It did not take the priest long to realize something was wrong.

After all, the Duke’s bloodstains had pooled thickly beneath the High Priest’s bed.

Since the blood trail led outward from the temple rather than inward, the priest immediately called for others.

Thus, the High Priest quickly realized the Resurrection Book was missing.

Jeremi and Roen, who had been preparing to depart for Recador, were urgently summoned to the High Priest’s chamber.

The High Priest stared blankly at Roen as she entered, then rose from his seat.

“I wondered if perhaps you were involved in this matter—but judging by your expression, it seems not.”

Roen, not understanding the High Priest’s words at all, asked,

“What do you mean, High Priest? How could I possibly be involved?”

The High Priest looked at Roen with an expression of deep regret.

“I held you in high regard—enough to consider appointing you to a senior priestly position, Roen. But now, that may no longer be possible.”

“Why? Why, High Priest? Please tell me the reason.”

“Duke Blake took the Resurrection Book, Roen. I believe you had nothing to do with it. But the priest who left their post did so because Duke Blake summoned them, claiming you were seeking him.”

“But I never did such a thing.”

“Yes, I suppose not. Still, everyone in the Grand Temple knows you are acquainted with Duke Blake. Someone must be held accountable for this incident—and the blame will fall upon you.”

“…….”

“To prove you are not complicit, you must personally capture Duke Blake with your own hands. Will you do it?”

Roen could roughly guess where Duke Blake might have gone with the Resurrection Book.

“I will take responsibility and retrieve it.”

“Pursue the Duke with the priests and recover the Resurrection Book at all costs. Do not let him escape.”

“I will carry out your command.”

“You must hurry.”

After leaving the High Priest’s chamber, Roen explained the entire situation to Jeremi before setting out, seeking his assistance.

“I hope you will accompany me on this matter as well, Sir Jeremi.”

Jeremi, too, had a good idea where the Duke—who now possessed the Resurrection Book—might have gone.

“He must have headed for the snowy mountains.”

“We must depart before he learns how to use the Resurrection Book. The sooner we find him, the better we serve Duke Blake.”

“But how did the Duke even know the Resurrection Book was here?”

“I suspect the Elf overheard my conversation with the High Priest. There’s no other plausible explanation.”

“I see…….”

Seeing Sikar’s blood trail stretching all the way outside the Grand Temple, many thoughts crossed Jeremi’s mind.

“If fortune turns against us, the Duke may not survive long enough to reach the snowy mountains.”

Dragging his broken body to steal the Resurrection Book and flee the Grand Temple—Roen, too, felt a pang of complicated emotion.

“Then we must move even faster. Let’s go.”

Veronia narrowed her eyes as she looked at Sikar, whose heavy bleeding was evident at a glance.

Cold, congealed blood soaked the torn cloth tightly wrapped around his waist.

“What has happened this time?”

Vika, who carried Sikar over his shoulder, wore an expression of utter exhaustion. Gasping for breath, he pulled the Resurrection Book from his chest.

“This is the Ancient Resurrection Book.”

Startled, Veronia stared at the old, rag-like object in Vika’s hand.

The Ancient Resurrection Book—the legendary artifact said to restore the dead to life.

Did it truly exist?

Veronia gazed at Vika’s hand with disbelief.

“Is this truly the Ancient Resurrection Book?”

“The Duke risked his life to obtain it. Please, save him. If you save the Duke, then this—”

Vika’s words broke off as he vomited a torrent of blood.

As Sikar’s life faded, Vika’s own vitality was also slipping away.

“I—I will give it to you. Please, save the Duke… save him… Only if he lives… can we learn how to use this.”

Even as he spoke, Vika vomited another mouthful of blood.

“If he dies… I—I will die too… Save us… Hurry… His life is fading…”

Unable to hold on any longer, Vika collapsed onto the floor beside Sikar.

Veronia raised her hand toward Sikar, whose life was flickering out. A bright light radiated from her palm.

Calmly, she addressed the two men.

“I am not saving you because of the Ancient Resurrection Book. I am saving you because you are both precious to Kian.”

After treating Sikar’s wounds and stopping the bleeding, Vika’s pallor receded, and color returned to his face.

The two men lying on the pure white snowfield resembled corpses. Veronia fetched a stretcher, placed them upon it, and dragged it toward the house.

Once inside, she moved each of them near the fireplace.

As warmth returned, Vika soon stirred, regaining consciousness and sitting up groggily.

Awakening, she checked her condition, then rose to face Veronia, who sat calmly at the table sipping tea.

“Thank you for saving us, Your Highness.”

Without answering, Veronia calmly poured warm tea into an empty cup before her.

“Come, sit and drink.”

Vika checked her own condition. Seeing she was sufficiently alive, she confirmed Sikar had fully survived.

Sitting down, Vika expressed gratitude to Veronia.

“Thank you for saving our lives, Your Highness.”

“I barely saved the Duke’s life, but he will not awaken for some time.”

Vika looked anxiously at the unconscious Sikar.

“If he won’t awaken for a while, how long are we speaking of?”

“Hmm. The Duke is in a coma—it may be days at the earliest, or weeks at the latest.”

“The Duke… risked his life to obtain this… to resurrect Lord Valije.”

Veronia’s pupils trembled violently—she had entertained the possibility, but never truly expected it to be true.

She gazed at the prone Sikar with eyes entirely different from before.

“The Duke… risked his life to obtain the Ancient Resurrection Book… to save my husband?”

“Yes. That is correct, Your Highness. By now, the Lefer Temple will be tracking us. We have not weeks… perhaps only hours. Is there no way to wake the Duke before then?”

Veronia shook her head helplessly.

“Hmm. I know of no further methods.”

“Then… do you perhaps know how to use the Ancient Resurrection Book?”

“There have only ever been rumors of such a thing—no one has ever seen its true form. I am no exception. I have no idea how to use it.”

Vika knew Sikar would stop at nothing to achieve his goals—and if this failed, he would attempt another reckless, dangerous act.

“We both risked our lives to obtain this. We must use it today, somehow. Is there truly no way to forcibly awaken the Duke?”

“I, of all people, am desperate to save my husband—but sadly, I have no method. If only a mage were here, they might awaken his soul—but there is none.”

Though she spoke calmly, remembering Valije lying in the mortuary chamber, Veronia’s heart clenched again.

“How difficult… Perhaps this is simply Valije’s fate…”

To have obtained the Resurrection Book through such hardship, only for it to be useless—to have risked death for nothing.

“If we are captured by the temple like this, there is no telling what will become of the Duke.”

“If you return the Resurrection Book, they will not punish the Duke severely. And if the Grand Temple attempts to impose harsh punishment, I will do whatever it takes to stop them.”

“Will you truly do that?”

“Even if the Duke had not acted to save my husband, he is the consort of our Kian—I must protect him. And it seems you’ve forgotten… you once saved me. I could never abandon you.”

Princess Veronia.

Vika knew she was cold, but equally rational and never spoke idly—thus, she trusted her words.

But even before she could feel reassured, another worry surged forward.

She had no idea what Sikar might plot once he awoke and realized he had failed.

Under the pretense that Duke Blake had stolen an important sacred text from the temple, Roen received support from the Grand Temple in the form of priests to accompany her, and set out to pursue him under the High Priest’s orders.

Jeremi, who had been traveling with Roen toward the snowy mountains at her request, suddenly reined in his horse.

“Why is that, Sir Jeremi?”

“I likely won’t make it to the wedding—I should visit the Duchess first.”

“What? Now, at this moment?”

“Even without me, Lady Roen, you are fully capable of tracking and capturing the Duke. His injuries are quite severe.”

“But Lady Vika is also there, isn’t she?”

Though she said this, Roen disliked the thought of yesterday’s friend becoming today’s enemy.

“I’ve heard Lady Vika shares fate with the Duke. If the Duke is gravely injured, Lady Vika will not be able to exert her full strength.”

Roen nodded in agreement. The Duke could easily be surrounded even without intervention.

In fact, they might even need to exert effort to keep him alive.

“Indeed, since the Duchess personally sent us invitations, it would be proper to inform her of our absence.”

“Therefore, I intend to depart immediately for Recador.”

Jeremi was not bound to the temple. It was only natural that he prioritized his friends over the temple, so Roen respected his choice.

“Do as you will, Sir Jeremi. I, too, was concerned about the Duchess—this seems the right course.”

“Then I shall return and see you later, Lady Roen.”

Jeremi swiftly turned his horse and galloped as if heading toward Recador. But once Roen’s group was out of sight, he halted his horse, transformed anew, and soared into the sky.

The place Jeremi flew toward, as he ascended into the heavens, was none other than the snowy mountains.