As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover Chapter 193

With a single gesture, Gabriel restored the prayer room and returned the statue to its original state. The prayer room became sturdy and clean, just as it had been when it was first built.

 

“I think it’s more fun this way. Watching your reactions is quite entertaining. I’m glad I granted you divine power.”

 

“…What? Um, Supreme God, is there a specific criterion for granting divine power…?”

 

“Are you curious?”

 

“No, I just don’t understand.” Robin waved his hands dismissively. He decided to stop thinking. There was no point in expressing thoughts that would only be read right in front of the one who could read them; it would just be blasphemy.

 

“Everything is more or less sorted out. It would be best if this child handled all of it. What do you think?” With a snap of Gabriel’s fingers, Raphaela, still asleep, was summoned to the spot.

 

“I agree. I think she would be a much better fit as the next pope than I would be.”

 

“I concur. You should live freely, my child.”

 

“Gasp, thank you.” Robin silently cheered to himself.

 

“Remember, no one else in the temple knows about my existence except you, so keep that in mind. It would be a shame if they worried about you being mentally unstable just because you brought it up.”

 

“No one else knows except me?”

 

“For the time being.” This implied that the memory of another might be unlocked later.

 

After a brief moment of contemplation, Robin nodded. “Yes. I’m sure it’s all part of Supreme God’s plan.”

 

“Haha, it’s been a while since I came down here, and it’s quite enjoyable. Now that I’ve reclaimed the power taken by that wicked dragon, I think I’ll enjoy the remaining amusement.” Gabriel, also known as a fragment of the supreme god, who had been conversing with Robin, hummed merrily as he left the prayer room, his face filled with joy like a carefree wanderer.

 

Robin banged his head against his pillow. “Who would have thought I’d meet the supreme god in this life? If I’d known, I might have lived a bit more earnestly.” He raised his head. “No, it’s fine. I’ve been given permission to live freely, after all. That’s all that matters.”

 

Despite having reclaimed his power, the fragment of the supreme god, still under the name of Gabriel, did not immediately return but seemed to linger on the earth. Robin resolved not to encounter Gabriel again in this lifetime.

 

* * *

The pope, already advanced in age, found it difficult to manage strenuous activities. He began delegating most of his authority to Raphaela and laying the groundwork for her to become the next pope. Meanwhile, Sariel, facing a life-threatening situation, revealed all the facts he knew. After hearing his story, Raphaela secretly invited Edward to the temple.

 

“Sariel had long been disillusioned with the structure of the temple, where ranks were determined by innate divine power. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t become a candidate for pope until he resorted to dark magic to control the minds of the temple’s high officials.”

 

“…”

 

“Although his methods were wrong, it is also wrong to use the name of the supreme god to discriminate against people based on the amount of divine power they possess and to create an imbalance of opportunities. Changing that is the direction we need to head in the future.”

 

“There won’t be a repeat of such incidents in the future?”

 

“We must ensure that there won’t be.” Raphaela smiled bitterly before continuing, “It’s said that the current empress dowager was the one who taught Sariel about dark magic. Her father, Baron Dayelon, was obsessed with nobility, enjoying the favor he received at the temple in exchange for large donations. Naturally, his daughter frequently visited the temple as well.”

 

“Did he know about the empress dowager’s intentions?”

 

“Unfortunately, that’s something we couldn’t determine. But it’s clear she was gathering immense power for some purpose.”

 

“I see. Thank you for your cooperation.”

 

“Also, among the patients treated by temple-affiliated doctors, many were found to have been victims of dark magic. Not only those with sleeping sickness but also those who severed limbs regrew only to rot, or bodies of the dead moving as if alive…”

 

“Were they all treated?”

 

“No, most were in critical condition or had already passed into the arms of the supreme god. These patients were reportedly admitted to the temple’s medical facilities by the empress dowager for observation.”

 

“…I will keep that in mind.”

 

“I hope it proves helpful. The temple won’t forget this favor. Please feel free to request our assistance whenever needed.”

 

“The harmony between the imperial family and the temple is always welcome.” Edward shook hands with Raphaela.

 

Upon returning to his estate, Edward immediately gathered the elite members of the knights and relayed the information.

 

“So that’s the situation.”

 

“It seems there were many other issues besides the sleeping sickness patients. Given the things we resolved on our last mission, there are likely even more hidden incidents.” Robin spoke with a worried expression, and everyone nodded in agreement.

 

Aiven, who had been listening intently, finally spoke. “…Your Excellency, do you remember how I first came to the capital?”

 

“You said you came to the capital following the trail of a foreign dark magician who devastated your village.”

 

“…Yes. I believe that person is connected to the empress dowager. It’s quite likely that it’s her herself.”

 

“Why do you think so?”

 

“Like other types of magic, dark magic has many different forms. And most of the dark magic the empress dowager has performed so far involves gathering great power. The rest are all… related to life.”

 

Aiven brought out a sheet of paper and began writing down notes.

 

“The dark magic used in Servenia and other expedition areas all involved absorbing life to enhance physical size. It was magic that continuously accumulated power. As I mentioned before, there are two kinds of magic that require such immense power.”

 

Robin added, “The magic to turn back time or revive the dead. I remember.”

 

“…Robin is correct. Both magics require, in theory, the lives of a million people.”

 

“Is the empress dowager trying to resurrect someone?”

 

In response to Edward’s question, Aiven nodded slightly.

 

“…If her goal were to turn back time, she would have experimented in other ways. But given that she tested magic that regenerates damaged bodies or reanimates the dead, it’s more likely she’s aiming to revive someone. It’s similar to the magic that was cast on my village.”

 

Aiven’s village had long been a place where dark magic was practiced. They never harmed others’ lives or killed animals, only using the caster’s life force, the corpses of naturally deceased animals, and other rare materials to perform their magic.

 

That peaceful village faced disaster when a foreign dark magician arrived. The villagers who had vomited blood and died awoke three days later, only to wander around with decaying bodies like walking corpses. Finally, while Aiven was away, they all perished in a fire that consumed the village.

 

Aiven, realizing that the foreign dark magician had vanished, followed the trail to the capital. Indeed, the nature of the magic was strikingly similar.

 

Robin cautiously spoke, “If there is magic to bring back the departed, wouldn’t many people besides the empress dowager want to use it? It might not be the work of just one person.”

 

“…But few would actually attempt it. It’s difficult to access the relevant information, and even if they learn about it, most would give up upon realizing that a million lives are required.”

 

“Well, that’s true. Even I didn’t know such magic existed until now. An ordinary person would be in the same boat as me. So how did the empress dowager come across that information, and who does she want to revive? It couldn’t be the former emperor, right…?”

 

Edward tapped his finger on the armrest of his chair, deep in thought. “There were rumors that she was quite close to her father, but he passed away only recently. The timing doesn’t match.”

 

Maxion nodded in agreement. “It’s not her mother either. She passed away around the same time as her father. But, Your Excellency, do you remember the part you found particularly suspicious when investigating the empress dowager? I think that’s a more likely lead.”

 

“…Indeed.”

 

As everyone looked puzzled, Edward spoke up. “Baron Dayelon, the empress dowager’s father, frequently changed servants at some point. That timing coincided with when she was pregnant.”

 

“That’s certainly suspicious.”

 

“I tried to contact the servants who worked there during that time, hoping to gather information. However, most of them had worked for a short period, so the information was limited. I then attempted to trace the first servants who were dismissed during her pregnancy.” Edward stopped tapping the armrest and continued speaking. “They were all dead.”

 

“Good heavens…” Robin’s face filled with shock as he gaped.

 

“But if they worked for a long time, they likely would have shared some related stories with their families. So I tracked down their families.”

 

“And the result…?”

 

“The results were similar. Most were either dead or missing. Among them, there was one person whose hometown we couldn’t identify. That’s where the investigation ended. Later, by chance, Aiven reviewed that information.”