Chapter 112
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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Chapter 112
"Heh, heh, heh... Well."
The High Priest laughed as if exasperated, then answered with a hint of irritation.
"Holy power is a force capable of healing multiple people at once. Using it for a single person is wasteful."
"Then I suppose wasting it is fine."
"From what I can see, the symptoms don't appear to be that severe..."
"Oh, come now. I'm simply offering you an opportunity, High Priest."
Namia Loapi twirled her hair around her finger as she spoke.
"An opportunity to make a favorable impression on Crown Prince Kiaros."
The High Priest exhaled deeply.
Apparently deciding that the fastest way to deal with this mad girl was to send her on her way, he clasped his hands together and recited a brief prayer.
With a flash of light, holy power rippled outward.
'Hmm.'
As the holy power took effect, even I felt my body grow lighter.
'It doesn't cure the illness itself, but it does restore one's condition momentarily.'
The High Priest spoke with cold eyes.
"Is that sufficient?"
"Well..."
Namia Loapi puffed out her cheeks indifferently and tilted her head.
"I do feel much better. Thank you. But I might fall ill again, so you could use your holy power each time that happens, couldn't you?"
"Pardon?"
"The Chapel is far too distant. Since I'm staying at the Imperial Palace anyway, please come whenever I call."
At Namia Loapi's words, the High Priest frowned irritably and refused outright.
"That would be rather difficult."
It was then that Namia Loapi jabbed me in the ribs.
I swallowed hard and interjected.
"Crown Prince Kiaros would not take this lying down."
And I added, improvising further.
"Unless you fear the consequences."
Namia Loapi nodded with satisfaction. Then she smiled wickedly and spoke.
"If you listen to what I say, I'll even call you when I'm alone with Crown Prince Kiaros. At that time, I'll mention that you take good care of the Temple, and I'll subtly convey your requests as well."
I regarded Namia Loapi with interest.
She understood precisely why people gravitate toward those favored by the powerful, and how that process unfolds.
"Everyone's been pestering me to do things like this, and you're no different, are you?"
With that final remark, Namia Loapi turned on her heel and clicked away out of the Chapel.
* * *
The Chapel door closed behind me with a thud. Simultaneously, I exhaled a heavy sigh.
'If they weren't the Gaejo Faction, I'd truly apologize. But they are the Gaejo Faction, after all...'
For now, I was simply laying out bait.
The moment I stepped into the Garden, Kibon beside me furrowed his brow and muttered.
"I'm not certain the High Priest will even come. He rejected the invitation outright."
"Of course he did. Their plans are proceeding smoothly on their own—why would he listen to me?"
That was when it happened.
A large falcon descended before me and dropped a box at my feet.
"Hm?"
What is this?
As I stood bewildered, Kibon furrowed his brow and murmured slowly.
"...This appears to be one of the Tower Master's messenger birds...."
"You know about such things?"
"Please open it first."
Kibon no longer seemed interested in hiding that he was anything but an ordinary Intern.
He gazed at the box the messenger bird had dropped before me as he spoke.
"The bird likely won't permit anyone but the recipient to open the package."
Indeed, the falcon's yellow eyes fixed solely upon me.
I reluctantly opened the box. Inside lay a letter and several scrolls.
I unfolded the letter first.
Namia, I intend to venture deep into enemy territory to rescue my daughter and son-in-law.
You've felt the changes in your body, haven't you?
Don't view it negatively. It's a power someone desperately desired.
It's a dangerous power, but perhaps you are worthy of possessing it.
Speak to no one of your uniqueness.
Still, I was concerned about you, so I've selected a few scrolls. Keep them with you always.
Changes in my body....
I swallowed hard. While I read the letter, Kibon removed his jacket again.
"You must be cold—let me cover you again...."
"No, it's fine."
I immediately refused and shook my head.
"I'm not cold at all, probably from the tension. If anything, I'm hot."
In fact, sweat was trickling down my back.
I was genuinely burning up. Though I hadn't shown it, this had been happening since earlier.
'This is strange. A heating scroll shouldn't produce this much warmth.'
The heating scroll, which I'd thought would be merely hand-warmer level, was blazing like a bonfire.
After coughing up blood once, the mana lingering in my body had felt somewhat more refined—I wondered if that was connected.
I scrutinized the letter once more.
'You've felt the changes in your body.... Is this what they meant?'
Since these were the Tower Master's words, I had absolute faith in them.
'Your uniqueness.... Does that include knowing the future? What exactly does the Tower Master know?'
In any case, I resolved to heed the advice to tell no one.
"Is something wrong?"
"Oh, no. It's just a personal message. The Tower Master is a warm-hearted and deeply compassionate elder, after all."
Kibon wore an expression of utter disbelief and muttered under his breath.
"From what I know, that man only cares about his own bloodline...."
"Then you don't know the Tower Master very well. Anyway, that's probably why he gave another gift."
I recalled receiving a peculiar scroll as a parting gift from him before.
He'd said to use it when I received a confession....
It was an extraordinarily strange scroll, and I couldn't even guess what it was for.
Wondering if this might be another such mysterious scroll, I eagerly examined the box.
"Hmm."
After examining the scrolls one by one, I shrugged and muttered.
"They're just ordinary, common scrolls."
The messenger bird had already flown away and was nowhere to be seen.
I picked up the box and headed back to my room.
* * *
The High Priest clicked his tongue in exasperation.
'I was planning to dispose of her along with Kiaros in the end while killing him....'
The High Priest was a fairly high-ranking executive within the Gaejo Faction, but he had no choice but to act directly.
To carry out the plan, Kiaros had to die, but he remained barricaded in his quarters within the Imperial Palace and refused to come out.
'The Minister of Education was right about that much.'
The Crown Prince was truly clinging to a rude and thoughtless woman, which made him worry about the Empire's future.
He'd also said that she suddenly received favor and rose in status without knowing her place.
Now that he'd experienced it firsthand, she was indeed a woman with a talent for turning people's hearts inside out.
'I'd like to kill her first.'
Contrary to what the Minister of Education had guaranteed, no incident occurred at the Saint Kairo Banquet.
The exact cause remained unknown.
'The Scroll Department might have made a mistake from the start, or perhaps the Minister of Education was followed....'
The Minister of Education was also unreliable. In a sense, he was a gentleman who'd only ever worked in public office and might have been incapable of acting decisively.
Given that he'd now completely disappeared, it was possible he was being hunted by the Crown Prince.
'If Namia Loapi knew about all of this and took countermeasures....'
She had a track record of saving Kiaros from a perfectly designed assassination attempt orchestrated by the Gaejo Faction.
'Hmm, but... is it possible to save someone with a plan unless you know the future? Wasn't she just trying to catch the Crown Prince's eye with her bold actions? Trusting in her beauty and dreaming of a Cinderella story.'
After that, Kiaros truly became attached to her, so from Namia's perspective, she'd succeeded.
In fact, she was now acting exactly like someone who'd just received favor and didn't know her place.
The High Priest furrowed his brow and crossed his arms.
'Killing Namia Loapi isn't particularly difficult. Right now, killing Kiaros is the most important thing.'
All his plans were proceeding smoothly at the moment. The High Priest understood the priority of tasks well and didn't want any other variables.
In other words, no matter how arrogantly Namia behaved, she was a secondary priority—someone he could dispose of easily at any time.
* * *
I returned to my room and casually set down the box I'd received from the Tower Master. Then, stretching nonchalantly, I spoke.
"Go on then. I'll call you again later."
"Yes."
The moment Kibon left, I watched him go.
Once his footsteps had faded sufficiently into the distance, I glanced around the room to confirm I was truly alone.
Then I opened the box the Tower Master had sent—the one I'd brought with me earlier.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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