Chapter 88

Myaon’s mind struggled to keep up with the situation.

In the midst of the cheerful atmosphere, the whisper she heard was distinctly out of place. That’s why Myaon, unable to respond, erased her smile and frowned a few seconds later.

Of course, she knew she had to maintain her composure in this setting. Even if the words spoken were rude, the person was still one of the cardinals of the Holy Kingdom of Rosario.

Despite hearing such unreasonable words, she knew that calming herself and responding with restraint had to come first. However, even as she knew this, her face involuntarily wrinkled in anger, a distinct fury of her people swelling within her.

“What did you just say—”

Her voice burst forth with irritation, but she stopped.

No, it wasn’t that she stopped speaking.

The words just…stopped.

Her parted lips. Her tongue that had moved to form words. Her frown. Everything simply…stopped.

The moment she realized this, Myaon suddenly sensed that something about this world had changed.

The sunlight, which had been warm just a moment ago, was now tinged red. Her subordinates who had come with her for the mission were also bathed in red, and the Paladins who had stood beside Yutia just a moment ago were frozen in place.

As if time itself had come to a halt.

‘What—’

Instinctively, Myaon tried to look around, but, regrettably, she couldn’t move her body at all. All she could see was the eerie sight of lines, like trails of blood, tracing over the still bodies of her subordinates and the Paladins.

As she watched these lines form, as if marking boundaries, a sense of imminent danger washed over her. She tried, with all her might, to move her body.

“Listen closely.”

The voice from in front of her made her freeze, holding her breath as she looked straight ahead.

And then, she saw it.

In this crimson world, the only person retaining color, staring directly at her—the cardinal of Rosario, Yutia Bludia.

A chill of fear crept into Myaon’s core, stemming not from losing control of her body. Nor was it the fear that Yutia Bludia would harm her.

It was simply…incomprehensible. Unfathomable.

Yet, as if it were the natural course of things, fear began to seep into her mind, swiftly taking over and tormenting her.

Without sparing any attention to Myaon’s state, Yutia, the only one moving freely in this frozen world, approached her and locked eyes with her.

In those red eyes, even more crimson than the world around them, and on that intensely impassive face, she could clearly sense rage.

Looking straight at Myaon, Yutia placed a finger on Myaon’s right hand.

“He is not someone you can toy with as you please.”

Her voice, a stark warning, echoed clearly.

“I hope you understand my words.”

The moment a faint smile appeared on her lips.

“-Ah?”

Myaon realized the world had returned to normal.

She stared blankly at the sky. The sky was blue. The forest had regained its original colors. Even Yutia, who had approached her before, was now smiling without the cold expression, looking serene, like a saint.

The only thing unchanged from before was Yutia Bludia’s intense red eyes peeking through her smiling gaze.

“For now, you seem to be a different guest, but I’ll guide you inside the Holy Kingdom.”

With that, she turned and started walking toward the Holy Kingdom without any hesitation, and Myaon watched her retreating figure in a daze.

She still hadn’t fully grasped what had just happened—or rather, she couldn’t distinguish whether it was a dream or reality.

“…?”

As Myaon’s face contorted in confusion,

“Captain, is something wrong?”

“Huh? Why?”

She turned at the voice of her subordinate behind her, who asked with a slightly concerned expression.

“Well, it’s just…you don’t look well. You’re sweating a lot.”

“Oh.”

Only then did Myaon realize that her entire body was drenched in cold sweat.

Clearly, she wasn’t in a stable condition. And…

“…Ah.”

Feeling a faint pain in her right hand, Myaon looked down at it and saw a small wound there—the shallow wound on the hand Yutia had touched in that red world.

Upon noticing it, Myaon turned her gaze back to Yutia. As Yutia climbed into a carriage bound for the Holy Kingdom, she looked back with that same smile and piercing red eyes.

Yutia’s small, beckoning gesture before stepping into the carriage confirmed that the bizarre world she’d seen was indeed real.

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump~

Myaon’s entire body was filled with terror.

####

Meanwhile, Alon, who had easily passed through the castle gates with the escort of the Paladins, gazed upon the Holy Kingdom he had only seen in illustrations, thinking:

‘It truly suits the name ‘Holy Kingdom.’’

The outer areas of the capital weren’t much different from other territories. However, the inner city was impeccably maintained, with orderly streets and pristine white buildings.

Eventually, Alon reached the massive cathedral beside the main building of Rosario, the Great Temple, where he soon encountered Yutia again.

“It’s been a while, my Lord.”

“Indeed. How have you been?”

“Of course, I’ve been well. Sometimes I get a little sad when your replies to my letters take a while, though.”

Seeing Yutia’s lighthearted joke, Alon couldn’t help but smile. Unlike his encounters with the other Five Sins, his frequent correspondence with Yutia made things feel much less awkward.

They exchanged pleasantries for a while.

“So, the conferment ceremony will be in a few days?”

“Yes. For the ceremony, the Chief Cardinal, who’s currently in prayer, needs to attend. Hmm… Tomorrow, you’ll meet with the person in charge to review the ceremony’s layout and instructions, and until then, you can rest.”

Alon nodded at Yutia’s words as she smiled. Clearing his throat, he spoke.

“Yutia, if possible, I have a request. Would that be all right?”

“Of course. What is your request?”

“I was wondering if it might be possible to enter the Spirit Chamber. Could that be arranged?”

The Spirit Chamber.

As the name suggests, it’s a special room in Rosario accessible only to high-ranking individuals, where, supposedly, one could converse with the goddess Sironia whom Rosario venerates.

…However, naturally, simply entering the room doesn’t mean one can speak to the goddess. Only those specifically chosen by Sironia or those with deep faith—usually of a bishop rank or higher—might faintly hear her voice. In fact, only the saint of Rosario is known to have truly heard the voice of the goddess.

In other words, Alon would not be able to converse with the goddess even if he entered, but his reason for entering the Spirit Chamber wasn’t to talk with her—it was to obtain a useful artifact.

However, unless one was of cardinal rank, and especially without the permission of the current “Saint” of Rosario, it was challenging even to set foot in that room.

He asked with a mindset of “It’d be nice if it works, but it’s fine if it doesn’t,” yet…

“It’s possible. If that’s what you want, my Lord. It won’t be difficult.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Alon, surprised at the ease of her acceptance, spoke with a hint of confusion behind his expressionless face.

“…Really? I mean, it sounds strange for me to question my own request, but I heard that only the saint’s permission grants access to the Spirit Chamber. Isn’t it difficult?”

“It’s fine. If you truly wish to go, I’ll find a way.”

Yutia’s unwavering assurance made Alon feel immensely grateful, though he didn’t want to put her through too much trouble.

“If it proves difficult, let me know right away. No need to push yourself.”

He said, watching her with care.

“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t do anything excessive either,” Yutia responded with a smile, seemingly aware of his concern.

Seeing her smile, Alon felt content. He had been a bit worried after witnessing her clash with Seolrang in the colony, but after talking with her, he was certain of one thing: of all the Five Sins, she had been reformed the most.

‘Her mindset is as upright as expected from someone devoted to faith.’

With that, Alon continued his conversation with Yutia, enjoying their discussion.

…It was the afternoon of the first day of his arrival in the Holy Kingdom.

####

In the Kingdom of Ashtalon, inside Duke Komalon’s office.

“Yes.”

“The Dark Melodies Guild was annihilated overnight?”

Duke Komalon let out a deep sigh as he looked at the dark elf standing before him.

Unlike the one who had reported last time, this person stood silently, head bowed. The Duke remained quiet for a moment before asking,

“Who was responsible?”

“We’re mobilizing resources to investigate immediately, but we haven’t yet identified the culprit. However, we do have a likely suspect.”

“Who?”

“It seems it’s someone connected to Count Palatio.”

“Why is that?”

“We had already delivered the instructions you mentioned to the Dark Melodies Guild as well.”

At the dark elf’s response, Duke Komalon pondered for a moment before speaking.

“So, it’s a similar situation to Pigule’s case a few months ago?”

“Yes, it seems they retaliated.”

“Retaliation…?”

He muttered softly with a bitter laugh before falling silent again. After a prolonged pause, the dark elf cautiously asked,

“What actions should we take?”

Duke Komalon resumed.

“Last time, you said that the one responsible for handling Pigule was likely Deus Maccalian, right?”

“Yes, he’s one of the most likely candidates, though it’s not confirmed.”

“And Deus Maccalian and Count Palatio share a benefactor relationship, correct?”

“That’s the rumor circulating, yes.”

“It’s certainly not an ordinary connection.”

With that murmur, he decided, “Enough. Let’s stop paying attention to this matter.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes, for now, the ‘results’ we’re expecting are more important than Count Palatio. We can deal with the Count after we’ve secured the results.”

The dark elf fell silent, then spoke again.

“In fact, there’s something else I need to inform you about.”

“What is it?”

“Currently, Count Palatio is reportedly in the Holy Kingdom.”

“Count Palatio?”

“Yes. I’ve heard that he went there for the conferment ceremony.”

The dark elf nodded, and Duke Komalon, wearing a strange expression, appeared almost pleased.

“Then there’s even less reason for concern. Soon enough—”

He murmured, smiling.

“The results of the Abyssal Project will emerge there, and then we can handle Count Palatio as well.”

A foreboding smile crossed his face.

####

The next day, Alon was able to meet the cardinal in charge of the conferment ceremony in a few days, hoping to familiarize himself with the event schedule.

However…

“Ah, ah, greetings, Count Palatio. I…I am Sergius. P-pleased to meet you.”

…

Shivering.

Alon watched as Sergius—one of the eight cardinals of the Holy Kingdom—trembled as if he were standing in the dead of winter. But more than that, Alon noticed that Sergius kept casting furtive glances at Yutia, who stood beside him, wearing a serene smile.

Is her faith really as strong as it seems?

Somehow, he felt a bit uneasy.