Immediately after I thanked Mr. Sieghart, I left the house and returned to the royal castle.

"Nigel, do you have a moment?

I call Nigel from the conference room.

"Nh... ahh.The discussion just came to an end.Looks like you've got something on the Virgin of the Beginning. "

Nigel's face looked a little tired.

Has the King or the minister spoken harshly?

But she doesn't seem depressed.

It seems that the discussion has been well structured.

"No, I didn't get any information about the Virgin at the beginning.But... I came up with another way instead. "

"Any other way?

Nigel, who shaved his neck.

"I'm a goddess. The Virgin is the proxy of the Goddess.If I could talk to her, I might know something. "

"I see... but is it going to work so well?I wonder how many of Elaine's saints she's never met with a goddess?

"Yes, but...."

I explain to Nigel what I came up with after listening to Ms. Sieghart.

He seemed intrigued.

"I see... I may be able to communicate with the goddess through me.That might be a good idea. "

"I need Nigel's help to do that."

"Of course. I'll do anything for Eliane."

And Nigel slapped herself in the chest.

I'm a reliable person.

"When I gave Nigel the protection of the goddess... how did that feel?Maybe there's something hidden there. "

"Hmm, that's right... it's hard to explain in words, but it feels like the power comes from inside me."

Nigel turned to the ceiling and continued like this.

"That power is something I've never felt before... as if I were no longer myself..."

"Like you're not yourself anymore...?

"Yeah... if it's easy to understand, it's like you're manipulating someone... that's what I'm talking about.I'm still conscious. "

It's like being manipulated...

Maybe the goddess is temporarily renting Nigel's body?But when the goddess protects him, he doesn't lose consciousness.That's why the Goddess and Nigel's consciousness are mixed... I wonder if that's the case.

If so, the plan to communicate with the Goddess through Nigel is not surprising.

"Shall I give Nigel the protection of the Goddess once?That way you may be able to hear the voice of the goddess. "

I don't know if it will work.

But it seems worth trying.

If the goddess wants peace in this world... now is definitely the time to pinch.

It seems that the Virgin of the Beginning appeared at these times a long time ago.Maybe now we can hear her voice.

Nigel.

"Yeah, let's give it a try.What if it's here... and there's no one around?Otherwise, Elaine wouldn't be able to concentrate, would she?

"Yeah."

I went with Nigel to find a place where people might not be around.

◆ ◆

Eventually we went out to the courtyard of the royal castle.

"There's no sign of anyone here, and it looks just right."

Nigel nodded, as I said.

It is completely dark around.

Half a moon floating in the sky was watching us gently.

"Well... here we go."

"Anytime."

I put my hand lightly on Nigel's back.

Then his body emitted light.

It spreads around like it rips open the darkness of the night.

But this is the same as Alberto... and Baltur.

Here's the problem.

"Nigel... is there anything unusual?

"No... it's the same as before.Incredibly powerful, my body..... "

When Nigel tries to keep saying that, he loses power from his body as if his consciousness has fallen.

"Na, Nigel!?

He supported his body, which was about to collapse, and slowly laid it on the ground.

Nigel, whose eyelids are closed, seems to be asleep.

Well, what's the matter!?

This has never happened before...

"Nigel, Nigel! Wake up!Are you all right, sir?

I shook Nigel's body as he lay down in a hurry.

I've been fine until now, but suddenly I can't adapt to the protection of the goddess...?

No, but there's still divine light coming out of Nigel's body.

If the protection of the goddess is not compatible, this phenomenon cannot be explained.

"Anyway... somebody immediately...!"

—— I was going to call, and I was going to leave.

"Well... you don't have to..."

Nigel can hear you.

"Ni... gel...?

"... finally communicating...I haven't talked much... for a long time... "

Interrupted voice.

Nigel remained conscious as usual.

I'm sure Nigel can hear it, but it's not his voice.It's a kind woman's voice.

Hello...

"Goddess...?

"Wow, that's... that's right..."

It's still hard to hear, but certainly Nigel-- she's got a positive response.

I hear it, crouch on the spot, and ask the goddess:

"Goddess! Tell me!As you may already know, the world is in danger.Not on my own..... "

If she tries to keep saying more, she keeps trying to block it.

"I understand...Demon King... is in danger of resurrection.That's why I'm... going through this way... "

I don't know when this situation will end.

I concentrated my attention so as not to overhear a word from the goddess.

"The power I gave you... is incomplete"

"Incomplete?"

"Yeah... that's the way to connect me to this world... because I'm gone... and with that... I can do it again..."

Does that mean that once the power gained from the goddess is complete, I can be like the Virgin of the Beginning?

"How do I do that?

"The Virgin of the Beginning... she's... yeah.Her first part (...)... if there's one... "

The voice from the goddess is getting smaller and smaller.It became difficult to hear because of blurring.

Looks like there's only a few things left to communicate with the goddess.

Is it because of the Goddess's "Way"?

"But the Virgin of the Beginning is a long time ago.I don't think there's any bodies left, and that's what's going on right now... "

"The will... certainly... yes.But it hasn't started yet... yet... there's still... "

Huh?

When I heard back, the voice of the goddess went on.

"The Virgin of the Beginning... sacrificed herself and sealed the Demon King... still sleeping with the Demon King in this land..."