Show Me Your Stats!-Chapter 186

There wasn’t even a shred of hesitation in Ayra’s mind about leaving any potential loose ends behind. Teon absolutely had to disappear from Solar for good.

Hera motioned toward two skinheaded men loitering nearby. She whispered something to them, and they nodded. With curses on their tongues, they slipped into the crowd of estate citizens trailing after Teon.

After taking care of Teon, Ayra turned and smiled at the people of the estate. Excitement still lingered on their faces, not yet fully settled.

"Since we’ve had such an unpleasant disturbance, how about we purify the day’s misfortune by offering prayers at the temple?"

She looked at Act and added, "That is, if the High Priest has no objection." Her gaze was one of unspoken insistence: it was time for him to speak up and act.

Act met her gaze for a long moment before finally turning away to look at the temple. His eyes briefly swept across the broken front gate, then the gathered citizens. At last, he gestured to the priests who had been loitering awkwardly nearby.

"Open the temple and prepare for a prayer service."

"Yes, High Priest!"

Only then, visibly relieved, did the priests begin moving quickly.

As Act was about to enter the temple, a thin voice called out, "High Priest..."—it was Teon’s close aides, who had been dragged out with him.

"W-what should we do now?"

Their pitiful faces were full of hope that somehow the temple—or more precisely, Act—might take them in. Act gave them a cold stare, then spoke in a voice like a sheet of ice.

"What, do you still think there’s a place for you in the temple?"

"H-High Priest... High Priest, please..."

The priests called out to him desperately, but Act didn’t even glance back. Judging by his attitude, they were clearly the ones who had run wild in the temple alongside Teon.

To demonstrate unity between the Lord’s Castle and the temple, Ayra [N O V E L I G H T] attended Act’s prayer service. As the estate citizens prayed, they kept glancing between the High Priest and their Lord. The older ones sensed that unlike in the previous lord’s time, the Solar family and the temple had entered a path of reconciliation. The younger ones, thrilled by the satisfaction of having personally purged the temple’s corruption, looked up at the two with admiration.

Once the midnight prayer ended, Act invited Ayra to join him for tea. Ayra nodded without hesitation. This time, instead of the guest chamber, Act led her to his private office. It was clean—so clean it bordered on obsessive. He brought out the same scentless safflower tea from before and got straight to the point.

"What do you want from me? You clearly had a reason for helping me."

Even though she’d saved his life from a lynching, not a hint of a smile appeared on Act’s face. Of course, he wasn’t wrong. If they checked their current Favorability, both Ayra and Act would still be sitting in the negatives. Ayra hadn’t saved him out of kindness.

Still, the complete lack of a thank-you irritated her slightly, and she clicked her tongue internally. Just then, Act sighed quietly. Pressing a hand to his forehead as if a headache were coming on, he finally spoke in a gentler tone.

"...First, allow me to thank you for saving my life."

"Well, sure..."

He said it like he was reciting someone else’s story, but at least he understood the manners of offering thanks. Ayra took a ceremonial sip of the flavorless, honey-water-like tea before speaking.

"Let’s not beat around the bush—we both know where we stand. I need the temple’s cooperation."

"What kind of cooperation, exactly?"

"A long-term, consistent, and friendly alliance. At the very least, I’ll need you to not obstruct me if I try to evacuate the citizens."

Act said nothing. He simply stared down at the ripples in his teacup. His expression was unreadable.

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"Shall I be honest? I don’t believe in your god."

At that, Act finally looked up. His eyes were a cold, icy blue, like they’d been carved from a glacier. There had been no change in them—not when facing his own death, nor when watching his traitorous uncle fall, and not even now.

"You’d find it strange if I claimed to worship the gods, wouldn’t you? I grew up in a labyrinth since childhood—I never had a chance to learn Morunka’s doctrines."

"I see. A heretic, then."

Unlike Teon, there was no emotion in Act’s voice when he said "heretic." Though he showed no outward reaction, it was clear he was listening to Ayra’s words more closely than ever.

"Even so, I intend to respect your god. Solar is god’s land, isn’t it? The Church of Morunka is inseparable from this estate."

"..."

"Ever since arriving here, I’ve made time—despite everything—to study the Church of Morunka. It’s the only way I can truly understand this land’s people."

Act’s eyes wavered slightly. He was clearly recalling the doctrinal debate he’d once had with Ayra. The depth of knowledge Ayra had shown that time couldn’t have come from shallow reading. It was evidence of true, in-depth study.

"If you agree to cooperate, I’ll guarantee you this much: I will respect your god. In time, the Church’s headquarters won’t be in Sobletz anymore—but in Solar. More people will come to worship, praise, and love your god."

Act said nothing for a long while. He didn’t look tempted. Rather, something far more desperate slowly surfaced on his face. Ayra realized: the moment she’d been waiting for had finally arrived.

"...There is one condition."

"What is it?"

Even after starting to speak, Act hesitated. Whatever it was, it clearly involved someone deeply precious to him. At last, he revealed the vulnerability he had never shown before.

"My mother and younger sister... went missing while living in Bolni. Even when I hired mercenaries, I found no trace of them. Would it be possible, with your magic... to try and locate them?"

Act had opened up about his mother and sister. Holding back her joy, Ayra pulled parchment and a quill from her subspace.

"That won’t be difficult. Search magic is one of my specialties—I'll take a look. So, what do they look like?"

"My mother’s name is Attera la Teanu, and my sister is named Garotta. My mother had silver hair and blue eyes..."

Act reached inside his robe and carefully retrieved an old locket. His hands were delicate as he handled it. With a soft click, he opened it to reveal a tiny portrait of a woman—her face bore a strong resemblance to his.

"This is my mother. I’ve never seen my sister’s face... but since they went missing together, I assume they’re still together."

Ayra felt a twinge of sympathy. It must have been agonizing not knowing whether his beloved family was alive or dead. The fact that he was now asking help from a mage—someone he had always treated like a heretic—made it clear how desperate he truly was. If Ayra weren’t Solar’s lord, she would’ve already revealed their location.

But as a lord, sometimes one had to do unpleasant things.

"You resemble your mother quite a bit."

Ayra offered a friendly comment while examining the locket’s portrait, and Act’s frosty demeanor softened noticeably. Ayra made sure not to touch the precious keepsake herself—instead, she floated it closer with magic. After a long look, she furrowed her brows and let out a quiet "hmm..."

"Is something wrong?"

Act’s voice was suddenly sharp with anxiety.

Ayra continued staring intently at the portrait, tilting her head slightly with a puzzled expression.

"Strange... this face feels very familiar."

Act’s eyes widened. He bit his lip and asked urgently,

"A familiar face? Where—where did you see it?"

Ayra studied the image again, then closed her eyes, pretending to search her memory deeply. When she opened her mouth again, her voice was serious.

"Some time ago, I visited a forest near Bolni to conduct research on beasts. There, I encountered a mother and daughter. Their robes were tattered, but the clothing beneath was of fine quality. I thought it strange, seeing such well-dressed women gathering firewood in the dead of winter. The older woman’s face... resembles this portrait greatly."

Hearing that his family had been seen collecting firewood in such cold moved Act deeply. Clenching his fists, he focused intently on Ayra’s every word.

"Both of them had silver hair, so I assumed they were from Solar. They told me they had lived in Bolni but ended up in the forest after an earthquake."

Act, who had been searching desperately for his family for so long, showed visible emotion for the first time.

"Which forest? Do you remember the location?"

"I was worried they were living in such a dangerous forest full of beasts, so I took them to a village in Solar. Now that I think about it... they looked a lot like you."

Act’s chest swelled with hope. Closing his eyes, he swallowed dryly. Unable to hide his trembling gaze and collapsing expression, he finally asked in a voice filled with desperation:

"If you would please tell me the name of that village... I swear before the god, I will spend the rest of my life repaying this debt."