“They say that people from the desert suffer from infectious diseases when they come to the kingdom.”

Some people unconsciously nodded.

“It could be the other way around. People from the desert make the kingdom sick.”

The atmosphere in the assembly became tense.

Dupont, who returned as a sweaty and exhausted scholar, cleared his throat.

“I’ll conclude today’s presentation here.”

Dupont’s shocking hypothesis spread from person to person who attended the public hearing.

“So, the problem was with the Empire itself?”

“Didn’t the witch say it was the cause?”

“I don’t know about other things, but it’s for sure that the Empire doesn’t help our kingdom! Shouldn’t we protest against the Empire for this?”

“At least, it’s fortunate that they are leaving now. Everything will return to normal.”

That was the typical response of ordinary people.

But those who knew the secret were different.

His head throbbed, so the king touched his forehead. He wasn’t prone to headaches, but lately, days without a headache had become rare.

He stared at the ominous phrase he had just written.

The warning that immediately came to mind when he heard Dupont’s presentation.

It felt like he had been hit on the back of his head.

He had thought that as long as the imperial bloodline didn’t mix with the royal family, everything would be fine. But was his very existence the problem?

“The weakening of the priest’s power…”

He shook his head anxiously.

“But now that guy has left the kingdom, so it doesn’t matter, right? By now, he should have reached the border.”

In the severely drought-affected western region, the priests had already set out.

Princess Laratu was also there, so if she safely completed the ritual, the problem on that side would be resolved too.

There was no need to worry much since the news of the imminent arrival of the priests had already reached them. But why was his heart so uneasy?

Unable to sit still, he anxiously paced around the room, waiting for Princess Laratu to return.

She soon returned.

Usually, he would have greeted the princess and arranged a reception, but for some reason, his expression was not good.

“The princess has returned.”

“Sooner than expected. But why does your face look like that?”

“Well, it seems like the ritual did not go as planned.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The princess said she would explain it herself. Since she’s coming this way…”

Before the sentence could finish, the courtier knocked on the door.

“Let her in!”

The door opened, and Princess Laratu entered with a pale face.

Traveling from the west to the capital without a break usually took exactly a day. Considering the urgent situation, everyone had traveled by verbal communication. Still, for the princess, who had never experienced hardship, the journey must have been quite challenging.

The king hugged her tightly, feeling proud and sorry for her.

Instead of the refreshing scent of flowers, dust rose into the air.
The king, who had hoped for the princess to grow up like an unblemished flower, felt a slight pain in his heart.

“Did you have a safe journey?”

“Yes, Father. I apologize for not being able to prepare properly and coming in this state due to urgent matters.”

“That doesn’t matter at all. What could be so important that you returned so quickly?”

“We couldn’t perform the ritual.”

She was a daughter who looked best with a bright expression. However, her face changed as if she was going to cry.

Only then did the king, who realized that the princess’s pale complexion was not just due to the arduous journey, asked with concern.

“I heard it from the chief. What happened?”

“The priests who participated in the ritual couldn’t…”

“…”

“They couldn’t use their abilities.”

The king blinked.

“What does that mean?”

The princess said nothing. However, the chief, who understood her words, widened his eyes as if they were about to pop out.

“Your Highness, what the princess is saying…”

The king shook his head nervously.

“You must be mistaken.”

“Even if we tried hard, rain wouldn’t fall. I’m sure.”

Anxiety appeared on the king’s face.

“Princess, you…”

“I also couldn’t make it rain.”

The king, whose strength drained from his body, slipped to the floor.

“Your Highness!”

“Father!”

Supported by the chief and Princess Laratu, the king managed to sit in his chair.

He did not bother to check his body and opened his eyes.

“Summon the officials. Right now!”

All the officials gathered an hour later in response to the king’s urgent call.

When Chief Minister explained the situation instead of the king, there was an incredulous reaction.

“Are you saying that the priests lost their power?”

Someone stammered.

“The priest’s ability is Marta’s blessing. How could that disappear?”

One devout follower of Marta trembled and bowed his head.

“The disappearance of the divine blessing is a sign of calamity, isn’t it?”

In a sharp murmur, a chief official with a sharp impression frowned.