be true. The reason emerald-green eyes became representative of the Elgort family was because Rakhshu himself had possessed such eye color.  

Lost in thought, Venus absentmindedly glanced at Belshua. Sensing the gaze, Belshua turned slightly, catching Venus’ eye. Flustered, Venus awkwardly smiled.

“Actually, a few days ago, I met someone strange among the Romsoa Knights. Despite clearly looking much older than her, she addressed me as if I were her junior…”  

Venus trailed off, breaking into an awkward laugh.  

“By any chance, does Sir Maximón Elgort have a sister?”  

“There’s no way.”  

Belshua furrowed his brow as if listening to some absurd argument.  

The firmness of Belshua’s response caused Venus to fix his gaze on the desk for a moment. For some reason, the hand holding the quill trembled slightly.  

“Then… is there anyone else in the Romsoa Knights with emerald-green eyes…?”  

“No.”  

Belshua, now turned toward Venus, wore a puzzled expression, unsure what Venus was trying to get at.  

Recalling the woman he’d met among the knights, Venus wet his dry lips with saliva and forced an awkward smile.  

“W-well, but…”  

Venus stuttered. Belshua mulled over Venus’ words again. Someone stationed among the Romsoa Knights who would dare address Venus Luamars as an underling—just who could that be?  

Judging by the question about Maximón, it seemed the person in question was female. Venus had assumed she was related to Maximón. That meant the peculiar woman Venus encountered must have borne some resemblance to Maximón…  

Having finished his deductions, Belshua glanced sidelong at the frozen Venus. Venus stood rigid, like someone who had just realized they’d been conversing with a ghost.  

“Did she have curly red hair?”  

When Belshua asked, Venus stiffly nodded.  

“Yes, yes… She did.”  

“And emerald-green eyes, like Maximón Elgort?”  

“Y-yes, that’s right…”  

“Cheerful and bright, but shameless and self-centered, wasn’t she?”  

“Yes! Exactly!”  

The memory of the woman who had rudely closed the window and disappeared without so much as a proper greeting made Venus exclaim in frustration. Belshua nodded knowingly.  

“You met Rakhshu.”  

“Pardon?”  

For the first time, Venus frowned. Belshua casually replied as he reattached the paper he had removed from the wall.  

“Rakhshu Elgort.”  

After lightly dusting off his hands, Belshua turned back to look at Venus, who had suddenly fallen silent. Venus’ mouth hung slightly open, his expression one of utter confusion, like a broken waterwheel creaking in disarray.  

Though Venus couldn’t manage a single word, his entire demeanor seemed to protest against such a poor joke. As Venus glared at him with an accusatory look, still frozen in shock, Belshua let out a hollow chuckle, seemingly baffled himself.  

“In Gwyneth’s quarters lies Rakhshu’s sword. Rakhshu Elgort resides within it. So, what you encountered was the will of Rakhshu Elgort, the first star of the Astruns. Why would I bother lying to you about something like that?”  

Belshua crossed his arms and turned away indifferently.  

“More importantly, when will Gwyneth…”  

At that moment, a loud crash came from behind. Startled, Belshua turned to look at Venus, who had abruptly risen from his chair, only to collide his knee painfully with the desk. He stood hunched over, wincing from the pain. The impact had sent piles of ancient books and papers tumbling to the floor.  

Belshua glanced down at the ink bottle rolling across the floor, spilling its contents, before raising his gaze slightly. Venus groaned briefly as he steadied himself on his knees, but then his eyes widened as though the pain had never happened.  

Darting to stand directly in front of Belshua, Venus trembled as though on the verge of tears.  

“I-I-I… I have something… Lord Rakhshu… I heard something from him…”

Tears began to well up in his eyes, which bore an uncanny resemblance to Daniel’s.  

“No, no… In Noctis Fortress… here… th-the third star of the Astruns…”  

Was this more urgent than meeting Rakhshu?  

As Belshua marveled inwardly, the office door suddenly burst open without a knock. It was Gwyneth. Without bothering to shake off the snow piled on his head and shoulders, he made a beeline for the fireplace.  

Crouching in front of the hearth, Gwyneth held his frozen hands close to the flames. Only after they began to thaw did he let out a long sigh, shaking his head from side to side.  

“The weather outside has gone completely mad! Absolutely insane! Doing relief work on a day like this is seriously tough. Venus, could you get me some tea…? What’s wrong? Are you crying?”  

Only then noticing Belshua, Gwyneth flinched as he glanced at Venus, whose tears were falling like droplets from a leaky faucet. His gaze slowly shifted toward Belshua.  

“…Did you make him cry?”  

For the first time in a long while, disappointment flickered in Gwyneth’s eyes. Before Belshua could defend himself, another presence was felt. The door, left slightly ajar, was gently pushed open, and someone entered. It was Amelia.  

Even Belshua, who rarely showed changes in expression, widened his eyes at the unexpected arrival. Amelia, clad in priestly robes, awkwardly smiled and exchanged nods with everyone in the room.  

Venus and Belshua simultaneously glared at Gwyneth. Instead of demanding an explanation, their sharp gazes pressed him for answers. Gwyneth turned around, puzzled, only to realize he had forgotten about Amelia in the cold. “Oh dear!” he exclaimed, startled, jumping up from the fireplace.  

“Come in, Amelia.”  

Amelia quietly closed the door behind her and stood in the center of the office. Gwyneth carelessly brushed off the half-melted snow from his clothes and wrapped an arm around Amelia’s shoulders.  

“There, there. Let me introduce her to you both. You already know who Belshua is, of course.”  

“She said she’d rather die than become a priest.”  

Belshua muttered under his breath, causing Amelia to smile sheepishly. Seeing Amelia’s embarrassment, Gwyneth didn’t hesitate to kick Belshua squarely in the shin.  

“Don’t speak casually to my disciple.”  

“Disciple?”  

Venus, hurriedly wiping away his tears, was taken aback. Seeing Venus’ reaction, Gwyneth proudly raised his chin and curled his lips into a smug grin.  

“Yes. My disciple, Amelia Royan. A fresh, newly minted little chick who just became a priest. I brought her here to collaborate on ritual research.”  

“What? What’s going on? Wait, suddenly…”  

Overwhelmed by one surprise after another, Venus’ mind went blank. Unable to find the right words, he alternated his gaze between Gwyneth and Amelia. Meanwhile, Belshua, standing beside him, leaned in and whispered softly, just loud enough for Venus to hear:  

“The person you’ve been looking for came here on their own.”  

Venus froze mid-wipe with his handkerchief. He looked at Amelia, who was trying her best to smile brightly in an effort to make a good impression on him.  

Rather than explaining further, Belshua simply shrugged lightly. The meaning behind it was clear without needing to ask.  

Venus’ hand, clutching the handkerchief, trembled faintly.  

Aron.  

Aron Noctis.  

Venus had practically lived following in that man’s footsteps. Despite being mocked and ridiculed by everyone, Aron had steadfastly walked his own path. Thanks to Aron’s perseverance through thorny trials, those who had been forced to abandon magic were gifted a new future through rituals.  

How could one not admire such courage?  

How could one not love a life that seemed to shine so brilliantly, even when heard only through stories?  

The third star of the Astruns, who never bowed to adversity.  

The one and only star Venus revered above all others…  

As Venus gazed at Amelia, he laughed as though crying, then collapsed limply to the other side of Belshua. Startled, Gwyneth scrambled to support the unconscious Venus.

Even Belshua was taken aback by Venus’ sudden fainting spell. Amelia, equally startled, stifled a scream and clapped both hands over her mouth.  

However, Gwyneth, unaware of the full context, turned to Belshua with an exasperated look and vented his frustration.  

“What? Is bringing in a disciple really something to faint over? This is kind of pissing me off.”