“Andres…. Andres…………………”

  After murmuring this name, the old man looked up at the ceiling. With his eyes staring at the ceiling, he spoke out loud. “A recruit of the Guardians Knight Order……”

  Then he extended his right hand toward the ceiling. “…. capable of wielding both Divinity and Aura…………”

  After that, he curled his hand into a fist. “………………. A swordmaster and a potential Holy Knight……….”

  Then he thought of the individual who shares the same name.

  He spoke out loud.

  “…… Knight of Salvation……” Half of the empire and all of the North call him that.

  “The Golden Knight…” Those outside the empire called him that.

  “Saintess’ Guard……” It was his official position.

  “Knight of unrequited love ……………..” A later generation referred to him by this name due to specific literary works.

  “Silver Light……” That was how the bards sang of his exploits since ancient times.

  “Oath Keeper……” An order was found in his name.

  “Light Chaser…” Many sages of that time called him that.

  “The Foundation…” This is how many present-day scholars revere him.

  Yet, there was another title that best describes him. Everyone in the world would unanimously agree to it. He could be defined with a single word: ‘Saviour.’

  Seeing the old man's daydreaming behavior, Alex spoke to him as if probing his intention.

  “Master… you don’t mean…?”

  Then the old man turned to look at him. With a self-mocking laugh, the old man answered his student’s question.

  “If my conjecture were correct, history would be rewritten. We misunderstood him.”

  After that, he stood up and stretched his back.

  After fixing his body, he extended his hand to touch the closed book he had just read gently.

  As he continued to stroke the cover of the book gently, he muttered. “The one he loved, the one he kept referring to as his ‘saintess’ during his journey… …… ‘For my beloved saintess. So, she can smile brightly again when we meet.’………… Aria.”

  Although his eyes were on that book, it felt like he was not looking at that book. He was seeing something else. With his eye narrowing, he spoke out loud in a self-questioning manner. “I am not sure…. Was it Saintess Lilia? Or it was not saintess Lilia… Maybe it was this saintess candidate, Aria.”

  Many sources have been pointing in that direction. It has become a mainstream study and is widely accepted.

  Yet, he found himself challenging these beliefs that have prevailed for hundreds of years. It was thrilling. He could not hide his excitement.

  However, his student had a different view. His attention lay elsewhere.

  He walked up to the old man. He, too, looked at that book before cautiously asking. “Lady Aria… Master…. If her achievements here are to be believed… shouldn’t she be considered a saintess to the people?”

  Upon hearing an unexpected question from his student, the old man slowly turned to look at Alex. With a confused face, the old man's voice called out his name. “……………...Alex…………”

  Then suddenly, as if he had just realized something grand, he shouted. “I see…”

  He laughed out loud, looking at the ceiling. “hahaha….”

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  That moment was his eureka. “I see. I see. I see why the church tried to bury the truth. I see why Duke Willow of that time went rough. Hahaha. It is truly a provocative thought.”

  With just a single question from his student, he could answer a half-millennium-old question. His gains were enormous with just this question alone.

  “…. Master?” Seeing his master turning back, Alex was taken aback. He took several steps back until his back touched the bookshelf.

  “Like, he questioned about the nature of the saintess. Like you questioned about who the saintess is. If more people learn about it, more people will question the nature of the saintess. At a large scale, it would undermine the church's authority. Duke Willow of that time may have thought so, too. After all, at that time, their authority was based on Saintess Lilia’s legacy. He may want to erase everything that undermines her achievement.”

  Yes, everything could be explained with this. Everyone has been wondering why Duke Willow, 500 years ago, went mad. Why did he wage war to burn the record of the other house? Because of his decision, humanity missed the chance to prepare for the demon king’s resurrection and the advance of calamities.

  Yet, why did the main church try to conceal the record of this saintly candidate? In all recorded history, her name was never mentioned, not even once. It was because her name was too heavy for the main church to bear. Just by bearing her name, they would sink in the flood of doubt.

  He would not only answer the 500-year-old question but also rewrite the whole history, the narrative that the empire and the main church had woven.

  He would not only answer the 500-year-old question but also rewrite the whole history, the narrative that the empire and the main church had woven.

  On this part, the old man began to shake uncontrollably. Not only will he challenge the entire community of scholars, but he will also challenge the authority of the main church, or even the entire world. It was too exciting for him. Yet, it was also dangerous.

  Alex, too, noticed the underlying problem. With a worried face, he asked the old man in concern. “…. What should we do, Master?”

  Upon hearing his student's question, the old man took one last glance at the book resting on top of the table. “……. They asked us nothing but the truth. So, we should give it to them. However…” After letting out a big sigh, he shook his head as if giving up. Then he looked at Alex and weakly said. “You and I may need to prepare something, too.”

  Then, suddenly, the voice of an adolescent came from the entrance of the hall they were in. “It was not wrong to entrust this job to you, professor.”

  “… Your Highness.” The old man took a stand. He cautiously looked at the old man. He was on full guard.

  Yet, the first prince paid no mind to the old man and his student. He just walked slowly to the table where the book rested.

  The old man and Alex stood still, observing the first prince. They were ready to grab the book and run off if it was the last thing they could do.

  Then, when the first prince reached the table, he slowly extended his hand to the book, yet he stopped his hand before he could touch it. With just a little jerk, his hand would land on it.

  After a while, he took his hand back and turned to face the old man. “No need to be scared. Like you said, we demand nothing but the truth. I will handle everything that will come after that.”

  While Alex sighed in relief, the old man knelt down to express his gratitude. “…. Your highness…. As a historian…. I thank you.”

  Upon seeing this, the first prince helped the old man to his feet. Then, he patted the old man’s shoulder. “….. It should be I who thanks you…..”

  Then he asked the old man. “By the way, what do you think about him?”

  “…. What do you mean, your highness?”

  With a calm face, the first prince looked into the old man’s eyes and asked. “Hypothetically speaking, if his saintess, Lady Aria, learned about what he has done, would she grace him with a bright smile?”

  “…………… That, I don’t know.” To this unusual question, the old man could only give an honest answer.

  And the first prince also seemed to expect that kind of answer. “…. I see.”

  Then, as the first prince was about to turn back, Alex, ignoring the courtesy, called out to him. “….. Your highness…”

  Unbothered by his rude behavior, the first prince turned to respond to Alex. “What is it, Alex?”

  With some hesitation, Alex decided to speak his mind. “I am not sure about it………… However, I am sure about one thing... His saintess, Lady Aria, would thank him for living with the light.”

  Upon hearing that, the first prince opened his eyes wide in surprise. Then, with a gentle smile, he spoke to Alex. “….. I see. Thank you. It put me at ease to hear that.”

  Seeing him like that, Alex also wanted to ask something. “About his oath to Lady Aria……”

  “…. What is it?” The eyes of the first prince were a bit wide when he heard Alex mention the oath.

  Seeing those eyes, Alex could only give up on his attempt. “…It is nothing.”

  “If you have nothing to say, I will take my leave.” With this farewell, the first prince turned his back on them and left the hall.

  After seeing the first prince off, Alex turned to question the old man. His voice carried sadness. “Master, what happened to Lady Aria? For Lord Andres to wander the continent alone after the war? And for him to leave those monuments, too?”

  With his eyes not moving from the direction that the first prince had just left, the old man half-heartedly replied to Alex. “…………….. It could be that she retired peacefully or …… something else.”

  That something should be left unspoken. It should be left unspecified.

  Yet, with his lack of life experience, still full of the passion of youth, Alex missed the old man's underlying message. “Were they separated after that?”

  The master did not reply. He just stared at the open door that the first prince had left with a complicated expression.