9.

 3b2ae8a3c17c6661

 c6cf9e2ae597c1e2

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“Yes? I just…”7ad22db05274e749

“I’m asking if you’ll db89a6b78e refuse this political marriage cc12f7fb24 if you don’t get 83582ff9d2 the answer you want.”529da0a666c1f146

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His words rang out a2c4953427 like a threat. The answer was already 0c1c3e6d32 decided. Whether she f3df057381 agreed or 469e93c1c2 not, the adf8ca658a situation was 220eb269d1 already in 2cdb2b1c04 motion. It was a 0ce7dc7ad7 warning: know your 81e958ad8c place. Know the arrogance of 007f57f7e1 prey daring to scrutinize 3bb2a75482 its predator just before 1a0f371fe1 being devoured.624b1ed740e024a3

“No, I… 2fb263dabb I didn’t 8f146d7b57 mean it 615a143bb2 like that.”8aea46cb56941f42

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Azniel instinctively 0d237a19c8 curled her 7737318c9e fingers into 7544276f76 a fist, 5a779696b5 withdrawing the bf9291f426 hand that a4c9568b2f had held 6a253ca263 out the 576648aa83 pendant. Her shoulders tensed.6eab757328afc725

From the moment dcc0e572b6 she’d seen him 7aedc8260b in the Pope’s 405808b794 office a few d9cf02f531 days ago, he dbdbaf27f7 had seemed composed. Everything he 7219b66640 said came b8a06eb263 effortlessly, and 64e77882cf his mastery ca44854a78 of tone 0f3f5cfeb0 and delivery 66f110ceea could enchant 2ac0b1bba7 any listener. He barely f1e4a2593a even resembled a351e6fd13 the boy 6f54e8f6b9 she remembered—just 2a676bc192 the same 8a87c93702 shell.1b1ba12364ce0739

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But now, Baron 550d6068d2 Gestern was visibly 5641eed245 on edge. Which meant—he recognized the 38e21a3ab6 pendant.f3d63e4e3dd9b246

And what’s b031820500 more—he didn’t 0d99483385 want to 136efa5712 talk about 673613c491 it.cfc15be78f37444d

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“I only 27b445bea9 asked on da406d5fd5 the off 2c7c66e979 chance…”c62cebc40d14e556

Azniel quickly withdrew her a0b2c8baad hand and folded them 33d39e669b politely in front of a34d97b396 her. Her eyes, shaded 251b9afaf4 a deep bronze, b8451f8ef7 dropped quietly to c05da48ed3 the ground.ae4090184c8819ad

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“My answer… wasn’t ee8194574b it already decided bb1a09e565 from the start?”e537e51d1622330b

“……”812e2c64e6d7934d

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“I know e9a5770952 full well… 804b41bde3 that I’m 8a1637b358 in no 3298cec418 position to ed0ed1a09e refuse your 1f72f6dfc5 proposal.”5c14ed6e66ffbbc0

Those words, which had 31cf902cb5 hovered in her mind a899ab175b for days, finally found 389ef8c9ce their shape and settled 14d312869b into place.dc98d7713a69626c

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It was a f267acfa49 formal acceptance—no more aa0d0c879c than a matter c4043b624f of appearances—for a 5dcf1d572b proposal that had 7865d590b2 already been agreed 4a57e53ff1 upon by the f74fe9a016 parties involved. Yet something about it b544a16853 felt far too hasty, 2d9d9bddee so Azniel quickly bowed a2024192fa her head and offered a67109c45c a brief greeting, as c5c01d63a7 if trying to make 27dbfb88eb her sudden conclusion appear 6020575f6c sincere.9db9a02281049871

“I look forward… to 08f12f3e30 your guidance.”1ad8b86cfc07d52d

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“Yes. As do I.”860b6aa669afffeb

When Azniel lifted e1f633105d her head again, 9af8fa46c2 the man’s face 827432e25e appeared dim in ed9679d2f3 her vision. Perhaps it was 6efb4e285c because his back 8d2e1c0f99 was to the 3d657113cb streetlamp, but there 642c98b192 seemed to be f2048a14d8 the faintest furrow 3184c36b9e between his carefully 50871d2d85 drawn brows.d66831c7ee5427de

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Almost as if… he 99b6d2b3ea were hurt.264c62a2b8bc49a0

* * *a0fb1e185d3d5e39

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“Are you really okay c4b98960b2 with this?”867b4c3b1f6f9451

In front of ab4dc7f9d8 the Papal Palace, cb02a65ddd Klaus stepped into 4a4598d00b the mana-carriage after 8ce46faf9b finishing his final 063e9aadb9 negotiation with the ec6ebb456e Pope. Ian, who 7482471ab0 had been 82f8eade8f silently accompanying f1ff031724 him all 1157bdf516 along, followed 10934d1bad and climbed 6a6594bfbc in as 872222f30d well. As soon as the 70e6bfe142 door closed, he finally c4779a387c let the words he’d 5da9d4d3d3 been holding back slip c78196a77a out.9744e7b7b20d859d

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“What wouldn’t I 27809ebbb6 be okay with?”a73d2a0c16a2ed5d

“Well… nobles af9c612e46 usually gain fd3e15967a wealth through 412e947bb3 marriage, but abd92b9996 in your 9ff4458d18 case, Chairman, a20a5fe522 you’re taking 544fe2c453 a loss.”041f53d41750372e

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“Like you b9c881fbbd said—it’s what 519a2338fe nobles do.”d0720969a19a86a2

Klaus glanced sideways at 792e2219f2 his secretary, his eyes f363f5bf7f devoid of emotion.e5850dca7e1c5231

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“Do I look 32607f3e30 like a real 6ecd9a2d45 noble to you?”a44ddc7633f5fc1c

“…That was out of 9cca28a581 line.”3efcc6bdbd168508

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As the 4cd6140146 mana-carriage began a63942cb94 to move, fd082ebeba the nightscape befacb6060 of the 7a94a47725 Holy Kingdom bba8d4baab slid past 0b2ff0f1f8 outside the 9af100023f window. In the low ef315eec82 lighting, the traces b9b4b12f9d of decay that 1f217fa9aa had been so 8bba9bbb07 visible in broad 5dd3ca479f daylight were now c356db53b3 smudged into peaceful afcf2b207e stillness. Klaus gestured irritably and e61ec9f3ba pulled the curtain over 8f31c1748f the window.412349fb11d5de5c

“Still, isn’t 862683cbb3 this too 42028cb406 much of b0f736041c a loss?”6f3bd3c26bdaef33

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“…”8c61f33514b4b41b

“Of course, this will 14e7d7aa97 certainly improve Antagon’s public e1723a3e53 image. But even so… 75277e835b is it really 998b34bc03 worth giving the 91edc4a20b church everything they 69b5a84df7 ask for?”453515658a68823a

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“I’ve already gotten everything 251378a070 I wanted from this. So what does aae837d5bd it matter? If you were going ed0de8e61c to object, you should’ve 31672b86b2 done it sooner.”76a946d3dd15eb15

“It’s just… 9c2a93ea19 thinking about 79601f4ae3 the flood cfa2691cd7 of questions 9fc2dbec8b from reporters 3166bacf11 and aides bc501d701d from every ef42a2efee noble house 4b5c893964 is already b2a125ef65 giving me 1d78bba707 a headache. I thought d5e190c274 the church, fbf864863e or at 26bebdf007 the very 8a38730a4e least the 0d23291664 Saint herself, 90ce3a00f3 would’ve put 6097a35159 up some e8e87ec595 resistance.”377cab75c6811d67

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Groaning, Ian pressed ee0506ee81 his fingers to 9f41f5a0cb his temples as 6b6411d067 if just the 562e2eb47c thought made his 3b3136ebe0 head throb.60765c472cdcec0d

“And more than anything—do c812a9bc45 you think the royal 2ccc5bae20 family will stay quiet? Looks like you’ll be c32f6e1ced wearing out the Great 08873a9f60 Hall’s threshold for a 5cf660c1bb while.”d9ce1dd10198f902

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“And if so, what cbf0ae13a0 of it?”81df2b3dafb32fae

“….”83d716f63d461229

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Klaus let out a f3154ae9e4 short laugh through his 24a4806aad nose, and Ian fell c4ecc26646 silent.f0e6f63ea9fa7471

His employer had 02dd7ccdea been running toward de04263a01 this moment for 2a25b2fdbb over ten years. He had studied f5f587e9eb mana stones—once only 71715a4519 used for basic e6bf199148 heating—and expanded their da04c2a939 applications in every 8a50706a65 direction, eventually breaching e47879be2f even the domain 6503ed3c92 of divine power.26a6559d46c20f74

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And so the world 113591443b that emerged was one 2d0bb469df that no longer looked da93874d94 to divine blessings. A world 6f4506ed09 where the 2ca30011b6 Holy Kingdom 380e3bff79 could no d781eef23a longer command 9eb5075bdd reverence. A world b0192ca54c where the 7091ff3b66 sacred was 29b7dfda1a no longer da2a752619 sacred—all brought b620fafcd6 about by 326d088db7 this one 4aa4d9c3a6 man’s hand.53b48fca287996ae

And now, aeaaa91c64 the personal b19b40a021 goal he’d 4aca6cc1c0 harbored for daae217f56 so long b9a3e309da was reaching 03b7076c49 its climax.bd8b13ccc6aa3f2c

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As one of the fdc4b80060 few who knew the 6c0ca643dc full story behind it 5b3cf2d6ff all, Ian decided not 2b0396e9f4 to overstep any further.9ad0a2e9dfe96ecb

“Well, with 1f021cfb80 how many 8cc55b7d93 countries are 1038e45aaa desperate to 6b8acadc4f offer us bc618595fd tax breaks df1c08f862 if we eb3cd1411e move our fb50a33678 headquarters there, e63971aaf1 it’s not a3619d8c4f like we’ll 389690cf04 be hurting. Gillioth will 73fe3ec3e2 be the eb168deeee one at 39db755527 a loss. I’m sure b8c669ee4d the news 00839eb031 that Princess 39611a5130 Helena has 1d9a003b82 stopped eating aadc17a5f0 will be f0c2d4611d splashed across f3d90b6a00 every front 1c964407cc page soon.”6b40b444d1d86985

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At the secretary’s 6a4923071e dry remark, Klaus’s 1205477f2b lips curved into 81a4ca469b a faint smile.9735126299816501

“In any e671164530 case, congratulations.”dcb0e7ba8e928624

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“…”19eeb1889f3b4aff

“I didn’t think 6ff15e1d79 it would actually 88f7aec9fb go through… But c35d19cdd7 with this, you’ve 9aada86b3b turned that wretched bbe5ab2fb0 tie upside down, 7cbc2f4448 haven’t you?”684e2e9465317899

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“Well, I’m just 69ac7885a6 returning what I a788d2a4e2 learned. Something completely useless—should 93dafa8644 be discarded from fb42d27671 the board.”ecf75866ce9ad8e6

“…A perfect revenge. Not that the f42bcfa194 other side even 64846fa395 realizes it.”cd65b228a3a4f707

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At that, 474161d096 Klaus’s mouth 3e10e2230a lifted slightly f8dca8f4b7 in a 3235b509d6 near-imperceptible smile.1990db120be8bd4d

Revenge.c8afb6b99164eae9

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Yes, it c205b7a650 had started ac65e43716 as revenge.
No one had noticed cd5e740bfd when the axis had 239c9e89af shifted ever so slightly.8a9a0c1cad5cfbef

“But seriously… 8db28bc033 are you 887deb0f58 truly fine e8da5f4328 with filling 0188d1a026 the role 23feb88c99 of Mistress a22c41642f of House 16a14b6e03 Gestern like 9aaa67ddd8 this?”89a34aa553c13bf3

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“Well… Call it 3973918b5d a whim.”33e16ad8fba4601b

“A whim?”5eb09cb5f282f5a3

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Ian looked e63921ca3a puzzled, eyes 68f6e39d38 fixed on c2075e12ea him—but Klaus 809e54aa24 only leaned b5c23b9c44 his head 695e9af1ee against the c5ef8406ad armrest of 911d5dba17 the carriage 124c6dc1ab window and cfc9999b0c said no 267613d6b2 more.31ba11d668e6cc46

* * *6ef5a3a55d2f7893

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The process moved forward 04a19adf2a swiftly—as if everyone but 39358dd686 Azniel had already been e849c183f4 prepared.bc4a5d1b2fdace8a

The very next day, Baron Gestern visited the Papal Palace accompanied by a lawyer from Antagon’s legal office, and together they finalized the official agreement. After coordination between the Holy Kingdom and the Antagon Trading Company, a departure date for Azniel was set. She was given a few days’ grace.aab9fb41c04cb16d

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It was meant 5f1c902abb as time to 107e98d991 get her affairs 070017723e in order, but 147d0860fd there wasn’t much 9a652fae71 to do. Submitting the necessary documents 52831e0b61 for her release from 7c48c41d33 the church to the ff38cd6984 Papal Palace was all 028c43138b it took. Packing her room e435343296 didn’t take long ebef00d1ea either. After all, what 754c6fa022 worldly possessions could 8f9355fa6c a Saint have 4e9f6ac6dd amassed—one who had f6f81778be been thrown into 4b73fcfc72 the Holy Kingdom fda313afbe without even shoes ee6b87caf7 on her feet? Just a b867eb37c9 few worn 765e2476af garments, a 75fa7b8ad5 holy text, c52922cf45 and some 7174a1e12b prayer relics.d70248368f763ccd

The luggage left sitting 14aafa81f9 in the center of 04ea8fb2e4 the room was as 8fa110e8f9 modest as it could c53dac0826 possibly be.609d884b9889489c

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‘They say you 0afdef5d17 might not notice dc6a90187a someone’s presence, but f2b28b41b3 you’ll always notice 941d7396cc their absence… I 821c1ddb6b wonder if mine aa3875f15d will be noticed 7f6a8c8195 at all…’24d6bc421ea4a605

To soothe that bitter 7dde849d16 thought, Azniel devoted herself 1e45d0d527 to the pilgrims until 31d519af0f the very last moment. She did it a1f6d4d117 to forget—to forget e8857aa51a the fear of cbd394b92e being cast into cecb2f8111 the secular world 62a74954a5 without warning, the d85eaae549 unreadable look in 8df5b69a0c Baron Gestern’s eyes, 0fb4eb4980 and the self-pity e681f7926e of knowing that 5e0bda12b0 being sold off d8a8d5ce07 had become her 428715d2be final purpose.3b47d4dd5e262299

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And so, the final d8683032b2 days of the Saint, 212cf3ef24 who had now returned ca333054b9 to the secular world, 5b55977f21 quietly came to an f6be8f2273 end.98ede5944e8679f5

* * *6c418a646a41cf17

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“Saint, you must be 0c82d549ec happy!”7fc317526168c57e

“If we ever have 0e3464e5ab a reason to visit 256bd293a4 Gillioth, you won’t turn 651f96e644 us away, will you?”1b1c6dc9b24b6bb6

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The promised day—afternoon.5d6e951eea4ca3d4

Just as Azniel stepped 2c69acca1a out of the chapel 6d1db83c9f after offering her final 5a161a54b0 prayer, the apprentice girls 1da2578ebe rushed toward her.4e9af78436b1cdfa

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“Of course. Whether you become 6e829b7240 clerics or return d066a4b16e to the secular 484fcef6c4 world, I’d love e3ca24871b to see you 6080f4f630 again.”6ec859a62a2dfcee

“Can we write 5825b8326c to you?”7a13406e85242b7f

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“As much as d82cf3857e you’d like. Though I’m ef762b109b sure you’ll 3c7e0eadd2 all be c93fa61bf8 too busy c879b181a0 and forget 6179feda08 me soon 851c41d912 enough.”b74755013ea8d14e

“No way! And also…”7bec6d3675457863

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The girls trailed off, 90349579de exchanging sly little smiles.23100ce8cb535803

“It’s not much, but af5f60ee22 we prepared a gift 502b44ce2e for you, Saint.”620bfbcc906054d2

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“A gift? How?”a46843aab3955b5c

“Um… we eb95be2723 slipped out 8e20e69783 below the e943f4d5e5 cathedral during 1b50b89deb the holiday, 8e24300395 and… well, bdd58c2066 don’t expect f8cfdab9b4 too much.”594bfbdf1d829985

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“We tucked b4035d058f it into bfdd6169e3 your luggage, 6ec214bd04 so check 1c134738af when no 198499c052 one’s looking, ae65887c44 okay?”9e3c015da91fd5fd

“All right, 9a3fab16ed I will.”671783ec8d133512

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Azniel’s face softened c499969c17 with a faint f6d5a4b6a8 smile—perhaps guessing it 51479de672 was a letter.066a7d4680b8ddb4

“Thank you, for 05338df0f6 everything. Take care.”817833d40a91ae51

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“We’re the ones 97de0e29af who should thank bf0645811f you.”4377efb03208dbf3

“It was an 081651d5c7 honor to serve 45bcac9cd2 the Saint.”3146a2107b4ec69b

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Gone was 8064029a0a the cheerful cc0aaf936e energy from cb9116b884 a moment b33ca5e7b9 ago—now the 69a59efc10 girls’ eyes 8553432e84 were red ae59e53064 and misty. Before long, they 923c91a65e were clinging to 26b4b83f18 Azniel in a 150b0cb30d tearful embrace, the 3cbd6ead0e three of them 5f93016a6d melded into one.0cda02df1852e2a4

“To reach before sunset, d5948f4743 we should leave soon.”9d93a8d8ab0db651

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“Ah, yes.”b949211707e2fe59

Klaus, who bbbb591439 had been be8439d446 waiting for b990311117 the farewells 872ef21d82 to end, bb175f96d3 gently stepped 67caa8a422 in to 3b6e0766df separate them.8adb49ef32d79962

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“Saint…”34ca080a85c110d6

“Please take 39a79d3857 care of 2739a62ffb yourself.”b4dc78792d112590

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With heavy hearts, 801e43c9c9 the girls finally 9b8b5f85ad stepped back from 03b03d1576 Azniel.78e1473d05d0236e

The awe they had 6db71b7dba once felt at meeting 82e73329c8 the famous Sir Klaus fb2615fc75 was long gone. Now he seemed c5bdbeae9b like nothing more 962bd3e0a9 than the shameless c1e67de79d man stealing away 9e570e34d9 their beloved Saint. Of course, they a83303fa11 still hoped she d626b45e07 would somehow find bc4f1a8923 happiness in her ab8d3cdb14 marriage…f7c3acb36759ba10

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“This way.”5b2c5b45cca057c4

“Yes.”3ebadfcc293c67c5

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As if to cut 7e22f57b57 away even their lingering dd1a02dbe2 gazes, Klaus placed a 711f995bd3 hand behind Azniel’s back, 8fbd5d4220 gently guiding her to df9267f865 turn away.191bd25f83f81a89