Chapter 06
The wound on his cheek still had a reddish hue, meaning it was fresh.
I glanced at the senior priest nearby.
If I used my power, they would realize I had healing abilities.
I had tried to keep it hidden, but I had no choice now.
“Welcome to Magnus Holy Kingdom, Your Grace, the Grand Duke of Winter Castle. I will offer a blessing prayer for you.”
High-ranking nobles visiting the Holy Kingdom always received a blessing first.
The last time he visited, all the priests refused, saying they couldn’t bless an unbaptized bastard. It had caused an uproar.
I didn’t care if he was illegitimate or not—as long as he didn’t kill anyone, I could pray for him as many times as needed.
If only I could baptize him myself…
Then he would never have a reason to come back here.
I pressed my trembling hands together and closed my eyes in prayer.
Magnus, please help me.
Help me find the courage to face Schwarz.
I used my divine power.
A warm sensation spread from my heart. A faint, greenish light flowed from my body, wrapping around Schwarz.
It was a healing power that not only closed wounds but also relieved fatigue.
As I finished the prayer, I slowly opened my eyes.
“I added a bit of healing along with the blessing. Do you feel less tired now?”
The Holy Kingdom was quite far from the Empire, and the long journey must have been exhausting.
The moment my divine power touched him, his travel fatigue would have eased.
But my real goal was the wound on his cheek.
Schwarz touched his face.
The stinging pain from the small wound must have disappeared completely.
“Healing power? I heard no one in this generation possessed it.”
I glanced at the senior priest. As expected, he looked utterly shocked.
I had hidden this secret because I didn’t want to attract attention, but thanks to Schwarz, it was now exposed to everyone.
There was no turning back.
“It’s a rare ability, but it’s less effective than holy water,” I downplayed it.
Thankfully, Schwarz seemed to lose interest and didn’t question further.
I carefully asked, “May I have the honor of guiding Your Grace?”
Not that I actually wanted to serve him—I would have loved to throw salt at him and send him away.
Schwarz removed his hand from his cheek and looked at me.
“What do you think of me?”
You’re a lunatic.
I barely stopped myself from blurting out my true thoughts and instead forced a gentle smile.
“The Magnus God teaches that all visitors to the temple are lambs in need of help. What kind of help do you require?”
So please, act like a good little lamb.
Schwarz seemed amused. His lips curled slightly.
“…You’re probably the only priest who thinks that way.”
He muttered to himself before speaking up again.
“I’ll play along. Lead the way.”
“Thank you for allowing me. Before we proceed, may I ask you to hand over your weapon?”
His sharp gaze instantly turned icy again.
Even the Emperor himself had to relinquish his weapons inside the temple. This was standard protocol.
Only holy knights were permitted to carry weapons within the Grand Temple.
“Weapons are forbidden inside. The Holy Kingdom guarantees Your Grace’s safety.”
“How can I trust that?”
Ah, this bastard.
Schwarz had created his own assassination squad because he didn’t trust anyone.
As an illegitimate child, he had been targeted since childhood.
To survive, he had decided to eliminate threats before they could strike.
I understood his reasoning, but I had no intention of backing down. My life was on the line, too.
“Even without a weapon, Your Grace is more than capable of defending yourself.”
His sheer physical strength alone was terrifying.
“If my enemies come armed, it won’t be easy.”
Not easy?
He had defeated armed opponents countless times using his supernatural ability, Darkness.
“If someone attacks, I will throw myself in the way to protect Your Grace.”
“…With those fragile arms?”
“I am the eldest daughter of Count Theodore. I inherited my parents’ strong physique. If I charge at them, I can at least create an opening.”
Schwarz studied me while stroking his chin. Then, he let out a small laugh.
Was he convinced? Or was he just laughing at my ridiculous claim?
He unfastened his sword from his waist and handed it to the senior priest.
“I’ll trust your words this time.”
Thankfully, he seemed to take it as a joke from a lowly trainee priest.
I let out a quiet sigh of relief—but I was still afraid of him.
Noticing my stiffness, Schwarz spoke again.
“I won’t kill you, so stop trembling.”
I hoped he meant that.
At least I got through one hurdle.
Just knowing he was unarmed made it easier to breathe.
But another problem remained.
Where should I take him?
To minimize the effect of my pheromones, an outdoor location would be best.
I had the perfect place in mind.
The pavilion in the Grand Temple’s garden.
At this time of year, the flowers would be in full bloom, masking any lingering scents.
I led Schwarz toward the temple garden.
Meanwhile, inside the Holy Kingdom’s Grand Council Hall, the Holy Pope, Cassius, was gathered with cardinals and priests from all over the continent.
This meeting had an unusually long list of topics, making it drag on.
Suddenly, the heavy doors of the council chamber creaked open slightly.
A senior priest slipped inside and hurriedly approached his superior, a cardinal.
“Your Eminence, the Grand Duke of Lyndmere has arrived.”
The cardinal’s eyes widened, and he unconsciously raised his voice.
“What? That mad dog is here?!”
Realizing his mistake, he quickly covered his mouth and coughed.
“…Forgive me, Your Holiness. An unexpected guest has arrived, and I spoke out of turn.”
“Mad dog? Who are you referring to?”
Cassius gestured for the senior priest to answer.
“The Grand Duke of Lyndmere from the Empire. It seems he has come regarding his baptism.”
Lyndmere’s Grand Duke.
A man rumored to enjoy bloodshed so much that he volunteered for battle.
He had also been linked to an underground assassin group—many noble families that opposed him mysteriously vanished.
Bastards couldn’t receive baptism.
They would have to detain him for a while and then send him away.
“We need a priest to escort him.”
Cassius glanced around, tapping his finger on the armrest.
The priests all avoided his gaze.
No one wanted to deal with the bastard Grand Duke.
“There’s no need, Your Holiness. Priestess Sonia is already accompanying the Grand Duke.”
Cassius’ expression hardened instantly.
“Who is with whom?”
His voice turned so cold that the council chamber itself seemed to freeze.
The gathered priests were visibly startled.
Cassius was known for his gentle and kind nature.
He usually reminded people of a calm lake.
But now, his presence was like a sharp, frozen blade.
Then again, it’s him. The Grand Duke of Lyndmere.
This was his second visit to the Holy Kingdom.
Last time, he had gotten into a fight with a holy knight, and swords had been drawn.
Although the matter was smoothed over, it was clear that Schwarz harbored hostility toward the Holy Kingdom.
And now, a mere trainee priestess was handling him?
If she made even the smallest mistake, the Holy Kingdom would have to deal with the consequences.
“Well, isn’t this actually a good thing?”
She was just a trainee priestess.
If things went wrong, they could likely pin everything on a single trainee priest.
“…She may be the Count’s daughter, but she is still just a trainee priestess. I’m worried that someone inexperienced is in charge of the Grand Duke.”
“That’s right. A trainee priestess wouldn’t have learned all the proper etiquette of the Holy Kingdom.”
“Last time, didn’t the Grand Duke get upset because we didn’t properly attend to him? If we make another mistake, he’s sure to cause a commotion.”
“If something goes wrong, we’ll have to hold her responsible.”
It was clear that they were all suggesting that Sonia would bear the blame for everything.
Cassius felt a deep irritation at the self-serving priests who were only concerned with their own safety.
“What is this nonsense?”
At the sharp tone of Cassius’s voice, the priests fell silent.
“You’re going to dump everything onto a trainee and pass the responsibility to her? Are you even priests of the Holy Kingdom?”
“Th-that’s not it… We’re just worried that the trainee priestess might make a mistake in front of the Grand Duke.”
“Well, if that’s your reason, then it’s only right that experienced priests like yourselves take on the responsibility of handling the Grand Duke.”
“U-us?”
“Yes. This is an important task, so as senior priests, it’s your job to handle it.”
The priests had no excuses left and just looked around nervously.
Cassius’s disappointment turned into anger.
He wanted to make sure they paid for shifting their responsibilities onto someone else.
“You were about to appoint the representative priest for the northeastern temple, right? It works out perfectly. You’ll handle this.”
“Y-Your Holiness…! I’m too old to live in the harsh mountain regions.”
They all wanted to serve in wealthy cities with easier conditions.
The northeastern region, with its rough weather, was naturally less desirable. Resources were limited, and life there would be more difficult, so everyone had been avoiding it.
Other priests, bored from the long meeting, quickly jumped in to support Cassius.
“I agree with His Holiness. You’re older, so quiet mountain life will be more suited for you.”
“And it won’t be lonely with three of you going together.”
“With your experience, you’ll surely be able to spread the word of the Lord well.”
With everyone agreeing, there was no more room for refusal.
“…Very well. I’ll accept His Holiness’s wise words.”
Reluctantly, the priests agreed to go to the northeastern temple.
