Chapter 147
“The Emperor?”
I tilted my head in confusion.
Raizel despised powerful figures like the Emperor of the Empire or the kings of other nations, mainly because they constantly bothered him.
He especially disliked the Emperor, likely because of the many troublesome experiences he had endured during his time as the High Priest.
“What are you planning to ask him for?”
“Weren’t you an elite informant? How do you not know this?”
Raizel snapped irritably at my question.
I just stared at him blankly.
In my previous life, I had been clueless about even the most well-known myths regarding the Holy Demon War, something even children knew about.
Not only that, but I had been completely unaware of the existence of demon worshippers who had once shaken the Empire and had barely any knowledge of the Principality of Belus.
‘At least I had somehow managed to learn that Bianca had gone into seclusion…’
But I knew nothing about the reason behind it or the people involved.
Back then, I had simply assumed that Belus had an incredibly strict information management system.
However, given the suspicious nature of everything now, it felt more like someone had deliberately restricted my access to information and kept things hidden from me.
And knowing this, Raizel’s annoyed reaction made me feel a little hurt.
But his next words left me utterly speechless.
“The Emperor has hoarded ancient relics in the imperial treasury?”
“Yes. Even the holy relics, which rightfully belong to the temple. When I was the High Priest, I requested their return multiple times, but he always managed to weasel his way out of it and refused.”
Now I understood why Raizel hated the Emperor so much.
“He even possesses dangerous demonic artifacts. They shouldn’t be left unchecked.”
“…Demonic artifacts? What do you mean?”
I asked sharply.
I couldn’t help but react strongly.
To me, demons weren’t just distant enemies—they had torn me away from my family and filled my life with suffering. They were my greatest nemesis.
“Just as it sounds. Items belonging to demons.”
Raizel briefly explained that they were the opposite of the sacred relics used by saints.
He added that the imperial family had always been obsessed with collecting ancient relics, but the current Emperor took it to an unhealthy extreme.
“Then, among the relics the Emperor possesses, could there be a holy artifact that might accelerate Diana’s awakening?”
“If the item I’m searching for is in the Emperor’s possession, then perhaps. But I hesitate to bring it up…”
His hesitant expression made it clear—he was worried that mentioning it might draw the Emperor’s unwanted attention.
That was likely why he had spent all these years wandering the continent, searching ancient ruins instead of seeking the Emperor’s aid.
“Great Sage, could you tell me a little about the artifact you’re looking for?”
Raizel had shared with me the hidden truths that the temple had long kept secret.
But when it came to the artifact he was seeking or the cursed tome he was tracking, he had kept completely silent.
Perhaps he simply wanted me to live peacefully without worrying about such burdensome matters.
Or maybe he thought I wouldn’t be of any help.
‘But I’ve already spent years just waiting.’
If anyone had the right to be involved in this, it was me, someone directly affected, just like the Saintess and the demons themselves.
Besides, something about the Emperor’s treasury reminded me of something.
“There’s a chance I might know something.”
I felt embarrassed making such a claim when I hadn’t even known that the Emperor collected ancient relics.
For an elite informant, it was shameful to be so uninformed.
So I quickly added, “I’m also really curious about what the artifact looks like.”
“Hmm.”
Perhaps because this was the first time I had ever begged him for something, Raizel hesitated.
After a moment of contemplation, he made up his mind.
With a determined motion, he stood up and retrieved a faded piece of paper from his desk.
“The original is kept in the Grand Temple. This is a copy I drew myself. If you ever tell anyone you saw this…”
“I won’t. Ever.”
I clenched my fists and put on the most determined expression I could muster, hoping to reassure him.
Raizel let out a small, exasperated laugh before finally handing me the paper.
As I looked down at it, my eyes widened in shock.
***
“I made sure tonight’s meal was prepared with extra care. Does it suit your taste?”
During dinner, my father asked Raizel as we dined in the lavish dining room.
Raizel, usually a harsh critic when it came to food, awkwardly nodded with a stiff expression.
“Y-yes. It’s good.”
I shot him a quick glare—it was so unlike him to eat without complaint.
But surprisingly, my father…
“Oh! That’s a relief!”
…was simply pleased and didn’t notice anything strange.
Even my mother and Ascart were too busy making sure I was eating properly to pay attention to Raizel.
“Oh, right! Lia, I heard you went to that dessert shop alone today. You should’ve told me, I would have gone with you.”
“You seemed busy, so I didn’t want to bother you. But I brought some back, so let’s have it for dessert together.”
Feeling a bit guilty for deliberately choosing a time when Ascart was preoccupied to visit Le Réje, I quickly tried to placate him.
Luckily, he brightened up and nodded before going back to cutting his steak.
As he placed a piece onto my plate, our mother, who was also adding some salad to my plate, casually remarked,
“Speaking of which, autumn is already here. The young lady’s birthday is approaching, perhaps we should start thinking about what to get her as a gift?”
I was about to bring my fork to my mouth when I paused, my gaze landing on Raizel across from me.
He was already looking at me.
“It seems the duke’s household has put extra effort into your coming-of-age celebration this time.”
My mother said with a bright smile, though she muttered under her breath,
“even if some of the gifts were utterly ridiculous.”
“You and the young lady are like sisters, so of course, we couldn’t just stand by.”
Something about the way she said that made me feel like there was more to it, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on curiosity.
Originally, I had planned to bring up the topic myself, but given how things were going, it seemed best to cut straight to the point.
“Mother, about Diana’s birthday.”
“Yes? Go ahead. Oh, by the way, I heard that a blue diamond necklace will be up for auction next week.”
“Wouldn’t it be beautiful since it matches the young lady’s eyes?” she asked cheerfully, while the rest of my family listened.
And then I dropped a bombshell.
“I want to go and congratulate her in person.”
“What?”
“You mean you want to go to the Empire?”
“To meet Diana directly?”
As expected, my family was shocked, bombarding me with questions.
I nodded and glanced at Raizel.
“Yes. The Great Sage has already given his permission. He said there’s no longer any danger in meeting Diana.”
“Is that true?”
Under the weight of everyone’s stares, Raizel looked uncomfortable but still answered sincerely.
“Yes. The illusions have all been dispelled, and there’s no need to worry about mana outbursts anymore.”
That much was true.
During my purification sessions, I hadn’t just dispelled illusions.
Even though it unsettled me, I had steadily absorbed the demonic mana leaking through the cracks of the broken soulstone, making it my own.
When I first awoke after returning from death, I had been shocked by the vast amount of mana surging within my now-unsealed heart.
Now, it had grown to an immeasurable extent.
After numerous experiments, I confirmed that even when my heart stored far more mana than during my previous outbursts, my mana remained stable.
To be more precise, the power contained within the demon’s soulstone never harmed me.
Thinking back, all of my past mana rampages had only occurred when I was in a mentally weakened state.
Like when I leaped from the orphanage attic, accepting death.
Or when I was falsely accused as a traitor at the ducal estate.
During the first rampage, I lost consciousness immediately and remembered little. But during the second, I had been able to control the fire that manifested from my mana outburst with my will.
It was almost ironic enough to make me laugh.
‘The power that should have led to my destruction is instead perfectly obedient to me.’
Regardless, the important thing was that even if Diana still couldn’t control her holy power, there was no longer any risk of my mana running wild.
“That is good news, but…”
My father trailed off, looking at me with unconcealed worry.
And I understood why.
After all, we still hadn’t uncovered why the demon worshippers had kept me alive.
As his expression darkened, I let out a bitter smile.
It was obvious he was once again blaming himself, thinking I had been kidnapped because of him.
But in reality, the eradication of the demon worshippers had been part of the Emperor’s conditions in exchange for the principality’s independence…
‘In the end, it was probably my fate.’
I was struggling with how to explain when Raizel suddenly spoke in an oddly stiff voice.
“There’s no need to worry. In fact… being near the Saintess might be… even safer.”
‘Oh no.’
I swallowed hard.
Only someone with his background as a former High Priest could tell a lie that blatantly unconvincing.
The truth was, Diana hadn’t fully awakened as a Saintess yet, so there was absolutely no guarantee that I would be safe.
‘Not to mention, Raizel had always opposed my going to the Empire.’
His biggest concern was that if Diana was revealed as the Saintess before her awakening, she would be in danger.
The second reason was the unpredictable nature of the demons’ true intentions.
Nine years ago, when my family publicly declared they had found the lost grand princess, they had been terrified that the demon worshippers would come after me again.
They had strengthened security, preparing for the worst—only for nothing to happen.
It was unsettlingly quiet.
And Raizel found that silence deeply disturbing.
There had to be a reason why the demons had not only bound my soul to the soulstone but also placed a separate seal on me. Yet we had no clue what their purpose was.
Ultimately, Raizel believed that our only hope lay in an ancient tome containing information about demonic seals and curses.
He had insisted time and time again that we should locate the book first, decipher the demons’ intentions, and only then make a move.
And I agreed that his caution was reasonable.
But I couldn’t wait any longer.
I was tired.
Tired of living in constant fear of when the demons would come for me.
Tired of existing in this fragmented, incomplete state with my soul still damaged.
Tired of constantly questioning whether the people I had once trusted were truly demon worshippers.
And above all, I couldn’t get one ancient tale out of my mind—one that Raizel had told me long ago.
‘What if the reason Diana hasn’t awakened until now is…’
