It began with the hunting festival. At the hunting festival, Seiden had nearly been cursed by someone, and Bellota had found traces of that curse around the castle. But the hunting festival, being a national event, was strictly managed. Even Geril couldn’t have brought in a dark mage unrelated to the hunting grounds. This meant that someone among the festival participants knew how to use dark magic. And Rubert had attended the hunting festival as a judge.

Until then, even Seiden hadn’t rashly suspected him of being a dark mage or demon. There were countless others who attended the hunting festival, and if one wanted to find fault, there weren’t many who could escape suspicion. Among them, suspecting a priest of the Grand Temple was something even Seiden didn’t want to do.

But after experiencing Lady Margaret’s incident, he could no longer deny that there was a spy within the temple. Lady Margaret was a devout believer and a quiet woman who only went between the temple and her home. If there was someone she would trust enough to confide her secrets to with faith, naturally, wouldn’t it be a temple priest?

The more decisive evidence was Geril. The very fact that he knew about Bellota’s curse was proof itself. Among the priests, only five people including the Pope knew about Bellota’s curse. Cardinal Rubert and Cardinal Hans, and three high priests including Felton.

Seiden had been suspecting these five people. He had to identify the spy among them. In this context, the northern reconnaissance was rather an opportunity.

“We should prepare to go to Serita Gorge.”

“No, don’t leak our destination to anyone yet. If the Imperial court discovers him, they’ll interfere.”

That conversation Felton accidentally overheard was Seiden’s intention. Seiden leaked different regional information to five priests.

Seiden had noticed that someone hiding their identity was wishing for his death. And he could guess the reason. They wanted the one helping Bellota’s curse to disappear. So if there was a spy among the five, they wouldn’t miss this golden opportunity. And as expected, the culprit took the bait.

“The reconnaissance unit will head straight to Kyle Gorge. There, they must eliminate the Holy Knight Commander by any means.”

Kyle Gorge was the location leaked to Rubert. And as expected, dark mages were lying in ambush there. It was undeniable evidence. So now they had to catch him.

That’s why Seiden placed a curse on him. Since all curse-casting methods were contained in the Demon God Book in Yevar’s hands, it wasn’t difficult to discover how to cast a more intense and deeper curse.

Yevar was proficient in curses and knew several ways to cast and remove curses without the Demon God Book. Seiden found the most terrible curse among them and placed it on Rubert. A curse that would rot his internal organs and slowly suffocate him. A curse of death that could only be lifted by drinking the spring water here, on a night when clouds covered the moon.

If Rubert was the one who possessed the Demon God Book, he would figure out how to break the curse and come here. On this decisive night when the moon was first covered after being cursed. And finally, he had fallen into the trap.

“Search his body thoroughly and find all the magic stones he carries.”

When Seiden commanded, the holy knights simultaneously rummaged through Rubert’s corpse and found the magic stone necklace around his neck. Seiden took it and examined it carefully.

“That…… what is that……”

When Felton asked calmly, Seiden answered simply.

“It’s likely a magic stone containing holy power. He probably used this to become a priest.”

Felton’s face twisted strangely at those words. A magic stone containing holy power?

“Holy power cannot be artificially created!”

“I thought so too, but surprisingly, it seems someone figured out how 80 years ago.”

Seiden muttered flatly, recalling the records Yevar had handed over.

Mage Valroc. He was both a mage and an excellent alchemist. He was the one who discovered most of the magic stones used in the market. And he finally discovered how to transfer even holy power into magic stones. Though right after that, he fell for Rubert’s scheme and had it stolen.

He was able to deduce this fact thanks to Viscount Cadlack. Technology to replicate holy relics? After noticing such technology existed, Seiden traced the method of transferring portions of holy power and finally discovered that Mage Valroc had researched this technology long ago. Though no records remained about the results of the research, it seemed Valroc had amazingly succeeded. This magic stone was proof. This made everything clear.

80 years ago, he approached Valroc and stole something important from him, and 45 years ago, he approached the Alkeria family and stole their family heirloom. And hearing about the holy relic from Lady Margaret, showing her the Demon God Book to deceive her — it was all Rubert.

He stole the magic stone from Valroc to disguise holy power and become a priest, and he stole the Alkeria family heirloom to…

“That holy relic did it…… Turned an old man on the brink of death into a sticky newborn…… They marveled at it but I didn’t. It was a horrible sight. He wasn’t a gift from god…… Going against providence……”

The reason Rubert wanted to resurrect through the holy relic was likely to disguise his identity from the priests  of the Grand Temple who already knew him and become a priest again.

“He must have been the first to devise using death row inmates.”

At Seiden’s cold words, Felton’s pupils shook violently. As Seiden said, it was Rubert who proposed bringing death row inmates to Bellota. He had strongly insisted that using death row inmates for the curse and disposing of them was the only way to avoid complications.

When Felton covered his mouth, unable to continue speaking, Seiden realized his suspicions were correct. So the reason he became a priest was probably……

To urge the Saintess to commit suicide.

Bellota’s suicide…

White rage filled Seiden’s heart at that absurd phrase. This lingering bloodlust hadn’t dissipated even after finally catching the spy and plunging a knife into his heart.

“We’ll return to the temple. Priest, go with Kabillon to the Pope and relay everything that happened today.”

“What about you, Commander……”

When Felton asked, pale-faced, Seiden answered while tightly gripping the magic stone in his palm.

“There is something I must find in this man’s room.”

* * *

The Holy Knight Order and Felton immediately headed to the temple. This time they truly carried enormous spoils. Kabillon took Rubert’s corpse and headed to the Pope’s quarters with Felton, while Seiden went to Rubert’s quarters with the remaining knights. Though they had caught and killed Rubert, they hadn’t yet found the most important thing.

Last night, the Holy Knight Order raided the hideout they discovered from interrogating dark mages captured in the north, but they couldn’t find what Seiden wanted there. So now Rubert’s quarters was the only place left.

There was a possibility that Rubert had placed them elsewhere. However, just as Yevar did, humans tend to keep their most important possessions close by.

Though he wasn’t human, he imitated humans better than anyone, so his habits wouldn’t be different. Therefore, the most likely place would definitely be his quarters. Moreover, if Rubert was connected to the dark mages communicating with Geril……

“Commander!”

Philip, who had been ransacking the messy quarters for a while, finally seemed to find one of the important pieces of evidence Seiden was looking for and came running, extremely excited.

“I found it! Finally found it! Documents with Duke Lylester’s seal! They were in a safe hidden behind the bookshelf!”

Philip’s voice trembled with joy. Seiden quickly took them. As Felton said, they were documents stamped with Duke Lylester’s seal. They mostly contained evidence of him providing capital support to the dark mage group and diverting gate permits allowing travel across the continent without reporting to the Emperor.

It was as Seiden expected. Rubert must have planned to use this evidence someday to make Geril his subordinate. So he stupidly kept these preciously. Seiden’s eyes, filled with pleasure and elation, quickly scanned the letters.

“Ha.”

Seiden let out an incredulous laugh.

Geril’s goal wasn’t just Bellota. He planned to use her to elevate his authority and ultimately seize the throne. He thought Bellota would naturally accept his marriage proposal, and at the same time, he had been gradually advancing his plans to take the throne.

The mysterious incidents that had greatly impacted the imperial budget over several years were also carried out under Geril’s command. Even the schedule for dispatching the reconnaissance unit to the north involved Geril. It was Geril who diverted gate permits to the dark mages in the north. Moreover, he stupidly left evidence of his ambitions like this……

“Finally, I can finish off that insufferable bastard.”

Seiden’s lips curved up crookedly, finally able to take revenge for everything.

“This crazy bastard. Just how much support did he provide? Isn’t this practically providing funds for treason?”

“A member of the imperial family colluding with dark mages! This will cause quite an uproar.”

The holy knights each added excited comments. Since they all disliked Geril, they were eager to use this evidence to bring him down quickly.

“Take these documents to the Emperor right now. Report everything Geril did in the north as well. Don’t release him until the Emperor acknowledges his crimes.”

“Yes! Understood!”

Philip responded passionately to Seiden’s order with wide eyes.

Seiden handed those precious documents to Philip while looking at one place they hadn’t searched yet. It was Rubert’s bedroom.

Seiden turned to the holy knights and ordered.

“All knights go together.”

Immediately, those ransacking Rubert’s quarters followed the order and formed a solid circle around Philip.

“Understood!”

All the holy knights rushed out excitedly, finally having obtained the final evidence to send Geril to ruin.