Chapter 41
Ilena’s words soon proved to be true.
Two days later.
As Iago, consumed by anxiety and unease, visibly grew thinner, an anonymous letter arrived at the royal palace.
“The priestess is actually a witch.
A witch who does not repent must be burned to death.
Because of you, on September 1, 1221, the terrifying wrath of God will strike the capital.
The witch must return to your land.”
The letters appeared cut out from a newspaper, each with varying sizes and styles.
Immediately, a meeting was convened with the kingdom’s elders and key officials.
Ilena was present at Iago’s special request, but none of those gathered found her presence surprising.
“Your Majesty, we just finished a council meeting. What brings us together so suddenly?”
The ministers all wore expressions of, Why an emergency meeting over a single letter…?
Calmly, Iago explained that there was a terrorist threat in the capital and, for those who had been puzzled like him two days ago, he also explained what a terrorist threat meant.
The ministers’ faces turned pale in an instant.
“W-what do we do now?”
“To think there are people so cowardly and evil…”
“Evacuate…! We must evacuate! No one must get hurt!”
The ministers, thrown into confusion by their first encounter with a terrorist threat, shouted in panic.
Yet, not a single person—not one—blamed Ilena or suggested she return to the north.
In fact, it seemed such an option had never even crossed anyone’s mind.
Ilena once again felt her affection for these warm-hearted southern people swell within her.
But that feeling was fleeting.
There was no time for sentiment in such an emergency.
Quickly composing herself, Ilena’s eyes snapped open.
Within those clear, sharp eyes, there was no hesitation, no trace of fear.
“Evacuate…! First, evacuate…!”
“All those people within three days?”
“We can’t teleport such a large number of people. We’d have to evacuate on foot—what about the elderly and infirm?”
“Even if we manage to evacuate all those people, there’s nowhere for them to stay, and no food supplies!”
“No, finding the bomb comes first! We must send search teams to locate it!”
Fortunately, a magical device capable of detecting explosives existed here as well.
It had been developed ten years ago during the ‘First War’ to counter the northern mines.
The detector looked like a small orb, about the size of Ilena’s fist, which glowed brightly when approaching within roughly three meters of a bomb.
The problem was that in this vast capital, they had no idea where the bomb could be.
“Even if we deploy search teams on a large scale, searching the entire capital would take at least two weeks.”
At that moment, Iago’s calm, measured voice was heard.
The ministers, panicking moments ago, lifted their heads.
For the first time, they noticed their king seated on the throne—and beside him, the priestess.
Amid the chaos, only the two of them—Iago and Ilena—remained composed.
“Deploying search teams openly isn’t a good strategy.”
Ilena immediately shook her head firmly, reinforcing his point.
“If rumors spread about a terrorist threat while we don’t know where the bomb is, it would only create chaos and fear among the people. And that’s exactly what the terrorists want.”
Their composed demeanor alone brought immense reassurance and trust to those trembling in fear.
“Then, what should we do, Priestess?”
An elder spoke earnestly to Ilena.
“There’s no need to search the entire capital. The bomb is likely placed where it can cause maximum casualties, where there’s heavy foot traffic.”
Ilena explained in a neutral, unwavering tone.
“The train station, the plaza, or schools with many students are typical targets.”
Having dealt with global terrorism as CEO of an international company, she knew this well.
“C-could it be…”
The faces of those gathered drained of color instantly.
“How could someone do such a thing… Innocent people, merely present at that moment, don’t matter to them at all!”
“What is happening in the world…”
Even Iago, trying to maintain composure in front of the ministers, could not prevent his face from turning pale.
Only Ilena, sitting beside him, noticed the subtle change in his expression.
Beneath the large conference table, she held his huge, now cold hands in hers.
While gently holding his hands, Ilena maintained her characteristic expressionless face as she proposed a countermeasure.
“Conduct the search, but do it in secret, Your Majesty.”
“In secret?”
“Yes. In pairs, dressed as civilians, moving discreetly. So that the public doesn’t even notice the search is underway.”
“Hmm. Good. If needed, magical assistance may also help.”
Iago immediately nodded.
“How long will it take if we search only the primary candidate locations?”
“If trained soldiers move as fast as possible…”
Iago closed his eyes to calculate.
The gathered officials anxiously waited for his answer.
Finally, he opened his eyes slowly and said,
“Three days.”
Sighs of relief—or dread—escaped from various corners.
“That’s too tight.”
“That’s the maximum. This assumes every royal unit works day and night nonstop for three days.”
Even Ilena bit her lip tightly.
Too close.
What if they fail to find the bomb within that time?
“Prepare temporary shelters near the metropolitan area while conducting the search, just in case.”
Iago’s commanding presence addressed the restless ministers.
“If the bomb isn’t found within three days, evacuate everyone in the capital immediately.”
“Is that possible?”
“Teleport the elderly and infirm first, then move the military… It will be costly and chaotic, but it’s necessary.”
Everyone knew saving everyone was impossible—but no one dared say it aloud.
“We’ll find it before that!”
“Yes! Pray to God and search diligently, and we will succeed!”
The elders forced bright voices to sound hopeful.
Ilena, however, remained skeptical about assurances that everything would be fine.
“Claiming everything will be fine is the self-deception of the weak.”
Her grandfather had always said a leader must assume the worst and prepare accordingly.
If you can’t save everyone, saving some is the best course. Cold, yes—but prepared to sacrifice some…
“P-priestess.”
Startled by a soft voice calling her, Ilena raised her head from her thoughts.
One elder barely managed a faint smile at her.
“Do not worry. Some lunatic seems to be causing mischief.”
“Yes, of course not, but please don’t let it disturb you even slightly!”
Ah… they’re worried I might feel uneasy because they intend to cause a terrorist attack over me.
Their pale, strained faces forced a smile as they tried to reassure her.
“Don’t worry.”
Before she could even think, the words left her mouth.
It felt as though her lips moved on their own.
Like them, she forced a smile, her lips trembling slightly upward, and for the first time spoke a strange phrase she had never said before.
“…Everything will be alright.”
“Of course, of course. If the priestess says so, it must be true. Haha.”
Only then did the tension on the elders’ faces ease a little.
Did I… just offer comfort?
Feeling awkward for doing something out of character, Ilena added quickly with a sly smirk:
“Don’t worry. When it comes to underhanded tactics, I won’t lose to anyone.”
The gathered ministers nodded gently and inwardly shouted:
R-reliable.
Impressive!
Our priestess is the best!
Leaving behind the elders, patting each other on the shoulders for reassurance, Ilena and Iago exited the conference hall.
“It’ll draw too much attention if you move personally. You stay in the palace and oversee the search operation.”
“I’m supposed to just stay in the palace…”
He sighed, then quickly asked cautiously, his large eyes wide.
“Ilena, will you stay by my side? Holding your hand would make me feel much more secure.”
The two-meter-tall man extended his arms, surrounded by rock-solid muscles, in a surprisingly gentle gesture.
Ilena gazed briefly at his enormous hand, likely twice the size of hers.
A fist that could crush like a weapon somehow looked like a soft black rabbit paw.
Really…
Shaking her head, the rabbit illusion vanished, and the man appeared again.
Ilena spoke with a firm expression.
“Sorry. Not today. I have other matters to attend to.”
Normally, she would have agreed lightly.
“Other matters? …Urgent?”
“To prepare… I need to go now. Iago, handle things as we just discussed.”
“Y-yes.”
Leaving him behind, flustered and waving his hands, Ilena exited the office alone.
