Agnes squinted at herself in the mirror.

Her forehead had been cleaned, and the wound that had not been deep or shallow had left no traces. The priest who healed her was certainly not from the Temple of Water...... Did Ant think that the priesthood of the water god really didn't know anything, or did he already completely care?

-- It would be surprising if Ante Bofford could really "not care at all" about something.

She pursed her lips sarcastically, to Ante, and to the black-haired, blue-eyed, amorous woman in the mirror.

The large, ornate vanity mirror was facing the screen next to the bed, and Agnes only rolled her eyes slightly as a figure silently turned out from behind the screen.

"Your Majesty. She said lazily, "Is my dear sister asleep?"

“...... You know I'm not here for this!"

In the flickering light, sneaking in through the secret passages, the king roared angrily.

Agnes turned her head and raised her eyebrows high, looking curious: "What do you think I think you are here for?"

Ante glared at her gloomily and did not speak.

That's enough—Agnes admonished herself, turning her head with a smile in the corners of her eyes with a modest weakness in her charmingness, "Don't be angry, Your Majesty, I haven't thanked you for sending someone to save me...... Honestly, I thought you would have preferred me to die outside. ”

To be honest, she was sure that Ante would have preferred her to die outside, but unfortunately, the gods could not grant every wish of people, even if that person was a king.

Ante still stared at her, and it was a long time before he asked in a deep voice, "How did that paladin die?"

"Didn't Finger tell you?" Agnes' eyes widened innocently. "When they found me, I was still tied up and unconscious. Not to mention I don't know how that paladin died, I don't even know when or why he appeared. ”

"You think I'll trust you?" Ante sneered, "Believe that everything you do is just on a whim?"

"Why else, Your Majesty?" said Agnes smiling sweetly, "how many years have you known me? You should know that when I'm bored, I do stupid things that don't make sense...... But you can always forgive me. Isn't it?"

"And you're just going to challenge my patience again and again. Ante replied coldly.

Agnes narrowed her eyes with a smile and slouched back in her chair. Her face is small, but her eyes are large. When I laugh like this, I look like a cat, and even if I do something wrong, I can't bear to be harsh.

"Maybe I just want you to look at me more. When the smile faded, she whispered, a hint of loneliness and sadness on her face.

This trick always works—even for Ante, who is suspicious of even his own shadow.

“...... How could you get hurt?" he asked. The tone was obviously much softer.

"A. Lange's daughter doesn't like me. Agnes pouted aggrievedly. "I was hungry and tired, and I was clamoring to come back, and she struck me on the head with the hilt of her sword. ”

“...... What did they say before she hit you on the head with the hilt of her sword?"

"Oh, I guess they didn't believe me much, even if I saved them. Agnes continued to pout aggrievedly, "Neither of them spoke much when I was here, except for Lange who kept asking him which of his daughters was her man. ”

That's not a lie. The elves didn't speak much, and Rosa was very cautious. When Agnes was around, she always referred to Borena as "Lord". She doesn't seem to even tell her family about Borena's true identity.

Ante slowly approached, reaching out to lift her chin. When he was young, his eyes were as clear as the sky, and he had a sincere smile full of enthusiasm, but now the wrinkles that grew in endless doubt and worry were deeply engraved in the corners of his eyes and lips, and when he did not deliberately keep smiling, he looked stern, old, and tired...... Got almost sympathy for Agnes.

Everything he worked so hard to get didn't bring him joy.

“...... I've told Moira that you can stay. Ante stared at her and whispered, "As long as you don't get into any more trouble." ”

Agnes solemnly raised her hand and swore awth: "The gods are above, and I will definitely be a good woman with good rules." ”

“...... You won't. Ante frowned, his eyes annoyed, but there was a faint smile on his lips.

“...... I won't. Agnes grinned and admitted, wrapping her arms around Ante's neck, "But thankfully, I may do something wrong, but I never say the wrong thing...... You know that, don't you?"

In Ante's thoughtful eyes, she couldn't tell how much he believed, but it was enough for her - between doubt and decision, Ante would spend a lot of time going back and forth with all sorts of speculations, and that little time ...... It was enough for her to sow more seeds of doubt.

There were many secret passages in Lockburg - Ante had never heard of a secret passage in that castle.

The stone fortresses built by nobles and lords to protect their families and possessions may seem impregnable on the outside, but they are always full of intrigue and strife. Ante still remembers when he was five or six years old, in the Ironhill Castle where he grew up, people found a closed secret passage while replacing old faded tapestries, and dragged out of it a small, skeletonized corpse...... People whispered, speculating that it was some illegitimate child who had disappeared decades ago, but no one could tell who had sealed him in the secret passage.

The fears of that time are still vivid today. Every time Ante walked alone in the secret passage, he feared that he would never find a way out, or that the way out had been blocked. He would die slowly in the dark, and no one could hear his roar and wailing...... Not even many people will be sincere enough to do their best to find him, like Vala did to find Scott, and never give up......

There will always be a new king.

But he still had to walk through the dark narrow passages again and again, trying not to wonder if there were also ghosts floating in them who stubbornly refused to leave.

Is Lockburg, which is resistant to magic, even the souls of the dead invading?--no one knows.

Ante didn't stay in Agnes' room for long. At least tonight. He wasn't in that mood.

The secret passages of Lockburg are winding like burrows of digging worms, intricately connecting many places. Turning the passage to an abandoned cellar, Ante didn't hesitate. Unconsciously. He was almost as familiar with these dark passageways as he was with the corridors that looped back and forth in Lockburg.

Taber waited for him there, holding up the torch to illuminate his countenance, which was not much prettier than Ante's.

Beside him, on an old, blackened wooden table, lay a corpse, covered from head to toe by a blanket.

Ante hesitated for a moment before reaching out to lift a corner of the blanket and bowing his head. His gaze lingered for a long time on that face that was as serene as a deep sleep.

...... Rowell Turner

The dead paladin was still clear and elegant, but the face that had begun to turn gray suddenly overlapped with another, younger, bloodstained face in the dim light.

Ante unconsciously threw the blanket back as if he had been burned to the ground. Take a step back.

"How did he die?"

He asked in a low voice, as if he had woken up something.

"I was stabbed in the back...... Two more arrows were fired. ”

Tarber picked up a long arrow from the table, and Ant glanced at it, his face even darker—it was the grey-feathered arrow of the guards of Lockburg and Stonebuch. The tip of the arrow is a sharp triangular edge. The dark red and black blood stains on it had not yet been washed away, and it looked eerie.

He had indeed been trying to weaken the Water Temple, at least to get rid of Sean's control...... But now it's far from the time to tear your face with the other party. If it is known, a paladin of the god of water may die at the hands of his guards...... Or a non-contested, respected paladin like Lowell Turner, who would not be much less in trouble than killing Borena.

Finger swore that it was definitely not his man's doing. When they found the cave, Lowell was already dead there, and the unconscious Countess Maurice was tied under a Dorset tree......" Tarber told him with a worried face, "and the man at the Old Street Market protected the man who had brought Rowell there." The boy who got rid of our surveillance, but I guess he doesn't know anything either. At times like these, it doesn't seem necessary to anger the guys at Old Street Market over this......"

Ante glanced at him, and the cold look in his eyes made Tarble immediately realize that he had said the wrong thing—that a king should not be afraid of his subjects.

“...... I can get Finger to get him back right away. But I still don't think it's a good idea. Although his face was a little pale, he still insisted on his opinion.

Ante shook his head irritably, "Forget about that boy...... What about the people of the Latus family?"

"Fleeing to the upper reaches of the Hongliu River, they continued their search, but the waterways there were notoriously complicated...... Maybe we can get a priest to help? They have a spell that can locate objects that we've seen before. I've heard that the elf was carrying a pair of ancient-looking twin swords, and Quirk Graemm had seen them......"

Ante shook his head again, "Quirk already knows enough, I don't want him to be in the grip of anything." ”

He didn't want to get out of the grip of one temple and be targeted by another...... But Tarber reminded him of something else.

"His sword and armor," he said......, gesturing to Ronel's body on the long table, "where to throw it? I don't want the people in the Temple of Water to find Lockburg." ”

"No way. Tabor made no secret of his smugness, "I threw everything on him, along with his clothes, into the furnace like ......"

He suddenly closed his mouth, his eyes flashing, and lowered his head.

He had already done the same thing more than a decade ago...... But that's not something to be proud of.

Ante was silent. That's why he gave Tabor so much trust - it was their common secret...... It is also a crime that they will always have to share in it.

Where will their souls fall?...... That's a question he's never dared to think about.

But the decision made at that time, which can almost only be described as cowardice, completely obscured the mistakes he had made, and no one has discovered it to this day.

It was then that he wondered more than once if there really were gods looking down on the world.

“...... Burn him. ”

Staring at Lowell's corpse, he softly gave the same order.

(To be continued......)