Chapter 73
The mere thought that Mia might have been harmed made Etienne’s blood run cold. At least in his intentions, there had never been the slightest trace of malice.
Of course, if harm had already been done, intentions meant little.
Etienne slowly, hesitantly, approached Mia’s bedside. He studied her face closely. Even in her unconscious state, faint traces of worry were etched around her eyes.
He suddenly remembered Mia giving a passionate speech about the Empire’s reforms and the conquest of the Asto Kingdom. Back then, when Etienne had been dragged by his father into the military academy, Mia—though younger than him—had stood among seasoned politicians and pushed through her own opinion. She had shone brighter than anyone else in that room.
Because Mia had named him that day as the one who would lead the vanguard in the coming war, Etienne had become the man he was now. And every time he lost his way on the brutal battlefield, the image of Mia on that day was what came back to him.
So I thought I should repay that debt…
Etienne rubbed his brow. But like this, could he really say he was “repaying a debt”?
“It may sound like an excuse… but I believed I had chosen the best option available to me.”
He murmured as he held the unconscious Mia’s hand. Still, he could not be sure what consequences his actions would bring. A part of him still wondered if obeying the Emperor’s orders might indeed be the best choice.
But…
Could following a master who regarded Mia’s safety so lightly really be the best path for her?
“I don’t know. Mia, truly….”
“……”
“For your sake, perhaps… perhaps doing nothing at all would have been better….”
His heavy breath fell across Mia’s face. He could no longer remain on the familiar path.
For Mia’s sake—and for the sake of the part of him that cared for her—Etienne now had to face the questions he had long avoided.
Mia’s eyelids trembled, her vision slowly regaining focus. The tent ceiling, one she had grown sick of seeing over the years, swam into view above her.
The light… it’s quite dim. No candle lit. Must be early morning….
She tried to sit up, but her body felt as heavy as lead, and even small movements were a struggle. As she stirred, a warm hand pressed gently on her shoulder, guiding her back down.
“Take it slowly. You’ve been unconscious for several weeks now.”
The voice, filled with relief and concern, came from her right. Even without opening her eyes fully, she could guess who it was. A familiar scene. A familiar angel watching over her. Mia sighed faintly. She was still too weak.
Crack. Her bones made loud sounds as they shifted, stiff from being in the same position for so long. She grimaced—not only from the pain.
“…Why do you look like that.”
Etienne sat by her bedside. The dark rings around his eyes were so heavy they could not be hidden even by his handsome features. His normally neat uniform was wrinkled, and his hair was unkempt.
I’m the one who collapsed, so why does he look like he’s the one who stayed up for days…
Still, she didn’t voice the question. Her voice was too weak anyway, and it didn’t seem fair to ask someone who already looked so worn. Instead, she tried to change the subject.
“……”
Or she tried to. But after just a single sentence upon waking, her voice refused to come out again.
“Water.”
After struggling with her dry throat for some time, she finally managed to croak out the word. Her voice was so hoarse it was barely recognizable.
It wasn’t a difficult request. Etienne quickly lifted a cup to her lips, supporting her head as she drank. Cool water rushed into her parched mouth.
The chill cleared the fog in her head. Mia rubbed her face as if washing.
“What happened?”
Even a few sips of water seemed to revive her; a little life returned to her voice.
Etienne’s expression darkened.
“I’m not sure. You collapsed suddenly during the battle. It seemed too strange to chalk up to simple exhaustion…”
Collapsed for weeks, and yet with no clear cause—hardly good news. As if expecting reproach, Etienne trailed off stiffly.
But though it was natural to suspect him, Mia showed no sign of blame.
“And Bertrand’s diagnosis?”
“He said it was the second time in his life he’s seen such symptoms.”
“And the first patient?”
“Me.”
She had expected as much. Mia nodded slowly, lost in thought. Other than the fact that both incidents happened in sudden battles, there were no obvious common factors.
So perhaps something we did before the battle was the problem…
Before she could complete the thought, Etienne interrupted.
“There is one more piece of news.”
He handed her a small envelope that had been placed at her bedside.
“A courier pigeon brought it. It’s from the woman you took in at Raven.”
Mia’s eyebrows shot up. With Veridian’s economy in turmoil, even a student of the Great Temple like Chloe couldn’t have been living comfortably. So this was unlikely to be just a casual update.
“I’ve kept the pigeon safe.”
“You? You didn’t send it back?”
“It refused to leave.”
“…I think I can guess why.”
“Would you explain it to me too? If other pigeons refuse to fly, that would be troublesome.”
“As you know, courier pigeons are very sensitive to divine energy. That’s why you can’t just pick up any bird off the street and train it as one.”
“Yes, but…?”
Etienne still looked doubtful.
“They’re trained to follow familiar divine power. By the same logic, if they sense power that is unfamiliar or unpleasant, they’d avoid returning.”
“Then you’re saying there’s something wrong with the girl’s power?”
“Not exactly. More likely, the aura of the Temple itself has become strange. If Chloe’s power had turned malicious, the bird would have refused to return even with the last letter.”
Mia casually tore the crude seal and unfolded the letter.
“The fact that she sent a letter at this particular time makes my suspicion seem right.”
“Mia, pigeons aren’t trained so loosely that they’d disobey just because they sense a little malice…”
But Mia ignored him. As she read, her face grew gradually paler. Etienne stopped mid-sentence, leaning forward anxiously.
“What is it?”
“It’s about the Temple.”
Her reply was slow, as if to steady herself. Seeing Etienne’s still-puzzled look, she added an unhelpful explanation.
“Chloe says… something very big is happening there.”
For his sake, Mia began to read the letter aloud:
“It seems like strange rituals are being carried out in secret… Priests are disappearing. Some come back, but they’re not the same as before. They feel… strange. Among the students, rumors are spreading that there are ‘hidden things’ inside the Temple.”
Etienne’s face finally hardened. Mia nodded and summarized the rest.
“She also says the High Priest’s behavior has changed. I only saw him a few times before, but apparently he’s become more secretive, more aggressive.”
“……”
“And those who suspect him… disappear without a trace.”
Her hand trembled slightly as she skimmed the last line.
“That confirms it. Something sinister is happening within the Temple itself.”
