“What is this nonsense about going to Moon territory from you? That’s really dangerous, okay?” Lesser Half rippled angrily, the innumerable cubes contained within the rift glittering at the same time. “We’re talking about the Moons, you know? Those guys that radiate cold light in the name of fake mercy!”

The throne room seemed to shimmer with his power at the same time, and all the crystalline ornaments dangling off the ceiling flickered with seven-coloured light. As for why that was the case, Claud didn’t know, but that wasn’t quite his concern now.

“We’ll be fine,” Claud replied, sneaking a gaze at the bright walls of the huge throne room. “We did kinda come from there, after all. Snuck through the border checkpoints in the name of a honeymoon.”

Lesser Half froze, as if stupefied by that reason, and then turned to Count Lostfon. “Can you do something?”

“Uh…no?” The count looked as bamboozled as Lesser Half probably felt. “I mean, I didn’t know that they were from the Istrel Sovereignty either. But this means you must have been feeling homesick or something.”

“Friends and family, you know.” Claud grimaced. “That’s how it is. Personally, I feel that this place is a lot safer, but there are still people I are about over there.”

“Ugh.” The black light emanated by Lesser Half weakened. “That’s a good reason to go back, indeed.”

“…Well, it’s just to inform you guys and to thank you two for taking care of us. Oh, and Dust, of course.” Lily bobbed her head at the Dark Herald. “I wish we could do this more often. After all this Godsfall nonsense is over, let’s hold another gathering. I’ll bring my friends along this time!”

“That sounds great,” Lesser Half replied, “but it’s undeniably dangerous to return. The Moons are mobilising all the mana-users in their territory. If you two are found…”

“We’ll be conscripted?” Claud asked.

“…Well, not forcibly, but…” Lesser Half trailed off, and in that instant, Claud felt that the divinity had taken a few steps closer to understanding humanity. “Things will be tough if you reject them.”

“That’s troublesome, but wouldn’t that help you? I’ll be able to report about movements in the Moonlit forces, after all,” Claud replied.

“You don’t like the Moons, do you?” Lesser Half chuckled.

In that instant, Claud recalled the countless times he tried to sneak past guards as a child, only to be illuminated by the moonlight. While disliking was too strong a word, there were indeed times when he had wished that it was New Moon. Of course, he liked the beautiful light of the Moons too, but he did take two Bearers of Destiny…

“It’s nice that you’re thinking about me, but there’s no need to run the risk. Intelligence is less important than friendship…”

Claud blinked, and suddenly, the distance between him and the throne felt a lot shorter. How did it come to this?

“Well,” said Lesser Half, “I see I won’t be able to dissuade you much, and you’ve probably prepared for it, seeing as how you decided to tell me about your departure in advance. It’s nice that you told me all this.”

“Yeah, well, one just doesn’t simply up and disappear without leaving behind a message for friends with whom one shared a meal with,” Claud replied.

“It’s called being accountable,” Lily added. “And besides, we also needed to ask Count Lostfon if he needed someone to bring a message to Caroline.”

“Caro—you know my daughter?” Count Lostfon blinked.

“We know that she’s Nightfall’s fiancé,” Lily added.

“Don’t evade…yeah, you definitely knew her.” The count rolled his eyes. “But depending on the circumstances, it may be impossible to pass her the message. Still, you should have told me all about it, right? How is she?”

“Lovey-dovey—”

“That punk.”

“And that’s why we didn’t bother telling you.” Lily clapped her hands. “See? Magic. Also, you didn’t ask where we came from or anything. That’s your fault.”

As the noble and the ex-noble exchanged a few more words about responsibility, Lesser Half muttered, “I’m learning more and more about humanity in this very instant.”

Claud patted Lily’s head. “Hehe. You should try inviting more people to your castle, though. For instance, there’s an old man who runs the inn we stayed in. He’s a nice guy, but his family and friends have all vanished. Why not try talking to him?”

“An old man?”

“You’ve been talking to us mana-users so far, right?” Claud carried on. “Talking to the mortals is also a good idea. Especially those who know that they only have so many years left.”

Lily, who had managed to make Count Lostfon feel bad about not asking, added, “If you want to understand humanity, you’ll have to understand mortality. It’s…not a nice thing to understand. And you’ll definitely see the ugliest sides of humanity.”

“Ah, don’t worry about the last bit. Humans can be very ugly. Just as they can be very pure.” Lesser Half bobbed his head. “I, however, believe in the potential of humans to surpass themselves and their base sides. Perhaps that is why I am more drawn to mana-users.”

“More drawn to mana-users?”

“They defy destiny and their natural limits,” Lesser Half replied. “They conquer their own fears…just like Lily here.”

“Lily?” Count Lostfon tilted his head. “What fears?”

“I don’t know what fears she had, but she conquered them in the Second Tutorial,” Lesser Half replied. “Do receive my belated congratulations for the successful crusade over your regrets. As for Claud…I see you’ve made another ascension in the hierarchy of life. This is excellent.”

“…Uh, how many mana circuits do you two have now?” Lostfon asked.

“Lily’s a tetra-folder now,” Claud replied.

“And my Claud’s a penta-folder.”

Count Lostfon’s lips turned wriggly. “This is cheating. Where are you guys…getting all that willpower from? Damn. I’m going to have to try harder…”

“Yeah, you should,” Claud replied. “Anyway, shouldn’t there be lots of lifestones for you to use now? There was like a huge rain of lifeforce recently. I can even pick up lifestones while walking around randomly.”

“…Forget about that for a moment. Anyway, a message, huh?” The count touched his chin. “I did write a letter for her, so I suppose that’ll do. I couldn’t find a courier since no one’s dumb enough to go to Istrel right now, but you guys so happen to be dumb enough.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Letter, please.”

“Hmph. Thanks.” The count tossed a letter over. “You two better not die out there, okay?”

“Yeah. And do you still remember the first time we met?” Lesser Half asked. “I can only protect you for so long against the Red God or any other enemies of the same rank for so long. In Moon territory, you can expect my intervention to last for at most thirty seconds, before I am forced out.”

“So thirty seconds to flee, huh?”

“Let’s hope the future you saw in your Second Tutorial never comes to pass, whatever it is.” Lesser Half rippled once. “Do keep in contact.”

“We will,” Claud replied. “There’s a card, after all. You might be interested to learn about those Moonlit fellows too, like the Shadowed Ones. We’ll be happy to pick up a few babies…I’m told that there are still toddlers walking around in Istrel.”

“Really?” Lesser Half asked.

“You don’t really seem…like an actual enemy of the Moons when you say things like that,” Claud pondered out loud. “But I suppose I’ll die on the spot if you actually told me the reason behind all this.”

“Well…put simply, it’s the battle for the world. For me, personally, it’s a chance to experience what I’ve never experienced,” Lesser Half replied. “But…we aren’t really dead-set enemies. Yet.”

“Yet?” Lily tilted her head, asking the question Claud had in his mind.

“If I die, Greater Half will not forget. And if any of the Moons are killed…you get the picture. We have emotions too. What’s most important, however, is how the nature of our confrontation inevitably creates hatred between all sides. That’s how it is.”

A forlorn air filled the room, and Claud understood the implications behind these words. Abruptly, he understood why he had treated Lesser Half like a friend, and perhaps the other divinities too — like him, they were all being manipulated by the heavens above.

“…Is there no way of defying them?” Claud asked.

“It is an interesting thought,” Lesser Half replied. “But…there is more than just this. Many, many things hang in the balance. But let me not trouble you two with my words. These are not burdens that mortals should carry. Now, you two…I wish you a safe trip back home, and safety henceforth and forever.”

“Thank you.” Claud nodded at the two of them. “This is farewell, then.”

“Indeed,” Dust answered solemnly, and Lostfon nodded.

“Let’s meet together in better times, okay?” Lily asked.

As those words echoed around the throne room, the world around them began to fall apart.

“Yes,” Lesser Half’s voice echoed in the featureless world. “Let’s.”

The two of them reappeared outside Lostfon a moment later.