Chapter 11 – The Child of God (Part 4)

After the three left for the temple, she kept thinking about the conversations she had with Sir Mikel, and then she heard from Kahin that there was a temple in the North. From the moment she heard that, she had an instinctive feeling that she needed to visit it. She wondered how she could logically explain that.

It was just an instinctive pull. Something instinctive, like her body screaming at her to flee from the dark arts.

“I have something I want to verify.”

That’s all she could say.

Seeing her smile mixed with difficulty and apology, Letban stopped probing further. Even though it was a situation where he should find out about the thoughts of an outsider like her as the next head of the North, seeing her like that made it difficult for various complex reasons.

In the end, he let out a groaning sound and did something uncharacteristic.

“Well… I’ll ask the Marquis. But don’t expect a positive answer.”

“No, it’s okay. I didn’t even explain my reasons properly, so how could I expect immediate permission? I’m grateful just for passing the message.”

Ria, who thought she would be denied by Letban, brightened up at the unexpected outcome. Seeing her bright smile, Letban reassured himself that it was a good choice for now, regardless of what happened later, and left, promising to give her an answer when he brought her medicine that evening.

And that evening.

“The Marquis has permitted you to visit the temple.”

The permission was granted surprisingly easily.

＊ ＊ ＊

The next morning, Ria prepared to go to the temple. Now that she could walk, she wanted to make the trip quickly. As she dressed warmly for the cold weather and was about to leave the mansion with Kahin, Knox appeared with Letban.

Seeing Kahin’s horse waiting at the mansion’s front gate, Knox raised an eyebrow. He seemed to wonder if she intended to ride that.

“The northern wind is as biting as the weather. But with that…”

Were they planning to ride through it? 

Knox was about to ask but swallowed his words when he met Ria’s pure brown eyes, untouched like freshly fallen snow. After a moment of contemplation, his words came out in a gentle tone.

“I’ll provide a carriage. Take it.”

“No, no! It’s okay. I’m already imposing a lot, so I couldn’t possibly…”

“Do you want the North to gain a reputation for not properly accommodating guests?”

Who would dare say such a thing to the Marquis family, who had eradicated monsters and protected the Empire? But his determination to have Ria ride in a carriage made him shameless.

“That’s not it, but I heard the distance to the temple is quite far, so it might take longer by carriage. Also…”

But today, Ria’s determination was equally strong. Normally, she would have reluctantly accepted his consideration, but this time, she felt that every moment spent preparing the carriage and moving at a reasonable pace was a waste. She wanted to get to the temple as quickly as possible.

“I’m dressed warmly, so it’s fine!”

Ria, feeling the same way about this standoff, showed him the layers of thick clothing she was wearing and earnestly expressed her intention. Knox, watching her, sighed as if he had no choice and removed the thick fur cloak he was wearing, draping it over her shoulders.

“You’re stubborn despite not being in good health. You shouldn’t underestimate the northern weather.”

His tone was gruff, but his hands tying the cloak’s strings were infinitely gentle. Caught off guard by his unexpected action, Ria blinked in surprise as he pulled the hood of the cloak over her head, straightened his bent back, and looked satisfied.

“Take Letban with you. He’ll be a better pass than a document with a seal.”

“……”

“Return before sunset. It gets colder at night.”

Then, perhaps feeling embarrassed himself, he cleared his throat and turned back to the mansion without waiting for Ria’s response. Ria finally gathered her wits and called out her thanks to his retreating figure.

Thanks to the fur cloak, not only did her body feel warmer, but a corner of her heart was also warmly comforted. It felt like the embrace of her grandfather, who used to hold her warmly, and Ria couldn’t help but smile bashfully.

At the same time, in the temple of the Empire.

“…What do you mean? Who has visited?”

“Y-Your Highness, the Crown Prince and Duke Astina…”

Bang! The chief priest, trembling at the loud sound of a fist striking the desk, bowed his head even lower. The high priest clenched his fists tightly and bit his lip.

‘Why are they here? When did they leave the capital?’

The fact that the Crown Prince and the two Dukes had left simultaneously was kept extremely secretive because there would surely be those looking to take advantage of their absence. Although it wasn’t easy to avoid attention while moving with knights, it was not impossible for them to manage it with their power.

However, the high priest interpreted the fact that they couldn’t even find out their whereabouts as a sign that the temple was not yet in a superior position to the Imperial Family.

“What were you doing that you couldn’t even figure that out?”

“B-but…”

“Silence! You useless fools!”

He expressed his anger to the point of his face turning red, then took a deep breath and asked the priest.

“So, did you let them into the temple?”

“N-no. We are doing everything we can to stop them.”

The high priest’s mind raced. He needed to find the best way to resolve this situation. Just then, a loud noise echoed from far outside the door, followed by shouts warning that the gods would be angry, and the door was forcibly opened with a loud bang.

“It’s been a while, High Priest Pell.”

Standing at the door were Cherta and Rune, just as the priest had mentioned. The high priest quickly put on a benevolent face and stood up.

“…If you had sent word in advance, I would have prepared a grand welcome. I’m a bit surprised, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

“I suddenly felt the need to pray to the gods.”

“Is that so?”

“Why, have I come to a place where I’m not welcome? The temple is always open to the citizens of the Empire, and I am also one of them.”

“Of course not. The gods are always equally benevolent to all. They must be pleased.”

Cherta inwardly scoffed at the high priest’s act of playing the benevolent priest. Inside, he was surely rotting away.

He walked in and sat at the head of the sofa. Though it seemed light, considering that the highest status should sit at the head, it was an action that clearly implied the temple was beneath him. For a moment, the high priest’s expression faltered, but it was quickly corrected, and no one noticed.

“I came to ask the high priest’s opinion on something, so I’d like to have a conversation.”

“Thank you for saying so, but I’m currently busy with divine duties…”

“There were dozens of priests blocking my way just now. They all seemed quite diligent despite being busy.”

“…”

“Since we’re both busy, it would be best to finish quickly, wouldn’t it?”

With nothing more to say, the high priest reluctantly told the priest to bring tea and then sat on the sofa.

Soon, the tea was prepared quickly, and only the chief priest remained by the high priest’s side, with everyone else dismissed. Cherta lowered his gaze to the steaming tea, then turned his head to the high priest.

“Do you know that there was a major incident recently?”

“By a major incident, do you mean the hunting festival where a monster appeared and caused chaos?”

“You know well. Then do you know how that monster was killed?”

“How could I not know about an event that shook the Empire? I heard the monster melted suddenly while confronting the Imperial Knights.”

Cherta, watching the high priest sip tea, placed his arm on the right armrest, rested his chin on it, crossed his legs, and tapped the left armrest with his index finger. His voice, mixed with the rhythm of his tapping, was flat.

“Yes. As if…”

“…”

“As if it had completed its task.”

While Cherta spoke, Rune keenly observed the high priest’s expression for any changes. However, the high priest maintained a serene expression, placing the teacup down silently.

“I didn’t know that much. I naturally thought the skilled Imperial Knights had defeated it.”

Then, with a serious expression, he clasped his hands and spoke words befitting a high priest.

“It’s fortunate there wasn’t more damage. It seems to have been the grace of the gods.”

Cherta and Rune felt a surge of curses rising to their throats. The grace of the gods? The audacity of the one responsible for all this was beyond infuriating. The high priest didn’t stop there and provoked them with a concerned expression.

“I heard rumors that a cherished lady of yours was caught up in the commotion. Have you found her?”

For a moment, the expressions of the two men twisted. How dare he mention her with that filthy mouth? Their eyes, shining with raw intensity, were directed straight at the high priest. Though he should have been overwhelmed by their fierce aura, the high priest sneered inwardly at their stiffness.

‘Incompetent fools who couldn’t even protect their own woman, trying to test me without any evidence? Ha, they’d be better off searching for that wench.’

The high priest, unaware of Ria’s reunion with them, couldn’t know they had gone north. Moreover, he didn’t think his plans would go awry. Although contact with the one who kidnapped the Child of God had been lost, there had never been any problems during their numerous dealings before.

It was the arrogance of a foolish man.