Chapter 8 Part 12
Jacob sighed as he watched Rien, the frail magician, darting around like a flying squirrel. “It’s a bit grotesque,” he muttered.
“What do you mean?” Rien asked, seemingly oblivious.
“Do you really like money that much? I mean, I like money too, but…”
Who doesn’t love riches and treasures? Jacob had known Rien for quite some time. Even before Rien became the leader of the Valunize branch of the Silver Knights, he had worked under Aksion.
Rien’s face turned serious at Jacob’s comment. “You’ve misunderstood. It’s not that I like money.”
“What? How can you say you don’t like it…”
“I’m obsessed with money.”
Jacob was left speechless by Rien’s blunt admission. Rien then held up the gold coin he had been polishing. “Look at this resplendent beauty…”
“Enough already,” Jacob groaned, rubbing his face. He regretted asking. It was as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.
“Did the young lady settle in well?” Jacob inquired, changing the subject to Elia’s well-being. He knew her true identity as the spirit master.
Jacob had kept an eye on the spirit master for some time. No amount of robes or voice-altering magic could disguise her true nature.
‘With the master’s behavior being so different, only a fool wouldn’t notice.’
However, he hadn’t known about the young lady’s extraordinary abilities. Without her, the recent subjugation would have resulted in numerous casualties. Jacob was genuinely grateful for her character. Knowing such a person was the master’s wife was moving. He had nearly fainted earlier because of that realization.
‘I thought I was going to lose my head because of that idiot,’ Jacob thought, recalling the moment when a subordinate had tried to confess to Elia, making him nearly fall backward.
Aksion nodded at Jacob’s response and then moved on to the main topic. “What about the investigation into the Crown Prince?”
The Crown Prince had never been part of Aksion’s plans. His sudden appearance had the entire order on high alert.
“There seems to be no special reason. It’s not because of the young lady… we’ve confirmed there has been no communication between them,” Jacob reported.
The investigation into the Crown Prince was ongoing. Rien added his own report. “I’ve cast surveillance spells, but the subject is highly sensitive to magic. Even when listening at the barracks, there’s nothing significant.”
Despite the scrutiny from Jacob and Rien, Varlan’s actions remained clean. Even though he was wandering around under the Emperor’s orders, they could find no fault in him.
Jacob couldn’t say it aloud, but he felt a tinge of pity for the Crown Prince. There was a reason this innocent prince was wandering the empire. “It’s all because of the Emperor.”
The Crown Prince’s pilgrimage wasn’t just about the prophecy. Varlan had been a perfect being since birth, excelling in everything needed to be an emperor, including swordsmanship, geography, and diplomacy. If it weren’t for the sudden, mysterious fever…
An oracle had cured Varlan’s illness and declared that to prevent its recurrence, he had to embark on a pilgrimage to meet the gods. The Crown Prince was thus cast out of the capital, under the guise of an imperial decree.
‘The Emperor is a petty man,’ Jacob thought. The Emperor considered himself a perfect ruler who could bring prosperity to the empire. He couldn’t tolerate the existence of a flawless Crown Prince, as it threatened his own perfection. The prophecy served as a convenient excuse.
The Crown Prince could only return to the capital through rebellion or in the event of the Emperor’s imminent death.
“Continue the surveillance.”
“Yes, sir,” Jacob and Rien responded.
Aksion turned to leave. Just before exiting the tent, he gave one more command. “Exclude that fool from the subjugation. It wouldn’t hurt to give him some hard tasks to keep him occupied.”
“Understood,” Jacob replied quickly, knowing the master’s punishment was lenient. The fool in question was a good-hearted, persistent man, even if he was clueless. It was better to keep him alive by sending him away.
Aksion left Jacob’s quarters and headed towards Elia’s tent. A dark mist enveloped the area near the navy-blue tent, and shadowy figures moved within it. If not for the protective stones, the mist would have invaded the tent.
Aksion drew his sword and swung it, dispersing the black mist with a burst of holy power. Inside, two of the four protective stones were half-melted. Aksion replaced them and approached Elia.
“You don’t need to worry,” she said, though he still didn’t know what she was hiding. Yet, he wanted to be the only one to protect her, driving away the darkness that threatened her.
* * *
The next morning, the subjugation that had begun at dawn continued smoothly into the afternoon. It was the last day of the three-day operation.
Hoofbeats echoed near the edge of the forest. Aksion led the knights towards the woods adjoining the valley. The dense forest was dark, and Jacob pointed to a spot on the map. “Their nest seems to be here.”
Once they cleared the cave deep within the valley, the subjugation would be complete. “We’ll use illusions to enter.”
The Silver Knights would infiltrate the cave while the Crown Prince’s forces dealt with the monsters trying to escape.
Varlan accepted the plan without a word. As they moved towards the forest, sunlight filtered through the trees, revealing a glimmering silver-haired figure. The vanguard halted their horses.
“There appears to be someone there,” one of the knights said.
A woman stood in the sunlight, smiling brightly. Sharon, with her radiant smile, approached the knights. ‘Sharon?’ Elia’s face hardened as she recognized her. Sharon, undeterred, continued towards the knights.
“I lost my way in the forest. Could you help me?” she asked, causing the knights, who had been about to draw their swords, to hesitate. A lone woman in the forest was unusual.
Sensing their lingering wariness, Sharon showed them her necklace. “I am on a pilgrimage in the north, guided by the god of light.”
The necklace bore the symbol of the god of light. Sharon’s fingertips emitted a pure, holy light, compelling the knights to sheathe their swords. Jacob eyed her suspiciously and asked, “I’ve heard only a saint undertakes such a pilgrimage alone.”
Jacob was right. The north was sacred land, designated by the god of light. The new saint had to travel alone under divine protection. Aksion had met Sharon during her pilgrimage in the north. The temple kept the saint’s birth a secret until her return. Sharon smiled, neither confirming nor denying Jacob’s suspicion.
“The god has instructed me to go to the Mahart family,” she said, her hands glowing with a dazzling holy light, perhaps more intense than that of a high priest. They had to acknowledge it; Sharon was the one and only saint chosen by the god of light.
“And the god told me one more thing. That the holiest being is accompanied by the most ominous presence.” She smiled sweetly, her gaze drifting towards Elia.
Sharon brushed past Elia and approached Aksion, wrapping her pale, delicate hand around his horse’s reins. “The Mahart family is blessed by the god. Please take me there.”
Sunlight bathed Sharon as if the god himself favored her. Most people in the north were followers of the god of light. Several knights made the sign of the cross, but Aksion’s gaze remained cold.
“Contact the temple of light. Until we hear from them, she is to be detained.”
“Understood,” Jacob replied. If Sharon truly was the saint, detaining her was an obvious insult to the temple. Aksion glared at the hesitant knights, making his intent clear. They reluctantly surrounded Sharon, who continued to smile benignly.
At that moment, the sound of approaching hoofbeats caught everyone’s attention. They turned to see a group of knights riding towards them, led by Duke Tartan.
