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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
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The Emperor’s suspicions were spot on.
As soon as afternoon arrived, priests from the Holy Kingdom began inquiring about the Saintess Party, including Maximilian.
The Warmonger might be a cultist.
Having obtained this information, the Holy Kingdom mobilized on a large scale to investigate the truth.
Although his time active on the battlefield was short, the Warmonger was an official member of the Saintess Party.
The speculation that such a figure might be a follower of a false god enraged the priests who revered Beatrice.
“We’ve received information that the Saintess Party occasionally visited the Hohenberc estate. Was the Warmonger accompanying the Saintess during those visits?”
“No, I’ve never witnessed the Warmonger.”
“Did the Hero ever mention the Warmonger?”
“My brother is a man of few words.”
I know nothing.
This is the first time I’ve heard of it.
He shrugged and gave the same answer to the priests’ repeated questions.
I feel like a politician.
It felt strange to feign ignorance with a straight face.
The priests, unable to extract any information from him, sighed heavily and withdrew.
It seemed they readily abandoned their pursuit, as it had been a simple inquiry, like questioning a witness.
“Edanant, how is your journey of self-discovery going?”
“Not enjoyable at all.”
The girl with flowing silver hair entered the drawing-room, giggling.
He shrugged and replied.
“The priests will continue to bother you, but please try to cooperate with them as much as possible. It shows that the Holy Kingdom trusts you. Wouldn’t their suspicions towards you lessen with each instance of trust they place in you?”
“…Alright, alright.”
Would they ever imagine it?
The shocking truth is that the holy sword user was actually an apostle of a Disaster God.
There’s a saying, “To hide a tree, choose a forest.”
He nodded at Zebeline’s suggestion to gain the Holy Kingdom’s trust by cooperating with the priests.
“Pfft! Ahahaha!”
“I’m not finding this amusing at all. I just want this unnecessary commotion to end quickly.”
Her cheerful laughter filled the drawing-room.
He sighed at the sight of the saintess, her pearly white teeth on full display as she laughed.
“I’m so glad your memories have returned.”
“…They haven’t fully returned. Only fragments resurface.”
It wasn’t triggered by any specific action.
He had suspected for a while that Zebeline might be the apprentice priestess he had met back then.
They were definitely the same person.
He still couldn’t shake off the feeling of bewilderment, but he decided to believe it.
It was because of Zebeline’s selfless efforts to protect him.
Would she have helped him so much if they were complete strangers?
She had deceived the Earth Mother and the Holy Kingdom to help him.
That’s why he finally let go of his distrust and fully accepted Zebeline.
“By the way, you’ve changed a lot. Especially…”
He reached out.
And gently stroked her silver hair.
“What do you think? Isn’t my silver hair beautiful? I’ve been diligently taking care of it, hoping to receive compliments when we meet again…”
“Your brown hair was beautiful too.”
How had her luscious brown hair transformed into dazzling silver?
Her eyes were the same.
Her brown eyes had changed into piercing blue.
Could it be the influence of being chosen by the Holy Kingdom’s White Dragon?
Zebeline’s face had been covered in scars in the past.
But now, she possessed a flawless, porcelain-like beauty.
He had never realized it before.
That the manifestation of a blessing could completely alter the user’s appearance.
Perhaps it was only natural that he hadn’t been able to accept Zebeline’s identity until now.
Her appearance had changed drastically, almost to the point of being unrecognizable.
“Why? Are you speechless because I’m so beautiful?”
Zebeline tilted her head and chuckled.
She must have waited for a long time.
She must have eagerly anticipated the moment her identity would be revealed.
He had been too slow to realize it.
It was just a delusion.
Could the apprentice priestess and the saintess truly be the same person?
He felt frustrated with himself for distrusting his intuition and rejecting Zebeline’s kindness.
“I told you, you were beautiful even back then.”
“Ooh!”
“But you haven’t grown at all. Did the Holy Kingdom not feed you?”
“I-I did grow! About two inches…!”
Two inches.
So she had only grown 5 centimeters in three years.
Unfortunately, it seemed the White Dragon’s blessing only focused on her beauty.
“…You really haven’t grown at all.”
“W-What are you looking at?!”
He glanced sideways at her chest, which was slightly more than flat.
Zebeline blushed and quickly covered her chest with her hands.
She shouted in protest, seemingly flustered by his blatant sexual harassment.
“How dare you sexually harass the First Saintess of the Holy Kingdom…! You deserve to be sentenced to death by burning!”
“I was just stating a simple fact. As expected of the Holy Kingdom, known for its closed-mindedness and strictness.”
“Grrr! You’re so infuriating!”
“I’m just kidding.”
The passage of time was truly wondrous.
Who would have imagined that the apprentice priestess he had met back then would become the First Saintess of the Holy Kingdom?
Even the gods couldn’t have foreseen it.
Human lives were more dramatic than anything else.
Like an endless series of unpredictable curves.
“You recognized me. How did you figure it out? Your persistence is frightening…”
“There are ways to find out. Don’t underestimate a woman’s intuition.”
He prided himself on thoroughly concealing his identity.
As proof, all the nations on the continent, including the Holy Kingdom, were still unaware of the Warmonger’s true identity.
However,
How did she find out?
He stared at Zebeline, seeking an answer.
But the silver-haired saintess maintained a coy expression and refused to answer his question.
“Well, it doesn’t matter now that we’ve reunited.”
“It took quite a while because of a certain slowpoke. Honestly, you’re the same as always…!”
He felt embarrassed by Zebeline’s frustrated mumbling and turned away.
He had no words to refute her.
He had shown the pathetic sight of agonizing over her identity right in front of her.
He bowed deeply, apologizing to Zebeline.
The saintess smiled mischievously and quickly regained her usual boastful demeanor.
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The ceiling was on the verge of collapse.
Vines grew haphazardly across the walls.
A man with flowing black hair appeared in the cabin located in the Hohenberc family’s hunting grounds.
Click.
He placed his hand on a rusty chest.
As he opened the chest, a worn-out suit of armor was revealed.
It was practically scrap metal, too old to be considered usable.
However, it seemed the user had meticulously polished it before storing it in the chest, as a faint sheen emanated from the armor.
“Edanant has already left for the capital.”
“…Father.”
“Before leaving, Edanant told me that his cold-hearted brother would come here.”
“……”
As he was lost in deep contemplation,
The door creaked open, and a middle-aged man entered.
“You’ve gone completely bald.”
The light reflecting off his shiny head was even brighter than the sheen of the meticulously polished armor.
He spoke in a somber voice as he looked at his father, who had weathered the storms of time.
He must have suffered a lot.
It was only natural.
He was the one who had sown the seeds of disaster in the once peaceful Hohenberc family.
“…I’m sorry, Father.”
“You should apologize to Edanant. He’s the one who took care of everything.”
“……”
“I know. You left because you trusted Edanant. But it was a hasty decision. You should have at least explained the situation.”
Maximilian, the Hero of the Ages, was an impeccable superhuman acknowledged by all the kings on the continent.
However, his personality didn’t match his abilities.
He was blunt and hasty.
His self-righteous nature had always caused friction.
If Beatrice hadn’t acted as the mediator, the Saintess Party would have disbanded before reaching their goal due to Maximilian’s self-righteousness.
“Rue is healthy. She’s a very cheerful child, just like Saintess Beatrice.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Lingering attachments were weaknesses.
Hesitation on the battlefield always led to death.
That’s why he never allowed himself to dwell on the past.
He had left the Hohenberc family without a word to sever those attachments.
He had forced himself to cut ties with his family.
But even this cold-hearted man couldn’t completely let go of one lingering attachment: Rue.
The Luinong, his travel companion and the Saintess Party’s mascot.
Maximilian recalled Rue’s gentle yet resilient nature, like a dandelion that withstands strong winds, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
“I’m worried about the Saintess, who has embarked on a journey to a distant land. Do your best to assist her. You are not just the eldest son of the family… but also the Hero who serves the Saintess.”
“Yes… I will protect her with my life.”
There were no reproaches,
No accusations.
Only the warm paternal love of a father who genuinely cared for his son.
His stoic expression crumbled as his father’s rough hand patted his shoulder.
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