IYAMD 100
“If the High Priest disappeared with the holy relic, what’s the likelihood that the Archduke had the relic?”
“There was nothing found on the Archduke’s corpse. Also, there was nothing significant found with his knights.”
“Did you search the manor in the capital?”
“We requested the Capital Guards to control access, but that’s all. The knights are still not back… so there’s no one available to verify it right away.”
Serez’s voice gradually faded. Marsilia stared at his assistant intently. Just as he was about to shrink back, his head bowing lower and lower, Jaha asked.
“Can’t you have someone else search for it? Does it have to be the knights?”
Marsilia gently stroked Jaha’s cheek and replied, “I can’t fully trust the nobles who came to assist.”
Jaha furrowed his brow in confusion. “But… aren’t they on your side?”
“They are on my side, yes. But most nobles prioritize their own families first. They’re all about securing their own interests.”
Jaha paused and asked after some thought, “Are you saying they might find benefits for themselves within the Emperor’s command without breaking the law?”
Marsilia gave Jaha an approving look and smiled. “Exactly. The Archduke was involved in a lot of business. The Doton Territory is known for its fertile land and rich mines. The Archduke’s wealth could rival the royal treasury. And he would’ve likely hidden other assets without anyone knowing. The temptation to pocket some of it must be irresistible, even if they have to deceive the Emperor.”
Jaha still appeared confused and tilted his head.
“Then why not send someone you can trust with them? If even they can’t be trusted, you could go there yourself and keep an eye on things. Surely no one would dare take something in front of the Emperor.”
Marsilia let out a brief, humorless laugh. “Didn’t you tell me to rest earlier?”
“Who said that you have to search for it yourself.”
“Just go and keep an eye on it.”
Jaha raised his eyebrows in a questioning look. Marsilia let out a soft sigh, and Serez’s voice came with a hissing sound.
When Marsilia shot him a narrow-eyed glance, Serez pretended as if nothing happened, quickly returning to his calm demeanor. He gave a nonchalant shrug and then spoke in favor of Jaha’s suggestion.
“Good advice, Lord Jaha. His Majesty can do it, can’t he? Isn’t that right?”
As Marsilia’s expression turned cold, Serez quietly sidestepped and positioned himself behind Jaha, whispering to him like a devil tempting a naive lamb.
“We can select some officials and send them. His Majesty could lead them to search the Archduke’s estate. Of course, Jaha, you’ll accompany him, right? The world is in turmoil, so we can’t let His Majesty go alone. It would be disastrous if some blind sword struck him, wouldn’t it? Especially since his divine power doesn’t work on himself.”
The naive young lamb listened to the devil’s whisper and looked up at Marsilia with bright golden eyes.
“Well, Mar, I’ll go with you. It’s urgent, right?” Marsilia wanted to nod, fully aware he was falling into Serez Hastings’ cunning trap. He sighed deeply, running his palm over his chest.
“Looking at you makes my heart ache.”
“Why…?”
“I don’t know. I feel suffocated and my heart is pounding.” Marsilia lowered his head toward Jaha’s shoulder and continued, “I think I need to rest today.”
No sooner had Marsilia finished speaking than Serez spoke up.
“It’s a feigned illness, Jaha. Don’t be deceived.”
Serez Hastings. Marsilia gritted his teeth and moved his lips silently. Serez, avoiding Marsilia’s gaze, slid behind Jaha.
Although Jaha was slightly taller, his thin frame meant Serez couldn’t hide behind him at all. Marsilia pulled Serez away from Jaha, still intent on dealing with him.
“Lord Hastings, shall we talk alone?”
“I don’t have anything to discuss with His Majesty.”
“I have plenty to say.”
Marsilia, about to grab Serez by the nape of his neck, stopped when she heard a small laugh.
“Ahahaha.”
Jaha, leaning back, let out a laugh, squinting his eyes and muttering.
“You guys are really weird.”
“Tch.”
Releasing his grip on Serez’s nape, Marsilia approached the still-laughing Jaha.
“The strange one isn’t me, but that guy.”
Marsilia half-heartedly explained as he placed his palm on Jaha’s cheek. He could barely hold back his desire to kiss him, his sigh betraying his frustration.
How do I get rid of that damn aide? His throat felt dry. Jaha’s naked body was all he could think about.”
Marsilia swallowed nervously, and Jaha gave him a disdainful look.
“Go away, will you?”
For all his grumbling, the weight on his hand had grown. Feeling the increased pressure, Marsilia smiled quietly and asked, “Are you resting today?”
If he allowed it, Marsilia wanted to take Jaha straight to bed. He wanted to kiss him more deeply than last night and have a more intimate conversation.
“Wouldn’t it be better to finish what’s bothering you and then rest?”
Marsilia sighed, realizing his attempt at seduction had failed.
“You don’t understand a man’s heart, Jaha.”
Jaha muttered and swatted away Marsilia’s hand.
“What are you talking about? I’m a man too.”
Marsilia grabbed Jaha’s shoulder and stared at him directly.
“Then do you know what I’m thinking right now?”
Jaha looked at Marsilia without a hint of embarrassment, tilting his head slightly.
“You just don’t want to go, right?”
“Don’t say it,” Marsilia let go of Jaha’s shoulder and declared, “You don’t understand a man’s heart one bit.”
Serez chuckled, caught Marsilia’s gaze, and pursed his lips. Marsilia sighed nonchalantly and asked him,
“So, how far fid you search in the temple?”
“I’ve checked the capital area and the surroundings thoroughly.”
“What about the palace?”
If the Archduke was involved, we should give up hope that the High Priest is still alive. If he had killed him while occupying the palace, he wouldn’t have moved the body too far. At most, he could have buried it near the palace, or in a garden if he’s unlucky.
“Send someone to the Sacred Tree. It’s a place where people don’t usually go.”
The roots of the Sacred Tree, a holy ground, were off-limits to the public. Only priests or the royal family could access it. Even then they were only allowed to enter during ceremonies.
Since priests were assigned quarterly to manage the temple, there was generally no need for the palace to worry about it.
The Sacred Tree, unused most of the time, was a fitting place to look for missing persons.
However, it would be unthinkable for the people of the Arhen Empire to defile the Sacred Tree, so the priests likely wouldn’t suspect it. Marsilia, too, wouldn’t have suspected it if he hadn’t seen the Archduke’s end.
But when he recalled the words he mumbled at the end, his thoughts naturally turned to the Sacred Tree’s roots.
“You will be more miserable than I am, puppet of the goddess.”
Serez murmured as if he couldn’t believe it.
“Could it be… even if the Archduke went mad, he couldn’t have… done something to the Sacred Tree?”
“He wasn’t just mad,” Marsilia muttered, gnashing his teeth.
“He clearly said that if I learned the truth, I would be more miserable than him.” That meant he had already known something, which made him act the way he did.
“The arrow that the goddess points to… will lead you to the truth.”
The arrow the Archduke spoke of likely referred to ab oracle. Since ancient times, oracles were believed to be directed by the goddess, and it wouldn’t be strange to refer to these divine signs as arrows pointing to a path.
Marsilia rubbed his chin and asked Serez,
“Did he ever receive an oracle?”
“No, as far as I know, he never has. As you know, Your Majesty, it’s been quite a while since an oracle was received. If one had been received, someone from the other temples would have sensed it.”
“The High Priest was absent from the main temple, and even the priests with strong divine power were sent to the battlefield, so they may not have sensed it. If an oracle was received elsewhere, the priests there might not have noticed it either. We should send someone to other temples and ask if they sensed anything unusual. Also, check with the main temple again.”
“Why do you want to know that?”
“Maybe he used a sacred artifact to receive an oracle.”
Serez looked at him, surprised.
“If that was possible, the High Priest would have been able to receive an oracle long ago.”
“He wouldn’t have needed the High Priest; he could have done it himself.”
Exion had been famous for handling divine power well since his time as a prince. He was seen as a prodigy. It was rumored that when the Soul Mark appeared on Marsilia’s father, the then Emperor was disappointed. If Exion hadn’t been a prince, he would have become the High Priest. So, he would have done it himself without the High Priest’s help.
However, Marsilia couldn’t guess why he wanted to make contact with the goddess. What oracle was he hoping for?
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