Tie did not like the church or the Pope.

‘Because the squad members said the church keeps hunting Tie.’

But that did not mean she hated the World Tree.

‘Because the World Tree is Mama Tree.’

Tie still remembered what the sea god Seradin had told her back in Pearlcity.

[Since ancient times, this tree has governed life, nature, and purity. The source of our spirits’ power also comes from there.]

He had said the World Tree was like a mother to all spirits.

“......Mama.”

Tie quietly murmured the word to herself.

A word she had never once possessed in her life.

But simply saying it made her heart feel soft and warm.

The little girl’s brows drooped sadly.

‘Still, it’s strange.’

Sacrificing children in order to cleanse Mama Tree.

It sounded as strange as saying someone had to do evil things in order to become a good person.

And at that moment—

“Not for cleansing the World Tree, Tie.”

The basement door opened, and Tesetan stepped inside.

And behind him—

“Ahem!”

A middle aged man Tie had never seen before entered after him.

The basement had already emptied out, leaving only the leaders behind.

“......Dominic Kayln.”

The man introduced himself with an oddly stiff expression.

Tie swallowed as she stared at his sharply groomed beard.

“For fifteen years, I have served at His Imperial Majesty’s side. For three generations now, the Kayln family has held the position of Chief Imperial Chancellor of this nation.”

“Chief soup mister......?”

“Chief Imperial Chancellor.”

Dominic corrected dryly before continuing,

“In any case, I am a man with little time to spare, so I’ll speak plainly.”

He glanced around the basement.

“Today, unknown assassins attacked people close # Nоvеlight # to your side. As a result, one coachman died.”

Tie’s eyes widened.

She remembered the moment they left the palace and headed toward the Rewards Bureau.

Back then, Tesetan had gone to meet Ardiana.

While Tie worried whether she should stay beside Papa, Alexander stepped forward.

‘Don’t worry, Tie. I’ll remain in the hall.’

‘Ah! Younger Uncle?’

‘Mhm. Someone has to stay and explain the situation. Hurry along.’

Thanks to that, Tie had been able to leave the banquet peacefully alongside the squad members.

And now Tie looked at Papa with shining eyes.

‘Uncle explained everything properly to Papa!’

That meant the soup mister who came with Papa also knew about the attack on the carriage.

Meanwhile, Dominic continued,

“These documents should not, under any circumstances, be shown to outsiders. They are top secret, and if it’s discovered they ever left the palace, I’ll be sent straight to the execution platform, but......”

He pulled something from inside his heavy cloak.

It was a thick scroll of paper tightly rolled together.

When he untied the cord, the paper unfurled, revealing densely written runic symbols.

“Ahem! In the entire palace, I alone have memorized these runes completely. I will read this only once, so listen carefully. This contract......”

“This contract is bound in blood and upheld through blood?”

But Tie spoke first.

“Article One. The Imperial Army agrees not to record the actions of the Amnyeondae judges selecting sacrifices within the capital and swears not to investigate...... prosecute, or condemn them!”

A strained laugh escaped Bale at the monstrous contents.

Basto’s face darkened as well.

Looking bewildered, Tie continued reading the contract.

“The Emperor shall order the knightly orders, guards, and all Imperial officials not to interfere with the path of the Amnyeondae......”

The child’s voice gradually grew quieter.

Unfamiliar words swirled around inside Tie’s head.

Tesetan noticed her increasingly confused expression and stepped closer.

“It means the Emperor helped the murderers kidnap children and harm innocent people.”

Shocked, Tie dropped the scroll.

She could not even imagine such a thing.

The Emperor had turned a blind eye to the Amnyeondae, the same people who threatened Bale’s younger brothers and killed the coachman.

“But......”

Wasn’t a king supposed to protect the people?

Just as Tie, as Commander, tried her hardest to protect the squad members.

But the king.

The Emperor had personally handed his own people over to the evil Amnyeondae.

Tie looked at the contract again.

Her gaze caught the part she had not yet read.

[Should the selected sacrifices prove insufficient, the Emperor shall provide a fixed number of human resources and supplies every season.

Whoever violates the contract or reveals it shall immediately feel their tongue rot away and their head—]

Tesetan snatched the scroll from Tie’s hands.

“Don’t read the rest. There’s nothing there except frightening and useless things.”

Tie nodded.

And at that moment, she felt someone’s curious gaze.

Looking up, she saw Dominic staring intently at her.

“King of the Dead. Are you capable of deciphering runic writing?”

Tie drooped slightly and hurriedly shook her head.

“Nope...... I can’t.”

“You can’t? But you just read the contract fluently.”

“Well......”

Tie trailed off.

How was she supposed to explain that the moment she looked at runes, she simply understood their meaning?

In truth, she had only started understanding runes a few weeks ago.

When Allerik returned from the capital’s black market carrying many rare magic circles, Tie had suddenly realized while examining them—

She could freely read runic symbols she had never learned before.

But her thoughts were too tangled right now to explain something like that.

Tie cautiously glanced at Dominic.

Really, there were moments in life when it was far easier and better to pretend nothing unusual had happened.

Tie carefully changed the subject.

“But excuse me please, Soup Mister, why are you showing this to us in the first place?”

Dominic quietly answered,

“Ah.” 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Meanwhile, Tie repeated the final line of the contract in her head.

‘Papa was one step too late.’

Tesetan had hurriedly taken the scroll away, but Tie had already read everything clearly.

[Whoever violates the contract or reveals it shall immediately feel their tongue rot away and their head burn in the flames of the judges.]

A horrifying sentence.

But its meaning was perfectly clear.

“If Soup Mister shows this to Tie......”

Dominic nodded.

“Then I place myself in danger. If this becomes known, there is little chance I’ll survive.”

But determination had already settled into his eyes.

“That is life within the palace. No matter whose side you stand on, you are always walking a tightrope over a cliff. Which is why......”

“.......”

“This time, I decided to place my bet on Her Highness the Princess.”

He rolled the contract back up and tucked it into his clothes.

“I have said this many times already. The rightful claim belongs to you. And only if you change can the former supporters of the Empress support you once again.”

Dominic recalled Ardiana, whom he had watched for fifteen years as Chief Imperial Chancellor.

Ardiana resembled a bird with broken wings. Her feathers had been torn away far too early.

Even though she possessed the strength to fly, she never once attempted to do so.

“But you changed. I think it began during the siege of the Ancient Palace Clock Tower — your previous state mission.”

Ardiana was changing slowly, but undeniably.

Life had begun returning to her eyes, and it almost seemed as though new feathers were growing over her broken wings.

And the officials, exhausted by Lavenia and Fides, began to feel a new wind blowing from somewhere unseen.

‘Rchello! What’s with your face?! Don’t tell me he did it again......!’

‘......Duke, I can’t do this anymore. Even if I’m executed for treason, I refuse to serve that madman any longer!’

Fides acted as though nothing in the world could frighten him.

He even raised his hand against officials who came bearing state reports.

‘This time I’ll absolutely request an audience with Her Highness the Princess! Even if I have to walk to the palace myself after being rejected......!’

‘Did you not see what happened to Sir Naiol? Lavenia has planted dozens of eyes around the princess’s palace!’

But supporting Ardiana was not easy.

Not only were her wings broken — Lavenia and Fides had long since taken her hands and feet as well.

‘I never expected things to change.’

But today.

Ardiana, who came to him personally during the banquet, spoke with an expression he had never seen before.

‘Support the King of the Dead.’

‘Your Highness?’

‘Right now, I’m telling you to remain beside me when the new era arrives.’

A new era.

What that meant was obvious.

In the darkness of the shadows, Dominic asked:

‘What should I do?’

And he received an unexpected answer.

‘Betray the church. God is no longer there.’