In the brief silence, Edan was the first to speak.

“And can you accuse me of wrongdoing, elder brother? I came here for unavoidable reasons.”

“I told you entry to the temple was forbidden, regardless of the reason.”

“Well. I wonder if you’d still say that after hearing my reason.”

“What?”

Edan slightly tilted his head and ordered his subordinates.

“Bring them.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Edan’s subordinates wearing black cloaks appeared, grabbing the necks of two people.

They were men wearing deep purple robes.

They were thrown at Killian’s feet, unconscious, their legs dragging on the floor. Thud, thud. As they fell, their robes slipped, revealing their faces.

What, what happened to them?

The men’s mouths were covered in blood as if they had vomited a large amount, and bloodstains flowed down their chins and necks, staining their chests red.

That’s not all. Even the blood caked on their hands and feet visible through the torn robes.

Ugh. Their fingernails and toenails have all been pulled out!

Watching the scene from behind Edan, I covered my mouth at the shocking sight.

“As you know, these are imperial mages.”

“……”

“There were traces of imperial mages tampering with the collapsed northern wall.”

Impossible! Imperial mages tampered with the wall?

Killian, who had been looking down at the men expressionlessly, let out a low sneer.

“That’s not funny. Wasn’t the wall’s collapse your mistake? Are you trying to shamelessly blame it on the imperial family?”

My fists clenched involuntarily, but I was too angry to even feel the pain.

You’re the shameless one! So that’s why the timing was so perfect. I wondered why the wall suddenly collapsed when the monster subjugation was almost over, but it seems this man was behind it.

I don’t know what happened between you and Edan in the past, but this isn’t right.

You shouldn’t go this far. How diligently Edan has protected the northern wall until now.

How could someone who knows best what happens when the wall collapses tamper with it?

Until just now, Killian didn’t know I was the real Great Saint.

So he probably didn’t think Edan could receive healing from me after using strong abilities.

That leaves no conclusion but that he deliberately destroyed the wall to push Edan into hell.

If I hadn’t infused healing power into the bottle, Edan wouldn’t even be standing here now due to the side effects.

Did you really intend to plunge Edan into suffering?

Or…

Suddenly, I recalled the incident that made Killian despise Edan terribly in the original work.

What on earth happened between the two of them a few years ago?

My lips trembled with anger at Killian’s shameless attitude.

But Edan calmly continued speaking, as if used to it.

“Well, giving you the benefit of the doubt, it could have been something the mages did on their own. But the mages named you as the mastermind, elder brother.”

Killian’s brow twitched.

“You seem unaware since you’ve been busy with official duties lately, but there are quite a few types of torture to make one speak the truth. The mages aren’t trained knights, so it wasn’t difficult to extract a confession.”

“… So, are you saying I ordered the mages to tamper with the wall?”

“It’s not my opinion. That’s what these men said.”

Edan gestured lightly with his chin towards the mages.

“And whether it’s true or not, if word gets out, it will be a big blow. Even if you insist you didn’t touch the wall, the fact remains that an imperial mage tampered with it, nearly endangering the empire.”

Edan finished speaking with a faint smile.

Edan’s words sounded like an implicit condition to quietly settle both his entry into the temple and Killian’s tampering with the wall.

As if to say he would cover up the wall tampering if Killian overlooked his return.

To simply return after just entering the temple, he even has to cover up Killian’s conspiracy like this.

Killian, who had been exchanging gazes with Edan for a while, looked down at the mages on the floor.

Then he ordered his few remaining subordinates.

“Clean this up.”

As Killian’s subordinates quickly took them away, he spoke with a calm face.

“It seems the imperial mages made a mistake. I’ll let it slide this time. You may go.”

It’s not letting it slide. While pretending it wasn’t his doing, Killian spoke as if bestowing a great favor.

How shameless and detestable. But I was relieved that he didn’t seem to be overly fixated on me, as he was focused on Edan. It was at that moment.

“However, Latieana Merigold cannot leave here.”

What I had worried about happened.

“I can’t just let the real Great Saint go like this. Isn’t that right, High Priest?”

Killian turned his head and spoke to the High Priest who had somehow come to his side.

I don’t know from where he had heard the conversation, but the High Priest took Killian’s side without hesitation.

“Yes. If that woman truly has the qualities of the Great Saint, we absolutely cannot let her go.”

“I see.”

Killian raised his chin. I stepped forward, irritated by that arrogant attitude that seemed to keep provoking Edan.

“I refuse. No matter how much you force me, I won’t go to the temple.”

I know they can force me. The Great Saint candidate and the Great Saint are completely different.

Whether voluntarily or involuntarily, anyone with the power of the Great Saint had to enter the temple and perform their duties from that position.

Like the previous Great Saint did until her death, like Ivy did.

Spending a lifetime in the temple, healing ability users, and surrendering the body to instinctive desires.

As if to confirm this, Killian continued.

“That was when you were a Saint candidate. If you have the power of the Great Saint, it’s different. You have no choice.”

“… You don’t need much healing, Your Highness. Even if I don’t come to the temple, I could at least make potions…”

“Whether I need it or not, how to use you is up to me.”

My words were cut off before I could even make a suggestion.

“That’s right!”

The High Priest chimed in again. What’s with that old man, constantly!

As I glared at the High Priest with force in my eyes, Killian let out a low laugh.

“Ah, I was thinking of changing the law while we’re at it. What do you think?”

What?

“To allow all ability user knights of the empire to use the Great Saint’s healing power. Given the method, there might be some shame at first, but that’s the Great Saint’s duty, so you’ll get used to it, won’t you?”

You, you crazy bastard! How can you say such things! Just hearing those words made my face burn hot with shame.

But the High Priest was nodding as if it was only natural.

“That’s even better! The knights will be pleased too.”

That man again…!

Damn this healing power. It’s useless for anything. It’s fortunate that I can use it for Edan, but there’s nothing I can use for myself. The pleasure that occurs while healing ability users. I don’t want that. Of course, my body might feel it even if I don’t want to, but my mind doesn’t. Becoming the Great Saint and controlling people? Expensive dresses? Jewels? I don’t need such luxuries.

“Let’s see you try.”

At that moment, Edan took a step forward as if to protect me, pulling his hand out of his pocket. Then he drew a sword from his subordinate’s waist and twirled it once before gripping it.

Killian’s gaze fell on the gleaming blade in Edan’s hand. His eyes narrowed as a flash of heterochromia passed through them.

“I knew it would come to this. In the end, you…”

“Isn’t this what you were aiming for by speaking so recklessly?”

“That’s how you interpreted it, Edan Dietrich. From the moment you pointed your sword at me, you became a traitor to the empire.”

I looked at Edan’s hand. The tip of the blade was still pointing towards the ground, and monster blood was smeared on the back of his hand where veins stood out clearly.

‘I want Killian to become emperor.’

Edan’s purpose in guarding the north. The reason he endured alone every night, suffering in pain and covered in monster blood until I appeared.

‘I don’t hate my elder brother.’

Edan’s thoughts probably haven’t changed even now.

I slowly raised my head. Edan’s face was frozen cold as he didn’t avoid Killian’s gaze.

“E-Edan…”

As I grabbed his cloak, Edan looked down at me.

“You said even the thought made you want to vomit.”

Yes, that’s right. The thought of healing or physical contact with anyone but you is horrifying. But.

“I won’t let them do that to you. Even if you go to the temple, I have no intention of letting you.”

But…

“Grand Duke, the Great Saint is our jurisdiction. I understand you need healing, but to commit treason over just one Great Saint! Come to your senses!”

The High Priest shouted tactlessly again. I frowned and turned to look at him.

No, but that damned old man has been going back and forth instigating people!

Damn it. I hate it, but I can’t let Edan become a traitor. I can’t let Edan die just so I can live!

Let’s deal with that old man first.

I bit my lip hard and stepped forward, hiding my angry expression.

“I’d like to speak with the High Priest alone.”

Killian and the High Priest’s eyebrows twitched. They didn’t expect me to step forward myself?

“Is that alright?”

The High Priest seemed a bit flustered but nodded, and as I was about to go to him, Edan grabbed me.

“What are you doing.”

A voice tinged with irritation. I lowered my gaze to see Edan’s fingertips gripping my sleeve. Because of the wound on his arm, afraid I might be in pain…

A corner of my heart ached.

I can’t let such a kind Edan go down a path that will clearly lead to his death.

“It’s okay. I’ll just talk for a moment.”

I pushed away Edan’s hand and approached the High Priest with a confident nod.

Despite his dumbfounded expression at my impudent signal to follow, the High Priest eventually followed behind me.

We walked to a secluded corner of the garden and faced each other.

For some reason, the corners of the High Priest’s mouth twitched, causing even his beard to quiver.

With that long cucumber-shaped face and beard, it looks like white corn silk. If that were real corn, it would taste awful, pft.

“High Priest.”

“What is it?”

The healing power doesn’t work on the High Priest. Because he’s an ordinary person.

The first use of the palace’s healing power wasn’t really because it was effective, but just a small gesture of goodwill for the master. But even without the healing power, I know one thing I can use to threaten the High Priest.

I lowered my voice and slowly raised my eyes to look up at him.

“What? Did you just say ‘what is it’ to me?”

“… What?”

“You say you need a Great Saint, but you speak to me like that? You were polite when speaking to Ivy. Shouldn’t you do the same for me?”