A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 216

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter. After the War Ended
“You’re telling me we missed them again?”
“By the time we arrived, they had already fled.”
“Hmm.”
At Ludvil’s terse report, Duke Sorpel’s lips curled into a disapproving click. I’d lost count of how many times this had happened.
“Cowardly rats.”
Ravi, who sat alongside them, made no effort to conceal his displeasure. His face twisted in frustration as he shook his head repeatedly, as if utterly fed up.
We had believed the death of the Church Leader of the Eba Cult would mark the end of everything.
But it hadn’t. Remnants of the Eba Cult still lingered throughout the Empire.
There were far too many of them, living by inhabiting the bodies of others. To achieve a clean resolution, we had to hunt them down and eliminate every last one.
“It’s absurd. Eternal life, they call it.”
Even now, the Eba Cult followers continued to recruit people by promising “eternal life,” burrowing deeper and deeper into hiding.
“It’s difficult to find them if they deliberately conceal themselves.”
Jacter, Duke Sorpel’s aide, released a long sigh of frustration.
Since they appeared no different from ordinary people on the surface, we often lost track of them even after discovering their bases.
“Wouldn’t it be wise to seek assistance from Miss Camilla?”
Jacter ventured a suggestion cautiously.
“I hear the young lady can identify Eba Cult members at a glance. Surely that would be helpful….”
But he couldn’t finish his sentence. The eyes of the three men, which had appeared somewhat weary, suddenly turned glacial.
Jacter found himself swallowing hard under their piercing, menacing gaze fixed upon him.
“Ha… ha… ha… So, we should handle this ourselves, then?”
“Obviously.”
“Have you no conscience? How could you take a child to such dangerous places?”
“What does that girl even know how to do?”
“….”
…She wielded a sword incredibly well, though.
‘And her divine power was formidable too.’
I’d heard it was Miss Camilla herself who captured that charlatan Church Leader this time.
Though Jacter had much he wished to say, he could only seal his lips with an awkward smile.
He already knew from experience that these men would hear none of it when it came to Camilla.
Knock, knock.
Just then, footsteps sounded, and someone entered the room.
“Aren’t you all getting hungry?”
It was Camilla.
“I’ve brought some refreshments.”
At the sight of her carrying a tray laden with cookies and various pastries, the cold expressions of the three men melted away as if on cue.
“Why would you make such things when you’re not even well?”
“When are you going to stop bringing that up?”
Watching Ravi offer his unwarranted criticism, Camilla released a short sigh.
Three months had passed since the Church Leader of the Eba Cult died. Though Crown Prince Edsen was working to stabilize the Empire, since we had yet to completely eradicate the Eba Cult, the realm remained turbulent.
‘Tsk.’
Watching the three of them locked in what could hardly be called combat for three months now, Camilla shook her head lightly.
“Just how many followers does this cult have?”
“Endless.”
Ravi groaned at Camilla’s weary question.
I’d anticipated this, but the Eba Cult’s roots ran far deeper and more firmly through the Empire than I’d imagined.
“Well, they’ve existed for quite a long time.”
“Didn’t you say that Church Leader lived over five hundred years?”
“Yeah.”
Not only the Sorpel Family, but the Jebillen Family and House Sephira were also pouring their efforts into eradicating the remnants of the Eba Cult, yet uprooting them proved far from simple.
‘With such tenacity, they must have survived somehow even during Mars’s time.’
Hadn’t there been a war long ago? Back then, everyone had been certain the Eba Cult no longer existed.
But look at this mess. Not only did they fail to eradicate them, but the Emperor himself had his body stolen.
“Cockroaches.”
“At least insects can be distinguished. These things are hopeless.”
The greatest problem was that after the Church Leader’s death, the cult followers seemed to have lost all reason and were acting even more recklessly.
‘The sacred artifacts obtained from the Imperial Palace.’
Or rather, I should call them cursed artifacts.
I managed to find all of those that Emperor Faybler, who had been the Church Leader of the Eba Cult, had secretly hidden away. Who found them?
‘Who else?’
Obviously me.
The spirits that had lingered near Emperor Faybler—when John Carter disappeared and I found Iji through them, I was able to gather considerable information from them.
Among them were those who knew exactly where the cursed artifacts were hidden.
‘In any case, I managed to find most of the artifacts.’
The problem came after.
Upon hearing that the Imperial Palace was keeping the cursed artifacts that had belonged to the Church Leader, surprisingly, an endless stream of people began scaling the palace walls—followers of the Eba Cult.
[Without it, they’ll all die soon.]
According to Aislah, the Winter Spirit King, if the Church Leader doesn’t use the artifact to sustain them, the time they can maintain the stolen bodies grows progressively shorter.
‘Their bodies decay like those of the dead, even though their true names haven’t been called and their souls haven’t been pulled from their flesh.’
That’s why they’re desperately trying to seize the artifact again.
[But this time, that artifact isn’t showing up either.]
A dragon as white as snow fluttered down and perched gently on Camilla’s shoulder. Aislah shook her head and continued speaking.
[There’s another artifact that only the Church Leader could possess. You saw it then, right? How the broken body regenerated anew. That was all the artifact’s power.]
Unlike the artifacts that distributed power to ordinary believers, that one gave power only to the Church Leader.
[Even Mars couldn’t find that one. Now I realize the Church Leader who died back then must have been a fake, so that’s why it wasn’t found. But why is it missing again this time?]
‘That’s what I’m wondering too.’
It left an unsettling feeling.
‘Does it really exist?’
No one had actually seen that artifact. Nothing was known about its form or how to use it.
Only the Church Leader knew, and I couldn’t ask John Carter directly since he was already dead and dragged away by the Reapers.
‘What am I supposed to do about this unsettling feeling?’
[Still, John Carter is truly gone, so don’t worry too much.]
After learning that the Eba Cult was wreaking havoc across the world again, Aislah had not returned to the Spirit Realm and remained by my side.
‘Besides, it’s winter now.’
[Ah, Aislah. Why did you come so early? Ah, there’s still some time before winter arrives….]
[My heart.]
[Uh… your heart….]
Of course, the fact that Yongyong, the red Autumn Spirit King, had shrieked and fled at Aislah’s appearance was hardly worth mentioning.
‘What matters now is swiftly and cleanly disposing of the remnants.’
What should I do? My gaze shifted once more toward the three men seated before me.
Seeing the heavy dark circles beneath their eyes, I couldn’t help but click my tongue.
The Eba Cult was formidable indeed. The way they had exhausted these men proved it.
“Would you like me to help?”
I thought that if I, who could easily distinguish the Eba Cult members, worked alongside them, the progress might accelerate somewhat.
“We would truly appreciate….”
Jacter, who had been brightening at my words, had to close his mouth once again. A far more murderous gaze than before had descended upon him.
“You should leave now.”
“Yes, sir!”
At Duke Sorpel’s command, his aide Jacter quickly headed for the door.
Thud!
Only after confirming that he had left and the door was completely shut did Duke Sorpel release a short sigh and lower his voice further.
“Camilla.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Is… is she still with you right now?”
Though his words were disjointed, there was no one in that room who failed to understand what Duke Sorpel was asking.
Back then, after losing consciousness in the Imperial Palace and awakening, I had revealed to Duke Sorpel and the rest of my family that I could see the dead and converse with them.
It was unavoidable in order to explain the abilities of the Mirror of Truth.
‘I left out the part about possession.’
If I had also informed them that possession caused abnormalities in my body, it seemed an overwhelming surveillance accompanied by worry would follow, so I quietly held my tongue.
And that proved to be a very wise choice. The expressions on all three faces at the mere fact that I could see ghosts were quite a sight.
“There is one person with me.”
[What? Me? Why am I a dead person? I’m not that—I’m a spirit! And a Spirit King at that! I hate being treated as equivalent to those things.]
‘Whether spirit or ghost, they’re all invisible to their eyes anyway, so what does it matter.’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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