Chapter 104

Selcred ended with an immense cheer.

Everyone looks happy.

Hestine, who successfully finished the congratulatory speech she memorized after reducing her sleep, came down from the altar with a sigh of relief. Peloche patiently waited for Hestine under the altar.

“Peloche!”

She was even more enthusiastic after finishing the congratulatory speech safely. She called her assistant priest in a bright voice. A man with impressive red hair. She didn’t pick him herself, but she liked Peloche, who always looked at her with a soft smile.

“Thank you, Saint.”

Hestine paused for a moment at Peloche’s gaze, looking down at her. She carefully studied Peloche’s face. Despite the brief expression of indifference she saw on his face, Peloche’s smile was unwavering.

“……Did something happen while I was away?”

At Hestine’s question, Peloche’s eyes widened as if he were surprised. Soon, Peloche shook his head with a small smile.

“You are very sweet, saint. Thank you so much for your care. But nothing happened, so you don’t have to worry.”

“……Hmm, I see.”

There was nothing odd about Peloche’s answer, but why does Peloche, who is no different than usual, look angry?

Hestine wasn’t sure what was going on, but she decided to let it slide. She can’t ask the person who has been smiling with a calm face why he is angry.

“Did you give the gift to Viscount Yurpheon?”

Peloche mentioned the gift as if it had suddenly occurred to him. She thought that the sense of indifference must have been her illusion. Hestine opened her mouth with a bright smile at the words of the assistant priest.

“Thanks to you, I was able to deliver it safely. If Peloche hadn’t reminded me, I’d have forgotten.”

“No, I just did my duty. Anyway, did she like it?”

Hestine was happy that Adelia accepted her present. Still, Hestine bit her lip and lowered her head in disappointment. 

“Well… I don’t think she liked it very much. But she accepted it….”

“I see.”

“I’m satisfied with that. We’ll have another chance! Oh, it’s already this time. Shall we go back now?” 

“Saint, I’d like to leave for a while. I have something to organize. Will that be okay?”

Looking at Peloche, who seemed to be worried about leaving her alone, Hestine waved her hands and spoke without hesitation to ease his anxiety.

“Of course! My schedule is over now, so it’s okay! And my family members will be able to enter soon, so don’t worry.”

“That’s a relief. I will try to return as soon as possible.”

Peloche nodded towards Hestine and quickly disappeared.

***

A short breath flowed through Ivan’s lips. The sun has already set, which means the Selcred is over. 

But he didn’t give up and ran further.

Finally, he reached the vast Square of the Holy Land, where a large crowd had gathered.

Waaaaaah!

Ivan bit his lip hard at the piercing noise.

Did something happen? An accident, perhaps? 

Ivan tried to erase his negative thoughts and think of Adelia, hoping she was safe. He ran as fast as he could. At last, he entered the great square. He froze at the sight.

The uproar just now was a cheer. All the people were cheering and smiling brightly. The vast square was filled with heat. There was excitement in the eyes of those who had seen the unfolding history.

“Ha! I never thought I could see such a sight in my life!”

“I’m sure Vishna’s blessing has come. I’m sure of it!”

“As expected, Vishna did not abandon us.”

“Maybe the disaster will go away soon?”

Ivan listened to people while breathing hard. Contrary to his worries, Selcred seemed to have ended successfully.

Then their plan failed.

He was glad, but he couldn’t let his guard down yet. First, he needed to check Adelia’s safety.

Ivan passed through the crowd and headed for the central temple.

“Adelia… no, where is the guardian of the torch?”

Ivan entered the temple and grabbed a passing priest. There was a hint of confusion in his eyes. After putting aside his confusion, the priest informed Ivan of Adelia’s whereabouts.

“The guardian returned to her place to rest, but…”

The priest tried to ask what was going on, but Ivan had already left.

Tak~

The door rang out.

Adelia, who was comfortably lying on her bed, enjoying her rest, looked at the visitor who suddenly entered her room with her round eyes.

“Ivan?”

Adelia called Ivan in a quizzical voice. His disheveled clothes and distorted expression made her worry.

“Adelia, are you okay?”

At Ivan’s trembling voice, Adelia quickly rose and approached him.

“I’m fine. But seeing you ask me this, I guess you know something.”

Even though Adelia said she was fine, Ivan could only catch his breath after looking at Adelia for a long time.

“I’m glad. I’m glad, really.”

Concerns were buried in his voice and sounded like a sigh. The man who she always thought was perfect looked anxious and desperate because of her. Adelia raised her hand on the top of her chest as she felt a tickling sensation.

“Don’t worry, Ivan. I’m fine. Fortunately, Vishna showed up on time to help me.”

Perhaps it was an unexpected name, but Ivan’s pupils grew. Adelia looked at Ivan and explained in detail what had happened.

“… I see. But does Hestine Valkyr not know that her gift has a curse?”

“Yes, because she doesn’t have the guts to do that in the first place.”

Ivan nodded silently at Adelia’s assessment of Hestine. She was well aware that Hestine Valkyr didn’t have the courage to do so.

As Ivan closed his mouth in agony, his face became serious. Adelia waited for him quietly. There was heavy tension between the two. Soon, Ivan’s lips moved carefully.

“I’ve told you before. I was kidnapped when I was young.”

Adelia nodded at once. There was no way she could forget that. Ivan’s eyes while telling the story were terrifying. It hadn’t been long since they had met each other, but Adelia knew Ivan Hamilton was someone who didn’t show his anger easily.

Just recalling those memories must have made him feel angry.

Ivan spoke of his inferences in a rigid voice.

“It seems that the Valkyr family and the green branches are connected. No, it’s not the same, but it’s definitely related.”

Adelia couldn’t hide her bewilderment. “Green branches” was slang for the organization that kidnapped Ivan. She can’t believe they’re related to Hestine. Things were more complicated than she thought.

“………please explain why you think so.”

“On my way back here, I met a man named Kale Ferris, who I believed to be a key figure in the green branch.”

“Kale Ferris?”

“As soon as you put the torch on the altar, “Hell” will unfold. That is what he said.”

Hell and the sacred festival, Selcred, are like water and oil. You can’t mix them.

“Then… the priests in black and the green branches are also related.”

“That’s right. Kale Ferris has a companion who could use divine power before. For some reason, I think my body is broken and he can’t use it now.”

“………I already knew that the anti-pope and the Valkyr family were in collusion, so I’m not surprised.”

Adelia’s voice was extremely calm, but Ivan was able to read the confusion and anxiety hidden in it.

Ivan agonized. Can I tell Adelia about this now? However, the answer was already decided anyway. He thought it was Adelia herself, not anyone else, who was deeply involved in this.

“You’re the one they’re after.”

“…… they’re after me?”

Adelia’s face, which had remained calm, crumpled. 

“From what I heard, they need the ‘real’. In terms of circumstances, I’m sure you’re the real one they are talking about.”

“Why do they need the real thing?”

“Hestine Valkyr, which they are using right now, must have something missing for their plan.”

Is Hestine not enough?

Something that Hestine doesn’t have but Adelia does.

“Are they aiming for my power?”

Ivan fell into deep thought. 

The green branch used to collect children’s pure vitality. Vitality was the foundation of mana and divine power. If they can artificially convert vitality into divine power, what they want is……

“Maybe the divine power of Hestine Valkyr was created.”

Hestine’s divinity was created? Adelia’s lips stiffened at Ivan’s remarks. But she quickly understood why he had such an idea. The strange behavior of a secret group called the Green Branch is connected like this.

The Duke of Valkyr and the Green Branch are connected……

Surely there was something strange about Hestine’s divine power. At Zephyros, her divine power bottomed out. Hearing her perform since then, it has never been a sacred force that would run out, as in the case of Zephyros. There are only two phenomena that can explain this. Either Hestine broke her limits in that short time or she gained divine power from the outside. 

“But I’m curious. Is divine power something that can be gained from the outside?”

“We should check it out from now on.”

Ivan said so and took a black piece of paper out of his pocket. It was not ordinary black paper. It was a paper produced in a special way that shows hidden content only at certain temperatures.

Ivan quickly wrote a few lines using a fountain pen with customized ink.

“Who are you sending it to?”

“To Sejak.”

Ivan replied in a light tone, as if it were nothing.

“I’m sure that the green branches are related to the Duke of Valkyr, so if they investigate the Duke, something will come out. From now on, I will follow in everyone’s footsteps, regardless of servants, horsemen, or gardeners.”

“I see. Then I’ll have to ask Bishop Berg to find out what the green branches have to do with the priests in black.”

Ivan nodded as if he agreed.

“Yes, and I want to discuss something with the Cardinal about Vishna’s power. Could you make room for me?”

At Ivan’s request, Adelia nodded without hesitation. Selcred is over, but the Holy Land is still crowded. It was obvious that Eustaf, the leader of the Holy Land, would also be busy. But he would give Adelia the time she asked for.

“Of course. I’m leaving the Holy Land the day after tomorrow, so let’s make an appointment sometime tomorrow afternoon.”

“Please.”