Maerin didn't linger any longer in Midgard; he returned directly to the Sanctuary with little Jackfried and Hagen. Time was of the essence—this world was far too dangerous. Maierin only felt secure by strengthening the Sanctuary as quickly as possible.
"Greetings, my lord."
"Greetings, my lord."
"Uncle, you're back!"
There was no grand or formal ceremony to welcome Maierin back to the Sanctuary this time, and that was exactly how he preferred it. He disliked too much ceremony—it created distance between people, which he didn't want. Whether Saints, candidates, ordinary people, or mutants, he saw them all as his children.
As he made his way slowly through the Sanctuary, he warmly greeted people, answered their questions—it was all very heartwarming.
Jackfried and Hagen found the atmosphere very novel. In their minds, since Maierin was one of the Sanctuary's chief gods, he should be aloof and worshipped by the masses, like Saint Hilda.
But upon arriving, they were surprised to see no one came to greet him. This led them to feel a bit of scorn and contempt, assuming he must not be respected or loved by his followers.¹
That scorn quickly faded, however. Along the way, everyone they passed warmly greeted Maierin. Their eyes held genuine respect and admiration—not the cold solemnity of Midgard, but a kind, heartfelt warmth.
Maierin himself didn't act like a god. He was just like a normal person, chatting casually with others and even joking playfully with the children.
"Why is that?" Hagen finally couldn't help but ask. Unlike Jackfried, who came from a once-declining noble family now rising again thanks to being chosen as Hilda's attendant, Hagen's family was one of Midgard's most powerful houses—loyal supporters of the Saints across generations, despite never having joined the clergy.
As the heir of such a noble house, Hagen had received elite education from childhood. Though he didn't bully commoners, he had an innate pride and superiority complex and couldn't imagine treating commoners as equals.
"Would your parents want to be estranged from you?" Maierin replied with a question of his own.
Hagen froze, lost in thought. Meanwhile, the more mature Jackfried immediately grasped the meaning behind Maierin's words and silently mused, "As expected of the 'Father of the Earth'… Midgard has a bright future."
They passed through the residential and training areas nestled in the mountains and entered the Twelve Temples.
"Greetings, my lord."
Mu, who was training in Aries Temple, was the first to come out and welcome Maierin.
"Mm, looks like you haven't been slacking. You're almost catching up to Deathmask," Maierin praised.
"This is my duty and my honor. I wouldn't dare neglect it," Mu responded.
"Alright, take it easy. Don't just focus on training—how's your academic performance?"
"I haven't neglected it, my lord. I ranked third in the final exams, just behind Aiolos and Saga. I'll continue striving to surpass them."
"Good goal. Keep it up. I'm rooting for you."
Maierin smiled and ruffled Mu's hair to encourage him.
The usually serious Mu blushed and quickly looked down, too embarrassed to meet Maierin's eyes.
"My lord, are they new candidates?" Mu asked.
As the future guardian of Aries Temple—the first of the Twelve Temples—it was his duty to stop any suspicious person from entering, even if brought by Maierin himself.
"I'm not a candidate! I'm Saint Hilda's personal attendant!" Hagen snapped back before Maierin could answer.
"Cough cough, Hagen, mind your manners," Jackfried reminded him. This was someone else's territory, and since Midgard needed the Sanctuary's support to develop, starting things off with hostility would be a bad move.
He even sneaked a glance at Maierin, who simply smiled without saying anything, so Jackfried finally relaxed.
"Sorry, I don't know who Hilda is. As the future guardian of Aries, I can't allow any suspicious individuals to pass," Mu said seriously.
"What do you mean by that?! Isn't he your god? Are you saying people he brings are suspicious? Or are you doubting your god?!" Hagen shot back again.
"You misunderstand. My loyalty to Lord Maierin and Lady Athena is unwavering. But this is my duty. Even if they bring someone, I must confirm their identity," Mu explained.
At that, Maierin's eye twitched. From what he remembered, Mu was supposed to be gentle and easygoing. Why did he seem so serious now? Did he have the wrong person?
But then it clicked—Mu was only ten years old this year. Still a child. Yet he bore an enormous weight of responsibility and expectation, so much so that it was suffocating him. That must be why he had become like this.
"You! Hmph! What do you say?" Hagen turned to Maierin, still lacking proper respect. In his heart, there were only two people worthy of it: his father and Hilda. Not even a god could make him bow.¹
Mu didn't get upset at Hagen's attitude. He simply looked to Maierin.
"They're from Midgard, in the North. Odin has left Earth and entrusted me with their care. Hilda is the current Saintess of Midgard, and I've brought these two to arrange support for them," Maierin explained.
"I see. My apologies. Please, go ahead." Mu stepped aside to let Jackfried and Hagen through.
"Hmph. What's your name?" Hagen asked.
"My name is Mu. I'm a candidate for the Aries Gold Saint."
"You're strong. I can't beat you now, but I will someday. Then we'll have a match."
"No, my duty is to guard Aries Temple. Without Lord Maierin's order, I won't engage in pointless fights."
"You—!"
"Mu, accept the challenge," Maierin interrupted.
"Yes, Lord Maierin." Mu immediately changed his stance the moment Maierin spoke.
"Hmph! Just you wait!" Hagen huffed and turned his head away.
Maierin laughed heartily, ruffled Mu's hair again, and led the boys onward. But he kept Mu's situation in mind. Upholding one's duty was commendable, but Mu had clearly taken on too much. He was like an overloaded camel—just one more straw might break him.
"I'll have to talk to Shion. Let him take Mu to relax a bit. The kid's under too much pressure."²
Along the way, Hagen's pride took a serious beating. He had always thought of himself as the best among his peers in Midgard, aside from Jackfried.
But as they passed through the Twelve Temples, they encountered many youths even more outstanding than him—some even younger than him. It was a harsh blow.
Still, Hagen had a good mindset. He didn't fall into self-doubt or discouragement. Instead, his fighting spirit burned brighter. He resolved to train hard and surpass them.
Jackfried, though more reserved, was no different. His eyes now held a fire that gave him away.
Maierin saw it all and made no move to stop it. On the contrary, he fully supported it. Now that Midgard had joined his ranks, the God Warriors and the Saints were allies. Healthy competition between them would fuel progress on both sides. That was precisely why he had told Mu to accept Hagen's challenge.
"Greetings, my lord."
At the entrance of the Pope's Hall, Shion and Alex came forward to welcome him.
"Mm. Let's go inside to talk."
In the hall, Shion would normally give up the Pope's seat to Maierin, but this time he and Alex simply began reporting everything that had happened in the Sanctuary during Maierin's absence.
"In summary, the reform plan you set forth, Lord Maierin, is now 90% complete. It'll be finished soon."
"Good. Howard's done well. But don't let progress stop there. Reform is just the beginning. The Sanctuary needs to keep evolving. S.H.I.E.L.D. is our vanguard, and Howard is a genius. Keep in close contact with them. Alex, I'm putting you in charge of that."
"Yes, Lord Maierin."
"How are the children's studies progressing?"
"All Saints and candidates have completed their basic education. With their small cosmos, their learning speed is astounding—leaps and bounds ahead of ordinary people. Currently, Aiolos and Saga are the most advanced; they've finished high school and are being arranged for university. Next are Orpheus, Rubioni, Fibilar, and Kolonels—they'll soon catch up."
"Very good. Keep it up. But remind them not to neglect training either. Include strength assessments in future exams," Maierin ordered.
"Yes."
Jackfried and Hagen listened in awe. Watching Maierin handle affairs was stunning. He wasn't domineering, yet constantly exuded the presence of a leader. The issues being reported were complicated, yet Maierin always had the perfect response.
"Alright, that settles things for the Sanctuary. Now let's talk about Midgard. These two are Jackfried and Hagen—attendants of the current Saintess Hilda, and both quite remarkable boys," Maierin introduced.
"Greetings, Your Holiness. Greetings, Lord Alex."
The two bowed. Hagen, despite his pride, knew how to act in formal settings thanks to his elite education.
Shion and Alex nodded in return, waiting for Maierin's next instructions.