What on earth is he trying to do? Why would he try to pass on the role of presiding over the altar to me? My mind raced furiously, entangled in complicated thoughts. Yet, no matter how much I pondered, I couldn’t find an answer.

To push Gabe further, I deliberately provoked him.

“Miss Dorothea will be upset, so I dare not say I will take over. oh, look at that…… why don´t teacher Gabe, stay by Dorothea’s side?”

II was attempting to portray Gabe as a person with poor character, but he was a formidable opponent.

“Angellus’s Duke is with her, so why would I intervene? So, you can’t finish it to the end, huh?”

He spoke as if I were procrastinating on a task I was supposed to complete. In response, even the high priest joined in to persuade me.

 “If the Savior, the protagonist of the Prophecy, were to offer flowers to the gods, could there be a happier occasion? I earnestly beseech you as the representative of the gods.”

Their voices joined in, the cries of the people echoing loudly.

“Aren’t you going to start?”

“What are you doing…!”

A situation on the verge of turning into criticism. At that moment, a large hand landed on top of my head. When I looked up, I saw the side profile of Duke Perdia, who was gazing directly at me.

“If you don’t want to, then don’t do it.”

 “Can I?”

 “Yes. I think I’ve told you before, if someone dares to frighten my daughter, I will not stand idly by, no matter who they are.”

The declaration from my father that he would stand by me no matter what. Since recalling memories from a past life, I had never thought of myself as belonging to Perdia. But right now, at least, I felt firmly within Perdia’s embrace.

 Upon hearing those words, my determination solidified. It was undoubtedly a trap. Yet…

‘If I know it’s a trap, then it’s not a trap.’

I looked up at Gabe and asked.

“Would it be okay if I, a powerless orphan, did it?”

In response, High Priest’s face changed, and he answered eagerly.

“Why would you say such a thing? Lady Perdia is the Savior who has received the prophecy from the gods!”

“Alright, I’ll do it.”

The priests’ faces brightened at my answer. But Gabe’s expression remained unmoved.

I wondered what the h*ll he was up to and how it was going to play out. I glanced at Raeyan as I followed the priest’s call to prepare. It was a signal to keep an eye out for anything that might happen.

In principle, I should have donned all the ceremonial garments, but I wasn’t fully prepared for that. I put on the ceremonial outer robe that the priest had handed me and stood before the crowd.

 “Wow-!”

Cheers erupted so loudly that it seemed my ears might be blocked. After confirming Raeyan’s position waiting below the stairs, I climbed up the steps, holding the World Tree’s flower in my hands.

With each step I took, the radiant, divine light grew more intense.

Eventually, I reached the end of the stairs and stood before the altar. Beyond the altar stood the statue of Ishtar, the goddess who encompassed the world. I placed the fresh World Tree’s flower on the altar, void of any wilted spots.

Just as the offering finished, something remarkable happened. The once white altar started turning pitch black. And that wasn’t all.

 “……!”

I felt a peculiar sensation above my head, and suddenly, Greed broke its silence.

 [Irkala’s aura?!]

The space above Ishtar’s statue tore apart, revealing a profound darkness. From there, beasts started pouring out. Everything happened in an instant. I was surrounded by chaos.

Raeyan, ever vigilant, grabbed me by the waist and leapt down the altar just as the space began to crack.

“Ahh!”

“He-Help, please!”

Screams erupted from all directions. Mindless beasts turned their attention to humans, their prey, and attacked relentlessly. The sacred square that had hosted the ceremony turned into a battlefield in an instant.

 “All forces, defend!”

At Adenmir’s command, the soldiers stationed there began to engage the beasts. Raeyan, who had set me down, assessed my condition.

“Lili, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“I will protect you.”

Raeyan sliced through a flying beast with his sword. The people from the Four Families with powers were at the forefront. The Duke of Perdia drew his sword, and Jansi removed his gloves.

Carlot, who hadn’t brought a sword, grabbed one of the hilts lying around.

Gabe Jenade was nowhere to be seen.

Duke Kreundel and Adenmir began to slay the beasts. Yet, they managed to breach the defensive line that had just been established.

‘Blocking them won’t be enough. We might get overwhelmed at this rate.’

The citizens were already running to leave the square, but the entrance and exit, once bustling, were now congested, creating a bottleneck. At that moment, one of Perdia’s knights rushed toward me.

 “I was sent by His Grace; you must flee from this place, my lady.”

“Flee?”

“You’re in danger!”

I knew that I, powerless as I was, would be of no help here. Nevertheless, I felt immobilized as if nailed to the spot. Above all…

“It’s a curse! The wrath of the gods!”

“D*mn it! What the h*ll is happening…”

If I were to escape like this, the responsibility for this incident would fall squarely on me.

Whether I was directly involved or not, the fact that the crack had opened while I was presiding over the altar was crucial.

People always looked for someone to shift the blame onto. Only now did I understand Gabe’s intentions.

‘This is what he was trying to do by putting me in charge of the altar.’

To make me plummet in front of thousands of citizens. Especially since the crack occurred while I was offering flowers at Ishtar’s altar, it was the perfect scenario to deflect the blame.

The situation was deteriorating rapidly. Death and injuries were rampant all around, and blood was splattered. Chaos. As Raeyan had predicted, a frenzy had broken out within the crowd.

 “Damned things!”

I heard Carlot cursing. Due to the characteristic of ground collapse and the crowd being present, he probably couldn’t use his power effectively.

“Miss, we must hurry.”

Perdia’s knight urged me. Reluctantly, I had to admit that there was nothing I could do here.

“Outside the square, the Duchess is waiting.”

“Understood.”

As I took a step, Raeyan moved like a shadow beside me. I turned to her and made a request.

“Raeyan, will you go and help?”

Raeyan was too powerful to escort me. His swordsmanship was exceptional even without using his powers. It was best not to underestimate that. After a brief hesitation, he nodded.

 “Take care.”

“You too. Don’t get hurt.”

After exchanging wishes for each other’s safety, we passed by each other. I ran toward the backdoor under the protection of a knight. However, I hadn’t gone far when I stumbled and was caught.

 [Irkala! I’m over here!]

 ‘Hey!’

Greed shouted out of nowhere. At the same time, a creepy scene unfolded.

 “……!!!”

All of the beasts’ gazes turned to me in unison. Soon, they all rushed at me.

 “What, what’s happening suddenly!”

The knight swung his sword in panic, but it was in vain.

 There was no way he could take on a horde of demons with his own strength. One of them dashed past the knight and charged at me.

The very moment when the blade-like claws of the fastest flying monsters tried to pierce me. Thunk-!

There was a piercing, horrifying sound. My vision was blocked by the solid back of someone.

 “……Dad?”

 “Are you okay?”

 “You-your shoulder is-.”

 “I asked if you were okay.”

Before I knew it, the Duke of Perdia stood before me, blocking their approach. He swung his right arm, from which blood flowed steadily, as if it were nothing. Despite the evident pain he must have been feeling, the duke didn’t even furrow his brow.

 “Stay close, Elodie.”

Perdia of destruction, among them, the power of Duke Perdia, the head of the family, was monstrous strength. With each swing of his sword, a gust of wind blew his foes away, but no matter how powerful he was, the duke was only human.

With every attack, the amount of blood staining the ground increased. When I grimaced, the duke asked.

 “Why that expression?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Don’t worry. Can’t a father protect his daughter?”

Duke Perdia silently shielded me from the beasts. Being closer than anyone else, I could see it—the cold sweat on his forehead.

“Even if we escape from here, there’s no guarantee you’ll be safe.”

With a click of his tongue, the duke slashed at the charging beasts again. The attention of the beats, which had rushed in due to Greed’s shout, dispersed again due to the slicing, reducing the danger significantly. However, the situation in the square wasn’t favorable.

The humans were getting more fatigued, evacuation had its limits, and the beasts kept pouring in relentlessly. It was impossible to predict when the rift would close.

‘This is beyond just a trap.’

This is really going to get us all killed. I chewed my lip at my own helplessness.

 [My child].

I heard a holy voice that seemed to settle over my entire body.

 “……!”

At the same time, the priests and a few others raised their heads. It wasn’t just me who heard it. I guessed that the members of the Four Great families and the priests of Ishtar could also hear it. The revelation continued.

 [Do not doubt your power].

 [Do not place limits on your power].

The moment that voice concluded, a lightning-strike realization surged through me. I could end this situation.

 “Elodie!”

Duke Perdia attempted to chase after me, but due to the approaching beasts, he couldn’t follow. I kept running relentlessly. I plunged into the chaotic battle, stepping on beasts’ corpses, falling, and getting back up.

 ‘Why! Am I enduring all this suffering?!’

I cried out in frustration. But no matter how much I thought about it, it wouldn’t end unless I did something about it. I trudged up the stairs.

 “Li, Sister Lili?”

 “Princess!”

 “Lili……!”

I heard those who had noticed me, calling out, but I didn’t turn back. Why? It was stated in the original work that it had the power to purify poison, so I firmly believed in that fact. I had confined myself with my own limitations. However, my power…

 ‘It’s not the power to purify poison.’

If I didn’t know that, would I have thought my power was to purify poison?

 I had almost reached the altar. However, there was a crack just above the altar, and a beast attacked me directly. Slash!

A sword flying out of nowhere cut off its breathing. I didn’t see it, but I knew it was Raeyan’s power.

The altar stained dark by blood. Without hesitation, I placed both hands on it and released my power.

The floating congregation of divine light seemed to gather around me.

[sc name=”add_image” image_url=” https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AIL4fc_1FO3iwpun2ammXa0rwUoJmUMitdxdU1Aqiin9kIRNzS1Cij6jKBo5Vqj9AEO1Xxi93bt8RFBLUOwU0s20k-ZZ2Ykfz7mK3VzxUxhrN4DU7jnan-M=w2400″][/sc]

‘Ishtar. I don’t want to die like this, so please help me.’

Praying with what felt like a blasphemous plea, as I attempted the purification, the black energy began to dissipate from where my hands touched.

Simultaneously, the rift that had split wide open slowly started to shrink as if the edges were healing.

Having extracted every last bit of remaining energy and poured it out, the altar returned to its original state.

“The curse, it’s gone!”

“The Savior! She’s truly the Savior!”

Listening to the cheers of the people, I closed my eyes. They were indeed a fickle crowd. At any rate, the rift was closed.  I let go of the altar, feeling my strength drained. Staggering-.

‘Ah, are these aftereffects unavoidable…….’

 “Oh, my God, I’m going to die…….”

My body tumbled backwards, and with the sensation of falling, I lost consciousness.