"Even you don't know?" Su Mo raised an eyebrow in surprise. Then again, he couldn't really blame her. The divine era in this world was unusually peaceful. Even in heaven, there were no serious conflicts between the various pantheons. Gods might squabble in private, but never to the point of disrupting celestial harmony.
Under such conditions, gods unrelated to war or hunting would naturally lose interest in combat altogether. And Hestia, the queen of shut-ins, was the prime example. No wonder she didn't really understand the full potential of the flame she guarded.
"Well… I guess it can at least be used for burning stuff?" she offered uncertainly, tilting her head.
"…That's technically true, but also completely meaningless," Su Mo couldn't help but retort.
Sure, a flame could burn things. But the Eternal Flame definitely had more to it than that. "Looks like I'll just have to experiment and develop it myself," he concluded. Still, he wasn't disappointed. This was, after all, a pleasant surprise—who knew what kind of incredible power it might unlock down the line?
....
....
While Su Mo of the DanMachi world was busy forming a divine contract with Hestia and awakening the Eternal Flame, Su Mo in the Index world had just finished syncing power with his counterpart from the One Piece world inside the Mist space.
Now, he had returned to his original world. Two days had passed since he defeated Kanzaki Kaori and Stiyl Magnus. Index, of course, was now staying at his place. Su Mo's class schedule was sparse and flexible, leaving him with plenty of free time. He had just finished lunch with Index when two uninvited guests suddenly showed up. It was none other than the British Puritan magicians—members of Necessarius.
When Index saw Kanzaki and Stiyl, even though Su Mo had already explained that they were no longer enemies and were, in fact, her former companions, she still instinctively hid behind Su Mo. A year of being hunted had left emotional scars not so easily healed.
"…"
"…"
Seeing Index avoid their gaze, both Kanzaki and Stiyl looked as if they had been stabbed through the heart. But they couldn't blame her. This was the bitter fruit of their own actions. Neither of them made excuses. Instead, they turned to Su Mo.
"Lord Su Mo… I've confirmed it," Stiyl said, bowing his head in regret. "Index was definitely tampered with… by that damn fox." He had never imagined that the one who had truly harmed Index was… himself. If only he had realized it sooner, maybe she wouldn't have had to lose her memories. Kanzaki's face also darkened with guilt. She had always seen Index as a comrade and had never expected such a betrayal to come from within the Puritan Church itself.
Seeing their remorse, Su Mo gave a small nod. "It's good that you've confirmed it," he said plainly. Then, with an air of complete naturalness, he added:
"Well, since you've identified the real culprit, I assume you gave her a proper lesson, right?"
"After all, being deceived and used like that—if you told me, you left the church entirely because of it, I wouldn't even be surprised."
"You came back so quickly… You must have dealt with her decisively and avenged Index already?" It was, of course, a rhetorical question—Su Mo was clearly being sarcastic. And it hit the mark.
The moment he said that, both Kanzaki and Stiyl lowered their heads in shame. After a long silence, Kanzaki finally spoke.
"I'm sorry… We couldn't do it."
"Necessarius still needs that woman," Stiyl muttered, his face filled with guilt. "We had no choice…"
Despite how much they wanted to avenge Index—and despite how much they hated that fox—there was one problem. The one who had hurt her was their direct superior. Not just that—she was the Supreme Archbishop of the British Puritan Church. They were powerless. At first, both of them had been determined to confront her, no matter the cost. But they were far too naive. There was no way two straightforward warriors could ever outmaneuver someone as cunning as Laura Stuart.
After offering a few weak protests, the Supreme Archbishop Laura easily fooled the two of them with nothing more than words. And before they realized it, she had dismissed them and sent them back. By the time they snapped out of it, the opportunity for revenge had already slipped through their fingers.
So, when faced with Su Mo's questions, neither of them had anything to say.
"…"
Su Mo, who had more or less expected this outcome, wasn't surprised. He calmly continued, "Even if there were difficulties with confronting her, surely you could at least disable the collar spell on Index?" That collar was the very source of Index's suffering. Yet upon hearing this, Kanzaki Kaori lowered her head so far that her face could no longer be seen. Stiyl looked utterly defeated, as if he had shrunk in on himself. Their silence said everything.
"So, you went back, failed to get revenge, and didn't even manage to solve the problem..." Su Mo asked mildly, his tone sounding almost like a casual inquiry. "Then what exactly did you go back for?"
"…"
What use are you two? —the implication wasn't lost on either of them.
But they couldn't argue. The Supreme Archbishop was never going to give up on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum—her ultimate weapon. She had outright refused to remove the collar and, though she had apologized, she made it clear that she would not budge on that point. Neither Kanzaki nor Stiyl had the means to push back.
After a long, awkward silence, Kanzaki, now looking thoroughly defeated, finally muttered, "The Supreme Archbishop agreed to only one thing… that if we personally destroyed the collar's spell, she wouldn't pursue the matter." It was the only concession Laura Stuart had offered—and her idea of "compensation."
Hearing this, Su Mo nodded. "That doesn't sound too bad. So then, which of you knows how to break the collar spell?" The moment he asked that, both of them completely deflated. Even Index was now casting suspicious glances their way. Were these really her former companions? Because frankly, they didn't seem very reliable.
"Looks like I'll have to do it myself..." Su Mo sighed, then turned to the two of them. "If you can't be of any help, then I won't be seeing you out." It was a polite but clear dismissal. But instead of leaving, Kanzaki's eyes suddenly lit up in surprise. "Wait... Lord Su Mo, do you mean to say—you're able to break the collar spell?" She had instantly caught the hidden meaning in his words. Hope bloomed in her expression.
"I can, yes. But what does that have to do with you two?" Su Mo replied flatly. "If I'm going to remove Index's collar spell, even I need a safe and undisturbed environment." He looked at them both pointedly. "That's something we can help with!" Stiyl said quickly.
Hearing that Su Mo could actually remove the spell, he couldn't hide his excitement. If this were true, then Index's long nightmare might finally come to an end. He earnestly wanted to contribute. After all, a spell like "Disperse Idlers" was perfect for creating a barrier. But even though his sincerity was real, Su Mo didn't hesitate to reject him. "You still don't understand. Right now, I have no reason to trust either of you."
"So, I'm refusing your help." Stiyl was stunned. He found Su Mo's words utterly unreasonable. Who else in the world could be more trustworthy than the two of us? he thought. Just as he was about to argue back, Kanzaki stopped him and shook her head, dejectedly.
"He's right, Stiyl. Lord Su Mo's doubts are justified," she said quietly. "We haven't done anything—how could anyone believe we're still her allies?" After taking a moment to reflect, she could see things clearly.
From Su Mo's perspective, they had first appeared as assassins sent to kill Index. Later, though they had explained their true identities, Index herself had no memories to confirm their story. On top of that, they had returned to the Church, and despite knowing the truth, they had neither taken revenge nor removed the collar spell. All their actions made them look more like enemies than friends.
And as Stiyl cooled down, he too realized how incompetent they must have appeared. For someone once called a genius magician of London, this revelation was a blow—and left him emotionally deflated. But Kanzaki wasn't ready to give up. She wanted to witness Index's recovery with her own eyes.
So—
"What kind of conditions would we need to fulfill to earn your trust, Lord Su Mo?" Kanzaki asked seriously. Hearing that, Su Mo gave a satisfied nod. These two clearly wanted to cling to a powerhouse. But you don't get something for nothing.
"I'm very interested in your body," he said, looking directly at Kanzaki.
"Uh... huh?!" Kanzaki froze on the spot.
"???"
Even Stiyl was questioning reality, unsure if he'd heard correctly.
"Hey! Su Mo! Don't let this bad woman seduce you!" Index shouted angrily from the side.