TGDLBF 41

Chapter 41

Radan Must Be Saved

‘Radan, you must never touch the High Priest’s staff.’

If he hasn’t left yet, and if he touches that staff…

Radan will die.

There was a chance that Raul and Radan had left because of their encounter with me.

‘What should I do?’

Even meeting Prince Ramel was more than I wanted to get involved in. I didn’t want to interfere with the original story anymore…

If I go and stop Radan, I can save his life. But I’ll be making an enemy of the High Priest.

That would mean I’d end up in a hard fight.

I blankly stared at the sunlight streaming through the window. There was still time, since the event was supposed to happen around sunset.

If Radan died, Raul would suffer intense guilt for failing to protect his brother and freezes to death at his brother’s grave that winter.

Knowing this tragedy was coming, I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.

“Lisa, call the knights. I need to go somewhere.”

“Where are you going?”

“To the slums, under the Torre Bridge.”

“…What?”

Lisa shook her head as if what I said made no sense.

“My lady, it hasn’t been that long since the last incident. You can’t just go out again. His Grace won’t allow it. He said from now on, you can’t leave the estate without his permission.”

“This is important. I have to find Radan, the boy I mentioned before. So I have to go.”

I held onto Lisa and pleaded desperately.

If I brought enough knights, it wouldn’t be dangerous.

The Duke had already said I should be accompanied by Cherto, Arthur, Dalton, and Hansen when I go out.

Which means the outings aren’t banned—just restricted. I used that logic to persuade Lisa.

Eventually, worn down by my pleading, Lisa contacted the knights, and the Duke granted his permission.

As expected, Cherto and Vice-Captain Arthur would escort me personally, and a total of thirty knights surrounded me as we moved.

To avoid drawing attention, only about ten knights were visible; the rest were shadow guards.

Honestly, I wasn’t a Joseon-era queen, what was with all the fuss?

Still, I didn’t mind, as long as I got to go out.

While preparations were made, the sun had already started to set. As long as Radan didn’t touch the staff before I got there, there wouldn’t be a major problem.

I had to find those children and bring them back here.

Who could’ve known that little Radan would turn out to be such an important figure?

It was a relief he wasn’t a villain, and surprising in a different way.

In this world, god and demons existed, not as physical characters, but through agents acting in their names.

The god worked through the High Priest and his clergy.

The demon revealed itself through the Serpent Clan.

The High Priest, as the god’s agent, had to be able to sprout life from a withered staff.

He carried a dry-looking staff, but it always had fresh sprouts on it, that was the sign of his power. With this ability, he could bless, heal, and perform miracles.

This power was mysterious because it wasn’t limited by any set rules, but also couldn’t be used at will. People believed it could only be exercised with the divine will.

Thus, the High Priest was revered as a being close to god.

Each priest carried a staff, and the one who could sprout a bud from theirs would be the next High Priest.

But over time, the clergy, including the High Priest, became corrupt and their powers began to disappear.

In the original story, Irene and her daughter Roella had the ability to grow and control plants. The High Priest used their power to sprout buds on his staff.

But since something can’t be made from nothing, once the staff dried out completely, the sprout withered. That’s why he always needed Irene and Roella’s help.

They would sprout the bud and breathe life into it, making it last for about three to four months.

The story didn’t explain how Irene escaped from the temple, so I didn’t know the details. But I did know that the current staff was fake, with an artificial sprout attached.

Because of this corruption, god began sending prophets. But the High Priest, in secret alliance with the Serpent Clan, assassinated those prophets.

Radan was the only one among the victims whose name was explicitly recorded.

He accidentally touched the staff left with an assistant priest during a blessing ceremony.

That night, a real sprout grew next to the fake flower, and once the High Priest discovered it, he sent assassins to kill Radan.

Honestly, my involvement in this was very dangerous.

By saving someone who threatens the High Priest, I’d be upending my original plan of just heading north and living quietly as a knight.

But I couldn’t let the brothers die without doing anything.

If Radan was born with the fate of a prophet, he’d eventually touch the staff and become a target, disappearing without a trace.

So first, I had to save him.

***

The central square at sunset was packed.

Receiving the High Priest’s blessing was a sacred event to the people.

I headed to the slums under the Torre Bridge with the knights. Finding the child’s house wasn’t hard. The problem was, once again, he wasn’t home.

Beyond the mountains, the sky was glowing red.

‘If Radan touches the staff, it’ll be right about now…’

There wasn’t much time left. If he’d already touched it, I had to take him to the Duke’s estate secretly and protect him.

The High Priest would stop at nothing to kill the child.

I rushed toward the bridge.

“My lady, please slow down!”

“Cherto, there’s no time—we have to hurry.”

“What exactly is going on?”

“I told you—it’s something important.”

I panted as I ran hard, while Cherto easily kept pace beside me with a relaxed smile and long strides.

‘This pitiful body of mine, what am I even trying to do?’

With no choice, I spread my arms to him.

“Carry me.”

“As you wish.”

Arthur looked on enviously, but I had no time to care.

***

The line of white-robed clergy was descending from the central square toward the bridge.

There, the High Priest would entrust his staff to an assistant and bless the orphaned children sitting on either side of the bridge.

Which meant, Radan must be on that bridge.

“Cherto, take me down there.”

Even though it seemed far away, Cherto’s stride closed the distance in no time.

Children without parents were lined up on the bridge. They had blank expressions, dressed in rags.

These children didn’t even understand the concept of ‘blessing.’ They were brought here mostly to be part of the spectacle, often by force.

I hurriedly looked over the faces of the children. But Radan was nowhere to be found.

As the High Priest and the clergy approached, I intentionally distanced myself. I didn’t want to interact with them.

Thankfully, the High Priest gave only token blessings to a few people nearby and then headed toward the bridge.

The red glow of the setting sun intensified.

He had to be here somewhere…

Or maybe because he met me, the original story changed and Radan left. I kind of hoped that was true.

I climbed back into Cherto’s arms, or rather, onto his shoulders this time.

Arthur grumbled about how I always chose Cherto, but I had no time to explain that it was because his shoulders were wide and incredibly comfortable.

From atop Cherto’s shoulders, I could see the High Priest reaching the bridge. He handed the staff to an assistant and began gently touching the children like a kind saint.

And then—I saw it.

A child squeezing through the crowd, heading toward the bridge.

My heart dropped.

So he hadn’t left after all…

Even from a distance, I knew instantly—it was Radan.

Without thinking, the child approached the staff in the assistant priest’s hand.

***

“Cherto, let me down!”

“There are too many people, it’s dangerous.”

“It’s fine, just hurry!”

Once I was down, I pushed through the crowd. But my frail body couldn’t get anywhere. I was shoved around, unable to move forward.

My heart began pounding like I was at a crossroads between life and death.

“Cherto! Arthur! Clear the way—I need to get to that bridge!”

“If that’s what you wish, my lady…”

“…Then we must do it.”

With their replies, the crowd parted. Cherto and Arthur pushed people aside like bears, carving a path.

By the time I reached the bridge, Radan was already near the staff, his hand reaching for it.

“Radan!!!”

I screamed with all my might.

So loud that everyone turned to look. Radan froze and turned toward me.

I rushed forward and grabbed his outstretched hand, mere inches away from the staff.

“Radan! Come with me.”

I barely made it in time.

The assistant priest holding the staff looked at us, confused.

I smiled as naturally as I could and quickly led the child away.

Thanks to the knights clearing the path, we had no trouble making it back to the square.

Once we reached the center, I let go of Radan’s hand.

Panting, I asked without pause,

“Ra…dan, where’s your brother?”

“You are the pretty, kind person from last time?”

Radan’s clear eyes sparkled. He still looked pale and skinny, but his eyes were bright.

Maybe because I had given him bread, he remembered me as kind.

I wasn’t really that kind… but it felt nice to hear it anyway.

“Yeah. So where’s your brother? Why are you alone?”

“My brother?”