CH 89

The Emperor nodded, giving a slightly incredulous look to the High Priest.

“Is that why you’re unconcerned? Do you want me to go out and fight?”

“No way. Your Majesty is also too old…”

“Look, I’m still in full swing.”

Dumbfounded, the High Priest stared at the Emperor. The traces of wrinkles engraved on the two faces were similar.

The Emperor and the High Priest were similar in age and were also alums of the academy when they were young.

The Emperor cleared his throat, ignored his expression, and continued, “It looks like Rupert Clifford is involved in this.”

“Hmm, is that so? I remember him as a brilliant young man, but that’s a shame. But it seems that I’m not the only one who’s calm. His Majesty doesn’t seem too worried.”

“How could that be? It’s such a big deal that the Demon King has appeared.”

The Emperor rose from his seat and slowly approached the window. He instructed the chamberlain next to him to call someone.

“However, this world is strangely balanced. If the Demon King appeared, there must be a countermeasure against it somewhere.”

“Do you have any guesses?”

The Emperor looked at the High Priest without a word and just smiled.

My anxiety was not unfounded.

The news of the Demon King’s appearance spread quickly and eventually reached me.

“How about the Crown Prince?”

As expected, Enoch wasn’t in the office, but the assistant secretary, Viscount Burton’s young lady Mila, answered in a sharp voice instead. “His Highness, the Crown Prince, is such a busy person, he doesn’t have time to meet you leisurely–Hey!”

As soon as I realized he wasn’t here, I turned around. I didn’t have the time to listen to Mila Burton.

‘D-demon King?’

I was taken aback by the unrealistic word ‘Demon King’ for a while, but this world had magic, monsters, and black magicians.

So, it wasn’t strange that the Demon King had appeared. However, when I saw people being agitated, it didn’t seem like it happened often.

There were a lot of things I wanted to ask, but there was no one I could hold onto and ask. Because there was something else I was curious about.

‘Does Rupert have anything to do with the Demon King’s appearance?’

Only Enoch could answer that.

As I walked through the hallway, I saw a familiar face coming up the stairs. I hurried down and called him, “Your Highness.”

Enoch paused when he saw me, then a mischievous grin appeared on his face. “I didn’t know you would welcome me like this.”

“Ah… That is…”

I was indeed happy to see him, but it didn’t mean that either. I was a little puzzled by Enoch’s laid-back attitude.

“Have you not heard the news?”

“What news?” He walked a little ahead and asked me.

I walked close to him and kept my voice as low as possible. “That, the Demon King…”

“Shh, let’s go to your room and talk.”

Ah, right. There’s no way he wouldn’t know.

Enoch and I went into my room and sat on the couch. As soon as I sat down, a question popped up. “Did Rupert become the Demon King?”

Enoch turned to me in surprise, and regardless of his reaction, I followed up with another question. “What will happen when the Demon King comes into the world? Will the world end?”

“Not necessarily. But why are you so certain that Rupert became the Demon King?”

Enoch asked me, his tone severe, and I answered after a long blink, “A feeling…?”

Chloe seemed too low a rank to be the Demon King, and Prince Breiman had been using black magic before that, but if he were the Demon King, he couldn’t have endured this long.

Judging from Rupert’s words, they have been trying to get Rupert on their side before.

“They said that if a black magician used his power frequently, his soul would be eaten by demons. Is the Demon King the same?”

“No, the Demon King isn’t summoned that way. Instead, black magicians who have contracted with advanced demons use human bodies as sacrifices to summon them. With a body tainted by demonic energy.”

I got a hint about my hypothesis from his words. Rupert has been with Chloe for a very long time. If Chloe had been a black magician since then, then his body probably was already tainted.

“Also… It’s not just Rupert’s forces that they want. Rupert’s body would have been sacrificed.”

Of course, this was a story deduced from the conclusion that the Demon King had appeared.

I was taken aback by the sound of Enoch’s laugh as he stroked the back of his neck.

“Isn’t it? If not…”

“That’s right, Rupert’s body must have been the medium.”

Seeing Enoch’s expression sink, my mood also plummeted.

No matter how much I wanted the divorce, it was hard to believe the man whose face I had been seeing for a long time became a medium for summoning the Demon King.

“Is there…a way?”

Enoch looked at the floor with his head down, then turned to me as if he had made up his mind. “Count Spilet. Ordinary physical force or magic don’t work well against the Demon King.”

“Tell me.”

“And… To defeat the Demon King, we will inevitably have to attack the summoning medium, Rupert.”

I listened to him, feeling conflicted. 

“Rupert’s life in the process… I can’t be certain.” Enoch clenched his fists and muttered lowly, “I should have intervened a little sooner, but I ended up here trying to catch the body by stepping on the tail. It’s my fault. I never thought Breiman would reach out to summon the Demon King…” 

“Your Highness, I have something to do, right?”

Enoch gave me a sad look. And before I could say anything else, Damon knocked on the door from outside.

“His Majesty’s chamberlain has come to visit.”

My eyes met Enoch’s.

I lifted the hem of my skirt and curtsied toward the Emperor. When I tried to greet the High Priest by putting my hands together, he suddenly shook his hand and expressed disapproval.

“I see His Majesty, the Emperor of the Empire.”

“You don’t need to be polite to me.”

“…?”

Enoch was also with me. I was nervous to hear the Emperor and High Priest suddenly call for me, but I felt a little relieved that he was with me.

The Emperor spoke first. “It’s the first time I’ve seen you since the hunting competition. I’ve been hearing news, Count Spilet. Preparations for the development of the magic stone mine are progressing steadily.”

“It’s all thanks to Your Majesty’s consideration.”

I answered exactly as I read in a textbook. When the Emperor praised a subject, it was written to reply like this.

“I heard it from the Empress a few days ago. Your boldness.”

“…Then, her Majesty must have been angry.”

“No, I was glad the Empress came to me first and told me after a long time. She never comes first.”

I just listened to his story with my head down and didn’t answer. In any case, it seemed true that the Emperor’s love for the Empress was extreme.

“Why did you call for Count Spilet?”

Fortunately, Enoch brought up the question I wanted to ask first.

“Did you hear the news that the Demon King has appeared?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Then, High Priest, ask the question,” The Emperor said, handing over the right to speak to the man next to him. 

I turned to the High Priest to see his expression, a mix of anticipation and anxiety.

“Count Spilet, I heard you have a special ability.”

The story came out as expected. Enoch tried to step out, but I quickly answered, “Yes, I also found out recently. His Majesty ordered us to go to the temple to have it checked, but it’s been delayed due to personal matters.”

“Personal matters…”

“Ah, you filed for divorce. You said your reason was Rupert’s change in political stance, that he’d rescind his support for the Crown Prince, yes?”

My eyes widened as I stared at the Emperor, then lowered my head again and gritted my teeth. 

You told me you kept your client’s affairs confidential, Viscount Stevens!

“Ah, don’t blame him. Viscount Stevens is also a subject of my Empire, so he has no choice but to report this. Don’t worry, though. No one knows yet but me.”

Wouldn’t it be over if the Emperor knew? I had to be careful not to let the thought come from my mouth.

“How can I complain about what His Majesty is doing?”

“Priestess Cristina and all other priestesses of the past came to the temple after receiving a prophecy. Did Count Spilet receive one, as well?”

Prophecy? I didn’t remember receiving anything like that. When I opened my eyes one day, I found myself in Erin Spilet’s body. In fact, I didn’t know if this ability started from that time or even after that.

“No, I didn’t receive one.”

Then, the High Priest’s expression became vague.

“What kind of abilities do you have, exactly?”

“Well, um… I can resist brainwashing, black magic…”

“Count Spilet has the ability to purify,” Enoch said, defining it as one skill for me. That’s right. He said it’s the power of purification. I couldn’t remember the term well.

When he heard that, the High Priest frowned and asked sharply, “Do you use holy water for purification? Of course, that can only be done by a trained priest or a priestess who has been entrusted with a prophecy.”

“No, I have never used holy water.”

“Then, do you have an object imbued with divine power?”

“No, not even that…”

“I can’t believe it, is that true?” The High Priest’s eyes were no longer on me. He was looking at Prince Enoch.

“It’s true. Priest Antonio can confirm that.”

However, the High Priest remained skeptical. 

Then, the Emperor intervened. “Since it’s something we decided to do anyway, why don’t we go to the temple and check it out?”

“Then let’s go right away. If you leave it to Priestess Cristina, she’ll know her true identity right away.” 

The High Priest immediately affirmed the Emperor’s suggestion.

I had expected this when I was in the room with Enoch earlier. I glanced at him, and Enoch gave a small nod, clearly showing disapproval.

“Yes, I understand. However, there is something I would like to ask the High Priest.”

“What is it?”

“If it’s true that I have the ability to purify, what will happen after that?”