“I’m going to the Imperial Capital, right now!”
“Lady Elena! Wait a moment!”
The Head Maid, who had just recovered, quickly stepped in front of Elena to stop the Witch.
“How do you plan to get there? Fly directly?”
“No matter how much of a hurry you’re in, you can’t do this! If you go there now with such unstable emotions and Mana, do you plan to tear down the Imperial Capital?”
“Or do you intend to tell the Empire directly that the Great Mage is that important to you, and let them use her as a bargaining chip for negotiations?!”
“The Holy Church came right to our door. Doesn’t that mean the Empire already knows what Ai’er means to me?! Move! If the Empire dares to use Ai’er to blackmail me, I’ll destroy them!”
Ai’er.
According to the messenger, the Great Mage’s name was indeed “Ai’er.”
The Head Maid had never seen Elena like this. But according to the rumors that had circulated in the mansion for a long time, she knew Elena had been waiting for someone — but that was 300 years ago.
Outside the mansion, the Empire only knew that the Witch of Time had been searching for something, and she had been searching for 300 years.
Moreover, the messenger didn’t even know Elena was looking for someone named “Ai’er.”
The messenger’s original words were:
“This Great Mage doesn’t look like she’s from the Empire at all. Perhaps she can provide information that can’t be found within the Empire and help the Witch of Time find what she’s looking for.”
“Aside from yourself, even your servants, and even I only found out the name of the person you’re waiting for today! How could the Empire or the Holy Church know what that Great Mage named Ai’er means to you!”
After the Head Maid repeated the messenger’s words, Elena, having regained her senses, stood silently in place.
She stood there, contemplating something until she had managed her emotions and the restless Mana around her settled down.
“What you said makes sense, but I still need to go to the Imperial Capital. Have the servants prepare; we leave tomorrow morning.”
“Also… arrange for someone to go to the Imperial Capital now to gather intelligence. I want to know how that Great Mage is doing, and furthermore —”
Elena paused, her dark blue eyes filled with silent killing intent.
“I want all intelligence on the Black God Church within the Empire.”
“The White God Holy Church was right about one thing: only one religion can indeed exist within the Empire’s borders.”
After Elena said this and saw the Head Maid nod in response, she turned and walked toward her own room.
In the room where she was now alone, Elena could clearly hear her own heartbeat.
She had always believed she would see Ai’er again, even though back then…
Recalling that scene, even 300 years later, Elena still couldn’t forget the pain of her “heart” dying in that moment.
‘Ai’er… This time, you’re not allowed to leave me alone again.’
‘No one can take you away from me! You must stay by my side forever… forever!’
Facing her own faint reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window, Elena hugged herself —
“Forever… forever~”
—
Total darkness.
Ai’er could roughly guess that this was the Independent Space-Time the System had mentioned before.
‘I can’t see anything again, sigh.’
But within the span of just a few hours, she had fallen unconscious for the second time.
Thinking about this, Ai’er didn’t want to continue at all.
‘What is going on…’
When other people transmigrate, either the System gives them a cheat for an invincible run, or they start a harem and get intimate with beautiful girls…
Now, not only had she become a girl, but she also had no special abilities and was even called an idiot by the System — most importantly, she hadn’t rested at all along the way!
From beginning to end, from the moment she appeared at the Sea Cliff to falling unconscious yet again — how many life-or-death crises had she been caught in?
‘The pace is so fast, can we slow down for a second…’
Time mechanics, conspiracies, Apostles of the Evil God, and this System that was clearly hiding something from her — this sense of being forced into things felt like a new employee happening to catch a predecessor’s mess, being put on the job immediately without being prepared for anything.
“System, am I just here to work for you?”
**[Not at all.]**
“Then what is your goal?! — Sigh, never mind, you’ll just say ‘Capture the Witch’ anyway~”
Ai’er sighed and sprawled her limbs out in a spread-eagle position within this Independent Space-Time created by the System.
**[Host’s current posture is not elegant.]**
“So what? Since you have time to nag me about that, why don’t you just tell me — there won’t be any more fighting and killing next, right?”
“You want me to capture Elena, so you should arrange for me to go on a date with her or something, right? It’s not a good look for me to keep passing out in front of her!”
‘Have you ever seen a dense protagonist in a galge who captures beautiful girls while sleeping?!’
If there were a blanket, Ai’er would have rolled over and wrapped herself in it, leaving only her head exposed while letting out a dissatisfied *Hmph*.
But having nothing, Ai’er could only sigh.
“By the way, how is my body over on Eve’s side? Is it still alive?”
**[It is still alive.]**
**[The Silver Badge given to the Host by Apprentice Saint Eve can withstand one instance of Intermediate Magic damage — although it could not withstand the attack of an Apostle of the Evil God, it prevented the Host’s body from dying on the spot.]**
**[Although the body was severely injured and on the verge of death, Apprentice Saint Eve promptly applied an Intermediate Healing Spell, temporarily preserving the life of the Host’s physical form.]**
**[Currently, Apprentice Saint Eve is transporting the Host’s body at full speed toward the Imperial Capital under the protection of the remaining Knights. The Host’s body will receive treatment at the Holy Church headquarters in the Imperial Capital.]**
**[However, all of that is still in the future.]**
**[The flow of time in the current space-time is much faster than in the previous one; it will be a long time before those events occur.]**
“Wait a minute~”
“System, you know so much, and you’re even clear about things that haven’t happened yet. You’re definitely hiding something from me, aren’t you?”
Ai’er’s voice carried a hint of playfulness after she heard that.
However, regarding this fact that didn’t need to be pointed out, saying these things was at most to see how the System would react; it had no real significance.
**[What does the Host wish to do now?]**
Sure enough, the System ignored Ai’er’s question.
“Can I go back to Eve’s side?”
**[Previously, because the Host was on the verge of death, the Host’s consciousness was extracted from the body in that space-time for safety reasons. While the body has not yet been repaired, it is not recommended for the Host to return to an unstable physical form.]**
**[If you insist on returning, you do so at your own risk.]**
*Tsk*, so there was still no choice?
Well… even if she did have a choice, she wouldn’t want to go back right now anyway.
The image of Elena’s eyes, which had regained their brilliance, flashed through Ai’er’s mind.
What happened to Elena afterward? This was the question she was most curious about right now.
“But if I go back to Elena’s side, wouldn’t I have to lie there for 1 year first?”
**[The Host can expend 1 System Point to perform a Time Flow Adjustment.]**
**[This way, after transmigrating, the Host can arrive directly at the moment the physical body awakens.]**
*Tsk, tsk, tsk,* you hear that?
The Time Flow Adjustment function she had worked so hard to get earlier turned out to require spending System Points to use!
How can there be things that require a premium membership even in another world!
But Ai’er had no choice.
“…Go ahead and spend it.”
*Sob* QAQ.
With tears in her eyes, Ai’er spent 1 of her 3 remaining System Points.
**[Time Flow Adjustment beginning.]**
**[Countdown to completion: 20 seconds, 19 seconds…]**
Although she couldn’t see any changes in the pitch-black darkness, Ai’er inexplicably felt that something had happened.
But none of that mattered anymore.
She would see Elena soon~ Speaking of which, having slept for 1 year, what did Elena look like now? How was she doing? And Fina, that child looked like she was about to break.
She also didn’t know if Sirius had done anything to them…
The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable Ai’er felt. The countdown that was originally only 20 seconds long now felt incredibly slow.
**[Tip: The Host can choose to expend another 1 System Point to learn what the Witch of Time, Elena White, has done during this 1 year of unconsciousness.]**
“I… I’m going over there soon! I’ll ask her myself!”
**[You can also learn of Fina White’s current situation.]**
“Ugh! I… I’m not curious at all! Really!”
**[This includes Elena’s current opinion of the Host.]**
System, you…
Bully QAQ!
“…Take it. I don’t want this 1 System Point anymore. I’m not heartbroken at all, really.”
**[Command confirmed.]**
**[Host has expended 1 System Point. Information transmission beginning —]**
The moment the words fell, scenes she had never witnessed before surged into Ai’er’s mind like a tide…