Archers?

If that were true, it would align eerily with the threats Raphael had been facing.

Kristin and Raphael exchanged a tense glance, the gravity of the situation dawning on them both.

If the Pope’s words were true, these archers had been trained to kill them.

Yet, at this point, all they had was speculation.

Raphael felt a growing sense of confusion.

Initially, he suspected the Emperor had ordered one of his knights to assassinate him.

But if what the Pope said was accurate, the person behind the threatening letters sent to Kristin wasn’t the Emperor—it was Princess Rebella of Praga.

Even so, something about this didn’t make sense.

As the only Crown Princess of Praga, why would she seek to kill him? If she needed power to secure her position in the line of succession, eliminating him was counterintuitive.

If anything, a Crown Princess in her position would have sought to claim Raphael as her ally, not destroy him. She would access his considerable influence and resources by keeping him alive.

But instead, the reverse seemed to be happening—she was actively targeting him.

“Are you certain about what you’ve just told us?” Raphael asked, his voice steady but his eyes intense.

“Yes, I am,” the Pope affirmed. “The noble who shared this information is one of the many who visit Noah Cathedral. Naturally, I meet a wide variety of individuals here, and he was one of them.”

“Duke Raphael,” Kristin said softly, her voice trembling as she turned to him.

Raphael nodded, his thoughts racing.
‘As though they were preparing to assassinate someone, displaying their portrait and calling forth archers to train in unison.’

The implications of this were deeply troubling.

Before going to war or eliminating a dangerous individual, the imperial knights were rigorously tested to select those capable of carrying out special missions.

Someone with the requisite skills had to be chosen to ensure a flawless and clean resolution.

Duke Raphael, the most powerful figure in the Union Empire, had also undergone such tests before heading to war.

In the empire, titles such as baron, viscount, earl, and marquis were often inherited, but the rank itself was generally limited to the level bestowed by the family. The emperor addressed this limitation by granting promotions in rank based on contributions to the nation.

This practice caused significant discontent among lower-ranked nobles, who had no opportunity for social advancement.

Thus, they had to strive to raise their status to be on par with other nobles. For them, the family’s rank and honor were more important than the size of their estates, whether they held 100 or 10 territories.

The empire allowed certain nobles to elevate their rank in recognition of their contributions. Even lower-ranked nobles could rise above the status of baron or viscount if deemed fit through various tests and accomplishments.

However, this practice wasn’t exclusive to the Union Empire. The Praga Empire, having maintained relations with the Union Empire since the times of their ancestors, had established a similar system. Princess Rebella of the Praga Empire was undoubtedly aware of this.

Moreover, any directive from the princess promised significant rewards, making her involvement highly influential.

Yet, it was implausible that the Praga Empire emperor would be unaware of such developments. Recruiting soldiers was conducted under imperial command, making it unlikely that such actions resulted solely from Princess Rebella’s unilateral decisions.

“If you ever need my assistance, I can protect Duke Raphael and Lady Kristin within the empire. My voice could make resolving this matter much easier.”

At these words, Kristin looked up abruptly.
Just as she was about to nod in agreement with the Pope’s suggestion, Duke Raphael shook his head.

“Originally, I intended to seek your help, Your Holiness. However, today, I’ve learned something unexpected. While your influence may be nearly equal to His Majesty’s, it likely doesn’t extend to neighboring countries.”

“Your Grace, are you suggesting that His Holiness cannot protect us either?” Kristin asked, startled by the duke’s remark.

The duke continued, “You may find my words offensive. However, I believe we must verify something first. Princess Rebella harbors ill feelings toward Kristin and me. If there are sniper drills in the Praga Empire, we must confirm who their target is.”

“Then—”

The Pope briefly closed his eyes, as if contemplating deeply, before turning to the high priest beside him and giving an order.

“Bring me paper, ink, and a quill.”

Addressing Kristin and Duke Raphael, the Pope continued,

“First, I will send a letter to His Majesty requesting your protection. While Duke Rodney insists on personally verifying the situation, one cannot predict human fate.”

“Your Holiness,” the duke responded, meeting his gaze. The Pope smiled and returned his glance.

“It seems that God has sent a noble to protect you. If one can foresee the flow of time, is that not also a gift of divine favor? Furthermore, as God’s servant, it would be inconceivable for me to stand by while those He intends to save are in danger. If I send this letter to His Majesty, no external forces will dare harm you within the Union Empire. Every citizen of the empire is entitled to protection.”

“Thank you so much for helping us,” Kristin said, bowing to the Pope, who waved it off casually before beginning to write the letter.

As Duke Raphael watched the Pope at work, he silently reflected on the situation.

If this letter truly guaranteed their safety, it would mean the emperor was not the one threatening them.

However, if their lives were still endangered despite the Pope’s efforts, it would confirm that Princess Rebella was behind it all.

When Duke Raphael married Princess Rebella, she often disdained the Union Empire.

Now, he regretted overlooking her behavior for so long. She had every reason to act as she did.

“Now then, High Priest, take this letter. If you deliver it to the imperial palace, at least these two will be safe within the Union Empire,” the Pope said.

“Understood. I will deliver it immediately,” the High Priest replied.

Taking the letter from the Pope, the High Priest left the grand cathedral without delay.

Afterward, Duke Raphael turned to Kristin and spoke.

“Kristin, stay at my duchy. You’ll be safe there. With the Pope’s letter sent, we should have a few days of security until I return from the Praga Empire.”

However, Kristin had no intention of following the duke’s suggestion.

If Princess Rebella had truly orchestrated this, Duke Raphael could have been killed in the Praga Empire.

Kristin knew she would have to use the pocket watch to return time if he perished but she wasn’t even sure if the watch could be used consecutively.

She no longer wanted to rewind time.

Rather, if Duke Raphael, who had once died in her stead, were to face death again, she wanted to remain by his side and face it with him.

Having already experienced life without him once, she refused to endure it a second time.

“You still don’t understand me, Your Grace. I cannot simply stay somewhere safe. The pocket watch I possess might be our only solution. Since I have it, I will follow you,” Kristin declared.

Her expression as she said this was different from before.

Duke Raphael had seen this determined look on her face a few times, but this time, her resolve was unshakable, leaving him with no choice but to nod in agreement.

It was obvious that Princess Rebella would remain at the imperial palace.
Having turned back time a week, the events had already reached the point where Duke Raphael had met Princess Rebella at the palace.

Kristin also began drawing attention wherever she went within the empire after the discovery of diamonds in the mines.

They had to ensure that no one noticed them during their journey. Once again, Kristin disguised herself as she had done at the Vincent Orphanage.

“Kristin, this could be dangerous,” Duke Raphael warned.

“Yes, which is why I’ll be disguising myself again. Don’t you think you’ll also be in danger if you go as you are, Your Grace? If we board the ship without hiding our identities, rumors will spread like wildfire throughout the Praga Empire.”

Kristin’s point was valid.

Acknowledging this, Duke Raphael decided to disguise himself as well.

“Hmm, we need to disguise ourselves to avoid suspicion. Not too noble-like. In that case…”

Kristin fell silent after saying this, pondering for a moment.

Then, she concluded.

“If we disguise ourselves as merchants, we’ll be free to move around various areas in Eriha. No one travels across the empire as much as merchants do,” she said, her eyes gleaming with determination.