“The vice does not seem to have heard Dupont’s recent presentation. The abilities of the Empire and the priests are opposite. The prophecy you mentioned is connected to Dupont’s claim.”

So accused, the chief pointed his words at the king.

“Not everyone believed that, but considering the current situation, couldn’t it be that the Imperial Prince played a trick?”

Bam!

The king slammed his armrest with his hand.

“Is it reasonable that all the priests lose their power just because of the existence of one Imperial Prince! That’s all our kingdom’s priests can do!”

Everyone fell silent at the king’s irritable rebuke.

No one could grasp why things had turned out this way.

“O Lord.”

The devout chief clasped his hands together and murmured.

Although no one spoke, their faces showed that they all wanted to pray together.

“In fact.”
Her small voice resonated particularly clearly in the silence.

The officials turned their heads one by one to look at Princess Laratu, who was dressed more modestly than usual.

Although she had been sitting next to the king from the beginning, she was so quiet and pale that hardly anyone paid attention to her. Some didn’t even realize the presence of the princess until now.

Why is the princess in such a position?

Within the questioning gazes, Princess Laratu revealed the concerns that had always lingered in her mind.

“…I concluded that it wasn’t, but it bothered me all along.”

Princess Laratu revealed the concerns she had always had about Igraine.

As soon as she finished speaking, the devout chief immediately spoke up.

“No, wait. Does that mean, Princess, that Igraine, that, that witch can take away the abilities of the priests?”

It was a summary question of what Princess Laratu had just said.

“It doesn’t seem like they have completely lost their power.”

“What do you mean? You said you couldn’t use your power until just now?”

“I don’t know. It doesn’t seem like the power has disappeared, but unlike usual, I can’t perform any miracles. It’s like my arms exist in this place, but I can’t move them.”

“What on earth are you talking about! Anyway, it’s a state that is no different from losing power, and it’s because of that Igraine, that witch, isn’t it!”

The princess remained silent.

In response to the affirmative and almost the same reaction, the chief opened his mouth.

“But how could that woman do it?”

Someone raised a reasonable suspicion.

The viscount, with his head tilted up, swept the surroundings with a sharp gaze.

“It’s not an ordinary woman. How could a woman who has shown no sign of anything until now suddenly take away the abilities of the priests?”

No one could give a straightforward answer. They didn’t know anything.

“The offspring of the sun and fire will break the sturdy magic.”

The king murmured.

“A phrase found in the temple a long time ago.”

The officials could not say anything and maintained their silence.

Someone muttered to themselves.

“Because the Imperial Prince came to the kingdom, there was a gap in the abilities of the priests, and the witch took advantage of it, didn’t she?”

At the moment, it was the most plausible story. But there was no way to confirm it right away.

The king looked at Princess Laratu with a face that had aged quickly.

“Why are you only talking about this now?”

“It was such a shocking guess that I judged it would be better to consult the senior priest. The wise Uranus, who was with us, said it couldn’t be true, and I naturally followed that opinion.”

“Summon Senior Priest Uranus immediately.”

“I went to look just in case, but he said he left on a pilgrimage a few days ago.”

“Ugh!”

It was nothing but frustrating news for all.

The king, habitually rubbing his throbbing head, commanded.
“Make contact with the 5th Prince. He probably hasn’t completely left the kingdom yet. Only with those two, can we confirm anything!”

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the officials nodded deeply.

“We will deploy troops from our family.”

“Our family will also provide support.”

“I also…”

An hour later, soldiers hastily left the royal palace.

A maid greeted Princess Laratu, who entered the room with a tired face.

“Miss Karsatuna is waiting for you.”

The princess’s gaze turned towards the lady sitting on the guest sofa.

Karsatuna was as beautiful as usual but seemed more melancholic than usual.

“I’m relieved you returned safely.”

“Yeah. Did you come right after hearing the news?”

The princess, who had changed into simple clothes, forced a weak smile.

Karsatuna nodded with a sad expression.

“I heard from my father. About the princess’s ability…”

“… ”

Seeing Princess Laratu keep her mouth shut, Karsatuna also didn’t continue speaking.

After an uncomfortable silence, the princess forced a smile.

“This feeling is new. Since I can remember, I’ve been able to manipulate water freely, but now, no matter how much I chant incantations, not a drop of water flows.”

The princess clenched her fist.

“I can’t move anything here.”

“… ”

“What did I do wrong?”

She opened her fist and looked down at her hand. It was a fragile hand that couldn’t twist a chicken’s neck.

Having never considered herself weak until now, with the inability to use her powers, she felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

“Is it really because of Igraine?”

In a sinking murmur, Karsatuna patted her on the shoulder.