“Father, please calm down.”
Callista looked at the young lady before her with feigned surprise.
As she placed her hand gently on the duke’s, the murderous gleam in Duke Tiggeris’s eyes began to fade.
“I’ll speak with her slowly,” the young lady continued.
She then turned her gaze toward Callista, who smirked inwardly.
‘At least there’s someone here who’s capable of rational conversation.’
Talking to Duke Tiggeris, who acted like a mad dog, seemed utterly impossible.
The man dared to threaten and look down on the Sacred Palace, completely consumed by personal anger.
‘Once I retrieve the holy relic and return…’
He would become the Cardinal in charge of the soon-to-be-constructed Central Temple in the capital.
He had promised it.
And once that happened, having the power to meet the emperor face-to-face would only be a matter of time.
The prestige of managing the Central Temple far surpassed even that of the empire’s Four Great Dukes.
‘Once that day comes, I’ll make sure to crush that arrogant Duke Tiggeris.’
Gritting her teeth in secret, Callista kept her thoughts to herself.
Then, the young lady spoke again.
“As you can see, I only recently regained consciousness. It was all because of what Meyer Luce from the Sacred Palace did.”
“I am aware. The Order regrets—”
“That’s not what I’m asking about.”
Callista raised an eyebrow as the young lady cut her off with a smiling face.
“What I want to know is—can you confidently say that the Temple had absolutely no involvement in Meyer Luce’s actions?”
Callista instinctively shut her mouth. She disliked how this young girl, who barely knew anything, dared to speak to her so boldly.
And truthfully, she herself didn’t know whether the temple had any connection to Meyer’s actions.
All he had told her was to retrieve the holy relic.
Clearing her throat, she answered firmly.
“Of course! The Temple had no involvement whatsoever in Priest Meyer’s actions. Why would the Temple instruct someone to do such things to a noble lady?”
“……”
“Everything was the result of Meyer Luce’s independent decisions. Still, as he is affiliated with our Sacred Palace, even if he is to be punished, it must be done through our internal proceedings—”
“Are you truly certain of that?”
Again, the young lady interrupted her with a smile. Callista furrowed her brow and fell silent.
“……Yes. I am absolutely certain.”
Barely holding back her anger, she responded.
The young lady slowly nodded.
“Very well. Then I’ll grant your request.”
Callista’s eyes widened.
“R-Request…?”
“I’ll allow you to meet Meyer Luce in the prison.”
The priests behind her lit up instantly. Callista, unable to hide her excitement, nodded with enthusiasm.
“Th-Thank you so much! I’ll never forget this kindness today!”
Beaming, she reached out a hand, but the young lady ignored it as if it meant nothing.
Instead, she stood up with a blank expression.
At that moment, someone who had been standing by the doorway approached her.
Callista’s face stiffened as she recognized the man.
‘Tiggeris’s Captain of the Guard…’
Bastin Müller, with a sword as tall as he was strapped to his side, was glaring at her with a threatening look.
But then—
“Sir Bastin. Would you please escort them?” the young lady asked.
At her words, Bastin’s frosty expression melted into a relaxed smile.
“Of course, my lady.”
Callista stood frozen in shock. That terrifying Count Bastin—Tiggeris’s most fearsome knight—was being treated like a mere servant?
Selenea Tiggeris, with her innocent-looking face, clearly had a shrewd and cunning side.
Sure enough, she heard the other priests whispering behind her.
With a sharp glare to silence them, Callista quickly followed the young lady and Count Bastin out of the drawing room.
Greed gleamed in her eyes.
‘Once I get the relic, becoming Cardinal will be within my grasp.’
A twisted smile curled on her lips.
Underground Prison.
Unconsciously, Callista raised her sleeve to cover her nose and mouth.
The foul stench in the prison was unbearable.
Worse yet, the paths through the dungeon were so narrow and winding, it was nearly impossible to keep track of the way back.
“Are we there yet?” she asked, her voice filled with unease.
Bastin Müller glanced back briefly.
“We’re almost there.”
Callista nervously stared at his massive back.
Afraid of losing him, she hurried to keep up.
Then, the young lady spoke.
“This is the place.”
Following her gaze, Callista saw a lone iron cell.
She rushed toward it—but froze as soon as she saw who was inside.
“W-What in the world…!”
Meyer Luce’s condition was horrifying.
His half-lidded eyes were dull and lifeless—it was impossible to tell if he was even alive. His body, except for his face, was covered in wounds and blood.
As Callista instinctively took a step back, something wet splashed from a pool of blood on the ground.
“Urgh…!!”
She flinched in disgust and recoiled.
But then she forced herself to stand firm.
‘No, now’s not the time. Where’s the relic?’
The pendant should have been hanging from Meyer’s neck—but it was nowhere to be seen.
‘Where… where could it be?!’
Frantically, she searched the surroundings. But the relic was nowhere in sight.
She was growing increasingly desperate when—
“Is this what you were looking for, High Priest?”
A bright, cheerful voice rang out—totally at odds with the dreary prison.
Callista turned her head in a daze.
There, the young lady stood with a smile, dangling the holy relic of Frater on her finger.
“T-That’s…!”
Callista’s eyes widened in shock.
Without realizing it, she staggered toward her.
But before she could get closer, Count Bastin stepped in front of her, forcing her to stop.
Selenea twirled the pendant and spoke playfully.
“You were so eager to get into the prison.”
“……”
“I thought you felt compassion for Meyer Luce…”
Tilting her head, she continued.
“But now I see—you didn’t care about him at all, did you?”
She grinned and swung the relic gently.
Callista’s face contorted.
“N-No! That pendant belongs to our Temple—!”
“It’s mine.”
Callista’s face froze in shock.
With a furious voice, she shouted,
“What?! Do you even know what that object is?! That’s—!!”
“I know. I looked into it. Apparently it’s a holy relic from the Temple of Frater.”
“If you know, then how dare you—!!”
“But it’s mine now.”
Selenea smiled sweetly once more. Callista clenched her trembling fists and spoke.
“Return it. No—you must return it. That relic is invaluable, an irreplaceable treasure of the Temple!”
“Oh dear, is that so?”
“Yes! My lady, you don’t seem to understand—!”
“But I was also ‘invaluable’ and ‘irreplaceable,’ wasn’t I?”
Her smile faded as she slowly placed the pendant around her neck.
Then, she pointed a finger at the man in the cell.
“And yet, because of him, I was on the brink of death for three months.”
“……!”
“And anyone who harms Tiggeris… is judged by Tiggeris.”
Though her lips curled into a smile, her eyes were ice cold.
“Whether we punish him—or decide what to do with his belongings—that’s all up to Tiggeris.”
“Ha!!”
Callista laughed hysterically as she stared at Selenea.
She ground her teeth in fury.
So she figured out the relic’s power…
‘The ability to cancel the restrictions placed on those with special abilities…!’
That pendant had always been stored by the sitting Cardinal.
It was a closely guarded secret within the Temple.
Simply possessing it could nullify the restrictions that came with high-tier abilities.
That meant one could use powerful abilities over and over again—without any limit.
‘I don’t know how Meyer ended up with it, but…’
Callista had to retrieve the relic.
‘Only by bringing it back can I be recognized by him!’
As she silently panicked, she looked up with anxious eyes.
She knew Selenea wouldn’t yield to any demand right now.
But then, a thought occurred to her—
‘Even if I can’t get the relic… what if I gain something else of equal value?’
Swallowing hard, Callista spoke.
“I understand your stance, my lady.”
Her gaze turned cold.
“But from the Church’s perspective, we can’t simply give up on the relic.”
Selenea widened her eyes, and Callista took the chance to add:
“……Unless, of course, we receive fair compensation in return.”
A sly smile appeared on her face.
Duke Tiggeris wasn’t just a military powerhouse—he was also one of the wealthiest men in the Empire.
If she played her cards right, she might be able to cover all the construction costs of the Central Temple right here.
‘If that happens, he will surely understand…’
Lost in hopeful imagination, Callista’s lips curled upward.
She glanced at Selenea, who seemed deep in thought as well.
Finally, the young lady opened her mouth.
“Very well. I’ll give you compensation.”
