Maximen Cronell was able to wander freely within the Empire without any resistance. Orders from the Imperial Palace dictated that he should not be disturbed, allowing him to explore the Empire without any hindrance.
Finally, Maximen arrived at the Rodren Academy, standing before its grand entrance. The academy's main gate remained unchanged from his previous visits, still imposing and sturdy.
As Maximen gazed at the entrance, he noticed the guards blocking his path.
"When will I be allowed in?"
Maximen casually asked, but the guards remained tense, their hands resting on their weapons.
"It's getting boring."
"Uh, please wait a moment..."
One of the guards nervously replied. Initially, Maximen had thought it was a joke, but when he realized that the guard truly believed he was Maximen Cronell, he felt somewhat sorry for the man. The guard had been so terrified upon recognizing Maximen that he was practically holding his breath, hoping that someone more responsible would arrive soon.
And someone did approach them.
"Oh? Deos? Deos Canon?"
"Ah, long time no see, Maximen."
The person closest to the entrance was Deos, who greeted Maximen awkwardly.
Maximein nodded in acknowledgment. "I didn't know you were here at the academy. How long have you been here?"
"It's been quite a while. Even I didn't imagine I'd become the headmaster when I was younger."
"Huh... That's a bit surprising."
"I couldn't have predicted it either when I was young."
After a brief chat, they got to the main point.
"So, what brings you here?"
"I have someone I need to meet."
"Someone to meet? Who is it?"
"Adrias Cromwell."
The name that came out of Maximen's mouth was the one he had heard about.
Deos, who was cautious, asked again, "Maximen, you are aware that you're a wanted criminal in the Empire, right?"
"I am."
Maximen slowly raised his hands. "I won't hurt anyone unless provoked."
"Maximen, can you wait for a moment? It may sound strange, but I'm currently bound by the Empire. I'll report to His Majesty and then come back."
"As a headmaster, there isn't much you can do, it seems."
"That's right. I can't simply let you barge into the academy with students inside."
"What if I force my way in?"
"I hope you won't. Just wait here for now."
Maximen watched Deos leave with a relaxed expression. He then set the coffin aside and patiently waited. After a short while, Surahan, the head of the Knight Department, appeared.
"You have been granted permission. Please follow me."
Maximen silently picked up the coffin again and followed Surahan.
After approximately 40 years, Maximen Cronell returned to the academy and took a moment to look around, filled with a strange sense of nostalgia.
"What's your position here?" he asked.
"I'm the head of the Knight Department," Surahan replied.
"Not bad," Maximen commented.
Surahan narrowed his eyes, puzzled by Maximen's nonchalant attitude. Maximen Cronell, despite his strength, was he really strong enough to challenge his own abilities?
"I have one thing I'm curious about," Surahan began, hesitating slightly. "I heard you're not from the Empire. Is that true? Did you really defeat an Aura Master before becoming one yourself?"
Surahan had always been curious about that. To be known as the strongest swordsman on the continent, with rumors of defeating an Aura Master without even being one himself, seemed unbelievable.
"Don't attach too much importance to Aura," Maximein replied. "In the end, it's people who wield swords."
Surahan's complicated emotions surfaced. To defeat him without Aura? He couldn't even imagine it.
"Here we are," Surahan announced as they arrived at the administrative building. He opened the door, and inside the room were Bart, Berial, and Deos. Maximen looked around and calmly remarked, "The one I wanted to meet isn't here."
"It's been a while, Maximen," Bart greeted him.
Maximen glanced at Bart for a moment before a faint smile appeared on his expressionless face. "Kid."
"It's not much of an age gap," Bart retorted. "We're only three years apart."
Bart's comment was casually ignored by Maximen, who placed the coffin on the ground and took a seat. Deos questioned, "First, I'd like to know why you're looking for Adrias. Your sudden appearance has caused quite a commotion, and I can't allow you to interact with the students without an explanation."
"I have something to ask him. That's all."
"Just for that, you've turned the Empire upside down."
"Just for that?" Maximen's voice trembled as he questioned, causing everyone in the room to feel a chill. Surahan gulped down his dry throat.
'I thought I was going to be beheaded.'
Bart, on the other hand, regarded Maximen's reaction with interest, while Deos moved the conversation along, trying to maintain some control over the situation.
"May I ask what you want to inquire about?"
"Have you heard about it? The story of Evan leaving the Holy Kingdom," Maximein replied.
The story of Evan leaving the Holy Kingdom had already been a significant topic of discussion. In fact, if Maximen hadn't visited, it would have continued to dominate social circles.
Bart nodded. "Of course, I've heard about it."
"I met him not too long ago," Maximen continued.
"Met him?" Everyone in the room was surprised.
"At first, it was just curiosity. Evan and I often clashed over the question of the existence of gods. So I wondered why he had made such a decision. And I got to hear it."
"You got to hear it?" Bart asked.
"Adrias Cromwell. He claims to have had a conversation with a god."
.
.
.
.
Maximen's sudden appearance quickly spread throughout the academy. Since he had already roamed through the Empire, students could only receive news through their own communication networks.
"Shouldn't we run away quickly?"
"Come on, even if Maximen Cronell is crazy, would he attack innocent students? If that were the case, the Empire would have stopped him."
"I'd rather see him in person. The strongest swordsman, when will we ever have the chance again?"
Despite being part of the School of Magic and having no connection to swords, the Magic Department was likely in turmoil given the students' reactions.
And there was a misunderstanding among the students: Maximen was already inside the academy.
"When Bart left in a hurry," I thought, "why did he ask if something related to Maximen had happened? Did Maximen come to the academy because of me?"
It was an unlikely story, but I couldn't afford to let my guard down. It wasn't just a matter of timing. Maximen's visit to the academy was unprecedented.
'No, it's not the timing. It's the fact that he has never visited the academy before.'
Meeting with him would likely happen during the later episodes related to sins. It wasn't something you could meet all the time. In that sense, it was understandable that he came to meet me.
'It's a headache.'
It was a story with a character that had slipped away from me. I didn't have a clear way to deal with it.
"Senior!"
Lucia, who looked excited about something, noticed me while she was talking to someone else.
Seeing her wave her hand so enthusiastically, I thought to myself that she really did recover from her illness.
"Senior! Have you heard?"
"Maximen?"
"Yes!"
"That's unexpected. You showing interest in something like that."
Lucia spoke with eyes full of excitement.
"Aren't you curious, Senior? He's called the strongest swordsman, after all. Since Senior practices swordsmanship, I thought you'd be more interested than me," Lucia said.
"If he were a normal person, I might have been interested, but he's not," I replied.
Having experienced Maximen in the game, I didn't want to get involved with him unnecessarily. He wasn't a psychopath like Beriel, but he was aware of the power of his strength and knew how to wield it effectively. He would use his power ruthlessly if it served his purposes.
'It's different from what you see on the surface.'
He only acts for Isabelle and himself. If something didn't align with his goals, he wouldn't hesitate to use his weapon.
'In the end, the only way to control him is through Isabelle.'
Isabelle, the woman he loved, was sealed inside the coffin he always carried. If I could find a way to awaken her, I could potentially control the strongest swordsman, but I had been unsuccessful so far.
"In any case, I'm not particularly interested. I'd rather he just roamed around quietly as usual."
"Still, I'd like to see his face at least once, to know what he looks like. Do you think he looks like that?"
Lucia pointed behind me, and I couldn't help but turn around.
Thud, thud.
A man carrying a coffin.
He wore a hood that concealed most of his features, but his well-groomed beard was particularly noticeable.
"Huh?" Lucia sounded surprised.
She had spoken without thinking, and now it seemed like she had realized something was off.
"Lucia, step back."
I grabbed the handle of Galakshur at my waist.
The students around us began to wonder what was happening, and some even started to back away.
Finally, the man took about twenty steps forward and stopped.
"Are you Adrias Cromwell?"
"Maximen?"
At my words, the surrounding area fell silent.
Some students began to panic and tried to run away.
"Is, is that Maximein Chronell?"
Despite the chaos, Maximein remained calm, seemingly unaffected by the commotion.
How could he roam around the academy so freely?
What were Bart and the heads of departments doing?
"Could it be...?"
Were they deliberately letting him in?
As someone who knew about his aura, I couldn't help but connect the dots.
"I have something I want to ask you," Maximen said.
"Did we have any reason to be involved with each other?"
I asked while scratching my head.
The only thing that connected him and me was...
"The ancient god?"
That seemed to be the only possibility.
One thing that piqued my curiosity was how he found out about it.
"I met Evan."
"Ah!"
So he heard it from Evan. Did Evan reveal that he was a black mage? Well, Maximen probably wouldn't care whether I was a black mage or not.
Maximen slowly lowered the coffin he was carrying in front of me.
The coffin containing Isabelle.
It suited him quite well, considering Isabelle wasn't a human.
Then, unexpectedly, something happened again.
Ding!
["The Guardian of Forgotten Memories" detects traces of another god.]
[Conditions met.]