GOOD GRIEF...
WALKING SO BOLDLY INTO THE IMPERIAL PALACE OF AN ENEMY NATION... IT DOESN’T EVEN FEEL REAL.
ACTUALLY BEING HERE GIVES ME SUCH AN ODD FEELING.
GRAND DUKE, YOUR HIGHNESS, WE HAVE ARRIVED.
COME, LET'S STEP OUT.
YES, YOUR HIGHNESS.
HUH, WHAT'S THIS?
WHY IS THE GRAND DUKE STANDING LIKE THAT?
ANYONE WATCHING WOULD THINK HE'S TRYING TO ESCORT ME.
AREN'T YOU GETTING OFF?
AH, YES! OF COURSE I AM!
WAIT, WAS HE REALLY TRYING TO ESCORT ME?!
I GUESS NO MATTER HOW MUCH TIME HE SPENT ON THE BATTLEFIELD, AN ARISTOCRAT IS STILL AN ARISTOCRAT.
...STILL,
A TRULY PERFECT BUTLER SHOULD NEVER RELY ON THEIR MASTER.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE LONG JOURNEY, GRAND DUKE, YOUR HIGHNESS.
HOW'S THAT? PRETTY RELIABLE, AREN'T I?
SHALL WE HEAD TO THE IMPERIAL PALACE NOW?
AS EXPECTED, YOU ONLY KNOW HOW TO PRETEND TO BE PERFECT.
EXCUSE ME?!
FOLLOW ME.
WE DIDN'T COME TO MEET THE IMPERIAL FAMILY TODAY.
WHAT?
WE CAME TO THE IMPERIAL PALACE, BUT WE AREN'T MEETING THE IMPERIAL FAMILY?
WHAT ARE YOU DOING? AREN'T YOU FOLLOWING?
YES, YES! COMING RIGHT NOW~!
...BY THE WAY, YOUR HIGHNESS, WHERE ON EARTH ARE WE HEADING RIGHT NOW?
YOU'LL SEE ONCE WE GET THERE. WE'RE ALMOST THERE.
THE FARTHER WE WALK, THE MORE IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE MOVING AWAY FROM THE IMPERIAL PALACE.
AH, AROUND HERE?
JUST WHO IS HE PLANNING TO MEET OUT IN A SECLUDED CORNER LIKE THIS?
...AH, YOU HAVE ARRIVED.
WELCOME, GRAND DUKE, YOUR HIGHNESS.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE LONG JOURNEY HERE.
HAVE YOU BEEN WELL ALL THIS TIME?
IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE LAST SPOKE.
IT IS AN HONOR TO SEE YOU, HIGH PRIEST.
GOOD HEAVENS... TO THINK THE PERSON WE WERE MEETING TODAY WAS THE HIGH PRIEST...
NO WONDER THE ATMOSPHERE WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE IMPERIAL PALACE THE ENTIRE WAY HERE!
BUTLER.
YES, GRAND DUKE, YOUR HIGHNESS!
I HAVE BUSINESS TO DISCUSS WITH THE HIGH PRIEST, SO WAIT HERE FOR A MOMENT.
IF YOU GET BORED OF WAITING, YOU'RE FREE TO RUN AROUND IN THE GARDEN WE PASSED EARLIER.
IT'S YOUR FIRST OUTING IN A WHILE, SO SHOULDN'T YOU MAKE THE MOST OF IT?
CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT COMING FROM THE VERY PERSON WHO KEPT ME LOCKED UP?!
I'LL SEE YOU LATER THEN.
...TAKE CARE, YOUR HIGHNESS.
SIGH, WHATEVER!
EITHER WAY, IT MEANS I'M FREE TO WANDER AROUND, RIGHT?
NOW THAT IT'S COME TO THIS, I MIGHT AS WELL LOOK AROUND THE TEMPLE.
AFTER ALL, IT'S MY VERY FIRST TIME VISITING A TEMPLE.
WHAT'S THIS, SIA?
WHY BRING UP THE TEMPLE ALL OF A SUDDEN?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'WHY'? MOST KNIGHTS SCHEDULED FOR AN EXPEDITION RECEIVE A BLESSING AT THE TEMPLE.
EVEN SOME OF MY SUBORDINATES HAVE GONE,
YET I'VE NEVER EVEN CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF IT. WOULDN'T ANYONE BE CURIOUS?
DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO PLACES LIKE THAT IN THE FUTURE EITHER, SIA.
WHAT? WHY?
YOU KNOW WHY. THOSE BASTARDS DESPISE PEOPLE LIKE US WHO LIVE SOAKED IN BLOOD ANYWAY.
BESIDES, WHAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO YOU THERE?
COME ON, YOU'RE BEING RIDICULOUS.
WHAT COULD BE DANGEROUS ABOUT A TEMPLE-
A NAMELESS WOMAN OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN.
AND A LARGE BURN SCAR ON HER FACE...
YOU ONLY SAY THAT BECAUSE YOU DON’T KNOW HOW THAT LOOKS TO THE PRIESTS.
BE CAREFUL, SIA.
I CARE ABOUT YOU AND CHERISH YOU, SO IT DOESN’T MATTER WHERE YOU CAME FROM.
HOWEVER...
THOSE PRIESTS WON’T FEEL THE SAME WAY I DO.
UGH, SERIOUSLY! WHY ARE YOU BEING SO SENSITIVE?!
WHO WOULD DARE LAY A HAND ON THE CROWN PRINCE'S FAVORITE KNIGHT?!
STILL, THANKS FOR WORRYING ABOUT ME.
I WON'T GO TO ANY TEMPLE FROM NOW ON EITHER, OKAY?
...YEAH.
KEEP MY WORDS IN MIND.
NEVER SET FOOT IN A TEMPLE, SIA.
THAT GUY WAS ALWAYS A BIT HIGH-STRUNG, BUT HE WAS ESPECIALLY BAD BACK THEN.
SCARING ME OVER WEIRD THINGS, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS THE CROWN PRINCE...
THERES REALLY NOTHING TO IT...
...ANYWAY, I WONDER IF HE'S DOING WELL.
HE WAS SOMEONE WHO CARED DEEPLY FOR THOSE AROUND HIM,
AND YET I DIED LIKE THAT ON THAT DAY.
...WAIT FOR ME A LITTLE LONGER, SERHIN.
I'LL FIND A WAY BACK NO MATTER WHAT.
ONLY NOW DOES IT FEEL REAL THAT THEY HAVE AWAKENED.
ABOVE ALL, IT IS A GREAT RELIEF TO SEE THEM LOOKING HEALTHY.
...SO.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT I ASKED, HIGH PRIEST?
FORGIVE ME, BUT I CANNOT SAY THERE IS ENTIRELY NO TRACE OF BLACK MAGIC.
AROUND THAT FAINT YET INTENSE AURA, I SENSED THE PRESENCE OF BLACK MAGIC.
THEN AS I THOUGHT...
DOES THAT MEAN ANOTHER SOUL INHABITS THAT BODY?
NO, GRAND DUKE. IT IS STILL TOO EARLY TO JUMP TO A HASTY CONCLUSION.
JUST BECAUSE TRACES OF BLACK MAGIC CAN BE FELT,
ONE CANNOT SAY FOR CERTAIN THAT IT IS A SOUL LOST TO THE ENCROACHMENT OF BLACK MAGIC.
ABOVE ALL, WHEN THEY AWAKENED ONCE MORE,
A BRIEF MIRACLE OCCURRED WITH THE WORLD TREE AS WELL.
HIGH PRIEST, DON’T TELL ME THAT’S...!
YES.
IT IS THE LEAF OF THE WORLD TREE THAT SPROUTED WHEN THEY AWAKENED.
The Grand Duke and his butler arrive at the palace of the enemy empire, but instead of the imperial family, they meet the High Priest at a desolate temple. While the Grand Duke goes to the meeting, he has his butler wait in the garden. As the butler wanders the temple, he recalls being warned in the past to stay away from temples. Meanwhile, the Grand Duke learns from the High Priest about the trace of black magic in the awakened one and the miracle of the World Tree.
