A remote villa owned by the Holy See.
Unlike its sacred image, debauched festivals were frequently held here.
Exploiting the faithful was par for the course.
Women among the followers were often drugged with aphrodisiacs and violated.
But last night's festival was entirely different.
A deer-shaped monster, the Wendigo, had suddenly appeared from the dark forest.
The drunken Holy Knights were helpless against its massive claws.
Two of the Three Great Holy Knights vanished into history in an instant.
The powers that be in the Holy See plunged into great chaos upon hearing the bad news from the previous night.
Everyone had a pretty good idea who was behind this incident.
'The Saintess broke her sealing necklace and is rampaging.'
They had been developing a new sealing tool to control her somehow.
But she had grown far faster than they anticipated.
As if she'd been suddenly injected with some kind of accelerator.
This incident prompted a grand conference at the Northern Imperial Palace.
The Holy See, as the victim, couldn't avoid attending.
Moreover, the one presiding over the meeting was the coldest woman among the imperial family.
The Empire's First Princess, Camillia Andalusia.
"This is serious. To think a being capable of commanding monsters has appeared."
Her radiant golden hair symbolized the Empire's golden age, paired with lake-blue eyes.
At just twenty-three, she sat in the head seat.
"The Holy See must be quite flustered. Is the cleanup going well?"
Archbishop Calix Angard, representing the faith, swallowed hard.
He knew full well how cold and sharp the woman before him was.
"Yes. However, we still haven't identified the culprit."
"I imagine so. There aren't many who can command a great monster like a Wendigo, after all."
The black-haired priest in his clerical robes.
He had risen to archbishop in midlife thanks to his keen insight and silver tongue. Now, he spoke gravely.
"This incident isn't a mere attack. It feels like a deliberate challenge to our faith. We Holy Knights, as the victims, will handle it ourselves."
He was even trying to turn this crisis to his advantage.
Using the pretext of catching the culprit to spread Holy Knights further across the North.
"We'll comb through the entire North if we have to."
"Hmm, my thoughts differ slightly."
Princess Camillia saw through his intentions immediately.
Her blue eyes gleamed proudly from beneath her white uniform cap.
"There's no law saying a great monster would only target the Holy See. Besides, your followers are citizens of our Empire."
Her imperious gaze deterred easy familiarity from anyone.
When the Princess spoke, even the high nobles nodded in agreement.
Among them was the head of the Imperial Tax Agency, who had met with the Princess's uncle, Grand Elder Dark, just yesterday.
"Our Imperial Army will handle it properly. So please, Holy See, focus on your religious duties."
Calix wanted to argue right away.
But an indescribable killing intent made his entire body shrink back.
"Do you understand, Archbishop?"
The golden-haired Princess rose from her seat at the head.
Behind her in pristine white uniform stood a massive mural.
The founding Emperor depicted in it stood majestically, trampling the flags of kings who had challenged him.
"I can't just stand by while victims hunt the culprit themselves, not when I'm here as His Majesty's proxy."
The eldest daughter had inherited the absolute one's martial prowess fully.
Her slacks accentuated her sensual thighs.
"And, if we're being technical, I'm a victim too."
"How are you a victim, Your Highness? What on earth do you mean...?"
Calix, robbed of his pretext to deploy Holy Knights, asked indifferently.
"Two such tragedies have struck in my jurisdiction. I'll take responsibility personally."
"But don't you have plenty of state affairs already? We could handle this... "
The Princess slammed her hand on the table.
It shut down the Holy See's intentions at the root.
"Don't make me say it twice, Calix Angard."
The conference hall fell silent at the mention of the archbishop's full name.
No matter how great the Holy See's influence, their opponent was the absolute one rivaling the Crown Prince.
"Wait quietly for news from us at your faith. This meeting is adjourned."
After reaching the pinnacle of magic, she could even sense the auras around her.
She could cast 'Confession Magic,' forcing targets to confess if she focused her mind here.
"Everyone except the head of the Tax Agency, withdraw. He and I have urgent matters to discuss."
"...Understood. I pray the culprit is caught, Your Highness."
The archbishop retreated for now.
Fearful of Confession Magic, he left the conference room meekly.
Thus, only the Princess and the Tax Agency head remained in the vast space.
"The archbishop will surely plot separate revenge. Who knows what he'll do."
"Indeed. He might even use this chance to eliminate those who irk him."
"Who do you think the culprit is?"
"The Saintess is the prime suspect. Though we have no proof."
The woman who mass-hypnotized a small city's populace to kill its lord.
Camillia knew only that the Holy See had subdued her and sent her to prison.
"But isn't she sealed? I heard she's controlled by a powerful artifact necklace."
"True, but recently, the warden of that prison met with the Saintess."
"Meaning the warden might have released her and taken payment."
"Exactly. Here's the information on him."
Camillia frowned the entire time she read Derek Minster's profile.
The Minster family's notoriety and his playboy exploits were impressively sordid.
"Not a quality man, as expected."
"He was even the tournament opponent of those dead Holy Knights. Might have eliminated them beforehand."
"What does the Grand Elder, sharing the same prison, think?"
"The Elder acknowledges even misdeeds as skill without evidence. I agree."
There's no good or evil in politics.
But from the imperial family's perspective ruling the Empire, it was different.
"As shrewd a politician as ever."
The Princess didn't particularly trust Dark as her uncle.
She analyzed everything coldly on her own judgment.
"Derek Minster. If he's harboring greater ambitions using the prisoners, we must uproot him now."
"You're not thinking of using Confession Magic, are you?"
Confession Magic was reliably effective but had clear side effects.
Prolonged exposure drove people mad.
Forcing out hidden info dealt massive mental damage.
"I oppose it. If he's innocent, the responsibility on you would be too great."
"I can't ignore suspects just because of future responsibilities."
Camillia Andalusia strolled leisurely to the terrace.
Bathed in noon sunlight, her silhouette evoked an ancient goddess statue.
"Could you assassinate Holy See knights without leaving evidence?"
"That's... difficult for me too."
The Tax Agency head admitted honestly.
Indeed, in that regard, the assassination-famous Minster family made Derek a prime suspect.
"As blood of an enemy house, I'll confirm his ambitions myself."
Camillia slung her white jacket over her shoulders with a resolute expression.
She then folded the report and tucked it into her taut dress shirt pocket.
"Departing immediately?"
"Yes. He wanted to meet me, didn't he? I'll grace him with my presence."
Beyond the terrace stretched eternal snowcapped mountains.
The Princess thought of a certain prison at the horizon's end.
Everyone had avoided meeting her out of fear of her Confession Magic and sharp senses.
Yet he wanted to meet her.
"A truly peculiar man."
***
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"A truly peculiar man."
That afternoon.
The clashing of blades echoed endlessly across the prison yard.
"The swordsmanship is clearly our Imperial Knights Order style, yet the movements are thief-light."
Her blue ponytail danced proudly.
Clea, tie loosened, had been sparring for hours.
"And it feels like you're reading my mana flow. It's unpleasant."
"A compliment?"
"Yes. You're not bluffing, that's for sure."
"If you want to praise me, make it casual."
Clea pulled out a notepad and jotted something down.
It was the Imperial Knights Order's sword training manual.
Her words are cold, but she's thoughtful in ways like this.
"Don't get cocky. Even after dealing with those two knights, the youngest is still the strongest in pure force."
"It's fine, I'm stronger... Wait, who said I dealt with anyone?"
I widened my eyes, and the vice warden wagged her finger.
With her signature cynical Northern beauty smile.
"No need to act with me. No matter how hard you try, you can't hide that sly glint."
She looked pleased about the Holy See's ambush.
A smile graced her usually shadowed face for the first time.
"I'm satisfied those scum who drugged and raped followers are gone."
Come to think of it, Clea had been demoted after beating up a lustful imperial who obsessed over her.
Even veteran players failed her romance route, so it was inevitable.
"The aphrodisiac that prince tried to feed me came from those filthy zealots too."
In unusually high spirits, the vice warden smoothed my wrinkled sleeve.
Her touch was soft and delicate, unlike her personality, as she buttoned it up.
"Today, I'll even add rock candy to your coffee."
Rock candy too?
If even she, with her high Intelligence stat, was misunderstanding after I'd secretly skimmed from our broke prison budget, then to others, I must already be the culprit.
Still, I'd secured a solid alibi, so that was a relief.
From my past life memories, the Three Great Holy Knights had flashy names but infamous debauched lives.
I figured it was doable, but two dead so suddenly...
'Circumstantially the Saintess, but why kill them out of nowhere?'
As I pondered the unexpected variable, Clea brought coffee.
Savoring the sweeter-than-usual aroma, I tossed out a joke.
"No spit in it, right?"
"Want me to spit?"
Clea stuck out her tongue slightly.
I shook my head quickly and went to take a sip.
But then...
Ku-gu-gu―――.
My face in the dark puddle began to vibrate faintly.
The entire old prison shook.
We both looked toward the prison entrance, the epicenter.
At that moment.
We instantly realized who had come to this remote exile outpost.
White armor gleaming in the noon sun, and white steeds.
The Empire's finest elites who had crushed the kingdoms of Bakal and Epina at the Northern border.
At their forefront stood a woman in a form-fitting combat uniform.
"Derek Minster."
Her golden hair whipped beautifully in the north wind.
She plunged her massive spear into the ground and pointed at me with her other hand.
"Prime suspect in the murder of two Holy See knights and the warden."
Her voice alone carried such potent mana that the air heated up.
The Northern chill vanished as if a fiery inferno had opened.
"Come before me at once."
She crooked her finger like training a dog.
Anyone else would have instinctively backed away.
But I, familiar with her from my past life, held my ground calmly.
"Even against the Princess, you're composed. I believe in you."
Clea clenched her fist and cheered expressionlessly.
Grand Elder Dark, watching from a distant window, felt the same.
"He wanted an introduction, but now she's summoned him directly. What an unpredictable fellow."
The white crow perched on a tree drank in the spectacle gleefully.
Proud that the prospective prophet's status was already rising.
"To harbor vile ambitions in the North under my rule. Today, you'll pay the price."
I blinked my weasel-like green eyes vacantly.
What ambitions? Whose?