He took out his cloak of the Templar, dusted it off, and placed it over his gleaming gold armor of Orihalkorn. The Tabard, which was made by the fairies themselves, was embroidered with the coat of arms of the golden goblet containing ancient words and flames. A special spell was cast to prevent damage from a powerful impact. However, it seemed that even magic couldn't help the wrinkles.
He tapped the crumpled part of his ragged garment and straightened it, wiped the dirt off the sabaton, and stood up.
When he finished dressing and left the barracks, the cloudy sky filled his vision. It was unusually windy from noon, and it looked like a rain shower was coming.
Edrik frowned, grabbed his raincoat, and walked to the front of Thalia's barracks. At that moment, he heard the sound of a bell behind him, signaling the beginning of the ceremony
When he hurriedly turned his head over his shoulder, he saw the Crown Prince and the First Princess, who had completed all the preparations, leading their retinue into the entrance of the temple.
Edrick hurried across the camp. As he passed through the huge pillars that looked like they were carved out of stone and entered the archway, he could see the interior of the temple surrounded by a bluish light.
Edrick paused for a moment and scanned the attendants who filled the pews and the long lines of knights along the walls.
The Crown Prince and the First Princess stood in front of the altar. Apparently, you were receiving a blessing from the priest in charge before the ceremony.
Edrick, who was stamping his feet nervously, spotted Lord Sheerkhan waiting at the crossroads and quickly crossed the colonnade.
"Captain, the preparations of His Royal Highness the Second Princess will be completed soon. Can you wait a minute?"
He walked closer to him and opened his mouth cautiously, and a calm glance flew in.
Edrick held his breath without realizing it.
Instead of a knightly uniform, Barcas wore a black doublet with a breastplate emblazoned with the Sheerkhan family crest, and a cloak of a unique shape over one shoulder, which looked eerie to the man's eyes. Suddenly, Edrick remembered the Princess's words that he was ugly. If you had grown up watching men like this from a young age, you would have thought that all decent men would look ugly.
While he was in such a strange thought, his superior, who had been looking down at him quietly, let out a faint sigh and slowly walked to the altar.
"I think we should stop the ritual. Her Royal Highness the Second Princess will also attend the consecration ceremony."
The priest who was reciting the prayer looked back and forth between Barcas and Edrick, standing in an awkward position.
Thalia was also obliged to participate in the ceremony as a member of the imperial family. He doesn't know if she had refused, but if she had expressed her willingness to attend, he should have responded. However, the head priest did not dare to answer and only looked at Gareth's eyes.
"Are you telling me to wait for that illegitimate child?"
The Crown Prince glared at Barcas with a fierce gaze, and then chewed on each letter and spat it out.
"Proceed with the ceremony right now! I don't want to waste a single second because of that!"
Edrick's face hardened. He could see with his own eyes how intense the Crown Prince's hostility toward the Second Princess was. He expected that he might not readily respond. However, he did not expect to openly express his refusal in front of everyone. Isn't it also the will of His Majesty the Emperor for the Second Princess to participate in the pilgrimage ceremony?
Edrick hesitated, then spoke.
"She is also a member of the royal family recognized by His Majesty the Emperor. According to custom, she has the right to receive the blessings of the saints."
The Crown Prince glared at Barcas with blazing eyes, and then turned his gaze to him.
Edrick swallowed dryly. The Crown Prince, his face distorted with thick lines, stepped in front of him like a roaming tiger.
"Do you even know who you're talking about?"
"I apologize, Your Highness, the Crown Prince. I just..."
Edrick hurriedly lowered his head to make excuses, but he took a heavy breath at the force that was squeezing his neck. Gareth, who grabbed his cheek, pulled him wildly.
Edrick looked straight at the bloody face, trying his best not to frown. Perhaps it was annoying, the Prince, whose dark green eyes flashed, growled like an angry beast.
"Do you dare to teach me about an article?"
"Sorry, sorry..."
Edrick clenched his fists so as not to shake off his strangled hands.
At that moment, Barcas placed a hand on the Prince's shoulder.
"Your Highness."
Gareth's shoulders stiffened at the sound of a soft voice. Edrick could see a faint tension pass over the Crown Prince's arrogant face.
Barcas said in a soft tone.
"There are many eyes to see."
A faint heat rose up on Gareth's cheeks. He seemed to feel ashamed that he had been intimidated by him for a moment.
The Prince let go of Edrick 's clothes and glared at Barcas with fierce eyes.
"I warned you not to touch my body again, right? Do you think I'll always look after you?"
Gareth roughly brushed his hand off his shoulder, pressed his face threateningly close to his. As if they were about to rush in, not only the knights but also the First Princess rushed to dissuade the Crown Prince.
At that moment, a cold sound like an ice ball echoed through the main hall.
"If I knew this kind of fun was waiting for me, I would have participated in the last ceremony."
Edrick turned his head and found Thalia slowly walking across the colonnade with three or four maids, and he stopped breathing.
The woman, who had been anxious to not cause trouble at every opportunity, was walking out in front of the altar in a perfectly formal manner.
The pale sunlight pouring in through the window clearly revealed the Princess's face and the delicate body wrapped in a platinum blio.
Edrick blinked his eyes in a daze at the lack of reality, and when he realized that not only he but everyone in the pews was staring at her, he studied the complexions of the Crown Prince and the First Princess.
The Crown Prince was glaring at his sister with a demonic expression, and the 1st Princess had a peaceful face, but he could see that the knuckles of her tightly clasped hands were white.
Sensing the tension between the three royal families, Edrick crept to the Second Princess's side. But no one there paid attention to him. Only Thalia Roem Guerta rolled her eyes and glanced at him once.
However, her attention also turned to Barcas and Gareth.
"What are you doing standing still? Didn't you mean to slap me?"
The Crown Prince, whose jaw was shattered and gnashing his teeth, slowly bit him self from Lord Sheerkan. Then he ran his eyes from his sister's head to toe and twisted his lips sarcastically.
"I don't know who you set up to show it to, but that doesn't mean you think it will cover up your dirty origins, do you?"
"Didn't you scold me a few days ago for not being polite? I said that I paid special attention to it today, but it's sad to say so."
The Princess stiffened for a moment and then stepped in front of him, a meaningful smile hanging from the corners of her mouth.
Edrick looked at her with cold eyes. Just yesterday, she was so harassed that she tried to provoke the Crown Prince again, and he was shocked and even stunned.
However, whether he was embarrassed or not, the Second Princess pressed her face into the Prince's face and added softly.
"How hard did I try to decorate it just the way my brother tasted..."
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