<Chapter 87>

“You’re not free, you say? What do you mean? You don’t even have anything to do!”

“Are you treating me like some idle good-for-nothing? I’m a duke. Do you have any idea how much work I have to deal with?”

“I mean, I know that but… this is the capital…”

“And I’m not the only one who’s busy. Didn’t you hear this morning?”

“…W-what?”

What was that ominous statement supposed to mean?

“Countess Orman sent over a bunch of stuff, didn’t she?”

My mouth fell open at the mention of the name I had completely forgotten about. Now that I thought about it, I remembered what she said before I left the North.

“Leaving the North at such an important time, when you should be adjusting to the duties of a duchess… Well, I suppose there’s no helping it. I’ll sort through the most critical documents and send them to the capital. Even if I can’t do it all, there are a few tasks that must be handled there.”

Considering her words, the chances that the Countess had sent me something enjoyable, like chocolates or wine, were practically nonexistent.

“I-I suddenly don’t want to go home anymore…”

“Too bad. You don’t have the freedom to run away, Wife.”

Just as he said, my body was firmly secured in Temenos’ arms. Since we were currently on the roof, throwing myself off wasn’t an option. Instead, I clung tightly to his neck as he leapt from one rooftop to another, then down onto a windowsill and further onto the ground.

“Ahhh! Could you at least warn me before you jump?!”

“It’s time to head home, Wife.”

“No! I’m not going home! I still want to have fun!”

“Gyaaah!”

Before I knew it, I was trapped in Temenos’ arms, galloping away on horseback. There was no escape route left.

‘Nooo……! My lazy, carefree days……!’

In the end, I was dragged back to the mansion and confined in the study. On the desk was an actual mountain of documents, piled as high as several books.

“Countess Orman said she’d only send the important ones…”

“I looked through them briefly, and they are important documents. It seems they need to be dealt with as soon as possible.”

Monica, who was well-versed in such matters as a senior maid, guided me to my seat. Alice poured me a warm cup of tea as I trudged over and sat down.

“Hang in there, Madam!”

“Yeah… Thanks…”

“Squeak!”

From Alice’s apron pocket, Flurry poked out, offering its energetic support.

As Flurry climbed skillfully onto the desk, I found myself overwhelmed with a peculiar impulse.

‘If Flurry could just gnaw through all these documents…’

Of course, Countess Orman would scold me. She might even storm into the capital to deal with it herself.

With a sigh, I carefully picked up Flurry and placed it back in Alice’s apron pocket.

“Flurry might accidentally chew on the papers… Take it outside and play with it instead.”

“Yes, Madam. I’ll take good care of it!”

“Haa… Ugh, I don’t want to work…”

I hadn’t even opened a single document, yet I was already sighing deeply. But what could I do? If I wanted to keep living in such a large, beautiful home, I had to work hard.

‘Wait a minute! What about Temenos?’

“Where’s my husband?”

“His Grace is also in his study.”

After a brief hesitation, Monica hesitantly added, “He said… no matter how much you miss him, please restrain yourself. You’re not to sneak into his study until you’ve finished all your work. Sir Ferry is keeping him company in the meantime.”

“What? Seriously? Anyone who hears this would think I’m some woman who can’t survive a second without seeing her husband!”

Unbelievable! What does he take me for?

“Fine! I won’t go. I’ll stay right here! And I’m not going to visit him until he comes to see me first!”

I won’t discuss anything serious with him either.

Save the world? Ha! I’ll do it myself!

Let’s see who speaks first!

*  *  *

The Great Temple, located at the center of the capital, occupied a larger area than even the Imperial Palace. It was divided into three major zones.

First, Zone One.
This was an open space accessible to the public. Here, people could offer tributes and donations to God, attend worship services, receive healing, or make confessions.

Second, Zone Two.
This area was reserved exclusively for the priests and holy knights who resided in the temple. It was a place for their training and daily lives.

Finally, Zone Three.
Only the Pope and a select few individuals personally granted permission by him could enter this area. It was known as the ‘Pillar of the Continent’…

The tower was once a sacred sanctuary for priests and paladins, dedicated to cultivating faith and practicing asceticism. Each floor contained trials personally set by God, and those trials could only be overcome through faith alone. Any priest who believed in God was welcome to test their faith in the tower, with no prerequisites.

However, those days are long gone. Now, no trials remain on any floor of the tower. Even the teleportation system that allowed challengers to skip to the floors they had previously reached has been disabled. The only person permitted to ascend or descend the tower freely is the Pope.

Even high-ranking clergy such as archbishops, paladins, and saintess candidates—those authorized to enter the tower—are restricted to the second floor, where they can seek an audience with the Pope.

Of course, the privilege of meeting the Pope at will could easily be considered an honor for their families…

‘Honor or whatever… I just want to go home…’

In the audience chamber on the second floor of the tower, Isaac, a paladin, knelt on one knee at the foot of a tall dais that required climbing ten steps. His head bowed, he swallowed nervously.

His legs, numb from prolonged kneeling, had long since lost all sensation.

At last, the Pope’s voice broke the oppressive silence.

“In short… you couldn’t find him?”

The voice, devoid of any emotion, was far more nerve-wracking than an angry outburst. Isaac suppressed the urge to cry and opened his mouth with great difficulty.

“Y-yes. That is correct, Your Holiness.”

“How disappointing.”

The word “disappointing,” dripping with reproach, made Isaac shut his eyes tightly.

Was it because the saintess, who should have awakened long ago, had not yet done so? Ten years prior, the Pope had been known for his kindness, but in recent years, his temperament had grown sharp and irritable.

Especially after descending from the top of the tower, where he managed the sacred barrier, his nerves were frayed to the point where he would lash out over trivial matters.

Just this month alone, four clergymen have been dismissed for minor mistakes.

‘And now the Emperor won’t stop sending letters to bother His Holiness…’

Isaac couldn’t help but feel that today would be the day he would be stripped of his pendant and banished from the Great Temple. Bracing himself, he awaited his sentence.

“Enough. Leave.”

“…Pardon?”

“Did I not tell you to leave?”

The Pope clicked his tongue in annoyance, a sound that, to Isaac, felt like divine mercy.

Suppressing the urge to raise his head, Isaac replied earnestly, “Yes, Your Holiness! I will report immediately if Sir Aiden’s whereabouts are discovered.”

With that, he carefully bowed and hurried down the stairs, practically fleeing to the first floor.

The Pope watched the retreating figure and clicked his tongue again.

‘Even with the decline in divine power…’

The issue wasn’t the divine power itself. Regardless of its availability, the current high priests, paladins, and even the most elite clergy were utterly lacking in competence or character.

In the distant past, exceptional individuals had been abundant even among ordinary priests and paladins. Choosing the best had been a challenge back then.

But now?

Even after handpicking the best candidates for archbishops and paladins, they were little more than chaff.

To make matters worse, the Emperor and Crown Prince—who should revere God from their mortal thrones—had grown irreverent in their behavior.

The absence of Aiden felt particularly heavy in moments like this.

‘There’s no doubt that those truly chosen by God are… different.’

The Weight of a Missing Guardian.

The Guardian, a title bestowed upon the paladin entrusted with the sacred duty of protecting the saintess.

Guardians were unique. Unlike other clergy or paladins who received their divine power from the Pope, Guardians were born with divine power. This innate gift eliminated the need for the Pope to grant them strength.

Moreover, as those chosen at birth to protect the saintess, Guardians were endowed with physical capabilities several times greater than ordinary humans.

Because of these extraordinary traits, the Pope had been confident Aiden would complete his mission without fail.

Yet, communication from the north had abruptly ceased.
 

<To be continued>

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