A white group was waiting in front of the ice wall of Growen, bordering the Kerast Empire.

The knights wearing silver armor and riding white horses were the Holy Knights of the goddess Agrolia.

Before the fifty or so Holy Knights, Dailun Divoers, the Grand Bishop overseeing the Grand Temple in the capital of Kerast, and seven bishops assisting him were facing the ice wall.

Ubbus Lucan, a priest who closely assisted Grand Bishop Dailun, was catching snow falling from the sky onto his palm.

This matter was not under Ubbus’s jurisdiction, but he had joined the journey upon the Church’s summons.

Snow fell incessantly from the thick clouds covering the sky.

No matter where one looked, the icy wind cutting through the pure white ice walls stung the skin like a cold blade.

The one who had guided the temple party to the front of the ice wall was a resident from Rumonia, the village closest to the Growen Barrier. He spoke with evident relief, saying today’s weather was exceptionally clear.

‘Then how bad is it usually?’

Ubbus adjusted the collar of his leather coat pulled up to his nose.

Even with thick gloves covering his hands, there was no way to block the chilling cold. After a long wait, Grand Bishop Dailun finally voiced his frustration.

“They must know we’ve arrived. Why hasn’t the gate opened? Is the Duke of Growen daring to ignore the will of the goddess?”

The Grand Bishop, who had never waited for anyone before, had reached the limit of his patience. Ubbus tried to calm him.

“It seems there may have been a slight misunderstanding. The ice wall will open soon. Who would dare ignore the will of the goddess?”

“No, even now, look…”

Just as the Grand Bishop began to vent his anger at Ubbus, the snow-covered ground trembled.

They tensed, thinking it might be an earthquake, but it was the movement of the ice wall. After such a long wait, the entrance into Growen was finally splitting open.

Creak. Creak. As the ice wall opened with a grinding noise against the ground, knights clad in armor appeared through the widening gap.

At the sight of armed knights drawing their swords, the Holy Knights straightened their bodies in tension. Among the Growen knights, one man especially caught their attention.

Black hair. Bright golden eyes glinted eerily beneath the shadows cast by the ice wall.

Standing tall even among tall knights, the man appeared perfectly crafted, as if shaped by the goddess herself.

‘Is this the one who inherited the blood of the dragon?’

He knew of Growen’s existence, but this was the first time he had actually witnessed it.

In truth, this was someone he would never have met if Charlotte Deilang had not disappeared.

News of Charlotte Deilang—after murdering Saintess Aria and all the other saintess candidates—had come from Growen.

Growen had notified the Church, demanding they take the intruder, and upon receiving the urgent message, the Church ordered Grand Bishop Dailun, Charlotte’s guardian, to take full responsibility and transport her to the temple.

Dailun had been the most delighted when Charlotte was appointed as the next saintess. Back then, he could not have known.

He could not have known that his most cherished daughter of the divine would become a Class-One criminal, staining his own reputation forever.

Grand Bishop Dailun now faced the risk of demotion for failing to control a saintess candidate under his supervision.

If this criminal transfer failed to proceed properly, he might not just be demoted—he could face even harsher punishment.

Because of this, Dailun was extremely on edge. Ubbus, accompanying him under the Church’s orders, carefully appeased him.

The Church suspected even Dailun, and had secretly instructed Ubbus to report immediately if Dailun displayed any abnormal behavior.

Whether or not he knew of the Church’s suspicion, Dailun was frantically searching among the Growen knights for Charlotte.

“Charlotte Deilang… There she is.”

Dailun, who had been anxiously shifting his feet, fearing he might not receive the criminal, sighed in relief upon seeing Charlotte being dragged forward by the Growen knights.

According to Growen, Charlotte had been captured while entering an underground passage connecting Kerast and Growen.

She had been acting abnormally since her capture.

When Dailun heard the report that her immense sacred power had exploded like a time bomb, causing widespread damage across Growen, he clutched his forehead and nearly collapsed backward.

Under pressure from the Church, he broke into a cold sweat wondering if he might also be held liable for compensation to Growen.

Fortunately, the Duke of Growen had declared that as long as they took custody of the criminal, no further disciplinary action would be taken.

Relieved beyond measure, Dailun immediately agreed, and thus the meeting between the temple and Growen was arranged.

The Grand Bishop and Ubbus, who was secretly monitoring him, stepped forward into the area where Holy Knights and Growen’s knights stood facing each other.

Ubbus supported Dailun, who staggered due to the deep snow. Thus, the meeting with the Duke commenced.

Up close, the Duke’s oppressive presence was overwhelming. Ubbus unconsciously swallowed hard.

‘Now that I’m standing face to face with him, he feels even larger.’

Truthfully, Ubbus was far more interested in Growen than in the criminal being transferred.

He was curious about the ruler of a land that, though nominally part of the Kerast Empire, had been isolated for ages. Before being a priest, Ubbus was one of the Seventh Prince’s men.

The Emperor was an old man on the verge of death, and because of this, the palace was constantly embroiled in bloody struggles for the succession.

The Seventh Prince, born of a concubine, had been distant from power, but he was using this chaos to build his strength.

Ubbus was one of the Seventh Prince’s hidden confidants.

But now, he had to fulfill his duty as a priest. While his mind briefly wandered, Dailun was obsessively focused on confirming Charlotte’s identity.

Charlotte, bound by the knights, looked exactly as she had before her escape.

Only now, she stared blankly into space, showing no fear whatsoever.

Around Charlotte’s neck hung Allosha’s sacred jewel, remaining perfectly in place.

The Grand Bishop exhaled in relief, having confirmed both the criminal and the sacred relic were safe.

Only belatedly acknowledging the Duke, Dailun flinched as he looked upon the lord of the land. Though himself no small man, the Duke radiated a presence beyond mere physical size—something indescribable.

The Grand Bishop straightened his shoulders, trying his best not to appear intimidated.

“I am Grand Bishop Dailun Divoers, dispatched by Agrolia’s Grace… No. By the Agrolia Church.”

The bishop, who had nearly reflexively begun to speak of the goddess’s blessing, quickly corrected himself.

He well knew that this land lay beyond the reach of the goddess’s power. Standing before its ruler made him even more tense.

Facing the Grand Bishop, who was visibly struggling to maintain composure, the Duke gave no greeting. Instead, he pointed with his chin toward the bound criminal.

“You are aware, I assume, that this criminal illegally entered Growen and unleashed sacred power?”

“Of course.”

At the Duke’s words, the Grand Bishop glanced at Charlotte. She showed no reaction whatsoever, even at the sight of the Holy Knights come to take her.

Her beauty, once praised in the temple, remained unchanged, but she looked like someone whose mind had shattered.

“She has been like this ever since releasing the sacred power excessively.”

At the Duke’s words—how she had been dragged all the way to the ice wall in this dazed state—Dailun sighed.

But it wasn’t entirely unexpected.

Even if she had been a saintess candidate, it was impossible to remain sane after reclaiming the sacred power of the former saintess and all other candidates and releasing it all at once.

He did not know why Charlotte had come to Growen. Perhaps she had judged this place the most suitable to escape the goddess’s gaze.

Unless Charlotte regained her senses, the true cause of this incident might never be uncovered.

“Thank you for informing me. After the transfer of the criminal, jurisdiction falls entirely to our Church. The Duke need not concern yourself further.”

Dailun decided to accept this. Uncovering the cause was the Church’s responsibility.

He might have to endure extra hardship as someone involved, but at least he would not be branded a co-conspirator.

In fact, he even thought this might be for the best. If Charlotte remained silent, she couldn’t possibly implicate him further.

For now, Dailun decided to be satisfied with receiving the criminal and the sacred relic. He ordered the Holy Knights to take Charlotte into custody.

Once the criminal was placed into the carriage and secured, peace finally returned to his heart—a relief that the mission had not failed.

Having completed his task, Dailun attempted to exchange a few words with the Duke, but failed.

Frightened by the Duke’s indifferent, emotionless face—as if telling him to leave immediately—Dailun gave a sharp command to the Holy Knights.