Come to think of it, the fall of the Grand Temple had not been sudden. The fact that some had recognized the danger even before arriving in this city was proof enough of that.
The destruction of the Grand Temple was not an unforeseen disaster, but a foretold calamity—a tragedy that had been waiting to happen.
“Inquisitor…….”
And so, when the Inquisitor heard of their deaths, she did not panic.
She had not been harboring anything like hope in the first place. From the moment she heard that the Grand Temple might be targeted, rather than clinging to the hope that no news was good news, she had thought only that despair had been postponed.
After all, it was better to judge things pessimistically and then be grateful for unexpected good fortune than to remain optimistic only to be disappointed. All the more so when the possibility of that hope coming true was small.
If she thought pessimistically, then at least even in the worst case she could simply think, Of course, and move on.
So even if reality had ultimately unfolded exactly as expected, that was fine. Only the outcome she had predicted had arrived. She had already steeled herself for the loss…… The young woman endlessly persuaded herself, until at last she stood before the farewell she had instinctively known was coming.
“We will depart in two days.”
Despite all that preparation, her heart still hurt terribly.
It hurt enough that, now that she was no longer even the Hero, she wondered whether she could simply disregard every obligation that had belonged to the Hero and run there instead.
“You do not have to push yourself, Inquisitor. You may rest a little longer…….”
“Archmage.”
But at the same time, she did not want to do that.
Yes. The young woman did not want to do that.
“I learned many things at the Grand Temple.”
Even now, if she closed…