In the afternoon, at Tristan’s request, Morgana had asked Asen to relay a message to the high priest, requesting help to find a certain lady.
‘At that time, he seemed completely uninterested in the Caledon Forest, didn’t he?’
Kellive seemed to have noticed this as well, briefly exchanging glances with her. He must have sensed something was off too.
After listening to both priests’ arguments, Merlin spoke in a gentle but firm tone.
“Priest Anun, please be honest. Asen knew since this afternoon that a lady from Avalon had drifted into the Caledon Forest.”
“H-High Priest…”
“Why did you specifically mention the Caledon Forest?”
“I really just heard it from someone…”
Anun, seemingly losing the will to defend herself, hung her head low.
Merlin’s calm but resolute voice continued to reprimand her.
“Given Asen’s usual personality, he wouldn’t have gone to the forest knowing it was dangerous. Unless someone sent him there and framed him for it.”
On the surface, the fact that Anun had mentioned the Caledon Forest earlier that morning was suspicious.
Moreover, the fact that she was holding Asen’s keepsake handkerchief only deepened the suspicion.
But something felt off.
‘All the evidence seems to point to just one person…’
Morgana subtly observed Rhiannon’s reaction. Pointing at Anun, who was wiping her tears, Rhiannon insisted firmly.
“It’s clear Anun sent him to the Caledon Forest to torment him. I’ve seen her badmouthing him all the time.”
“Ugh, seriously… This is frustrating. All you do is talk about me. What more can I say?”
Anun seemed to have given up, her eyes showing signs of resignation.
Strangely, this felt familiar, like something she’d seen many times before.
Especially the part where someone refuses to listen to others and blindly insists on their own claims.
‘Is this a curse…?’
It closely resembled the behavior of those she’d seen under curses before.
There were many eyes on the banquet.
Why would someone go to such lengths to cast a curse at a time like this? The only unexpected event was the lady from Avalon entering the forest.
‘To the caster of the curse, the Caledon Forest must be something that shouldn’t be disturbed from the outside.’
If the lady from Avalon were to return, someone would need to be held accountable.
Since this happened within the temple’s jurisdiction, the culprit had to be identified, even if just for show.
It seemed Anun had been chosen as the scapegoat.
Bedivere, looking like he had a headache, pressed his forehead and tried to calm them down.
“Now that we understand, please stop fighting and go inside. There are many guests here.”
Morgana stepped forward, smiling brightly, and tucked Excalibur under her arm. His sly voice echoed in her mind, interpreting the situation differently.
— Putting me at your side is a signal to pull me, right? Should I go? Should I show them?
‘No, not now.’
Morgana reached out and grabbed Anun and Rhiannon’s arms.
“Now, now, let’s not fight. As priests who embody Coventina’s faith, hope, and love, is this how you should behave?”
While Anun looked sullen but couldn’t pull away, Rhiannon tried to quickly free her arm.
Morgana tightened her grip and continued in a cheerful voice.
“Coventina didn’t grant you divine power so you could hit and fight each other, right?”
“Right…”
As Rhiannon reluctantly answered, Morgana subtly channeled a bit of energy toward the two priests.
Unlike Anun, who still hung her head weakly, Rhiannon’s eyes gradually widened. Her eyes grew round, and her mouth slowly opened in shock.
Morgana pulled their hands together as if for a handshake.
“Now, how about a handshake to make up?”
Before Morgana could finish, Rhiannon urgently grabbed Anun’s hand. She shook her head in disbelief.
“No, no… I’m sorry, Anun. Forget what I said. I didn’t mean it like that…”
Her face clearly flustered, Rhiannon furrowed her brows.
“I know better than anyone how close Anun is with Asen. I don’t know why I said those things. I must’ve gone mad.”
Leaving a bewildered Anun behind, Rhiannon hurriedly approached Bedivere.
“Everything I said was a lie!”
“Your story has changed quite suddenly.”
“I must’ve been out of my mind. I’m truly sorry.”
The sudden shift in her words left more than a few people stunned. Merlin was among them.
“…Priestess Rhiannon. I’m deeply disappointed.”
This came after everyone at the banquet had already heard her accusations against Anun.
Even in the corner of the hall, the nobles who had been eavesdropping couldn’t have missed it.
The smile on Merlin’s lips stiffened slightly. His voice, now unusually cold and commanding, issued an order.
“We will hold you accountable after the banquet. Both of you, return and wait.”
This can’t end like this. First Tristan’s lady, and now the priests.
‘At this point, isn’t Priest Asen also under a curse?’
Priests rarely left the temple.
If they had divine power, they might be dispatched for healing, but Asen and Rhiannon were priests without such abilities.
In other words, they almost never left the temple.
This made one thing clear.
‘The person who cast the curse is inside the temple.’
Didn’t Tristan’s lady also mention meeting a priest before her disappearance?
During the British jousting tournament, the priests had been present as well. Meaning nobles had ample opportunity to meet them.
The temple. The priests.
This was the only common thread among the scattered victims.
‘I need to find a way to gain permission to enter the Caledon Forest.’
There must be a reason why so many people were cursed to enter that forest.
Morgana took a deep breath and then made a big show of concern.
“Then where on earth could Priest Asen have gone?”
Merlin, wearing a bitter smile, cautiously spoke up.
“That’s something the holy knights will investigate thoroughly.”
Morgana dramatically covered her mouth with both hands, feigning worry.
With a gasp, she exclaimed in a trembling voice,
“Could it be that Priest Asen went into the forest alone because I asked him to help the lady from Avalon?”
She nudged Kellive’s side with her elbow.
It was a signal for him to chime in. As expected, he smirked and spoke as if prepared.
“Oh dear, blaming Avalon like this hurts my heart.”
Far from hurt, his sly, curved eyes only added to his smug expression.
Bedivere cut her off, looking incredulous.
“He’s probably somewhere in the temple. He’s a diligent and cautious man; he wouldn’t act so recklessly.”
“Ah, Sir Bedivere, you must be confident! You’ve already dispatched enough holy knights, right?”
If holy knights had been sent to the forest at Morgana’s request, there would be no need to send more.
After all, one of the dispatched knights would surely bring him back. But Bedivere’s expression didn’t look good.
Morgana praised him lavishly.
“As expected of the priests recognized by Coventina! To trust and rely on each other like this—it’s truly admirable!”
The more she praised, the worse Merlin’s expression became.
Clap, clap, clap.!
Morgana slowly began to applaud, unable to contain her admiration.
“That’s why the lady from Avalon and Priest Asen will surely return! This must be the secret to 20 years of training!”
Hearing this, Excalibur let out a scoff.
— Hah, looks like you’ve mastered the noble lady’s way of speaking, huh?
The temple had to remain truthful at all times.
It was the reason they were respected as a neutral territory, and why everyone on the continent upheld their rules without complaint.
Many ears were listening to this conversation.
If they handled this passively, they risked offending not only the priests, who hailed from various nations, but also the nobles who contributed donations.
The longer Morgana’s questioning went on, the stiffer Bedivere’s expression became.
He was someone who had fled to the Holy Kingdom to escape King Vortigern.
If the Holy Kingdom couldn’t protect him, his life would be in danger.
Merlin’s recent attempt to dismiss Priest Anun, who was innocent, only fueled his anxiety further.
‘Asylum in Avalon is also possible. We’re on standby 24/7!’
Morgana subtly took a step closer to Kellive.
He naturally leaned in and added, “If you need knights from Avalon, we can dispatch them at any time.”
“That’s right.”
Now, quickly send the knights to the Caledon Forest!
Sensing the urgency, Merlin hastily gave instructions to Bedivere.
“First, search the temple for Priest Asen. That’s the priority.”
Bedivere, who had been scanning the surroundings, stiffened his lips into a straight line.
As if making a decision, he turned to the holy knights behind him and issued an order.
“Dispatch all the holy knights to the Caledon Forest.”
“Huh? But…”
The holy knight glanced subtly at Merlin, who stood behind him.
As expected, she urgently called out to Bedivere.
“Sir Bedivere. I ordered you to start the search from the temple.”
He turned slightly, his eyes now filled with a vitality that hadn’t been there before, and firmly replied.
“Security and defense are the responsibilities of the Holy Knight Commander. My judgment is to dispatch them to the Caledon Forest.”
“What are you…”
“Didn’t you already make one mistake? Please respect the authority of the Holy Knight Commander, High Priest.”
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