Astria calmly walked over to Sylvia.
Without hesitation, she delivered a powerful kick to Sylvia’s abdomen.
Crash!
Sylvia tumbled across the floor and slammed into the wall.
Astria only shifted her eyes to gaze coldly at Sylvia before speaking.
“Return to your position.”
“…Yes.”
Sylvia struggled to stand. Pieces of the broken wall fell around her. Sylvia prostrated herself before Astria. Astria didn’t even glance at her as she kicked Sylvia again.
Bang!
“Return to your position.”
“Yes.”
Sylvia coughed, bringing up blood-tinged phlegm. She swallowed it down and approached again.
Sena, regaining his composure, stepped in front of Sylvia.
“Please stop.”
“Did you forget what I said last time? When my eyes turn blue, I can’t see anything, so don’t interfere.”
Blue.
Like something burning.
But this isn’t right.
“I told you to step aside.”
Sena chose his words carefully, searching for the ones that might reach Astria in her current state.
“Stop it, Astria.”
“There’s a limit to how much you can coddle someone.”
Astria’s fury turned to Sena. He was so terrified he almost hiccupped. Yet, he did not avert his gaze.
That annoyed Astria immensely. She roughly grabbed Sena’s wrist and lifted him.
“Or do you enjoy things like this?”
“I’m very skilled at doing the same thing.”
“Do whatever you want with me, just please stop.”
Astria’s eyebrows twitched at Sena’s defiant gaze.
This bold guy.
But seeing Sena’s wrist turning red and swollen, Astria loosened her grip.
“Fine. There are plenty of ways to punish you.”
“Don’t punish her. Sylvia did nothing wrong.”
“The one I’m punishing is you, Sena Birkender.”
Astria spoke harshly as she headed for the door. As she exited, she gave instructions to Betty, who was waiting outside.
“Confine Sena Birkender to Windsor Castle. No one is allowed to visit him.”
**
“Haha, you didn’t have to get locked up with me.”
The place used for confining nobles who couldn’t be sent to a cold dungeon.
Windsor Castle. At the top floor, Sena stood facing Serilda and Luna.
“Don’t say that. We’re your personal maids.”
Serilda looked at Sena with concern.
“For a place of confinement, it’s not bad. It’s the largest among the places I’ve lived.”
Sena looked around the room, seemingly cheerful. However, the maids couldn’t smile. They didn’t seem happy.
“Sena.”
“Are you alright?”
Sena’s eyes widened at Serilda’s sincere voice. Then his hair seemed to droop.
“I’m fine.”
‘Is Sylvia okay?’
Sena was only worried about that. She had coughed up blood at the end, how much pain must she be in?
He just hated Astria. Even if there was a misunderstanding, how could she not give a chance to explain?
“Alright, let’s get to work.”
“Doing what…?”
With a smile, Sena glanced at Serilda. He put his hands behind his back and whispered as if revealing a great secret.
“We’re going to escape.”
“Sena…”
Serilda looked at Sena with pity. Luna had been staring at the floor the whole time.
“Why are you looking at me with such sad eyes? I’m really fine.”
Sena forced a smile and walked to the window with a heavy heart.
It was a dizzying height.
Jumping down was not an option.
“How far can I go?”
“…You can go as far as the garden.”
“I see.”
Sena immediately headed to the lower floor. Serilda and Luna followed behind.
‘What should we do?’
‘There’s nothing we can do.’
They communicated with their eyes. Sena stepped outside.
A garden spread out widely with a fountain at its center. Sena surveyed the surroundings.
Reston, a Teutonic Knight, was sprawled out on a bench.
‘If I play this right, I might be able to get out of here.’
Sena moved carefully, trying not to wake Reston. As he passed, Reston spoke without opening his eyes.
“The canary in the cage can’t leave until its master opens the door.”
Sena stopped. So, he was awake.
Sena forced a bright smile and turned to Reston, raising one finger.
“There is another way.”
“What?”
“Someone other than the master can open the door.”
“That someone is definitely not me. I’m too afraid of the master’s wrath for losing the canary.”
Sena erased his smile and frowned, looking away as he spoke.
“Coward.”
Reston chuckled softly. Sena wasn’t entirely wrong.
Sena turned back and returned to his original spot.
Words that Astria had said in the past flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.
-If you do that one more time, I will confine you.
-Do you want to be confined to that castle?
Now that she’s got what she wanted, Her Majesty must feel more at ease.
Sena’s eyes turned cold.
**
Astria was busy with her work, reading the same document for the umpteenth time.
She couldn’t concentrate. Finally, Rafiel, unable to bear it, spoke up.
“Um… Your Majesty? If you’re so concerned, you could lift Sena-nim’s confinement.”
Astria glared at Rafiel with her narrow eyes, making him shrink back.
“Sorry…”
“As long as you understand.”
But Astria continued to fidget with the document.
Rafiel spoke cautiously.
“Perhaps it’s best to forgive him… Sena-nim has disobeyed your orders many times before.”
“I told you to shut that mouth.”
Rafiel mimed zipping his lips and focused on his documents.
Astria pushed the papers to the side and sighed.
-He was trying to go to the outbreak site to stop it. Things got a bit out of hand.
-It wasn’t Senior’s fault. It’s all my fault, Your Majesty. Please, if you’re going to punish someone, punish me.
…She knew it was a misunderstanding.
But she had no intention of rescinding her order.
‘It’s best to keep him confined until tomorrow.’
Astria planned to wipe out the slums.
If Sena found out, he would undoubtedly cause a huge commotion. It was better to keep him locked up until the slums were eradicated.
Of course, Astria was aware that this was not the best decision. It was merely the lesser of two evils.
But whether it was a sin or a mistake, it was part of the Empire’s history.
She had no intention of passing that responsibility onto someone else.
“Stop talking nonsense and give me the report. How’s the investigation of the slums going?”
“The results confirm that Sena-nim’s testimony was accurate. The plague is spreading from the slums. Fortunately, it’s in the early stages.”
Rafiel sighed in relief. If Sena hadn’t brought that information, it would have been disastrous.
If an epidemic broke out in the current state of the Empire, the already fragile public sentiment would plummet further. The Empire, already devastated by a rebellion, was busy trying to recover. There wasn’t enough manpower to handle another crisis.
“And there’s something remarkable. Do you want to see this?”
Rafiel handed over a document. Astria glanced at it.
Rafiel summarized the report briefly.
“In Sector A-7, where Sena-nim intervened, only three people died. The remaining 72% of the infected are slowly recovering. In other sectors, the death rate is 100%. He managed to treat a disease with a high mortality rate with considerable success.”
“Thanks to Sena-nim’s advice, we’ve been able to consolidate the infected in Sector A-7, and the death rate is dropping.”
“Frankly, it’s astonishing. To achieve such results with the intervention of just one person in such a short time.”
Astria smiled faintly.
“What do you think?”
“Excuse me?”
“I asked what you think of this result.”
“Well, I… um.”
Rafiel rolled his eyes, speaking carefully.
“Sena-nim is exceptionally skilled, so utilizing him could be beneficial.”
“Is that so?”
Astria felt that this report reinforced her belief that she was right.
“Seeing his talent, I think he should be cherished and used wisely.”
“…”
Astria’s smile faded.
“The decision will not be reversed. At dawn today, the slums will be erased from the map of the Empire.”
**
“There’s nothing here. Go back.”
Sensing something amiss, Ellie visited the slums for an investigation. She was accompanied by Lucia, an inquisitor.
However, they were barred from entering by a mercenary.
“If you don’t step aside, I’ll have to consider you a heretic.”
Lucia said quietly. Carmel frowned and raised the corners of his mouth.
“I don’t care. I’ve got nothing to lose, living today and dying tomorrow.”
“You insolent…”
“Sister Lucia.”
Ellie intervened, stopping Lucia from drawing her mace.
“Please, let’s not be too aggressive. We should try talking first.”
Ellie spoke calmly to Garumel.
“We’ve come here because we saw ominous signs. If it’s alright, could you let us in? We promise not to cause any harm.”
“And you say that while bringing along an inquisitor? That’s rich. I have nothing more to say to you.”
“…”
Garumel waved them off.
“Go back. There’s nothing here.”
Lucia’s grip tightened on her mace. Just then, a gaunt man passing by caught sight of Ellie and widened his eyes.
He suddenly rushed toward Ellie, collapsing at her feet.
“P-please, priestess…! Please grant me grace…! Forgive my sins! Please, please!”
Ellie, startled, stepped back. Lucia moved in front to protect her. Garumel grabbed the man’s shoulder with a look of dismay.
“Hey, calm down!”
“Move, move out of the way! I must atone.”
The man struggled violently, shaking off Garumel’s grip and rolling up his sleeve to reveal black marks spreading across his arm.
Ellie covered her mouth. Lucia’s eyes turned deadly.
“Damn it.”
Garumel clicked his tongue, placing his hand on his sword as he watched Lucia warily.
Lucia asked with her serene face.
“What should we do, Bishop?”
“This is…”
A mark of the devil. There was no other way to see it.
But the dream Ellie had last night kept nagging at her.
‘Were those the Teutonic Knights in the dream? And the part about there being no God…’
Ellie’s dreams only showed shapes. She couldn’t see the faces of the people in them.
‘If I report this to the Church now…’
A massacre would occur. The same thing would happen even if she shared the contents of her dream.
The black mark was a clear sign of heresy. And the church never backed down in the face of heresy.
‘Then, according to the dream’s content…’
Ellie’s eyes wavered slightly. She grabbed Lucia’s arm.
“Let’s go back, Sister Lucia.”
Lucia was reluctant but couldn’t refuse.
Garumel’s face was a mix of confusion and distress as he watched them leave.
After they had walked a distance, Garumel shouted from behind them.
“If you’re truly a priest, don’t inform the Church!”
Ellie stopped and turned around. Garumel was sweating as he spoke.
“They deserve to live too.”
His sincerity reached Ellie. She answered him earnestly.
“I’ll do my best.”
After responding, she quickened her pace, her mind in turmoil.
-Don’t inform the Church.
Garumel’s words echoed in her mind like a refrain.
The real answer to that plea was this:
‘I can’t conceal this incident.’
That would go against the laws of the Church.
But she was determined to prevent things from unfolding as they did in her dream.
‘I don’t have enough influence to decide on my own.’
The Church made decisions through voting. As a bishop, Ellie had three votes, but that was far from enough.
Moreover, she wasn’t well-connected among the clergy. Voting wouldn’t work.
Ellie swiftly assessed her options. One possibility crossed her mind.
“Sister Lucia, may I ask you something?”
“…Yes.”
“If Sister Sena were involved, could he sway the Church’s decision?”
Special Protection Target Sena Birkender.
Perhaps he could stop the Church’s actions.
