Chapter 80
“It seems someone is trying to uncover what’s happening inside the temple.”
Inside the lowest level of the temple, beyond the blue barrier, Mateus murmured quietly.
At his words, Cedric, who had been sitting beside Yulia, rose from his seat.
“Could it be… someone has noticed Yulia is here?”
Cedric’s eyes wavered uneasily.
Until now, Yulia had never been moved from this room. Moreover, within the temple, only the two people present knew of her presence here.
As Cedric bit his lip with a troubled expression, Mateus responded calmly.
“That’s unlikely. It’s probably just someone who happened to see His Highness the Grand Duke coming here.”
Lowering his gaze slightly, Mateus continued slowly.
“They asked whether there was a woman brought here by the Grand Duke a few months ago—and even who she was.”
Fortunately, the question was intercepted by a priest under Mateus’ authority. When the priest replied that no such thing had happened, the inquisitive party left without further issue.
“Still, we must remain deeply cautious. If something were to happen while His Highness is away, it would be troublesome.”
“…Yes, you’re right.”
Cedric glanced back at Yulia and asked,
“Has there been no further communication from His Highness?”
It had been a long time since the Grand Duke left the Empire. Mateus had been sending letters to him whenever crucial clues about the High Priest were discovered.
“After sending the records about Carnocia three weeks ago, there has been no further contact.”
Carnocia was a small territory in the western continent.
After exchanging information with several temples, they had discovered records of a priest with strange abilities who had appeared there decades ago.
“He must be busy with the search and has no time to spare for updates.”
Mateus spoke composedly, then looked down at Yulia, who lay exactly as she had three months prior—unchanged in the slightest.
There was no change in her. Except for the faint beating of her heart, all bodily functions had ceased.
Naturally, her appearance remained the same as well. There was no need to wash her body or provide nutrients—none of the basic necessities required for a living person.
She simply seemed like someone who had been asleep for a very long time.
“Even after all this time, thankfully, her heart hasn’t stopped. It feels miraculous in a way… but I’m also afraid of when it might.”
Cedric muttered gloomily as he gazed at her pale face.
Though he was grateful she had endured for three months, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
“Cedric, you once said that Lady Yulia is beloved by the gods.”
Mateus’ tranquil voice filled the room. Cedric finally looked up at him.
“You were right. I am now certain of it.”
“……”
“Do not worry. Everything will surely be resolved.”
Mateus was fundamentally a kind man, but he was not one to offer empty, baseless comfort.
So his words now instilled complete trust in Cedric.
Around that time, Fernand had just arrived at the outskirts of Carnocia.
Based on the information he had received from Mateus weeks prior, he was analyzing the terrain of Carnocia.
Just then, Lloyd, who had returned from reconnaissance, rushed to where Fernand stood. He hurriedly reported to the Grand Duke, who was studying a map.
“Your Highness, it’s as you predicted. Someone is following us.”
Fernand finally looked up at Lloyd.
“They’re not knights under the Emperor. They don’t bear any noble house crests either.”
Fernand lowered his gaze briefly, pondering for a moment before replying in a quiet voice.
“The Emperor must have sent them discreetly. This is undoubtedly his doing.”
Since their departure from the Grand Duchy had been less guarded than usual, the Emperor, who had been tracking them, must have leaked the information.
Though Fernand had been too preoccupied to pay attention to the Emperor until now, he couldn’t let this slide when they had followed him this closely.
“How many are there?”
“From what we’ve spotted so far, about a dozen.”
Fernand’s gaze darkened as he immediately issued an order.
“Kill every last one of them on sight.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Though Yulia had held on for two months, he still couldn’t ease his mind. He needed to find the High Priest as soon as possible.
With nerves already strained, the Emperor’s meddling made it harder than usual to remain composed.
Whenever that happened, Fernand thought of Yulia’s face.
Faint though it was, he recalled the face of the woman who had once smiled at him.
He clung to that fleeting smile, steadying his fraying composure.
Soon after, Fernand folded the map and mounted his horse without delay.
Having finished surveying the terrain, it was time to comb through every corner of Carnocia.
After dividing his knights into search parties, Fernand entered a small village.
It was a foggy village.
A dark and silent atmosphere greeted him, as if it were separated from the rest of the world by an invisible boundary.
“Your Highness, I sense armed soldiers nearby.”
Lloyd spoke in a hushed voice. Fernand, who had already sensed their presence, nodded without a change in expression.
Contrary to Lloyd’s expectations, there were far more than a dozen—likely a much larger force.
“We should relocate for now.”
“Yes, understood.”
This was foreign territory—a village inhabited by civilians.
Starting a conflict here would be no different from launching an unprovoked attack on this country.
With a calm expression, Fernand turned his horse. Since they were still at the village’s outskirts, moving away wasn’t difficult.
As the fog gradually lifted, the presence of soldiers grew nearer.
Leading his knights, Fernand changed direction toward the mountains.
The mountainous terrain was complex and difficult to navigate. However, Fernand and his knights had already mapped it out.
This was the optimal place to eliminate the enemy.
“We’ll kill them all here and resume the search afterward.”
“Yes!”
At his command, the knights scattered at once.
As soon as they halted, the Emperor’s hidden soldiers began revealing themselves one by one.
Fernand swept his sharp gaze across the surroundings. Judging by their appearance, they seemed to be Shadow Knights—warriors who fought anonymously solely for the imperial family.
In other words, even if they captured them all, confirming their identities would be impossible, and they couldn’t hold the Emperor accountable.
In the end, the Emperor was willing to expend his own pawns just to test Fernand.
Perhaps he thought Fernand’s prolonged absence was an opportunity, but this was still a foolish move.
Fernand’s piercing eyes stared through the thickening fog. Then, someone swung a blade at him from the side.
Turning his head, Fernand dodged the strike effortlessly before dismounting.
Shing—
The moment he drew his sword, his expression turned icy.
He had no time to waste on this, but he couldn’t let them keep pursuing him either.
The battle dragged on. No matter how many he killed, more soldiers poured in endlessly.
Meanwhile, the fog blanketing the mountains began obscuring visibility.
Fernand clicked his tongue as he fought off five soldiers at once.
Strangely, the fog seemed to cloud not just his vision but his mind as well.
“Your Highness, are you all right?”
A distant voice—his adjutant’s—called out to him. Without time to answer, Fernand cut down another soldier charging at his back.
As his surroundings grew hazier, Fernand adjusted his grip on his sword.
Just then, another blade came flying from somewhere. He dodged lightly and immediately slashed the soldier at his flank.
As he stepped back, Fernand suddenly realized the ground beneath him was half-gone.
He quickly steadied his footing. Behind him was a sheer cliff.
‘I moved according to the terrain. The cliff shouldn’t be in this direction.’
Frowning, he impaled another charging soldier and pulled his sword free. Something was wrong. It felt as though an invisible force had led him to this cliff.
Fernand turned his body, stepping away from the edge.
But at that moment—
Everything went completely dark.
Fernand felt something like smoke wrap around his ankle and yank him downward.
His body lurched.
