"If I listed all my titles, it would probably take some time, but I don't have enough time right now."
Instead of answering the other man's question, Shade asked:
"So you didn't appear here because you were supposedly 'sucked in,' but came here willingly?"
The man nodded.
"Yes. This place needs guarding. This world has no core, but there are still dangerous areas. When the Nature Church chose this site, it was originally meant to suppress this place corresponding to that world. But the problem later grew increasingly serious, so every hundred years, the Church sends sufficiently powerful Ring Arcanists to preserve their consciousness through a ritual before death, then enter this world to guard the church."
He explained without any intention of concealing anything.
"So if you have no business here, leave. If anything goes wrong here, no one will survive."
"Sorry, but I need to enter the church. I promise I absolutely won't damage the Church's seal."
Shade said, trying to make his tone genuinely convey an apology. He greatly admired the soul before him.
"Fine, go in."
The man shrugged.
"Hm?"
The eyes behind the mask blinked. This was not what Shade had expected.
"You're just letting me in? What about your duty?"
"Oh, I can sense great power within you. More precisely, if we really fought, even with this church's power, I couldn't defeat you. The Ring Arcanist system unifies soul and body. Without a body, even a high-ring arcanist is useless. Rather than fight and let you damage the church's sealing measures, it is better to let you in. Besides, after staying here for so long, I can distinguish the characteristics of souls. Your soul is not bad. It could even be called noble. I can feel the power of compassion and courage."
"Then, thank