Chapter 29: Seeds of discord (1)

Kardo, who had exited the meeting hall filled with anger and humiliation, immediately headed for the church.

His steps were much rougher and faster than usual due to his fury.

The Saintess’s Private Prayer Room.

“Saintess-nim, what on earth is the meaning of this!?”

Sera frowned at Kardo’s attitude.

His usual servile and flattering demeanor was gone, replaced by an agitated voice as he questioned her, almost like an interrogation.

“Duke Lindemarck, please calm down first. As I mentioned in the meeting hall, the Holy Sword is unstable due to the Demon Lord subjugation…”

Sera repeated what she had said in the meeting hall, trying to calm Kardo.

However, who would believe that the Holy Sword had become unstable?

Besides, even if that were true, the cause of the instability, no matter how one looked at it, was Lian.

“So why is the Holy Sword in the hero’s hand becoming unstable! Does this even make sense!”

Bang!

Kardo slammed his hand on the table, vehemently expressing his anger.

He had expected to finally get one over on the detestable Crown Princess this time.

But instead, he was the one who had taken an even bigger hit.

Kardo, whose pride had been considerably wounded, lost his reason and raged.

‘Those church b*stards, I heard a rumor… did they really ignore the Goddess’s revelation!?’

Kardo, the highest-ranking noble in the empire, had heard a story from his informants.

That it was theoretically possible to create an artificial hero.

However, not only was the cost unimaginably enormous.

But because of doubts about whether such a hero could actually fulfill the role properly.

As far as he knew, it had never been attempted before.

Furthermore, since the Goddess designated the hero through a revelation anyway, there was no need to create one.

It was a method not even considered unless the hero was truly incapacitated due to serious circumstances or was an unsuitable individual.

Kardo was now asking the Saintess with that context.

At this, Sera’s insides couldn’t help but churn.

‘Tsk… for a Duke, he seems to have figured out a fair bit…’

It would be very troublesome if it became known that the church, which should uphold the Goddess’s will and perform sacred duties above all else, had ignored her revelation.

Now, due to Lian’s foolish, impulsive actions, Kardo’s suspicion had been aroused.

However, Sera was not particularly agitated.

Because even if he had figured it out, Kardo would never be able to say it out loud.

‘We’re already in the same boat…’

Exposing the church’s corruption now would gain him nothing.

On the contrary, it would only empower the Crown Princess.

If that happened, he would be the one to suffer the most, so he wouldn’t pursue the matter of the hero’s origin.

It was merely a threat, meaning he should manage things better and be more careful in the future.

He was just acting more aggressively because he had been considerably humiliated in the meeting hall.

So, Sera decided to bow her head for a moment, even though her pride was greatly wounded.

“Duke, I apologize. Due to the sudden resurrection of the Demon Lord, we focused solely on increasing the Hero-nim’s combat power, and there were many other shortcomings, which I believe led to today’s grave mistake. I sincerely apologize.”

“Ahem..! Ah, no. I, too, apologize for my excessive remarks. I was so enraged by the Crown Princess’s arrogant behavior in the meeting hall that I lost my temper. I apologize.”

“Yes, thank you very much for your consideration.”

“Ahem! Ahem!”

‘Tsk… what a vulgar old man…’

Sera inwardly clicked her tongue at Kardo, who was clearing his throat while glancing at the cleavage revealed as she bowed in apology.

‘Because of that idiot, I have to suffer this indignity?’

Sera couldn’t help but curse Lian, who had caused the incident in the meeting hall.

Why did he have to step forward and make things worse?

If he had no response to Logan’s arguments, she would have taken care of it if he had just stayed quiet.

She didn’t know why he suddenly drew the Holy Sword and made a fuss.

‘Of course… it’s because he thinks he’s the real hero, but… tsk… what an oaf…’

Sera regretted not properly considering Lian’s personality, who was currently receiving separate treatment in the infirmary, before bringing him to the meeting.

She had intended to use his unreasonable behavior to get on the Crown Princess’s nerves.

But for him to go this far.

Anyway, there was no point in regretting what had already passed.

For now, for now…

“We can’t change what has already happened. More importantly, Saintess-nim, do you perhaps have time? The Crown…”

(TL note: It seems Kardo was about to ask Sera to meet the Prince)

She had to shut this old man’s mouth, who was trying to make an absurd request using today’s events as an excuse.

“Ah! Duke, as for me, I must remain at the church due to the Hero-nim’s treatment, but there is someone who is spending her time alone and bored!”

“Pardon…?”

Kardo’s brow furrowed slightly at Sera’s interruption.

‘D*mn wench, if she made a mistake, she should just shut up and accept it as compensation…’

He was still fuming when he thought about the humiliation he had suffered in the meeting hall today, but in a way, he also thought it might have turned out well.

• Ah, Uncle! Hurry up and bring the Saintess! The Demon Lord subjugation is over, so you can bring her now, can’t you!

Because his foolish nephew, the Prince who was confined to the detached palace, had been constantly pestering him to introduce Sera.

However, there was no way this cunning and calculating Saintess would simply meet the Prince, who had been deposed from his position as Crown Prince and was living in confinement in the detached palace.

Especially since she knew the Prince was a notorious womanizer.

But because of today’s events, he had intended to make the request naturally… how dare she interrupt him.

To Kardo, who was thinking such thoughts, Sera smiled gently and proposed.

“I mean Lady Irene. Lady Irene. Not only did she make a great contribution to the Demon Lord subjugation, but she is also a beautiful person…”

Naturally, Sera knew very well what kind of request Kardo was about to make.

Meet a prince even more pathetic than his uncle?

What nonsense.

Therefore, she decided to pass the responsibility to someone else.

To a very foolish wench at that.

“The Prince will surely like Lady Irene as well. What do you think?”

“…Ahem…”

Kardo cleared his throat at Sera’s suggestion and thought for a moment.

No matter how he looked at Sera’s current attitude, it seemed she would definitely refuse if he asked her to meet him directly.

‘Well, a magician isn’t bad either. Except for the fact that her social status is low…’

Since she was also quite pretty, wouldn’t his foolish nephew be somewhat satisfied, even if it was difficult for him to fully accept?

Having judged so, Kardo nodded and accepted her proposal.

“Yes, I understand. However, I wonder if the Magician-nim will agree…”

“Ah, don’t worry about that. I’ll speak to her well.”

“Hahaha… Thank you. The Prince was so eager to see the members of the hero’s party who achieved the great feat of subjugating the Demon Lord, and now I can fulfill his wish even a little!”

“Huhuhu… I’m so glad…”

Outwardly, Sera and Kardo were polite and amicable towards each other.

But inwardly.

‘Tsk… It’s not the hero party members he wants to see, just a pretty woman.’

‘Next time, you too will have to come see my nephew, you detestable wench.’

The two were cursing and despising each other.

---

‘Why do I have to go to the Imperial Palace again?’

Irene’s insides were boiling.

Her mood was already terrible because of what happened in the meeting hall today, and now she had to go to the Imperial Palace again.

To be precise, it was the detached palace, but anyway, she didn’t like it.

First, she was worried about Lian, who had been injured when the Holy Sword suddenly exploded, and she couldn’t be by his side.

Next, Logan, who had betrayed her in the meeting hall and was fawning over Anastasia.

Lastly, the shameless Sera, who said Kardo’s help was needed to trouble the Crown Princess now, so she had to accompany him to the detached palace, even if it was bothersome.

‘Ah… I want to burn everything down…’

Irene desperately felt the urge to use the highest-level magic, which she couldn’t present during the Demon Lord subjugation because the preparation process was too complicated and time-consuming.

If she just burned down the Imperial Palace, the life of that detestable Crown Princess would be over.

As for Logan, he would somehow survive, even if he was injured quite a bit.

If she nursed him then, wouldn’t he realize his mistake and come back to her?

While she was engrossed in such delusions and boarding the carriage.

“Magician-nim, we have arrived.”

Kardo got out of the carriage first, opened the door, and politely extended his hand.

“Ah, yes…”

Kardo offered his hand for Irene to take, but she declined and got out by herself.

At this, Kardo’s eyebrows twitched enough to clearly show his displeasure, but Irene didn’t care at all.

She didn’t want to hold the hand of a lecherous and greedy old man, not even for a moment.

Carrying such displeasure and annoyance, she followed Kardo’s guidance into the detached palace.

‘Why do I have to go meet the Prince? And a foolish person who was pushed out by that Crown Princess and deposed at that…’

Irene kept grumbling inwardly on the way.

However, when they arrived at the Prince’s inner chamber and the door opened.

“Wow…”

Her jaw dropped in admiration.

Because in the center of the inner chamber, a beautiful man was leaning against a lavish and luxurious sofa in a seductive posture, catching her eye.