“Priestess! Priestess! I have a quick question······!”
“Cornelia. Please shut the door.”
“Acting Mayor! No! There’s something I absolutely have to ask the Priestess!”
Thud.
The door shuts.
The noisy outside and the inside are now separated.
Goodbye to those paparazzi-like people who were constantly chasing me.
For the time being, I’ll be staying at this Briam mansion.
“Priestess······.”
“I finally did it.”
“Complaint. Did you submit it?”
“Yes! And now the investigators are pestering me, but I brushed them off! I mean, what could I even say? I haven’t thought about the specific details of the incident at all.”
“······.”
Cornelia’s mouth drops open, utterly dumbfounded.
I understand why she reacts that way.
I committed such an outrageous act.
“Will the investigation······ proceed?”
“It will. The Priestess’s influence is much stronger than you’d think. It’s uncertain whether the incident actually occurred or not, but since the Priestess has pointed to a specific person, they have no choice but to start the investigation for that person.”
“Priestess. But when the investigation ends, it’ll all come out as a lie.”
“I know. I’ll be labeled a liar, and the Priestess’s position will be greatly shaken. Even so, it was something I had to do.”
“Ha······.”
Cornelia’s sigh makes me flinch.
I only feel genuine regret toward Cornelia.
I’ve already owed her so much up until now.
And now, I’ve committed the very wrongful act she worked so hard to resist.
Of course, there’s a reason for it······.
“Have you eaten?”
“No······.”
“Come in. Don’t just stand there. I’ll prepare a meal right away. Do you want to use my room?”
“Yes, yes. Thank you······.”
Without asking any further questions, Cornelia willingly offers her room.
I almost shed a tear from gratitude.
She even remembers that I hated using the room of the mansion’s original owner and is willing to give me a room without traces of the owner.
Her thoughtful consideration is so warm.
I have no idea why she’s being so kind to such an annoying girl like me.
“I was going to apologize when we met······.”
As I looked at the sketch I drew, I couldn’t help but laugh.
It really looks just like Yoo Jin.
I had no idea I had such talent.
I wished to see his face again.
I wanted to meet, and apologize.
But now, I might have messed that up.
Even if we meet again, Yoo Jin will probably just glare at me with a disgusted expression.
My wish can no longer be fulfilled.
Because I ruined everything myself······.
“Come eat!”
“Yes.”
I pulled my face from Cornelia’s pillow and shuffled toward the dining room.
Cornelia was alone in the large dining room.
It seems she dismissed all the servants.
As the meal began, the dining room was filled with silence, except for the clattering sound of dishes.
After some time, Cornelia finally spoke up.
“Um······. Can I say something presumptuous?”
“Feel free. What’s too presumptuous between us?”
“Priestess. I firmly believe you have crossed a line this time. It’s not just any charge; attempted rape of a Priestess deserves the death penalty. It could change a person’s life entirely. I can’t help but think this may cause a tremendous inconvenience to you, as well as the person involved······.”
Cornelia trails off, avoiding eye contact, as if frightened.
She’s probably scared.
After all, it’s understandable considering I’m pushing an investigation forward for an unfounded attempted rape charge.
“He’s someone I need to find no matter what.”
“And what do you plan to do once you find him?”
“I want to apologize······.”
“That apology will not be accepted. His hatred for you has likely reached a peak, and he probably won’t even listen to an apology.”
“······.”
She’s right.
I’m the one who left because I grew tired of bothering him.
But if he returns and finds out I’m pursuing him with a charge of attempted rape, how shocking would that be?
How disgusted would he be?
How much would he hate me?
“Withdraw the investigation before it’s too late. Okay? You can say it was a misunderstanding and make it all go away.”
“I can’t······. I’m sorry. You gave me advice out of kindness.”
“······.”
That was the end of our conversation.
Cornelia didn’t try to persuade me any further.
But from her demeanor, I could sense a strange disappointment.
It was clear what kind of disappointment it was.
Disappointment in me as a person.
Disappointment in the character of the Priestess.
I can guess that the anonymous petition urging the investigation to be dropped that reached the Vatican was also written by Cornelia.
Cornelia clearly wants to help me.
She hopes my reputation does not crumble.
‘I guess I should tell her······.’
Then wouldn’t Cornelia also have the right to know?
Just as such thoughts crossed my mind for a moment.
“I’m done eating.”
Scrape.
Cornelia stood up, dragging her chair.
I desperately grabbed her wrist.
“Wait a moment.”
“······?”
“I have something to say.”
She likely won’t believe me anyway.
But I have to say it.
If I don’t, I fear my relationship with Cornelia might be irreparably damaged.
After we cleaned up the dishes.
Cornelia and I stepped out onto the balcony.
A beautiful panoramic view of Cologne spread out before us.
“Where should I start······. It goes pretty far back.”
“Yes. Please take your time, Priestess.”
“Do you know where I’m from?”
“I know. Isn’t it Britannia? You’re said to have fled to the Holy Kingdom during the Republican Revolution······.”
“Correct. When I was young, amid the winds of revolution, I lost my parents at the execution grounds, and I embarked on a long exile. Yet, the entire journey was filled with a nauseating stench. Whenever I asked what it was, the servants wouldn’t answer and blindfolded me to keep me from looking around. The more that happened at such a young age, the more curious I became. So, I secretly opened my eyes and looked outside. What I saw were distant rolling hills, and rising white smoke. Back then, I didn’t know what it was. But reflecting back as I grew older, I realized what I had seen was a mountain of corpses.”
It was a horrifying era.
An era when all of Britannia was engulfed in hatred and rage.
An era where innocent people like my parents died while taking on the sins of the wicked nobles.
Even countless commoners who had protected them were being slaughtered by the thousands.
A time that could be called a frenzy.
In contrast, the Holy Kingdom that took us in was a realm governed solely by reason and logic.
Exploitation by nobles disguised as local leaders didn’t occur.
And commoners didn’t stab nobles with pitchforks either.
Admittedly, if we dig deeper, we can see that the Holy Kingdom is far from the ideal nation.
But that’s another story.
“Eventually, I began to wonder. While I understood that what I had seen was a mountain of corpses, what about the rising white smoke?”
“Wasn’t it from burning the corpses······?”
“That’s what I thought too. But the smoke from burning corpses is black.”
“Yes?”
“Oh. Apparently, it’s black. That’s what I heard. But the smoke I saw was nearly transparent white. I couldn’t solve the mystery of what that could be, and time passed, leading me to be dispatched to the battlefield.”
“Are you referring to the Britannia conquest?”
“Yes, yes. Exactly.”
That’s right.
It’s the war where I personally destroyed the homeland I had sought refuge in.
The war that ended just ten weeks after the Holy Knights led by the Sacred Knights conquered Britannia.
“One night. Our Holy Knights’ encampment was raided. An all-night battle erupted, and when dawn broke, the place was filled with the corpses of foes. But then I saw it again. The white smoke that swayed above the corpses like a mirage. No matter how much I asked the others, they said they couldn’t see it; it only became visible to me.”
“Could it be something like a soul?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen such smoke coming from people who died in a hospital. Maybe it only comes from the corpses of those who held a powerful grudge. But the reason I shared this long story is······.”
It’s evident she isn’t taking this seriously.
She looks half-skeptical.
I raised my head to wrap up the story.
Only to be met with the beautiful view of Cologne.
In the middle of it all.
“Right now, that smoke is rising thickly in Cologne.”
The white smoke.
It sways thickly like smog.
It’s been like this for days.
It seems I’m the only one who feels there’s something wrong.
“They say it’s dangerous, but no one believes me. The only person who has ever believed me unconditionally is Yoo Jin. I must find Yoo Jin.”
I need to find Yoo Jin.
By whatever means necessary.
Even if it means being hated by Yoo Jin······.
Otherwise, many people might die.
That ominous premonition crosses my mind.
*
“Two weeks ago, the Vatican received a complaint from Priestess Jill Diner. A man named Yoo Jin, a resident of the Holy Kingdom of Hameln, allegedly attempted to rape the Priestess but failed and fled. The Vatican viewed this as a serious matter and began a covert investigation······. However, I found several aspects quite questionable. First, the fact that the man named Yoo Jin’s resident registration is relatively recent. Secondly, there are no witnesses at all. Of course, since it was the Priestess’s claim, no one dared to refute, but even the Pope and we cardinals suspect that the Priestess may have fabricated accusations against a non-existent man. But, it seems he’s not completely without existence?”
“······.”
Clack.
Nicholas pulls out a piece of paper from his coat and hands it to me.
On it is a drawing, and of course, it looks just like me.
It’s none other than my montage.
Upon closer inspection, it’s drawn quite well.
Except for the nose, you’d believe it was drawn while looking at me.
I had no idea Jill had such remarkable drawing skills.
“The Priestess drew this herself. You. What is your relationship with the Priestess?”
“What relationship? I wouldn’t even recognize her face.”
“Don’t play coy. Let me reiterate, I am here to help you. So please tell us the truth. Are you truly unfamiliar with the Priestess?”
“Yes. I’ve never even been to Hameln.”
“Goodness. What on earth is going on here······.”
Remarkably, that’s all true.
So far, I’ve not encountered Jill even once.
I did send a letter warning her to be careful of assassination in the Cathedral, but there’s no proof that I sent it.
It’s perfectly reasonable for me to claim I have no acquaintance with the Priestess.
“Is there really nothing amiss? Have you never done anything to incur the Priestess’s wrath?”
“Yes. I’m just an ordinary wandering mercenary. I occasionally hear news about the Priestess through the newspaper, but I have no contact with her whatsoever.”
“This is absolutely maddening. Why on earth would the Priestess······.”
The one wanting to go mad is me.
This crazy girl pays back a life saved by turning it into a favor?
For now, I’m managing to keep my anger in check with the cardinal before me, but my blood pressure could explode at any moment.
‘I didn’t think she’d turn out this foolish······.’
In contrast to my anger, I’m feeling a sense of unease.
In the first cycle, Jill was certainly a naïve girl.
I made her that way.
I tailored her into a spoiled child just for her.
It’s not normal for someone to send spam emails across the world claiming to seek me out.
But as far as I know, Jill is a child who knows a thing or two about morals.
The truly reckless one was the Jill of the sixth cycle who decided to invade Petenburg.
The Jill of the first cycle is not like that.
‘Does she have some motive?’
Is there a reason that compels her to chase after me, even with the threat of being sentenced to death?
Such suspicions cross my mind.
To confirm them, I have no other choice.
I have to contact Cornelia.
If anyone knows about Jill’s recent activities or well-being, it’s definitely Cornelia.
I’ll also have to ensure Cornelia is safe.
If Jill has some profound thought that led her to create this mess, I need to confirm what it is.
Plus, I can’t forget the hunt for Belphegor’s true form.
I absolutely cannot turn back now.
“You’re determined to gain entry no matter what? Even if you risk execution for attempted rape of a Priestess?”
“Yes. It’s a matter I must face, even at the risk of death.”
“What on earth······. Things are getting really complicated. Just capturing the inspection post was hard enough······.”
Nicholas sighs deeply, removing his glasses and frowning.
Then, he snapped his fingers to the door.
With that, the door bursts open, and a knight clad in full armor strides in.
“He’s a trustworthy Holy Knight. You must always be accompanied by him and obey his orders. In case of emergency, he’s the only one who can protect your life. Do you understand?”
“Oh······.”
The Holy Knight stands at attention beside us.
Dazzling armor.
Shiny blonde hair and blue eyes.
And a handsome face.
The moment my eyes meet that face, I freeze.
“Hello. I’m Sola Artemisia, deputy of the Sacred Knights.”
The one standing before me is none other than the Holy Knight Sola.
The very one who would eventually fall and become one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
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