Chapter 27
Kanin looked at the Count with disbelief. He seemed unusually uneasy, as if being cornered made him incapable of speaking properly.
Yet Kanin was also curious—what evidence did the Count have to speak with such certainty?
Hearing the Count, Kanin naturally frowned. It sounded impossible.
“…….”
Kanin was the only one who truly knew that Ariadne had healing power.
But the Count’s claim was far stranger.
Could healing power even be stolen in the first place?
Kanin had once survived thanks to Ariadne’s healing.
And Ashley’s Saint power had already been problematic since then.
Shouldn’t this issue have been raised back then?
Kanin’s thoughts became tangled. To him, it seemed like a false accusation. But the Emperor, curious, asked:
“Is that even possible?”
“Yes. I found traces of dark magic being used!”
What on earth was he saying? It was impossible.
As far as Kanin knew, if Saint power mixed with dark magic, the healing wouldn’t fully work.
Ariadne’s power had definitely worked properly on him. Kanin looked at the Count, thinking he was just spouting nonsense, unable to believe Ashley had truly lost her power.
“Are you certain?”
Kanin asked sharply. The Count scowled irritably. The Emperor intervened.
“Yes. We must be certain, Count. If Ariadne did not steal the Saint power and it truly manifested from her, you will bear all responsibility.”
The Emperor needed a Saint with truly reliable power. He didn’t care who it was—as long as it could heal him, it could be Ariadne instead of Ashley.
The Count frowned but answered confidently:
“I am certain! Today’s events were so strange that I asked the Saint myself.”
“Really? What did she say?”
The Count had already noticed that something was off with Ashley’s Saint power during her suicide attempt. But she claimed her healing had returned, and she had partly eased the Emperor’s illness, so he had believed her.
But when the bard said she had no power, he had to confront Ashley. In the end, she tearfully admitted she could no longer show any healing.
Upon hearing this, the Count immediately rushed to the Emperor.
“She felt her Saint power was being drained. She said someone was sending evil energy at her.”
The Count looked frustrated, as if he himself were Ashley. The Emperor nodded thoughtfully.
“I see. So that’s why the Saint’s power seemed so unstable. What do you think, Bachelier?”
But the Emperor, more focused on his treatment than proving the truth, asked the question hastily.
Bachelier’s face became serious.
“Healing power is pure energy, so if dark magic is mixed, it can be somewhat corrupted… but it cannot disappear completely…”
Bachelier hesitated, carefully choosing his words. His explanation was interrupted by the agitated Count.
“What do you know! I know someone did terrible things to the Saint!”
The Count pressed the issue, bringing up the incident at the banquet. Bachelier’s intervention had put Ashley in a difficult position. The Count left the responsibility of that event for later and urgently turned back to the Emperor. He spoke again, frantically:
“Ariadne must have taken Ashley’s Saint power. She clearly used dark magic.”
Dark magic? Kanin shook his head without realizing it. If Ariadne had shown even a trace of dark magic, he would have noticed. But to him, Ariadne didn’t even know such things existed. Yet the Count was accusing her.
It didn’t seem to matter to the Emperor.
“Is that so? Then bring her here immediately. That responsibility must be confirmed.”
The Emperor didn’t care who used Saint power—Ashley or a new person. All that mattered was that his illness could be healed.
At the Emperor’s order to bring Ariadne, the Count hesitated for a moment.
“What are you doing? Bring her here!”
“She ran away!” the Count shouted.
Kanin narrowed his eyes. The situation was becoming very strange. How did the Count know Ariadne had escaped? And how could he know so quickly?
Usually, the Count never cared even slightly about his daughter, Ariadne.
“She ran?”
“She seems to have run away because she knew she had done wrong!”
“Ha… where will you catch someone who has run?”
Thinking it was no longer safe to just watch, Kanin stepped forward.
“I know where Ariadne went.”
He planned to hand over her identification badge and reveal her destination, just as Ariadne had asked. But the Count interrupted him.
“—Ariadne headed for the harbor!”
Kanin’s face twisted in frustration.
‘How does he even know the correct destination?’
“The harbor?”
The Emperor asked, confused.
“Yes. She clearly ran away to steal the Saint power and use it herself!”
“Ha…”
The Emperor’s expression became serious.
“She went to the harbor?”
The Emperor asked again. Kanin quickly stepped forward. It didn’t matter if they discovered Ariadne had gone to the harbor—he would take care of her anyway. But her safety couldn’t be compromised.
“No. Ariadne said she would not go there. She’s heading toward Ryuche Forest.”
Kanin handed over Ariadne’s identification badge. The Emperor looked puzzled.
“Where exactly did she go?”
“It seems Ariadne even tricked the Prince! She’s definitely heading to the harbor!”
However, the Count insisted on giving Ariadne’s real destination.
“If we leave now, we can catch up to Ariadne! I know for certain!”
The Count shouted.
Kanin narrowed his eyes. The situation was far too strange. How could the Count know so quickly where Ariadne had run?
The Count normally never paid the slightest attention to his own daughter.
“How are you so sure?”
He muttered aloud without realizing it. The Count added an explanation.
“I attached a tracking device to the jewel on Ariadne’s necklace. It can track her location from the Northern Empire.”
Kanin opened his mouth in surprise. He immediately remembered a recent conversation with the Count about machines. At that time, he had said:
[Yes. The machines from the Northern Empire are very precise and advanced.]
[Oh? What kind?]
[Various types. Flying airships, and others. But the devices used by spies are even more amazing.]
[For example?]
[Things that reveal the opponent’s location… or record voices. Truly amazing…]
He remembered.
‘A device that records voices.’
Kanin thought to himself. He had known the Count was interested in Northern Empire technology, but he never imagined it would be used like this. Importing forbidden items from his homeland, using them in such a way… even on his own daughter?
The Count urgently spoke again.
“Quick! We must follow her!”
The Emperor seemed surprised, but finally gave an order under the Count’s insistence.
“Bring Ariadne back. No—Count, I will go myself. If she boards a ship to another country, it could become a diplomatic issue.”
Kanin began to doubt whether Ariadne was really the Count’s daughter.
As soon as the order was given, Kanin left the room immediately. He headed straight for Ariadne. He had to reach her before the Emperor’s party. He moved faster than anyone else.
