Like a Dry Branch in the Wind

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A red-haired paladin shouted, his face red from Killian’s insult.

“That’s not true! What do you mean by the dogs of Her Imperial Majesty?”

Before Killian could say anything, Niston firmly raised his arm and blocked the paladins.

“Quiet, Riddlers. This is our fault.”

Niston seemed really offended by Killian’s remark about how the Order of Paladins had become the dogs of Her Imperial Majesty. Nevertheless, he bowed his head to acknowledge their faults.

“My apologies, Your Grace… No words can justify our actions.”

The paladin Niston admitted their mistakes by saying he did not confirm Serus’ identity. The knights were accompanied by the people of the Queen, then doubted Killian, and committed impertinence by invading his bedroom in the middle of the night. Not only that, they made his concubine bear shame in front of the paladins.

“It happened because of our negligence. Please do not misunderstand Grand Temple Havitus for this mistake. My apologies.”

The Order of Paladins blindly followed a suspicious person without even recognizing that he was not a priest, and even led the Queen’s people against the Archduke of Axias. It was clearly the Order of Paladins’ fault. The Archduke of Axias had all the reason to be mad.

However, Killian turned his head, ignoring the paladins. Rietta, who was left behind him, still had blood flowing from her leg. Killian immediately took off his cloak and turned around.

Entering the room, he carefully covered Rietta with his cloak. The cloak had barely reached below his knees when he wore it, and with Rietta wearing it now, the cloak had reached the floor.

Rietta looked up at Killian for a moment with a puzzled face, but soon calmly grabbed the hem of the cloak. 

The priest and paladins stared at the corner of the room in order not to accidentally look at her. The blood kept flowing because the wound in her skirt that was urgently tied did not stop bleeding properly but no one noticed it.

When Killian left Rietta in the room, closed the door, and came out in front of the paladins, the situation had taken a strange turn. Serus was surrounded by the paladins and was at a loss. He made shallow excuses saying that he really did know the Archduke well, and to minimize unnecessary explanations, he only borrowed the priest uniform for a while. He only ended up earning the wraths of the paladins.

“Your Grace!”

Leonard and the knights came up belatedly with grim faces. He intercepted in between Killian and the paladins and confronted them. They could not draw swords against the priest, so they probably had a hard time coming up. They looked disheveled and were gasping for breath. Killian laughed.

“If you really have to search my room, call the priestess. Men are not allowed in.”

Leonard gritted his teeth after hearing Killian. He glared fiercely at the paladins.

“Search his room? How dare you…!”

“Enough.”

Killian looked at Leonard and ordered.

“Leonard, go downstairs and call the ladies of the East Annex. Tell them to bring clothes for Rietta to change into.”

Then, he turned to Niston.

“I want to give Rietta time to prepare. That much would be fine, right?”

At Killian’s unexpectedly generous remarks, Niston—who had been half prepared to give up the search—bowed his head politely and expressed his gratitude.

“Of course. I just want to thank you for your consideration.”

Rather, Leonard and the knights were displeased.

“Your Grace, do you need to cater to these ignorant buggers?” 

“Rietta is concerned.”

Killian answered indifferently and pointed with his chin towards Leonard. Leonard frowned but bowed his head and turned around, leaving to carry out Killian’s orders. At Niston’s command, one of the paladins had also moved out to call the priestesses.

The ladies of the East Annex, staying on the floor right below them, arrived first. Giselle, Elise, and Rana were summoned. Serus, who was curling up in the corner, blatantly intervened again.

“You must not enter until the priestesses arrive.”

Before Killian could step up, the paladins first glared at Serus. Killian opened his mouth, expressionless.

“Even if there was Chief Priest Ostia in my room or something, it would not change if I let some women in. Why are you so impatient?”

Niston was afraid Killian would change his mind if he was offended. He intervened to please him.

“You can go in.”

Serus, whose mouth was blocked after losing his ally, shut his mouth in anger.

“Well, if there is any misunderstanding, I will just let one person in. Lana.”

A woman with long black hair stepped forward.

“Assist Rietta.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Answered Lana. She took the clothes from Giselle and opened the door, closing it again after entering. An awkward silence broke out between Killian and the paladins while they were waiting for the priestesses to arrive. Killian stood without expression and stared at Serus. Then, he opened his mouth.

“It’s so strange.”

People’s attention focused on Killian.

“You look like you’re sure there’s something there. But there’s nothing in my room.”

Killian continued to speak softly.

“Aren’t you worried about the responsibility you have to bear for this discourtesy after it’s confirmed that there’s nothing in my room? Or maybe you’re confident to cause something in my room after going in.”

Serus’ expression turned pale. Killian said to the paladins.

“I will name the priestess who will enter the room. I can believe him, and frankly, you lot, too.”

Everything went according to Killian’s will.

Among the four priestesses that the paladin brought under Leonard’s supervision, the priestess Leonard had placed in the temple earlier was included. She was a real priestess, not someone in disguise. So no one doubted her.

After checking the identities and affiliations of the priestesses one by one, Niston confirmed to the Archduke of Axias that they were not suspicious. Leonard pointed to the priestess as the one to enter the room.

After a while of having been searched by the priestesses, it was concluded that there was nothing suspicious about Killian’s bedroom.    

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

A three-way meeting was held between the Emperor’s deputy, the Queen, and the Archduke of Axias. The Archduke of Axias generously cooperated with the search despite the mistakes of the paladins. Rather, the story of the Queen’s people intervening in the process of searching his dwelling and acting suspiciously was conveyed to the Emperor’s deputy.

The paladins testified that they had no suspicions about Killian. The high-level paladin, Niston, put Serus on the ground to kneel and testified of what Serus had done. The Queen frowned at him.

“Serus, why did you do that? Where did you get a priest’s uniform? How could you impersonate a priest? I’m sure you know that’s a crime.”

The Queen expressed her regret and discarded Serus.

“You must know that my pure sincerity to forgive the Archduke of Axias and accept him as part of my family was hurt and almost ruined because of you. How will you be responsible for this?”

Serus bowed his head and was dragged out without saying a word of objection.

“I’m sorry, Archduke of Axias. I failed to control my subordinates.”

The Queen showed a sad expression on her face and smiled as if nothing happened.

“Tell your concubine that I am sorry.”

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

A petite black shadow looked around silently and jumped off the roof. The shadow set aside a heavy dark object on its shoulder and caught its breath. Then, the shadow laid down the body of the human it had carried in the bushes of a remote, remote place.

The shadow sat down tiredly and silently took a breath. After a moment, then the shadow lowered its purple eyes and looked down at the body.

The shadow in the darkness looked at the body for a while, harboring mixed feelings. The shadow carefully arranged the disheveled body in the blood-stained light blue ceremonial robe and laid it down. Then, it placed its hands over the priestess’s blood-stained face and closed her eyes.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

It was when the dark dawn merged into the day that the body of Ostia, the cousin of the Queen, was found in a remote area of the temple. The location was quite far from the dwelling where Killian’s party was staying. Due to the distance, it was difficult to doubt Killian, who had been attending the banquet all the time and had immediately returned to his dwelling.

Ostia lived a miserable life without her name being known for a long time. Finally, she met an unexpected end in the temple. Upon hearing her cousin’s news, the Queen expressed her regrets without even shedding a single tear.