Seeing Lucian put away his staff and abandon the idea of continuing the fight as well, Ymir smiled and nodded.
"Eren, is it? That is a good name."
"So, what brings you to this cathedral?"
"Oh... could it be that the faith I have been spreading in various places has received yet another response?"
As Ymir spoke, his tone unconsciously became more impassioned, and he seemed quite delighted.
Lucian raised an eyebrow, having no idea what he was talking about.
He was clearly a sorcerer, yet he was spreading some kind of faith?
What faith?
Lucian did not follow Ymir's line of questioning.
He had already prepared his script long ago. There was no need to rely on improvisation that could be exposed with a single poke.
So Lucian shook his head and interrupted the delighted Ymir.
"As for this faith you mentioned... I am not familiar with it."
Hearing the voice coming from beneath the Glintstone helm, Ymir was genuinely surprised.
"You did not come here seeking the path to becoming an incarnate Finger?"
At Ymir's words, Lucian furrowed his brow.
Fortunately, he was wearing the Glintstone helm, so he did not have to worry about managing his facial expressions at all.
In a puzzled tone, Lucian asked in return,
"Of course not."
"I am searching for the profound secrets hidden within the stars, for the explorers of the Primeval Current."
"Although we have been driven out, rejected, and branded heretics by the Academy of Raya Lucaria and the Carian royal family..."
"Exploring the lives of the stars and pursuing the origins of all things, that is what a sorcerer should be doing."
"I merely sensed that there was an unusual fate connected to the stars in this place, so I decided to come inside and investigate."
"Though I did not expect this place to be particularly welcoming to visitors."
Lucian slightly turned his head, causing the Glintstone helm to turn with him, and looked toward the female warrior hidden within the darkness.
From within that darkness, a pair of eyes glared back at him without the slightest intention of backing down.
Of course, this was also part of the performance for Ymir.
It was necessary to maintain the character he had created.
Hearing Lucian's words, Ymir was deeply moved.
To think that there were still sorcerers in this age capable of inheriting that ancient legacy...
It was truly stirring.
The sorcerers who had embarked upon the path of the stars, no matter what circumstances they faced, carried their ideals in their hearts and gazed together toward that vast starry sky.
Even if they were isolated and alone...
When they looked up at that starry sky, the sorcerers whose bodies were bound to the earth were themselves like stars, each shining brilliantly in their own way.
Sorcerers were never truly alone.
What a poetic, beautiful thing.
This was the romance unique to those who had embarked upon the path of the stars.
It was also a lofty ideal that those ordinary people could never understand.
As a sorcerer who likewise walked the path of the stars, Ymir felt deeply comforted at this moment.
Having abandoned his identity as a Carian sorcery professor and betrayed his devotion to the Moon, Ymir had returned to being a pure sorcerer.
For the sake of exploring the stars and the lives of the stars, he had begun investigating the origin of everything: the existence of the Greater Will.
To meet such an outstanding junior was truly a wonderful thing, filling him with genuine affection.
As for the minor conflict between Lucian and Jolan...
Ymir did not pay it much attention.
There was really nothing worth discussing about it. Both sides had reasonable motives and reasons for what they had done.
Ymir knew Jolan's temperament. This was simply her prickly form of kindness. It was only that this sorcerer named Eren was strong enough to make her uneasy.
And a sorcerer possessing such strength would naturally have some pride as well. When driven away, he obviously would not simply submit.
Compared to the overbearing sorcery professors Ymir had worked alongside in the past, Eren had already shown considerable restraint.
Ymir once again began seriously examining the character Lucian was portraying from head to toe.
The Glintstone Helm of the Karolos Conspectus at the Academy, his plain clothing, and his bare feet were all signs that he followed the doctrine of scholarly poverty.
He had sworn to devote his entire life to the study of glintstone, the amber of the stars.
A true sorcerer.
The sorceries he had used earlier had also come from various Conspectuses, clearly demonstrating that he was one of the outstanding students of the Academy.
And on top of that, he was a sorcerer of the Primeval Current.
That dazzling vision of firmly exploring the lives of the stars and pursuing their origins gave Ymir an excellent impression of him.
However, Ymir did not completely lower his guard simply because of this.
Instead, he began pondering a somewhat strange question.
Why was Eren here in the Land of Shadow?
He had heard that the Primeval Current had been persecuted by the Carian royal family and the Academy of Raya Lucaria, with its teachings branded as heresy.
But that should have happened only after the Land of Shadow had been completely sealed away.
Looking at the sorcerer Lucian was portraying, Ymir could not help but think of that young man named Miquella.
During their long conversations that lasted through the night, Ymir had learned through Miquella about what had happened far away in the Lands Between.
When the Elden Ring was shattered, even the people in the Land of Shadow had sensed that something had happened.
But as for the details of what had actually occurred, there was absolutely no way for the isolated Land of Shadow to know.
Fortunately, through Miquella's visit, Ymir had already learned everything.
Whether it was the Carian royal family driving out the practitioners of the Primeval Current and completely branding them as heretics...
Or the Academy of Raya Lucaria joining forces with the Cuckoos in rebellion, leaving Caria completely weakened...
None of these things should have had anything to do with the sealed Land of Shadow.
Eren should not have been able to appear here either.
Looking at the Eren that Lucian was portraying, Ymir gradually came to a conclusion.
Since Miquella had been able to enter the Land of Shadow, could Eren have entered through the same route?
At this moment, Ymir felt a little regretful.
Why had he not asked Miquella a few more questions back then?
Because Ymir had no desire whatsoever to leave the Land of Shadow and had never been interested in doing so, he had never asked Miquella to explain how one could enter or leave.
After thinking for a while, Ymir finally asked with a gentle smile,
"Eren, I am very pleased to welcome such an outstanding sorcerer."
"To see that you, too, walk along the path illuminated by starlight is deeply moving."
"However, I still have one question. I wonder if you might satisfy my thirst for knowledge?"
"May I ask how you came to the Land of Shadow?"
Lucian had not expected the conversation to reach this point.
He pursed his lips.
But after thinking for only a moment, he quickly came up with an explanation.
"I followed in Lord Miquella's footsteps and came to the Land of Shadow."
"I wonder if you need me to introduce you to him?"
Lucian had only been able to come to the Land of Shadow because of Miquella in the first place.
So he might as well put the blame on him.
Even if Ymir did not believe him, or even if he did not know who Miquella was, it did not matter.
Because this was the truth.
At the same time, Lucian revealed the mark of Miquella on his body.
Although he had already used Wind Spirit Moon Shadow to remove its effects, the mark itself remained completely intact.
Ymir hurriedly waved his hand.
"Oh, I see."
"That explains it. Miquella really is an outstanding young man."
Seeing that his guess had turned out to be correct, Ymir could not help but smile knowingly.
Now everything made sense.
At the same time, Ymir completely relaxed his guard.
This was fate.
What a wonderful coincidence.
He happened to be facing some difficult problems at the moment. If more people could help shoulder the burden, surely the research would proceed much more smoothly.
With a smile on his face, Ymir extended a hand and gestured for Lucian to follow him deeper into the cathedral.
"I, too, am a glintstone sorcerer. We study the stars, and examine the life therein."
"Only, what I seek is the trail of the Greater Will."
"It seems we share similar ideals. How wonderful."
"Please allow me to regard you as a fellow seeker who shares my aspirations."
At the same time, Lucian sensed a pair of eyes staring intently at him from deep within the cathedral, filled with resentment.
The Swordhand of Night Jolan had concealed herself once more.
She watched Lucian with a wary gaze.
The thought of someone of unknown origins becoming one of Lord Ymir's honored guests was truly difficult for her to accept.
Ymir sat down in the broad stone chair at the center of the cathedral, while Lucian casually found an intact chair of his own and sat down.
Once Lucian was settled, Ymir spoke again.
"You mentioned earlier that you sensed an unusual fate connected to the stars here, and that was why you decided to explore this place, correct?"
Lucian nodded, acknowledging it.
Although he had never actually sensed anything from the stars at all, when it came to something as abstract as fate, he only needed to keep talking about it.
Ymir was quite satisfied with Lucian's perceptiveness and continued.
"Your intuition is correct."
"Here, there truly is a fate written in the stars, because an astonishing truth is buried here."
"As long as you can come into contact with that truth, I believe you will be able to gain some inspiration from it and find your way to the origins."
"On this path, I suppose I may presumptuously call myself a senior. I have indeed conducted some research."
"However, I cannot simply tell you the conclusion. You must think about it yourself, and learn to love."
Lucian was somewhat surprised.
He had not expected Ymir to be so enthusiastic about helping him.
"Why are you so eager to help me?"
"When faced with a sorcerer who suddenly barges in, isn't this normally a rather strange reaction?"
Ymir smiled.
There was something reassuring and infectious about his smile, with a faint sense of motherly kindness and compassion.
"...I only wish to be of service."
"To help those who fight for their purpose."
"Besides, I understand that you and I share the same goal, do we not?"
"If that is the case, helping you is also beneficial to me."
Ymir clapped his hands, then called toward the darkness behind him without even turning his head.
"Jolan, would you please bring me a map and give it to Eren?"
Very soon, the shadows within the cathedral stirred.
Jolan's figure emerged once again and walked over to Lucian.
She forcefully shoved the map into Lucian's hands, making no attempt whatsoever to hide the wariness and hostility in her eyes.
Then she retreated back into the darkness once more.
Ymir helplessly shook his head, but he did not blame Jolan.
Instead, like a mother apologizing on behalf of a child who had done something wrong, he said to Lucian,
"I apologize... The poor girl has overcome grave misfortune."
"Her tongue can be sharp at the best of times, but don't think that makes her a bad person."
Lucian waved his hand, not particularly bothered by it.
That was simply how loyal-dog-type characters were.
It did not matter how they treated people themselves.
But the moment their master was involved, they would fight harder than anyone else.
Looking at the map in his hands, Lucian immediately recognized the location marked upon it.
It was one of the Finger Ruins.
However, Lucian continued playing his role all the way to the end.
"A map?"
"What place is this?"
Ymir tapped the armrest of his stone seat and said,
"The map I have given you marks a mysterious ruin."
"It is said that there is a hanging bell there, after sounding the hanging bell there... One's fate will be guided by the stars."
"And then, you will also see the truth you desire."
Lucian accepted the simple map and smiled faintly beneath his Glintstone helm.
'Everything is according to Plan.'
Clearly, he had already successfully infiltrated the inner circle.
At this point, Lucian had obtained enough information, as well as the qualification to participate in everything that followed.
However, he also had some questions of his own.
He decided to take advantage of the opportunity and ask about them now.
Looking up at Ymir, Lucian said,
"Come to think of it, there was something you said when you first questioned me that caught my attention."
"What exactly did you mean by the path to becoming an incarnate Finger?"
Ymir's brows drew together, and he seemed somewhat hesitant.
He actually did not want to tell Lucian about this so soon.
But then again, he was the one who had let it slip.
Ymir knew just how astonishing the thirst for knowledge possessed by sorcerers could be.
It was a hunger that had to be nourished.
After thinking for a moment, Ymir finally began explaining.
"In this secret land shrouded by shadow, only the starlight continues to fall upon us with mercy. This is the only comfort we sorcerers have."
"But the other people here are not so fortunate."
"In a broken and isolated place like this, everyone exhausts every ounce of their strength searching for something that can give them peace of mind."
"There is no golden light in the Land of Shadow. When false faith collapses, the truth will finally reveal itself."
Ymir paused.
Then he raised his eyes and continued speaking to Lucian in a gentle tone.
"By the way, Eren, I wonder if you know about this?"
"Long, long ago, an explosion occurred in a distant place."
"And that explosion produced stardust."
"That is, us."
"We are all children of the Greater Will."
"How poetic. How beautiful!"
"...It is simply a pity that so few people know of this. It is truly lamentable."
Lucian listened to Ymir's words with a strange expression.
'Isn't this just the Big Bang?'
'So the Greater Will created life like this?'
'That's certainly the first time I've heard that version.'
Sure enough, he had come to the right place.
Ymir really did know some extremely deep secrets.
Whether it was the true Greater Will itself or that Finger-like entity masquerading as the Greater Will, there was clearly something going on here.
After hesitating for a moment, Lucian asked,
"So what you mean is that there are people searching for the source of true faith, the messengers of the Greater Will... the Fingers?"
Seeing that Lucian had immediately understood what he meant, Ymir nodded in satisfaction.
This young man really was likable.
Lowering his head and looking at his own body, Ymir continued,
"There are also those who pursue the Fingers, attempting to become Fingers themselves..."
"That body, so incredibly close to that of the Two Fingers, became the object of believers' fantasies."
"But is it really a fantasy?"
"Actually, no."
"Quite the opposite. It is not a fantasy at all."
"It is the truth."
"Humans can become Fingers."
"That is the form humanity was originally meant to possess!"
The expression beneath Lucian's Glintstone helm became extremely strange.
"...Huh?"
Lucian completely dismissed Ymir's claim that humans were originally supposed to be Fingers as complete nonsense.
Humans becoming Fingers was possible.
But humans originally being Fingers?
That was considerably harder to believe.
As if he had noticed Lucian's confusion and bewilderment, Ymir reached into his robes and took out a small bottle containing pink, round pellets.
As he moved, Lucian seemed to hear a dense sound coming from beneath Ymir's robes.
Something was writhing and rubbing against something else.
Lucian looked suspiciously at Ymir's body.
But at that moment, the sound disappeared again.
Lucian did not think it had been an illusion.
His Perception stat was absurdly high, and combined with the observational ability granted by his own attributes, there was definitely something beneath those clothes.
It was just that stripping a man's clothes to investigate would be far too perverted.
Lucian really could not bring himself to do something like that.
Besides, he had not extracted all the information yet.
He could not afford to do anything to Ymir for the time being.
Ymir held the bottle of mysterious medicine between his fingers and said,
"This is the key to setting foot upon the path of the Fingers."
"Fingerprint Nostrum."