“Get out!”

Growing increasingly frustrated with his continued failed attempts to leave, Ren finally yelled in anger.

The dormitory where he lived was a mansion where some of the particularly highranking students from the Kartak Theological Seminary had stayed for generations.

Because of this, the mansion was not only antique but also adorned in a templelike style—meaning, it was not ostentatiously brilliant, but if examined closely, very elegantly—luxurious.

This also meant that, depending on the replacement of successive popes, there had been people confined in this building, just as Ren now found himself unable to leave through the mansion’s main gate.

“Focus on your studies.”

The stern headmaster, a teacher and priest dressed in white who had been guarding the gate to prevent the boy from going out tonight, said dispassionately. Ren yelled again.

“Ah! Normally you don’t even care! What do you want now!”

“If you’re idle, perhaps engage in a hobby you enjoy. Clear your mind.”

He seemed to be hinting at something. Ren’s eyes quivered.

The theological students who took care of Ren were primarily two individuals. The kind priest Virk and this stiff priest named Adams.

The servant taking care of the household chores was from the Payel family, and Virk the priest had smiled and pretended not to see the Fejal herb that he had secretly brought.

But now that even Priest Adams had found out! This pedantic person would undoubtedly report to the authorities!

After hearing from Neris that there might be good days if he stayed alive before the semester began, Ren had been able to significantly reduce his habit of chewing Fejal herb.

But he hadn’t quit entirely, and sometimes, when he was frustrated, he would chew several in a row.

Because it was too hard and lonely. At least when chewing Fejal herb, his complicated mind seemed to clear. On such days, he kept the window open longer to avoid getting caught by Priest Adams, but he already knew.

…Wait.

So was Ren going to the student council to complain? He suddenly closed his mouth and fell into quiet thought. Priest Adams stared at Ren brusquely.

A moment later, Ren looked at Priest Adams as if he couldn’t believe the conclusion he had reached.

“…That thing…”

It might sound as though a descendant of a prestigious family that had produced several popes would have lived a faithful life, but the pinnacle of power was always dirtier than imagined.

Ren had heard about it when he was younger. The ways to kill those who were once called the Pope’s men, turning them into pitiful invalids as soon as they lost power.

The upperclass method of making them addicted to various kinds of poison without even realizing they were harming themselves.

‘Entrusted to the hands of a trusted person…’

The overseer generously pretends to overlook it, though it was originally prohibited. The one being deceived only feels as if a breathing hole has opened, reveling in it.

Continuously.

Until death.

A simple technique, but those who were once in high positions often could not see that they had fallen into a trap. Confidence in themselves was strong, and their vision narrowed as they floundered in despair.

Ren, with a pallor on his face, resumed speaking. How had it been when he first started chewing Fejal herb? There had been someone who subtly and gently encouraged him, saying that a little would be fine.

“It was Dagon…that guy…”

The name came out of a loyal servant who faithfully stood by Ren’s side after the death of the previous pope, that is, Ren’s brother, making it feel as if they were the only two left in the world. Obviously, Ren’s ‘trusted person.’

Dagon provided it, Ren used it, and Priest Virk pretended to overlook it. Speaking of it, it was ‘that method,’ accurate to the point of absurdity.

So, was Dagon conspiring with Priest Virk to deliberately get Ren addicted to Fejal herb? Was he a traitor?

Ren’s eyes trembled as if begging him to say it was not so. Priest Adams said coldly,

“Do not shift the responsibility of violating the rules onto the servant. I thought you had at least reduced it somewhat.”

Ridiculously, even with that cold reprimand, Ren did not feel bad. Even though he had always thought that he would get annoyed just by looking at this stiff person’s face.

So, this is what Priest Adams meant. ‘Don’t blindly trust those around you. In the end, you are the one who bears the responsibility.’
Dagon was a servant of the Fayel family and had taken care of Ren since he was a child. And now, he had betrayed Ren, following his uncle.

He had not simply left but actively tried to harm Ren’s health.

Thinking about it now, there was no way that a servant like Dagon could have easily obtained the Fejal herb. The background was clear.

“Omnitus.”

Had it really been necessary to go this far? Was it not enough to have brought the family to ruin?

Looking at Ren’s gloomy face, Priest Adams furrowed his eyebrows and spoke as if admonishing him.