The trip went without incident.
There was awkwardness with Aphra and Enoch faithfully acted like a butler.
Rosenta was delighted.
He was very pleased that they would arrive at the duke's castle much faster thanks to the jaguar.
However, that joy was brief.
They couldn't continue on the jaguar. This was because he remembered the carriage and coachman they’d left at the halfway point.
In the end, the three of them had no choice but to disembark at the village.
"Then I'll be on my way."
The soldier that had been steering the jaguar greeted him and quickly disappeared from view.
It was definitely a fast pace.
That speed made it regrettable.
There was nothing to be gained by holding on to the regrets of the past.
Thinking so, Rosenta tried hard to shake off his regret.
"Now let's get going, as well."
Seeing the coachman bring out the carriage and horse, Rosenta quickly loaded himself into the carriage.
He then offered to sit with Aphra, who was standing far away.
"Would the young lord like to get into the carriage?"
An ordinary aristocrat might have liked it, but Aphra was frightened and refused.
"Oh, no! I'm not used to carriages, so if you lend me a horse...….”
He winked at the coachman right away.
The quick-witted coachman quickly handed Aphra the horse that Theodore had been riding.
It was good to be alone in the spacious carriage, but it would be burdensome to be surrounded by several people which made it feel like the carriage had an escort.
‘Above all...… Theodore only left behind one white horse.’
In that case, it would be better to call Enoch into the carriage.
Instead of speaking, Rosenta nodded his head toward Enoch.
Enoch, who understood the meaning at once, entered the carriage.
Rosenta then signaled their departure.
"Let's go."
"Yes."
The horse was heard neighing along with its powerful voice. Soon the wheels of the carriage began to roll.
"Is it time for my reward?”
There was no one to interrupt now.
As though he had been waiting, Enoch threw away his butler's mask. He wore a sinister smile.
It was the most seductive and captivating smile Rosenta had ever seen.
Rosenta quickly turned away from Enoch and looked out the open window.
After looking away for a while, he slowly turned his head back toward Enoch and answered slowly.
"Absolutely not."
"That's too bad."
Enoch straightened his posture and resumed his neat butler façade.
However, his eyes remained uncomposed.
"You have very perverse eyes."
Even at Rosenta’s words, Enoch didn't think to hide his lustful gaze.
On the contrary, he smiled even more pruriently.
"There was only one horse.”
"Yes, I know."
‘Does he really understand what I was saying?’
"The only reason I invited you inside was because there was only one horse and I had to give the young lord first choice."
Rosenta was willing to spare no effort in explaining to prevent Enoch from having useless thoughts.
Yet Enoch remained the same.
Unable to bear the burden, Rosenta took advantage of his position to give Enoch an order.
"Close your eyes."
Enoch's light-green eyes, filled with laughter, closed.
***
Helios capital, the temple of Nota.
Nota's temple had been booming since the high priest "Conitel" began revering the saint.
The priests busily walked around, blessing the people and offering them grace.
That wasn’t all.
The elixirs and potions, which were made with their meager holy power, were sold out every day.
Yesterday, today, tomorrow, and the next day would all be peaceful.
All the priests there thought so.
But that was their miscalculation.
No one can predict where and how misfortune will come.
"Is high priest Conitel here?"
It began with a priest from the Holy Land bringing them sad news.
As soon as they saw his pale face, the priests realized that this was no ordinary matter.
They sent someone to bring Conitel from the palace immediately.
While waiting for Conitel, the priest burst into tears. He had been holding back and he just kept crying.
"He'll be here in a minute."
"Please wait a little longer."
Everyone waited anxiously for Conitel.
As if he’d sensed something was wrong, Conitel arrived at the temple very quickly.
"Did you call for me?"
"Ah, you're finally here! What should I do!?"
As soon as they saw Conitel, they hung on to him and shed tears.
This sudden situation was certainly embarrassing, but Conitel was not at all uncomfortable.
He just put on an unwavering benevolent expression.
"What's the matter? Can you tell me?"
"Oh...…. The Pope...….”
The man, once again, closed his mouth tightly, but Conitel understood.
He had already guessed why the main had gone so silent.
There was something that only a few select people, including the high priest, were aware of.
The Pope's relief efforts.
Although they said he was engaging in relief efforts, in reality, the Pope had been in poor health for a long time.
No, a simple sickness was not the reason for such a secret.
The Pope's body was rotting, as if he was going through the stages of decay.
Even his holy power had turned pitch black.
"Please follow me this way for a moment."
‘The others shouldn’t hear this.’
Conitel carefully led the man to a remote place.
Only then, once the man knew that there were no prying ears, did he tell Conitel in a tearful voice.
"In the end, everything rotted...… He's gone."
It was a distraught voice.
Conitel let out a single sob as if he were grieving.
"Oh...….”
"Mr. Conitel, high priest."
The visiting priest suddenly rose.
He wiped his face with his robe’s sleeve and tried to look as calm as he could.
However, his voice was still nasally and full of tears.
"You must accompany me to the Holy Land as one who is to become the next pope."
***
Yura was losing her mind.
It was because of the sudden news she heard that morning.
There had been no word the day before, but suddenly Conitel was to leave for the Holy Land.
Without time to control her emotions, a vicious voice came out.
"Really?"
The maid who delivered the news was surprised to hear Yura's voice.
However, Yura's changed the tone of her next words and looked pitiful, leaving the maid to think, ‘I was mistaken.’
"I-I'm sorry. I was so surprised to hear that Conitel was leaving so suddenly...…. He’s been by my side ever since I first came here...…. "What’s happened?”
Yura clung to her maid.
As if caring for a baby, the maid held Yura to her chest and patted her on the back.
"Our poor saint. His Majesty hasn't paid any attention to you for the past few days……. Even though you’re staying here for his sake."
"Oh, no. Please don’t misunderstand him. I've remained in the empire because I fell for His Majesty…….”
"Oh my, our saint."
Yura, who was being comforted by the maid, quickly turned her head when she heard the door of her room open.
When she saw that the visitor was Conitel, she threw away the maid who had just consoled her.
The maid stood there alone but, after the other maids gestured at her to move, she quickly joined them.
Yura didn't care about the eyes of others and clung to Conitel.
"You really have to go. Can't you stay here like you are now?"
“……I think that's going to be difficult. I have to go because I was summoned by Luz."
In Yura's eyes, Conitel seemed to be hiding something.
This made her more anxious.
"Is that really all?"
There were times that, despite her youth and wealthy upbringing, she showed a sharp wit. Like now.
Conitel paused for a moment, and then soon gave a tearful look as if he were depressed.
Then, he slightly knelt down so that he could meet Yura’s eyes as she sat in a chair.
"Saint."
It was a very soft voice, like a gentle breeze.
In an instant, everyone in the room became mushy as if they were all melting ice cream.
"I’m going to the Holy Land for your sake, so you don't have to be anxious."
"Really…… Are you sure?"
It was Yura who repeatedly confirmed showing her anxiety.
The maids, who were watching all this from behind Yura, looked at her pitifully.
‘Oh my, our saint. You’ve kept so much inside.’
‘How lonely it must have been to suddenly come to a strange place. I'll be nicer to you from now on.’
But these were the thoughts of the maids who were only watching the scene from behind.
Their perceptions were different from the actual circumstances.
"Conitel."
Yura hugged Conitel's neck tightly. Like sending a final goodbye to him who was about to leave.
She then whispered in secret so that the maids wouldn't hear, "That thing you always say to me. Would you do it one last time?"
"Don't worry, saint. All things according to His will."
Yura's eyes, which were buried in Conitel's shoulders, became hazy for a moment.
The corners of Conitel’s mouth covertly twisted up into a sneer.
She muttered back Conitel's words.
"All things according to his will."
Silver holy power floated around Yura like fireflies.
Yura let go of Conitel's neck and stood up. All of the holy power was absorbed into Yura’s body in an instant.
Was it because of that sacred power?
Calm silver waves seemed to be floating in Yura's black eyes.
Everyone was mesmerized by those eyes.
"Saint, how are you feeling?"
Yura's expression, which seemed hazy after Conitel's words, cleared up as she came to her senses.
She shouted as if she’d been refreshed, "As always, I'm full of energy!"