Moving his frail body as though he were moving mountains with his fingertips…
Despising excessive thought and loving peaceful sleep…
He created and perfected the strongest defensive techniques solely to sleep for long periods without anyone harming him…
The embodiment of sloth, and the seed that stored more mana than any other Virtue.
Even I, who bestowed the Path of Sloth upon him, found myself losing the desire to do anything whenever I was around him.
Unlike his Path, he had lived like a slave before ascending to the rank of Virtues…
Yet every time one of his sudden bursts of activity occurred, a great catastrophe would strike somewhere, randomly, regardless of whether it was on our side or our enemies.
"I want to sleep forever!!"
Those were the words he uttered after I promised to grant his wish…
So he became our Sloth and granted him his desire.
"How am I supposed to sleep now after you leave and abandon me with those five idiots?!"
Those were his final words before we parted…
I wonder…
Who desired eternal sleep more?
His sloth…
Or my despair?
...…
One of the most important and strange facts revealed during the Central Church meeting was that the target named Telodeos, who the Sacred Central Intelligence suspected of being one of the parties involved in the destruction of the Saint Empire, was the current heir to the Dryad Throne.
The uproar and panic caused by this revelation made Pope Atlas lose his composure for the first time in a very long while, directing his anger toward all the commanders and elders inside the conference hall.
Agram stepped in, mediating between Pope Atlas IV and those present.
"I know what all of you are thinking, but we have no intention of making the superior Dryad race our enemy for now. Their good reputation has been passed down through legends, and we suspect that they are under the protection of the Great Dragon Clan, hidden from the eyes of the world. They, too, possess pseudo-superiors - Half-Virtues at least two, just like the Dryad Clan."
Most rulers and leaders of the world were unaware of this information, but the Church had obtained it through the sacrifice of dozens of talents and decades of effort.
Naturally, even after learning such vital information, those present did not calm down. Their tension only deepened.
The meeting continued with debates and exchanges of opinions for ten hours before Pope Atlas IV finally concluded this year's gathering.
Telodeos was officially designated as the primary suspect in the destruction of the Saint Empire and classified as an ultra-secret target within the Great Virtue leadership until the suspicions against him could be confirmed and a final decision reached in the next assembly.
...…
"Your Holiness…"
Agram, who had stood with dignity and firmness during the meeting, lost his composure after everyone left except Pope Atlas IV.
It was as though he stood on the verge of doing something that threatened not only his life, but the reputation of the Central Church itself.
"My dear advisor Agram, I have already made my decision. I will not break my word now."
"But Your Holiness, we have already confirmed that Dryad Heir Telodeos was the one who destroyed the Holy Empire. Furthermore, he is a great Half-Virtue whose strength surpasses even that of the current Ruler, his mother. Even his Sword Intent rivals the majesty and tyranny of the Sword Saint's own…"
"That is precisely why I gave you enough time to find the next Saintess. Make him our ally, and if he refuses…"
The Pope's eyes darkened.
"We shall use the remaining ancient relic just as we did with the pitiful Ice Empress!"
"But Your Holiness! We do not even know which Path he has chosen, especially considering he uses both swordsmanship and magic, and he has yet to reach twenty years of age…"
Pope Atlas IV rose from his luxurious chair and walked toward the hall's exit.
"Enough! Remember well that everything we do… is for our Great Virtue!"
And with that, he left.
Agram, wearing a face of despair, found himself facing the greatest dilemma of his life.
For the first time, he realized that his strategies and plans would be useless against such absolute power.
"Yes… everything for our Great Virtue…"
And he too departed.
...
Now, back to the present…
Telodeos was heading toward another chapter of his story, one yet unwritten.
Flying through the skies, a smile split his face while his eyes burned with fury.
Hundreds of meters behind him, Kugssa, Maria, and Junia chased after him at the limits of their strength.
"The Lake Reflecting Moonlight, huh… Where am I supposed to find it when the sun is already high in the sky?"
I should have headed directly toward the Tower of Thorns, but I felt that if I did not visit this lake first, I would lose something far more important than revenge.
Slowly, I scanned every inch beneath me.
As time passed, I gradually lost interest in searching, while the desire for vengeance I had suppressed for years began to awaken.
Then, from afar, I noticed a gleam beside a massive mountain.
Slowing down, I approached the source of that light which shone even under the midday sun.
"This energy…"
I sensed overwhelming spiritual power, growing stronger the closer I got.
For a moment, I thought Sayru had deceived me and was the one emitting that spiritual pressure.
My suspicion was not baseless.
Because, unfortunately, despite the many powerful beings in this world, their souls were strangely fragile.
Only Sayru possessed such tyrannical spiritual power.
Perhaps my master, who had traveled through countless worlds and honed his soul, was different...
But even he was not this overwhelming.
Soon, I arrived before a vast, crystal-clear lake whose surface sparkled with mesmerizing lights, even under broad daylight.
At last, I understood what Sayru had meant by seeking the Lake Reflecting Moonlight during the day instead of the night.
I bent down and took a sip.
It was no different from ordinary water…
Except for its sweet taste, as though honey had been mixed into it.
Eventually, I wandered around the lake in search of that spiritual pressure.
I tried floating above the water to inspect its center…
But failed.
It was as though the lake itself was another world entirely, governed by laws that rejected mana regardless of its form or type.
It even rejected supernatural phenomena, including the authority of the Path "Levitation", which I had acquired five years ago.
Thus, I had no choice but to reach the center by swimming.
First, I dived to the bottom, hoping to uncover the source of the strange lights.
Yet the lakebed was nothing but bare stone.
No grass.
No life.
Nothing.
I continued toward the center…
Until I heard laughter.
A baby's laughter.
Reaching the source, I found a wooden capsule no larger than a head.
Inside it...
Was an infant.
The source of that cheerful laughter.
Confused, I touched it...
And instantly felt terrifying spiritual power.
An overwhelming spiritual force froze me in place with its sheer magnitude.
Yet strangely…
It was not hostile.
Instead, it harmonized with my soul in a way I could never describe.
When that raging energy finally calmed, I unconsciously lifted the infant into my arms and headed out of the lake.
"A girl…"
The moment I emerged and turned around...
The lake had disappeared.
All that remained was a giant crater, dry and ancient, as though no lake had existed there moments earlier.
Amid the strange delight born from witnessing such absurdity for the first time in ages…
The infant grabbed the collar of my worn-out robe and opened her golden eyes.
She looked at me with an innocent smile...
Empty of everything.
And before I realized it…
I was crying.
Unable to stop the tears flowing from my dead, empty eyes.
At that very moment, my disciples and Junia arrived...
At the worst possible timing.
"Hic… ah…"
When was the last time I cried so uncontrollably?
Was it when Father died?
Or when I felt that suffocating peace after destroying that ignorant little girl's country?
I wasn't sure.
The only thing I knew for certain…
Was that these tears stemmed from an unbearable guilt toward this infant I had only met today.
Why did I feel such guilt?
And why toward this child in particular?
Once again…
I did not know.
"Master… are you alright?"
"Hic… don't come closer… ah…"
My tears continued to fall for hours while I held the infant in my arms.
Until she fell asleep.
As though…
I had never possessed emotions until this very day.