/
People all said in unison.
The High Priest is said to be the nicest person in the world.
‘That is right.’
He is the nicest man I’ve ever seen.
The energy felt around the High Priest was clearly visible.
‘I’ve never seen such a clean divine power.’
I was amazed by the pure light that had never been tainted.
Aaron, who was smiling at me, found Nathan and bowed his head.
The one who is closest to God. A person who is in the same position as the emperor.
As the High Priest bowed his head, a startled breath erupted within the knights.
“Long time no see. Nathan-nim. How have you been?”
“I’ve been fine. You haven’t changed since then. I found you right away.”
Despite refusing the great temple, Nathan’s words brought a deep welcome.
“God cares for this poor child, so I am maintaining this image.”
“Because it’s pretty, you do keep it, right? No worries.”
As they were talking to each other, my eyes met with the familiar face behind Aaron.
With eyes bent gently, he greeted me.
‘Yeah, there’s no way he’ll come alone.’
Aaron’s closest confidant and the one who is close to Dillian.
The Holy Knight Commander. Harris Trishio couldn’t have been left out of here.
And, the knight standing next to him.
Fabian, the vice commander of the Holy Knight and the Saintess, Aina’s childhood friend.
‘How can I meet two original characters at once? All of them are such big shots.’
The lineup is really fancy. It’s so flashy that I can’t breathe.
I have met one of the two before, so if Prince Cassis and Aina appeared here, the game is over.
As I slowly got up, Ludo and other knights blocked my way.
I couldn’t hide my bewilderment at the huge fortress wall that was created in an instant.
“I haven’t heard the news of the High Priest’s visit to the Duchy of Sinaize.”
Ludo, who put his hand on the sword, asked them wary.
“With whose permission did you get in?”
“I didn’t have anyone’s permission. I just came to see Ria-nim.”
In other words, it means he broke in confidently while Dillian was away.
And it’s because of me, he emphasized that.
“For the past week, I have contacted Ria-nim, but there has never been a reply, so I made this decision because I was so worried.”
I have no idea. Did he contact me?
It was clear that Dillian, who said would protect me, had blocked everything before I could hear it.
Still, I didn’t expect him to visit me in person.
“I’m glad you look healthy.”
Instead of being sarcastic, I felt a sense of guilt at a hundred percent pure worry and relief.
Especially because of the smile that seems to melt Wilhelm’s snow.
Even though I didn’t do anything wrong.
‘Ugh. As expected of the High Priest
!’
I didn’t know you to pick on my conscience.
“Ria-nim, Nathan-nim. May I have a word with you?”
“It may be difficult,”
“Let’s talk about something earlier.”
Before even saying the word of refusal, the High Priest took the lead.
With the nicest face in the world.
***
We moved into the drawing room of the mansion.
Aaron and I sat face to face, and Nathan sat next to me.
With Harris and Fabian behind Aaron, also Sarah, Kira, and Ludo behind me like escorts.
I glanced at Aaron as he drank his tea.
Aaron Hamilton.
He appears to be in his mid to late 20s, but is actually over 200 years old. This year is the 200th year that he has been seated as the High Priest.
He was said to be the most compassionate and good man among all High Priests.
And Fabian Chelson.
Aina’s childhood friend and the second-in-command of the Holy Knights.
He was a man who was cold but warm to his woman, his straight lips and sharp eyes also seemed to show his demeanor.
In fact, he was famous for setting thorns on people other than Aina.
‘But still, it’s our first meeting, do you need to stare at me like that?’
Taking my eyes off Fabian, I looked at Aaron.
As if he had been looking at me all the time, my eyes twitched at the friendly eyes that had a warm energy.
I closed my eyes and covered my ears despite the public’s favorable comments towards Aaron.
Because all the priests I’ve seen so far have been people who have lost their screw somewhere and are rotten.
However, he was such a good person that it was not worth the fact with teeth clenched, for me to run away.
‘I mean, I feel he’s similar to Nathan.’
Maybe that is why I felt friendly for no reason.
“Mika-nim also wanted to come, but it was busy with work, so I was the only one here.”
“Mika?”
When I tilted my head at the first name I heard, Nathan answered.
“It’s a divine creature just like me. The contractor is Aaron.”
I nodded at the word that their relationship was the same with Nathan and me.
“Others are also looking forward to meet Ria-nim. How about meeting them next time?”
Aaron proudly promised the next meeting with a friendly face.
“If you break in again like this next time, sir Dillian will be angry
.”
Aaron smiled softly at the thought of whether he could handle it.
“Then, wouldn’t it be okay if Ria-nim came to the great temple instead?”
How can you invite me to the temple so naturally?
‘Seems he’s spent his two hundred years with so much meaning.’
The skill was outstanding.
“I didn’t mean to burden you.”
Even gently soothe it!
“Putting off all the work in the temple, I was a little bit greedy because I wanted to have a conversation with Ria-nim in person.”
He scratched his cheek in embarrassment. A faint blush on his pure white skin caught my eyes.
“Playing with an old man may not be fun, but it would be nice if you could come and be my talk friend.”
“
 Is that okay?”
I really asked without interest, then Aaron suddenly took a hint of me and licked his lips.
After all, he really had a purpose! You tricked me.
As I feel betrayed by myself,
“I was wondering if we could study the theory of divinity together, are you interested?”
The hand holding the teacup slipped.
I’m glad I’m almost done drinking. I almost spilled it.
“Theory of divinity, what kind of 
?”
“It would be nice if we could talk about how to control divine power, and also talk about ‘Obelus’-nim.”
Aaron said excitedly like a man on fire somewhere.
A gentle man suddenly changed as if he had been drugged.
Shocked by the pale blush on his face, I looked at the two men in charge of Aaron’s escort.
There was no change in their facial expressions, as if they were familiar with this situation.
“Aaron went to the priest school before becoming High Priest.”
That’s why he has so much enthusiasm for that.
Yes. Aaron was simply a devotee of the God of Creation, Obelus.
“That must be why it looks clean.”
Aaron, who caught my mumbled words, leaned towards me.
Sera and Kira’s bodies twitched at the sudden movement.
“Can you see it?”
I just said it was clean, but I was amazed at how quickly he understood it.
“I don’t usually see it, but the High Priest is such a great person so I can see it.”
What use is it for me for hiding it here? When I answered honestly, a divine power suddenly began to flow out of Aaron.
I was nervous as I regarded it as an attack, but I stopped at the unfamiliar sight unfolding before my eyes.
Something that blooms above his head, no way, it is,
“
 Flower?”
The blooming flowers fluttered in all directions.
Unlike me, who was bewildered, Aaron’s eyes were full of excitement.
The flowers that popped out like popcorn bounced off my cheeks and fell to the floor.
“
.”
What’s this? It didn’t hurt, rubbing my cheek reflexively and as I looked at Harris, he cleared his throat.
“That is
.  As I told you before, if Aaron-nim is in a good mood, flowers will bloom.”
A rose fell over my head.
Oh, I remembered.
Before we left for the Duchy of Sinize, there was a time when I asked Harris about the High Priest.
‘What kind of person is the High Priest?’
The best, the sweetest, and the strongest person in the Empire.
Among the many compliments, there was a strange word.
‘And when he feels good, he blooms a flower.’
I thought it meant to smile as wide as a flower.
I didn’t know it was actually a flower blooming.
***
It took a while for Aaron to calm down.
In the corner of the drawing room, a mountain of swept flowers was formed.
Aaron, who barely calmed his red face, raised his head when he heard Ria’s voice calling out to him.
“High Priest, please tell me now. What was that bug?”
“Ria-nim must have guessed it already.”
Yeah, I’m actually guessing to some extent.
Ominous energy, tar-like mucus, and soft like slime.
Aaron looked at Ria’s hardened face and nodded.
“It’s the Darkness.”
“But it was different from the Darkness I had seen.”
The Darkness I saw. So, the monster called the Shadow was as big as a human. It’s not like that kind of bug.
“To be exact, it is a fragment of the Darkness.”
“Fragment
?”
A fragment, you say? Is that some kind of soul marbles?
“What can they do with those fragments?”
“They collect information.”
“Information
? How?”
How does that little bug steal information?
Aaron kindly informed Ria, who had no sense of it at all.
“Fragments planted, parasitizes its host, sharing vision, and listening to conversations.”
Aaron said in a low voice towards Ria, who swallowed dry saliva.
“It’s kind of like a wiretapping device.”