CH 100

“Anyway, let’s go now. Daisy, can you walk?”

Daisy nodded her head.

“Dwayne. Carry Sir Reihausd on your back.”

He nodded vigorously.

“Well, then…”

We retraced the way we came in and exited the underground prison.

It seemed like everything was resolved. However…

When I came out of the dark basement and stepped outside the building, I heard a voice I hated the most.

“Stop right now.”

‘As expected.’

I let out a small sigh.

She got the perfect timing, just like a ghost.

“Miss Ariel. I knew it was you.”

I saw Camilla’s face looking at me. And behind her, the Paladins, Heinz and several high-ranking priests were visible.

Priests and Paladins of Elium, who had heard the news and ran, were gathering here and there.

[The God of Art, Mond, looks at Heinz and frowns.]

[The God of Justice, Hetuse, is very wary of Camilla.]

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, spits.]

“Sir Reihausd is now…”

Camilla opened her mouth in a mournful tone as she turned to the people from the temple.

“He is contaminated by Magi  and needs to be purified.”

I heard people muttering, as if they were confused by Camilla’s words.

“Let me help you. Miss Ariel, and Sir Reihausd. But we need all of your help.”

She said, stretching out her hand with dim eyes.

“Everyone, please tie Miss Ariel.”

At her words, telling them to arrest me, I saw the shaking eyes of several Paladins. They were hesitating, unable to do anything.

It was then.

“Stop!”

A cold voice mixed with bloodlust was heard.

The Sword Master’s sword skill could be clearly felt even in a dark prison. A sense of intimidation that strongly oppressed the narrow space. It was Kyle’s appearance.

He was followed by about twenty Imperial Knights.

Camilla’s eyelashes fluttered.

His ferocious voice rang out.

“How dare you leave the Crown Prince, and touch my lover?”

Even the Paladins couldn’t come close due to Kyle’s aura, which was spewing out a terrifying bloodlust.

Heinz responded politely.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince. I apologize, Saintess Ariel has something to share with us. It seems like one, but it’s not a normal situation…”

“Are you going to shut her there?”

His gaze was directed to the dark stairway leading to the basement of the building.

However, Heinz didn’t care and continued.

“…The Saintess is suspected of colluding with the Demon Realm. The High Priest is also out of his mind because he was influenced by the Saintess. In addition to hurting Saintess Camilla, we’re just tying him up because he was trying to hurt himself.”

He really was a smooth talker.

“Ha.”

I snorted.

“For the safety of the Empire, shouldn’t this be something that should be strictly investigated?”

Heinz glanced at me and appealed to Kyle.

Camilla just stood still and looked at me without saying anything.

However, I could see her clenched fists trembling slightly, probably dissatisfied with the way Kyle was protecting me. Unlike her face, which still has a fragile and sorrowful expression.

Yet now that I knew her identity, I had nothing to be afraid of or reluctant to do.

I heard Kyle’s menacing low voice.

“If the Saintess colluded with the Demon Realm, how can you be sure that I, who was with her, didn’t do that too?”

At that, Heinz gasped.

“Y-Your Highness! You mean…!”

“If you want to investigate her, shouldn’t you do that after I look like that?”

Kyle’s fingertip pointed at Reihausd, who was messed up and out of his mind on Dwayne’s back.

Of course, none of them could answer yes.

It was because they knew that even the slightest swing of the sword aura attached to Kyle’s sword would separate their neck and body.

“You’re Camilla, aren’t you. What is your opinion?”

“…Your Highness.”

“Do you think the scars on his back were also caused by self harm?”

Camilla was speechless and looked at the Crown Prince.

Feeling the power of the Crown Prince, I opened my mouth leisurely.

“There is something that people here should know about. I suspect that Miss Camilla and Chief Priest Heinz collude with the Demon Realm.”

At my words, the priests murmured loudly. The Paladins also began to whisper while making eye contact with each other.

“How could she help Sir Reihausd in the mine where Magi spewed out, seize the opportunity to enter the temple, and take control of the temple this far in such a short period of time? Isn’t Miss Camilla colluding with the Demon Realm?”

Suspicion is repelled by suspicion.

“I really doubt it.”

As I put my hand on my chest and spoke with a gloomy face, the murmur of the priests grew louder.

Some argued that they should trust me more than Camilla, whom they had only just seen.

“Such nonsense!”

When it didn’t go the way she thought it would, Camilla screamed at me.

“I can’t help but doubt Chief Priest Heinz, who is standing by her now. I know that the Chief Priest was also in Ares.”

Yet I didn’t care and continued to speak resolutely.

I saw Camilla’s eyebrows twitch at my words.

“They said that Sir Reihausd attacked Miss Camilla under the influence of Magi, but what if, on the contrary, he attacked her knowing that she was someone related to the Demon Realm?”

At my words, the Paladins began to murmur.

Some of them saw Camilla running out to catch me after I ran away with the statue from Camilla’s room.

And many Paladins rushed in and subdued Reihausd, who drew his sword and tried to kill Camilla.

“N-Nonsense…!”

Interrupting Haines, I calmly continued.

“In other words, I don’t think it’s something to be resolved inside the temple since each other’s opinions are different. So, in this matter…”

For a moment, the Paladins were seen to be agitated.

I said looking at Kyle.

“I request the mediation of the Imperial Palace.”

At those words, Heinz jumped up.

“To think that it’s the mediation of the Imperial Palace! This undermines the independence of the temple…”

“Chief Priest Heinz. And Miss Camilla.”

I looked at them with cold eyes.

Staring straight into Camilla’s eyes, I continued.

“There was no holy power confirmation procedure, so you’re not yet a saintess. Even if you took control of the temple, you’re not the owner of this place.”

Her eyebrows twitched at my words.

“I’m still the saintess of the temple, Ariel. A saintess is the head of the temple and has exclusive decision-making rights, and I, as the Saintess… Once again, O ask the Imperial Palace for fair mediation.”

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, applauds loudly.]

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, wags his tail.]

I have never been dismissed or removed from my position as saintess.

‘It looks like they’re mistaken because I was away for a while…’

This is a hive with two queen bees, but the rightful queen with a name was me, not Camilla.

“With the authority of the Crown Prince, I accept the proposal of the Saintess.”

I heard Kyle’s voice.

Camilla was glaring at me with her fists clenched and pale face.

‘Camilla. There’s nothing of yours here.’

I could have confronted Camilla right away with Kyle’s help.

However, the reason for not doing so and returning was to secure legitimacy.

If the Imperial Palace and soldiers recklessly pushed into the temple and intervened, the resistance from within the temple would have been severe.

If that happened, there was a risk that the neutral priests would also go over to Camilla’s side.

Accusations of meddling in the theocracy put Kyle in political danger.

I risked the hassle, rescuing Reihausd and Daisy myself.

The priests were surprised to see the suffering of the two in the dungeon.

This confirmed my suspicions about Camilla and Heinz.

At the same time, it caused them to disagree about who was real and who was fake between me and Camilla. It was natural to justify the mediation of the Imperial Palace.

The priests on my side were raising their voices.

“Saintess. We believed in the Saintess.”

“Although I was a little shaken when Chief Priest Heinz said it as if the Saintess had run away after colluding with the Demon Realm.”

“Now that the Saintess has returned, I believe in the Saintess!”

The game had just begun.