Rabion took a deep breath.

It felt as though the scent of Freya still lingered in the space she had just occupied.

‘That this day would truly come…’

This campaign had been launched suddenly, prompted by the oracle of the goddess Imona.

The kingdom of Havern was a land he had coveted – but had never been able to obtain.

Just like her – Freya.

During his time in Havern, he had heard rumours that the divine presence of the goddess Remior was waning.

If even a foreigner like him had gotten wind of it, it certainly wasn’t an idle rumour.

And yet, Remior’s name alone had continued to protect Havern with incredible power.

What’s more, a saint had appeared only a few years before.

Havern had become a land so untouchable that it was impossible to even dream of possessing it.

Above all, Remior was known to be the elder sister of Imona, the guardian goddess of the realm.

Without this oracle, Rabion would never have dared to lay claim to the kingdom.

Even now, everything that had happened felt like a dream.

“Are you really so happy, Your Majesty?”

At Kider’s comment, Rabion let out a soft laugh before his expression turned stern and he spoke as if annoyed.

“I must have kept you by my side too long. You’ve really started to say whatever you want.”

Despite his words, he couldn’t keep the smile from tugging at the corners of his lips.

“My wish… is to become Empress of the Kingdom of Karl.”

Even now he couldn’t quite believe she had said it.

It could only be described as a miracle from the Goddess Imona.

Although he had to admit that he wasn’t entirely satisfied with the reason she had given for such a wish.

“By the way, wasn’t getting that sword a bit pointless?”

Kider murmured with a click of his tongue, glancing at the long sword in his hand.

It had taken a lot of effort to exchange it quietly the moment the execution was cancelled – since it was such an important item.

“What nonsense are you talking about now?”

“I’m just saying… Even if it is a holy relic, the rental fee alone was terrifying. If I had known it would end up like this, I wouldn’t have borrowed it in the first place…”

The thought of all the money they had paid disappearing into thin air made Kider’s stomach churn with frustration.

“Shut up. I wouldn’t regret it even if we had to sell the whole empire, what do you think would have happened if Freya had wanted something different?”

“Well, uh…”

Kider hesitated, and Rabion’s expression darkened with obvious displeasure.

“You’re not suggesting that I should have watched the woman I love get beheaded just to get my money’s worth, are you?”

“Of course not! Absolutely not!”

Seeing the increasingly grim expression on his liege’s face, Kider shook his head violently.

His hand, still clutching the sword, was drenched in sweat.

Though it looked like an ordinary executioner’s blade, this was a holy relic – it was said to instantly heal any wound it inflicted, even that of complete dismemberment.

But that wasn’t all. If a life was taken by the sword, it was believed that the blade could absorb that person’s soul and allow them to resurrect later – as long as it happened within a single day.

A truly miraculous artefact.

‘To think that we’re just going to give it back… Kider sighed again, careful not to be noticed.’

It had been borrowed from the Red Beard Trading Guild, a group of merchants known for trading in the world’s rarest and most priceless treasures.

They were a group that valued trust as much as life itself – so much so that they had boldly agreed to lend a sacred relic of such rarity.

The Red Beard Trading Guild was an extremely secretive organisation, and simply making contact with them was no easy task.

Fortunately, Kider had done business with them in the past, so he was able to secure the item with relatively little trouble. He even tested it beforehand on animals marked for slaughter to confirm its effectiveness.

But that wasn’t all.

“Freya’s life is at stake. We have to be absolutely sure.”

“Excuse me?”

“Pick one of the ones already marked for death – test it again and make sure it’s done quietly.”

“You mean the ones on death row? But why go that far?”

“What did you just say?”

“I mean… the cost of this thing is one thing, but wouldn’t it be easier to just change the law instead? The procedure for executing a monarch of a defeated nation is part of an old imperial statute, so yes, it’s a bit complicated, but…”

“You talk too much. Just do as I say and do it properly.”

At the time, Kider had no knowledge of the secret oracle and couldn’t understand the Emperor’s actions.

And then –

“The time has come. The moon will finally bow to the sun. The only way for the wretched moon to survive is to become one with the sun. My mercy will only be granted to the last wish of the moon – so ask and act.”

Only today had they finally learned of the Goddess’ secret oracle.

‘If she hadn’t made the wish to become empress… the queen would have been executed, regardless of imperial law.’

Not even the Emperor himself could defy a publicly revealed oracle from the Goddess.

In his own way, their ruler had done all he could.

‘No matter how it happened… it’s a relief.’

Since his return to the realm of Karl, Kider had seen how much his lord had suffered.

He remembered it clearly:

How devastated the Emperor had been to hear of the death of the late King and Queen of Havern…

How he’d nearly lost his mind when he heard the news of Freya’s marriage.

That was why Kider’s mouth had gone dry during the execution earlier that day – that was why he, too, had prayed deep in his heart that it would never come to the point where the holy blade would be needed.

That Freya wouldn’t have to die at all.

“Have you sent someone?”

The Emperor’s voice reached Kider’s ears, still thick with displeasure.

“Yes, I gave the order to search every corner of the prison. But who would have thought that Aaron… that man would still be in there?”

“Too much time has passed.”

“There’s a good chance he’s already dead, so I’ve ordered them to bring the body back if they find it.”

“If he’s alive, he must be brought back alive – no exceptions.”

“Yes, I made that very clear.”

“What about the Saint and the High Priest?”

“They have disappeared without a trace. No sign of them near the temple or the surrounding area. We’ve widened the search area. As you ordered, I have instructed that they be dealt with immediately upon discovery.”

“They must be very clever to evade capture for so long.”

“However…”

“What is it?”

“There are some… strange rumours about the saint.”

“You mean the consort’s sister?”

“Christy.”

“Christy.”

They spoke the name almost in unison.
It had been a long time since either of them had said it aloud.

“There are claims that the saintess… worshiped a dark god within Remior’s temple.”

“What? Is that even possible?”

“While searching for the whereabouts of the Saint and the High Priest, several temple priests mentioned it. Judging from various circumstances, it doesn’t seem to be an unfounded rumour.”

“How could such a thing happen…”

“There are also reports that the Saint oppressed the Queen and interfered in national affairs as she pleased.”

“Oppressed her?”

Rabion’s voice flared with anger, making Kider shrug instinctively.

“You saw signs of that even then, didn’t you? Even Your Majesty used to express her frustration, saying that Lady Freya was far too lenient with the girl.”

Christy Lambert – daughter of the Marquis Lambert and younger sister of Aaron.

When Freya was still a princess, Christy had served as a playmate. Together with Aaron and two others, the four had often spent time together.

The Marquis Lambert had been a loyal follower of the late King, and his son Aaron had inherited much of his father’s character.

But the girl – Christy – had always been different. Even her eyes had seemed different.

Although she often had no choice but to join the group to see Princess Freya, her presence had always been uncomfortable – like a thorn in the side.

Unpleasant memories of that time resurfaced, and Rabion unconsciously furrowed her brow.

‘So now she’s a false saint worshipping a dark god… ‘

It had felt strange even then – he hadn’t believed it when he first heard that she had awoken as a saint.

“I should have dealt with her then.”

“You know how much Lady Freya cared for her.”

“……”

Freya had really leaned on Christy a lot.

Even after she took the throne, that didn’t seem to have changed.

“You really like Freya, don’t you?”

“Why does it have to be the princess?”

“She’s a royal. You can’t marry her anyway, Ray.”

The disgusting voice of the brown-haired girl who had whispered those words to him six years ago still echoed in his ears.

“Wow! What’s this? It’s so pretty. Can I have it?”

She had dared to tug on his necklace and even put her hands on the ring – a keepsake from his mother.

He should have snapped those arrogant fingers without hesitation.

“Repeat the order. If the saint is found, she is to be brought back alive – completely unharmed.”

A sharp, thin smile curved the corner of Rabion’s lips as he spoke.

Realising what his liege was thinking, Kider shook his head slowly.

‘If she wants mercy in death, she’d better be killed now.’

“I will surrender… please, I beg you – do nothing more.”

“Please… just spare the humans…”

Freya’s voice, struggling to hold back tears, still echoed painfully in Rabion’s ears.
That pale face, void of any will to live, flickered in his mind like a haunting vision.

‘So that’s what it was…’

To think her husband—who had once been a friend—had committed adultery, and her so-called saintess companion turned out to be a servant of a dark god.

‘What did I do to you…?’

Even if it was to fulfil the oracle of the goddess Imona, it was he, the emperor of a hostile nation, who had trampled her homeland and inflicted unbearable suffering.

And that wasn’t all.

Before the war, he had even felt excitement at the thought of making her his.

That guilt now clawed relentlessly at Rabion’s conscience.

‘Why did it have to be… at her lowest, most painful moment…?’

When he remembered the circumstances Freya had been in at the time, it was utterly heartbreaking.

And then –

‘So the rumours were true – Remior’s divine presence really did disappear.’

It was as if the guardian goddess of Havern had truly abandoned her people.

For over a thousand years, the kingdom of Havern had known nothing but peace, protected from invasion by its rich natural bounty.

And all of that was thanks to the divine power of Remior.

Unlike other deities whose very existence was often in question, Remior had revealed her power openly whenever it was needed—without reservation.

Known even among the gods for her overwhelming power, Remior was a deity who loved peace above all else.

But for those who sought the kingdom of Havern, she showed no mercy – only brutal retribution.

Long ago, when the kingdom of Berdio attempted to invade Havern, a massive fleet of warships was engulfed in a violent storm. Every soldier perished, and the kingdom soon fell into rapid decline, eventually collapsing altogether.

Although ancient, the story is still told today.

Even Imona, the goddess of war, had never dared to covet her older sister’s kingdom.

As a result, of all the nations of the Western Continent, only the Kingdom of Havern had never fallen to the Empire of Karl.

Under such powerful divine protection, the people of Havern had lived in peace and comfort for generations.

So much so that to call their military “weak” was an understatement.

Aside from the Royal Guard, their forces were barely enough to maintain internal order.

Even if they had recognised the invasion in time and made preparations, it would have been impossible to gather enough troops to stand up to the Empire of Karl.

Their surrender—so swift and seemingly effortless—must have been the best choice Freya could make, driven by her love for the people.

‘You…’

It hurt.

The pain and despair she must have felt was unimaginable. And because he couldn’t even begin to fathom it—
‘I would make them pay.’

‘Those who betrayed Freya would face the consequences.’

Rabion’s blue eyes flashed with a deadly gleam.

That vicious mix of guilt and rage focused entirely on Christy and Aaron—
an emotion steeped in contradiction, and yet all-consuming.