NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11
“I will be necessary for you.”
These words, coming from someone like Eden, who seemed neither exceptionally powerful in divine energy nor in any other abilities, could have been dismissed outright. Asmun could have ignored her entirely or even killed her on the spot. Yet, for some reason, he found himself wanting to test her claim.
“A divine revelation, huh…”
Asmun let out a faint laugh, one devoid of belief. He didn’t believe in gods, and even if such revelations were real, they were hardly convincing.
If there truly was a god, would they condone his rise to the imperial throne? Did this supposed god genuinely wish for his well-being?
Of course, whether or not this god approved was irrelevant. Asmun would become emperor regardless. However, Eden’s sudden emergence as a variable was unexpected. He had her thoroughly investigated but found no cause for suspicion.
Eden seemed to have been left at a small countryside shrine as a baby and had grown up there. She had entered the central cathedral less than a year ago to begin her probationary training as a priestess.
Thus, she would have had little chance of external influence, and even if such opportunities arose, someone like Kiris, with his rigid classist ideals, would never entrust an important task to a mere trainee priestess.
“I will wager my life.”
Her determined gaze, as she made that bold statement, was striking. It wasn’t the reckless bravado of someone who didn’t value their own life. Her eyes held unwavering certainty, a belief that she could not be wrong.
“……”
Asmun found himself once again recalling the enigmatic gray-brown hues of Eden’s eyes when—
“Your Highness…!”
A frantic voice accompanied the clatter of approaching hooves, snapping Asmun out of his thoughts. The urgency in the call signaled that something had gone awry, and Asmun’s gaze sharpened instantly.
“Sigh…”
Eden let out a deep breath.
Three days had flown by since the new quest had been issued. Yet, she had spent that time in a state of inertia, unable to make any progress.
As she blankly folded the laundry, Eden found herself revisiting the quest details again.
Tea time with Ivatan.“……”
The task seemed so daunting that facing another monster felt preferable. The Founding Celebration was over, and as a mere probationary priestess, she had no plausible reason to visit the imperial palace.
Even setting aside the “tea time,” merely meeting Ivatan presented an insurmountable challenge.
The Founding Celebration’s monster incident had plunged the empire into chaos, and as the chancellor and overseer of monster eradication, Ivatan was surely buried in work. Not that he would have met with her even if he had the time.
“How on earth am I supposed to meet Ivatan?”
Eden cradled her head in her hands and crouched down in frustration. There was simply no feasible way for her to approach him.
“……”
Well, no feasible way, except for one. Eden bit her lip as the thought crossed her mind.
“But if I use that method now…”
As she crouched in contemplation, a familiar voice called out to her from a distance.
“Eden!”
Eden turned to see Rita sprinting toward her.
“Don’t run! You’ll hurt yourself!”
Despite the warning, Rita reached Eden in a single breath, panting heavily.
“What’s going on?”
“It’s, haah, Mobrin Priest… huff, he’s calling for you!”
“Priest Mobrin?”
“Yes, the Third Prince… huff, he’s here!”
At the mention of the Third Prince, Eden’s eyes widened.
“The Third Prince…?”
Did this mean Asmun was currently at the cathedral?
Her heart sank at the sudden news. Quickly calculating the date, she realized yesterday had been the day Asmun was scheduled to meet with Count Retton.
This could only mean one thing: Asmun had verified her warning and had come to see her.
The realization made her heart race uncontrollably. Though she had anticipated meeting him again, she hadn’t expected it to happen so openly.
Rita, still catching her breath, grabbed Eden’s hand.
“He brought an antidote!”
“An antidote?”
“Yes, he said some monster poison got on you that day!”
The unexpected explanation left Eden utterly confused.
“Huh…?”
Knock, knock.Standing before Priest Mobrin’s office, Eden wore a tense expression as she knocked on the door. Soon, sounds from within indicated movement, and the door opened to reveal Mobrin himself.
“Eden.”
Eden bowed her head politely.
“Yes, Priest. I heard you were looking for me…”
“Come in.”
Mobrin gestured for her to enter. After taking a deep breath, Eden stepped inside, her eyes immediately landing on Asmun. He sat calmly at the reception table, and their gazes locked.
“His Highness procured an antidote for the poison released by that monster, and he has graciously come in person to share it with you,”
Mobrin explained.
Poison? The monster didn’t release any poison…
Eden listened to Mobrin’s words and turned her gaze to Asmun. His expression was calm, devoid of the coldness or killing intent she had witnessed during their last encounter.
“The poison was quite potent,”
Asmun added nonchalantly.
Eden raised an eyebrow. Mobrin turned to her with concern etched on his face.
“Why didn’t you tell us about the poison exposure?”
Eden quickly adjusted her expression before replying.
“I didn’t want to trouble anyone. It wasn’t a serious wound.”
But Mobrin frowned, clearly puzzled.
“A wound? His Highness said the poison entered through your mouth.”
“……”
Caught off guard, Eden glanced at Asmun, who merely watched her with calm amusement, as if waiting to see how she would respond.
This guy…
“Ah, yes, I meant a wound in my mouth. The roof of my mouth, to be precise,”
Eden quickly covered. Fortunately, Mobrin seemed satisfied with her explanation, though his expression grew even more worried.
“Goodness. That must have been painful. Without the antidote His Highness procured, the wound could have been life-threatening.”
Eden nodded emphatically, feigning gratitude, and turned to Asmun.
“Speaking of which, it has been quite uncomfortable while speaking. Thank you so much, Your Highness.”
She bowed deeply, but Asmun continued to study her, as if measuring her worth. Though the story’s events had likely shifted slightly due to her alliance with Asmun, Count Retton’s allegiance to Kiris hadn’t changed. Asmun must have realized that her warning had been accurate.
Still, his inscrutable gaze and unwillingness to show his thoughts made Eden’s heart pound with apprehension. And with Mobrin present, she couldn’t risk broaching the subject of Count Retton outright.
At that moment, urgent knocking interrupted their exchange.
Mobrin opened the door to reveal a flustered probationary priest.
“Priest Mobrin, you’re needed urgently!”
“What’s the matter?”
“Priest Roman is calling for you.”
Mobrin’s face turned conflicted. With an imperial prince as his guest, leaving would be disrespectful. Yet, Asmun effortlessly resolved his dilemma.
“Please go ahead. In the meantime, I’ll explain how to use the antidote to the priestess.”
Mobrin nodded gratefully before hurrying out. As the door clicked shut, Eden wasted no time marching up to Asmun.
“How could you come here unannounced? Do you realize how suspicious this could have looked?”
Though Eden’s voice brimmed with indignation, Asmun remained unruffled.
“Suspicious? How so?”
“The antidote story. While it’s a good excuse, you could have given me a heads-up so we could coordinate our responses.”
The monster, Tanir, hadn’t released any poison, nor had she been exposed to any. Asmun had simply fabricated the excuse to summon her without raising suspicion.
“An excuse, you say?”
Asmun stared at her pointedly before pulling out a small glass vial from his coat. Eden’s irate gaze shifted to the swirling, iridescent liquid within.
“It’s true that poison reached you, and if left untreated, it would have been fatal.”
At the word
fatal,
Eden’s eyes widened in shock.
“You must be joking.”
“If you don’t believe me, you don’t have to take it.”
His calm demeanor only made Eden more anxious.
“W-when exactly did this supposed poison reach me?”
“When the monster’s neck was severed, its blood splattered on you.”
That much was true. Eden clenched her fists and muttered a silent command.
“Tanir information.”
A translucent window appeared beside Asmun, revealing detailed data on the monster.
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