Chapter 32: The Conspirator Behind the Enemy part 2
Holtdayne’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.
“By the way, you’ve heard, right? That Klein Ducal family. They’ve apparently found their daughter. The entire capital is buzzing.”
“…Oh, yes.”
Fay’s response was vague, her thoughts still elsewhere.
Holtdayne grinned mischievously.
“It’s no secret around the Mage Tower, but you might find this interesting: that paternity test the temple supposedly conducted? They probably used one of our artifacts for it. They borrowed something from us a while back and haven’t returned it yet.”
“What? Isn’t there holy magic that can detect lies or relics for such purposes?”
“There’s something called the Truth Seeker’s Stone. That’s what they borrowed from us. It works by inputting questions in advance and then asking the subject directly.”
“Wait, something like that is possible?”
Fay was surprised to hear about the stone’s advanced capabilities.
“Yep. If the subject doesn’t answer, the statue can even inflict a mild shock as punishment. Unlike the holy magic you mentioned, which requires high-level divine power, our artifact runs on its own internal mana supply.”
The more Holtdayne explained, the more Fay found herself astonished.
“And it doesn’t just work on people. It can be used on objects too. Though this part has stirred some controversy since it’s easier to manipulate. But yeah, that’s how it works.”
“Really…?”
Fay murmured, her voice trailing off as she was suddenly struck by a memory from the past. A faint shiver ran through her.
‘Could it be?!’
She remembered an incident from her time at the temple with Dott. They’d been told to kneel and pray in a secluded room. She had obediently followed the instructions, but out of nowhere, a strange voice had spoken from the empty air.
「…Is that yours?」
[Huh?]
「If you do not answer, you will be punished. I asked if the pendant around your neck is yours.」
The initial part of the question had been garbled, but the word ‘punishment’ had struck enough fear into her that, trembling, Morgana had hesitantly replied:
[This… pendant is mine. What are you planning to do with it?]
But no further words came after that.
Morgana, overwhelmed with awe, had assumed this was part of the temple’s divine sanctity. She had spent the remainder of the prayer session prostrated on the ground, trembling in reverence.
Later, on their way back, Dott had whispered something that frightened her even more.
[Morgana, did you know? People who don’t pray properly at the temple sometimes hear the whispers of demons. If you fall under their spell or tell anyone about it, you’ll be severely punished.]
[Wha—! That’s terrifying!]
[As long as you don’t say anything about it, you’ll be fine. Let’s keep this a secret, just between us.]
Dott had smiled warmly as she reassured Morgana back then, but looking back now, Fay realized the timing was suspicious.
Could that have been the moment Dott’s schemes began in earnest?
She pieced it together. Shortly after, the Grace Monastery burned down, a funeral was held, and a ball was organized where the Crown Prince failed to appear, only for Dott to be officially recognized as the Duke’s daughter.
‘If Dott took me there to face the questions and used my answers to have herself declared the Duke’s daughter…!’
The timeline didn’t add up. There had been a two-month gap between the paternity test and the announcement. That gap wasn’t coincidental. It was deliberate.
Fay could finally see how the conspiracy had unfolded.
‘She got rid of the Mother Superior, Priestess Cheryl, and even her own family, one by one. She waited until the very last moment to announce her status as the Duke’s daughter—right before eliminating me.’
“…Fay?”
Holtdayne’s voice broke her trance. She leaned toward him, her eyes narrowing.
“Can you tell me more about this?”
“Well, sure. You’ve heard of Saintess Kaphia, right?”
“Of course.”
Although Fay had never met Saintess Kaphia in person, she vaguely remembered her nanny mentioning gifts of sweets or porridge from the Saintess.
“People mock her for making inaccurate prophecies and unreliable pronouncements, but here’s the thing. Since before her time, the total divine power at the temple has been drastically declining.”
Fay’s eyes widened, and Holtdayne continued.
“They haven’t produced any priests capable of using high-level divine magic for years. That means their ability to conduct multi-layered paternity tests has been severely limited.”
“Hmm…”
“It’s not as simple as just asking, ‘Is this person’s child yours?’ There are layers of questions. With things like adoption or guardianship, clarity matters, right?”
“Yes, I see your point.”
Fay had never paid such close attention to someone’s lips as she did now. Holtdayne, unable to meet her intense, emerald gaze, pressed on.
“The Truth Seeker’s Stone developed by the Mage Tower functions similarly to that holy magic, though the principles differ. Its downside is that it consumes a significant amount of mana. The temple borrowed it from us a long time ago, but they’ve never reported any mana depletion issues.”
“Oh…”
Fay’s unease deepened.
If the temple had used the stone long past its mana limits and delivered paternity results regardless, then… No, surely that couldn’t be the case. It was the temple, after all.
And yet, hadn’t she been questioned by that stone once before? Likely as a stand-in for someone else?
“It would be difficult to arbitrarily replenish the depleted mana with magic stones there. Besides, it wouldn’t look good for a mage to be seen coming and going from the main temple.”
“Not easily. And seeing a mage frequenting the temple would raise eyebrows.”
“How long ago did they borrow the stone?”
“I’d have to check the records for the exact date, but it’s been at least ten years.”
Fay couldn’t shake the ominous feeling building inside her.
……
(T/N: I think that was the time when Fay was ambushed and consequently lost by her parents. The temple is suspicious – very suspicious 🤔)
