'I guess I've done enough. My time here is over.'

After leaving the mansion of Langkter, Theo decided to leave the headquarters of the Order right away.

Isabella, half asleep, rubbed her eyes and asked,

"Why the rush in the middle of the night? Even if the headquarters feels suffocating, we could stay the night, couldn't we?"

As Theo boarded the carriage, he replied,

"If we stay at the headquarters, we'll be swamped with annoying things from tomorrow morning."

Almost certainly, by tomorrow morning, every newspaper's front page will be plastered with the news of Theo drawing the Holy Sword.

It's only natural that the high-ranking officials of the headquarters would want to establish a connection with Theo, setting up various meetings for this purpose.

Not wanting to deal with rejecting them, Theo was keen on leaving the headquarters as quickly as possible.

"There's much to do."

As soon as he arrives at Elinia Academy, he needs to prepare for [Leading Mind] by persuading anyone who can be of slight assistance.

Isabella yawned silently, following Theo into the carriage.

"Alright, let's go."

With Isabella's boarding, the carriage carrying Theo and his party departed for Elinia Academy.

Inside the carriage en route to Elinia Academy, Theo was practicing as usual, with his legs crossed and eyes closed.

However, he wasn't practicing his qi.

Instead, he was feeling the aura of the Holy Sword enveloping his body.

The Holy Sword isn't just a sword. Like the [Demon Sword], it can change its form.

However, the Holy Sword could transform into far more shapes than the [Demon Sword].

While the [Demon Sword] could only transform into bladed weapons like swords, spears, and axes, the Holy Sword could become not only bladed weapons but also armor, staves, maces, and more.

Currently, the Holy Sword enveloping Theo had taken the form of full-body armor. It emitted a soft glow, visible even through his shirt and pants.

-Hmm, I want to test how well it can hold up.

-Why is that?

Theo asked.

-From what I see, the aura covering your body now, despite being called a Holy Sword, doesn't seem that impressive.

Theo agreed with Nay's observation.

-You're spot on. After all, I only obtained the Holy Sword through a trick. Its effectiveness depends on the divine energy of the wielder.

-That's what I thought. Frankly, the divine energy you possess is less than one-tenth of that of the lowest-ranking priest in the Order.

Theo inwardly sighed.

-That's just great. This damned body. I thought I was used to having no talent, but it seems that's not the case. Having a good tool and not being able to use it fully...

Divine energy is more a matter of innate ability than mana.

It's not rare for a one-year-old baby to have more divine energy than a 100-year-old who has spent their life cultivating it through faith.

Theo continued,

-Anyway, it seems I won't be able to make much use of the Holy Sword for now.

-Child, don't be too hard on yourself. Everyone has at least one exceptional talent, no matter how insignificant they may seem. Don't you possess a body more suited to practicing qi than anyone else?

-That may be true, but it's still frustrating. Historically, divine energy is the best at defeating Demons. And the Holy Sword is at the very top of such weapons.

Theo tried changing the Holy Sword into various forms, but it was unsatisfying.

Even without Nay saying it, he knew.

The current state of the Holy Sword wouldn't be practical in a real fight.

He felt a mix of disappointment and resentment for having acquired one of the top-tier artifacts in this story but not being able to utilize it.

'F*ck it, I'll just practice my qi. After all, I drew the Holy Sword for its symbolic value.'

Theo calmed his mind and closed his eyes, returning to his qi practice.

Perhaps sensing Theo's dismay, Nay spoke up.

-Child, there is one way for you to use the Holy Sword in real battles. It might be the only way.

Theo's eyes lit up.

-What way is that, Nay?

-Before I tell you, promise me one thing.

-Anything. Just ask.

-After hearing this, don't call me by any ridiculous titles like Princess of Ashes or Demon Slayer.

-Would I ever? I've always thought those titles were absurd.

Theo's voice had a certain ring to it, somewhat reminiscent of Langkter.

After a moment of thought, Nay said,

-You've promised. If you ever call me by such nicknames again, I'll smack you.

-As you know, I'm quite clever. I might forget something I've heard once, but never something I've heard twice.

-I'm not entirely convinced, but... since you've promised, I'll tell you.

-Go ahead.

-Become a Warrior of God.

Theo asked with a puzzled tone,

-A Warrior of God? But that's not something you can become just because you want to, Nay. Even after drawing the Holy Sword, I wasn't truly chosen by the God of Light.

A Warrior of God is considered an avatar of the deity, naturally endowed with immense divine energy.

Though Theo was called a Warrior of Light by the Order, including Langkter, it was only because he had drawn the Holy Sword, the symbol of the Order.

Theo is not a true 'Warrior of Light.'

Nay said,

-You don't have to be a Warrior of Light. In the Kyren Zena continent, there are countless gods. Being chosen by any one of them would allow you to use the Holy Sword. No matter which God's warrior you become, you'll gain immense divine energy.

Apart from the God of Light, Renimid, there are various other gods in the Kyren Zena continent.

These include the God of War worshiped by orcs and lizardmen, the Moon God worshiped by elves, the Blood God worshiped by vampires, and the Dark God worshiped by Demons.

However, God's warriors rarely appear.

Nowadays, they are almost legendary, like archmages.

The last warrior appeared on the continent over 200 years ago.

Theo sighed inwardly and said,

-I wasn't aware of that... The problem is, I don't know how. If the method was well-known, there wouldn't have been a 200-year gap without a warrior.

-I have a guess. It's a bit speculative, but...

Theo asked politely,

-May I be bold enough to ask about your guess, Nay?

-Gods are not as omnipotent or transcendent as you might think, child. They, too, can be emotional and have clear likes and dislikes, just like humans.

-Are you suggesting...?

-Yes, you just need to win over a God's heart.

-That feels like picking the one correct option out of tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of possibilities.

-It's not as hopeless as it sounds, child. I may not know about other gods, but I am quite familiar with the preferences of one.

-That's interesting. Did your memory suddenly come back?

-Not completely, but more than half of it returned. My memories started to come back when you acquired [Eater], and when you drew the Holy Sword, more than half had returned.

-So that's why you've been quiet all day, may I ask which God's preferences you know?

-The Moon God favored me.

-Does that mean...

Nay answered,

-Yes, child. I was the Moon God's warrior.

Theo was at a loss for words.

He was certain Nay was no ordinary being, but he hadn't anticipated that Nay was a God's warrior, like a final weapon.

Nay continued,

-I was called the 'Princess of Ashes,' perhaps because, to the dull eyes of some, the moonlight appeared ashen. Child, why so silent? Are you shocked by my true identity?

-No, I thought 'Princess of Moonlight' suits you better than 'Princess of Ashes.' Every time I see the clear qi, it reminds me of moonlight for some reason.

Nay coughed a few times, then said in a somewhat shy voice,

-Well, that's quite a nice title. From now on, call me 'Princess of Moonlight.

Theo responded politely,

-Yes, Princess of Moonlight.

The carriage carrying Theo and his party screeched to a stop at Elinia Academy.

Isabella, still sitting next to Theo who was deep in meditation, told him, "Theo, wake up. We've arrived."

But Theo didn't open his mouth.

Instead, he confronted Nay,

-Have you deceived me, Princess of Moonlight? I've stayed up for two nights straight practicing qi, but the Moon God has not responded.

Nay clicked her tongue and said,

-What an unreasonable fellow, trying to take shortcuts in life. Did you really think that just that would be enough to reach the lofty Moon God?

-Didn't you say that with what I've done so far, I should feel something after two days? This isn't working. I'm revoking the title of 'Princess of Moonlight.' 'Princess of Ashes' seems more fitting after all.

-Oh, you stubborn brat!