Episode 138
“High Priest, we’ve brought what you requested.”
A figure dressed in black priestly robes knelt before a large angel statue and reported. A voice, emanating from the statue, replied,
“[Bring it here.]”
The voice was strange, androgynous and metallic, echoing eerily in the empty basement.
The priest opened a box and presented the object he had stolen from Olivia’s room. The statue’s voice, filled with anger, boomed,
“[You thought this tattered rag was the holy relic?]”
“F-forgive me. But it was the only object from Heilan in her possession…”
The cloth was old and worn, but it was definitely Heilan fabric. The only object from Heilan found in Olivia’s room.
“[Think! We’re looking for a holy relic! An intact object! Does this look intact to you?]”
“Forgive me, High Priest.”
“[Then work harder! Search every corner of Ravanta! We must find the holy relic!]”
“Yes, High Priest.”
The priest retreated, and the statue sighed.
Obedient puppets were convenient, but their lack of intelligence was sometimes frustrating.
Once they found the holy relic, everything would go according to plan. The voice within the statue, looking at the tattered cloth on the floor, scoffed and turned it into ashes.
Then, it left the cold marble statue and returned to its true vessel.
“Tristan.”
Felix, as if he had sensed his return, appeared and embraced him from behind. Tristan, his earlier anger forgotten, asked, his voice laced with amusement,
“Your Majesty, what brings you here?”
Felix, after a moment of hesitation, asked, his voice filled with anxiety,
“Tristan, are you sure it was wise to let him go?”
Tristan smiled.
“Yes. He’s useless in his current state.”
“But he might have allies in Ravanta. The Emperor, perhaps. Otherwise, Lucius and Alexia wouldn’t be so desperate to escape.”
Felix had been consumed by anxiety ever since Lucius escaped three years ago.
Lucius was essential to their plan. And Alexia’s unexpected appearance had further increased the potential power Tristan could obtain.
“We were so close. We learned from our past mistakes and were finally able to gather unwavering faith.”
“Your Majesty.”
“Once we gathered enough faith in Ravanta, you would become a god. You would resurrect Chelon, Heilan would become a powerful nation again, ruling the continent, and I would sit on the highest throne, worshipping you. It was all within our reach.”
Felix whined like a child, and Tristan, his gaze filled with pity, pulled him closer, his arms enveloping him.
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I wouldn’t have let them go without a reason.”
“…What is your reason?”
Tristan stroked Felix’s hair, the soft strands flowing through his pale fingers.
“We’re missing one crucial component, aren’t we?”
“…A sacrifice.”
“Exactly. Apostle Lucius might have known the perfect candidate all along.”
Felix’s eyes widened, a flicker of understanding in their depths.
Tristan chuckled and shared a piece of information he had gleaned from his followers.
“There’s a secret Ravanta has been hiding. Their princess possesses exceptional talent in Sword Magic.”
“…!”
Felix’s eyes lit up. Tristan, tracing the curve of his cheek with his finger, continued, his voice almost a hum,
“Apostle Lucius must have told them, during that prayer meeting seven years ago, when he betrayed us. He warned them to be wary of someone with such talent in Heilan.”
The memory still made him seethe with anger.
It had been the day they announced the arrival of the God of Resurrection. It had been a perfect start, or so he had thought, until Lucius betrayed them.
Tristan smiled gently, his hand stroking Felix’s hair.
“It’s fine. We know the perfect sacrifice exists. We’ll wait for the right moment and use the princess as our sacrifice, and then our wish will be granted.”
He licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Felix, his anxiety still lingering, asked,
“What about the holy relic?”
Tristan’s smile faltered at the mention of the forbidden word.
Felix, seeing his reaction, pressed on,
“We confirmed that it’s not in Heilan. But what if Ravanta finds it first? Then you’ll…!”
Felix’s face contorted in fear.
Tristan, seeing his beloved’s vulnerable expression, felt a thrill course through him, a mixture of pain and pleasure.
Felix’s love, his desperate devotion, was what kept him alive.
“It’s fine. I’m the true owner of the holy relic.”
He smiled gently and pressed his forehead against Felix’s.
“You just have to wait, Your Majesty. I’ll bring you everything you desire.”
This autumn,
Ravanta would hold the Crown Princess inauguration ceremony.
And the Heilan delegation would visit Ravanta for the first time in years. By then, they would have gathered enough faith, and the sacrifice would be ready.
Everything would go according to plan, as long as Ravanta didn’t find the holy relic before then.
“So don’t worry, Your Majesty. Everything will go as you wish.”
Tristan, his voice soft and soothing, kissed Felix’s forehead.
Like a god bestowing grace upon his devout follower.
Elonia had come to the Archer estate to bring Simon back, but she lingered after he left, her heart heavy.
The heirloom Olivia had lost was just a piece of clothing. A tattered, bloodstained robe Chelon had worn during the war.
She remembered Olivia’s tearful question,
“Elonia, you know who took it, don’t you?”
But Olivia already knew the answer. It had to be Felix and Tristan. Her true question had been,
‘Why would they steal such a seemingly insignificant object?’
She hadn’t been able to ask directly, because of the knights’ presence.
The answer was simple.
The Church of the Resurrection God was searching for the holy relic, the relic that had disappeared from Heilan and somehow ended up in Ravanta.
And according to Lucius, Heilan hadn’t secured a sacrifice yet.
‘But they’re using the potion of luck, which can kill, which means they must have a potential sacrifice…’
All they needed now was faith and Lucius’s apostle’s power, both easily obtainable with time.
‘…I can’t tell them about this.’
She had only told them about the potion.
The Heilan siblings were estranged. Felix considered Olivia and Simon discarded pawns, and they wanted to escape his control.
‘But I can’t tell them everything. Even a small action could have unforeseen consequences.’
She still saw them as children who needed protection, but they were also Heilan citizens, potential pawns for Felix.
She trusted them, but she didn’t trust Heilan. She couldn’t.
So she couldn’t tell them the truth.
It was her duty as the Ravanta princess.
Olivia and Simon understood. But seeing their sad and resigned expressions pained her. They had once been her siblings.
‘I have to end this quickly, before their resentment grows and becomes irreversible.’
It was a small mercy that the holy relic was confirmed to be in Ravanta.
It was a race against time, a battle to see who could find it first.
Strengthening Madicte’s divine power had its limits. Ravanta needed a concrete solution, not just faith.
‘I have to talk to Lucius about the holy relic.’
Apostles didn’t automatically know the location of the holy relic, but they usually had some information about it. If she shared what she had learned, they might be able to narrow down the search. Just as she stood up to leave,
“Your Highness, may I interrupt?”
Simon knocked on the door.
Wasn’t he going to rest? Elonia, though still slightly uncomfortable facing him, replied,
“Come in.”
“Excuse me.”
Simon entered the room, fidgeting with his coat. Before Elonia could ask him to get straight to the point, he asked,
“Your Highness, what are you planning to do with Heilan?”
Elonia was surprised. She hadn’t expected him to ask such a question.
If they succeeded in killing Tristan, Felix would also be eliminated. She hadn’t thought about what would happen after that. Killing Tristan, whose face she didn’t even know, still felt unreal.
Elonia, avoiding his gaze, murmured,
“It’s too early to say for sure, but I think we’ll start by returning the Heilan hostages.”
“You won’t destroy or annex Heilan?”
Elonia was puzzled. She had given him the answer she thought he wanted to hear, but he seemed dissatisfied.
So she gave him a more definitive answer.
“Absolutely not.”
She hated Heilan, but she didn’t want to annihilate an entire nation, especially when she could achieve her goal by eliminating just Felix and Tristan.
She wouldn’t repeat the mistakes of her past life. Her greatest desire wasn’t to become a War Demon again, but to live a long and peaceful life with her family.
But Simon, surprisingly, disagreed.
“You can’t do that, Your Highness.”
“…What?”
Elonia frowned, expecting him to cower in fear, but Simon, surprisingly, stood his ground. He spoke, his voice hesitant but firm,
“As long as they live, they’ll seek revenge. The fact that Heilan has extended its reach to Ravanta means they’ve fully integrated the nations they’ve conquered, and Ravanta might be their next target. Returning the hostages would put Ravanta in danger.”
It was the longest speech she had ever heard from Simon. He wasn’t stuttering or trailing off like he usually did. He spoke quickly, as if he was racing against time.
“Heilan never forgets a humiliation. Even if Felix is gone, the founding families won’t surrender easily. They’ll use the returned hostages to rally support and seek revenge. They’ll try to install me as their king. And if I refuse, they’ll marry Olivia off to a son of one of the founding families and make him king.”
The Heilan royal line would continue, one way or another, and another war was inevitable.
And war had to be avoided at all costs.
But there was one way to prevent it.
Elonia, sensing what he was about to say, asked, a flicker of hope in her eyes,
“…What are you trying to say?”
Simon knelt down.
“Please marry me. I offer you Heilan, to prevent another war. And…”
He continued, his voice barely a whisper, revealing his true request, his face a tearful smile.