When they reached the entrance to the underground prison, the temple knights recognized their faces and stepped aside.
As Elsez descended the stairs with Cassian, she cracked her knuckles, loosening her hands.
Cassian, watching her skeptically, raised an eyebrow.
“What are you doing? Why are you warming up your hands?”
“Aren’t we supposed to use them?”
It took Cassian a second to process what she meant before he let out a short laugh and lowered her hands.
“Where did you even learn stuff like that? You think I’d let you dirty your hands?”
Despite his words, he didn’t actually stop her.
The two of them bickered constantly, but when it came to dealing with criminals, they were always in agreement.
As Elsez continued stretching her fingers, she suddenly hesitated, remembering Cedric’s status.
“But… he’s still the crown prince.”
“A criminal bastard doesn’t get to keep his rights or status. What, do you think we should give him a shoulder massage while interrogating him? Just think about all the people he’s sacrificed.”
Elsez looked up at Cassian, staring at him intently.
Feeling her gaze, Cassian narrowed his eyes.
“What’s with that look?”
“I’m just deeply moved by your words. I want to carve them into my heart.”
She meant it. If Astaire or Lancelot had heard that, they would’ve been horrified.
Cassian, caught off guard by her sincerity, awkwardly cleared his throat.
“Just don’t get involved. He’s dangerous.”
With that, he stepped forward into the dimly lit prison.
Inside, each cell was guarded by two temple knights. The security was tight—clearly, they weren’t taking any chances.
Cedric’s cell was the farthest one in the corridor.
He was sitting against the wall, one leg crossed over the other, eyes closed.
His relaxed posture didn’t resemble that of a prisoner at all, and Cassian frowned at the sight.
With a flick of his fingers, he rapped loudly on the iron bars.
“Cedric Ruisel de Hartwig, criminal of the highest order.”
Clang, clang. The metallic sound echoed sharply through the prison, grating on the ears.
Despite the noise, Cedric opened his eyes lazily, as if he had all the time in the world.
“You look bored and in need of entertainment. How about a chat?”
“…….”
“Oh, and just so you know—we’re not like His Holiness, the cardinal. We don’t care about morals. We’ll get our answers from you, no matter the method.”
Cassian’s warning didn’t faze Cedric in the slightest. His dull red eyes remained indifferent, and the sight of them reminded Elsez too much of Rashiel. It made her stomach churn.
She narrowed her eyes coldly and asked,
“Why did you try to resurrect the demon king?”
“I have no interest in explaining my reasons to common folk who wouldn’t understand my great cause.”
“You’re mistaken if you think we’re asking because we want to understand. We have no intention of justifying the actions of a murderer who sacrificed innocent lives under the pretense of some grand mission.”
“…….”
“Speak. At the very least, we deserve to know for the sake of those who died without ever understanding why.”
Cedric stared at Elsez’s piercing gaze, sensing the fury in her eyes, before finally opening his mouth.
“I wanted to be an absolute ruler.”
“…….”
“I wanted to become the powerful emperor of a powerful empire. To show my people a greater world, to inspire them to dream bigger, to make our nation a force they could always rely on.”
“…….”
“You, who were born to be ruled, who will die as the ruled, could never understand the heart of a sovereign.”
Elsez scoffed.
His words sounded like nonsense, yet the conviction in his eyes was undeniable.
He genuinely believed that his actions had been for the good of his people.
Cassian cut in with a smirk.
“Alright, so you wanted to be a strong emperor. Got it. But what does that have to do with resurrecting the demon king?”
“I planned to kill the demon king and claim its power for myself.”
The moment she heard that, Elsez’s expression wavered.
‘That’s exactly what happened when Lezantia died and transferred her power to me.’
The only ones who knew that method were Reti and herself.
She had scoured countless books, but none had ever mentioned such a process.
Who had told Cedric about this?
Her thoughts tangled in confusion, Elsez fixed him with a sharp glare.
“Where did you learn about that? You didn’t figure it out on your own, did you?”
At that moment, a voice echoed in Cedric’s mind—words he had once heard from a priestess.
“Resurrect the demon king and kill it. Then take its power, Your Highness. Become the ruler of this world.”
The ancient texts that described how to open the dimensional rift… she had given those to him as well.
But he had no intention of mentioning her.
Even with everything falling apart, he refused to admit that he had acted under someone else’s instructions.
He wouldn’t beg for his life by giving them the information they wanted.
Instead, Cedric curled his lips into a twisted smile and said,
“Who knows?”
The moment Elsez reached out and gripped the iron bars, a voice interrupted them.
“There you are, both of you.”
Elsez and Cassian turned to see Lancelot approaching.
“His Holiness has requested your presence at the temple.”
****
After finishing their interrogation, Elsez and Cassian headed to an empty chapel in the temple’s annex.
Inside, Tezette and Rashiel were already there.
Despite being in the same space, the two men refused to acknowledge each other, acting as though the other didn’t exist.
Cassian clicked his tongue at the sight.
“When will they grow up? They’re not six-year-olds.”
‘…Seriously.’
Elsez had the same thought as she approached them.
The moment she entered, both men turned to look at her, their expressions subtly softening.
She hesitated, feeling as though she was expected to choose between them.
‘Why does it feel like I have to pick a side?’
After a moment of deliberation, she walked past Rashiel and approached Tezette, who was leaning against the chapel wall.
“Apologize, Your Grace.”
Tezette silently studied her before finally parting his lips.
“I’m sorry.”
He didn’t know what he had done wrong, but the sincerity in his voice was unmistakable.
Elsez sighed.
“Not to me. To Rashiel. You attacked him first.”
Tezette’s green eyes flickered toward Rashiel briefly before returning to her. His face remained expressionless, but there was a sharp chill in the air around him.
Meeting his gaze, Elsez spoke in a calm, patient tone.
“Attacking someone, no matter the reason, is wrong. If you’re upset, you should talk it out. That’s what friends do.”
Tezette stared at her hand as she tugged on his. Then, as if making a decision, he grasped her hand firmly.
Elsez looked up in surprise, feeling the warmth of his grip.
Then he asked, “If I listen to you, will that make you happy?”
For a moment, he looked like a puppy seeking its owner’s approval.
Elsez blinked.
‘Tezette… cares about my feelings?’
That was a good sign.
Someone who had never cared about anyone else was now beginning to pay attention to another person’s emotions.
It meant that he was starting to see her as an equal—as another human being.
And that meant he was capable of forming real relationships.
“I suppose I’d be happier if you two made up.”
“…….”
“But it’s up to you. Even if you don’t, I won’t be disappointed in you.”
How could she be?
‘Like him or hate him, I practically raised him myself.’
If this had been about anyone else, she wouldn’t have interfered.
But she was worried that Tezette would remain isolated forever, unable to form proper relationships.
She didn’t want to control him—she just wanted to give him the opportunity to change.
“Making peace with Rashiel isn’t a command. It’s just something I hope for.”
No, that wasn’t it.
Other people’s feelings didn’t really matter.
What mattered was—
Tezette gripped her hand tightly, as if afraid she might slip away. Just as he was about to voice his feelings—
A shadow fell over them.
A large hand reached out and covered Tezette’s, pressing against Elsez’s hand.
“I’ll accept your apology.”
Rashiel ignored Tezette’s glare, casually tilting his head toward his outstretched hand.
“I’d rather get along.”
Elsez swallowed hard.
‘He sure doesn’t look like he wants to get along…’
His voice was light, but his gaze was ice-cold as he stared down Tezette.
Elsez sighed, trapped between the two men radiating quiet hostility.
Just then—
“You’re all right on time.”
Astaire’s smooth voice echoed through the chapel.
Cassian, who had been watching the growing tension, had been about to intervene—but at Astaire’s arrival, he stopped.
“What’s this about? Why call all of us here?”
“A message arrived from the Holy Kingdom.”
Astaire pulled a parchment from his inner pocket, the royal seal of the Holy Kingdom stamped on it.
Elsez, still holding onto both Tezette and Rashiel, walked toward him.
“What does it say?”
Astaire unfolded the parchment and began reading.
“The demon king has been resurrected.”
Cassian, Rashiel, and Elsez had all known this in their own ways.
Tezette, hearing it for the first time, simply listened in his usual impassive manner.
“To form a countermeasure, we summon the four heroes who once stood in glory together.”
‘Wait. I’m not a hero. So why am I included?’
Elsez wasn’t the only one with that thought.
Cassian, Rashiel, and Tezette all turned their gazes toward her.
Astaire, after finishing the message, lifted his eyes and added,
“Elsez Rohen, that includes you.”
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