CHAPTER 85…………………………………………..
As soon as she returned to her room, the princess ordered her maid to gather information about priestesses who had recently experienced unusual incidents.
It didn’t take long for the intelligence gathered by her sources to reach her.
Reading the report, Princess Laratou’s face hardened sharply.
“Right. I’ve heard of this before. A young priest suddenly losing her abilities… She wasn’t old, so it caused quite a stir in theological circles at the time.”
She studied the report again.
Her eyes were drawn to the short, seemingly insignificant line, as if the informant had considered it trivial.
But that wasn’t all. There were more reports about priests who had lost their abilities.
Although Igrene was not mentioned, suspicions remained.
Four priests had lost their powers. Five had gone missing.
“The latter is the work of the Empire’s spy.”
The captured spy had been so ruthless that even under severe torture, few truths could be extracted—this was one of them.
The kidnapping and torture of priests… but the purpose remained unknown.
They had died before revealing it.
“Ha… impossible. So many priests have suffered recently? Why has it been so quiet until now?”
She realized she had grown complacent in a long period of peace.
Princess Laratou pressed a hand to her forehead; her head throbbed suddenly.
A chill ran down her spine. She herself was a priestess and couldn’t help but empathize with the misfortune of those who had suffered.
“If some, like Aris, hid the loss of their abilities, there must be more powerless priests than reported.”
Her gaze landed on a single line:
[It’s certain Igrene stole my power!]
Aris’s confident cry echoed vividly in her ears.
“If this is true…”
The princess’s eyes hardened, still pressed against her forehead as she read the report.
It was no longer the look of a spoiled, precious child; it was the gaze of Liorrsa’s strong priestess, guardian of her kingdom.
“I need to verify this with Igrene.”
To steal a priestess’s abilities—this was terrifying and monstrous.
A priest’s abilities were a blessing from the gods. To tamper with them was dangerous, wicked, and unnatural.
“It’s too early to report this to my father. I need more confirmation first.”
Believing fully that water-based abilities were divine blessings, Princess Laratou headed straight to the chief priest.
This was a problem far beyond the personal grudges she had acted upon when imprisoning Igrene.
If her suspicions were correct, Igrene was the kingdom’s most dangerous enemy.
“The atmosphere has been strange lately.”
“Rumors of ill tidings are spreading, both inside and outside the city.”
“Perhaps it’s due to the ongoing poor harvest?”
“Yes. Even our fief is in trouble. Severe drought has withered the crops, and priests, when requested, are unusually sluggish…”
“What about the common farmers? The royal court must prepare measures for them.”
The minor nobles sighed as they voiced their worries.
As they said, the kingdom’s atmosphere was tense.
The drought had begun, yet the temples remained silent.
Then, when the bodies found in Amtein’s old houses were revealed to be priests, public unrest worsened.
Drought, poor harvests, and the disappearance and murder of priests—the rumors spread like mold, fueling anxiety and fear.
“This is a sign of disaster.”
The mystic and theologian Dupin requested a public hearing at the temple, and priests, fearing the murders, ceased their ascetic practices and returned to the temple.
As usual in times of hardship, hidden heretics emerged from the shadows, proclaiming the kingdom cursed.
Rumors that would have been dismissed in normal times now shook the public profoundly.
Crime rates rose, and citizens, unable to endure their unease, flocked daily to temples and the palace to pray.
The devout endured with steadfast faith, but the less faithful were swayed by whispers of heresy, believing the royal court had caused a curse.
“The royal court must quickly find a way to lift this curse!”
“If you have sinned, pray! Apologize!”
The king massaged his throbbing temples at the shouts of citizens outside the palace.
“Someone, silence them!”
“We’ll send soldiers.”
As the captain of the guard relayed orders to his men, the royal reception room was deathly silent.
Many had gathered, yet no one spoke.
Hubert Lorenst, one of the king’s closest aides, was absent due to family matters, and Duke Regatan sat silently with his eyes closed.
No minister dared take a brave step in this uncomfortable situation.
A young minister, observing the hesitation, finally spoke:
“A scapegoat is needed.”
The king, who had been enduring a headache, opened his eyes, frowning.
“A scapegoat?”
“Yes. Many believe the royal court is responsible for all misfortune due to the heretics’ rumors.”
It wasn’t just the heretics’ fault, but he said nothing more.
The temple was simply failing in its duties. That alone had created chaos.
The royal family itself had relied on the temple and priests whenever problems arose.
Now, the long-term consequences were manifest, but tracing them would only cause unnecessary discomfort.
The minister proposed a simple and effective solution:
“The kingdom is under corrupt influence. Wouldn’t quelling this and pacifying the people restore confidence?”
“Be specific.”
“There’s an appropriate person to cleanse this corruption, isn’t there?”
The king’s gaze darkened. Realizing the minister saw clearly, he named the target:
“Recently, Igrene Lorenst was dethroned from the princess position, wasn’t she?”
“And?”
“Why not make use of her?”
“Use her?”
“When evil enters wrongly, the household suffers greatly.”
Though the king was not learned, he understood enough to grasp the meaning.
“A wrong princess has brought corrupt influence to the royal family.”
Rubbing his temple, he murmured,
“That’s acceptable.”
A satisfied smile appeared on the king’s lips, as if it were long overdue.
“She briefly enjoyed the wealth of the kingdom as a princess; now it’s time to fulfill that role.”
“……”
“How clever of me to think of this.”
He was the same man who had suggested presenting a new princess to avoid a political marriage with the Empire.
Among unreliable nobles, he seemed like a rare, competent young man. The king thought so.
“If this succeeds, I will reward you greatly.”
The king spoke solemnly:
“Bring the criminal, Igrene Lorenst, to justice.”
The prison transport carriage had bars tighter than a cell.
“To think I’d ever be grateful for that…”
Thunk!
A broken egg hit the bars and oozed downward. Egg liquid seeped through the gaps, nearly reaching her legs.
Soon after.
Thwack!
This time it was a tomato. Less viscous than the egg, it splattered messily. Red stained her white clothes.
Why not throw a potato instead? she thought—then a small potato slipped through the bars and struck her forehead.
Pain rattled her brain. She glared, and a boy flinched. Maybe ten or twelve years old.
Then, perhaps his pride hurt, he shouted fiercely:
“You witch! Don’t you dare curse me! I’ll find you and kill you!”
“Scared enough to die, huh.”
She muttered irritably. The surrounding noise prevented him from hearing, but fear flickered across his face.
“You cursed me! What did you say?”
The boy’s shout caused the crowd to murmur.
“What? Curse? Soldiers! Cover her! What if she uses her magic against the kingdom again?”
“Before she can do anything, strike her dead!”
“Calm down! The royal court will cleanse the curse! The witch is captured, it’ll be over soon.”
“Scary… she even deceived the kind count. Came up from Amtein, right?”
“She probably learned all kinds of magic there.”
After a few minutes of whispering, the projectiles stopped coming toward her.
Through the tense silence, only the wheels of the carriage could be heard.
Drroll… drroll…
The carriage passed through the square, dense with people, each glance sharp and piercing.
She already knew how sharp human gazes could be, but experiencing it again was a shock.
“I should have escaped earlier.”
She gritted her teeth. She should never have trusted or relied on the royal family!
When the soldiers came from the kingdom, she had hoped her exile would finally end.
Eager, she followed, but upon reaching the border, a priest awaited her.
Seeing the crowd surrounding him, she sensed something was wrong.
The priest, receiving all eyes, recoiled.
He seemed to have seen something utterly wicked and horrific.
As she wondered what the priest had consumed, a message came:
[The senior priests’ suspicions were correct. Ominous! Extremely ominous! Just being near it makes the blood boil and the skin tingle. The evil energy has surely penetrated the soul. Transport her to the palace immediately!]
The guards sent to escort her became the transport carriage’s escorts.
“I didn’t see that coming.”
She absorbed everything she saw beyond the bars: the city’s anxious atmosphere, citizens’ grim faces, the danger lurking behind the crowd branding her a witch.
“What on earth happened while I was in the desert?”
