***

That night, the back door of the inn where Belinda was staying quietly opened.

The intruder stepped inside, making slight noises as if knowing there was no one on the first floor.

Though their face was hidden under a deeply pulled-down robe, their footsteps were quiet and refined, as if well-trained.

They immediately climbed the stairs leading to the second floor.

The creaking sound of ascending stairs echoed several times through the empty inn.

Finally reaching the door of Belinda’s room, the intruder used a key they had previously obtained to quietly enter.

The room’s occupant was sound asleep in bed, covered by a blanket.

Relying on the dim light coming through the window, the intruder surveyed the room before heading towards the hunting attire hanging on one side.

True to its practical design, it had many pockets here and there.

Just as the intruder was about to take something out of their inner pocket and put it into Belinda’s clothing pocket—

“Is it the custom of the Holy Empire to leave gifts in the middle of the night without asking the owner’s preference?”

“…!”

The startled intruder turned towards the bed to see Belinda sitting with her legs crossed, her face cold and without a trace of sleepiness.

“H-How…?”

At that moment, Lionel, responding to Belinda’s signal, appeared and subdued the intruder in an instant.

In the commotion, the hood fell back, revealing the intruder’s face.

“How unfortunate, Father Melio.”

***

The day before, having discovered the cause of the landslide, Belinda had risked the threat to visit Jusepe.

Whatever his true intentions might have been, Jusepe welcomed Belinda.

While serving tea to Belinda, Jusepe spoke sociably.

“This is the first time we’ve met since the banquet. I never expected Lady Belinda Blanche to come to visit me.”

Ah yes, the banquet. Belinda had been wondering all along why she had been invited to the banquet.

At first, she thought straightforwardly that Jusepe suspected her of being a black magician.

But even so, it still didn’t quite make sense.

While others might have reasons to betray the temple and steal the sacred object, for her, there was only the suspicion that she might be a black magician.

The idea that a black magician would automatically steal sacred objects was irrational.

After pondering for a long time, Belinda finally realized.

The real reason why Jusepe had invited her to the banquet.

“You intended to use me as bait.”

“Could you explain what you mean by that?”

Jusepe maintained his relaxed smile and elegantly tilted his teacup.

“No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t understand. Why invite me to the banquet? Then I tried to think from your perspective.”

Belinda habitually flicked her index finger.

“You have suspects. But no evidence. Also, as a priest, you couldn’t torture the suspects.”

“You know well. Those who follow God must be merciful, so we don’t torture people recklessly.”

“But you needed to find the culprit and recover the sacred object. So what you came up with was bait that could lure the suspects.”

The suspects, under pressure from Jusepe, would have tried to dispose of the stolen sacred object somehow.

But by now, even disposing of the sacred object had become difficult.

Moreover, the temple had taken a firm stance, stating they wouldn’t lift the lockdown until the sacred object was found.

There were watchful eyes everywhere, and they were under Jusepe’s suspicion.

They needed to pin their crime on someone else.

And if there was a noble lady suspected of being a black magician right beside them?

There was no need to explain how easy a target she would have seemed for framing.

If the suspects passed the sacred object, the only evidence, to me, at least his goal of recovering the sacred object could be achieved.

Of course, from my perspective as the bait, it would be a bolt from the blue, but I had to admit it was a clever move.

Click. Jusepe put down his teacup and smiled leisurely.

“You’re quite perceptive, contrary to what I’ve seen.”

Seen? Not heard rumors about?

It was an oddly striking statement, but that wasn’t what I needed to focus on right now.

“I’ll play the role of the best bait, and in return, I want to earn your trust.”

“My trust?”

“Yes. I don’t know what you know about me, but I won’t say whether it’s true or false. I just want you to believe that certain facts I tell you are the truth. If you want, you can use the ‘Eye of Truth’ to judge if there’s any lie in my words. I allow it.”

For the first time, something resembling a smile appeared on his lips, which had only shown a faint smile until now.

“The role of the best bait. Very well. I accept. However, Lady Blanche, I think you’re mistaken about the prey I’m trying to catch.”

“What?”

“What I’m after isn’t those who sat next to Lady Blanche. It’s the one who dared to sit closest to me.”

Father Melio.

Jusepe was saying that the culprit was Father Melio.

While pondering whether his words were true, I suddenly discovered something.

<Ugh, a pile of poop!>

I had brought Sugar along in case I needed a fairy’s blessing, but suddenly Sugar pointed at someone and made a gesture of dry heaving.

“Sugar, what are you looking at?”

<There, there! A smelly pile of poop! Even worse than the pile of poop at our house!>

The one Sugar was pointing at was none other than Father Melio, who was diligently serving the villagers more than anyone else.

***

“S-Sir Lionel!”

Melio, unable to hide his shock, looked back and forth between Lionel and Belinda.

Lionel snatched what Melio was holding and held it up to the moonlight.

It was a simple rosemary brooch.

However, the Divine Power contained within it was no less than that of a high-ranking priest.

Although no one had been able to claim the Divine Power within this sacred object as their own, as its rightful owner hadn’t been found.

After confirming the brooch was genuine, Lionel muttered in a devastated voice.

“How could you, as one who serves God, commit such an outrageous act?”

“Oh, there’s a misunderstanding! I, I just received a divine revelation and learned that Lady Belinda had the sacred object. Th-that’s right. Yes! A divine revelation! Please, let me see Cardinal Jusepe. He will know who the real culprit is!”

“What do you think about meeting him once, since he’s pleading so desperately, Cardinal Jusepe?”

“What…?”

Father Melio’s trembling gaze turned towards the door.

Soon, the sound of neat footsteps was heard, and Jusepe appeared.

He shone particularly brightly under the moonlight, like a flower that blooms at night rather than during the day.

“Father Melio. Could you explain how I can prove your innocence?”

“O-Of course! Didn’t you swear to God, Cardinal? That among the three people who attended the banquet, there was a culprit! But if you treat me as a criminal like this, you’ll be breaking your divine oath, and you might end up losing your Divine Power if you’re not careful.”

“Ah, come to think of it, I did make such an oath.”

Jusepe nodded in seeming agreement.

Just as Father Melio’s face was about to brighten up, as if he had found a lifeline.

“But Father Melio, think carefully. Did I really swear that one of the three people I invited to the banquet was the culprit?”

“Wh-What do you mean…?”

Melio frantically racked his brain.

Surely, surely at that time, the divine oath…

“…Could you make a divine oath?”

“Of course, Father Melio. Among those who participated in this banquet today, there is a culprit. I swear to God.”

Melio’s hands trembled violently.

He didn’t say the culprit was among the three.

He swore that the culprit was among those who participated in the banquet, and Melio was also one of the participants.

“D-Don’t tell me you knew everything from the beginning…”

“I’m quite good at smelling the stench of unbelievers. Sir Lionel, it’s alright to let him go.”

“…Yes.”

As Lionel released his grip, Melio’s body crumbled to the ground.

Jusepe stood in front of Melio with light and quiet steps, as if treading on flower petals.

“Melio Cesaric, as God’s representative, I ask you. Have you dabbled in black magic?”

At that moment, the air surrounding him changed.