Chapter 78

Upon the Emperor’s command, soldiers guarding the interior of the palace headed towards the palace where the Saintess was confined. It was less a ‘rebellion’ led by nobles and more a ‘riot’ instigated by the common people. Therefore, Lehan pursued the Saintess with his knights rather than defending the throne.

***

Outside the palace, believers and soldiers were in a standoff. Some of the believers carried weapons. While a few seemed to be ordinary devotees, the rest clearly appeared to be trained.

“It seems there are also non-believers mixed in.”

“Judging by their appearance, they seem to be from neighboring countries.”

“That’s what I think too.”

Lehan recognized no one among them. This meant that the nobles were not involved in this disturbance.

‘Not a single noble of the Empire, yet they came directly to where the Saintess is confined?’

As Lehan approached, the common people, as if by prior arrangement, gathered at the palace where the Saintess was confined. If they were ordinary believers, they would have no reason to have entered the imperial palace before. Thus, they wouldn’t know the layout of the interior. Furthermore, the Saintess’s confinement here was a very recent event, less than a week ago. For the common people to arrive so quickly, it could only mean there was a mastermind who knew the imperial palace’s geography and was well-informed about its affairs.

‘Who gathered and led these believers?’

They had not encountered him and Edelis in front of the Emerald Palace. Therefore, they were not aiming for the throne. The mastermind’s goal was also simply the Saintess.

“Your Majesty!”

As Lehan, still on horseback, approached them, he felt the believers falter. It seemed they had never seen the Emperor up close before and couldn’t fathom how to react.

“Lay down your swords.”

“…”

They exchanged glances, debating whether to drop their swords.

“Any who resist may be immediately cut down.”

Lehan gave the order and personally drew the sword from his waist. In response, the knights Lehan had brought also drew their swords. Only a small number of believers carried swords, so the knights had a clear advantage. Eventually, those who had been hesitating slowly dropped their swords to the ground.

“Why have you come?”

As Lehan spoke in a low voice, the air seemed to freeze. Some even shivered, feeling an unknown chill. They had to answer the Emperor’s question, but no one could open their mouths.

“I asked why you have come.”

At the Emperor’s urging, they nudged each other and exchanged glances. Finally, one of the people who had been holding a sword spoke.

“We came to rescue the Saintess, who is unjustly imprisoned.”

“She is not unjustly imprisoned.”

“B-but wasn’t she imprisoned even though she committed no crime?”

“You speak with quite some conviction. Did you see it yourself?”

“No. But one doesn’t have to see something to know it, do they?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Then what made you believe it? Can you also hear divine revelations?”

“…No.”

“Then how do you know?”

Like with Berman Pasis, and now this palace intrusion, the true power brokers remained hidden. They only ever manipulated those from behind the scenes. And the most likely suspect in this case was the Saintess herself.

“Lo-Lorraine…”

“No, why is my name coming up now?! I heard it from Alt!”

“Who is Alt?”

A young man reluctantly raised his hand where people’s gazes fell.

“I, I heard it from Uncle Robert…”

People’s names were mentioned several times, but no one claimed to have seen it directly.

“First, we will arrest and interrogate them.”

“You’ve come, Johannes.”

Only about a week had passed, but Johannes’s face was remarkably haggard.

“…Yes.”

His gaze was fixed on the palace where the Saintess was confined. Lehan understood Frache’s unyielding gaze. He himself had made every effort to prevent Edelis from becoming Empress, eventually even instigating a rebellion.

“I am concerned for the Saintess’s safety amid this commotion.”

“…Yes, then go and check briefly.”

“Th-thank you.”

“You know you can’t take long, right?”

“Yes!”

They needed to investigate the many people present and identify the instigators. So, Johannes would be limited to a brief look at the Saintess’s face and a short conversation. He seemed to understand this well, as he walked with a slightly hurried pace towards the Saintess. The Imperial Knights he commanded were already collecting the believers’ weapons and preparing to line them up for escort. Finally, Johannes, with trembling hands, cautiously opened the door, checked the interior, and then suddenly threw it open and rushed inside.

“Your Ma-Majesty!”

“What is it?”

“The Saintess… The Saintess is gone!”

“What did you say?”

Lehan also went to the palace where the Saintess had been, but there was no one there.

“Guards, who were on duty when the believers came?”

“I-it was me!”

“Did you see the Saintess leave?”

“I didn’t! She was definitely standing here, she was…!”

It seemed she had left during the confusion when the believers swarmed in. However, there was no guarantee that the guards weren’t accomplices, so they also needed to be investigated. Lehan clicked his tongue in frustration.

“She couldn’t have gone far. Find the Saintess!”

“Yes!”

“No!”

The believers, who were thought to be quietly cooperating with their escort, suddenly lined up and blocked the knights. The knights couldn’t cut them down, so they tried to forcefully remove them, but it wasn’t easy.

“Do you truly believe the Saintess is innocent?”

“Yes!”

“Then why did she flee?”

“Since they won’t release her, isn’t she trying to plead her innocence by escaping like this?”

“Even deceiving and mobilizing believers?”

“Th-that… we are fine with that.”

Lehan dismounted his horse and walked forward to the believers. He held a sword in his hand.

“Thanks to your intrusion here, my Empress had to flee to avoid danger. And coincidentally, the Saintess, who tried to kill her, also disappeared.”

“The Saintess would never try to kill Her Majesty the Empress…”

“If anything were to happen to my wife…”

Lehan paused for a moment and held his breath. It was only a hypothetical, but the anxiety that it might actually happen overwhelmed him.

“You will be judged for complicity with the one accused of inciting the murder of the Empress.”

“W-we had no such intention!”

“Even if you had no such intention, I don’t know about the person who spoke to you. You had better pray that my wife is safe.”

“…”

“If you understand, move aside!”

Being an accomplice to a murderer alone could mean rotting in prison for life. But to be an accomplice to someone who murdered the Empress? Their entire family could be annihilated, and they would have no right to complain. Their parents, spouses, and children. They had only come because people were going, and they thought it was right to go when they heard that the Saintess, who had appeared for the first time in hundreds of years, had been arrested. But now, standing before the Emperor, after hearing things they didn’t know, they finally realized how deeply they were involved in a massive incident. Those who grasped the situation slumped down and were helplessly led away by the knights.

“Half of you search for the Empress, and the other half pursue the Saintess!”

“Frache, you search for the Empress. She followed Ferrin and went through the underground passage, so you can go that way.”

“…Understood.”

“If you hear news of the Saintess, report it to me first.”

“Yes.”

If Johannes found the Saintess first, he might let her go. He wanted to trust him, but he also knew that Johannes loved the Saintess as much as he trusted him. Johannes bowed to Lehan and immediately departed, leading half of the Imperial Knights. Based on the information received from Lehan, they divided their personnel to search the secret passage and the area near its exit.

***

“Wow, there really was a place like this.”

“Is Your Majesty alright?”

“I’m fine. Nothing we can do about it.”

Edelis and Ferrin were walking through a secret passage hidden within the imperial palace. It was a very dark and damp place. It was natural, as it was a ‘secret’ passage, so servants wouldn’t clean it. It connected to the Emerald Palace, the Ruby Palace, and several other places within the imperial palace. There were also several exits, and the path Sir Ferrin chose led to the gate Edelis had used when she first entered the imperial palace. In the worst-case scenario, she could go to Marquis Brill’s territory.

“Your Majesty, wait a moment. I hear footsteps from that direction.”

Edelis and Ferrin held their breath for a moment. They had brought three other knights, but their numbers here were only five, and since they couldn’t put the Empress in danger, the effective combat personnel were only four. However, many people had broken into the imperial palace, so if they were overwhelmed by numbers, they certainly wouldn’t be at an advantage.

“It doesn’t sound like there are many of them.”

At Ferrin’s words, the knights drew their swords. They were preparing to immediately engage in battle. They held their breath as the footsteps grew closer, mentally preparing for the upcoming fight. But then, a voice that shouldn’t be heard here rang out.

“Just a little further this way.”

“How do you know so well?”

“I have my ways of knowing everything. So, when is Lorenz coming?”

“That is… he’s waiting at the border, so you should be able to meet him soon.”

It was the Saintess. The Saintess’s voice, conversing with others, was audible.

‘Why is the Saintess, who should be confined, here?’

As she fled through the secret passage, she had heard the believers demanding the Saintess. But if she was moving separately from them, didn’t that mean the believers hadn’t come to rescue her? And how did the Saintess know about the imperial palace’s secret passage, which even she didn’t know about?

“Oh, look who it is?”

“…How are you here?”

“Well, I don’t think that’s important right now.”

The Saintess chuckled softly. Beside her were two priests and two knights. And in her hand, she held a book.

“You… had the book?”

“No, I just got it back.”

“I was wondering where you hid it, turns out you hid it in the imperial palace’s secret passage.”

The Saintess responded with a silent smile. Her silence was a sufficient answer.

“Sir Ferrin, you can testify to this later, right?”

“Of course.”

“It’s alright, it won’t matter anyway.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“You’ll probably know later, won’t you?”

“I don’t know how you can be so relaxed, but I wonder how long that composure will last.”

The two knights accompanying the Saintess also drew their swords and faced Edelis’s group. Their combat personnel were only two. Even if the priests and the Saintess could heal them, the difference in strength was obvious. But the Saintess spoke with great confidence.

“Probably, forever.”

As if the Saintess’s words were a signal, the two knights behind Sir Ferrin aimed their swords at Edelis.

“What is this…!”

“Religion, you see, runs deeper than loyalty.”

In an instant, the tide of battle turned. No matter how strong Sir Ferrin was, the other side had twice their numbers, plus priests. Even for Edelis, who knew little about combat, the outcome was clear.

“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. Though I wanted to.”

“…Why?”

“Look forward to when you wake up tomorrow.”

What on earth was she planning to do…?