Chapter 114

Chapter 114

There should be no issue with those students.

That evening, while observing Seongjins complexion, Masain cautiously opened the conversation. It was after he had already briefed the Saint Aurelion Knights about the incident at the Imperial Medical Wing.

Suddenly, Ashley Betcher, who had collapsed vomiting blood, was in a state of severe shock due to the exorcism of the evil spirit that had possessed her.

Fortunately, Logan quickly healed him with his divine power, but afterwards, Ashley reverted back to her initial state, resembling an empty puppet.

Jonathan called for a doctor, and soon after, Masain and the Saint Aurelion paladins rushed into the infirmary.

The plan was to request the help of an exorcist, but Francis was already on his way, leading the paladins urgently.

Considering how the Saint Aurelion paladins usually operate like the limbs of the Holy Emperor, Seongjin speculated that it was probably influenced by the Holy Emperors intervention.

Taking into account the interference from the twins, who were suspected not to be twins, and the deployment time of the paladins, it seemed reasonable to assume that the Holy Emperor had intervened the moment Ashleys possession began.

Anyway, in the capital, it seems impossible to avoid the eyes of that gentleman, no matter what happens

Upon arrival, Francis briefly examined Ashleys condition and then, along with the paladins, took her and Jonathan away.

Jonathan, who kept looking back anxiously, seemed to be of some concern.

The involvement of the Saint Aurelion paladins means that the students are now under the care of Dame Katrina. So, please set your worries aside, Your Highness.

Masain reassured Seongjin again.

Dame Katrina is a person of excellent character. Any matter she handles will undoubtedly be dealt with fairly and justly.

Yes, if its Dame Katrina, somehow, I do trust her. After all, she is the Knight Commander who even the fierce Francis deeply respects.

Finally feeling a bit relieved, Seongjin could focus his thoughts on other matters.

It seemed that the Holy Emperor himself had exorcised the evil spirit that had possessed Ashley Betcher.

Even after returning to Pearl Palace, the Demon King, who had been shivering in Seongjins head for a long time, later admitted it.

[Yeah, your father came and went. Wow, that soul, even seeing it again, really]

What happened to the evil spirit?

[Of course, it died! I just touched it, and that pathetic things soul was instantly crushed, leaving no trace.]

But at the same time, the Holy Emperor was said to be meeting foreign diplomats in the audience chamber. So, his body must have been in the main palace while his soul briefly visited the infirmary.

Last time, he followed Seongjin to the boundary of dimensions, so it seems the Holy Emperor has some easy method of astral projection.

Indeed, being a divine proxy, he is an individual who transcends normal understanding in many ways.

But leaving aside that almost inhuman individual, what about the twins who suddenly intruded during Ashleys possession?

Herna and Gades. Could those extraordinary children also perform astral projection like the Holy Emperor?

However, the Demon Kings explanation was slightly different.

[Well, its hard to say those were proper souls]

After pondering for a moment, the Demon King then gave an unexpected answer.

[There were certainly two different soul auras at that time. Thinking about it now, it seemed somewhat similar to the souls of those twins weve seen before. But it wasnt a complete soul. Rather, it felt more like a fragment of a soul that had broken off from somewhere.]

Soul fragment?

Seongjin blinked.

Huh? That sounds familiar, doesnt it?

[Yeah, right. It was a similar feeling to them.]

Arenja .

The spiritual surveillance network that watches over the capital from beneath the surface.

And then the Demon King strongly affirmed Seongjins speculation.

[Moreover, one of them was someone weve already met. Remember? When you climbed over the wall of the Imperial Palace, that one who told us to follow you.]

!

And then, the words the Demon King had said before flashed through Seongjins mind.

Another one has appeared. A more powerful one Huh? This one seems to understand us?

That guy is asking you to follow him for a while. What will you do?

Was it one of the twins?

Herna and Gades are part of Arenja?

Whoa, wait a minute!

And their real soul is still alive and well.

Exactly.

Commander Bruno nodded, took a sip of his tea, and

Pffft!

He dramatically spat it out!

Edith?

As droplets of tea splashed everywhere, Edith silently sweated and avoided eye contact.

Edith, it seemed, had made no progress in the art of making tea.

* * *

The most admired young ladies among the Delcross noblemen recently were two people.

The beautiful rose of the palace, Princess Amelia.

And the elegant flower of the social circles, Isabella Scarcepino.

All the noblemen hoped to be chosen as their partners at the ball, and they would spend sleepless nights just to brush past their gowns once.

However, just for one day.

On the main banquet of the annual birthday celebration, no gentleman dared to ask them to be their partners, as their partners for that day were always predetermined.

But now.

Youre attending with a different partner this year?

Isabellas face contorted oddly as she read the reply from Pearl Palace. She had sent a letter to coordinate dress codes, only to receive an unexpected response.

Oh my, really? Isnt that a good thing? Our beautiful Isabella with that unsightly prince, even if its Her Majesty the Queens command, how could that be appropriate?

.

A naive maid chattered without understanding the situation.

Indeed. Since Prince Morres reached the age to attend the ball, Isabella always accompanied him to the birthday banquet as a sign of respect for the engagement talks.

Of course, it wasnt pleasant. The prince was not only unsightly in appearance, but his manners towards ladies were atrociously bad.

The only reason she accompanied Prince Morres was due to the intense pressure from Queen Lizabeth.

Passing this role to another fiance wasnt feasible either.

Julia Meyer would come to the ball in knights uniform, more like a farmhand, and Lady Balua was merely a child who had just weaned off her mothers milk.

Finally free, Miss! Now you can truly enjoy the grandest ball in Delcross!

Freedom

It was true.

But the mere thought of that disgusting prince ruined her appetite.

Yet, oddly enough, her pride was hurt to attend with someone else.

So, Miss, who will you go to the ball with now? Perhaps the renowned Archduke Siegmund Eek! How wonderful!

Ignoring the jumping maid, Isabella left the room.

As the most famous person in social circles, she didnt like the idea of proposing a partner first, and with the ball approaching, she had no suitable candidate in mind.

So, in a rush, she thought about asking her older brothers for help, but

I cant leave Olivier alone. Sorry.

Her eldest brother, Dominico, who was already engaged, refused.

You know, dont you? I dont attend the birthday celebration every year.

Riccardo, her second brother, also gently refused with a kind smile.

Why not?

Isabella asked, puzzled.

The second brother she knew was extremely sociable. He enjoyed drinking, romancing, and engaging in conversations with people from various fields.

He was the most welcomed guest in all the salons of the capital, and the regular meetings he organized were coveted gatherings that the influential heirs of Delcross eagerly sought invitations to.

At his sisters question, Riccardo lifted his head, his eyes briefly unfocused, as he stared off into the distance. Then, with a smile that was somewhat ambiguous, he answered.

Regrettably, I cannot enter the palace.