Central temple.
Pope Benedict entered the office and took off his mitras.
The night sweat that ran down his forehead soaked into his white beard.
"The room of the oracle is an enclosed place where it is difficult to stay for a long time. But you have been here for so long... Your Holiness, do you know that you go there too often these days?"
Anastasia, the chief priest who followed, draped a thick blanket over the Pope's shoulders.
Then, hesitatingly, he pursed her lips and asked carefully.
"Or is it related to the fact that you sent the Templar Commander out of the Castle?"
The Pope was silent for a while without answering.
Then he nodded quietly.
"...It's just that there is something that keeps bothering me."
The Pope sat slowly in his chair and muttered.
"In the history of the continent, has the goddess ever spoken to an oracle twice..."
The second oracle appeared after a time lag after the first oracle to make Medea the bride of the evil dragon.
'Besides, I found out today that the bottom of the stele is very finely broken.'
That fact kept stuck in his mind like a rebellion.
Therefore, he asked Leonor, the head of the Templars, to secretly find out if there was such a precedent.
In the ancient sanctuary where the oracle was inscribed, the stele in the room of the oracle was first moved.
"But isn't it too much to let only Sir Theodore accompany the entire Templar Templars? It will take a long time for the two of them alone."
"This is something that no one should know."
The Pope's sigh flowed low.
"If it is known that you doubt the words of the goddess, isn't it possible that the whole church will be shaken?"
His wrinkled face was deeply tired.
He finished by pulling the blanket.
"Leave this matter to me, and stop bringing the agenda. You've been in the oracle's room for too long today, so I'm sure you're backlogged with work."
But Anastasia shook her head.
"Your Majesty, it's time to go to bed. You won't be able to endure it if you overwork like this."
She knew better than anyone how much burden the Pope was carrying now.
After Rachel was discovered to be a false Saintess, he tried to thin out the corrupt priests on a large scale and revive the temple that was soaked with Inertia.
Although it was a short time, many people were replaced.
However, not everyone rejoices in the wind of reform that has permeated the temple.
The common people welcomed the clear temple.
However, on the contrary, the dissatisfaction of the nobles and priests was growing.
"How can this be... Wouldn't it be better to bring Rachel's execution to the world earlier? Then Medea will withdraw her anger and return to them..."
"It's not just that anger that will fade away."
Pope Benedict shook his head.
The choice of the Saintess not to return to the temple dates from a very long time ago.
From the time they pushed her into an oracle, blinded by greed and glory.
"What should I do? Even within the high priests, there are growing more and more voices of anxiety about whether the Saintess has abandoned the old church at all."
"Well. Even this old man can't know. You're just going to sleep."
The Pope, who was left alone, could not sleep until late at night.
"Still, it can't be helped. I have no choice but to protect the old church as much as possible in my own unit."
Even if the Goddess shows them the end of this faith, they will have to live without any shame as Her servant until the last day.
"I have to do what I can."
Benedict knelt down while holding the rosary.
A statue of a goddess placed in a prayer compartment prepared in one side of the Pope's room looked down on him.
'I don't know how far my old body can allow-'
Knock knock.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
"High Paul? What happened this late night?"
"I beg you, Your Holiness. I know it's rude..."
Paul's face was red and he was panting. Even the strong main aroma. The Pope swallowed silently.
"High priest, don't forget your duty. This is the last piece of advice I can give you."
"I know, Your Holiness. What sin have I committed?"
Paul replied urgently.
"That's why I came here. I want to raise my confession. I want to confess to Saintess Medea all the rudeness and sins I have committed, and to be born again as if I had been washed away."
"..."
The Pope stared at Paul silently, as if to gauge his sincerity.
"Really, Your Holiness."
"If you want to confess, you can do it in the confession room tomorrow after dawn."
"But then the people..."
Paul stammered.
"I beg you. If my confession is known... I will save face as a high priest..."
In other words, it meant that it was embarrassing to be caught doing confession.
He still hasn't been able to get rid of worldly pretentiousness, so how effective is that confession?
But when the Pope saw the teardrops falling between Paul's rattling hands and beard, he couldn't help but swallow his sigh.
"...Yes. Please come in."
The room was cluttered with traces of prayer still remaining.
The Pope left Paul as he squatted down and opened the drawer of the altar.
The new star cluster must be here...
A shadow fell on the back of his hand as he knelt down and opened the drawer of the star cluster.
"High Paul?"
"Your Holiness, I'm sorry. But."
He looked up.
The corners of Paul's mouth were strangely twisted as he shed tears.
"It's all for the temple and the goddess. I can't stand by the blind Pope anymore."
Degururu.
The empty bottle fell to the floor.
***
Katzen palace.
In the long oval-shaped conference room, the vassals of the 1st Prince faction gathered.
At the top of the meeting seat were Cesare, Medea, and the First Prince.
"Alfred, so it is said that the Grand Duke Carlisle eventually returned to his home country."
"Seeing that the ship left at dawn the day after leaving the tower. It seems that the breath of the Count of Montfort, the father of the Western Empress, played a role to some extent."
"When the news of the repatriation of her granddaughter, the Fourth Princess, spread, the Eastern Empress also said that she got up from her sickbed. Although she hasn't recovered enough to move around yet."
The reports of the 1st Prince's servants followed.
"They are trying to appoint Countess Olcane Delgano as the head of the maid and replace the people of the Western Empress in the inner palace, but there is a lot of Internal opposition. Not long ago, the husband of Countess Beaumont, a close associate of the Eastern Empress, was demoted for corruption, which is also the work of the Third Prince."
The Western Empress and the Eastern Empress are in conflict, and their children, the 3rd Prince and 4th Princess, are in conflict.
As if to vent the anger accumulated by being suppressed by the 4th Princess's faction, they took this opportunity to attack the 3rd Prince's faction as soon as they could.
The Third Prince's faction, which had no intention of giving up the initiative despite the fall of the Western Empress, was also fighting back with no less intensity.
"Thanks to this, our side is passing relatively peacefully."
As long as the Western Empress was trapped in the tower, the Third Prince did not pursue the cause.
As a result, it seemed that they decided to focus on protecting the power they wouId lose at all costs.
"The imperial palace is now in turmoil because of the two forces, and this is the first time we have been so idle."
The vassals of the 1st Prince finished reporting on the single bungle and immediately added.
"And even within the 3rd Prince's faction, there were people who expressed their desire to stick to us."
When the Emperor's life seemed to be in danger, those who wanted to get off the sinking ship appeared first.
However, it is only surprising that the ship they are trying to move belongs to the First Prince, whom they have been terribly afraid of all this time and do not even pay attention to.
"..."
Medea, who was listening to the report, was expressionless.
'How can Your Highness be so carefree?'
They stuck out their tongues.
The vassals of the 1st Prince's faction swept away their hearts.
Despite the fact that she was once ignored by everyone outside the nobles of the Emperor, the most talked about name in the Katzen social circle today was the 1st Princess, Medea.
"Does Your Highness have any other opinions?"
The cautious voice and the bowing attitude of the vassals were quite polite.
In a situation where the right to manage slush funds was in the hands of the 1st Princess, she now clearly showed her skills.
Even her cold and calm face seemed to be the other side of the kingmaker, so there was no reason not to bow their head in front of her.
"Thanks to Her Highness, the position of our First Prince faction is now more solid."
"After the fall of the 3rd Prince, the Crown Prince will now belong to the lord!"
Excited praise spread throughout the conference hall.
"Don't expect too much yet. We have a fatal disadvantage in getting the Crown Prince into our hands."
At that moment, the deep voice of the Marquis of Rhenard broke through the hopeful aura that rose.
"His Majesty hates His Highness the First Prince so much; how can he obediently give up his seat?"
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