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[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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Chapter 40: The Name of the Morning Star (1)
A few more days passed after the witness interrogation.
There had been no major incidents.
As usual, the regime was peaceful, and the Papal Curia seemed the same.
The saint conducted official events, and the saintess, as usual, visited the slums to tend to the sick.
Everything seemed normal.
That’s why it was more important than ever to remain vigilant.
Boom!
“Ugh...!”
In the training hall of Dawn Palace, the crown prince knelt.
I pretended to speak harshly.
“Get up. If you kneel like that, you won’t accomplish anything. Do you think the enemy will attack while considering His Majesty’s stamina?”
“Ugh, wheeze...!”
It was a lesson.
As always, it was a sparring session, but the intensity was much greater than usual.
I didn’t allow him a moment’s rest.
If he tried to catch his breath, I’d press forward and strike at vital points.
His labored breathing was pitiful, but I couldn’t go easy on him.
‘The situation is progressing faster than I thought.’
This wasn’t the future I knew.
I didn’t regret killing the commoner girl, but the aftermath from that event would lead to the rampage of the faster knights, even more so than in my past life.
Even now, the saint himself had suspicious circumstances surrounding him.
If a situation arises where I must stop him, the only option would be to use force.
After all, when it comes to battle, the essence of it is that it’s a game full of variables.
The crown prince must be strong enough to protect himself.
‘Ultimately...’
...I need to aim to become a Sword Master faster than last time.
Becoming a Sword Master would take about 2 to 3 years, based on his meditation in prison.
I would shorten that time drastically.
While I was thinking about this, the crown prince asked.
“Does this stupid sparring have any meaning?”
“It does. A knight grows by testing his limits.”
This wasn’t just a simple push-and-push sparring match.
It was a training session designed to let the crown prince feel how a Sword Master wields his sword and hides certain tricks.
With that as a foundation, if the crown prince traces back to the Sword Master’s level, this training would be complete.
For an ordinary person, it would be impossible, but the crown prince was exceptional in his swordsmanship.
I gripped the switch tightly and said.
“Now that you’ve heard the explanation, get up. We’ll continue.”
“…Lately, I’ve been thinking that you might enjoy beating me up.”
“It’s a misunderstanding.”
He was just exceptionally quick-witted.
“Let’s go!”
“Ugh!”
The lesson continued.
As expected.
“Ahhh!!!”
The crown prince, who had been passively taking hits, now started to try to counterattack. His rapid progress was reassuring.
Just after that moment...
“Sir...!”
“Emma? Didn’t I tell you to rest? Why have you returned?”
Emma, who was following as an attendant, came to speak to me.
I had clearly sent her out to roam or enjoy the city, so why was she back at the palace?
Seeing Emma’s anxious expression, I tilted my head.
After looking around, she discreetly handed me a letter.
She whispered.
“A priest from the Hope Church gave me this to deliver secretly...!”
Hope Church.
Those words made the crown prince and I lock eyes.
A brief silence passed.
We immediately sent Emma away and went to my room to check the letter.
The contents were nothing unusual.
“A secret meeting request.”
It was a request to meet after midnight on the outskirts of the regime, in a remote location, for a conversation.
The lack of specific details was a good move.
Furthermore, delivering it indirectly was also a smart decision.
But let’s think about it differently.
“Do you think they’ve noticed something?”
“Yes, they must have felt it’s a meeting that should not be discovered, especially by the saint.”
No, there’s something more.
I know Historia.
She’s not the type to be suspicious, so the fact that she requested a secretive meeting with a wary attitude means that, even from her perspective, she must have noticed something strange about the saint.
I tucked the letter into my chest.
“We’ll know more when we go there. For now, let’s disperse. Act as if nothing unusual happened and enjoy the rest of the day.”
“You want me to avoid creating suspicion. Understood.”
“Do you think you can sneak out without being caught?”
When I asked, the crown prince smirked and answered confidently.
“When I was infatuated with Rebecca, I used to sneak out of the palace almost every day. I’m quite familiar with the palace’s secret paths. When it comes to secret meetings, there’s nothing I’m not good at.”
“Quite the boast.”
This brat.
At least he seemed confident there wouldn’t be any problems.
“Well, I’ll see you later tonight.”
I left the palace just as instructed.
* * *
Until evening, my day had proceeded normally.
I fed Emma a meat bun, which earned her approval—though not as good as a cheeseburger, she rated it as worthy of a royal dynasty.
At dinner with my sister, I discussed today’s training session.
Afterward, I spent some time in the library and made an outing to create an alibi.
“Young Lord... shouldn’t I run the errand for the alcohol?”
“Are you better at judging alcohol than me?”
“No, I’m not...”
Since people needed to witness me buying alcohol, I went to buy it myself.
The sad part was that when I held the bottle, everyone around me recoiled in fear and distance.
Anyway, I returned to my room, poured some alcohol into a glass, and spoke to Emma.
“Tonight, I’m going to have a drink and sleep. Don’t come into my room.”
“Huh? But...”
“Can you handle me if I get drunk?”
“...”
Emma quietly vanished.
I sighed, swirling the alcohol in my glass, passing time.
At midnight, I quietly sneaked out of the mansion.
‘The location is to the north of the regime.’
It was a sparsely populated area, with slums densely packed.
The only notable building was the Magic Tower, which, due to Beatrice’s incident, was unusually quiet now.
It was a fitting place for a secret meeting.
I met the crown prince in front of the meeting place.
He wisely waited in the surroundings, hiding his aura, rather than rushing inside.
“Any tails?”
“None. What about you, Your Highness?”
“None. Even Lord Drenor has never caught me at my secret meetings.”
I wish he’d tone down the pride.
I nodded and walked ahead.
The meeting place was easy to find.
“Welcome.”
One of the knights from the Hope Church, who had accompanied the witness interrogation, was waiting for us, dressed in rags.
He opened the door.
Inside, there was an ordinary home in the slums—and there she was.
“...You have company.”
Historia spoke as she looked at the crown prince.
I nodded.
“His Highness knows everything I know.”
“Yes, I knew you’d be working together. Your Highness, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise, Saint of Hope.”
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, I observed Historia’s expression.
In just a few days, she had become much more haggard.
Even now, her eyes were filled with deep concern.
No, it wasn’t just concern.
“I’d like to ask something.”
“Please go ahead.”
“How much do you know about all this?”
Her question came abruptly, but she had created this situation by meeting with us.
We exchanged glances for a moment and nodded.
It was time to reveal the truth.
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[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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* * *
Historia laughed bitterly after hearing the story.
“The devil... that child...”
It was shocking.
The fact that she, a servant of God, had failed to notice it herself, was the most surprising part.
But thinking about it differently, there was no clearer answer than this.
“…You're right. For something to pierce a divine blessing and shake Ver’s soul, it would have to be a full-on demonic descent.”
The power of demons rewrites concepts.
Love, memories, personality—everything can be reshaped to their liking to shake a soul to its core.
So it must be the same for Verheim.
He probably doesn’t even realize something is wrong with him.
Everything began to make sense.
The dullness in Verheim’s eyes that had appeared at some point, his strange behavior—
All of it.
And in a strange way, it was a relief.
“So, the demon wasn’t summoned by Ver himself.”
“Yes. On that point… could I ask for your silence?”
“Of course.”
Even if the mastermind, Rebecca, had vanished, it was better for the world to remain ignorant of demons.
Those creatures feed on fear and despair.
If the truth were made public, it would only give them more to consume.
That would benefit only the group that summoned Rebecca in the first place.
Historia shut her eyes tightly.
It took quite a while to steel herself.
She had heard everything she needed to.
Now—
‘I need to ask for help.’
It was time to tell her side of the story.
“Ver’s been researching forbidden tomes.”
“……”
“You’re not surprised.”
“If the demon was driving him toward something terrible… the most likely target would be the Sealing Vault under the Saint’s care. I suspected as much.”
He’d seen that far?
Historia suddenly felt a pang of resentment.
“You could’ve told me sooner.”
“Would the Saintess have believed me?”
“You have a point. I might’ve thought you were trying to slander Ver.”
“What’s done is done. More importantly, could you tell me what led you to that conclusion?”
Historia recounted the things she had observed and considered over the past several days.
“At first, it was just a suspicion. And once I had that suspicion, I started noticing that something really was off about Ver. I investigated discreetly—just enough to trace his movements without alerting him.”
And then something became clear.
Verheim frequently passed near the northeastern part of the temple—far from his office, and close to the Sealing Vault.
His movements were so meticulous, you’d only notice if you documented his path in detail.
That alone was suspicious, but one more thing confirmed it.
“Ver’s been buying alchemical reagents. Ones that…”
“Are likely from other races, I imagine. Possibly witches or halflings?”
Historia nodded.
This, too, only came to light thanks to a supply inspection tied to the temple.
All evidence pointed to him researching forbidden magic.
And now, finally, she could see the cause behind it.
Historia’s expression hardened.
She looked at Yuren and Callios with urgency in her eyes and spoke.
“Will you help me? I want to save Ver.”
The answer came immediately.
“Of course. In fact, we’ve been hoping to ask for your help as well.”
It was Callios who replied.
“We need concrete evidence. Our goal is to catch him in the act of researching forbidden magic. Only then will we have the leverage to control him.”
“You’re expecting a fight?”
“It’s possible. But the operation will remain classified. Even after it’s over, absolute secrecy must be maintained. The blessing and power of the Saint are needed for what’s to come. We need a leash, not punishment.”
Historia gave a bitter smile.
She was grateful for the support, even if it served someone else's interest.
But she didn’t want to leave everything in someone else’s hands.
“…In that case, could you give me a chance to speak to him before any fighting begins?”
She added a condition.
“It’s the demon’s temptation. If it’s the Ver I know… once he hears the truth, I think he’ll be able to think rationally. I want to believe in that possibility.”
“It could be dangerous. Wouldn’t it be better to take the surer route?”
“I’m not saying I’ll talk to him alone. If we catch him in the act and it’s confirmed, I just want a few moments to talk before we fight.”
He was like a little brother to her.
Born with a tremendous blessing, and because of it, always alone.
No one had dared to comfort him, so he had to be strong by himself.
It pained her.
Historia saw it as her own failure—not having looked after him more closely.
“Please.”
She bowed her head slightly, and Callios looked troubled.
Yuren had stayed silent the entire time.
And then—
“Is that really necessary?”
He asked, questioning the need, and Historia already knew the answer.
“It’s not necessary for the mission. But…”
“But?”
“…It’s necessary for me.”
The smile she gave was awkward.
It wasn’t something meant to convince others.
“Why is that?”
The answer that followed was about her conviction.
“Because I’m the Saintess. I’m someone who believes in hope.”
“……”
“People always say hope never grants revelations or blessings. That hope is a cold god. But does that mean we should doubt hope’s existence? When the divinity of hope clearly resides within me?”
Yuren’s gaze was unreadable.
Historia met it head-on and said,
“I think… hope doesn’t answer because it doesn’t need to.”
“Doesn’t need to?”
“We already know the answer even without being told.”
She smiled brightly.
“Hope is the will to move forward. The faith to become better, to grow kinder. Everyone has that within them. So the answer is already by our side.”
“But people forget that sometimes. That’s why I think Hope sent me to this world.”
“Because even if no one else believes we can become better, Hope wanted one person to believe. That person is me. So I want to believe, at least once—that Ver can find his way back.”
It was a lofty ideal.
She knew that.
Sure, it might be easier to subdue him immediately.
That would make it safer to dismantle the demonic influence, to unravel the concepts the demon had warped.
But this was purely her stubbornness.
If they refused, she’d accept it.
That’s what Historia thought—until—
“Fine. Let’s do that.”
“Yuren…?”
“It doesn’t really matter, does it? You’re not asking to go alone, or to stop the ambush. If everything is confirmed, then a few words before the fight won’t change anything.”
Historia stared at him in disbelief.
Yuren continued.
“Besides, he’s not so strong that the two of us couldn’t handle him. If we can’t take him down together, that’s just embarrassing.”
His casual tone echoed in her ears.
And Callios gave a reluctant sigh and nodded in agreement.
Historia felt something strange stir in her heart.
She hadn’t expected Yuren to agree.
She thought he was all logic—
That he would’ve opposed this request more fiercely than the Crown Prince himself, just to stay efficient.
Yet here he was, going along with her.
Had she not figured him out yet?
Just as she thought that, Callios sighed again and nodded.
“…Very well. Let’s go with that. Besides, without the Saintess’s help, we can’t proceed. When should we act?”
Caught off guard, Historia quickly answered.
“Ah…! In two days. I looked into Ver’s schedule and movements. He’s likely to go into the vault late at night in two days. After that, there’ll be temple events for a while…”
The timing was solid.
If she hadn’t confirmed it, she wouldn’t have arranged this meeting.
At her words, Yuren replied,
“Then let’s do it that way.”
And the plan began to take shape.
* * *
Historia returned after the secret meeting.
The plan was set for two nights later, late at night.
It was when the security near the Sealing Vault would be most relaxed, and the most likely time for the research to take place.
She would first confirm things herself.
If Ver truly began his research, she would immediately call in Yuren and Callios.
They would then raid the scene.
Afterward, she’d attempt to persuade him—and if that failed, they would subdue him.
That was the plan.
As she reviewed it all, she thought of Yuren again.
She had thanked him before they parted ways, and his reply left an impression.
—I don’t agree with you, Saint. I think whether it’s people or beasts, you have to beat them for them to listen.
—Then why…
—Even so, I figured… maybe it’s nice if there’s at least one person who believes, like you said. That’s all.
A small smile formed on Historia’s lips.
As she had thought before—he really wasn’t like the rumors.
The night breeze was refreshing.
It was the kind of air that made you feel the atmosphere.
She was walking lightly when—
“You’re late.”
Startled—
Historia stopped in her tracks.
A chill ran down her spine.
She turned her head, and what she saw made her face freeze.
“Where have you been?”
“…Ver.”
From behind one of the temple’s columns, stepping out of the shadows, came Verheim—
Wearing an expression dark with gloom.
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[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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