The calling chimes of a bell

 
 
 ☆
 
 
 The man who came to greet us in the forest of the Holy City’s suburbs was a middle-aged dressed in a tidy knight’s uniform.
 
 “The Holy City’s military attache, correct?”
 
 Inside a carriage.
 When I tilted my head, the man smiled and nodded with a 『yes』.
 
 “It’s been three years since I moved here with my family. I usually work as an assistant to diplomats staying in the Holy City’s official diplomatic residence. Other times I attend events in the Holy City, conversing with officers from foreign countries while gathering information.”
 
 According to what he had to say, we seem to actually be staying at the envoy’s official residence.
 
 “The security in the Holy City is good, but as it’s a large city where people from all over the Northern Continent come for pilgrimage, it would also be easier for us to support Your Excellency if you were staying at the official residence.”
 
 I see.
 In the city of Telun, there was a post for the border security unit but no residence for the governing office.
 That’s why they used a private inn, but if there’s an official residence then it’s more convenient for us to use that… for the country, that is.
 
 “My thanks for the warm welcome and consideration.”
 
 “No, I was able to guide the goddess of salvation who protected my friends. It has been an honour for me.”
 
 Fufufu, hahaha, we laughed together.
 
 I am being given support from His Majesty during my study abroad… with that as the excuse, it’s actually surveillance.^[1]
 The conversation now should also be perceived in that context.
 
 By the way, from what Otou-sama said, the official residence local to the Nordland^[2] Labyrinth Country where I will be studying abroad has been greatly expanded, and the personnel has also been increased.
 
 Of course a magic communications device has also been newly installed.
 In short, it’s so that if anything were to happen, they can get in contact with us.
 
 “Ah!!”
 
 That moment, Anna, who had been looking outside the window, let out a shout.
 
 “Ojou-sama, I can see the cathedral! It’s so big…!!”
 
 Her eyes shining, my lady-in-waiting^[3] was excited like a child.
 Seeing Anna like that lured me in as well, and I too looked out the window, and had my breath taken away.
 
 “Amazing…!”
 
 At the end of a gently sloping hill.
 
 The neatly-planned octagonal city spread out in a basin enclosed by the surrounding mountains, and in the centre of the city, the cathedral’s gigantic spires rose as if to pierce the heavens.
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 Just past noon.
 Having arrived at the official residence in the Holy City of Dilith, we were welcomed by the envoys more warmly than expected.
 
 “It’s been a while since we last spoke, Count Ainsworth. The last was the peerage conferment ceremony, wasn’t it?”
 
 “It’s been a while, Count Knolles. Have you already gotten used to this city?”
 
 We each bowed to each other.
 
 “Although I am still learning by watching others. I’m managing somehow thanks to everyone’s help.”
 
 Saying so, the envoy smiled wryly.
 Originally a Viscount, he too rose up in rank the same time as I did, where we exchanged greeting during the peerage conferment ceremony.
 
 “You’re probably tired from the long journey. Would you like to have lunch after a short rest? It’s also possible to prepare it right away.”
 
 “Right. I’d feel sorry to keep you waiting, so if you don’t mind, I think I’d like to have it a little earlier.”
 
 What with the flight and travels since morning, to be honest, Anna and I are starving.
 
 “Understood. Then I shall inform you as soon as the preparations are complete, so please relax in your rooms till then.”
 
 Thus we were to have lunch together with the envoy.
 
 
 
 “So Miss Faircroff has been working in Lady Ainsworth’s care since young, was it?”
 
 Count Knolles asked for the story of how Anna and I got to know each other.
 
 When she heard that, Miss Faircroff — Anna — gazed at me dearly.
 
 “Yes. To me, Leticia is my lifesaver, who gave me a place to belong when I had nowhere to go, and is the only one whom I can devote the entirety of my life to.”
 
 “… Is that so? That is wonderful.”
 
 In response to Anna’s heavy, heavy response, perhaps Sir Knolles was troubled as to how to react, as he returned an awkward smile.
 
 Well, it’s not a light topic, so if I had to say, it can’t be helped.
 
 
 
 Anna FairCroff.
 The former Falconer Baron’s young lady.
 
 Having lost both her parents in an accident and having the peerage inherited by her blood-related uncle and the mansion and property snatched away, the 14-year-old Anna ran away from home and came to visit our mansion in the neighbouring territory.
 
 By chance, I had been strolling by when she was at a loss in front of our gates, and I called out to her.
 
 Having heard her story, I frantically whined at Otou-sama who hesitated over the domestic troubles in the neighbouring territory, and succeeded in getting her hired as my lady-in-waiting.
 
 Anna has since then devotedly served as my exclusive lady-in-waiting.
 
 By the way, the fact that she only wears maid clothes despite being a lady-in-waiting is entirely her own preference.
 
 When I asked her about it before,
 “It is my own way of declaring my resolution to serve Ojou-sama.”
 is what she told me while smiling.
 
 But why maid clothes?
 
 Though I frankly do not understand, if the person themselves says it’s fine then I’ll let her stay as she is.
 
 
 
 “Incidentally, I have heard that you plan to depart tomorrow, but aren’t you going to go to the cathedral to pray?”
 
 Perhaps trying to change the subject due to the delicate atmosphere, Sir Knolles asked me that question.
 
 “Right…”
 
 I was troubled for words.
 
 If I had to say what was troubling me, it would be that I had no intention of praying in the first place.
 
 The Dalis Religion is a monotheistic one which worships the Goddess Delia, the goddess of creation.
 
 Setting aside the authenticity of the creation myths, the priests of the church exercise holy magic via prayers as 『agents of the Goddess’s authority』.
 
 In contrast with a magician’s magic, which can only manipulate physical phenomena such as fire, water, earth and wind, holy magic can act upon people and living things and heal injuries and illnesses.
 
 Although I tried researching the prayer texts in my first life to see if I could apply it to magic tools, it was ultimately a failure.
 
 It was based on a completely different concept and mechanism to ordinary magic.
 
 
 
 Putting that aside, why did I have no intention of praying despite staying over in the Holy City?
 
 To put it in one phrase, it would be 『I’ve abandoned my faith』.
 
 Before the redo, I prayed to the goddess countless times.
 
 I prayed for my bedridden mother to recover, I prayed for my brother’s safety as he left for war, I prayed that those dear to me wouldn’t be executed.
 
 And for each and every one of them, the goddess betrayed me.
 
 ——— I won’t believe in the goddess a second time around. I will do my best to protect everyone with my own hands.
 
 That has become my creed in this third life.
 
 That being said, being regarded as a pagan or atheist is inconvenient.
 
 Which is why I told the envoy this.
 
 “I had heard that you need to take a ticket and wait several days to pray at the cathedral. Since I’m dropping by this time to study abroad in the Labyrinth Country, as expected, waiting several days is…”
 
 This was indeed the case.
 
 Hundreds of people come daily from various places in the Northern Continent to visit the cathedral.
 The order in which one can worship is entirely a first come, first served basis.
 Though it is also dependent on one’s timing, the earliest would be two days.
 It is common knowledge that, in the worst case, you’d have to wait no less than a week.
 
 Even so.^[4]
 
 “Ah, so it was that after all. Then there’s nothing to worry about.”
 
 “… what?”
 
 I reflexively asked a question in turn to the envoy, who was grinning in a friendly manner.
 
 “Though it will be after the general worship is over, the truth is that I’ve talked to the church to make it possible for Lady Aisnworth and Miss Faircroff to pray there. Though it’s only limited to an hour after 5pm, if it’s alright with you, then how about going?”
 
 “Th-, that’s… thank you very much.”
 
 Honestly, this development was unexpected.
 I can’t refuse after they’ve gone that far.
 
 “I’m so glad. I’ve always wanted to pray once at the cathedral!!”
 
 Beside me, Anna’s eyes were sparkling.
 
 … Well, whatever.
 
 I sighed in my head, then spoke to the envoy with a smile.
 
 “Then certainly, we would like to go pray.”
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 Anna and I arrived at the cathedral in the legation’s^[5] carriage about 15 minutes after 5pm.
 
 The worshippers had already gone on their way, and the large doors of the church had been closed.
 
 “Thank you for waiting, Your Excellency Count Ainsworth and Lady Faircroff of the Kingdom of Heielland.”
 
 The elderly pastor who came out to greet us led the way, taking us through a side entrance to the inside of the church.
 
 The church’s interior, while plain, was glamourous.
 
 Sculptures of people and spirits described in creation myths were carved here and there, as we went further and further in.
 
 And furthest in was a chapel.
 
 
 
 “Then, once you’ve finished praying, please approach the priest over there.”
 
 Saying so, the pastor left the room.
 
 In the Dalis Religion, they place importance on praying to and conversing with the Goddess Delia.
 The pastor only gets involved during sermons and ceremonies like weddings and funerals, as well as when healing using holy magic.
 
 Anna and I made our way to the altar, kneeling before the image of the Goddess Delia.
 
 The orange light of the evening sun shone upon us.
 
 In that light, I offered prayers to the goddess like I have countless times before… or pretended to at least.
 
 (There’s no longer anything to even pray for.)
 
 Hollow emotions wash over my heart.
 
 It was then that it happened.
 
 Gong, gong, gong…
 
 The chime of the church’s bell could be heard outside.
 
 The chimes reverberated throughout the chapel.
 Those reverberations shook through me———
 
 “Huh?”
 
 The world spun round and round, and my consciousness flew away.
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 Boom!!
 
 ———Aaaaaaaahhhh!!!!
 
 (-?!)
 
 An ear-splitting explosion.
 And, a scream.
 
 Flooded with those sounds, I opened my eyes.
 
 Spread out below was a city.
 A town dyed in the colours of dusk.
 
 That town was on fire.
 Flickers of flames rose here and there in the town.
 
 (This is…???)
 
 I looked at my feet and became even more discomposed.
 
 I was floating in the air.
 But not because I was wearing flying boots.
 I was barefoot.
 
 Before me was a familiar royal castle.
 
 No doubt about it.
 This castle is Sanaak Castle in the royal capital of the Kingdom of Heielland.
 
 A castle I’ve visited many times before.
 That castle too was engulfed in flames.
 
 (This… what on earth is happening???)
 
 My head was in chaos.
 
 Is the royal capital under attack?
 But even so, I should be in the Holy City’s cathedral…!
 
 That moment, a familiar-sounding voice rang out in my confused ears.
 
 “Prime Minister! What in the world is going on! Explain!!”
 
 Don
 
 (-?!)
 
 My body was arbitrarily drawn in the direction of the voice.
 
 
 
 (……?)
 
 The next instant, I was standing in the royal palace’s corridor.
 
 “What on earth is going on?!”
 
 The yell echoed across the corridor.
 
 I instantly turned that way.
 And there, I doubted my own eyes.
 
 Before my eyes were two familiar figures quarrelling.
 
 However, they were people who shouldn’t be here.
 No, they’re people who couldn’t be there.
 
 “It seems we are being attacked by someone.”
 
 The king’s angry yell poured down upon the person who responded so, who I confronted a year ago in the House of Senates.
 
 Duke Oswell.
 
 And the one hounding the duke so was———
 
 “I can see that! There are wyverns flying about. Aren’t they from the Principality?! Why would our ally, the Principality, attack our country???”
 
 With a crown upon his head, it was my former fiancee.