In the middle of Sirus City, in front of the city library.
Jane stood there, wearing her neatly arranged outfit—a light gown that still reflected her status as a noble.
Merlin approached Jane from another direction. He wore a white shirt and brown trousers. His hands were casually tucked into his pockets as he walked with a relaxed stride.
Merlin's eyes looked toward Jane, who was standing in front of the library building.
"Hi…" Merlin raised his hand, greeting her lightly.
"...Hi." Jane glanced at Merlin as she noticed his arrival, her face slightly lowered before meeting his gaze again.
"Did you wait long?"
"No, I just arrived five minutes ago."
"Alright."
"Where are we going now?" Jane asked.
"Do you have any recommendations? A place suitable for talking?" Merlin tossed the question back at her.
"…" Hearing that Merlin was asking her to choose a good place, Jane gently touched her chin.
"I do."
Hearing that, Merlin followed Jane.
...
Blue Moon Restaurant.
A luxurious dining place meant only for nobles with high incomes.
The building had two floors. The first floor was an open space filled with neatly arranged tables and chairs. Expensive ornaments decorated the area, such as prestigious paintings or a large crystal chandelier hanging in the center.
Meanwhile, the second floor was designed for privacy—exclusive VIP rooms that contained only a single table and a few chairs arranged according to the customer's needs.
Merlin entered first, surprised that they were going to such an extravagant place just to talk.
"I'd like to reserve a room on the second floor…" Jane spoke with one of the staff members.
"There is one available."
"Please book a room for me," Jane requested.
"Certainly. You will be escorted upstairs," the waiter replied politely.
"Please follow me." A male waiter arrived to guide them to the second floor.
They walked up together.
Room 2-03.
Merlin and Jane entered along with the waiter. The room was private, featuring only a fragrant wooden round table inside.
"Please order anything you like…" The waiter kindly handed over the menus.
"…" Jane casually pointed to several items listed on the menu.
"Order whatever you want. I'll pay." Jane glanced at Merlin, who was still admiring the room in awe.
In his entire life, he had never seen a place this luxurious. Not even in his previous life.
Merlin briefly looked at the menu and picked something he thought he could eat.
After ordering food and drinks, the waiter left the room.
Jane crossed her legs once the waiter was gone. "We didn't get to properly introduce ourselves yesterday, right?" Jane looked at Merlin.
"Right," Merlin replied casually.
"My name is Jane Calone."
"Merlin. That's my name."
Jane paused for a moment after hearing his name. Without a noble family name, the child in front of her was clearly a commoner.
"Before we talk further, I want to ask you something." Jane placed her hand on the table.
"What is it?" Merlin asked, still relaxed.
"Are you actually an Apostle?" Jane asked directly.
"!!!" Merlin was shocked when he heard this.
"What is that?" He genuinely didn't know what an Apostle was.
"Apostles are those blessed by beings who reside on the highest floor of the Tower of Gods."
"!" Merlin's eyes widened.
"Why do you think I'm an Apostle?"
"Because it's impossible for a child like you to possess such strength and knowledge unless you are one."
Merlin fell silent for a moment.
"Yes."
"Which God do you serve?" Jane pressed further.
"...Or could it be… you serve a demon!!" Jane's voice slightly trembled as she tried to guess.
"That's none of your business," Merlin responded calmly, tapping his finger lightly on the table.
"We're not close enough for me to tell you something like that."
"How much do you know about gods and demons?" Merlin asked briefly.
"Currently, humans worship five gods… and as for demons, I don't know much since information about them is highly restricted." Jane shook her head.
"…Except for one demon known as the source of destruction… Lucifer."
"…" Merlin fell silent upon hearing that name.
"Then what about the Seraphim?" Merlin asked.
"Seraphim? It has been a long time since I last heard about those ancient beings," Jane murmured.
"…Long ago, after the holy war between angels and demons, the oldest and strongest Seraphim divided their power and established a new order—giving birth to the gods now worshiped by humans." Jane briefly explained about the holy war.
"…Meanwhile, Lucifer was sealed away by the Seraphim inside a tower whose exact location is still unknown."
"…" Merlin was quiet, learning that even after hundreds of years, the two races still could not coexist.
"It's like fate forces them to continue fighting," Merlin muttered.
"…And Apostles are humans chosen directly by fragments of Seraphim's power to fight against demonic races throughout the tower." Jane said with a serious expression.
"Hah…" Merlin let out a long sigh.
"…But while their conflict keeps intensifying, do they not realize there's a far greater threat waiting on the highest floor?" Merlin looked up at the ceiling, recalling Arken's words that something far more terrifying waited—biding its time until it could emerge and destroy everything.
"!!!" Jane froze, shocked by what she overheard. She clenched her fists, eyes wide.
'Did he just say there is something more horrifying waiting at the highest floor???' she thought.
As Jane sank into her thoughts, the door opened. A food trolley entered with their orders.
Delicious aromas filled the air. The waiter carefully placed the dishes on the table.
"Enjoy your meal." He bowed politely before leaving.
Jane decided to save her growing questions for later and focused on her meal. Merlin did the same.
Dish after dish disappeared into Merlin's mouth. The taste was exquisite, something he had never experienced before. His eyes almost watered from how delicious it was.
Merlin finished everything on his plate without leaving a single crumb.
In contrast, Jane still had some food left.
"Why didn't you finish it?" Merlin asked, noticing the remaining food.
"It's alright." Jane wiped her mouth with a napkin. She couldn't eat properly while her mind kept spinning from what Merlin had said earlier.
And one particular question kept disturbing her thoughts…
'Could the god Merlin serves be one who holds the highest position… allowing him to know information like that?' Jane secretly glanced at him, deep in thought.