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“—That concludes the detailed account of the events between Shimamura and Miss Hiyuki at Sky Garden.”

Lubbock, standing straight with a solemn expression, finished his detailed recount and met the gaze of the man before him—known to Hiyuki as the ‘Mastermind,’ to the people of the Holy Kingdom of Aeon as the ‘Azure God,’ and widely considered the originator of all their troubles.

Tamegoro stood attentively behind Lubbock, deliberately turning her face away to avoid the man’s piercing gaze.

Draped in a toga reminiscent of ancient Greek attire, the man, half-human and half-dragonoid, contorted his face into a look of contempt as he sat behind an opulent desk in an armchair.

“Hmph, so Hiyuki managed to re-seal that failure, did she? I anticipated as much, though I would have preferred to handle it personally. I would’ve ensured that he wished for death long before discarding him.”

“Regrettably, the circumstances didn’t permit such actions. After Shimamura was sealed, the fake Jotun entered a berserk state. It required Hiyuki and ten of her raid-class pets to defeat it, which also led to significant destruction of the castle. By the time order was restored, Sky Garden had nearly reached the North Pole, and Shimamura’s body was lost in the ensuing chaos. We barely escaped with our lives from the surrounding bloodthirsty raid-class monsters.”

The man scrutinized Lubbock, who had explained the situation in detail, his eyebrows knitting together gracefully.

“Hmm, indeed. The ordeal sounds strenuous. It’s commendable that you managed to escape alive. I certainly anticipated at least one sacrifice.”

Tamegoro quietly clenched her teeth, infuriated by being regarded merely as a sacrificial pawn, while Lubbock’s eyebrows arched in surprise.

“Truly, it was a dangerous situation. Our temporary alliance, maintained only by the shared threat of Shimamura, dissolved the moment he was out of the equation. It was Miss Hiyuki who first turned her blade against us.”

“Interesting, you escaped unscathed. Was it perhaps Hiyuki’s compassion that saved you?”

A faint shadow of doubt flickered across the man’s eyes.

Lubbock shrugged nonchalantly, well-acquainted with the man’s cynical nature, forever guided by the motto ‘Trust No One.’

“Yes, our survival hinged on a stipulation we set—a high-stakes duel where the first to land a blow would claim victory and enforce their terms. It was quite the gamble.”

“And who emerged victorious?” The man, amused by the twist, urged him to continue.

“I was the victor, of course—otherwise, I wouldn’t be standing here.” Lubbock spoke with confidence in his victory, a sentiment the man acknowledged with a nod of comprehension.

“Indeed, it’s always been Hiyuki’s naivety,” he mused.

“That’s the crux of it—everything resolved amidst the chaos. However, Shimamura’s associates may still linger in Yuz Grand Duchy. We need to oversee the cleanup efforts there.”

“Let it be. The NPCs should handle the cleanup.”

Lubbock bristled at the man’s arrogance in dismissing the continent’s inhabitants, believers or not, as mere ‘NPCs,’ yet he maintained a stoic expression, betraying none of his irritation.

“This means there’s no longer a reason to station our troops on foreign soil. Perhaps we should delegate the cleanup to the Empire and recall our church knights.”

“Such minor issues should be left to the old guard of the church… No, wait. The Grand Pope went too far, and while I’ve overlooked this before, it’s time to crack down.”

Having said his piece, the man dismissively waved them away as if shooing away dogs, signaling that they were free to leave.

Relieved to depart, Lubbock promptly closed his mouth, bowed respectfully, and turned to leave. Just then, Tamegoro, who had remained silent until now, voiced a question to the man with a tense tone.

“Before we depart, I must ask one thing. The light from Miss Achako’s ‘Orb’ has faded—what does this signify?”

Upon hearing her query, Lubbock turned his gaze towards the wall adorned with orbs. True enough, the orb that once glowed green for Achako now emitted a white smog, signifying her demise.

“Thus ends the fate of traitors.”

The man’s dismissive tone implied indifference. Tamegoro appeared ready to erupt in anger, but Lubbock swiftly raised his hand to signal her silence, gently pulled her behind him, and bowed respectfully.

“Then, if you’ll excuse us, we’ll proceed with the cleanup operations.”

The man remained silent, his gaze never lifting, showing a clear disinterest in their presence. Taking this as their cue, the two quietly exited the room, their departure barely acknowledged.

“Hmm, just as I thought. Their defiance grows from their association with Hiyuki. Perhaps it’s time to snuff out potential rebellion before it spreads,” the man murmured to himself after they had left. His eyes briefly scanned the orbs with Silver and Purple flames on the wall.

◆◇◆◇

Meanwhile, after teleporting from the top floor of the Tower of Azure God to a secluded room in the nearby cathedral, Lubbock lightly tapped Tamegoro on the head, noticing her lingering resentment.

“Have you lost your senses? Do you no longer cherish your life?”

“But isn’t that too harsh? I know I never liked how Achako schemed and flirted, following her own agendas, but she didn’t deserve such a fate! And he didn’t even flinch—”

“Whether it’s me, her, or you, we are all just tools to serve his purposes. To him, any tool that fails to function, or worse, turns against him, is…”

Lubbock trailed off, leaving the implication hanging in the air, which Tamegoro understood all too well. It was entirely plausible that even now, that man might be contemplating their fates, his hand poised over their life orbs.