Chapter 77

Tap, tap, tap—!

A leg trembled with restless anxiety.

Lips and fingernails had been bitten raw until they bled.

“Father, please don’t worry too much.”

Edelina softly comforted Marquis Peyers, who was pacing the room frantically, showing clear signs of instability.

“How can I not worry? Even the Saintess and Hereis, whom I trusted, are telling you to go die!”

“…….”

The Marquis of Peyers, Aiden, continued speaking with eyes full of fury.

“Edelina, don’t you know what the Oath is? Setting a person on fire and then declaring their corpse innocent or guilty—don’t you know how insane that is?”

“Oh, Father. You were the one who used to tell me not to be too distrustful of the Church.”

As Edelina laughed, trying to smooth things over, the Marquis protested in a voice thick with a sense of injustice.

“That was! That was only because I didn’t want you to be misunderstood somewhere for no reason!”

“I know. How could I not know your heart, Father?”

“If you know, then why are you doing this…?”

“You’re worried that Hereis’s method might not work, aren’t you? Even if it doesn’t, it’s alright. Right now, I truly feel like I could survive the Oath. Ever since that day the magic beasts attacked the fief and the Saintess proved herself, I’ve come to sincerely believe in Ralphican.”

That was a fact Aiden already knew—that Edelina’s faith wasn’t what it used to be. However, Aiden read the anxiety she was trying so hard to hide behind her confident voice. He could clearly see something that the Saintess and Hereis could never know.

‘As I thought, I have to be the one to do it.’

“Father! Where are you going?!”

Edelina tried to catch Aiden as he suddenly turned and headed out of the room, but he only shifted his head slightly, told her to just trust him, and disappeared.

“Honestly, where does he even have to go…?”

It was while she was staring blankly down the empty hallway.

“Are you busy?”

“…!! Ah.”

Barely swallowing a scream, she turned around to find the Saintess standing there. The Saintess spoke with a somewhat awkward expression.

“Sorry, I seem to have startled you.”

“A-Ah, no! I wasn’t startled. Haha.”

Even the boisterous laughter couldn’t erase the uncomfortable air between the two. The Saintess spoke up on behalf of Edelina, who didn’t know what to do in the silenced corridor.

“What were you doing?”

“Ah, well, I was just getting some fresh air…”

“…Here?”

Only then did Edelina take a proper look at the hallway. It was a desolate space without a single window. Perhaps out of consideration for her, she had been given a room in a place with as little foot traffic as possible. It certainly wasn’t a suitable spot for getting “fresh air.” Edelina began to stammer out an excuse.

“Ah! Th-The window in this room is broken! So I had no choice but to…”

“Is that so? I should call someone to fix it then.”

Edelina immediately waved her hands desperately.

“No! That’s quite alright! It’s not that I doubt your subordinates, Saintess, but it would be nerve-wracking if someone were to come in.”

“My, I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

“No, not at all. But what brings you all the way here, Saintess…?”

“I have something to say. May I come in?”

“Of course!”

Edelina shouted energetically while throwing the door wide open. The two of them sat facing each other across a small tea table.

“Well, is the room comfortable enough for your stay?”

“It’s more than I deserve for someone in the position of a fugitive. I’m staying comfortably thanks to your consideration….”

Though the tone was kind, Edelina kept gulping down water due to an inexplicable sense of pressure.

“Are you nervous?”

…!

The sudden straight ball almost made her spray the water she was drinking.

‘No, why would she say something like that right when I’m taking a sip…?’

She doubted the Saintess’s intentions, but after narrowly avoiding the catastrophe of spitting water in her face, Edelina replied calmly.

“Yes…. Historically, it is known that there are almost zero precedents of anyone surviving the Oath. I suppose that means the probability of proving one’s faith is extremely low.”

“I think so as well.”

‘What? What am I supposed to do then? Is she mocking me?’ Such thoughts flashed through Edelina’s mind.

When Edelina made a face full of a sense of betrayal, the Saintess let out a small laugh.

“I didn’t say that to tease you. I want Professor Edelina to live.”

Her heart felt a bit touched, but Edelina prioritized thinking rationally.

“Is it… because you value my abilities? Or is it because of Hereis after all…?”

She meant it sincerely, but the Saintess gave a bitter smile.

“I can’t say that isn’t part of it, but I thought we had become quite close, so I’m a bit hurt.”

“I’m sorr—No, it’s an ho-honor!”

“That was a joke.”

“Ah….”

“What do you think of Sir Hereis’s method?”

Hereis’s method…

Edelina reflected on what had happened earlier.

“Edelina, why don’t you try the Oath of Integrity?”

“The Oath of Integrity?”

As Edelina tilted her head at the unfamiliar name, Hereis added an explanation.

“The Oath of Integrity is a rite that verifies whether the subject’s essence is morally sublime. It’s often used when executing heretics where evidence is vague but suspicion is strong.”

“I-Is that so? You know quite a lot. But how exactly is that Oath performed?”

“It’s simple. You just have to eat Demon Poison Grass and not die.”

Hereis explained that Demon Poison Grass was an edible plant that grew by consuming demonic energy, thus becoming poisonous. The Oath of Integrity was an incredibly simple and brutish method: if you survived eating it, you passed. It was based on the logic that only a person of such integrity that demonic energy could not permeate them would survive.

For any knight, no matter how well-trained, detoxifying a substance from an organism contaminated with severe demonic energy was difficult. An ordinary person would die instantly.

“Hereis. It’s called a ‘poisonous grass’ because people eat it and die…”

Edelina felt as if the world were turning dark before her eyes.

“Actually, I think I can find a way to detoxify Demon Poison Grass.”

“What! What do you mean by that!”

“Hereis, explain in more detail.”

“I heard something from Uncle Carlo in the past. Just know that for now. I’ll look into the rest and tell you later.”

…That was what had happened.

The Saintess was likely asking whether she could truly trust Hereis and go through with the Oath.

Edelina spoke her honest opinion.

“To be honest, I’m not certain yet. There has been no revealed method for detoxifying Demon Poison Grass.”

“No, there is one.”

“Ah! Come to think of it, there’s your Holy Water, Saintess. I’ve drunk it myself, so I know its effects for certain. If it’s Holy Water, it could detoxify Demon Poison Grass. In that case, even if we find a way to detoxify it…”

The act of drinking anything itself would likely be forbidden before and after the Oath.
Edelina’s heart sank heavily.

“Indeed. Surveillance will be strict. If it weren’t for the Holy Water, Sir Hereis’s method might have worked…. I’m sorry. It seems Professor Edelina is suffering because of me.”

“A-Ah, no! It’s thanks to the Holy Water that our fief remained safe, and I was planning on standing trial from the start anyway! I was actually scared of eating Demon Poison Grass, so this worked out well!”

“I’m glad you think so. Then, I shall be the one to relay this news to Sir Hereis.”

“Ah, yes! Please do as you see fit!”

Edelina rose to see the Saintess out, but the Saintess held up a hand to signal she was fine.

“Get back safely! Oh, wait! Saintess, just a moment!”

Stopping her steps toward the exit, the Saintess turned back toward Edelina.

“Um, would it be alright if I asked for one favor?”

The Saintess asked what it was.

Edelina clasped her hands awkwardly and spoke.

“I was wondering if I could possibly get some experimental equipment.”

“…Experimental equipment?”

“Ah, I want to try conducting some mana stone experiments. If I achieve some kind of result, people might look at my research differently.”

…That was just an excuse; in truth, something had just flashed through her mind a moment ago, and she wanted to test it before the inspiration vanished.

“…”

“Would it be difficult?”

After a moment of thought, the Saintess shook her head.

“No. There are plenty of empty rooms in the basement of the residence. Just wait. You’ll be able to experiment without catching people’s eyes.”

Bowing to thank the Saintess, Edelina let out a small cheer after she left.

‘Now, Edel only has me.’

At the same time, Aiden Peyers was pacing the hallway.

‘To think Hereis would suggest such a crazy thing.’

He felt pathetic for having even a shred of expectation.

No, the problem was having tried to rely on Hereis in the first place.

‘Daddy is sorry, Edel.’

Edelina had been a curious child since she was young. Perhaps it was because he had raised her too indulgently, feeling sorry for her mother who had passed away early. She grew up to be a child with very distinct personal convictions.

The Kataten Science Academy was a prestigious and historic educational institution, but at the same time, it was evaluated as a den of anti-social figures. Given the child’s inclination toward such things, he might have actually imagined a day like this would come….

He had simply been pretending not to notice until now.

Slap!

‘Don’t worry, Edel. I’ll handle this somehow!’

Aiden struck his own cheek hard. He gritted his teeth, telling himself to snap out of it; this was exactly the time he needed to move quickly to resolve the matter. Whether it was Hereis or the Saintess, they were all outsiders in the end. The only one who could truly care for Edel was her only family—himself.

Aiden moved toward his destination. Since the Great Cathedral wasn’t an unfamiliar place to him, he didn’t have to wander to find his way.

‘It’s barely changed since I was here.’

In his youth, Aiden had briefly entered the priesthood. After his older brother, the former Marquis, passed away, he had to return to secular life to succeed the title.

The House of Peyers was once one of the major strongholds protecting the Empire’s borders from the Dark Forest, but due to the achievements of the Rubel Duchy, its value had diminished significantly, and the house had entered a decline.

Even if the title of Marquis was something gained by riding the coattails of past glory, it was still a position that could not be ignored. He wouldn’t be turned away at the door if he just showed up.

Aiden thought of the man who had taught him when he first petitioned the Church. A man who was a prior at the time but had now become a Cardinal. Samuel Mulle.

His arrogance pierced the heavens and he was frivolous to boot, making him truly the worst man as a teacher, but….

Aiden judged him to be the type who would grant a favor if reminded of their past connection. Above all, the man had a great love for money, so he wouldn’t refuse a bribe.

‘The Cardinal’s residence should be….’

Carrying the token he had received as a companion of the Saintess and a member of the Paladin’s party, he was able to leave the Great Cathedral grounds without much trouble.
As he lingered in front of the white, dome-shaped Cardinal’s residence, the guards gave him strange looks.

How should he explain this to the guards?

It was just as Aiden was agonizing over how to open his mouth.

“Hmm. Are you the one looking for me?”