Chapter 163: A Meaningless Weighing

The knights, who had been breathing harshly, began to move busily.

In an instant, they surrounded the holy knights and priests.

The atmosphere turned vicious. Anyone who spoke carelessly might find a blade flying straight at their neck.

“What on earth is the meaning of this!”

“Have you not read the report? The dragon vanished, and the priests appeared. What else could that possibly mean!”

At Harlan Mineta’s furious roar, Larsen Heights also found himself troubled.

In truth, even he hadn’t imagined that priests would emerge from within the dragon.

He didn’t know why.

All he knew for certain was that the ones dressed as priests were the culprits.

“This is a false accusation! How could the Holy Temple possibly do such a thing!”

“There’s nothing to discuss! This is tantamount to a declaration of war from the Holy Kingdom and the Temple against the Kingdom of Mineta! If you don’t drop your swords this instant, only your heads will return home!”

At Harlan Mineta’s thunderous warning, the priests and holy knights who were surrounded grew uneasy.

At that, High Priestess Marianne stepped forward before Larsen Heights.

“Given the current situation, it’s understandable that His Majesty of Mineta would suspect the Temple. However, the Temple would never employ such vile sorcery.”

“You saw it with your own eyes.”

“And if those men truly are priests, then verification must also be conducted within our own ranks.”

But in the very heart of the capital, countless people had died.

Even the royal army had suffered heavy losses.

In such circumstances, King Harlan Mineta could not help but grind his teeth.

“After witnessing the horrors that thing caused, you still dare say that!”

As the shouting continued, the knights of the Mineta Kingdom inspected the fallen men in priestly garb.

They turned the bodies over and checked their faces—lifeless.

The faces were revealed.

One priest, standing amidst the encirclement, recognized one of them.

“Ah… Priest Anas…?”

It was a quiet murmur, yet several knights heard it.

Those words alone were enough to prove that at least one of them truly was a priest.

Naturally, that statement spread quickly among those nearby.

At the same moment, Harlan Mineta’s sword flashed sharply, its point pressing against Larsen Heights’ neck.

Chaaang―!

“Will you still insist the Temple is uninvolved after this!”

“That… Is that man truly a priest? You know him?”

The one who had recognized the fallen man desperately hoped he had been mistaken.

Of course, he could have lied.

But the trembling priest clearly lacked the courage to do so.

“I-I’m sorry…”

“What…!”

The dragon they had just slain had been like a curse conjured by dark magic.

If that had been summoned by a priest, then it was heresy.

Defection—an unthinkable concept within the Temple’s creed.

Larsen Heights and Marianne could only stand there, dismayed by what unfolded before their eyes.

“Will you persist like this?”

At Harlan Mineta’s question, Larsen Heights’ gaze flickered.

Should he surrender and bide his time?

Or should he fight through with the holy knights and priests to escape?

While he hesitated, High Priestess Marianne lightly grasped his arm from behind.

“Stay still.”

“But…”

“We must first inform the Holy Kingdom about these defectors. Therefore, Your Majesty, we shall surrender to take responsibility for this incident. In return, please allow us to send word to the Holy Kingdom through a priest.”

From the perspective of the Mineta Kingdom, there was no reason to agree.

Marianne knew that well.

But right now, the information about the traitors was what mattered most.

Harlan Mineta’s expression turned colder than ever.

“Denied. The Temple has already declared war on the Mineta Kingdom!”

“The Holy Kingdom has no such intention!”

“I will hear no more. If you refuse to surrender at once, I’ll strike your heads from your shoulders.”

Harlan Mineta’s sword shifted from Larsen Heights’ throat toward Marianne.

“Will you die here, then?”

Around them, knights and soldiers stood densely packed.

Even atop the rooftops, archers could be seen—those who had earlier fired arrows at the dragon.

Clang…

After a brief thought, Larsen Heights let his sword fall.

The holy knights followed his lead and surrendered.

The situation seemed to be settling. Then, another unit arrived from the direction of the royal castle.

It was the Second Prince of Moratz, Rasfer, and the knight commander Spessen Akraden, along with their men.

“My, my. You’ve been through quite a lot, haven’t you?”

At Prince Rasfer’s mocking tone, Harlan Mineta’s face twisted.

Yet he couldn’t blame anyone.

They were, after all, distinguished guests who had come to his kingdom—he could only seethe in silence.

“Please do not cross the line that must be kept.”

“I roughly understand the situation. Heretics from the Temple, you say… Even if they’ve defected, the Temple must still take responsibility for them.”

“Do you think we’re doing this because we don’t know that?”

“In that case, these people are a danger to the Kingdom.”

Rasfer’s gaze shifted.

At that moment, Spessen Akraden, who had been standing behind him, vanished as if his sword had given a signal.

Swish!

His target was Larsen Heights’s neck.

Since Larsen had just laid down his sword, he had no choice but to take the blow.

Kaaang―!

The strike was suddenly blocked by a blue sword that appeared right before his throat.

In that instant, Spessen’s calm expression turned ice-cold.

“What is this?”

The man who had blocked the attack with the blue sword let his crimson hair flutter.

It was Raion—the man who should have been in the palace annex.

“Me? What, were you planning to reserve my funeral with that sword of yours?”

“This is a matter of the kingdom. You must’ve prepared yourself for the consequences of interfering.”

The sudden appearance of such a man turned the atmosphere volatile.

At the same time, both Spessen—who had swung his sword—and the kings Harlan Mineta and Luteo Candir were startled.

‘Is that the man Charoen spoke of…?’

‘How did he get here…!’

One had only heard of him, while the other had met him briefly.

As their thoughts crossed, Spessen’s eyes met Prince Rasfer’s for a moment before turning back to Raion.

“So, you’re the guest of His Majesty, said to be residing at the palace annex.”

“Looks like you already knew about me.”

“As someone assigned to guard the prince, of course I’d know. But what is the meaning of your current actions? These people have declared war on the Mineta Kingdom—our soon-to-be ally.”

It was an explanation full of forced logic.

Still, the heretical sorcery committed by the defectors truly had endangered the kingdom.

The pitch-black dragon—created through dark magic from what was thought to be mere legend.

“Shouldn’t heresy be dealt with by the Temple itself? Why are you taking authority you don’t have?”

“Do you not know who this man is? He’s the Grand Captain of the Holy Knights of the Bachenan Holy Kingdom. Since the Temple has declared war on the kingdom, he’s the greatest threat here.”

Larsen Heights held the highest military position within the Holy Kingdom.

His death would mean a severe loss of strength for the Bachenan Holy Kingdom.

“Did His Majesty consent to this? You’re a knight of the Moratz Kingdom. You have no authority here.”

It had all happened far too suddenly.

Harlan Mineta, who had been watching the situation unfold, stepped forward.

“Sir Spessen’s words aren’t entirely wrong, but Sir Raion’s reasoning seems more sound for now.”

“However, Your Majesty, if we don’t deal with them immediately, they could become a grave threat should war break out with the Holy Kingdom.”

“I’m not unaware of that. But this is the Kingdom of Mineta. Are you saying you wish to challenge my decision?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

Spessen’s eyes flickered briefly toward Prince Rasfer again, then dropped.

There was a hint of regret in his gaze.

“My apologies. I have overstepped.”

With that, Spessen withdrew to stand behind Prince Rasfer once more.

Rasfer silently observed the situation.

After years of careful planning, this was the perfect, unrepeatable opportunity.

If he let it slip now, his plans could unravel entirely.

“Then will Your Majesty simply leave them be? Surely, you don’t intend to verify every move the Holy Kingdom makes before taking action.”

What if the pitch-black dragon that attacked the capital had truly been the Temple’s doing?

Then the Holy Kingdom would undoubtedly be the one pulling the strings behind it.

Whether to kill or to spare them—either choice seemed equally dangerous to the survival of the Mineta Kingdom.

“Will the Prince of Moratz take responsibility for what happens next?”

“Responsibility? This situation arises solely from Your Majesty’s decision! And what is that tone! Are adventurers so lacking in manners these days?”

The man known as the king’s guest—his true identity still uncertain.

And now, that same man dared to speak bluntly, cutting his words short. Naturally, Rasfer’s brow furrowed.

“Then why don’t you act that way yourself? More importantly, isn’t the current situation what really matters? The Moratz Kingdom isn’t taking responsibility, so why are you pushing this so far?”

“You keep talking about responsibility—what business of yours is this that you keep interfering!”

“If you’re not here to take responsibility, then stop where you are. Keep going, and it’s nothing but stubbornness.”

“This was done by the priests! How is that stubbornness!”

“Then go ahead and cut them down yourself.”

Raion moved the sword that had been blocking Larsen Heights aside.

Now Rasfer could strike freely.

If these people were truly a threat, then killing them should have been the right choice.

Yet Rasfer did not move.

“What’s wrong, can’t do it? Why don’t you let your man handle it again, like before?”

“……”

Even as Raion motioned toward Spessen with his eyes, there was no response.

The tension that should have escalated had instead sunk to the floor.

With the feeling that war itself was about to erupt, no one dared move recklessly.

“If the Moratz Kingdom will not take responsibility for war, then I suggest you step back.”

“And you think you can take responsibility for declaring war on the Temple and the Holy Kingdom in this manner?”

“Why would I?”

“You were the one who blocked that sword!”

“Such ridiculous logic…”

“R-Ridiculous, you say?”

At his retort, Raion turned his gaze to Harlan Mineta.

“Your Majesty, perhaps it would be best to settle the situation first. Or do you plan to keep everyone standing here like this?”

Even Harlan Mineta, who was usually full of authority, found himself at a loss.

If this continued, the confusion could only grow worse.

He quickly gave the order.

“…Clear this place!”

At once, Rasfer and Spessen’s faces twisted with frustration.

Yet even they couldn’t step forward to turn the situation around.

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