Chapter 20 – Blue Flower

An emergency meeting was held at the Sacred Affairs Selection Committee, which elects the next Saintess.

It was because of the candidate who was brutally murdered by an assailant the previous day.

“In this case, it seems there is not even a need to hold a competition. Is there not only one candidate remaining now?”

There were five members of the order in total who held core positions in the Sacred Affairs Selection Committee.

Among them, Kain of Rosenkreuz was also included.

“What are you talking about? There is still one more left.”

“Is that child not already missing? In a situation where we do not even know if she is alive or dead, what do you mean?”

“As you said, since her life or death is still unclear, it is difficult to conclude that only one candidate remains. If by any chance that child returns, there will be two candidates remaining, and the competition must be held.”

Opinions were divided.

Then, Vane Sanctum, the Director of Palace Affairs, stepped forward.

“Commander. There is a sinister rumor circulating around?”

“If it is a sinister rumor, are you talking about the Basilica clerics being murdered day after day?”

Vane Sanctum let out a faint sneer.

“Do you not already know? That among the victims, only vampires are noticeably absent. And I read the report related to the candidate’s disappearance submitted by the vice-commander there. The culprit is highly likely someone from the order and a devout knight, is he not? If so, I am a bit suspicious of your knighthood.”

“The Director of Palace Affairs has not considered realistic factors at all. I truly doubt whether you read the report properly.”

“I read it properly. I remember the contents very clearly.”

“Realistically, our knighthood cannot be the culprit, nor is there any reason to be. Since the basic magical knowledge our knighthood possesses is far superior to what is mentioned in that report.”

“Are you boasting about that now? Then can you explain why only vampire victims are absent?”

“Vampire victims are…”

Kain also had doubts about this.

Why, out of so many victims, were only vampires missing?

Could the culprit really be a fellow vampire?

It was unknown, but even if that were the case, there was no reason to agree.

“They will appear soon. Do you honestly think we are the culprit for such a ridiculous reason?”

“I am talking about possibilities. Since such sinister rumors are circulating. And…”

Vane’s eyes grew sharper than before, and his gaze shot toward the commander like a dagger.

“In this competition, if, by some chance, all the candidates die and only the vampire candidate returns alive.”

Perhaps displeased, the commander frowned first.

“That cannot be.”

“That would also be extremely suspicious. If everyone died and only one person hid as if they were missing, only to appear again, could there be anything more suspicious than this?”

Vane cast his gaze upon everyone present.

“Is that not so? Do not just sit there taking up space, everyone express your opinions.”

The commander and the director.

Although they could not easily take anyone’s side,

they seemed to agree to some extent with the Director of Palace Affairs’ words.

One of them spoke.

“The Director of Palace Affairs also has a point. I do not think you would do such a thing, but if even the last candidate dies and the vampire candidate, who was said to be missing, returns safe and sound, whatever the case may be, that suspicion cannot be avoided.”

The commander also did not back down and confronted him.

“If that becomes a problem, can we not just select other candidates and hold the competition again? That child is one we raised with all our heart and soul. We are confident, so do not find fault for no reason. If that is truly a problem, gather the candidates again. The competition can be delayed a little. We can easily wait that long.”

The Director of Palace Affairs wore a bitter smile.

The candidates who were set to participate in this competition were candidates they had selected over a long period of time.

Other candidates besides them would never be a match for the original candidates.

“Then let us do this.”

Thus, the Director of Palace Affairs also changed his mind.

“If you are truly innocent of that matter, you just have to prove it again.”

“What kind of proof do you mean?”

“Now there is only one candidate left. Since one is missing, we will just consider her gone. At any rate, let the knighthood protect this candidate.”

The others strongly protested.

“Did they not fail in their escort duty earlier?”

“Are you saying we should entrust it to such a knighthood again?”

“That is unacceptable! If even the remaining candidate dies, it will cause a great hindrance to the election of the next Saintess.”

“Even the missing candidate’s life or death is unclear, so how…”

Extremely unpleasant words were pouring out.

The commander desperately tried not to show it.

For it was true that they had failed to protect the candidate.

Then, by the time everyone quieted down,

the commander spoke.

“It is not that we have nothing to say about that, is it? To be honest, Director of Palace Affairs, you are not free from that matter either, are you?”

“Hmph, so what do you want me to do? I am giving you another chance. Putting aside what happened before, that is.”

“Yes, very well. Our knighthood will protect the remaining candidate with our lives. We will prove our innocence.”

“However,”

The Director of Palace Affairs revealed his hidden dark intentions.

“You must absolutely not neglect other escort missions either. Right now, it is a situation almost equivalent to wartime. It is a state where we do not know who is targeting whom, or where. Do not miss the most important thing just to protect a mere candidate.”

“No, are you telling us to protect the candidate right now or not?”

“I am saying do it at your discretion. And if you fail,”

the Director of Palace Affairs continued heavily and seriously.

“wash your hands of this matter forever. Since the knighthood is no longer a trustworthy place, I will personally get involved in all candidate escorts and the selection of the Saintess from now on.”

Did he aim for that?

Although he was reluctant,

there was no choice but to do so in order to overcome this crisis.

“We will do so. The more disadvantageous the situation, the more cleanly our innocence will be proven.”

* * *

“What do you mean by that? Telling us to withdraw entirely.”

Rashid expressed his doubt upon seeing Akard and the knighthood who came to visit.

“The knighthood has decided to take charge of this place from now on.”

Akard explained the situation.

It was a story that there was a meeting of the higher-ups, and as a result, the knighthood came to take charge of the candidate’s escort again.

“Well, that is how it turned out. I am not pleased either, but to prove the knighthood’s innocence, we must prove it ourselves.”

“Is even watching secretly not allowed?”

In all likelihood, the culprit would target the candidate who was here.

Thus, Rashid also did not seem to want to leave this place very much.

Because if he stayed holed up here, he would definitely encounter the culprit whether he liked it or not.

“Absolutely not. In particular, there was a strict instruction from the commander that there must never be any external interference. The candidate here must be protected solely by the strength of the knighthood. Only then will our innocence be proven.”

Those damn higher-ups.

Just what kind of verbal argument did they exchange for this to happen?

“Then are you staying here, Vice-Commander?”

“Of course, I cannot be here either. As you know, I am in a position where I am dragged around by the Director of Palace Affairs. The Director of Palace Affairs will absolutely not let me go.”

He could not stay, and the vice-commander could not stay here either.

“Then who will take charge of this place?”

“It is the knights here.”

Rashid looked at the twenty knights who had followed Akard.

Twenty knights for a candidate’s escort.

It was too excessive.

“The number is quite large. There should be no problem with that many.”

“How could a problem arise? If they cannot block it with that many, they should die.”

Even so, Rashid did not feel relieved.

Because he knew how the culprit would act.

‘He will use any means and methods. He will shake this place up somehow. He will never let twenty people guard it.’

Akard asked.

“Why is your expression like that? Surely you do not think we cannot block it even with this force?”

“No, on the contrary.”

“The contrary?”

“Because this place is so sturdy, I am worried that they might shake it up in a different way instead.”

“A different way?”

Before Akard continued the next conversation,

he left the knights he brought behind at the candidate’s lodging and left the place with Rashid.

Of course, the clerics who were together also withdrew completely.

“Let us continue the conversation we had earlier. What does that mean? Shaking it up in a different way.”

“He has done all kinds of things to kill the candidates so far. He even assassinated His Excellency the Director of Foreign Affairs.”

“That is true, but it will be difficult now. Since double the usual security personnel has been deployed for each high-ranking position. And.”

On the street they were walking, armed clerics stood at regular intervals.

In addition to the clerics defending the Basilica right now, even the clerics stationed in external dioceses had been summoned.

Thus, the Basilica of the Holy Blood State was no different from a military fortress.

“With this many troops, it will be impossible to shake it up in that way now. Unless they fight that massive force.”

“Indeed. That is why the culprit has only one option left now.”

Akard was puzzled, but soon realized.

What it was.

“Could it be… the Arcane Flower?”

“Yes, he will use that to achieve his goal. Then this place will be turned upside down again.”

“Ah…”

“The troops who were focused on security right now will be dispersed again, and that place will also be breached.”

Where Rashid turned his gaze,

was the candidate’s lodging they had left behind.

When the Basilica was about to be blown away, did the knighthood have the spare capacity to protect the candidate?

“No matter how firm the commander’s will to protect the candidate is, those from higher up will bash the entire knighthood, including the commander. If so, is that situation where twenty knights are stuck protecting a single candidate really a plausible story?”

“I suppose so.”

Akard was worried because it felt like things would turn out just as Rashid said.

“Then what do we do?”

“There is no way. Or would you like to dispatch the knighthood’s forces to search for the Arcane Flower that might not even explode? Since I heard the method to search for it from that teaching assistant before, finding it will not be that difficult.”

“Even if we find it, we cannot block it, can we?”

“We can avoid it.”

“If we do that…”

“Whatever the case, it will be difficult. Even for you, Vice-Commander…”

Trailing off, Rashid hurriedly turned his gaze.

As the shadow beneath his feet trembled, a blue flash encroached upon the sky not far away.

After a brief silence, an explosion tore through the world.

“Ah…”

A fierce gust swept over the street, and before long, a giant blue flower was embroidered in the sky.

The Arcane Flower had exploded.

“It exploded as soon as we spoke.”

Although it possessed enough destructive power to vaporize an entire building, because it was developed for local area annihilation, its impact was more limited than expected.

The two looked at the blue flower rising in the distance.

A flower that was beautiful but one they never wished to see.

Akard’s expression rapidly cooled down.

“Damn it. Just when I was about to try doing something.”

Since it was an expected occurrence,

there was not much change in Rashid’s expression.

However, he could feel the resolve of the culprit targeting the candidate.

‘An Arcane Flower at this point…’

He did not know why he went to such lengths.

Nor did he want to know.

However,

‘Now I know. Who the culprit is.’

The fact that the outline of the culprit, which had been vague, was somewhat grasped thanks to the Arcane Flower exploding faster than expected was good news.