A single dragon walked through the snowfield.

As promised, Jessica became a mount on the way back instead of Marion.

「I couldn’t do it the last time, but I’m participating this time! Alright, bring out the cards!」

Marion was in high spirits.

Iris had no objections. She only learned the rules recently and haven’t played enough.

「Fine, come at me」

「Let’s start with Old Maid!」

Having said so, Marion shuffled the cards.

「Eh……Old Maid, huh…….how about something else……?」

Sheryl was on the verge of crying.

After all, Sheryl is a person who wears her emotions on her face.

Her personality was extremely unsuitable for Old Maid.

「Sorry  Sheryl…..however…..I’ve always wanted to play it since the time you started playing it on my back!」

「I-If you say so…..please be gentle…..」

「I won’t hold back. It a serious match!」

And so it begins.

The last place fell into Sheryl’s lap once again….or so it should’ve been.

There was one more person who wore emotions on his face.

The initiator, Marion.

「Yay! It’s my first time winning in Old Maid!」

Sheryl rejoiced with the biggest smile possible.

Although 『victory』 for her didn’t mean obtaining the first place but not obtaining the last place.

Even so, she felt like the biggest winner.

「Gununu…..I thought I could win against Sheryl!」

「Fufu. Marion has always been rather weak at Old Maid. Was there ever a time where you actually won?」

「You don’t have to tell them that! Even I won before……about three times!」

Marion screamed.

However, Marion should be fifteen years old.

Even so, she only won three times in fifteen years……

「By the way. Marion. Did you claim first place those three times or simply didn’t lose?」

「…..Latter」

Marion answered in a whisper to Iris’ question.

Sheryl’s eyes sparkled as she clasped Marion’s hands and brought her face closer.

「I have a sudden feeling of camaraderie with you! Let get along even better than before!」

「Y-Yeah….」

「So let’s go for another round!」

Does she think she’s on the winning streak?

Sheryl intended to stage a comeback.

Unfortunately, the last place was obtained by none other than her once again.

「I-Impossible…..」

「Fufu….I’m starting to feel that camaraderie you were talking about」

「O-One more!」

「You are asking for it!」

A battle that could only happen between the two of them.

As if wanting to prove something, the two launched an all-out war on each other.

Even when Iris and Eclipse got bored, the two continued on their own.

「Hey, let’s forget about those two and play something else~」

While idling, Eclipse put her head on Iris’ lap and spoke somewhat annoyed.

「Might as well…..the two finally discovered a worthy rival for themselves……I feel bad getting in their way, so let’s ignore them」

Muttered Iris as she rested her head on Punigami.

「Mu. You are my pillow so you can’t move~」

「Can’t you use Punigami too?」

「I don’t feel like it today~」

Having said so, she climbed on Iris.

However, she wasn’t heavy at all.

She was nothing but adorable.

「What a beautiful sisterly love. This Mistress doesn’t have a sister and a bit jealous of you. This Mistress shall grant this duty to Katie」

「Eh, me!?」

Hearing something unexpected, Katie dropped her glasses.

She poked her cheeks in an embarrassing matter before saying 「e-excuse me」 in a mosquito-like voice and dropping her head on Muriel’s lap.

「Umu. This is a comfortable weight. This Mistress shall pat your head」

「A lap pillow from a goddess……wawawa what an honor……!」

As a member of the Great Temple of Divine Will, Katie had a great deal of heartfelt respect for the gods.

Being patted by Muriel was enough to send her heart racing.

「This Mistress only recovered her power because you pointed us in the right direction. Don’t hold back. By the way, Katie. How would the Great Temple of Divine Will treat this case? Would they acknowledge Gashe as an evil god?」

「…..Who knows. Gashe-sama didn’t harm any human beings directly, only sealed Muriel-sama’s power. In other words, it was a matter between two gods. There were no casualties, so he probably won’t be recognized as one. Well, his evaluation is bound to drop a few degrees」

「I see. That Gashe, even though he finally made it all the way up, his reputation will be in tatters down here」

Muriel sighed as she looked up at the sky.

「Punipunipuni」

「That act helped him to ascend though, perhaps it was fated to be……or so he says」

「Ah, I see. Punigami is an intelligent slime. Still, why did he want to ascend so badly? It’s quite an achievement but This Mistress thought she knew Gashe better than that. This Mistress doesn’t remember forming any grudges. Was there a reason to sacrifice me for power?」

Muriel didn’t feel hatred towards Gashe even now.

Iris even though she felt nothing about it.

However, that might’ve been her putting up a strong front.

「Muriel……come here to be spoiled~」

「Can’t help it, I’ll do it too」

「Puni」

「M-Me too……!」

「No ja……you can’t do that all of a sudden…..it tickles」

Muriel wiggled to resist the tickling.

After all Iris, Eclipse, and Katie went all out patting her head while Punigami touched her neck since there was no space on her head for more patting. Which was quite ticklish.

「Oh my….what are you doing on my back? I want in」

Jessica said the same thing as Marion.

As expected of her relative.

「I’ll let you later. Just walk straight for now, Jessica-san」

「It’s a promise」

「Are we doing this again!? It’s too embarrassing」

「But I feel bad for leaving only Jessica-san out. You can do that sneakily when no one’s looking if you’re so embarrassed……」

「Ara. It sounds like we are about to do some bad things. Fufu……」

「Hey, Iris. Don’t give her the unnecessary ideas!」

「Sorry…..」

Iris apologized, but, in the end, it was nothing more than patting. It wasn’t particularly shady.

「No ja…..This Mistress is a Guardian Deity. And Jessica is one of the residents of Silverlight Barony despite being a dragon. Which means, I can’t ignore her wishes. You are free to pat This Mistress later!」

Muriel said with a lot of determination.

「Ufufu, I look forward to it」

Jessica introduced some dancing steps into her walking.

And when a dragon does that, things start to shake.

As well as those riding it.

The shockwave assaulted everyone’s rears.

Everyone clung to Punigami in a panic to lessen the shock.

「Punini」

In a matter of shock absorption, Punigami was the undisputed number one in Silverlight Barony, this much of an impact was nothing to him.

「Don’t suddenly go on a rampage, mother. I’ve almost won against Sheryl!」

「No no. It’s me who was winning….that being said, please stop skipping!」

With their match interrupted, Marion and Sheryl joined the others on Punigami.

From Iris’ standpoint, their match couldn’t have been more irrelevant, but the two were serious about it.

「Ara, sorry. Muriel-chan is so cute and I couldn’t help myself…..ah, I want to adopt her~」

「Stop! I alone am enough! I’m your only daughter!」

「Mmm, Marion is such a spoiled child. You would always be my cutest」

「T-That’s not what I’m talking about!」

Being told as such, Marion turned red as an apple.

No matter how you put it, Marion is definitely Jessica’s favorite.

That being said, Iris could only imagine her feelings since she was born in a capsule.

However, Iris at least has a father.

He is the Great Demon King with an uninspiring expression, good-looking face, and splendid horns.

What is he doing right now? Iris remembered her relatives and hometown first time in a while.

At that moment.

A sudden lightning bolt came down from the clear sky.

And it wasn’t a normal one.

It headed straight for Jessica.

Even before landing, it emitted dense magical power from it.

In other words, it was an offensive spell.

「「…….!」」

Iris and Eclipse simultaneously reacted and wrapped Jessica in a magical barrier.

Their field of view was full of blinding light.

Accompanied by a tremendous boom.

「Iris, this is……」

「Yes, it’s not your average lightning. Not an average offensive spell either. It took too much effort to block!」

Yes.

This lightning bolt packed quite the punch.

Strong enough to fry Jessica if it could land a hit.

What kind of being could possibly release that lightning bolt?

Why did it target Jessica?

Everyone looked up.

They saw a single man in his thirties standing there.

He had a long cane with a gold orb on its tip.

Tremendous magical power radiated in the air.

Mostly from the man himself than his cane.

「….Gashe!?」

Muriel screamed as she stared at the man.

Gashe.

Roshe’s father, previous Guardian Deity of Cunningham Viscounty, the god who should’ve ascended to Heaven long ago as well as the reason behind Muriel’s seal.

「Muriel, it’s been a while. I’ve always wanted to see you again. If only you could stay powerless. You just had to tell an inquisitor about my deeds. Aren’t you simply forcing my hand? 」

The orb released a bright light.

Followed by another lightning strike.

This time they saw it coming and had no trouble conjuring a barrier.

That said, they couldn’t keep this up forever as their magical power wasn’t limitless. ¹

Gashe might run out of magical power first, but Iris wasn’t a fan of battles of attrition.

Too much of a hassle.

「Gashe-sama! Why are you doing this!? You are covering your face in mud!」

Katie screamed in resolution.

Gashe answered her with a snort.

「Yeah, something like that. My reputation will fall to the ground. That became an inevitability once you discovered that I used radiant magic stones to fuel my power. Fortunately……only you know about it. As such, disappear. None of this shall make it to the Great Temple of Divine Will’s archives. Am I correct?」

「Gashe……are you trying to erase This Mistress for your own fame!?」

「Please reconsider, Gashe-sama! You’ll become an evil god if you kill us!」

「I’m killing you precisely because I don’t want to be recognized as one!」

A sea of lightning emerged from the orb falling downwards intending to burn everything.

However, Gashe picked a fight with a wrong opponent.

Only Muriel and Katie caught his eyes.

Even though Silverlight Barony had two more Pillars supporting it.

「Eclipse. He’s all yours」

「I know, big sis Iris」

No matter how adorable she looked, no matter how gentle her personality was, no matter how much she loved chocolate.

Her body housed the power of a biological weapon.

In other words, the power of Eclipse.²

A wave of magical power spread from her body turning the day into night.

Complete darkness void of even the moonlight.

「What!? My lightning was destroyed!?」 ³

Gashe was apparently more concerned with his magic than natural abnormalities.

This was the true purpose of Eclipse’s ability.

As long as you stay in the darkness, your magic would be disassembled and absorbed by Eclipse.

Both, the barrier and offensive magic disappeared in a moment.

A cheat that allows Eclipse to power up the moment her enemy tries something.

The moment it’s used the fight becomes a pointless struggle.

However, this ability has a number of drawbacks.

First, Eclipse can only disperse the magic power outside the body.

Eclipse has to have direct physical contact in order to absorb the magical power within.

Second, her absorption capacity isn’t limitless.

On most occasions, this limit doesn’t count as a weakness.

It was only discovered due to Iris’ absurd amount of magical power.

Presently, even Gashe’s divine lightning couldn’t resist disappearing.

Thus, Gashe couldn’t overcome her ability and had no choice but to retreat.

However, Iris had no intention of giving him enough time to think about something like『retreat』.

「With projectiles dispersed, nothing stands in my way now」

Iris unleashed her black wings and appeared behind Gashe.

「Wha….!?」

The moment Gashe tried to turn around it was already too late.

The power difference was too great.

Apparently, Iris’s magical power was stronger than that of a god from Heaven.

On top of that, Gashe was in a state of panic due to Eclipse while Iris stayed calm since the beginning.

A right straight full of magical power heavily collided with Gashe’s cheek.⁴

Just in case, she held back.

So he won’t die.

He only fainted with his eyes rolled back.

「He’s falling our way!」

The unconscious Gashe rammed into Jessica’s back to his own misfortune.

He might’ve been able to wake up and escape had this been a snowfield.

「Now to suck up all the magical power」

Eclipse touched Gashe’s shoulder.

Upon contact, his magical power began flowing from him to Eclipse.

「Goeeeee!」

He immediately woke up from the suffering of his magical power being drained before fainting again from magical power exhaustion.

「……It ended as suddenly as it begun」

Spoke Muriel as she poked Gashe with her finger.

「Well, that’s what happens when you pick a fight with Iris and Eclipse」

「Fufufu……as expected of Eclipse-sama and Iris-chan!」

Said Marion and Sheryl with a smug face as if they contributed to their victory.

「I’ve had the opportunity to witness a battle between the gods! I have to properly record it once I go back to the headquarters…….!」

Katie was excited to the point of nearly dribbling saliva as she fixed her glasses.

「What a miracle……the dragons escaped without fighting….. Guardian Deity Iris……her power is beyond imagination……」

The viscount said as he admired the dragons’ retreating figures.

Of course, it was the power of friendship that sent them away, but no one bothered correcting the misunderstanding.

「Well then. Let’s break some pots. Suspicious pots only」

Muriel took the initiative in entering the mansion.

「Let’s see. Which pot should This Mistress break?」

「Ah, Muriel-sama, there is no need to be hasty! This floor is full of expensive articles……the pot received from Gashe-sama is in the basement!」

The viscount rushed inside in a panic.

Iris and the rest chased after him.

Then everyone together descended into the basement.

The viscount tried lighting up a candle, but, since Iris created a magical light, his efforts went nowhere.

「Oh, Iris-sama can even create light on top of repelling the dragons……」

The viscount completely became one of Iris’ believers.

「Hey there, Viscount. Even I can create some light, you know?」

「This Mistress too. As long as This Mistress restores her power」

The two Guardian Deities retorted.

「I can do that too, even while being a human…..」

Katie hesitantly added.

The viscount noticed his blunder and spent the rest of the journey in silence.

A gray basement waited for them at their destination.

It had the appearance of a storage room with all kinds of bottles, barrels, and boxes arranged inside.

There was a locked door deep inside where the pot was kept, according to the viscount.

「I can feel the flow of magical power from that room even without my detection magic」

「I think so too~」

「Viscount, hurry up and open it!」

「U-Understood」

The viscount opened the door as he was told.

There was a small room inside.

It was only big enough for two humans to lie down.

A plain pot stood there.

It didn’t look like a valuable collectible at all.

There were no guards stationed near it either.

However, it was indeed a pot connecting Heaven with the world below.

「No jaa! Guardian Deity Punch! Guardian Deity Kick!」

With a furious roar, Muriel slammed the pot with her fist.

Following with a swift kick.

The pot broke in pieces without any suspense.

Apparently, its durability was on a level of ordinary porcelain.

「Ah, the flow of magical power disappeared~」

「True. How is the seal, Muriel?」

「Mumu……the power is welling up within. Let’s test it out!」

Having said so, Muriel jumped.

As a result, she smashed headfirst into the ceiling and fell down.

「Hey, Muriel. Did your two hundred years of stupidity come back together with your power?」

Said Roshe in exasperation.

「No ja……it doesn’t hurt as much as I thought. Great power flows within This Mistress’ body! Godly power, restored!」

Muriel twirled around in joy.

「I’m glad for you, Muriel-sama. As a member of Great Temple of Divine Will, I’m honored to be a part of this」

Spoke Katie with tears on her face.

Is Great Temple of Divine Will full of weirdos who are moved to tears looking at the sight of a goddess smashing into the ceiling?

Well, perhaps Katie is a special case.

「I’m happy for Muriel-sama too! This is the true birth of Three Pillars of Silverlight Barony! Amazing! Accept a prayer from me! Hyahhou!」

Sheryl took Katie’s hands as she danced while screaming.

「Hya-Hyahhou!?」

Katie followed the flow while lacking a complete understanding of the situation.

「My my. Come to think of it, Silverlight house has always been known for its unrestrained positivity. The lord and Guardian Deity are both oddballs. Are they related as a family?」

Roshe shrugged to the side.

Iris agreed with her opinion.

「You aren’t wrong」

「…..Iris. You are one of the pillars of Silverlight barony too」

「That’s true…..are you grouping us together!?」

「Considering your background, you are quite an oddball of a goddess yourself, don’t you think?」

Roshe grinned as she replied.

「Punini」

Punigami couldn’t help but agree.

Indeed, Iris is a demonic biological weapon of Great Demon King’s origin.

After a sudden twist, she became a Guardian Deity.

Rather strange development, if you think logically.

However, she refused to accept being lumped together with Muriel.

Not as a god but as a single individual.

「She’s family! Sis Iris is family too~」

「…..Eclipse. Do you even understand what you are saying?」

「I do. Everyone living in Silverlight Barony is a friend, right?」

She said with a smile.

A ridiculously adorable smile.

Being treated by Eclipse this way is a matter to be happy about.

「By the way. What are we going to do with this viscount?」

Muriel pointed at the small figure of the viscount the moment she finished her dance.

At that time, the viscount visibly trembled.

「Un…..the deeds of his ancestors are beyond forgiveness, but the current viscount is an unrelated party. How about we forget about it?」

Sheryl, who was furious just a little while ago, calmed down as time passed.

The tone of her voice turned mild once again.

However, a certain Guardian Deity voiced an objection.

「No. Knew the purpose of this pot all along. It’s the same as maintaining the seal. Didn’t you think that by restoring Muriel’s power you’ll put your precious apples in danger?」

「That….I mean…..」

Bullseye, the viscount couldn’t find the words to retort.

「Calm down. Isn’t it fine, Roshe? It took a while but This Mistress’ power is back. Iris revived the land while I was out of commission. Eclipse is adorable. Everything is great.」

「Is that so?…..If the lord and Guardian Deity say so, I have nothing to add. My father is at the root of this problem and I failed to notice that. And besides, were I a better Guardian Deity, the viscount wouldn’t have relied on that pot」

「Don’t beat up yourself. Let’s get along as neighbors. Both Gashe and his ancestors aren’t present anymore, let it slide!」

「…..Thanks, Muriel. I’m glad to have you as a friend」

「 No ja! Besties forever」

「……Besties, huh」

「Why are you grumpy all of a sudden!?」

Muriel screamed unexpectedly.

Iris and the rest laughed at the side when they saw that.

You could look at her antics forever.

Silverlight Barony of old must’ve been a wonderful place under her protection.

Of course, it’s fine as it is now, but with the addition of Muriel, it’s bound to become even better.

「Alright. The lord and Guardian Deity can’t be absent for too long. Let’s go back to the village!」

「Come out, come out」

Same as before, Muriel pounded on the door.

There were screams of the citizens coming from behind them, but Iris and the rest didn’t pay it any attention.

I apologize for scaring you but it’s harmless, so put up with it.

「Noisy. I have nothing to say to you!」

Viscount’s voice came from inside the mansion.

His voice was loud, but there was more fear than anger to it.

There must be something inside the mansion he doesn’t want anyone to see.

「Don’t say that and come out already. Do this and This Mistress shall stop. Otherwise, This Mistress will pound nonstop」

This proved convincing and the viscount showed his face as he opened the door ever so slightly.

In the next moment, his eyes opened wide in shock.

The viscount didn’t look and Muriel, or even Iris. His gaze was fixed behind them.

There were two large dragons in his garden. ⁵

「GYAOON」

The moment one of them noticed the viscount, it raised a scream on top of its lungs.

The dragon in question was Jessica.

As a matter of course, the other one was Marion.

Both of them are reasonable dragons, they won’t attack people and buildings out of nowhere.

However, the viscount, being an ignorant party, trembled in horror.

「W-W-Why are there dragons here!? I-I’m going to be eaten!」

「Who cares about that. Let us investigate your mansion」

「It’s the other way around! Roshe-sama! Please protect this city!」

The viscount kneeled and prayed to Roshe with his hands put together.

However, the Guardian Deity shook her head.

「Impossible. I can’t do that」

「W-Why!? Is a Guardian Deity weaker than a dragon!?」

「No, I’m stronger. No Guardian Deity will fall behind a dragon. In theory, that is」

「In theory…..?」

「Ah, right. When did you visit my church last time? Don’t remember anymore? A Guardian Deity draws his power from faith. Yet you neglected to pray despite being a lord. It took a dragon for you to start praying again. With you as their leader, the citizens lost their faith in me. That’s why I can’t win against a dragon」

Hearing Roshe’s words, viscount’s face alternated between blue and purple.

However, Roshe was lying.

The apple pie they were treated with in the church was truly delicious.

She has believers who make such delicious apple pies for her. There is no way they lost their faith in her.

But the viscount had no way to know.

As the lord, he lacked the understanding of his own people.

「T-Then what is going to happen to this city!?」

「Everyone will be eaten or incinerated, I guess」

Roshe coldly proclaimed.

「It can’t be, I beg you! It’s the land of my ancestors! I’ll pray daily from now on! I’ll do anything! Please drive the dragons away!」

I’ll do anything – that’s what she wanted to hear the most.

「If it’s me and big sis Iris we can do that~. Will you really do anything~?」

Eclipse said the rehearsed line.

The reason Iris chose Eclipse for this was that she was too nervous to say it herself.

「I-If it’s something I can do!」

「Then let us inside~」

「Also, if we find what we are after, you are going to tell us everything」

「R-Right now!? What about the dragons…..!?」

「Spill the beans. if you don’t hurry up the city is done for」

The moment Muriel threatened as such.

「「Gyaooon!」」

The dragons roared.

To Iris, this roar seemed rather dull, but to everyone else, it must’ve been a ferocious roar.

「Gyaaa, I’ll speak! I’ll tell you everything! E-Everything was according to the contract between my ancestors and Gashe-sama!」

The viscount readily confessed everything.

It was so easy, Iris found it underwhelming.

However, faced with a dragon in his garden, the viscount was desperate.

Exchanging a secret regarding his ancestors for his own like seemed like a nice deal.

「Contract? Tell me the terms. Or I’m so going to eat you. Gyaoon」

「Hiyaa, save me!」

Not only dragon, but even Muriel was frightening enough to him now.

「As the inquisitor mention, the city was in trouble because of the apples two hundred years ago! My ancestor pleaded with Gashe-sama……to destroy the apple production of the Silverlight Barony」

「What!?」

Sheryl, the current Baroness Silverlight, screamed with wide eyes.

「I’m sorry! It’s my ancestors’ doing! I’m innocent!」

「Relax, Sheryl. Let’s hear him out first」

「Muu……If iris-sama says so……」

Sheryl reluctantly agreed.

She had a hard time staying calm knowing the reason behind her own ancestors’ downfall.

Even though the criminal wasn’t this viscount but his predecessor.

「Come on, viscount. I’m very much interested in this contract between them and my father」

「Y-Yes……Gashe-sama said『If we seal Muriel’s power, the problem will solve itself』. However, sealing another god’s power is difficult even for another god. That’s why Gashe-sama tasked my ancestors with collecting radiant magic stones. As a tribute for sealing Muriel-sama’s power」

「Radiant magic stones!? Ah, I see. So that’s why father suddenly became so much stronger…..」

Said Roshe downhearted.

「What’s a magic stone?」

Eclipse asked, Iris too didn’t know.

But considering how Gashe explicitly told them to gather those, they didn’t seem to be ordinary pebbles.

It sounds pretty powerful going by its name.

「Radiant magic stone is a stone that naturally emits magical power. If you combine your own magical power with that of a radiant magic stone you would be able to cast powerful spells. However, it’s rather rare and precious, not many even know of its name」

「Mmm……Muriel is so knowledgeable」

「Fufu. This Mistress hasn’t been alive for three hundred years for nothing!」

Being praised by Iris, Muriel unreservedly bragged with her humble chest puffed out.

「The ancestors spent great sums of money to collect radiant magic stones across the world. After taking possession of the radiant magic stones, Gashe-sama amplified his own power……and sealed Muriel-sama’s.  Thanks to that, the Silverlight  Barony went out of business and the Cunningham Viscounty’s apple sales reached its previous values. The funds spend of purchasing radiant magic stones were made up in a short amount of time」

「…..And so father became a strong god thanks to the radiant magic stone doping and ascended to Heaven. After leaving the city to me」

「Yes…..such is the story passed down in our family」

The viscount sat on the ground and nodded listlessly.

A Guardian Deity sealing the power of another Guardian Deity.

Whether it’s humans, gods, or demons, they have all kinds of personalities, thought Iris.

「Then what about magical power coming from this mansion?」

「About that……two hundred years ago, Gashe-sama passed my ancestors a certain pot. This pot allows for Gashe-sama’s magical power to fuel the seal all the way from Heaven」

「So that’s the trick behind it……This Mistress is breaking this pot. Got a problem with that?」

「I understand….but please do something about those dragons first!」

The viscount glanced in the dragons’ direction before trembling all over.

Disregarding the viscount, they couldn’t keep people in the city frightened.

Since he confessed everything, Iris and the rest honored the deal and drove the dragons away.

「Fly outside the city, you two. Wait for us near the gates. In human form, as to not to scare the gatekeepers.」

「「Gyaoon」」

The dragons nodded and flew away.

The mansion of Viscount Cunningham was quite spectacular.

It was a two-story-high brick building with a pond in the garden.

Of course, there were guards stationed around the gate, but they immediately let the group pass the moment Roshe said 「Baroness Silverlight came to visit Viscount Cunningham」.

「Iris. Is the source of magical power really here?」

Roshe asked as they walked through the garden.

「There is no mistake. I can feel it even stronger here」

「Why does magical power flows from the mansion? Is the viscount a magician?」

「No, just a mediocre person that inherited the title. There is nothing magical about him. That being said…..I still can’t feel any magical power flowing Muriel’s direction」

「This Mistress doesn’t know either」

Roshe and Muriel observed the mansion with questioning eyes.

「Mm. I can easily feel it though」

『Why can’t you feel?』Eclipse wondered.

No one besides Eclipse and Iris could feel anything.

Forget about Punigami and Sheryl, even members familiar with magic like Marion, Jessica, and Katie couldn’t feel a thing.

「Punipuni」

「Charge inside? No, our opponent is a viscount. He is higher than a baron. Let’s follow the proper etiquette」

「Indeed. Let’s follow the etiquette and knock…….come out, come out!」

With a yell, Muriel pounded the door.

Did she come to pick a fight?

Her manners might be a little off the mark.

「Presumptious!」

A white-bearded man appeared from the mansion. About fifty years old, he boasted a magnificent beard.

He had an air of arrogance to him. He looked much closer to the image of nobility than Sheryl.

Recognizing this person as an actual Viscount, Iris hid behind Punigami.

「It’s been a while, Viscount. I’ve brought visitors」

「Oh…..Isn’t it Roshe-sama. You could’ve just said if you were coming…..」

He was about to throw a tantrum but his posture immediately deflated when he saw Roshe.

「I know it’s sudden. This blonde girl is Baroness Silverlight. This is Muriel the Guardian Deity」

「Pleasure to meet you, Viscount-dono. I’m Sheryl Silverlight」

「This Mistress is Muriel. This Mistress has been a Guardian Deity well before Roshe became one」

「My my. I’ve heard about the recent revitalization of Silverlight Barony……but I had no idea such a beautiful lady was its lord. I’ve also heard Muriel-sama went into hiding about two hundred years ago」

「This Mistress has been revived recently」

「Revived, is it? I don’t quite understand but you have my congratulations」

「Umu. This Mistress shall accept your sentiment. Be that as it may…..the culprit behind This Mistress’ sealing is located in this city」

「Culprit, huh」

The viscount’s cheek twitched.

Is it a coincidence? Or a subconscious response?

「Well, that’s rather disturbing, How come the criminal is in my city?」

「Umu, about that. You should ask this inquisitor」

「An inquisitor?! From the Great Temple of Divine Will?!」

Iris didn’t even bat an eye, but, as expected, the Great Temple of Divine Will had quite the reputation.

Hearing its name, the viscount stood there trembling.

「Correct. This glasses girl, Katie, is the inquisitor in question. She came to question Iris on the matter of evil gods while This Mistress was absent…….things happened and she decided to investigate This Mistress’ case. Right, Katie?」

「Ah, hello! I’ve checked with our archives. I’ve learned that the Cunningham Viscounty had its apple sales reduced because of the Silverlight Barony. However, Muriel-sama suddenly lost her power in a mysterious manner, the Silverlight Barony became a no man’s land, and the Cunningham Viscounty occupied the apple market once again」

「I see. Such an event has indeed happened. Although I wasn’t even born at that time, my ancestors must be relieved. Is that all? My ancestors must’ve been glad at Muriel-sama’s sudden plight but is that a sin?」

The viscount laughed as he approached Katie.

The inquisitor’s reasoning turned out to be much less substantial than he expected, which allowed him to act tough.

「N-No….I mean, yes. That’s the only thing I’ve managed to uncover. That’s the reason behind my suspicions but there is no proof」

「Is that so? You came all the way here without any proof?」

「No, apparently that’s not all there is to it, Viscount」

Roshe entered the conversation.

「You did hear the recent rumors about the Silverlight Barony, right? About the grassland, forest, and lake appearing out of nowhere. Iris was the goddess who did all of that. Iris and her sister, Eclipse, discovered a suspicious flow of magical power from Muriel. The source of said magical power appears to be in this mansion」

「Roshe-sama…..are you suspecting me….?」

「I don’t want to suspect you. However, Iris is a goddess capable of feats I mentioned before. To put it bluntly, we aren’t even in the same league. I can’t just ignore a goddess of such a caliber. Well, if you don’t have a guilty conscience how about we search around?」

「…..Roshe-sama. You might be a Guardian Deity, but even you don’t have the right to force people like that!」

「Yep. Consider it a request」

「I refuse!」

The viscount screamed as he shut the door.

「…..His behavior is a bit too shady, don’t you think?」

Said Jessica in exasperation.

「What are we going to do now? This is the place, right?」

Marion said.

「That’s the place~」

「Eclipse and I sensed it coming from here, but it doesn’t appear to be a sufficient proof」

「We were so close. We have to do something」

「Let’s barge inside with force!」

Katie said something dangerous as she fixed her glasses.

「I don’t mind」

Roshe didn’t seem to mind it either.

「Even if Roshe-sama doesn’t mind, if a baroness like me suddenly invades a viscount’s mansion, that might escalate very quickly. I really want for him to confess on his own volition」

Sheryl being Sheryl sometimes says something reasonable, today is such a day.

Being in a lord’s position, her brain cells tend to activate in a moment of need.

Everyone fell deep into thought as they listened to Sheryl.

「Punin」

Seeing Punigami thinking, Iris chose to follow his example.

And then there was a flash.

「This might be a bit too forceful but it’s still better than charging inside. Lend me your ears…..」

Whisper whisper.

「Eh. Isn’t it just a display of force in the end? Was there a need to be so secretive about it?」

Said Marion in discontent.

「Ara, isn’t it fine? I don’t hate this approach」

「Everything is fun to you, Mother……but that’s fine. I don’t want to watch from the sidelines at a time like this」

「Count me in. This viscount doesn’t show his face in the church too often. I was thinking about tightening up his leash for a while」

Roshe seemed to derive some fun from the situation.

「Iris is scary~」

「As expected of my Guardian Deity!」

「This might not work, but everything goes at this point. Let’s see it’s done」

「Puni」

「That works, I guess」Punigami also gave his seal of approval.

Commence the operation.

Although it wasn’t nearly as intelligent to be called that way.