Chapter 90
Even though Kierne must have heard the sarcastic remark, Hailon showed no reaction.
It felt as if he simply didn’t want to bother responding to every little thing like this.
Cheshire glanced over the holy knights who had come with him.
‘The adjutant Daren came along too. And the other three seem to be knights from the First Order of the Holy Knights.’
After confirming the holy knights, Cheshire smoothly shifted his gaze to the people from the Basilian family.
‘A black mage, two swordsmen, and one wizard.’
And then there was the bear-like figure from the Nemean marquis family, famous for their swordsmanship.
‘The bear guy looked pretty skilled too.’
Hata, nestled quietly in Cheshire’s arms and imitating a puppy, was by no means weak either.
As a beastkin, he could more than hold his own in battle.
It was an excessively luxurious lineup just to escort a single baby.
Probably no one else attending the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly had such an escort.
No, they couldn’t have afforded one.
For starters, having an inquisitor come as an escort knight was outright cheating.
But Cheshire wasn’t thrilled about this ultra-luxurious escort at all.
Honestly, he wanted to ditch at least the holy knights.
The combination of the Basilian family and holy knights?
It felt like problems would explode left and right even if they just stood there breathing.
In fact, Kierne was the type who hated Hailon just for existing and breathing.
‘Maybe this is part of the test they’ll put us through at the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly.’
Like observing how we handle the holy knights.
It was a plausible enough scenario.
The Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly was a ten-day event.
Normally, prayer assemblies lasted about a month.
But since this one was for young babies, the duration had been drastically shortened.
For ten days, the children would offer prayers to the gods at the grand temple in the Holy Empire.
Along the way, they would undergo various tests.
Of course, since it was a prayer assembly for babies, the tests were described as light ones.
However, while the babies under five gathered and babbled peacefully through the ten days,
The accompanying adults were in for a hellish time.
The winner of the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly was decided through discussions among the Holy King, the cardinals, the inquisitors, and the bishop-level holy priests and holy knight commanders.
There were thirteen cardinals and thirteen inquisitors each.
Thirty-six bishop-level holy priests and thirty-six holy knight commanders.
Adding the Holy King made a total of ninety-nine high-ranking figures.
It was a prayer assembly where the fairy queen’s crown, a holy relic, was offered as a prize.
Even in the Holy Empire, they considered it important enough to gather such a large number of high-level officials for discussion.
Since the winner was determined in this debate, the underground battles to curry favor with these high-ranking figures were fierce even before the assembly began.
That was why Kierne had been attending balls and making his debut in high society—something he’d never done before—to meet various people.
There was no need to worry about the inquisitors.
They were the sort who would die if Hailon told them to.
They prioritized Hailon’s orders over even the Holy King’s, so they would speak and act in whatever way Hailon desired.
The holy knights would likely be similar.
‘The problem is the Holy King, and then the cardinals and holy priests.’
Most of the cardinals and holy priests were favorably disposed toward Hailon.
After all, his support was essential for the future selection of the Holy King.
But selecting the winner of the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly was a slightly different matter.
They wouldn’t necessarily follow Hailon’s wishes on something like this.
Many would have already been approached from various directions.
If they were unlucky, the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly could easily turn into a power struggle between the holy priests and holy knights.
They’d probably try to avoid that if possible…
‘But with a holy relic on the line, it’d be strange if a fight didn’t break out.’
Still, Cheshire wanted to win no matter what.
If only to avoid seeing Kierne looking depressed, he wanted to get the fairy queen’s crown if at all possible.
Pondering all sorts of things inwardly, he boarded the carriage along with Ishuel.
Everyone else mounted horses, except for Ishuel, who hated sunlight because it damaged her skin.
The distance from the Palen Empire to Hilderd in the Holy Empire was a full day’s ride on horseback.
But they couldn’t race ahead with a carriage carrying a baby.
They planned to take it easy, stay at an inn overnight, and arrive at their destination around afternoon the next day.
‘I just hope nothing happens in the meantime.’
With an uneasy feeling, he looked out the carriage window.
He could see Kierne and Hailon riding side by side, tossing curt words at each other.
Hailon slightly furrowed his brows at a remark Kierne threw with a smirk.
The atmosphere was already sour.
“…Sigh.”
Cheshire decided to prepare himself mentally in advance.
The forest path connecting the Palen Empire to the Holy Empire was one rarely traveled by people.
The reason they’d chosen this secluded route over the main road was that their procession was too conspicuous.
With everyone possessing strikingly beautiful appearances and even uniformed holy knights in the mix, they drew every eye.
For Hailon, an inquisitor, attracting attention was nothing but trouble.
He’d suggested taking the quietest path possible, and Kierne had readily agreed to that much.
The secluded forest path was serene.
It was a pleasant place for a light horseback ride.
They probably could have enjoyed the quiet, peaceful atmosphere.
If not for the person beside him.
“Have you broken up with the seductress?”
Hailon had anticipated hearing nonsense if he was with this guy.
He’d intended to ignore whatever was said.
But Count Basilian had an exceptional talent for getting under people’s skin.
“I haven’t seen the seductress around lately. Is it because of you, Sir Knight? Chasing after her one-sidedly after the breakup?”
Hailon furrowed his brows.
Then he glanced toward the carriage.
It was at a distance, and the window was closed, so his words shouldn’t be audible.
Hailon shot back coldly.
“If you want cooperation, you should learn to shut your mouth first.”
“Wow, do holy knights curse too?”
Kierne smiled smugly and annoyingly.
There was a reason he was acting so insolently.
The sharp-witted snake had already figured out that Hailon’s goal aligned with his own.
Even if Kierne committed blasphemy right here,
Hailon couldn’t drag him to the inquisition chamber.
Because he wanted the child to win at the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly.
Just once.
He’d seen the fairy queen’s crown.
The wreath woven from eternally unfading flowers was beautiful.
As he stared blankly at the wreath and inhaled the fresh floral scent, Hailon thought of Lichesia.
He wanted to give her the wreath.
Knowing it was impossible since he couldn’t divert a holy relic.
But now, an opportunity had arisen.
Not for Lichesia herself, but he wanted to see the wreath on the child who resembled her so closely.
As Lichesia’s daughter, the child would someday manifest fairy powers.
It had belonged to a fairy, so returning it to a fairy would be right.
Imagining the child wearing the wreath, he parted his lips.
“The holy priests’ opinions are converging. There’s a child they’re pushing for, so you’d better not let your guard down.”
“Can’t you just have the Holy King order them to give the crown to Cheshire? Aren’t you close enough to the Holy King for that?”
“……”
It was then, as Hailon glared at the smirking Kierne.
Both men turned their gazes forward simultaneously.
They sensed approaching presences.
Not one or two, but dozens.
Kierne clicked his tongue shortly and said,
“Slave hunters.”
Slave hunters were said to stake their souls on anything profitable.
But there was no reason for them to target a large-scale moving procession that clearly included holy knights.
Their prey had fled this way.
What kind of prey would make them chase even after seeing holy knights plainly?
Moreover, the prey’s presence wasn’t even detectable yet.
Without a word on who went first, Hailon and Kierne opened their senses to locate the prey.
It was at that moment.
Black petals and butterflies scattered wildly in the air.
Amid the dispersing petals and butterflies, a gaunt woman appeared.
Both men’s eyes widened simultaneously.
Kierne muttered in bewilderment,
“A fairy…?”
At that instant, the sound of the carriage window slamming open rang out.
The child’s pink eyes, poking her head out the window, were shaking wildly.
Cheshire cried out like a scream,
“Everyone, get away!”
But before they could even react to Cheshire’s words, their vision flipped.
The fairy’s illusion realm had unfolded.
