"I'll give it a try..."

Lea's fingertips emitted a pure white radiance, slowly flowing into the bronze gate. Faint patterns emerged on the gate, and with Lea’s steady breaths, a gentle hum softly echoed.

"That's amazing…"

Watching this unfold, Moen, who initially posed the question casually, couldn’t help but marvel.

"You can even crack mechanisms? As expected of Lea."

"No… I just read about this in a book… And I’m only trying. I’m not sure if I can succeed."

The white glow flickered slightly. Lea blushed faintly but quickly recomposed herself, fully focused on the seemingly impenetrable bronze gate in front of her.

The inscriptions etched on the gate were incredibly intricate. Although, as seen in the deciphered fragments earlier, those who left this gate behind did not wish for the remnants of their past civilization to be buried entirely in the sands of time.

However, they certainly wouldn’t want their legacy to be desecrated casually, either.

Thus, this gate was the first test.

The phrase inscribed, "Crisis and opportunity coexist," would remain nothing more than an empty warning for those can't open it.

The unqualified simply can't seize opportunity.

But…

As the decoding process continued, Lea's eyes grew increasingly luminous.

Her delicate forehead was covered in a faint sheen of sweat, yet her fingers danced lightly and deftly across the marks.

The pure white light seeped into the patterns on the gate, expanding steadily along the complex lines. The knowledge she had tirelessly accumulated over the years coalesced into precise guidance. Even when she momentarily faltered, she promptly found her way back.

It was like solving interconnected riddles—every breakthrough, every confirmation, filled her heart with exuberance.

Finally…

*Clack.*

With a crisp click, ancient dust, undisturbed for ages, filled the air. The bronze gate rumbled open, revealing a deep and impenetrable darkness beyond.

"I… I did it."

Lea froze momentarily, then snapped out of her trance and grasped Moen’s hand excitedly.

"Moen, look… I did it! I really did it!"

"Yes."

Moen nodded, his smile radiant like the morning sun.

"I saw it all. You did great. See, I told you—Lea is amazing."

"I…"

Lea tried to say something but seemed to realize her action of holding Moen’s hand might be overly intimate. She let go swiftly as if shocked, but Moen's grip remained firm. A rosy blush crept onto her adorable face as she murmured quietly,

"Th-thank you."

Her heart raced, though she couldn't tell if it was from the joy of her achievement or something else.

"So… are we heading in now?"

To dispel the strange feelings lingering in her chest, Lea turned her gaze toward the pitch-black passage beyond the bronze gate and changed the topic.

"It’s so dark in there…"

A peculiar force seemed to linger beyond the gate. Neither their senses nor the glow emitting from Moen’s palm could penetrate it. It was as though facing the abyss itself, a gaping maw that devoured all light and courage.

Yet, Lea felt a fleeting sense of relief.

The opening of this ancient gate meant they could finally escape their relentless pursuers.

No matter how terrifying or cunning those assassins were, there was no way they could track Lea and Moen once they ventured deep into the ruins.

And relics like these often had multiple exits. They might even find a way to leave the forest altogether.

As for the risk mentioned alongside the opportunity etched on the gate? Ancient ruins were always dangerous. That was an axiom everyone understood.

Still…

So long as she could feel the warmth on her wrist, Lea found the danger less daunting.

How strange—a feeling that had surfaced frequently of late. But what was it, exactly?

…Forget it. Complex questions could wait. She would delve into them once it was safer to do so.

"Moen?"

Just as Lea fortified her resolve to step forward, she noticed that the hand gripping her wrist hadn’t moved an inch.

"What's wrong?"

Lea turned back, confused.

"Why haven’t you moved? If those people catch up, we’ll be in serious trouble."

"…"

Moen remained silent, the glow in his hand flickering faintly, casting fleeting light across his contemplative expression.

He scrutinized the darkness beyond the gate, his brow furrowing and relaxing intermittently. Suddenly, his gaze swept to their rear as he murmured silent calculations under his breath.

After a long moment, Moen finally turned back.

He shut his eyes briefly, reopened them, and with a hint of solemnity, his gaze took on a resolute firmness akin to solid stone.

"Forget it," he said.

"We’re not going in."

"Huh?"

Lea was stunned.

"Why not?"

"Because it's not the best choice."

"Not… the best choice?"

Lea was even more perplexed.

"But—"

"I know what you’re thinking," Moen interrupted her.

"Stepping inside would undoubtedly allow us to escape pursuit, extricate ourselves from this crisis, and perhaps even find another exit from the relic to leave the forest."

"But all of that hinges on one issue."

"What… what issue?"

"Time."

Moen's tone was heavy.

"The relics are unknown. We have no idea how long it would take to navigate through this one. Judging by the complexity of the gate’s puzzle you just solved, it won’t be a short journey."

"That’s only to be expected. Exploring and completing a relic can take months, sometimes more. But compared to the danger of those people chasing us, a few months is—"

Lea’s brows furrowed slightly as she gazed at Moen in bewilderment.

Could it be… could it be… this guy doesn’t want to spend months stuck together with me?

With that thought, Lea puffed up her cheeks indignantly.

A few days was fine, but months were intolerable?

If you dare say that, I’ll… I’ll bite you!

"…Sigh. Time isn’t the issue."

Yet Moen didn’t voice such a thought. Instead, he sighed, his gaze carrying a trace of helplessness as he looked at her.

"Lea, aren’t you forgetting something?"

"Forgetting… something?"

Lea tilted her head in confusion.

"Don’t tell me…"

Moen paused before voicing his answer deliberately,

"The… Holy… Anointing… Ceremony."

"…"

An oppressive silence fell. Lea's heart sank with a heavy thud, momentarily stopping.

Of course.

How could she have forgotten?

The most critical purpose of their journey—the festival that would determine the next Saintess.

The Holy Anointing Ceremony.

Yes.

Choosing to proceed through this gate almost assuredly meant missing it altogether.

Saintess candidates were not few in number, and the ceremony wouldn’t wait for her.

Failing to attend would unequivocally mean failure—a complete failure.

Her decade-long preparation and relentless effort toward that goal would all turn to dust.

But…

But…

Lea looked once more at the darkness beyond the gate, then turned to the distant horizon beyond Moen’s figure.

Lowering her gaze, she replayed the chaotic scenes of their prior battles in her mind—the memories of those ruthless killers and the injuries Moen bore, though he never mentioned them.

She thought long and hard, over and over until the mist-like uncertainty in her eyes gradually lifted, revealing clarity.

Finally, she raised her head, meeting Moen’s gaze. Her eyes were steady, though dim, her expression resolute.

"It’s fine," she said softly.

"As long as we can escape safely…"

"Giving this up isn’t a big deal. It’s really not a big deal at all…"

"…Is that so?"

Moen stared into her eyes, sighing silently once more.

What do you mean, ‘it’s not a big deal’?

If you truly believed that, why would your entire body tremble with every word you spoke?

"But I do think it’s a big deal."

"Huh?"

"I said—I think it matters to me."

Moen’s tone was unwaveringly serious.

"Because of the mess an old lolicon dragged me into, I need to get to the Holy City as quickly as possible. I absolutely cannot afford to lose months!"

"Is… is that so?"

Lea widened her eyes, searching Moen’s face for any trace of a lie.

But the flickering light concealed it all.

"Also, I already told you," Moen said suddenly.

"What?"

"I promised I’d escort you to the Holy City successfully. If the timeline stretches into months, how could that be called a promise?”

"But… but…"

"No buts. And besides…"

Moen added in a teasing tone,

"I’ve placed a huge bet on you, Lea. If you’re secretly some high-status Saintess candidate, I’d win big. But if you can’t even attend the Anointing Ceremony, my dreams go down the drain. Gamblers risk everything for their bets, don’t they?"

"…"

Lea’s heart wavered once again. Peering into Moen’s face illuminated by the faint light, she examined his expression cautiously.

Did he… realize my identity?

No, that was impossible. Her identity, even within the church, was a top-secret matter.

Even as the son of a duke, Moen couldn’t have any means of knowing.

So that must mean… the reason he said all this was still because…

"Idiot," the girl whispered.

"Someone like me could never be a Saintess."

"I think Lea is very suitable—cute, kind-hearted, and so knowledgeable. If the saintess could be appointed directly by me, I’d immediately choose Lea." Moen said with a smile.

"…"

A faint halo of holy light quietly escaped from the girl, whose emotions were wavering, ultimately merging with the light in Moen’s palm. The surrounding area became particularly illuminated, and Lea’s eyes regained their brilliance.

Unparalleled brilliance.

Moen glanced at her with a hint of confusion but paid it no further attention. He said, "Alright, close the door again. Sorry to trouble you for opening it earlier."

"…Alright."

Lea reached out her hand.

However, just as her fingertips were about to touch the door, she hesitated again and asked,

"Is it really okay? I mean, leaving aside everything else, the things in an ancient relic—even if you’re the son of a duke…"

"Indeed, even as the son of a duke, I’d still be tempted by the treasures in an ancient ruin."

After all, those are the remnants left behind by a civilization at its end. Who wouldn’t feel a surge of desire for them?

But…

Moen sighed lightly and said, "Unfortunately, I’m not the protagonist."

"Huh? Protagonist?" Lea tilted her head slightly, puzzled by what Moen meant.

But Moen didn’t explain. Instead, with an inexplicable sense of ease as if shrugging off some unseen burden, he watched the door gradually close.

That’s right.

He wasn’t the protagonist.

He was merely the blond-haired villain in this story, after all.

So opportunities meant to descend upon the protagonist are best left to the protagonist.

As for himself…

Moen raised the hand that was still holding Lea’s wrist and smiled.

"I only need to seize the things in front of me that I can actually hold on to."