Even if I didn’t want to, there was no other way now, and Sherry couldn’t do anything about it either.
Sherry looked at me with a sad face.
“Miss, listen carefully. Actually…”
“It’s okay. I’ll be back soon!”, I waved my hand and said.
Sherry was thinking of how to coax a child, but she voluntarily agreed as if she knew and understood everything.
“Me too, I want to go with you!”
“Take us too!”
The Spigent twins, sensing that I was going somewhere, clung to me, but it was Brantley who calmed them down.
“Grow up! We’re not kids anymore.”
I was surprised. I thought Brantley would be the one to make a fuss. I couldn’t control my laughter, seeing Brantley act mature.
When he saw me laugh, his eyes widened, and he said something, not out loud, just with the shape of his mouth.
I didn’t know what he meant, but I smiled anyway.
“Princess, I know it might be uncomfortable, but come this way.”
The captain opened his cloak. I hid in the arms of the disguised knight and left the manor.
“We’ll reach the carriage in no time. We need to get out of this dangerous place”, the knight said. It was dark and scary, but I clenched my fists and endured.
His body rocked like a sailboat on the waves as he bumped into the crowd. My head was aching from the terrifying shouts.
Fortunately, we soon reached the carriage. I climbed into the carriage under the protection of the knights.
But as I got on, another problem arose.
The screams of the people became clear. I could finally understand what they were saying.
“Where is the witch? Tell her to come out!”
“Why does the Emperor only protect his own family? The commoners are dying, why should he get privilege?”
“Weren’t the witch behind the deaths?”
A voice tinged with madness could be heard.
“We must catch the witch and sacrifice her to God, or our children will die again!”
“This is all because the Emperor has angered Prache. The time has come to atone by making a sacrifice!”
The screams seethed with malice.
A chill ran down my spine, and I froze in place. But the shouting was getting closer and closer.
“Who’s carriage is this? Open the door!”
People surrounded the carriage I was in. The carriage couldn’t move, and the coachman had to dismount.
“Get out of the way! An envoy is traveling on His Majesty’s orders… Ah!”
“You minions of the devil!”
“Give us the witch!”
But the knights alone couldn’t withstand the anger of the crowd.
The enraged people pulled the knights out of the carriage and began pushing it. The carriage rocked and eventually overturned.
“Princess, hold on!”
The lead knight in the carriage opened his robe. As soon as I was in his arms, he broke the window and jumped out.
“The witch is there!”
“Get her!”
The knights outside the carriage held back the gathering crowd.
The head knight took advantage of the opportunity and ran out as if his life depended on it.
It was only when the surroundings became quiet after a long run that the knight, soaked in sweat, opened his robe.
“Princess, it’s okay now. Just a little more, and…”
But someone was tailing us.
“Behind you…!”
“What? … Ugh!”
Hearing my words, the knight quickly turned his head. But the assailant was quicker, smashing the knight’s head with his club. Then he snatched me from the knight.
“I found you, pink-eyed Princess.”
He looked into my fluttering pink eyes and smiled coldly.
“I’m sure the Saint will be pleased with this.”
He pulled a handkerchief over my face. The stinging smell of anesthetic stung my nose.
The last thing I saw was the rosary wrapped around his wrist.
***
The hooded priest set a small girl down on the table.
Blond hair sparkling like sunshine. Cheeks as chubby as pudding. Small and plump lips.
The overall appearance resembled Hart, and this fairy-like girl was the Emperor’s only granddaughter, Hanelope von Reinhardt.
The girl was asleep from the anesthetic, but her breathing was steady and regular.
“You have done a good job,” Asta said, “I will not forget your efforts today, and I will repay you at the next promotions.”
The priest who had kidnapped Hanelope flushed with pleasure at Asta’s praise. The other priests looked at him jealously.
“Don’t worry,” Asta said.
“All of you will be recognized for your efforts. Without you, I couldn’t have deceived the Emperor. Right now, the Emperor is anxiously waiting for the prayer ceremony to begin at the villa. I am ‘here.’
Asta had no intention of going to the prayer ceremony in the first place. It was just bait. A bait to tie up the Emperor and Hart so they couldn’t interfere with Asta’s plans.
The Emperor must be thinking that Asta fell into his trap.
‘The arrogant Emperor is not the one to back down easily. He must have planned something.’
But the ones who fell into the trap were the Emperor and Hart. While they were at the villa, Asta intentionally instigated the commoners to attack the mansion where Hanelope was.
Knowing that the Emperor would later try to take Hanelope to safety.
Asta used the opportunity to kidnap her.
Now it was too late for the Emperor and Hart to find her.
‘It’s a long way between the capital and the imperial villa, and even if they rush over, it’ll be too late.’
They would be stuck in the villa and have no choice but to watch Hanelope die.
One of the priests whispered to Asta, who could hardly contain her laughter.
“But, Saint, are you sure you want to do this? Even if we deceive the Emperor, killing his granddaughter..”
“Are you doubting God Prache?”
“Tha-That’s not it!”
Asta reprimanded harshly, and the priest immediately lowered his tail.
Asta didn’t stop there, though, and turned to everyone gathered in the darkened room.
“I’m only following God’s will. Even if the opponent is the Emperor, in front of God, he is nothing more than a mere ant. Is there anyone who still doubts God, fears the power of humans, and hesitates?”
“No!”
Seeing the priests answer thunderously Asta smiled.
Asta’s words about moving according to Prache’s will were not lies.
“I am indeed indebted to Prache.”
An oracle was sent to Asta, right after she captured physician Henderson, [ Put the young witch in the ‘Casket of Judgement’ to eternal sleep, and take back my things that she has stolen. The human Emperor will have nothing to do, but bow. ]
The young witch was referring to Hanelope.
It was God who hinted that Hanerope was suffering from ‘divine poisoning’.
‘I’m sure Prache knows there is no such thing as Divine Poisoning, but He, Himself is allowing me to use this as a ruse.’
Putting Hanelope to eternal sleep meant eliminating her. He even assured that the Emperor won’t be able to do anything.
It told me to trust my rookie self and go for it.
‘That’s how I was able to carry out this reckless plan.
Even for Asta, killing the Emperor’s granddaughter was a risky proposition. Instead, the whole temple would have fallen to his wrath.
‘What I’m about to do is crazier…’
But I have a God backing me. A God who is furious at a little witch for stealing his stuff!
‘You shouldn’t have stolen from a God with a nasty temper.’
Asta dug through Hanelope’s pockets and found a pendant. Seeing the pendant, she couldn’t help widening her eyes, ‘Isn’t this the pendant Prache told me to get from the illegal auction house?’
She opened the lid of the pendant, and inside was the green gemstone that had been embedded in the Viridescent Sword, along with the red gemstone.
“Was this with you all along?”
I could see why Prache was furious now.
‘Foolish thing. It’s bad enough that you’ve earned my wrath, but now you’ve earned Prache’s. Prache has a quite bad temper.’
Now there was only one fate left for Hanelope.
To go to sleep for all eternity, labeled a witch in front of people.
“As a Saint, I am only eliminating the witch in the name of God. As long as the people follow my instigation, even the Emperor won’t be able to do anything.”
Even if he attempts to do something, Prache will take care of it.
As a result, the imperial family will be accused of harboring a witch.
The influence of the temple will grow accordingly.
Most importantly, Asta’s power within the temple will be restored, and no one will be able to touch her.
For this day, she ordered the priests to kill the children in the slums, carve the witch’s mark on the corpses, and make the people lose their reason in fear.
Asta cruelly smiled and commanded, “Put this brat into the ‘Casket of Judgement.'”
***
It hurt like someone was stabbing me in the head with a needle.
My arms and legs felt as heavy as soaked cotton.
‘It’s so cold. Where am I?’
I grunted and lifted my eyelids.
My body was crouched in a narrow glass container.
“You’re awake now, sleepyhead.”
I opened my eyes wide. Asta was right in front of me.
I tried to get up and approach Asta, but my body collided with something invisible with a thud!
Moreover, Asta in front of me looked blurry. I blinked, but it remained the same.
“?”
As I fumbled, Asta burst out laughing, as if she found it funny. Her voice was re-vibrating.
‘What.. re-vibrating? Is this Glass?’
Sure enough, the space I’d woken up in looked like a transparent glass coffin.
‘I have seen this before.’
It was in the basement of the temple. The one Yenna was sleeping in.
I touched the hazy glass in front of me. It was cold and hard.
And Asta was right outside.
‘Asta trapped me here.’
When I glared at her, the corners of her mouth turned up.
“Is it cozy in the Casket? I specially prepared it for your final moments.”
Asta looked amused.
I asked, warily, “Did the Saint kidnap me?”
At the girl’s question, Asta covered her mouth with her hand and stifled a laugh.
“Well.. It’s all thanks to your stupid grandfather and father. They both took my bait, thinking they were setting me up! So I caught them off guard and kidnapped you.”
“The prayer ceremony…”
“I never had any intention of holding a prayer! I just threw the bait to tie up the nuisances there. By now, the Emperor and Hart would have taken all the soldiers and left for the villa.”
“…….”
“Do you understand what I’m saying? It means no one is coming to rescue you.”
Hahaha!
Asta’s laughter rang out.
I glared at the fake Saint.
Then I asked, “You’re the one who spread the rumor that I’m a witch, didn’t you?
Even if I didn’t want to, there was no other way now, and Sherry couldn’t do anything about it either.
Sherry looked at me with a sad face.
“Miss, listen carefully. Actually…”
“It’s okay. I’ll be back soon!”, I waved my hand and said.
Sherry was thinking of how to coax a child, but she voluntarily agreed as if she knew and understood everything.
“Me too, I want to go with you!”
“Take us too!”
The Spigent twins, sensing that I was going somewhere, clung to me, but it was Brantley who calmed them down.
“Grow up! We’re not kids anymore.”
I was surprised. I thought Brantley would be the one to make a fuss. I couldn’t control my laughter, seeing Brantley act mature.
When he saw me laugh, his eyes widened, and he said something, not out loud, just with the shape of his mouth.
I didn’t know what he meant, but I smiled anyway.
“Princess, I know it might be uncomfortable, but come this way.”
The captain opened his cloak. I hid in the arms of the disguised knight and left the manor.
“We’ll reach the carriage in no time. We need to get out of this dangerous place”, the knight said. It was dark and scary, but I clenched my fists and endured.
His body rocked like a sailboat on the waves as he bumped into the crowd. My head was aching from the terrifying shouts.
Fortunately, we soon reached the carriage. I climbed into the carriage under the protection of the knights.
But as I got on, another problem arose.
The screams of the people became clear. I could finally understand what they were saying.
“Where is the witch? Tell her to come out!”
“Why does the Emperor only protect his own family? The commoners are dying, why should he get privilege?”
“Weren’t the witch behind the deaths?”
A voice tinged with madness could be heard.
“We must catch the witch and sacrifice her to God, or our children will die again!”
“This is all because the Emperor has angered Prache. The time has come to atone by making a sacrifice!”
The screams seethed with malice.
A chill ran down my spine, and I froze in place. But the shouting was getting closer and closer.
“Who’s carriage is this? Open the door!”
People surrounded the carriage I was in. The carriage couldn’t move, and the coachman had to dismount.
“Get out of the way! An envoy is traveling on His Majesty’s orders… Ah!”
“You minions of the devil!”
“Give us the witch!”
But the knights alone couldn’t withstand the anger of the crowd.
The enraged people pulled the knights out of the carriage and began pushing it. The carriage rocked and eventually overturned.
“Princess, hold on!”
The lead knight in the carriage opened his robe. As soon as I was in his arms, he broke the window and jumped out.
“The witch is there!”
“Get her!”
The knights outside the carriage held back the gathering crowd.
The head knight took advantage of the opportunity and ran out as if his life depended on it.
It was only when the surroundings became quiet after a long run that the knight, soaked in sweat, opened his robe.
“Princess, it’s okay now. Just a little more, and…”
But someone was tailing us.
“Behind you…!”
“What? … Ugh!”
Hearing my words, the knight quickly turned his head. But the assailant was quicker, smashing the knight’s head with his club. Then he snatched me from the knight.
“I found you, pink-eyed Princess.”
He looked into my fluttering pink eyes and smiled coldly.
“I’m sure the Saint will be pleased with this.”
He pulled a handkerchief over my face. The stinging smell of anesthetic stung my nose.
The last thing I saw was the rosary wrapped around his wrist.
***
The hooded priest set a small girl down on the table.
Blond hair sparkling like sunshine. Cheeks as chubby as pudding. Small and plump lips.
The overall appearance resembled Hart, and this fairy-like girl was the Emperor’s only granddaughter, Hanelope von Reinhardt.
The girl was asleep from the anesthetic, but her breathing was steady and regular.
“You have done a good job,” Asta said, “I will not forget your efforts today, and I will repay you at the next promotions.”
The priest who had kidnapped Hanelope flushed with pleasure at Asta’s praise. The other priests looked at him jealously.
“Don’t worry,” Asta said.
“All of you will be recognized for your efforts. Without you, I couldn’t have deceived the Emperor. Right now, the Emperor is anxiously waiting for the prayer ceremony to begin at the villa. I am ‘here.’
Asta had no intention of going to the prayer ceremony in the first place. It was just bait. A bait to tie up the Emperor and Hart so they couldn’t interfere with Asta’s plans.
The Emperor must be thinking that Asta fell into his trap.
‘The arrogant Emperor is not the one to back down easily. He must have planned something.’
But the ones who fell into the trap were the Emperor and Hart. While they were at the villa, Asta intentionally instigated the commoners to attack the mansion where Hanelope was.
Knowing that the Emperor would later try to take Hanelope to safety.
Asta used the opportunity to kidnap her.
Now it was too late for the Emperor and Hart to find her.
‘It’s a long way between the capital and the imperial villa, and even if they rush over, it’ll be too late.’
They would be stuck in the villa and have no choice but to watch Hanelope die.
One of the priests whispered to Asta, who could hardly contain her laughter.
“But, Saint, are you sure you want to do this? Even if we deceive the Emperor, killing his granddaughter..”
“Are you doubting God Prache?”
“Tha-That’s not it!”
Asta reprimanded harshly, and the priest immediately lowered his tail.
Asta didn’t stop there, though, and turned to everyone gathered in the darkened room.
“I’m only following God’s will. Even if the opponent is the Emperor, in front of God, he is nothing more than a mere ant. Is there anyone who still doubts God, fears the power of humans, and hesitates?”
“No!”
Seeing the priests answer thunderously Asta smiled.
Asta’s words about moving according to Prache’s will were not lies.
“I am indeed indebted to Prache.”
An oracle was sent to Asta, right after she captured physician Henderson, [ Put the young witch in the ‘Casket of Judgement’ to eternal sleep, and take back my things that she has stolen. The human Emperor will have nothing to do, but bow. ]
The young witch was referring to Hanelope.
It was God who hinted that Hanerope was suffering from ‘divine poisoning’.
‘I’m sure Prache knows there is no such thing as Divine Poisoning, but He, Himself is allowing me to use this as a ruse.’
Putting Hanelope to eternal sleep meant eliminating her. He even assured that the Emperor won’t be able to do anything.
It told me to trust my rookie self and go for it.
‘That’s how I was able to carry out this reckless plan.
Even for Asta, killing the Emperor’s granddaughter was a risky proposition. Instead, the whole temple would have fallen to his wrath.
‘What I’m about to do is crazier…’
But I have a God backing me. A God who is furious at a little witch for stealing his stuff!
‘You shouldn’t have stolen from a God with a nasty temper.’
Asta dug through Hanelope’s pockets and found a pendant. Seeing the pendant, she couldn’t help widening her eyes, ‘Isn’t this the pendant Prache told me to get from the illegal auction house?’
She opened the lid of the pendant, and inside was the green gemstone that had been embedded in the Viridescent Sword, along with the red gemstone.
“Was this with you all along?”
I could see why Prache was furious now.
‘Foolish thing. It’s bad enough that you’ve earned my wrath, but now you’ve earned Prache’s. Prache has a quite bad temper.’
Now there was only one fate left for Hanelope.
To go to sleep for all eternity, labeled a witch in front of people.
“As a Saint, I am only eliminating the witch in the name of God. As long as the people follow my instigation, even the Emperor won’t be able to do anything.”
Even if he attempts to do something, Prache will take care of it.
As a result, the imperial family will be accused of harboring a witch.
The influence of the temple will grow accordingly.
Most importantly, Asta’s power within the temple will be restored, and no one will be able to touch her.
For this day, she ordered the priests to kill the children in the slums, carve the witch’s mark on the corpses, and make the people lose their reason in fear.
Asta cruelly smiled and commanded, “Put this brat into the ‘Casket of Judgement.'”
***
It hurt like someone was stabbing me in the head with a needle.
My arms and legs felt as heavy as soaked cotton.
‘It’s so cold. Where am I?’
I grunted and lifted my eyelids.
My body was crouched in a narrow glass container.
“You’re awake now, sleepyhead.”
I opened my eyes wide. Asta was right in front of me.
I tried to get up and approach Asta, but my body collided with something invisible with a thud!
Moreover, Asta in front of me looked blurry. I blinked, but it remained the same.
“?”
As I fumbled, Asta burst out laughing, as if she found it funny. Her voice was re-vibrating.
‘What.. re-vibrating? Is this Glass?’
Sure enough, the space I’d woken up in looked like a transparent glass coffin.
‘I have seen this before.’
It was in the basement of the temple. The one Yenna was sleeping in.
I touched the hazy glass in front of me. It was cold and hard.
And Asta was right outside.
‘Asta trapped me here.’
When I glared at her, the corners of her mouth turned up.
“Is it cozy in the Casket? I specially prepared it for your final moments.”
Asta looked amused.
I asked, warily, “Did the Saint kidnap me?”
At the girl’s question, Asta covered her mouth with her hand and stifled a laugh.
“Well.. It’s all thanks to your stupid grandfather and father. They both took my bait, thinking they were setting me up! So I caught them off guard and kidnapped you.”
“The prayer ceremony…”
“I never had any intention of holding a prayer! I just threw the bait to tie up the nuisances there. By now, the Emperor and Hart would have taken all the soldiers and left for the villa.”
“…….”
“Do you understand what I’m saying? It means no one is coming to rescue you.”
Hahaha!
Asta’s laughter rang out.
I glared at the fake Saint.
Then I asked, “You’re the one who spread the rumor that I’m a witch, didn’t you?
