I Became the Teacher of the Imperial Family’s Bastard

040. The Name of the Morning Star (1)

A few more days passed since then.

There were no further incidents after the witness investigation.

As usual, the capital was peaceful, and so was the Papal Palace.

The Saint conducted the ceremony in an official setting.

The Saintess was inspecting the slums as usual, taking care of the sick. There was no sign of anything unusual.

Therefore, it was necessary to be more vigilant than ever.

Thud!

“Ugh…!”

The training ground of the Dawn Palace.

The Crown Prince knelt.

I spoke sternly.

“Stand up. You can’t accomplish anything by kneeling like that. Do you think the enemy will attack considering your stamina?”

“Gah, ugh…!”

It was a lesson.

As always, it was a sparring session, but the intensity was much harsher than usual.

There was no time to rest.

If he tried to catch his breath, I would immediately press on and strike his vital points.

His gasping appearance was quite pitiful, but I couldn’t go easy on him.

‘The situation is more urgent than I thought.’

It was different from the future I knew.

I didn’t regret killing the commoner girl, but the aftermath would lead to a faster rampage of the factions than in my previous life.

Even the Saint was in a suspicious situation.

If it came to stopping him, the only answer was to use force.

Isn’t that so?

Since the essence of battle is a game full of variables, the prince needs the strength to protect himself.

‘Ultimately…’

…the goal should be to become a Sword Master faster than in the previous life.

Based on the meditation in the jade, the prince has about 2-3 years left to become a Sword Master.

That time will be drastically reduced.

While thinking, the prince asked.

“Does this brute training have any meaning?”

“It does. A knight grows by testing his limits.”

Moreover, it wasn’t just a simple push-through training.

It was a calculated training to make him feel with his body how a Sword Master wields a sword and what mysteries are hidden.

If the prince backtracks the state of a Sword Master based on that, this training is over.

It would be impossible for another human, but the prince can do it.

His swordsmanship was so exceptional that it made one nauseous.

I held the switch straight and said.

“If you’ve heard all the explanations, get up. We’re going again.”

“…These days, I think you might actually enjoy beating me up.”

“That’s a misconception.”

So perceptive, it’s disgusting.

“Here we go!”

“Ugh!”

Thus, the lesson continued.

As expected, perhaps.

“Ahhh!!!”

The crown prince had reached a level where he could aim for a counterattack, breaking free from the one-sided beating.

The rapid progress brought a sense of relief.

It was right after such a moment had passed.

“Um, Young Master…!”

“Emma? I told you to rest, why are you here?”

Emma, who had followed as an attendant, spoke to me. I had surely sent her off to wander the streets or sightsee, so why had she returned to the palace?

As I tilted my head at Emma’s urgent expression, she looked around and then secretly handed me a letter.

She whispered as she did so.

“A priest from the Hope Sect I met on the road asked me to deliver this discreetly…”

The Hope Sect.

At that word, the crown prince and I exchanged glances.

A moment of silence.

Then we immediately sent Emma out and went to the room to check the letter.

The content was nothing else.

“A request for a secret meeting.”

It was a message saying they wanted to have a conversation at a secluded place outside the capital after midnight.

It was a good decision not to write down the details.

Moreover, it was also wise to convey it indirectly rather than directly.

But let’s think differently.

“Do you think someone has noticed something?”

“Yes, it seems like a meeting that must not be discovered by anyone… especially the Saint.”

No, there is something more.

I know Historia.

From the beginning, he is not the type to suspect anything.

Yet, the fact that he requested a secret meeting with suspicion and vigilance means that he has seen something strange enough to be convinced about the Saint.

I tucked the letter into my bosom.

“We will know more when we go and hear the details. For now, disperse. Spend the rest of the day as if nothing happened.”

“You mean not to create any sense of unease. Understood.”

“Can you sneak out carefully?”

At my question, the Crown Prince smirked and replied confidently.

“When I was infatuated with Rebecca, I used to sneak out of the palace almost every day. I know the palace’s secret paths like the back of my hand. There’s nothing I’m more confident about than secret rendezvous.”

“Quite the boast.”

You b*stard.

Anyway, it means there won’t be any problems.

“Then, let’s meet at night.”

I left the palace just like that.

* * *

As I told the Crown Prince, I spent an ordinary day until evening.

I fed Aria, who followed me, a meat bun. She said it wasn’t as good as a cheeseburger, but it was worthy of being called a royal dish.

At dinner with my sister, we talked about today’s lessons.

Other than that, I spent time in the library or went out to create an alibi.

“Young Master… can’t you send me to fetch the alcohol?”

“Do you have a better eye for alcohol than I do?”

“No…”

I had to be seen buying alcohol by the people on the street, so I went myself.

What saddened me was that when they saw the bottle in my hand, everyone recoiled in fear.

Anyway, I returned to my room and poured a drink into a glass.

Then I spoke to Emma.

“Tonight, I’m going to have a drink and sleep. Don’t come into my room anymore.”

“What? But…”

“Can you handle me when I’m drunk?”

“……”

Emma silently disappeared.

I exhaled.

I stirred the drink in the glass with mana, killing time.

Thus, at midnight.

I secretly slipped out of the mansion.

‘The location is north of the capital.’

It was an area with a low population density, also densely packed with slums.

The only notable thing there was the Mage Tower… even that Mage Tower was now subdued due to the Beatrice incident.

In many ways, it was suitable for a clandestine meeting.

I met the Crown Prince in front of the meeting place.

He wisely did not enter prematurely, instead hiding his presence and waiting for me nearby, which was commendable.

“Any tails?”

“None. And you, Your Highness?”

“None. Even the great Lord Drenor has never discovered my clandestine meetings.”

I wish he would curb his pride a bit.

I nodded and walked ahead.

The meeting place was easy to find.

“Welcome.”

One of the paladins of the Hope Church, who had accompanied us for the witness investigation, was waiting for us in rags.

He opened the door.

Inside, it was the typical scene of a slum household, and there she was.

“…You have company.”

Historia said, looking at the Crown Prince.

I nodded.

“Your Highness knows as much as I do.”

“Yes, I knew you were acting together. I greet Your Highness.”

“I greet the Saint of Hope.”

After the brief exchange of pleasantries, I observed Historia’s complexion.

In just a few days, she had become quite gaunt.

Even now, her eyes were filled with worry.

No, could it be called worry?

“…First, I want to ask.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“How much do you all know?”

It was a blunt question, but it was the Crown Prince and I who had created this situation.

We exchanged glances for a moment and then nodded.

It was time to reveal the truth.

* * *

Historia let out a hollow laugh at the story she had heard.

“A demon, that child…”

It was shocking.

That she, a servant of the gods, had not noticed a demon, of all things.

But on the other hand, there was no clearer answer.

“…Yes. To pierce the blessing and shake Ver’s soul, it would have to be at the level of a demon’s descent.”

The power of the demon rewrites concepts.

It was a force that engraved love, memories, personality, and everything else anew to its liking, shaking the soul.

So Berheim would be the same.

He probably doesn’t even realize how wrong he is.

Everything felt clear.

From the moment Berheim’s gaze became clouded, his strange behavior, and everything else.

Should I say it’s a relief?

“The demon wasn’t summoned by Ber, was it?”

“Yes, could you keep that part confidential?”

“Of course.”

Even if the culprit Rebecca disappeared, it was better for the fear of demons not to exist in the world.

They feed on fear and despair.

If this fact were made public, it would only serve to feed them.

It would only benefit the group that summoned Rebecca.

Historia closed her eyes tightly.

It took quite a long time to steady her mind.

She had heard everything she needed to hear.

Now,

‘I need to ask for help.’

It was time to tell her story.

“It seems like Ver is researching forbidden books.”

“······.”

“You’re not surprised.”

“If he were plotting something bad under the influence of a demon··· the most plausible place would be the sealed vault managed by the saint.”

So, he had seen through it all.

Historia suddenly felt a pang of resentment.

“It would have been nice if you had told me in advance.”

“If I had, you wouldn’t have believed me, Saintess.”

“That’s true. You might have thought I was trying to slander Ver.”

“That’s in the past. More importantly, can you tell me the basis for your thoughts?”

Historia spoke of what she had observed and thought over the past few days.

“At first, it was just suspicion. After the suspicion arose, I noticed something strange about Ver. I secretly investigated. I only tracked his movements so that Ver wouldn’t notice.”

Then something was revealed.

Verheim frequently visited the northeast of the temple, near the sealed vault, which was opposite to his office.

It was a meticulous movement that would have gone unnoticed unless his movements were recorded in writing.

That was suspicious, and there was something that confirmed the suspicion.

“Ver was purchasing reagents. Those were···.”

“Probably reagents from other races. The targets would be witches or halflings.”

Historia nodded.

This was also a fact that was discovered only after investigating the logistics leading to the temple.

All the circumstances pointed to his research on forbidden books.

The cause also seemed to be clearly visible only today.

Historia hardened her expression.

With earnestness, she looked at Yuren and Kallios and spoke.

“Can you help me? I want to save Ber.”

The answer came immediately.

“Of course. In fact, we wanted to ask for help from your side.”

It was Kallios who responded.

“We need confirmation. The scenario we want is to raid the site where he is researching the forbidden book. Only then will we have the means to restrain him.”

“Are you considering a battle?”

“I feel the necessity. Of course, it will be carried out confidentially, and even after this matter is resolved, it will be thoroughly kept secret. We need the saint’s blessing and power for the upcoming threat. We need a leash to hold him, not punishment.”

Historia smiled bitterly.

She was grateful for the willingness to help.

Even if it was for some benefit.

But she didn’t want to leave everything to outsiders.

“…Then, could you perhaps give me some time to persuade him before the battle?”

Historia added such a condition.

“It’s the temptation of the devil. If it’s Ber… if it’s the child I know, he will think rationally when told the truth. I want to believe in that possibility.”

“…It could be dangerous. Isn’t it better to go with a more certain method?”

“I’m not saying I’ll talk to him alone. If we raid the research site and it really is forbidden book research, I want to have a moment to talk before the battle.”

He was like a younger brother.

Born with such a great blessing, and because of it, always a lonely child.

A child who had to stand tall alone, as no one dared to embrace him.

Thus, it was pitiful.

Historia felt that all of this was her fault for not paying more attention to Verheim.

“Please.”

When she bowed her head briefly, Callios made a troubled face.

Yuren had been quietly listening to the conversation until then.

It was in such a moment.

“Is that really necessary?”

He asked.

It was a question of necessity, and Historia knew the answer.

“It is not necessary for the purpose. But…”

“But?”

“…It is necessary for me.”

The smile Historia made was inevitably awkward.

It was not a statement to convince others, so it was natural.

A question was posed.

“Why is that?”

The answer that came out of her mouth was about conviction.

“Because I am a saint. Because I am someone who believes in hope.”

“……”

“Everyone says so. They say that Hope is a cold being who grants no revelations or blessings. But should that be a reason to doubt His existence? When His divinity is so clearly within me.”

Yuren’s gaze was deep, impossible to read.

Historia met those eyes directly and spoke.

“I think the reason Hope doesn’t answer is because He doesn’t need to.”

“Doesn’t need to?”

“Even without His answers, we already know.”

Historia smiled brightly.

“Hope is the will to improve. The belief in becoming better, kinder. Everyone has that. So the answer is already with us.”

“But people sometimes forget that. That’s why I believe Hope sent me to this land.”

“Even if no one else believes in everyone’s potential to improve, He wants at least one person to believe. He wants that person to be me. So, I want to believe, even just once. That Ber can improve on his own.”

It was a grandiose idealism.

She knew that herself.

Yes, it might be easier to subdue him right after an ambush.

If they used force to harm him, they could unravel the demon’s concept more safely.

This was pure stubbornness.

So if he refused, there would be no helping it.

It was at that moment Historia thought so.

“Well, then let’s do it that way.”

“Yuren…?”

“It doesn’t matter, does it? It’s not like you’re going alone or stopping the ambush… In a situation where all the evidence is revealed, a few words before the battle won’t change anything.”

Historia gaped blankly.

Yuren continued speaking.

“We’re not so weak as to lose to a saint. If we can’t catch that guy even with a 2-to-1 advantage, we should be ashamed.”

His words, spoken as if it were no big deal, etched themselves into Historia’s ears.

Following that, Kallios nodded in agreement, letting out a sigh.

Historia felt a strange sensation about the whole situation.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought Yuren would allow it.

She had expected him to act rationally.

She had thought he would refuse this request more vehemently than the crown prince for the sake of efficiency.

Yet, he had listened to the opinion.

Had she not yet figured him out?

As she pondered, Kallios sighed and nodded.

“…Alright. Let’s do it. Above all, without the saintess’s help, the plan can’t proceed. Saintess, when would be a good time for the operation?”

Historia flinched at the question and answered.

“Ah…! In two days. I’ve investigated Ver’s movements and schedule. He’ll probably enter the sealed chamber for research in two nights. If not then, there will be events for a while…”

There was no doubt about the timing.

If she hadn’t revealed this much, she wouldn’t have created this opportunity.

Yuren responded to her words.

“Then let’s do it that way.”

The plan began to take shape like that.

* * *

Historia returned from her secret meeting.

The plan was set for two days later, late at night.

It was the day when the security around the sealed storage was the weakest, and the day when the research was most likely to proceed.

First, she would conduct a preliminary investigation.

If it was confirmed that the research had started, she would quickly communicate and call for Yuren and Kallios.

Then, a swift raid on the site.

After that, they would try persuasion, and if that didn’t work, they would resort to combat.

…That was the plan.

As Historia recalled the task, she thought of Yuren.

She had thanked him for granting her request before they parted ways, and his response had left a deep impression on her.

“I do not agree with you, Saintess. I believe that whether it’s a person or a beast, they only listen when beaten.”

“Then why…”

“Even so, I thought it wouldn’t be bad to have at least one person who believes in you, as you said. That’s all.”

A small smile appeared on Historia’s lips.

She had felt it before, but once again, she thought he was quite different from the rumors.

The night breeze was cool.

The air was rich with a sense of atmosphere.

She was walking lightly in it.

“You’re late.”

Gasp―

Historia’s steps halted.

A chill ran down her spine.

She turned her head, and immediately saw something.

Her expression hardened.

“Where have you been?”

“…Ber.”

From behind the temple pillar, out of the shadows, Berheim emerged.

With a dreadfully gloomy look on his face.

End

ⓒ papapa.

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