The Crown I Will Take From You - Chapter 165
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Part 2, Chapter 12
“Th-this terrible disaster….”
Paollo, who had pulled down the bandages, was at a loss for words. The state of the festering wound was absolutely horrific.
“Can you not feel the dark magic?!”
“These are lich claw marks. It seems the Saint was injured during the ghoul wave.”
The Knight Commander examined Rachel’s wound. Having subjugated magical beasts many times, he was very familiar with such injuries.
“To leave the Saint in such a critical condition! Do the Valdina people have any sense or not!”
Paollo’s wrinkled face contorted as he raged fiercely.
“I won’t let this nascent empire or whatever stand. I’ll go find those bastards right now and-”
“High Priest, you can unleash your anger after we save the Saint. Time is of the essence. Hurry.”
The Knight Commander stopped Paollo from storming out of the Cottage House.
In this situation, Paollo’s power, the highest grade of divine power among the Holy Kingdom’s party, was desperately needed. Paollo also knew the Knight Commander was right, so he barely suppressed his explosive rage and returned to the Saint’s side.
‘There should be improvement with the High Priest’s divine power.’
The Knight Commander furrowed his brow with a premonition that this wouldn’t end so easily.
Before long, news that the Saint had collapsed and lost consciousness spread throughout Valdina Palace.
However, the reason for her collapse being due to injury was kept secret.
“If people hear that the omnipotent representative is suffering from dark magic, their faith will weaken. Instead, do your best for the Saint’s recovery.”
“Yes, High Priest.”
But contrary to their hopes, Rachel could hardly regain consciousness. As her fever burned and she hovered between life and death, Paollo felt like he was going insane.
“Why won’t divine power work at all? Medicine and holy water are all useless too.”
Paollo’s eyes became bloodshot with fear that he might have to send the Saint they had barely found back to the Goddess. He had to prevent that at all costs.
“Could it be divine fever?”
The Knight Commander, who had been watching Rachel’s condition, spoke cautiously.
“If she can’t recover through medicine or divine power, she might be suffering divine fever after sensing evil energy nearby. Something ominous might happen here in Valdina soon.”
In the Holy Kingdom’s history, there were saints who directly experienced and suffered from approaching futures.
“Don’t speak nonsense. How could evil energy touch a being sent down by the Goddess?”
Then, before Paollo finished speaking, Rachel opened her eyes.
“Ah, it’s frightening. I can feel it, oh God,”
She muttered with a feverish face.
Frightening?
Paollo poured holy water into Rachel’s mouth. Only then did Rachel, the red flush slightly fading from her face, open her mouth with difficulty.
“I had a dream. A terrifying dream of being surrounded by six evil spirits. On black earth beneath thick thickets, they reached out to devour me- ah, I’m so afraid.”
Paollo thought it was strange.
In the Saint’s incoherent words, he felt something unsettling that couldn’t be dismissed as mere aftereffects from the ghoul wave they encountered on the plains.
“Could it be….”
“High Priest-!”
Then, as if something had occurred to him, Paollo suddenly rushed outside.
It had been bothering him since they entered.
‘This building….’
The landscaping decorating the Cottage House’s surroundings caught his eye. Paollo strode toward the most lush-looking tree among them.
A sinister energy that didn’t match the beautiful interior had been grating on his nerves the entire time.
He dug into the ground like a madman.
He didn’t care that dirt got under his wrinkled fingernails or that his cream-colored priest robes became dirty.
“High Priest, what on earth are you doing!”
The Knight Commander was flustered by this inexplicably strange behavior. He even had to worry about the palace servants’ reactions to digging up someone else’s royal palace grounds.
“I apologize. The High Priest sometimes acts impulsively, so please understand generously-”
However, the Knight Commander didn’t need to make excuses for the High Priest’s eccentric behavior.
“Look! This is why!”
The reason for the eccentric behavior was revealed in the pile of dirt Paollo had dug.
“Kyaa, what is that?!”
The maids’ screams echoed. Six dead rats wrapped in cloth had been revealed before the High Priest.
“Wh-what on earth is that….”
Rachel’s face, leaning against the Knight Commander, also turned pale as paper.
“I knew this would happen.”
Paollo shuddered.
Far from being surprised, he stood up abruptly as if his suspicions had become certainty.
A dagger was placed together on top of the dead rats’ corpses.
The right front paw of the rat beneath the brilliant golden dagger was severed.
It was a bizarre and horrific sight. What could be the reason for expressing the number representing demons with rat corpses and burying them beneath the Saint’s room?
“This is definitely a curse aimed at the Saint!”
Paollo was furious.
The Saint’s divine fever was all because of this evil ritual.
“What vile creature dares to harm the Goddess’s representative! They will fall to hell and wander the pit of fire for eternity!”
Paollo picked up the dagger from the corpses. The brilliant silver blade sparkled in the sunlight.
Though some blood drops were stained on it, it wasn’t difficult to identify the dagger’s material.
“That’s mithril.”
Someone spoke as if entranced.
Mithril was a natural resource. It was rare and difficult to obtain.
Judging by the bloodstains on the dagger, it seemed the dead rat’s front paw had been cut and buried together.
What kind of bizarre person would use such a precious weapon for such a lowly curse?
The rat’s severed front paw was coincidentally on the same side as Rachel’s injured area.
“Aah!”
Then Rachel screamed as if it were horrible.
Her delicate arm trembled as she pointed toward Medeia entering the Cottage House.
* * *
When High Priest Paollo was frantically digging, Valdina’s officials who had heard of the Saint’s illness were also entering the Cottage House.
“Your Majesty. Am I seeing this wrong? What on earth is the High Priest doing over there?”
Sisear stopped and narrowed his eyes. Beside him were the Peleus siblings as well.
“I already sent Sir Hertoss. Priests, medicine, physicians – we’ve done our duty.”
“Peleus. But you know we need to show our sincerity first, right? After all, it’s the Holy Kingdom.”
At Medeia’s suggestion, they headed to the Cottage House. The Royal Guard including Diangel followed behind them.
When they entered the Cottage House, Peleus raised his hand to stop their steps at the increasingly loud murmuring sounds.
As soon as he saw the disgusting rat corpses sprawled on the floor, he instinctively moved Medeia protectively behind him.
“Do you see, Your Majesty? These wicked things were buried here. With such evil energy filling this place, our Saint suffered divine fever. How will Valdina explain this situation?”
Paollo spoke accusingly. His trembling voice clearly conveyed his anger toward Valdina.
‘Forget my previous contract – as soon as I return to the Holy Kingdom, I’ll expel Valdina from the old religion.’
How long had they waited for the representative’s descent, and they had almost lost her so meaninglessly!
“….”
Peleus’s blue eyes swept the interior as if grasping the situation.
That’s when it happened.
“Aah…!”
Confirming that all the audience was in place, Rachel began to move.
She blinked with trembling hands as if she now understood everything and pointed at Medeia.
“Princess, you knew about my injury, didn’t you.”
All eyes turned to the Princess who had suddenly been drawn into the center of the incident.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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