Giselle recalled the miraculous appearance of the child.

Even after healing Giselle’s wounds, Eve also treated several more soldiers who were next to her.

The three-year-old accomplished about half the work of the formally ordained priests who had completed their ascetic training.

‘How is that possible?’

Giselle thought, leaning her drained body against the backrest.

It was just like Louise’s childhood.

An amazing spiritual power that even her priest great-grandfather praised.

Moreover, her skill in handling it already had the delicacy of teenagers.

If she entered the monastery, she would surely be called a genius.

‘…… And the more she used her spiritual power, the weaker the energy of black magic seemed to become.’

Giselle closely observed the child’s power as she treated patients.

Every time the child used her spiritual power, the energy of black magic flowing through her body visibly weakened.

In other words, Eve was using the power of spiritual energy and black magic as if they were a single force.

With a large energy container, if the valve of spiritual power was turned, that power would manifest as spiritual energy, and conversely, if the valve of black magic was turned, that power would manifest as black magic.

So when spiritual power was exhausted, the power that was converted to black magic was also exhausted together.

It was a very rare, no, a unique special case.

‘Come to think of it, in Dietrich’s research…….’

Just as Giselle was lost in thought, pressing her temple, the office door opened.

Turning her eyes to see who would be so rude, as expected, it was her great former fiancé.

“Giselle.”

At Sched’s call, Giselle openly frowned as if she didn’t want to deal with him.

The former fiancé strode in with large steps and slammed a pile of documents he brought on the desk with a thud.

“The records about Louise are here. The evidence proving that Louise is a pure victim is here.”

“…… Did you come here to say that again?”

Her head already ached because of that matter, and now another person appeared to interfere.

“I already finished discussing that with Louise.”

“So even after seeing this, you’re going to seal Louise?”

“…… Sched, if Louise is alive, people’s anxiety will grow. Someone else might try to use black magic again.”

“Even if we reveal the contents of this research, will people still demand sealing Louise?”

Cool eyes looked down at Giselle sitting there.

Giselle moved her lips in silence again, offering a prayer.

“I’m sorry, but it’s been decided to keep the research contents confidential.”

“Why. Because it’s a shameful secret of the temple? Because it’s embarrassing that you let Archbishop Dietrich run amok while this terrible thing happened?”

At Sched’s sharp words, Giselle held her forehead.

She couldn’t deny it.

The Pope and the Church do not want this shame to be fully exposed to the world.

“Sigh……. If someone tries to use this research for black magic after seeing it…….”

“We’re not saying to publish the detailed results of the research!”

Sched raised his voice at the superficial excuse.

They weren’t saying to disclose every detail of the research process to the world.

At least, they wanted to inform people of what sacrifices were made and what Louise went through.

That way, people would better understand how terrible black magic is.

“We want to minimize social confusion.”

“You just want to maintain your solid authority. So you need a scapegoat. Because it’s simple and safe.”

Sched sarcastically mocked the hypocrisy of the temple.

At that, Giselle angrily slammed down the research documents he brought and stood up from her seat.

“Aren’t you the one throwing this tantrum here with your personal feelings? Enough with the stubbornness!”

The archbishop completely shed her social mask and snapped back fiercely.

Sched stood still without moving an inch at the sharp voice pouring out as if tearing the air.

His unwavering stance made Giselle even more furious.

“What are you going to do if you save Louise? She’ll live forever, you’ll die! Even after you die, she will keep living. Forever! Don’t you know that’s abnormal?”

Even then, Giselle didn’t seem to feel relieved, so she threw the pile of papers next to her at him.

The white papers hit his body, scattering like feathers in all directions as if they exploded.

Sched swept his sharp gaze over the scattered sheets on the floor and raised his eyes again.

“Louise didn’t want that power either. She’s been constantly struggling to escape that curse.”

“That’s why Louise also made this choice to end the curse. So now respect her choice!”

“She made a choice? She was just driven into a corner with no alternatives.”

The corners of Sched’s mouth twisted as if in disgust.

If there was only one path presented and she was driven into it, was that a choice?

Louise never had a choice.

“Well said. There are no other alternatives.”

Giselle couldn’t understand what he wanted.

It’s not like it’s easy for her to treat Louise as a sinner and give her a hellish punishment.

Nevertheless, isn’t this an inevitable situation?

As Giselle huffed, Sched lifted the shadows of his long lashes and raised his eyes.

“…… What if there is another end?”

Sched picked up one of the thick stacks of documents he brought.

It was a part of Dietrich’s vast experimental journals.

He opened a page of the journal and held it out to Giselle.

Giselle’s expression hardened as she read that page.

“…… Don’t tell me you want to purify her?”

As the corners of Giselle’s mouth trembled, Sched nodded with unwavering eyes.

The page he unfolded contained a part of the lost Desiderata Book that Dietrich had transcribed.

Many expected that the latter part of the Desiderata Book would contain the location and method of storing the sealed body of the demon Mephistopheles.

However, the expectation was thoroughly off the mark.

The end of the Desiderata Book was the purification of the heretic Mephistopheles.

“Saint Desiderata also knew. Leaving the sealed body would bring misfortune someday.”

Sched slowly turned the pages of the scripture and said,

“So she researched a way to completely eradicate the roots of black magic.”

Until now, black magic and heresy were only targets of execution.

Because it was convenient.

The priests never once thought of “purifying” heretics.

Because heretics were sinners, they only focused on punishment and judgment.

But if heretics could be purified, many things would change.

There would be no need to fear demons anymore.

Giselle, who understood his meaning, closed her eyes tightly and bit her lips.

“I understand how you feel, but it’s premature. It’s not that simple.”

Giselle shook her head.

As he said, it might be possible to purify the black magic of heretics.

But who can do that?

“There are only one or two lines written about it in that journal.”

Dietrich did not record the method of purification.

Because the purpose of his research was not the purification of heresy.

All that was written was his anger, regret, and points for improvement regarding the fact that Mephistopheles was purified and disappeared.

How can they accomplish something without even knowing the method?

It wasn’t something that could be done by simply pouring out the priests’ spiritual power.

Rather, spiritual power only harms the bodies of heretics.

“We can find a way.”

“When, in what era will you find it?”

Giselle asked back.

It wasn’t as simple as rolling dice.

It requires long research. No one knew how long that research period would take.

A month? A year? Ten years? Perhaps it’s a task that spans several generations.

Then the book held in Sched’s hand was shut with a thud, as if closing its mouth.

“What if, I find a way?”

“What?”

“If I bring the answer, can you promise not to seal Louise?”

“What nonsense are you talking about……”

Giselle thought Sched’s words were absurd.

With only the few lines of traces left in the journal, it was absolutely impossible to find the answer.

Maybe if he found the lost Desiderata Book that Dietrich claimed to have seen……

“I just need to find the Desiderata Book, right?”

“You’re really going to look for it……”

The Desiderata Book?

“Yes.”

If it were any other time, she would have ridiculed her former fiancé’s words that didn’t even sound like him.

But she couldn’t do that.

Because he was too serious and earnest.

“Other archbishops are coming here.”

She offered sincere advice to that foolish hope.

There was only about five days of leeway at best.

“Even I can’t stop that.”

Giselle added, as if telling him not to make any more unreasonable demands.

Then, the veins on the back of Sched’s hand holding Dietrich’s journal bulged even more prominently.

“…… It doesn’t matter. Just promise me that. If I find a way, you’ll give her a chance.”

A persistently polite and stubborn tone.

“Only if you find it.”

Giselle promised with a smile at his futile hope.

Louise looked at the setting sun outside the window.

The bright red sunset soon sank into a bluish twilight.

The wind, which had become chillier in a few days, dropped the fallen leaves with a thud.

Time flowed relentlessly, as if someone had rapidly turned the clock’s gears.

She thought the sunset had just ended, but soon the moon was high in the sky and deep darkness descended again.

Three days had passed since she made the promise with Giselle.

During that time, she moved from the temple to the Lester Estate, and she was granted the last time to spend with Eve.

“…… The guardian mark has been permitted.”

Giselle said the preparations for Eve were complete.

Trying to get that approval, Giselle’s face had become rough in just a few days.

She heard that Giselle had truly used the power of the Marlhein family and her own position to the fullest.

Even though it was a deal, she was very grateful to Giselle for putting in so much effort for Eve.

The archbishops would also arrive soon, she said.

When Eclas arrives, Giselle will engrave the guardian mark on Eve.

And then, she will have to bid farewell to Eve.

The preparations for the sealing were steadily progressing.

So, Louise also diligently filled the remaining time for the end.

She gazed at Eve, who was lying next to her, breathing softly.

The sound of her breathing was more pleasant to hear than any music, so she listened intently.

She gently covered Eve’s chest with the blanket that had slipped down while she was tossing and turning.

‘…… You’ll understand someday that it was an unavoidable choice for you.’

Louise softly caressed Eve’s cheek with strands of hair stuck to it.