Kanzaki Rei accepted the ring, his smile bright and open.
"It's fine. I'm not in a hurry."
The words of a Diviner weren't something that could be completely dismissed.
Sure enough—great fortune accompanied by danger.
This harvest truly made it feel as though the effort had paid off.
Today, he would go shopping.
Once you had money, the natural response was to indulge in some retaliatory spending.
While he was at it, he could also check whether there was any equipment suitable for a Death Priest.
Oh, right…
Rei suddenly remembered the matter concerning Mese.
On second thought, it would be better to talk to Iz about it first.
The whole thing felt strange.
The day before yesterday he had been too exhausted and went straight to rest… and last night had been an all-night celebration. The matter had been delayed until now.
Something weighing on his mind like this—it was better to figure it out sooner rather than later.
...
Back at the hotel.
Rei arrived at Iz's room.
Iz wasn't at the tavern early this morning. Instead, he had returned directly to the hotel.
"Come in."
It seemed Iz had already anticipated Rei coming to see him.
A cup of tea had already been prepared.
"Iz, about Mese…"
Iz nodded.
"Actually, on the same day you told me about it, I searched the entire town of Rhein."
"He should have already left."
Rei asked, "Who exactly is he?"
Iz paused for a moment.
"Kumironi told you about spiritual contamination, didn't she? Thirty years ago, there was that world-shocking Blood Sacrifice Incident—the mad mage who sacrificed three billion people. Do you remember his identity?"
Rei searched through his memories.
Kumironi's words from that time gradually resurfaced in his mind.
"That mage was a genius who awakened the Mage class at the age of nine. Before the Blood Sacrifice Incident, he had always been a kind and benevolent lord of the Mese Territory."
The lord of the Mese Territory.
Mese!
"That's him!"
Iz gave a slight nod.
"Yes. It's him."
"He didn't die?"
"He's the highest-priority fugitive wanted across our entire continent."
"I never expected that he would come looking for you."
Thinking about the man's identity made Rei feel deeply uncomfortable.
No wonder Pally had been unwilling to tell him who the man was.
If Pally had spoken his name back then…
What might have happened?
Had he been watching Rei the entire time?
A chill crept into Rei's heart.
Someone capable of sacrificing three billion lives—what difference would it make to such a person to kill one more?
Iz continued.
"The magic he taught you… is actually Origin Magic."
"It's truly ingenious."
"No… 'masterful craftsmanship' would be a better description."
Iz gently pointed a finger forward.
Several strands of light drifted down from the sky.
「Origin」
"A very special form of magic. It completely isolates the contamination caused by observation…"
"There are no harmful effects."
"Even I still have some aspects I don't fully understand."
"The fact that he was able to teach you Origin Magic…"
"It means he has already walked very, very far along the path of exploring the Origin… perhaps even temporarily ahead of me."
"But at the very least, we can confirm that using this magic will not cause any negative effects on you."
Hearing Iz's affirmation, Rei finally felt relieved.
"But what exactly does that Mese want?"
Rei refused to believe the man had acted purely out of kindness.
A wicked mage who had sacrificed three billion people—would he really approach someone just to hand over a spell for free?
"I don't know."
"But one thing is certain: what he did was also in pursuit of getting closer to the Origin."
The guiding principle of mages was the exploration of the Origin.
To search for the path leading toward it.
No matter what method was used.
Some people realized themselves while following that principle.
Others lost themselves along the same path.
Mese belonged to the latter.
No matter what he did, his ultimate goal was always the same—
To approach the Origin.
"We can analyze this matter slowly later."
"Let's talk about your other class first."
Rei nodded.
He carefully explained everything about how he had obtained the Death Priest class.
To save people, he had acquired the secret scroll.
From Pally, he had learned what class the scroll contained.
And in a moment of life-and-death crisis, he had grasped it like a lifeline.
From Iz's perspective, everything Rei had done was understandable—nothing worth criticizing.
However…
"The Death Priest class is ultimately an illegal class under the law."
"But your circumstances are special. I can apply for a special privilege from the kingdom on your behalf."
"However, this matter is quite serious. We'll have to go to the royal capital in person."
"As it happens, Kumironi also needs to visit the capital. I have some matters to deliver there as well, so it works out."
"Calculating the time… we should be preparing to depart soon anyway."
Their stay in Rhein Town had only been because it was more convenient for gathering at the Tier-7 Dungeon.
And of course, partly because they had been looking after the newly found little Rei.
Now that the Tier-7 Dungeon had been resolved, it was indeed time to leave.
"Iz… what do you think about the Death Priest class?"
Iz thought for a moment before answering seriously.
"It's a very evil class."
Hearing that answer, Rei couldn't help but look a little disappointed.
"But power itself is not frightening," Iz continued.
"What's frightening is the person who wields it."
"Mese possessed the Mage class, which is regarded as the orthodox path, yet he still committed the horrifying crime of sacrificing three billion people."
"Meanwhile, Saint Sora, even while burdened with the Curse of the Seven Sins, used that power to seal the Sky Nest."
Iz placed his hand gently on Rei's head.
"Rei, I believe you'll use your power in the right way."
Iz… you really are an open-minded person.
Knowing your views are this broad-minded is honestly reassuring.
Although…
Just now it sounded like he casually revealed some incredible secret.
Who sealed the Sky Nest?
Wasn't the Nest something that only existed in legends, never actually found?
It seemed Iz knew far more than ordinary people.
Now that his mind was fully clear, Rei once again went through the events of that day with Iz.
Iz had been in Rhein Town for quite some time, yet he had never seen that librarian.
Still, through Rei's account, he now understood the situation.
"Iz, what level do you think Pally might be as a Diviner?"
Iz shook his head.
"Based solely on your description, it's difficult to estimate."
"She could be Level 1, or even Level 9."
"It depends on how far in advance her prophecy was made—and how accurate it was."
Heh…
The Diviner class really was mysterious.
"If she truly predicted the Beast Tide accurately ahead of time, her Diviner level should be at least Level 4."
Rei recalled the abilities of the Level 4 adventurers he had seen.
They were indeed far from weak.
"But Diviners are best known for exaggerating dangers and talking nonsense."
As Iz said this, his tone suddenly shifted slightly, carrying a hint of lingering resentment.
Oh?
Iz… did a Diviner mess with you before?
That kind of profession that never speaks plainly really is irritating.
It always feels wrong whether you listen to them or ignore them.
Like being lured straight into a pit of fire.
"Iz, what do you think I should do if I encounter a Diviner in the future?"
This Beast Tide had made Rei truly feel the threat of death.
Iz Palut answered seriously.
"Follow the choice of your own heart."
"The future will happen regardless. A Diviner merely glimpses an imperfect fragment of it in advance."
"If they could truly predict the future with perfect accuracy, they wouldn't be Diviners—they would be Prophets."
"Besides, Diviners can only observe a vague corner of the future through certain methods."
"They cannot manipulate fate or dominate destiny."
"After all, their principle is simply to be spectators of fate."
"And spectators—no matter what—are never the dancers on the stage"