Chapter 0 (1/2)

“I demand the return of Saintess Daina.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

The eyes of the Grand Duke shone brightly. Priest Pedrik coughed, flinching in the green light.

“Didn’t you take the saint from our temple? It was strange when you bought the humble child.”

“….a humble child,”

Deheen repeated Pedrick in a low voice. Pedrick trembled as he faced the dangerous air from him.

“We know that Daina has become aware of her awakening. It belongs to our temple, so please return her. Our situation has gotten difficult now.”

It was such a way of speaking from someone who never saw a person as anything but an object. Deheen’s patience reached its peak, and the tip of his lips curled up coldly.

“I don’t know how you knew it, but … you bought the saint for only a million errins, the Grand Duke is too much.”

In the end, Deheen lifted his leg and kicked the table hard.

Bang!

The table broke with a tremendous roar. Pieces splattered all over the places, smoke billowed and the office became a mess.

“Grand Duke Deheen! What are you doing!!”

“What am I doing? I’m just protecting my daughter.”

He didn’t stop there, instead he drew his sword. Raising a sword against a priest was tantamount to declaring war on the temple. As the situation turned urgent, even the paladins and Deheen’s knight raised their swords.

In an instant, the office was in confrontation. There’s tension on everyone’s face, the complexion lost its color.

“Everyone, listen carefully.”

Deheen roared loudly.

“Her name is not Daina, but Esther. And is not a saint, but my daughter.”

“Your Highness! No!”

There was no stopping it.

After finishing his words, Deheen struck the sword without hesitation and Priest Pedrick’s left arm was cut off. It was the true image of Deehen, the Grand Duke who was famous as a murderer.

With everyone frozen, the priest who came with Pedrick jumped between the two. He shuddered and poured all his divine power into Pedrick’s arm. Soon after, there was a lot of blood and he had his arm reattached. Pedrick who almost lost one arm paled.

“What is this … what have you done….”

“Once more, if you don’t stop talking about my daughter.”

Deheen looked right in front of Pedrick’s eyes. Then, he polished his words with sincerity.

“I’m ready for war.”

***

Priest Perikel was dozing off, guarding the prison’s entrance.

Then, his eyes opened because he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Perikel stood up waited for the main character of the sound to arrive.

It was Saintess Lavienne, as he had expected.

“Lady Saintess! Have you come to pray again? How many years has it been … you can stop now.”

“No, Daina was a dear friend of mine. I can’t give up.”

Lavienne smiled bitterly and lowered her big eyes. Perikel’s eyes on Lavienne filled with admiration.

“The benevolence of a saint who shows mercy to such a monster. The monster will never know how much grace this is.”

With a sad smile on Perikel’s words, Lavienne put her hands together to set an example.

“It’s my job as a saint. Prist Perikel, I’m sorry, but could you please excuse me for a moment?”

“Yes, I understand.”

This has often happened, so Perikel’s answer was straightforward. Perikel turned his stiff shoulders and took his soldiers out of the tower.

After confirming that there was no one else, Lavienne opened the door to the prison.

As she walked into the room, Lavienne’s expression beamed with joy.

“I’m here.”

Where the bright voice of Lavienne was directed, a small-bodied woman curled up. Tied helplessly to a magical tool, it was Daina, whom Lavienne called a dear friend.

Lavienne walked straight toward Daina who hadn’t responded to her words. As soon as she arrived at the front of Daina, she grasped Daina’s cheek with his right hand. Daina’s body, who could not overcome the strength, staggered.

“I’m here?”

“….”

However, Daina didn’t respond. Her empty gaze only stared into the air, with nothing in it. Not even Lavienne who was calling her.

As if she didn’t like the look, Lavienne rubbed her mouth. Lavienne passed Daina and went into the void behind her back.

There was a crystal bottle connected to Daina. The red liquid fluttered inside.

“Why did you gather so little?”

When the amount was less than she expected, Lavienne’s voice filled with irritation. Lavienne sighed and approached Khalid, her guard. Then she pulled out his longsword. A sacred sword given only to the Paladins representing the temple. In the center was a red ruby, symbolizing the eyes of the goddess Espitos.

Lavienne with the holy sword in her hand tried to return to Daina again. Then Khalid, who was buried in darkness like a shadow, came forward.