'How does it look...'
I was forcibly returned to my original form by the Ibis' sacred relic or something, but I was not the Crown Prince.
I wondered if the bell had been stolen, but it was still in the elder's hand.
‘What on earth is going on...’
It seemed like I wasn't the only one who had doubts.
“How did the Crown Prince get here...”
The elder muttered in a bewildered voice. He seemed more curious about how the Crown Prince had appeared here, even though his life was threatened by the icy blade.
Right then.
“Look, did you see? The child turned into an adult in an instant.”
“How can this happen twice in one day...”
“Wait a minute, that kid was also in league with the Sainteae?”
Some of the worshippers surrounding us were murmuring.
In a place they couldn't take their eyes off, several men were lying down.
The elder, who had been blankly staring at them, muttered as if he had noticed something.
“Oh, that kid...”
He burst into laughter as if he had let his guard down and spoke to the Crown Prince.
“I am late in greeting you, Your Highness. I thought you were no ordinary child, acting so brashly in front of me, but I never thought you would tell me. If you had told me in advance, I would have greeted you politely.”
“I don’t think that example necessarily has a good meaning.”
“Of course not. I mean, we would have prepared our defenses a bit more to welcome Your Highness.”
The laughing elder gently grabbed the Crown Prince's hand that was holding the dagger.
“But what is this dagger? Surely you are not planning to fight all these people with this childish toy-like sword?”
It was a voice full of laughter.
But the Crown Prince was not shaken at all and pressed the dagger closer to the elder's neck.
“There’s no need to deal with everyone. It’ll all be over if we catch you.”
“Hehe, well, in this situation, aiming for the leader’s neck is probably the best option.”
The elder said, chuckling.
Even in a situation where one's breathing could be cut off with a single movement, he did not seem afraid at all.
The Crown Prince's eyes, looking at him became even sharper.
“Take off your robes and show your face. I will question you for daring to betray the state religion, found heresy, and bring chaos to the empire.”
“Haha, this is true. Are you so curious about my identity? If so, Your Highness, take off the clothes yourself. But.”
The elder paused for a moment and snapped his fingers in the air.
Then, out of nowhere, people dressed in black suddenly surrounded us.
It was the same outfit as the assassin who had invaded the temple.
“You’ll have to deal with these guys first.”
“You don’t know what you’re dealing with. They’d rather cut your artery than rush in and deal with me.”
The Crown Prince warned with a chilling tone.
If he did anything even a little bit reckless, the Crown Prince would immediately cut off his head.
But the elder was still fearless as if he had some corner of faith.
“Yes, that may be true. But wouldn’t it be better to save the Saintess than to take my lowly life?”
What the heck...
'Was I the one you trusted?'
I furrowed my brow in displeasure, but it was also true that my heart sank at the warning.
The number of assassins surrounding us is estimated to be in the dozens. How can I, someone who has never practiced martial arts, handle them?
The Crown Prince seemed to be thinking the same thing, as his expression hardened.
“Well, the choice is yours, Your Highness.”
Meanwhile, the elder, with a leisurely smile, shouted at the assassins.
“Now. Proud swords of the goddess Ibis, here are the bloodlines of Hethel’s servants and the corrupt royal family. Let us sacrifice them to appease the wrath of the goddess Ibis!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the killers rushed towards us.
"Shit."
The Crown Prince, who had been quietly cursing at the unexpected situation, eventually had no choice but to change the direction of the dagger.
“Corrupt royal bloodline, die!”
Bang!
The Crown Prince, who had easily knocked down the first assassin who rushed in with his blade, snatched the sword that the opponent had dropped.
Then, he quickly grabbed my wrist, which was sitting there blankly, and placed me in his arms.
“From now on, don’t leave my side, even for a second.”
It was a soothing, affectionate voice, but it contained a stern warning.
'I'm scared, I'm scared! My life depends on it!'
As I nodded my head absentmindedly, the Crown Prince turned his gaze straight ahead again.
Then, with graceful movements, he began to deal with the assassins one by one.
Judging from their movements, they seem to be quite professionally trained assassins, yet the Crown Prince doesn't show even the slightest sign of hesitation.
And on top of that, he's carrying me on one arm.
It was truly a great feat.
If there is a god of war, it would probably look like this.
I watched their battle in rapt attention, held in the arms of the Crown Prince.
How much time has passed like that?
The Crown Prince's movements, which had been moving without rest, suddenly stopped.
The assassins who had been rushing forward with great momentum were all lying unconscious on the floor.
'Wow, this is crazy.'
How can you wipe out dozens of enemies in just a few minutes?
I had heard that the Crown Prince was good at swordsmanship, but I never thought it was to this extent.
As I was gaping at him, the Crown Prince, who had never taken his hands off my waist, finally took his hands off me.
Then he turned the tip of his sword towards the elder again.
“Ugh.”
The elder's shoulders jumped up.
The composure from a moment ago was completely gone, and he looked extremely tense.
“Is this the end of the welcome ceremony?”
The elder clenched his fists as if indignant at the mocking voice and looked around urgently as he shouted.
“Brothers and sisters, what are you waiting for? The ones who have ruined our paradise are right before your eyes. Catch them now!”
But they were just ordinary people. How could they dare attack the Crown Prince when they saw those murderous assassins being torn apart like scarecrows right before their eyes?
Instead, the elder shouted at them as they slowly stepped back.
“These pathetic things! I took in the abandoned ones of Hethel and fed them and gave them shelter, and yet you turn away when you see those who dare to invade the goddess’s sanctuary? And you still call yourselves followers of the goddess Ibis! Take up your weapons immediately! I’m telling you to attack them!”
But the more this happened, the faster the believers retreated.
The Crown Prince, who had been quietly watching the scene, slowly pursed his lips.
“It looks like it’s over. Now it’s time to receive the gifts.”
The Crown Prince, who had been slowly approaching, stepped on the shoulder of the elder who was hesitantly pulling his butt back, and pushed him against the wall.
Then he grabbed his robe tightly, preventing him from moving.
It was the moment when the face of the Elder that had been so long awaited was finally revealed.
'Who dares to try to kill me? Let me show you my face.'
I took a step forward, biting my lip. But my steps stopped abruptly after only a few steps.
“...Count Gus?”
No, why is that guy here?
I was so dumbfounded that I just blinked with my mouth wide open.
The Crown Prince was also dumbfounded.
“Why did the Count...”
That would be the case since Count Gus was a man far removed from the lust for power.
Moreover, he was a very popular person among the people around him due to his gentle personality, and he was also very tolerant and forgiving of minor mistakes.
And most importantly, he had a very deep devotion to the goddess Hethel.
It was a famous anecdote that one day, at a banquet, the Emperor received wine personally poured for him, but he drank it only after praying to the goddess.
‘Why is that person..’
We couldn't hide our bewilderment at the elder's unexpected identity.
But perhaps the successor to the empire was different, and unlike me, who was still in shock, the Crown Prince quickly regained his composure.
“What an unexpected identity. With a heresy of this scale, I would have thought that high-ranking nobles would be involved, but I never thought it would be a Count.”
He let out a breath as if he was out of breath and soon looked at him with cold eyes.
“Count Gus, answer my question. What is your purpose in plotting treason?”
"Treason?"
The Count asked back with a trembling face.
As an elder of a heretic, he could not say that he was without sin, but he seemed bewildered that the charge he was charged with was treason.
But the Crown Prince's words were true.
Hethology had been the state religion of Catalonia for over two thousand years, and betraying the state religion was tantamount to plotting treason.
“Treason... Yes, I see. My crime was treason.”
The Count also realized the fact too late and muttered with a dumbfounded expression.
But that was only for a moment, as he burst into laughter and quietly met the Crown Prince's gaze.
And then he asked a truly absurd question.
“What crime have you and your father committed?”
“What did you just say?”
“What crime have you and your father committed, taking my daughter’s life, causing my wife’s death, and slaughtering my people?”
I was forcibly returned to my original form by the Ibis' sacred relic or something, but I was not the Crown Prince.
I wondered if the bell had been stolen, but it was still in the elder's hand.
‘What on earth is going on...’
It seemed like I wasn't the only one who had doubts.
“How did the Crown Prince get here...”
The elder muttered in a bewildered voice. He seemed more curious about how the Crown Prince had appeared here, even though his life was threatened by the icy blade.
Right then.
“Look, did you see? The child turned into an adult in an instant.”
“How can this happen twice in one day...”
“Wait a minute, that kid was also in league with the Sainteae?”
Some of the worshippers surrounding us were murmuring.
In a place they couldn't take their eyes off, several men were lying down.
The elder, who had been blankly staring at them, muttered as if he had noticed something.
“Oh, that kid...”
He burst into laughter as if he had let his guard down and spoke to the Crown Prince.
“I am late in greeting you, Your Highness. I thought you were no ordinary child, acting so brashly in front of me, but I never thought you would tell me. If you had told me in advance, I would have greeted you politely.”
“I don’t think that example necessarily has a good meaning.”
“Of course not. I mean, we would have prepared our defenses a bit more to welcome Your Highness.”
The laughing elder gently grabbed the Crown Prince's hand that was holding the dagger.
“But what is this dagger? Surely you are not planning to fight all these people with this childish toy-like sword?”
It was a voice full of laughter.
But the Crown Prince was not shaken at all and pressed the dagger closer to the elder's neck.
“There’s no need to deal with everyone. It’ll all be over if we catch you.”
“Hehe, well, in this situation, aiming for the leader’s neck is probably the best option.”
The elder said, chuckling.
Even in a situation where one's breathing could be cut off with a single movement, he did not seem afraid at all.
The Crown Prince's eyes, looking at him became even sharper.
“Take off your robes and show your face. I will question you for daring to betray the state religion, found heresy, and bring chaos to the empire.”
“Haha, this is true. Are you so curious about my identity? If so, Your Highness, take off the clothes yourself. But.”
The elder paused for a moment and snapped his fingers in the air.
Then, out of nowhere, people dressed in black suddenly surrounded us.
It was the same outfit as the assassin who had invaded the temple.
“You’ll have to deal with these guys first.”
“You don’t know what you’re dealing with. They’d rather cut your artery than rush in and deal with me.”
The Crown Prince warned with a chilling tone.
If he did anything even a little bit reckless, the Crown Prince would immediately cut off his head.
But the elder was still fearless as if he had some corner of faith.
“Yes, that may be true. But wouldn’t it be better to save the Saintess than to take my lowly life?”
What the heck...
'Was I the one you trusted?'
I furrowed my brow in displeasure, but it was also true that my heart sank at the warning.
The number of assassins surrounding us is estimated to be in the dozens. How can I, someone who has never practiced martial arts, handle them?
The Crown Prince seemed to be thinking the same thing, as his expression hardened.
“Well, the choice is yours, Your Highness.”
Meanwhile, the elder, with a leisurely smile, shouted at the assassins.
“Now. Proud swords of the goddess Ibis, here are the bloodlines of Hethel’s servants and the corrupt royal family. Let us sacrifice them to appease the wrath of the goddess Ibis!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the killers rushed towards us.
"Shit."
The Crown Prince, who had been quietly cursing at the unexpected situation, eventually had no choice but to change the direction of the dagger.
“Corrupt royal bloodline, die!”
Bang!
The Crown Prince, who had easily knocked down the first assassin who rushed in with his blade, snatched the sword that the opponent had dropped.
Then, he quickly grabbed my wrist, which was sitting there blankly, and placed me in his arms.
“From now on, don’t leave my side, even for a second.”
It was a soothing, affectionate voice, but it contained a stern warning.
'I'm scared, I'm scared! My life depends on it!'
As I nodded my head absentmindedly, the Crown Prince turned his gaze straight ahead again.
Then, with graceful movements, he began to deal with the assassins one by one.
Judging from their movements, they seem to be quite professionally trained assassins, yet the Crown Prince doesn't show even the slightest sign of hesitation.
And on top of that, he's carrying me on one arm.
It was truly a great feat.
If there is a god of war, it would probably look like this.
I watched their battle in rapt attention, held in the arms of the Crown Prince.
How much time has passed like that?
The Crown Prince's movements, which had been moving without rest, suddenly stopped.
The assassins who had been rushing forward with great momentum were all lying unconscious on the floor.
'Wow, this is crazy.'
How can you wipe out dozens of enemies in just a few minutes?
I had heard that the Crown Prince was good at swordsmanship, but I never thought it was to this extent.
As I was gaping at him, the Crown Prince, who had never taken his hands off my waist, finally took his hands off me.
Then he turned the tip of his sword towards the elder again.
“Ugh.”
The elder's shoulders jumped up.
The composure from a moment ago was completely gone, and he looked extremely tense.
“Is this the end of the welcome ceremony?”
The elder clenched his fists as if indignant at the mocking voice and looked around urgently as he shouted.
“Brothers and sisters, what are you waiting for? The ones who have ruined our paradise are right before your eyes. Catch them now!”
But they were just ordinary people. How could they dare attack the Crown Prince when they saw those murderous assassins being torn apart like scarecrows right before their eyes?
Instead, the elder shouted at them as they slowly stepped back.
“These pathetic things! I took in the abandoned ones of Hethel and fed them and gave them shelter, and yet you turn away when you see those who dare to invade the goddess’s sanctuary? And you still call yourselves followers of the goddess Ibis! Take up your weapons immediately! I’m telling you to attack them!”
But the more this happened, the faster the believers retreated.
The Crown Prince, who had been quietly watching the scene, slowly pursed his lips.
“It looks like it’s over. Now it’s time to receive the gifts.”
The Crown Prince, who had been slowly approaching, stepped on the shoulder of the elder who was hesitantly pulling his butt back, and pushed him against the wall.
Then he grabbed his robe tightly, preventing him from moving.
It was the moment when the face of the Elder that had been so long awaited was finally revealed.
'Who dares to try to kill me? Let me show you my face.'
I took a step forward, biting my lip. But my steps stopped abruptly after only a few steps.
“...Count Gus?”
No, why is that guy here?
I was so dumbfounded that I just blinked with my mouth wide open.
The Crown Prince was also dumbfounded.
“Why did the Count...”
That would be the case since Count Gus was a man far removed from the lust for power.
Moreover, he was a very popular person among the people around him due to his gentle personality, and he was also very tolerant and forgiving of minor mistakes.
And most importantly, he had a very deep devotion to the goddess Hethel.
It was a famous anecdote that one day, at a banquet, the Emperor received wine personally poured for him, but he drank it only after praying to the goddess.
‘Why is that person..’
We couldn't hide our bewilderment at the elder's unexpected identity.
But perhaps the successor to the empire was different, and unlike me, who was still in shock, the Crown Prince quickly regained his composure.
“What an unexpected identity. With a heresy of this scale, I would have thought that high-ranking nobles would be involved, but I never thought it would be a Count.”
He let out a breath as if he was out of breath and soon looked at him with cold eyes.
“Count Gus, answer my question. What is your purpose in plotting treason?”
"Treason?"
The Count asked back with a trembling face.
As an elder of a heretic, he could not say that he was without sin, but he seemed bewildered that the charge he was charged with was treason.
But the Crown Prince's words were true.
Hethology had been the state religion of Catalonia for over two thousand years, and betraying the state religion was tantamount to plotting treason.
“Treason... Yes, I see. My crime was treason.”
The Count also realized the fact too late and muttered with a dumbfounded expression.
But that was only for a moment, as he burst into laughter and quietly met the Crown Prince's gaze.
And then he asked a truly absurd question.
“What crime have you and your father committed?”
“What did you just say?”
“What crime have you and your father committed, taking my daughter’s life, causing my wife’s death, and slaughtering my people?”
He asked.
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