**[Ding! Subjugation of the Necrotic Amalgamation complete. Major participants’ levels have increased.]**
**[Marcus Parisio: Level 63; Iris Omnia: Level 58; Sophia Omnia: Level 55; Nino Rialti: Level 53.]**
**[Iris Omnia: Talent Unlocked—Soul Plague Symbiosis. Increases Shadow Magic damage. Expands the infection range and DOT (Damage Over Time) of (Dark Proverb: Pain) or Devouring Plague. Personal Dark Magic affinity is excellent.]**
…
Just as she expected—Light in the left hand, Darkness in the right. This was the “bugged” talent she had complained about; it turned out it had just been hidden all along.
Iris didn’t know if developing Dark Magic was dangerous, so she decided not to act rashly. She would wait until she saw her mother again to ask about the specifics of its use.
…
After the disaster, the Tanazk Great Mine was a mess, yet it remained strangely orderly.
“You over there, come clean this up. Be careful,” Marcus directed his subordinates with composure, working alongside them as he spoke.
The members of the Pope’s Resistance were clearing the remains of the innocent miners who had perished, a task that continued for nearly three months.
Afterward, a cemetery for ten thousand was established on the outskirts of Sindar Town, with a memorial monument erected in the center for the fallen.
Iris knew deep down that they might just be bits of game data, but after living on this continent for nearly five years, she could only see them as vibrant lives that had truly existed.
Led by Iris and Rachel, followed by a group of clergy members, a three-day mourning period was held at the site. Tens of thousands of people, including a large number of civilians who had previously moved to Sindar Town to help with reconstruction, attended the memorial service with hearts full of heavy sorrow.
There were acquaintances of theirs here; in fact, most of the participants had come to mourn lost family members.
The dead were gone, and the living remained. They had to carry the hope of the departed and strive to live on.
—
A white-haired girl wearing a wizard hat decorated with a large blue butterfly walked slowly along the road. Beside her, a red-eyed girl clung to her arm with her small, soft hands, pressing close to her affectionately.
“Sister Iris, you really scared me. After you defeated the monster, you just fainted from exhaustion. Luckily, Nino carried you back!” Nino said with a small smile, her tone brimming with cheer.
“Ah… haha… That couldn’t be helped. You know how it is; the healing pressure in that grueling battle was quite…” Iris felt her body grow weary just thinking about it.
She didn’t want to dwell too much on that painful combat experience.
Sophia was the MVP, that much was true, but both Iris and Uncle Marcus had collapsed from exhaustion. It turned out the most exhausting classes in a dungeon were the tank and the healer, while the damage dealers got all the glory…
“Iris, little Nino? So this is where you were~”
The voice arrived before the person did. A playful sound burst into the air, and both girls knew exactly who was coming.
“Little Nino, were you trying to sneak off? Sister Sophia is going to have to punish you then~”
Sophia ran over in a few quick steps and began massaging Iris’s chubby, cute cheeks. Not finished yet, she then reached out and pinched Nino’s ear.
“Mmph… you green-eyed brat, let go…” Iris said indistinctly as her cheeks were being kneaded like playdough.
“Waaaah!! Mean Sister Sophia! You’re bullying Nino again! It hurts!!” Nino, who was also no match for Sophia, snapped back with a fierce glare.
“What’s the meaning of you two coming out to play without calling me?” Sophia placed her hands on her hips, her eyes bright and lively as she struck the pose of an MVP savior.
“You green-eyed brat, we aren’t here to play. We’re going to Sindar Town to check on the civilians,” Iris explained with an indignant huff.
‘Sigh, has this girl gotten a bit too arrogant and overconfident lately? Without me as the best support, could you have even gotten MVP? Honestly, even without detailed statistics, I have a feeling my KDA was higher than hers.’
“Eh~ The Saintess is so busy with her many duties. It’s only right that I, as your sister, come along to be your cheerleader. At least I can help share your burdens, can’t I?”
In reality, Sophia’s words had a hidden meaning. She simply didn’t want Iris and Nino to be alone together; she wanted to ensure that she always held the first place in Iris’s heart.
“Fine, fine, dear sister. Thank you for coming along. Let’s just go together then…” Iris sighed, her brow furrowing slightly.
“Sister Iris, I think Sister Sophia is actually just a tagalong who can’t leave you alone. Yeah, that’s right—Waaah!” Before Nino could finish her sentence, she was met with Sophia’s iron fist of discipline.
With a *thud*, Sophia struck Nino’s head, though she held back her strength. It was a crisp sound. Indeed, a good sound meant it was a good head.
“Wuu… gah! You mean green-eyed brat! Sister Iris explained to me what that word means! Muscle woman! Hitting people for no reason! You… you big idiot!” Now, Nino didn’t just have a tsundere side; she had developed a serious obnoxious streak just like Iris. It seemed hanging out with Iris every day was contagious.
Watching the two of them constantly bickering and fighting, Iris felt a bit helpless to intervene.
‘Heh… well,’ Iris thought, ‘no matter how difficult the road ahead is, at least everyone is safe for now. That’s enough.’
—
Back in Sindar Town, several children from the mining families she had rescued previously ran up to Iris to express their gratitude.
The children had fashioned a wreath made of wild chrysanthemums and camellias to give to her.
“Saintess, thank you for saving Mommy and Daddy. The God Race really isn’t like the Demon Race at all. A long time ago, a grandpa with a white beard told us stories about the High Priestess of the God Race~” The little girl looked up at the girl whose silver-white hair fluttered in the wind, her voice soft yet clear.
Iris wanted to imitate her mother, but she was always afraid she wouldn’t do it well. After this catastrophe at the Peak of Phantoms, she had gradually come to understand something.
She could forge her own path. She didn’t need to force herself to mimic her mother, nor did she need to stiffly imitate the behaviors described in the books about her mother’s deeds.
Right now, she was the Iris who possessed the memories and knowledge of a modern person, not just a pile of game data from before her reincarnation.
Being herself, using her own methods to restore the diluted faith in the God Race, bringing peace back to the entire continent, and overthrowing the evil Pope—that was what she needed to do.
Iris slowly crouched down, allowing the little girl to place the wreath around her neck. Her white skirt fluttered slightly with the movement. She rested her hands lightly on her knees, then reached out and smilingly rubbed the little girl’s round head.
Iris’s eyes were calm and bright. Curling her lips into a smile, she said, “Thank you for the wreath. It’s truly beautiful. I like it very much~”
The little girl gave an innocent, joyful smile and thanked her once more. “Mommy and Daddy said, thank you for your light. The wounds in their hearts don’t hurt anymore, heehee.”
The girl’s round eyes sparkled with a gentle warmth, filled with the pure sincerity and yearning of a child.
It was a sign to Iris that the pain in their hearts had been healed, a message of true gratitude.
Real healing was being able to soothe even internal trauma, bringing people warmth that came from the bottom of their hearts.
…
The Peak of Phantoms incident and the related crisis have been resolved. Volume One, End.