Chapter 109
The Fairy Queen’s crown first sang its song about twenty years ago.
The crown, which had been quietly slumbering in the underground of the Grand Temple for hundreds of years, suddenly began to sing one day.
The song, composed in a language unknown to humans, was truly wondrous, filling the underground and even overflowing into the Grand Temple above.
At that time, in the Grand Temple, the Holy King was holding a small mass with some high-ranking priests and knights.
Everyone present there heard the crown’s song.
The Holy King was furious at the heretical song resounding in what should have been the most sacred space.
He sealed the crown before the song could spread further.
The crown, oppressed by divine power, fell silent once more.
The Holy King quietly covered up the commotion of that day, and it seemed as though the crown’s song would be forgotten.
However, a few years ago, the crown suddenly began singing again.
The Holy King, in rage, sealed it once more, but the crown defiantly broke through his seals time and again, continuing to sing.
The song that burst forth after shattering the seals grew clearer and spread even wider.
The song, filled with jubilation, was like a flower that refused to be broken no matter how much it was bent.
Whenever they heard the crown’s song pouring out overflowing joy, the divine priests and knights, who should have maintained solemnity, found themselves unwittingly smiling along in delight.
The Holy King was driven half-mad by the Fairy Queen’s crown, which refused to be controlled.
And after the Holy King lost his divine power, and Hailon was bestowed the holy relic, the ‘Chains of Condemnation.’
The task of sealing the crown fell to Hailon.
“Try sealing the crown yourself.”
Obeying the Holy King’s command, Hailon sealed the Fairy Queen’s crown.
Unlike the Holy King’s seals, which had been undone multiple times, the seal Hailon created using the Chains of Condemnation did not break easily.
They barely regained peace.
However, the Holy King decided to send the Fairy Queen’s crown out of the Holy Empire.
“There must never again be a heretical song resounding in the land ruled by God.”
Thus, he orchestrated this absurd event called the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly.
But given the current speculation that experiments involving fairies might be underway in the Holy Empire.
There was likely another hidden reason.
In any case, thanks to the Fairy Queen’s crown singing once more this time, Hailon was able to be released from his ‘education’ much earlier than planned.
Without the crown, he probably would have been confined until just before the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly began.
As a member of the Holy Empire, it was right to be wary of the Fairy Queen’s crown, which kept causing such deviant incidents.
Yet Hailon found joy in beholding the Fairy Queen’s crown.
He even felt regret overlaying it with divine power to seal it.
Inhaling the fresh floral scent emanating from the crown, he thought.
Indeed, he didn’t want to give the crown to anyone else.
No matter what price he had to pay.
“His Holiness the Holy King seems to wish for Prince Remil of Hebaton to win. The cardinals also appear to be aligning their intentions in that direction.”
His adjutant, Daren, muttered with a face full of dissatisfaction.
“Of course, Prince Remil was born with divine power, so he must be devout, but I don’t think he’s worthy enough to take the crown. I suppose it’s because of Cardinal Milliod.”
Prince Remil had been living under Cardinal Milliod like an adopted son, learning how to wield divine power.
Cardinal Milliod was naturally pushing for Prince Remil.
“Even His Holiness seems to support Prince Remil…. Are the Holy Knights always just treated like dogs, worked to the bone?”
Hailon felt he understood the Holy King’s true intentions.
Holy King Sianor loved the divine power that Hailon possessed.
He wanted to keep Hailon close to him, but not at his side.
The Holy King needed to keep Hailon at his feet.
He always wanted to confirm that he was above him.
In this Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly as well, he wanted to see the child Hailon had chosen lose.
“If it weren’t for you, Sir Hailon, they couldn’t have stopped the crown’s song, and it would have been chaos! It would be best to just give it to our little one….”
The more he chewed on it, the angrier he got, and Daren was increasingly huffing and venting his frustration when.
A Holy Knight hurriedly approached and reported.
“Cardinal Milliod has met privately with Prince Remil and the children of the Basilian County.”
Hailon narrowed his eyes thinly.
The Holy Knight, gauging Hailon’s reaction, continued.
“We don’t know what happened inside, but the eldest son of the Basilian County stormed out in fury.”
“And the child?”
“Chesha seems unharmed.”
Hailon lowered his gaze and sank into thought for a moment.
Cardinal Milliod must be quite desperate.
To resort to such lowly tactics with children.
Hailon, who had been stroking the bracelet on his wrist, organized his priorities.
“Contact Count Basilian.”
He was someone whose actions were unpredictable.
Sly like a snake, yet when it involved his child, he wouldn’t hesitate to commit mad acts.
The incident where Count Basilian had wielded black magic in front of Holy Knights and divine priests had left a deep impression on Hailon as well.
He needed to rein him in before he caused trouble.
There was also the reason that he didn’t want to see a underworld master like him running rampant within the Holy Empire.
As expected, as soon as Count Basilian arrived, he immediately spouted nonsense.
“Let’s just kill one cardinal.”
Hailon tried to coolly remind him of reality, smiling pleasantly as he said it.
He intended to point out that a cardinal was a figure even he, as head of the inquisitors, couldn’t handle recklessly, and that they needed to be even more cautious now with the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly approaching.
“Because of that bastard, Chesha almost died.”
The moment he heard Kierne’s words, it didn’t matter anymore.
“…Killing him right now would be difficult.”
He replied slowly, conjuring a few methods in his mind.
“It’s something that requires time.”
Then Kierne smiled brightly.
“I knew we’d see eye to eye. By the way, Sir Hailon.”
Kierne drooped his eyebrows downward.
Pretending to be pitiful, but the words from his mouth were brimming with murderous intent and malice.
“Killing him is one thing…. But before that, I want to utterly humiliate him.”
As always, Kierne made an offer that was hard to refuse.
“Will you cooperate with that too?”
Karha suddenly poked her face in and asked.
“Did you kill the cardinal?”
Kierne, holding Chesha in his arms, furrowed his brows.
“Why would I kill a cardinal?”
He replied as if deeply wronged, then immediately explained to Chesha.
“Daddy doesn’t go around killing people recklessly. Someone might think Daddy’s a bad person….”
He wasn’t just a bad person; he was the boss among bad people.
Chesha and her twin thought the same thing at the same time.
‘So he hasn’t killed him yet.’
Kierne smiled as he stroked the twin’s hair, who wore an incredulous expression.
“I’ll take Chesha and go, so behave yourself.”
“Bye-bye!”
Chesha waved goodbye to her twin.
Kierne carried Chesha and headed directly to the Grand Temple.
Throughout the journey in his arms, Kierne acted no differently than usual.
If anything, he seemed in a slightly better mood.
Chesha inwardly sighed in relief.
She had been worried, thinking he was thoroughly angry, but fortunately, it seemed his heart had softened in the meantime.
The first day of the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly.
The children gathered in the Grand Temple were to announce the answers to the task they had received in advance and receive a blessing from the Holy King.
To receive the Holy King’s blessing—that alone made participating in the prayer assembly overwhelmingly worthwhile.
The children and their guardians all wore faces brimming with excitement.
Chesha, nestled in Kierne’s arms, gazed at the Holy King seated deepest within the Grand Temple.
With murals praising God at his back, the Holy King, wearing a benevolent smile, appeared as sacred as a holy painting.
And the clean, pure appearances of the divine priests and Holy Knights lined up on either side of him.
It was a scene that could inspire piety even in those who didn’t believe in religion.
After the ceremonial procedures passed, the moment came for the children to personally tell the Holy King their answers to the task.
Among the ninety-nine children, the first to step forward was Remil from the Kingdom of Hebaton.
As Remil cautiously walked forward, Cardinal Milliod, seated beside the Holy King, smiled with satisfaction.
People’s gazes converged.
Remil, stepping forward timidly, strained to raise his voice and spoke.
“I… if God will accept it…. I wish to offer all the divine power I possess.”
Watching Remil cautiously extend his hands forward, Chesha frowned.
It seemed like a strategy to perform tricks with divine power so that the other children in line wouldn’t even register.
‘But it was just the other day that he went berserk because he couldn’t control his divine power!’
With so many people to stop him if he lost control, she resolved that this time, she really should pretend not to notice.
“Chesha.”
Kierne whispered in a voice laced with amusement.
“Want Daddy to show you something fun?”
And then Chesha saw it.
His eyes gleaming joyfully with crimson malice.
Following that, the boy’s murmur spread through the quiet hall.
“…Ah, uh, why.”
Remil, flailing futilely at the air, turned pale with panic.
“Why, why is this happening….”
No divine power emerged from Remil.
