Chapter 162
Noil tried to leave immediately but stopped at the next sentence.
“Father Payne will be found soon. Leave it to me.”
“Roman, can your magic tool really search the entire empire?”
“Nothing is impossible for me. Give me a few days, and I’ll bring the Father back.”
Magic tool? Noil’s pupils trembled.
In the Roxa Empire, a single-religion state, wizards were rare.
They used innate magic but sometimes made pacts with demons, dabbling in dark powers.
Thus, Mediale forbade wizards’s intrusion.
In a holy empire, magic not from divine power was unacceptable. Yet to hear the Pope mention using a magic tool to find Payne…
‘This isn’t something I should overhear.’
Noil decided so and tried to back away, but soon found himself blocked by a rising deep-blue barrier.
“So there was a rat here.”
“No wards set up?”
“Apologies, my oversight.”
Prohmen stepped forward.
Behind him appeared Pope Serena, clad in inconspicuous vestments, and an unfamiliar man.
His sharp purple eyes and sleek violet hair, paired with a fine gray suit, looked quite distinguished.
‘Who is this?’ Judging by his appearance, he was likely the wizard mentioned.
But the thought vanished when Serena tapped the long staff on the floor.
“Such a pity.”
Her silver hair shimmered like twisted moonlight as she used magic to support the staggering Noil.
“Put him in prison.”
“What charge?”
“Sacrilege. He dared to obtain information that could harm me.”
“Understood.”
Prohmen bowed deeply and nodded at Roman.
Sensing Serena’s displeasure, Roman placed his right hand on his chest and smiled smoothly with weasel-like eyes.
“Then, Your Holiness, I will bring better news next time.”
“Very well. Send my regards to Duke Panchest.”
“Of course.”
With a wave of his hands, he vanished like mist.
Serena sighed deeply, watching Roman’s retreating figure.
“Are you sure we can leave this to him?”
“Well, what choice do we have? Without Duke Panchest’s backing, we’re short on funds.”
Though she looked to be in her thirties, Serena had been Pope of the empire for over forty years.
She used vast divine power to stave off aging and tricked the Emperor and nobles by promising secrets to immortality.
Duke Panchest was the first to notice her fraud and was one who bargained with her for other reasons.
‘We must keep Father Payne detained as he wishes.’
Otherwise, her secrets might be exposed.
“I’m leaving now.”
Serena turned sharply.
Cardinal Prohmen followed, and Mediale’s day proceeded unusually.
* * *
“Oh no.”
Ashtel was currently in trouble.
“What should I do!”
Crossing mountains and lakes, they tried to avoid the Singria checkpoint by taking escape routes fit for criminals to leave the capital—but problems arose.
It wasn’t due to dangerous roads or sudden bandits.
Those were easily handled by Carmen’s experimental tools.
Ashtel faced a situation beyond her control.
“Payne, are you okay?”
His condition had visibly worsened.
“…Yes.”
“Liar. You’re not okay at all! Your forehead is burning hot!”
He’d been fine until leaving the city.
After staying one night at an inn and stepping outside, Payne started showing clear signs of distress.
Even Ashtel, who was unfamiliar with humans, noticed his fever and frequent collapses and dizziness.
This limited how far they could travel, and they settled in a deserted forest to wait for Payne to recover.
‘What’s wrong? Is it a cold?’
She heard severe colds can cause fever.
But no matter how she looked, Payne’s condition didn’t seem like a simple cold.
“Look at the cold sweat. Payne, first take off your clothes…”
Ashtel stopped, realizing something as she tried to help him change.
A familiar mark appeared on Payne’s forearm.
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