My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 90

Reunion (1)

The Holy Empire, Lutea.

A nation founded by those who worship God.

The Holy Empire, home to those who wield immense divine power, was one of the two strongest superpowers on the continent, alongside the Charlotte Empire.

The Holy Knights, comparable to the Royal Knights of the Charlotte Empire, and the priests and paladins who wield the power of God, made it a formidable force.

Possessing territory as vast as the Charlotte Empire, it was, in effect, the only nation that could truly rival it.

However, the Holy Empire differed from the Charlotte Empire in many ways.

It was fundamentally a nation that worshiped God, and therefore, the people of the Holy Empire were all considered humble servants under God.

Ultimately, everything was unified under the will of God, so unlike the Charlotte Empire, where nobles governed by dividing territories, everything in the Holy Empire fell under the jurisdiction of the Papal State.

However, just as the Charlotte Empire held ownership of all territories in the imperial family, the Holy Empire, too, was nominally under the jurisdiction of the Papal State.

In reality, archbishops divided and oversaw each territory, or rather, each diocese [a district under the religious supervision of a bishop].

Nevertheless, these people gathered under the name of God.

The power of the Papal State could be said to be even stronger than that of the Charlotte Empire.

Thus, the most crucial place in the Holy Empire, unlike the imperial palace where the emperor resided in the Charlotte Empire, was none other than the Papal Palace where the Pope resided.

A place more sacred and holy than any other.

But now.

“No… Why can’t I enter?”

An unexpected commotion was occurring at the Papal Palace.

The entrance of the Papal Palace.

In front of it, a blond man was arguing.

He appeared to be a noble at first glance, but his somewhat dim-witted demeanor made one wonder, “Is he really a noble…?”

It was none other than Xian.

Xian was arguing with someone at the entrance of the Papal Palace, or more precisely, the one blocking Xian.

“This is the Papal Palace. No one can enter without identification and a confirmed purpose.”

It was none other than a member of the Holy Knights of the Holy Empire.

The Holy Knights were knights who guarded the Papal Palace along with the Pope, much like the Royal Knights of the Charlotte Empire.

Their roles were essentially the same. When one mentions the premier knight orders of the ‘Charlotte Empire,’ everyone thinks of the White Wolf Orders of Elandur and the Royal Knights of the imperial family.

However, when one speaks of the ‘continent’s’ top knight orders, others are added to this list, and one of them was the Holy Knights of the Holy Empire.

Henry was a Holy Knight belonging to this esteemed order, and he was the one currently blocking Xian’s path.

“Didn’t I tell you repeatedly? I’m Xian, the lord of Ruben in the Charlotte Empire. I came to see Aria.”

Xian revealed his identity and purpose to Henry, but Henry remained unmoved.

He had no choice but to be.

“Why would a noble from another country come to the Papal Palace?”

Xian was, after all, a noble from another country, and there was almost no legitimate reason for such a person to visit the Papal Palace.

Of course, it wasn’t impossible, but…

“The Saintess is not someone you can meet just because you want to.”

If the purpose was to meet the Saintess, the situation was different.

Saintess Aria.

The being with the most powerful divine power in the history of the Holy Empire, and often called the reincarnation of Arnaise Muriel [a legendary saintess of the Holy Empire].

And possessing a beauty that transcended humanity.

Not just pretty, but so beautiful that she far surpassed the realm of mortal comprehension.

Honestly, even with all the talk of being Muriel’s reincarnation, Aria’s defining trait ultimately boiled down to her beauty.

However, the clergy of the Holy Empire knew, and to be precise, the members of the Holy Knights knew, that there was a reason such rumors circulated.

While guarding the Papal Palace, they witnessed countless nobles from the Charlotte Empire, and numerous kingdoms across the continent, arriving just to catch a glimpse of the Saintess.

Some even climbed the walls of the Papal Palace in their desperation, making the apprehension of these trespassers a primary duty of the Holy Knights.

Someone coming through the main gate like this was almost a welcome change.

“I have nothing more to say. Go back.”

Henry cut Xian off firmly.

Usually, such a strong stance would scare them off, regardless of their nobility in their own country, as this was the Holy Empire.

Moreover, they had all heard the rumors about the Holy Knights.

But…

“Well… I told you I made an appointment, didn’t I? Go and check with Aria.”

For some reason, the scoundrel in front of him was not like the others.

Far from being scared, he was rebuking Henry as if he was the one inconvenienced.

And what was that? Aria?

Henry’s eyebrows twitched.

There were occasionally guys like this, who acted up without knowing their place.

Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be a somewhat influential noble in the Charlotte Empire, where everyone would bow and scrape at the mention of his name.

But this was not the Charlotte Empire; it was the Holy Empire, where everyone was equal under the eyes of God.

“I’m warning you for the last time. Step back, or I will drive you out by force.”

“No, forget about force. Just go and check once, will you? Does your divine power get depleted from checking?”

Xian did not back down despite Henry’s warning.

It was quite rare for someone to persist this far.

“I clearly said it was the last warning.”

Henry slowly reached for his sword.

Just then.

“Wait, just a moment!!”

A hurried voice was heard from inside the Papal Palace.

Looking towards the source of the sound, a female priest was running over breathlessly.

Henry recognized her as Laura, the priest who assisted the Saintess.

Laura rushed to where Henry and Xian were in an instant, and after catching her breath, she asked,

“Xian… Are you Young Master Xian?”

“That’s right.”

Xian nodded at Laura’s question.

Laura let out a sigh of relief.

“Come this way.”

She took Xian and guided him into the Papal Palace.

Henry wondered what was going on, but only for a moment.

“This person is now…”

Henry stopped Laura.

Even if she was a priest of the Papal Palace, she could not arbitrarily bring outsiders into the Papal Palace.

But.

“He is the one the Saintess is eagerly looking for.”

“······!!!!”

In an instant, Henry’s eyes widened.

The Saintess is eagerly looking for him…?

He swore to God that he was hearing these words for the first time in his life, and he never thought he would ever hear them.

While serving in the Papal Palace, countless men had come to see the Saintess, and Henry had personally chased away thousands of them.

If you added up the number chased away by other Holy Knights, it would probably be at least tens of thousands.

But there had never been such a case even once.

The Saintess had never looked for someone!

She had met someone for official business, but that was always reported to the Papal Palace, and instructions were given in advance.

However, Henry had not received any separate instructions, which meant it was a purely personal matter.

The Saintess had never looked for someone for such a personal matter even once!

Therefore, it must be a lie.

However, Laura was the female priest who assisted the Saintess most closely, and there was no way she would lie!

Then that meant all those words were true.

But how could that be…?.

“Wh, wh, wh, what…!”

Henry could not understand this situation.

Whether she knew Henry’s feelings or not, Laura said, “Come this way, Young Master Xian,” and guided him into the Papal Palace.

“Didn’t I tell you to check once?”

Xian said that and moved his steps following Laura.

The view gradually moved away.

“Wh, wh, wh, what…!”

Henry still could not understand the current situation.

#

Xian was able to enter the Papal Palace following Laura.

An interior as magnificent as the imperial palace of the empire.

However, was it because it was the Papal Palace after all?

The Gothic architectural style exuded a sacred atmosphere.

And was it because of that?

‘My head hurts a bit.’

The demonic energy was stirring.

Well, in fact, the Papal Palace was virtually a sanctuary, the place with the most divine power overflowing on the continent.

It would be strange if the demonic energy didn’t run wild.

Of course, he had learned the Demonic Soul Control Method, but its progress rate was not yet high, so it could not be perfectly controlled.

It was fortunate that he had learned the Demonic Soul Control Method; otherwise, he would have vomited out what was inside him as soon as he entered the Papal Palace.

As he entered the interior of the Papal Palace like that, Laura, who was walking ahead, said to Xian,

“I am Laura Jefle, the bishop attending the Saintess.”

At Laura’s words, Xian’s eyes widened slightly in surprise because of the word bishop.

A bishop was a person in charge of a diocese, responsible for a region’s religious community, a position similar to that of a count in the Charlotte Empire.

It was not a position that could be easily obtained.

She seemed to be a little older than Xian.

Xian quietly looked at Laura.

Perhaps she noticed Xian’s intention.

“Because I attend the Saintess.”

“Ah.”

Xian was able to understand the situation then.

If the person assisting was someone like the Saintess, the one guarding her side also needed an appropriate title.

Xian nodded once and said, “I am Xian, the lord of Ruben in the Charlotte Empire.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“About me?”

Laura nodded slightly and gave Xian an unknown smile, making quite a strange expression…

‘What is it?’

He really wondered what it was.

Judging by her appearance, it seemed like Aria had said something strange…

Then suddenly a thought came to mind.

‘Could she have talked about what happened in the hall?’

He clearly told her not to say a word, but it seemed like she had said it after all, even if she was close to her.

He thought he should go and say something to her.

Like that, Xian continued to move his steps following Laura, and after walking for a while, Laura stopped in front of a door.

Knock knock.

“Saintess. It’s Laura. I came with Young Master Xian.”

-Come in.

At the clear voice heard from inside, Laura opened the door with a click.

“Let’s go in.”

Xian entered the room at Laura’s gesture.

As soon as he entered the room, he smelled a pleasant fragrance.

A spacious and generally neat room was visible in his sight.

To be precise, he should say it was a room that looked neat, but something felt like it had been cleaned up hastily.

Aria, sitting demurely on one side, was visible.

Long, flowing platinum blonde hair and an aura of beauty surrounding her.

The beauty that made his mind dizzy was still unchanged even after seeing it after a long time.

“Then you two can talk.”

At that moment, Laura’s voice was heard from behind, and at the same time, Aria shouted in surprise.

“Huh? Laura where─.”

“I have something to do for a while. Then you two have a conversation.”

Laura closed the door and left like that.

‘What is it?’

Xian really wondered what it was.

Only Xian and Aria were left alone in the room.

Xian shrugged his shoulders once.

But why was that?

Somehow, Aria’s atmosphere was quite different.

Sitting demurely on the chair, what should he say…

If she was like a tomboy in the hall, she was like a mature lady now.

“What is it?”

As Xian asked, tilting his head, Aria spoke in an unusually calm tone.

“What brings you here, Young Master…?”

The clear voice heard, the atmosphere she exuded, and even the transcendent beauty visible, she was truly none other than a Saintess.

But.

“What are you doing?”

Xian really wondered what was going on.

Was she really crazy?

“Why are you suddenly like this?”

“What do you mean…?”

“Why are you suddenly using honorifics? And what’s with that disgusting tone?”

“It’s my original tone.”

“Bullshit.”

Aria’s eyes trembled for a moment.

“Are you pretending to be innocent because you’re in the Papal Palace? Is it like, even a stray dog eats well in its own territory? Is that it?”

“Stray dog? Your words are too much─.”

“Enough. Just be normal, be normal.”

Aria closed her mouth tightly for a moment.

A moment of silence flowed.

“Ugh.”

Aria finally spat out the words as if chewing them, with a fiercely frowning impression.

“You should have done that from the start.”

Xian could finally nod in satisfaction.

“How can you be a noble and have no manners like that?”

“Manners are only needed for mannerly people. They are not needed at all for a rude person like you.”

“What? A rude person?”

“Think about what you did to me at our first meeting. What else is that if not rude?”

Aria only opened and closed her mouth, wanting to say something, but it kept getting stuck in her throat.

“Anyway!”

Aria shouted for no reason.

“Why did you suddenly come here? You said let’s never see each other again? You said don’t even pretend to know me if we run into each other on the street?”

“Did I come because I wanted to? Didn’t I come because you kept badgering me?”

“What? Badgering? When did I ever badger you?”

“From how to use the demon detector to now, it’s broken or whatever. You send letters all the time, what else is that if not badgering?”

“That’s obviously─!”

“Enough.”

Aria shouted as if she was wronged.

Xian cut off Aria’s words.

“Since we’re on the topic, let me ask you one thing. Why did you send the letter you sent to me to His Highness the Crown Prince? Do you know how much I suffered because of that?”

That was why the princess, Elena, came to Ruben.

Thanks to that, he earned 1 million gold, but still, he had to resolve quite a troublesome situation.

All those things were because Aria sent the letter to the Crown Prince.

He wondered why.

“If I sent it directly to you, you would have asked for money again!”

“Money? What money?”

“The money you demand under the pretext of fixing the demon detector! You said that when you told me how to use the demon detector last time!”

“······ So you sent it through His Highness the Crown Prince? Because I wouldn’t ask His Highness the Crown Prince for money?”

“That’s right!”

And this time, Xian only opened and closed his mouth, wanting to say something, but it kept getting stuck in his throat.

Well…

It wasn’t wrong.

However, one thing: Xian already had a history of asking the Crown Prince for money.

Since Aria’s words were not wrong either, Xian kept opening and closing his mouth.

Aria sighed at Xian’s appearance, and her words followed.

“Anyway, what are you going to do by suddenly coming here like this?”

“Suddenly? I sent a letter that I would go in person.”

She had received it.

“I just received that now!”

“Oh really? No wonder they were blocking me so much at the entrance.”

Xian shrugged his shoulders.

Aria was truly dumbfounded.

No, in the first place, how could he come with the letter?

Did he run with the express messenger or something?

As she blankly looked at Xian like that, Xian finally spoke.

“Anyway, the reason I came is simple. You said you knew where Muriel’s ruins were?”

“Why do you want to know that?”

“Because I want to go. So do you know the exact location, or not?”

“······ I know.”

“Where is it?”

Aria did not answer, just glared at Xian, rolling her eyes.

She seemed to have some kind of demand.

As expected, Aria opened her mouth again.

“I’m first. Do something about the demon detector first.”

Saying that, she strode towards one side of the room, opened a drawer of a table, and took something out.

Something that looked like a compass.

It was none other than the demon detector that Xian had sold in the hall.

“I tried using it according to the method you said, but it doesn’t work at all.”

Aria came to Xian again and handed him the demon detector.

Xian took the demon detector from Aria.

“Hmm…”

A magical tool that Elodie made as an experiment a thousand years ago.

There was no way Xian would know whether such a magical tool was broken or not, unless it was Jerry.

But the inside was empty…

It certainly seemed like it had lost its function─.

At that very moment, the demon detector began to emit light in an instant.

The light that started from one point began to grow gradually, and soon, at the same time as the light headed towards Xian,

Eeeeeeeeee─!!!!

The demon detector began to ring loudly!

“······ Huh?”

“······ Huh?”

Xian and Aria’s expressions both turned blank at the same time.

Eeeeeee─!!!

Eeeeeeeeee─!!!!

Even at that moment, the demon detector was ringing loudly.

“Ah?”

At that sight, Xian could realize it in a flash.

It was none other than when Xian asked Leia about the demon detector.

Leia had clearly said this:

‘It rang even when it detected concentrated demonic energy, not just transformed demonic energy. So it rang even when other things approached, not just demons.’

‘It especially rang really loudly when it saw Kyle. It was so noisy. That’s why Elodie told me to throw it away.’

And the demon detector reacting to the current Xian.

It did not react to Xian when he was in the hall, so Xian didn’t have any thoughts.

If he thought about it, back then, Xian had not yet learned the Demonic Soul Control Method, and he had not even completed the introduction to the Demonic Soul Asura Sword.

In short, the demonic energy he possessed was infinitely humble.

But the current Xian had not only the Demonic Soul Control Method, he was also about to complete the beginner level of the Demonic Soul Asura Sword.

In a word, Xian had grown incomparably compared to then, and the demon detector reacting to such Xian…

Eeeeeee─!!!

Eeeeeeeeee─!!!!

Perhaps the situation Leia was talking about was exactly this.

The problem was…

“You… you…!!!”

Aria had no idea about such truth!

“You don’t tell me…!!”

Aria looked at Xian with a horrified expression, seeming to have a considerable misunderstanding.

Of course, he knew that she had no choice but to do so.

“Wait! This is a misunderstanding─!”

Xian shouted hastily towards such Aria.

Then suddenly.

No.

What misunderstanding are you talking about?

“No, wait. Hey, this isn’t broken. Did you just scam me?”

“That’s not the problem right now!!”

Aria urgently raised her divine power.