THHAAWMF

Chapter 146

Chapter 9

Lately, Knox had been in a very bad mood. No matter how many times he called, Lavirins never showed up, and the Pope kept bringing him bad news.

"The Duke of Justice has finally awakened."

「...Did he awaken because of young lady Puritina?」

"Young lady Puritina? Hmm, I'm not certain. I don't know why that rumor started, but it doesn't appear to be directly related to her."

The terms of Justice's awakening are not known to the world for fear of abuse. The Pope's only thought was, "He must have awakened by accident," but Knox, who knew what was going on, disagreed.

'What the hell is going on?'

Justice's awakening required an intense desire to protect someone, indicating that someone had made a lasting impression on his mind.

As the Pope exited the room with the news, Knox was left to contemplate in solitude.

Who had the Duke of Justice awakened with in mind?

'It can't be Little Marquis Lavirins again, can it?'

Both Puritina's failure to win the crown prince's heart and Justice's refusal to obey his orders had involved Lavirins, so he suspected she was involved in this one as well.

'Last time, she died of her own accord...'

Somehow, this time, she had gotten out of hand and was causing havoc everywhere.

There was no good that could come of a person with powers living long.

If anyone discovered his plot to acquire the power of the Evil Dragon, they would undoubtedly work to sabotage his plans.

To prevent that, Knox made sure to eliminate them whenever an opportunity arose. He started with Lavirins, who posed the least resistance, followed by Justice, and now only Puritina remained.

However, Lavirins, who should have been the easiest target, proved unexpectedly resilient this time.

'Does she have a memory of the past like I do?'

He was trapped in a mirror, so his memories weren't erased, but normal humans could never escape causality, so remembering nothing would be normal.

'I'll know why when I see her.'

Unfortunately, the temple's orders held no sway, and they were powerless to enforce them if the party chose not to comply. They had no choice but to rely on divine revelation, which was unreliable at best.

The only silver lining was that the final match of the swordsmanship tournament was on the horizon.

'Now that the Pope has dabbled in those drugs... nobody can do anything about it, even if it's Lavirins.'

In his insatiable desire to wield the imperial power at his disposal, the Pope had made a foolish decision.

He tampered with a potion that harnessed the power of the evil dragon.

'The crown prince who consumes it will turn into an evil dragon in public.'

It wasn't difficult for Knox to envision the crown prince undergoing a sudden transformation into an evil dragon within a crowded stadium.

The chaos and panic that would ensue seemed vivid in his mind.

Amidst the terrified screams and the dispersing crowd, Puritina would emerge as a savior.

Utilizing her purification powers, she would calm the prince, who had succumbed to the influence of the evil dragon.

Once the prince regained his composure and lost his memory of the evil dragon, Puritina would be revered as a saint.