The words of Priest Lumiel, who specifically mentioned that it was a personal request, were truly meaningful.

It seemed that she had realized that Cantares’ contact was limited to herself and not the entire temple, and what that meant.

“While it may not be comparable to the duties of His Highness the Crown Prince, my responsibilities are also heavy. It is a job that is too much for me and precious, but… it is sometimes a bit difficult to have a sincere conversation.”

The priest continued speaking softly, as if she had guessed what Arendt was thinking.

“Then why did you call me?”

“That’s because I thought that Lord Arendt was the best person to have a comfortable conversation with. I was convinced by the way he treated His Highness the Crown Prince without any hesitation.”

It was something that other noble ladies who valued their appearance could not even dream of. It was something that was possible only for Arendt, who didn’t care about manners or etiquette at all.

Arendt just stared blankly at Priest Lumiel without making any affirmation or denial.

“And I also had a personal curiosity. I was so impressed that I wanted to talk to him in private at least once.”

“Hahaha. I guess it’s natural to become more attached to something if that person stands out.”

A seasoned joke returned to a twisted question.

Her smiling face was simply gentle, but Arendt could no longer see her as just a kind old person.

‘This person is not ordinary.’

It seemed like she wasn’t an opponent to be taken lightly.

“Have you finished discussing it with the High Priest?”

“This is just my personal opinion. I don’t think the High Priest will be pleased with it.”

“Why?”

“Well, the story is a bit complicated…”

Priest Lumiel smiled bitterly.

“I suppose it would be right to tell you a little bit about the inside story, Lord Arendt?”

“If you could do that, I would appreciate it.”

It was a rather presumptuous answer, but the priest paid it no mind.

She paused for a moment as if choosing her words, then slowly began to speak.

“You are well aware that the temple and the imperial court are operated separately, right?”

She spoke in a gentle tone, as if an elderly person was telling a story.

“In peaceful times, a hero who takes up the Holy Sword does not have to be of royal blood. An imperial family that has laid down the Holy Sword is sufficient as a mere protector of the Empire… this is the will that has been passed down since the time His Majesty the First Emperor stepped down.”

The tone continued as if explaining to a child.

“The fact that our temple does not interfere with the imperial family is also a tradition that those who worship the gods must keep their distance from worldly power.”

“What should I say? Well…”

Arendt, who had been listening quietly, opened his mouth.

“It’s quite something.”

They respect each other’s domain and do not interfere with each other, and furthermore, they also play the role of watchdogs to prevent corruption.

It wasn’t a bad method, because it could prevent corrupt priests or tyrants from ruining the empire through checks and balances.

But at the same time, it was a rather dangerous idea. In the early days of a nation’s foundation, it would have been more common to try to gather power together rather than disperse it.

Even if Hero Khan had stepped down from the throne, it would have been about 20 years after the empire was established. Furthermore, it was right after a great war swept across the world, so he would have been busy trying to deal with the situation while he was emperor.

And yet, they thought of separating the temple and the imperial family and keeping them in check.

“Right? I also thought it was a very wise plan. It was thanks to that rule that the empire was able to become so strong.”

Arendt, who had been lost in thought for a moment, suddenly came to his senses at the kind voice that followed.

“Mutual non-aggression has been strictly maintained until now. But the current situation is… that’s right. The moment the word evil spirit comes out, we too cannot sit idly by and do nothing.”

“Then wouldn’t it be a problem if you officially joined hands with the royal family?”

“Of course it would be great if that were the case, but unfortunately the High Priest does not want that.”

“Ah…”

It was a single word that helped him understand the situation so far.

“By the way, the High Priest wasn’t present at the last meeting, right?”

“Yes, I attended as a proxy and relayed the results of the meeting…”

“Was the High Priest quite upset?”

When Priest Lumiel trailed off, Arendt followed up with a question.

The priest nodded slightly.

“Yes, the High Priest was furious, saying, ‘Why are you all acting so rashly when there shouldn’t be such a big fuss?’ There have always been groups that oppose the imperial family, and even if they claim to be messengers of the evil god, it shouldn’t be causing such a commotion in the imperial palace.”

“An impersonation… so the High Priest took it that way.”

“It’s a little embarrassing to even say this out loud, but…”

Priest Lumiel let out a short sigh and continued speaking in a more hushed voice.

“The High Priest even said that the current situation itself may have been planned by His Highness the Crown Prince. And I am truly sorry to say this, but there are also some among the other priests who think the same way.”

“Um… are you saying that they are divided?”

“I guess we should consider it as having reached that point. First of all, even the opinions of the High Priest and I are very different.”

To be honest, this was an unexpected situation. He never expected something like this to come from the temple.

“Do you know the detailed reason?”

“I can guess. In the beginning, this situation is be hard to believe. It was said that in this peaceful era, believers in evil spirits suddenly appeared.”

Priest Lumiel, who had been silent for a moment, added:

“The most important thing is that the Holy Sword has not yet responded. When the Empire is in great danger, the Holy Sword seeks its master… Sir Arendt is well aware of this story.”

“If the evil spirit really appeared, shouldn’t the Holy Sword be the first to step forward? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The old priest nodded slowly.

“Does the Holy Sword… only react to evil spirits?”

“I don’t think it’s that simple. This is just my opinion, though.”

She paused for a moment, as if choosing her words, then began to speak again.

“If a crisis arises that requires God to intervene in this world, wouldn’t that be the time when God Luce’s revelation comes down through the Holy Sword?”

“Intervention… are you talking about that?”

“Lord Arendt, do you know what is most important in maintaining the world?”

Priest Lumiel asked an odd question. When the young knight shook his head, the priest kindly explained.

“The world is made of balance and harmony. Where there is light, there is shadow. Where there is good, there is bad. God protects and guards us by maintaining the balance of the world.”

Priest Lumiel’s mouth curved upwards softly.

“I believe that only when the world loses its balance will God Luce personally reach out. In other words, it is not yet time for Him to step forward.”

“Ah…”

Arendt nodded vaguely.

To be honest, he was starting to wonder why the Holy Sword was still so quiet.

“So that means the current situation isn’t the worst.”

“Yes. And for another reason… I think this is something that Lord Arendt has fully experienced.”

Priest Lumiel’s eyebrows furrowed slightly for the first time.

“’His Highness the Crown Prince has recently obtained many gains. That is why I cannot help but question his sincerity’, the High Priest said.”

“Oh…”

There seemed to be no end to similar repertoires.

The priest continued speaking while Arendt let out a deep sigh.

“In particular, the nobles who had been scattered due to that meeting began to bow their heads again under the imperial family, or more precisely, under His Highness the Crown Prince… that must have been what the High Priest was displeased with.”

“Why?”

“This is just my humble guess, but it seems that the temple is also considered one of those targets.”

That can’t be. The Crown Prince was already dying from overwork just by tying the nobles together, but there was no way the High Priest would know the inside story.

Arendt opened his mouth to voice one possibility that occurred in his mind.

“Does the High Priest consider the imperial family a competitor?”

“Well… maybe so.”

The priest nodded heavily.

“It’s something I hadn’t thought about until now, but I also felt that way while talking with the High Priest.”

“Do you think the same, Priest Lumiel?”

“If that were the case, I wouldn’t be sitting here with Lord Arendt right now.”

Priest Lumiel smiled bitterly.

“I have a different opinion from the High Priest, and there are quite a few priests who share my views. Priest Benno, who you met earlier is one of them.”

“Why are they like that?”

“Because someone shed blood, and because of that, some evildoers were punished.”

It was a story about what happened at the auction house.

Priest Lumiel added quietly.

“Many people almost lost their lives due to malicious intent. You were the ones who stepped forward and prevented it.”

“…”

“The Temple was fully aware of what was happening in the Empire: the suspicious messenger that had flown in to His Highness, and the sudden arrest of Lord Arendt.”

There have been plenty of opportunities for them to interfere so far.

“When the messenger pigeon flew in, His Majesty and His Highness certainly asked for advice from the temple. However, we have simply watched, saying it was a matter of imperial affairs.”

“…”

“Do we have the right to doubt those who have shed blood and made sacrifices compared to us who just stood by until we reached this point?”

It was an answer without a single waver.

Arendt scratched his head.

“I understand the situation. So, onto the main point?”

“I personally believe that the High Priest is unlikely to cooperate with the royal investigation. Of course, I will try to persuade him and he may change his mind, but it will be difficult for the time being. If that happens, we may both get into trouble.”

Priest Lumiel continued speaking calmly.

“To prevent that, I will cooperate with the royal family. You said you needed advice, right? I may not be very knowledgeable, but I can still do my job to some extent. I will lend you my wisdom and that of those who follow me. In return…”

The voice that had been interrupted for a moment soon flowed smoothly again.

“At least we want you to know that we are on the same page as the royal family. I will not spare my advice, so I hope you will share the progress of the investigation from time to time.”

“Ugh. I don’t think I can answer this right now, but I’ll pass it on to His Highness the Crown Prince. Well, I don’t think he’ll refuse.”

“Yes, that is enough, Lord Arendt.”

Priest Lumiel nodded slowly with a warm smile.

“Thank you so much for listening to my story.”

“Then, I guess the rest of the story will depend on His Highness the Crown Prince’s answer.”

“Haha. I guess so. Sorry.”

Only if the Crown Prince gives a positive answer will Priest Lumiel reveal what she knows. She seemed extremely affectionate, but it seemed as if she wasn’t just a nice person.

Warm sunlight still poured in through the window near the ceiling, and the statue of the god Luce looked down on the two.

“I believe that the temple and the imperial family were separated for the purpose of cooperation, not conflict. I have no desire to challenge His Highness’ authority… but if possible, I would like to shed blood with them. For the sake of the gods, and for the sake of the empire.”

The priest in white, bathed in sunlight, seemed to embrace the light herself. The priest gave her blessing with a voice as warm as the sunlight.

“I believe that in the future, Lord Arendt will continue to fight at close range with the enemy. Under God’s protection, I hope that Lord Arendt will not face any great difficulties in the future.”

He had never had anything called faith in his life.

It was the same now.

But that voice, speaking with sincerity in the name of God, didn’t sound so bad.

Arendt hesitated for a moment about how to respond, then opened his mouth.

“Don’t worry. If it looks like things are really going to get dangerous, I’ll be the first to run away.”

“…”

For a moment, Priest Lumiel had a blank expression.

Arendt faced her shamelessly.

It had to be like this. Being too serious didn’t suit his personality.