Chapter 28 - The Right Path
Chapter 28 - The Right Path
The incident at St. Maryen Church was recorded as an unprecedented event that shook the Minerva Empire.
This was because the fact that a high-ranking Cardinal of the Order and the Princess's closest attendant were both worshippers of the Dead King was an unprecedented shock to both the religious and political worlds.
The Papal See immediately issued an official statement of apology to the Imperial Family.
The Imperial Family also felt responsible for failing to filter out the internal infiltrators, and they agreed to pool their efforts into post-incident cleanup and eradicating heresy rather than blaming each other.
And the name of the 'loyal subject' who saved the Empire from the center of that chaos became a legend once again and spread far and wide.
"Did you hear that story?"
"Yeah, they say Cardinal Albinus was a worshipper of the Dead King."
"How could he do such a thing!"
"Seriously, if it weren't for Sir Edric, Princess Camilla would have been in big trouble."
Edric's story of saving the Princess and defeating the Dead King's worshipper spread rapidly.
Edric was already being called the Savior of the South for eradicating the corrupt nobles of the South.
And this time, he had defeated a worshipper of the Dead King and even saved the Princess's life.
To those who love fairy tale legends, it was a story that piqued their interest, and it spread quickly.
And Edric, the person involved in that incident, was... hospitalized in a ward in the South.
"Ugh... I'm dying."
After the incident ended, I lost consciousness and collapsed right there.
Princess Camilla immediately used recovery magic on me to provide first aid, and after that, I was taken to a hospital and treated by the Imperial Family's first-class white mages.
Thanks to the Princess's first aid and the intensive treatment from the first-class white mages, I survived, but I was told I needed absolute rest due to the large wound on my side, so I had been lying in the ward ever since the incident.
I wanted to return to the Capital and rest comfortably at home, but I was told I needed to recover for a week before moving, or the wound could worsen.
Since it's come to this, I might as well recuperate properly.
Or so I thought, but...
"Edric... are you okay?"
My rest was not easy.
Since that incident, Princess Camilla visited my hospital room every day.
She didn't feed me apples like Nataliya did, but she asked if I had any more pain or if there was anything I wanted to eat with a very worried expression.
The problem was...
"You want roast chicken? That's not good for your health! Here! I told the chef to make patient-friendly chicken stew. Eat this."
If she was going to do that, why did she ask?
I ate the stew the Princess brought me, forcing it down.
Still, maybe it was because the Imperial chef made it? The stew was delicious.
The rich taste of the cream and the fragrant scent of pepper blended exquisitely, making even the carrots and broccoli taste good.
"Edric, is the stew to your liking?"
"Slurp... Yes, it's very delicious, Your Highness."
At my words, the Princess's expression froze.
She leaned her face toward me and said.
"Edric... I told you not to call me that."
"...Yes, I understand. Camilla-nim."
"Good. Please call me that from now on."
She smiled with a satisfied expression.
Her pink hair, shining like sunlight, and her dazzling smile made my heart pound.
Ah... No! I have Nataliya.
While I was thinking that and eating the stew, I heard the sound of the door breaking.
Bang-!
"Camilla! Edric! Are you both safe!?"
"Oppa, how are you here!"
"Le... Leopold-nim!"
The ward door opened roughly, and the Prince, dressed in envoy attire, burst into the room!
No! How is the Prince here?
I tried to get up reflexively, but I was startled by the pain in my side.
Argh! My... my side was stabbed too deeply.
"Argh! Leopold-nim... please forgive my rudeness..."
"It's fine. You don't have to stand up, Edric."
"Oppa, how did you come here?"
"I ran here as soon as I entered the country. Are you okay? Camilla?"
"Yes... It was dangerous, but thanks to Edric's help, I'm safe."
At Camilla's words, the Prince sighed as if he were relieved.
The Prince walked up to me and took my hand.
"Edric, I heard that you risked your life to protect Camilla from the poisonous fangs of the Dead King's worshippers."
"I only did what I had to do, Leopold-nim."
Since I received a 72-billion-won house, I have to work at least this much.
But... honestly, it felt like I had done about 50 billion won worth of work out of the 72 billion.
The Prince said, gripping my hand tightly as I thought that.
"You are truly a loyal subject of the Empire. Edric, if you hadn't protected Camilla, I... I would have lived the rest of my life in regret. Thank you so much."
"Leopold-nim..."
If you're that grateful, maybe a villa in the countryside...
I wanted to say that, but the atmosphere was the atmosphere, so I just stayed quiet.
Just then, the door opened again, and a white mage, in other words, a doctor, entered.
"Your Highnesses, it is time for Sir Edric's examination. May we proceed with the treatment?"
"Of course. Make sure to treat Edric's body thoroughly!"
"Yes, I will follow your orders."
At the Prince's words, the doctor and nurse approached.
The Prince and Camilla stood up and said.
"Camilla and I will take our leave. Get treated well and recover, Edric."
"Yes, thank you. Leopold-nim."
With those words, the Prince left the room.
Phew... I can finally rest now...
Prince Leopold and Princess Camilla moved to the hospital's VIP room.
There, the Prince looked at his younger sister quietly and opened his mouth.
"I'm glad you're really not hurt, Camilla."
"Yes, if it weren't for Edric's help, I would have been in big trouble. Oppa."
"I think it was a really good decision to send Edric with you, just in case."
In fact, when the Prince sent Edric with Camilla, Camilla had opposed it until the very end.
But she had no choice but to accept it due to the Prince's strong insistence.
Because she had saved her life thanks to the Prince's actions, Camilla had nothing to say.
"Yes... Oppa was right. It was me who lacked the eye for people."
Camilla had nothing to say.
She had no idea that her chief attendant, Lumiel, had become a worshipper of the Dead King.
No matter how impossible it is to know until a Dead King's worshipper uses the Dead King's power, records showed that many were caught due to reports that a family member was possessed by a demon.
In other words, a person who becomes a worshipper of the Dead King undergoes some change that close relatives can feel.
But she hadn't felt it at all.
No... to be honest, she hadn't been interested.
What kind of person Lumiel was and what she was thinking... even if she had suspected her, Camilla had never had human feelings for her.
To think that she, who was like that, had been judging and suspecting others... there couldn't be a funnier story in the world.
Looking at such Camilla, the Prince looked at her with a pitiful gaze.
"Camilla... everyone in the world makes mistakes. I did too, so I think the important thing is to improve from now on."
"Oppa..."
Camilla's expression softened a little at the Prince's comfort.
And she remembered something she really wanted to ask the Prince.
"But... there is something I still don't understand."
"What is it?"
"Why... did Edric say such a thing?"
"If it were me, I could use the Prince."
It was a remark Edric made that the Princess happened to hear, and it was the starting point for the Princess to start suspecting Edric.
Camilla still didn't understand.
Why would someone so loyal, who didn't spare his life for the Imperial Family... say such a thing?
Camilla told the Prince this, and the Prince seemed to know something, but he kept it as an unwritten rule.
Leopold, who heard the Princess's words, took a sip of warm tea and spoke quietly.
"Camilla... I think we are very lucky. Don't you think so?"
"Oppa, what do you mean by that?"
The Prince became calmer than usual.
He looked just like his father, the Emperor, and the Princess focused on his words.
"Mother risked her life for me. Father, His Majesty the Emperor, always emphasized the people to us. We were lucky. Because we had good parents... but not everyone in the world is as lucky as we are."
"Oppa, what are you saying... could it be?"
Camilla felt like she understood a little bit about what the Prince was saying.
Yes... that was it. If you thought about it that way, everything made sense.
Camilla asked cautiously.
"...Are you talking about the Court Count, Albert Noel?"
The Prince nodded.
As if looking at Albert in the Capital, the Prince looked toward the North.
"Yes, after I came to my senses, I mobilized shadow warriors separately to investigate. And I learned many things that you, Camilla, know... including about Albert Noel's corruption..."
"Oppa..."
Camilla was ashamed.
The Prince was acting for the Empire more than she had imagined.
"He was born under such a greedy father and was used... but Edric risked his life to step up and change me. He saved the people, and this time, he even saved you."
"........."
"Even if one is born under good parents, humans are beings that can go astray like me. So how could I suspect Edric, who was born under an evil parent and is working so hard for the sake of good?"
While listening to the Prince's words, Camilla felt all the pieces falling into place.
She also asked about the story she had heard recently.
"So that was why... that you bestowed a mansion upon Edric, Oppa."
"That's right. It was to separate Edric from that old fox."
Camilla felt her head clearing.
Everything was understood as to why Edric had suddenly changed and risked his life to protect her.
He was trying to change.
He thought the path of evil set by his parents was wrong and was trying to move toward the path of light that illuminates the world.
That path would surely be a painful and difficult one.
Because there would be people who suspect him like she did, and there was no guarantee that he would be rewarded.
But he walked that path, changed the Prince, and saved her life.
To think that instead of understanding him, she had tried to suspect and oust him...
Camilla felt too ashamed of herself.
"Camilla... please maintain a good relationship with Edric in the future. Edric will surely become an essential talent for the future of the Empire."
To maintain a vast empire, the help of many subjects was needed.
But among them, how many could be trusted?
And among them, how many were capable?
Camilla understood that the existence of Edric, who was trustworthy and capable, was a very important existence for the Prince.
"Yes... I understand, Oppa. I will also contribute so that he can work for the Empire and for you."
"Yes, please do, Camilla."
That night, Princess Camilla came alone to the hospital room where the moonlight was shining softly.
What is she doing at this late hour?
"Princess... Camilla-nim, what brings you here at this time..."
"I came because I have something I want to talk about. Is it okay for a moment?"
"Yes, it's fine."
She sat on the chair next to the bed and looked at me for a long time.
What is she trying to say?
But suddenly, she carefully took my hand.
"Ca... Camilla-nim?"
"Edric... I'm sorry."
"...Yes?"
"I apologize for suspecting you and hurling venomous words at you all this time... I'm sorry."
I was flustered by the Princess's sudden change in attitude.
What is this? Is this a hidden camera?
She continued to speak.
"I heard from Oppa about what kind of environment you grew up in, and how hard you are trying to walk the right path now."
"What is that..."
"Don't worry alone anymore. As a form of atonement, I... will do my best to help you remain a loyal subject to Oppa."
"Camilla-nim..."
No, what kind of crazy talk is this again?
The right path? I just worked as much as I was paid for?
But Camilla was looking at me with eyes filled with emotion and holding my hand tightly, so I couldn't say that.
Seeing her eyes, I couldn't say anything.
Ugh... I don't know. I should just shut up and stay quiet.
At the time when Edric and Princess Camilla were talking.
At St. Maryen Church, investigators dispatched from the Order were investigating the traces of the Dead King's worshippers.
All that remained were the traces of the worshippers who had turned into black powder and the flesh fragments they had scattered while burning in the Holy Water of the Sun, but that alone was a serious matter for the investigators.
"Priest... this is indeed..."
"Yes, this is... a trace of the Holy Water of the Sun."
The priest, who had carefully collected the flesh fragments of the Dead King's worshipper into a glass bottle like a test tube, said to his assistant.
"Inform the head of the agency... tell them that a 'Saint' might have appeared."
『Holy Water of the Sun』
The most sacred holy water that purifies the power of the Dead King and grants the power of resurrection to those with faith.
Only a 'Saint' recognized by God can create it.
The news that traces of that holy water, which had all been exhausted except for a few bottles remaining in the Order's first-class warehouse, had been found at St. Maryen Church was secretly delivered to the Order.