The lowest level of the Golden Tower.
A damp chill lingered in the room with the stone round table, shrouded in darkness.
"You were so confident, but the bait died before you could even report the Princess."
The black magician of the north seat spoke. Beneath his indifferent voice was hidden a blade-like anger.
At the memorial service, an unexpected situation occurred where Marieu killed Samon.
Rachel's plan to bring down Medea naturally failed. This time, too.
"Is it my fault that that guy got killed because that woman had a grudge against him?"
"In the end, you returned to the Holy Land without any gains. You even took the talented people from the Golden Tower with you, and you didn't even get to draw your sword."
The black magician in the north seat spat.
"You were raised as a fake, so your brain can't keep up with the real thing?"
The moment he mentioned Medea, Rachel's composure, which had been snickering, was broken.
"What do you think of the way you hang yourself with that fake?"
The beautiful voice did not hide its sorrow.
"Who can replace me here? Without me, will you be able to bring back the darkness of the beginning?"
God himself extinguished the primordial darkness.
Therefore, to revive the darkness, It was necessary to disrupt the divine order and destroy the balance of this world.
The biggest obstacle in the process was the Saintess, the representative of God.
The Saintess is a being chosen directly by the Goddess. As long as she exists, the divine power is maintained.
In other words...
"If the fate of the agent is twisted, the connection with the goddess can be severed. So, between you and me, who is truly insignificant here?"
Chaak-!
Rachel spat back at the face of the black magician in the north.
"If I don't take away Medea's fate, everything you've worked so hard to prepare for will be for nothing."
"This insolent bitch doesn't even know the favor I've done her!"
When the insulted black magician of the north seat rose from his seat.
Bang-!
"Stop."
The warlock in the center struck the round table.
The thick magical power in the voice buzzed through the air.
"Now is not the time to be fighting each other. The First Prince of Katzen is pursuing us. My disciple escaped and died. He may even have discovered the existence of the Golden Tower."
"No way! Even the Magic Tower Master hasn't succeeded yet!"
For a moment, the round table shook. Shock appeared on the faces of those sitting on the golden throne.
Cesare Dweisler Katzen.
The first humans to survive the darkness of the beginning were now digging into that darkness to find them.
"That's why I said I must get rid of him. He would be the biggest obstacle to our plan."
The black magician sitting in the northeast direction spoke. His black magic was a dark curse.
The primordial curse that once consumed the First Prince Cesare was also created by him.
The twelve warlocks who sit here on the golden throne are eroded. Dotage. Curse. They are the ones who can freely manipulate each darkness, such as corruption.
"I don't know how he came back alive, but it's too early to be disappointed. Medea Valdina hasn't awakened her power of foresight, the power of the Saintess, yet, so our chance is ours."
The warlock in the center turned towards Rachel.
"I should add to you that you don't have much free time, though."
It was a deep voice, but it was more fierce than any threat. It sent shivers down her spine.
"Rachel, this is your last chance."
"Yes. But this time, give me all your support."
Rachel's eyes became meaningful.
"Just putting her on trial won't do. I need something stronger. Something that can tie her up so tightly that she can't do anything..."
She thought of Medea's green eyes, staring at her with amazement. Those clear eyes that seemed to pierce through everything...
Rachel's index finger swept the old magic circle carved into the round table.
"I would like an oracle."
"...How dare you! Do you know what kind of magic that is, and yet you dare say it so carelessly!"
The black magician in the north seat, who had exchanged insults with Rachel a moment ago, got up from his seat.
Oracle.
It is the Goddess's own, sole will that She conveys to this land.
It is a divine providence that exists beyond the boundaries that black magic can never invade.
Even the darkness of the beginning could not touch it, let alone a mortal manipulating an oracle?
Even the Golden Tower has never dared to touch the oracle until now.
"It is impossible. The taboo that goes against the golden rule of this world may have some kind of karmic consequences."
"There's no place to retreat now. You said with your own mouth that if Medea awakens her powers, we're finished. Is there a more certain way to stop that girl than this?!"
"You, who have dipped your toes in the water, do not know how cruel the laws of this world are. If the Golden Rule finds out that our darkness has invaded God's domain..."
No. Despite Rachel's persuasion, the Golden Tower was stubborn.
"Put the Princess on trial as planned. Do you understand?"
"..."
The warlock, reading Rachel's implicit resistance, reached out. His cold grip wrapped around her neck like a snake.
"Rachel, answer me!"
“Ah, haak, ah, okay, stop, haaah!”
As Rachel nodded, the pressure on her neck disappeared.
"I said, I understand! Haa. I'll do as you say, so don't let your subordinates spit on me."
But the warlocks didn't notice.
Just as they secretly nurtured darkness behind the goddess, so once evil has taken root, it can never disappear.
'Incompetent cowards. Alright, I'll find a way to avoid being caught by the Golden Rule,'
The false Saintess was determined to break the taboo.
Rachel's eyes burned with anticipation as she left the golden tower.
***
Deep night. Sacramontis, the Holy Land.
The central temple, where darkness had fallen, was immersed in a deep silence that not even moonlight could reach.
The pure white marble pillars supporting the temple were each as imposing as giant stone statues.
A still, cold air caressed the cheeks of those passing through the corridors.
"Luca! Didn't I tell you to put the candles I cleaned on the altar?"
Even when everyone was asleep, the nights were difficult for the newly ordained priests.
"You little rat, you got lucky and made it all the way to the central temple in one go, so you think you're some kind of person? Don't make me laugh!"
Luca was so small and stunted that the priest's robes he was given dragged on his feet.
But the senior priest seemed to have no sympathy for Luca at all.
"Wipe the candles behind the altar and move them to the storage room. Don't even think about going to sleep until you've done that!"
"Ouch, yes, yes..."
Luca nodded, holding his forehead, which was covered with honey-colored rice cakes.
Tears welled up in his eyes, but he had already personally experienced in the poorhouse that crying makes you scolded more.
"I'm not scared. I'm not scared..."
As he walked towards the warehouse, holding a candle in both hands, the hallway was dark.
To overcome his fear, he sang softly.
"I will increase my power and defeat the demons... Like the Saintess... I will become light..."
That was when.
Clang!
A sharp, cracking sound came from the empty prayer room.
Luca almost dropped all the precious candles.
"What, what! Who...!"
But when he ran into someone coming out of the prayer room in the darkness, he ended up dropping the candle holder.
"Saintess! Saintess. It's you, isn't it? Are you, are you hurt?"
Even in the dim candlelight, she had lovely blond hair and a kind face. She was the one Luca had been dreaming of.
"As expected, you are truly religious to be praying at this late hour."
Luca's round eyes filled with awe, not even caring about the shards of the miserable statue of the goddess lying on the floor.
"I am truly honored to meet you like this."
The overjoyed child did not notice the slight irritation creeping between the Saintess's beautiful eyebrows.
And the place she came out was not the prayer room, but the study.
"Back in the day, during the street welcoming ceremony. I threw a lily at the Saintess's carriage. Oh, no. that's not it. A few days ago, during the return ceremony, I wiped the seat where the Saintess sat. W-You don't remember, do you?"
"Oh, yes. Good job."
Rachel smiled dryly at Luca.
'If it's a sacrifice that uses holy power, it can avoid the eyes of the Golden Rule.'
She was just checking the data in the library that the oracles of the past included the power of the Holy Spirit.
If so, then the fake oracle that invoked the divine power as a sacrifice would also be recognized as originating from the goddess.
'The problem is that there is no sacrifice.'
Currently, aside from the Pope, the only people who can use the Holy Power are the High Priests and the Knights Templar.
But none of them could be sacrificed as a sacrifice to the false oracle.
'The high priests are all too big, and the Knights Templar are... dangerous.'
It would be difficult to avoid the suspicion of Leonor, the Commander of the Templars, if she used the Paladin as a sacrifice.
'What should I do...?'
She found the way, but the door was locked, and she didn't have the key, so she was left stamping her feet.
Crack... Crack...
Rachel bit her fingernails and looked at the statue.
That calm face seemed to be mocking her.
"On the topic of a soul that has already rotted away."
She raised her hand. Then a black, glowing goat horn-shaped sign swirled around.
Crack-!
The statue of the goddess was shattered into pieces.
And then she bumped into Luca, who heard that sound.
The child, who was hiding his rising irritation, said with a still-touched face and wiping away tears.
"I, I also want to defeat the demons and save the poor people like the Saintess. My divine power is still far from perfect, but..."
Rachel's steps, as she was about to leave, stopped.
"I want to serve the Saintess, but I'm of humble origins, so I can't... But I'm confident that I can really work hard. I'll do my best at everything-"
"Have you awakened your power?"
Rachel's eyes sparkled like a predator spotting its prey.
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