Chapter 100: Farewell

  In the end, under Alex’s subtle guidahe situation was resolved smoothly. The round-faced bishop believed he had tricked Alex, this "naive and upright" young man, a quite pleased with himself. Meanwhile, Alex used this opportunity to further distance himself from the sanctuary. Everyo what they wanted and was satisfied. Every time Alex saw the round-faced bishop afterward, he wore a cheerful smile, and the bishop, iurn, was just as enthusiastic, probably still mog Alex internally for foolishly cutting off his own future.

  But, as the saying goes, everyone has their own version of happiness.

  Stone, however, was furious when he heard about it and dragged Alex, intending to front the cil. It took a lot of ving from Alex to calm Stone down and make him drop the idea.

  As expected, Alex’s fiefdom was taken away. Acc to the cil's orders, Alex was to study at the Tower of the Sky, and during that time, the fiefdom would tio be managed by the sanctuary. Alex had anticipated this, as it was a on tactigling the fiefdom like a carrot in front of him, with the promise of returning it if he ter "repented" and realized that the sanctuary was the better pce. But if Alex remained "stubborn," they’d find an excuse to give the nd away to someone else.

  That was fine by Alex—he hadn’t pnned on keeping the fiefdom anyway. With all the dimensional journeys and dungeoill po explore, he didn’t have the time or io manage nd. Prolonged absences would only arouse suspi. It was better to be free; that way, his disappearances could be easily expined.

  For now, with the situation at the Fortress of Order stabilized and no immediate need for more manpower, Alex found himself with time to spare. Sihering spirit crystals would take a while, he decided to take Fina and Ikaros out for a stroll.

  How could he pass up the ce to go out on a date with two cute girls?

  Unfortunately, her this world nor Ikaros, the summoned angel, seemed to know what a "date" was. But the thought of spending time with Alex made both of them happy, so they eagerly accepted his invitation, and they set off to explore the city.

  The northern sanctuary was located in the royal capital of the Northern Alliance, a city built into the side of a mountain, exuding the wild and bold spirit of the northern tribes.

  Uedly, Alex discovered a local snaique to the north—a treat made by skewering wild fruits on wooden sticks, dipping them in sugar syrup, aing them freeze in the cold wind. Each bite was crisp and tangy, with a hint of wild fruit sweetness and a touch of chill, making it quite enjoyable.

  It reminded Alex of the sugar-coated hawthorns from his own world, and he immediately bought some to enjoy. Of course, he also bought a stick for both Ikaros and Fina, and they savored it happily.

  "This is really tasty," Ikaros said, nibbling on the snad squinting her eyes in delight. Though she still wore her uire, her appearance didn’t cause much of a stir, as Alex had already instructed her to hide her wings. While the sanctuary could handle such rumors, stories of an angel wandering around the city wouldn’t be good for Ikaros. In fact, very few people even knew about Ikaros’ presehe sanctuary higher-ups might have some idea, but they clearly didn’t io interfere.

  That suited Alex just fine. If they tried anything, he wouldn’t hesitate to retaliate.

  "Eat as much as you like. It’s on me," Alex said with a ugh, patting Ikaros on the head. He was feeling generous, especially sihe sanctuary had rewarded him with some money along with the spirit crystals—5,000 gold s to be exact, which was about the equivalent of an annual bonus in his world, more than enough to indulge in some good food and fun for a while.

  Even though Alex offered, both Ikaros and Fina were a bit shy about accepting too much. Left with no choice, Alex took matters into his own hands. He bought a variety of northern snacks for Ikaros, while he gave Fina a handcrafted silver piece from a northern artisan as a gift. Although Fina was a bit embarrassed, she eventually accepted it with a smile.

  The silver jewelry was expensive, but Alex didn’t mind. After all, this wasn’t just a "date" but also a "farewell."

  "Are you really leaving?" Alex asked, standing at the gates of the northern capital, looking at the priestess before him. Notig his gaze, Fina nodded shyly.

  "Yes, Mr. Alex, my pilgrimage isn’t over yet, so I must tinue my journey."

  Life is full of surprises.

  Alex shrugged. He hadn’t expected that while he reparing to leave the sanctuary, it would be Fina who left first. He had thought that after reag the northern sanctuary, Fina would settle down. After all, a pilgrimage was a form of trial, not a lifelong marathon. Like Alex, who had inally been an apprentice guardian knight, his jouro "graduate" had been achieved after defeating the forces of chaos with Stone, fulfilling his adva requirements.

  In Alex’s mind, Fina, as a priestess, had simirly pleted her trial. After all, the "Gates of Hell" i was no small matter. Although it hadn’t led to a catastrophe, it was still a highly dangerous situation. As a member of the group that had preves reopening, Fina surely deserved a promotiht?

  When Alex went to find Fina, he was surprised to discover that she ag her belongings, ready to leave. Sihey had fought together and bee friends through their shared battles, Alex decided to invite her out for a meal, following the s of his homend, and take a walk around the city.

  "But Mr. Alex... are you really going to the Tower of the Sky?"

  "That’s right."

  Hearing Fina’s ed question, Alex nodded.

  "I’m really curious about the mysteries of magid to be ho... I’m a pretty zy person. It seems like magic could help me avoid a lot of trouble."

  "Haha..."

  At this, Fina covered her mouth and giggled.

  "That’s not how it works, Mr. Alex. Learning magic is much harder than you think—it's even more difficult than divis. If you’re thinking of doing it just to be zy, you’re in for a rough time!"

  "Progress is made because people want to be zy."

  "Mr. Alex, you always say the strahings."

  Fina shook her head with a smile, then looked kindly at Ikaros, who was nibbling on her sugar-coated fruit.

  "Well, I’m off now. Ikaros, take care of yourself, alright?"

  Still nibbling on her snack, Ikaros nodded slightly in response. Fina smiled at her, then turned back to Alex.

  "Goodbye, Mr. Alex. I hope everything goes well for you at the Tower of the Sky. And... please be careful not to reveal Ikaros' identity. While the tower is part of the Order, their attitude toward angels isn’t as respectful as the sanctuary's. Some people there might have ill iions toward her, so please be cautious."

  "Thank you for the reminder."

  Alex shared simir s but wasn’t too worried. After all, Ikaros' abilities were practically a mage’s worst nightmare. While she might struggle against heavily armored padins, when it came to mages, all she had to do was activate her "Invasion Domain"—and things would be solid.

  Of course, overfidence was dangerous, so necessary precautions would still be taken.

  "Well then, I’ll be going."

  "Safe travels, Miss Fina."

  "You too, Mr. Alex. May the goddess bless you."

  With that, Fina bowed respectfully, then turned and walked away. Alex stood there watg the priestess as she disappeared into the crowd, her figure vanishing before long.

  After a moment of silence, Alex turned and patted Ikaros on the head.

  "Let’s go."

  (End of the chapter)

  ? Unlock the World of Stories with Early Access on Patreon! ?

  Hello, beloved readers and supporters!

  I am thrilled to offer you an exclusive opportunity to dive deeper into our captivating stories before anyone else. By joining the Patreon unity, you'll unlock a treasure trove of bes, including:

  ? Early Access to 20 Chapters: Be the first to explore neters, experieng the twists and turns of our tales well ahead ur readers. Your jourhrough our stories doesn't have to wait!

  ? ect with the unity: Join a vibrant, like-minded group of readers who share your passion. Engage iing discussions, share theories, and make new friends who love the stories as much as you do.

  ? Support the Creator: Your patronage directly tributes to the ongoing creation and improvement of the tent you love. Be a vital part of the creative journey!

  Patreon./anish_44