EBCP 18

Chapter : 18

Before I knew it, the day I would meet the Crown Prince was only a few days away.

“Please let me die. Please.”

Every morning, I stopped by the shrine inside the imperial palace and prayed to the god.

Please let me die safely and return to my original world!

“What was it again? Baron God?”

Then it suddenly occurred to me that my prayers might be too insincere.

I may be an atheist, and the gods of this world might just be illusions created by Headquarters—but you never know.

What if, during dimensional restoration, some constellation-story keywords were accidentally added?

“O great and omniscient Baron God, who manages countless dimensions all at once.”

Each of the dimensions managed by Headquarters had different worldviews, but the god they worshipped was the same.

The Baron God.

“Please, I beg you, kill me. I don’t want to live even a single day in this body.”

After offering my prayer with as much sincerity as I could muster, I cracked my eyes open.

‘Anything?’

But the altar was silent.

No candles suddenly going out.
No voices of constellations ringing in my ears.

None of that sacred nonsense happened.

Giving up, I was about to return to the Sophea Palace when—

[A suspicious presence has been detected in ‘Prayer Room 5.’
The assigned administrator is requested to inspect the situation.]

As I stepped into the corridor, Iago’s voice echoed in my ear.

‘Huh? A suspicious person in Prayer Room 5?’

That meant there was someone anomalous there.

A character suffering from a personality collapse or a setting error, perhaps.

‘Who could it be for lazy, dull Iago to actually request an inspection?’

Pretending to pass by, I approached the door of Prayer Room 5.

Holding my breath, I pressed my ear to the door.

“An arrow flying within the imperial palace? This is clearly treason!”

“Your Majesty, please calm yourself.”

The Emperor was inside Prayer Room 5.

No wonder an inspection alert went off—an emperor who scoffed even at gods was inside a prayer room.

“Examine the arrow yourself, Arno.”

“It appears an unusual type of wood was used for the shaft.”

“I will not let this pass quietly.”

“But Your Majesty. With the upcoming banquet at Count Rock’s estate, most of the imperial family and key nobles are gathered in the palace.”

As always, Arno was calm.

“If this matter were to leak outside, the imperial family would become a laughingstock.”

‘An arrow? Don’t tell me it’s the same one?’

A memory flashed through my mind.

Specifically, the arrow I had pulled out of a tree at dawn a few days ago.

‘An unusual material, huh. If I saw it directly, I could compare.’

I strained my eyes through the crack in the door, determined not to miss a single word.

“Your Majesty, this place has many eyes and ears. I will take the arrow deeper into the shrine to examine it more closely.”

“Do as you see fit. I’m tired.”

“Darwin. Take it to the shrine’s altar.”

At that, a priest named Darwin, wrapped in robes, took the arrow and disappeared.

[Darwin, Rank E, Assistant Priest of the Shrine]

‘Wait—Rank E?’

The moment I saw the status window, I began following him.

If I was lucky, I could manipulate that priest and get a look at the arrow.

* * *

The priest passed through the prayer rooms and headed deeper into the shrine.

‘I can’t believe I’ve followed him this far.’

Before I realized it, I had reached an area where outsiders were absolutely forbidden.

‘Huh? There!’

I stopped just as I rounded a corner.

At the end of the corridor stood someone completely wrapped in a robe.

[Darwin, Rank E, Assistant Priest of the Shrine]

It was the same robed man who had taken the arrow from Arno.

I wanted to avoid touching control windows within the imperial palace as much as possible, but…

Quietly following behind Darwin, I thought,

‘Do I really have to control him?’

Since his rank didn’t require conditions, I only needed to get close enough.

‘Wait—but what’s that?’

The closer I got, the stranger it felt.

From afar, I had thought it was just part of his long robe.

But up close, that pitch-black darkness was—

“Who’s there?!”

Darwin suddenly stopped and shouted.

‘Gasp!’

I ducked behind the wall and clamped a hand over my mouth.

“So the priest was right—the culprit would return to this spot. Have you come to retrieve the arrow?”

So that was why a priest was walking around wrapped head to toe in pitch-black robes.

‘As expected of Arno—thorough.’

It was to conceal the barrier he’d set up.

“You know a barrier leaves traces. You’re this close—you can’t escape. Come out now.”

“……”

Hidden from view, I ran countless simulations in my head.

‘Would knocking him out be fastest?’

But to do that, I’d have to get close to the barrier.

“This won’t do. I’ll deal with it right now—!”

“Sorry, sorry.”

At that moment, Darwin’s booming voice abruptly stopped.

“Your Grace, the Grand Duke?”

“Looks like I got lost after not visiting for a while. Did I startle you?”

Who? The Grand Duke?

“While wandering around, I lost all my attendants too. Come to think of it, this palace is particularly confusing.”

“Th-then all this time, Your Grace was following me…?”

Don’t tell me—Kaizer Perzen?

“I wasn’t following you. I just happened to end up behind you.”

I never imagined I’d run into him here.

And besides—

‘That’s utter nonsense.’

Lost in the palace?

That Kaizer Perzen?

I hadn’t sensed a single presence—and I was the one following Darwin.

‘Where did he even come from?’

Feeling uneasy, I slightly poked my head out.

“Why?”

“……!”

Everything before my eyes felt unreal.

Dark black hair, a jet-black coat, a black knit pulled up to his neck, leather gloves covering his hands—

And in stark contrast, pale skin…

“Is there anyone else here besides me?”

“Well, I thought I sensed some unfamiliar presence somewhere…”

“Is that so?”

[Kaizer Knox Perzen, Rank A, Grand Duke of the Elvenard Empire]

“Then shall I look for them?”

Those blue eyes—clearly looking straight at me.

“……!”

But Perzen turned his gaze elsewhere.

‘Is he helping me?’

Judging by the look he gave, it seemed like he was buying me time to escape.

I didn’t know why, but for now, retreating was the priority.

‘Fall back for now.’

I turned and hurried away.

‘Ugh—of all places, the shrine doesn’t even have a teleport portal.’

The shrine’s corridor, which led outward in only one direction, was painfully long.

Now that things had come to this, the situation felt extremely risky. Going back the way I came would take forever.

‘Anyone would find me suspicious.’

Especially since this was a place outsiders couldn’t—and wouldn’t—enter.

‘The Emperor might still be in Prayer Room 5.’

If I ran into him, what excuse could I possibly give?

‘Hah… what now?’

That was when—

“Let’s wait and see for now. Nothing’s been confirmed yet.”

From the opposite end of the corridor, a group of shrine priests came rushing in.

“Well, that’s true, but we were worried something might happen…”

And leading them—

[Arno, Rank A, High Priest of the Elvenard Empire]

‘Arno?’

Damn it—of all people, it had to be Arno.

If I went forward, I’d run straight into him.

But if I turned back, Perzen would be there.

There were no windows in this corridor either—I couldn’t even jump out.

‘I’m screwed.’

I straightened my back.

At this point, the only option was to push through head-on.

Like Perzen earlier, I’d just say I was lost—it was my first time in the palace shrine.

“Didn’t you say you sensed no healing power at all?”

“But High Priest, healing abilities can easily be concealed if one tries.”

“That’s overthinking it.”

Arno and the priests following him were getting closer.

They were too absorbed in conversation to notice me—but the moment they looked up, they’d see me.

‘Baek Ju-ah, be shameless.’

Just as my head went cold—

I felt a large presence right behind me.

‘Huh?’

Someone suddenly grabbed my hand.

“That’s the expression of someone with a lot to hide.”

It was so natural I didn’t even have time to be startled.

“Arno is perceptive and cunning. Above all, he is deeply trusted by His Majesty.”

“…Grand Duke Perzen?”

“From now on, we’re going to act. A pair of lovers who wandered this far while searching for a trysting spot should work nicely.”

But more shocking than Perzen suddenly appearing and grabbing my hand—

‘What? Lovers? With who?’

—was that absurd line.

Surely he didn’t mean… him and me?