The unveiled body of the high priest was much more stimulating than when it was wrapped in clothes. Seeing his welldefined muscles fully exposed, Latil couldn’t help but swallow a lump in her throat.

Those long and smooth fingers, the taut forearms free of any fat. If the high priest hadn’t been wearing a grave expression, contemplating his pilgrimage, she might have been thrown off balance.

But thanks to his serious demeanor, completely devoid of any flirtatious atmosphere, Latil looked at the high priest with a face akin to a Tibetan fox.

“I’m not ready to fall.”

Latil slowly walked over and covered the high priest’s body with the quilt he had pushed aside.

“Such an opportunity to lay hands on a sacred body does not come often, Your Majesty. Please reconsider.”

With the book she brought along, Latil lightly tapped his forehead, careful not to hurt him.

“Your Majesty!”

“Put on your clothes.”

“No one has ever treated me like this before…”

“I’m not the only one, am I? That won’t work. Get dressed.”

The high priest wanted to object further, but when Latil began to pick up the papers she had dropped, he reluctantly wrapped his body tightly in the quilt.

Having picked up all the notes, Latil turned around and seeing him, she burst out laughing. The blanket was stark white and the high priest’s face seemed to pop up out of it, lying on top.

“If you didn’t come to take advantage of my sacred body, why are you here?”

“Is your title too long?”

“You dashed my hopes when I had mustered the courage.”

“You’re not really a harem, are you? You don’t have to go that far.”

When Latil spoke firmly, the high priest mumbled with a shocked face.

“You sound just like the high priest.”

‘Why do I have to say this! You should be saying it!’

Latil wanted to pull the high priest’s lips out of absurdity, but as the other party was still the high priest, she didn’t dare.

Instead, she opened the book and read the question she had prepared in advance.

“I came to ask something. First, do you happen to have a subordinate who can be secretly controlled?”

“Secretly…?”

“Well. A subordinate who can silently obey orders, even if they are not particularly pleasant. A subordinate who, if caught, would rather commit suicide than be interrogated.”

The high priest was taken aback by Latil’s cold explanation. Although he had lived buried in the world, he apparently had the characteristic dignity of a high priest.

“Even if they are subordinates, if they serve the same God, they are all brothers and sisters. How can I give such orders?”

“So, you don’t?”

“There is an organization called Baekhwarangsool, composed of holy knights.”

Baekhwarangsool? Latil thought it was a name she had heard in passing and asked,

“So, you do?”

But she didn’t immediately recall what kind of organization it was. Tarium was not a religiously dominated country, and Latil herself was not particularly devout.

Of course, even if the religion was not dominant, most of the people had a religion, and although Latil was not very devout, she had an instinctual reverence for the gods.

“They follow my will, but I doubt they are the type you’re looking for, Your Majesty. They respect me because I’m the high priest, and they are more like a group that helps in various ways.”

“I don’t want respect. I want absolute loyalty.”

“Then, no. The only object they worship unconditionally is the God.”

Latil sighed and leaned her arms on her knees. She had obtained information that Tlara might still be alive, so she wanted to be careful and investigate.

Then it would be difficult to get the high priest’s help. Should she command one from the existing forces after all….

“Did you come to ask that?”

“Ah, one more thing. Have you ever heard of a phenomenon where… a strange ability appears and disappears?”

“Magic?”

“No.”

After contemplating, the high priest replied that he had not heard of such a thing.

“I see.”

You’re not helpful at all. Latil swallowed these words.

‘Well. It’s not that you’re completely unhelpful. Just by you being here, they can’t approach anything related to black magic.’

Having left the Palace Secretary’s room, Latil continued to ponder how her abilities had been manifested and in what situations they were used. She stopped near the harem exit.

“There’s no need to overthink this. If you can’t understand it in theory, then why not try it out and find out for yourself?”

Latil was not the type to get discouraged or feel dejected when things didn’t go smoothly.

Even when she was betrayed by Hyacinth, she immediately transformed her emotions into anger and ambition. Latil was known for harnessing even the slightest negative emotion and using it as motivation to push forward.

“Let’s meet as many people as possible. People who would think a lot after seeing me. Maybe then, a hint will appear.”

Once again, Latil determined her direction and quickly turned around to reenter the harem.

The first person she sought was Guesta.

“He’s not here?”

“Yes. He went to the library to read.”