Forgotten Juliet

Roy was swiftly searching through the forest.

‘Not here.’

But it was in vain.

Teo Lebantan loudly declared that Juliet had disappeared, and sure enough, it was as he said.

Roy wiped the sweat dripping down his chin.

He had searched all the terrariums and forests near Lucerne, but found nothing.

‘Juliet…’

Roy began to feel a peculiar thirst.

This unique thirst could only be quenched by the scent of a blossomed companion, and the anxiety that had been suppressing him exploded.

If this continued, he would chew his own fingers in anxiety.

Just then:

“What are you doing there?”

“Juliet…?”

A woman peeked her head out from behind a tree.

“Yes, it’s me. What are you doing?”

“Juliet…”

Roy’s legs gave out from under him.

He staggered towards her and embraced her tightly.

“Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you? Where have you been…?”

“Were you worried?”

“Of course! How much I…”

“I’m sorry, Romeo.”

“Romeo?”

Roy paused.

Juliet tilted her innocent face.

“Why, Romeo?”

But Roy stepped back from Juliet in his arms.

“Juliet never calls me Romeo.”

For some reason, she was insistent on that pet name.

It didn’t matter anyway.

“What are you talking about, Romeo?”

“Who are you?”

Creak, creak, creak.

With a creepy sound, Juliet, or rather that thing, twisted its neck in an eerie angle.

“Got caught?”

At the same time as its sinister smile, a blade emerged from the arm of the doll wearing Juliet’s face.

“…!”

It swung the blade threateningly. Roy dodged quickly, but the doll had two arms. So, two blades were coming at him.

‘Damn!’

Roy tried to dodge at an angle, but he sensed it was too late and braced for impact.

Then,

Clang!

Before the doll’s blade could reach Roy, a sword strike from somewhere accurately struck the doll.

“…!”

“How pathetic. Yes.”

Looking up, there was Lennox Carlyle, leisurely tilting his head in mockery.

“Can’t even recognize your own woman?”

He said as he wiped off the black and sticky fluid, not blood, from his sword. The doll may have looked like a real person, but it wasn’t.

From the doll’s waist oozed not blood, but a strange black liquid.

Lennox then mockingly exaggerated his surprise.

“Oh, right. She was mine from the beginning. My apologies, pup.”

“Ha…!”

Roy forced a laugh, but it was true he owed Lennox his life. With a light sigh, Roy stood up and asked,

“What now?”

Roy shrugged.

“Truce?”

Lennox Carlyle replied without a smile.

“If you haven’t noticed yet, I can’t do it. I am holding a baby in my hand.”

Peep!

“What..?”

Instead of answering, Lennox suddenly thrust the Onyx, which he was holding in Roy’s arms, and silently walked towards the exit from the forest.

Roy was taken aback for a moment, and when he came to his senses, he shouted at his back:

“Hey! And what do you think I should do with this beast?!

“Peep!”

Bang, bang, bang!

Onyx, which was bound as a beast, seemed displeased, smacking its tail against Roy.

* * *

On the last day of the Festival, the 7th day, the highlight was a ritual overseen by the Pope himself.

The Pope would summon a part of the body of the main god, Ifrit.

The ceremony, where the light of the goddess poured from the sky, was undoubtedly the highlight of the Lucerne Festival.

It was to show that the Pope had the goddess’s favor.

The origin of magical power came from the evil god.

On the other hand, the origin of holy power came from the main god, Goddess Ifrit.

Of course, magicians didn’t serve the evil god like the priests served the main god, but the priests had pride that they were fundamentally different from misguided magicians.

“Where are you, Your Holiness!”

However, the situation inside the terrarium, with the ceremony impending, was not so impressive.

The priests of the order were frantically running around.

“You still haven’t found him!”

With little time left for the ceremony, Pope Sebastian had suddenly disappeared without a trace.

Solon, the First Assistant who served the Pope, was quite literally losing his mind.

“You fools! If you can’t find His Holiness, none of you will be safe!”

Archbishop Solon furiously urged the priests.

However, not only in the terrarium but even after searching all over Lucerne, there was no sign of Pope Sebastian.

Sip.

‘… Sipping in this crisis?’

At the sound of someone leisurely drinking tea, Archbishop Solon turned around sharply, unable to contain his anger.

“Archbishop Gilliam! Aren’t you concerned? You’re drinking tea at a time like this? His Holiness has been missing for hours!”

Archbishop Gilliam shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m not sure if that question is worth answering. Of course, I’m concerned. And wasn’t it the duty of the First Assistant, Archbishop Solon, to assist in the ceremony?”

“Damn it!”

“Besides, I heard there’s one more person missing.”

“What are you talking about now!”

“Hmm.”

Archbishop Gilliam gave a meaningful look.

“It’s that young lady, the granddaughter of Lionel Lebatan.”

“…”

Archbishop Solon abruptly shut his mouth.

“Why do you react like this, Archbishop Solon?

Both of us know, don’t we?”

In Eastern Canabel village, there was the statue of the Saintess that Archbishop Gilliam personally procured.

“The moment he first saw that statue, didn’t His Holiness shed tears?”

Surprisingly, not long after, a woman with a face identical to that statue appeared in the Papal Court.

It was the missing Juliet Monad.

“Don’t you think the timing is too coincidental, Archbishop Solon?”

Tap, tap, tap.

Gilliam tapped on the table.

“A few hours after that young lady disappeared, His Holiness also mysteriously vanished. You should think about what that means.”

“I understand!”

Suddenly, the previously silent Archbishop Solon jumped up from his seat.

“Oh, do you now?”

“Of course! Isn’t it obvious!”

Archbishop Solon suddenly shouted loudly.

“Listen up everyone! From now on, we’re putting a bounty on the kidnapper of His Holiness!”

“What, what?”

Before the shocked Gilliam could stop him, Archbishop Solon shouted again.

“Her name is Juliet Monad! She’s the infamous criminal Lionel Lebatan’s granddaughter! Start by looking for her! Right now!”

“What are you saying, Solon! Think logically!”

A flustered Gilliam stood up and protested.

“Isn’t it obvious that the girl who disappeared first is likely the victim?”

And there’s also the evidence of that statue!

However, Solon began to loudly protest, covering his ears.

“I don’t know, I don’t care! So, you want to falsely accuse His Holiness of kidnapping now? You must be the one who’s gone mad! This means we’ll all die!”

Solon ran out, instructing the priests.

“Why are you not looking for that girl! She has our Pope…”

“You really have gone mad! Correct yourself quickly…!”

“Hey, drop it! Start by looking for her!”

The two archbishops grabbed each other by the collar.

Thud.

“…?”

At the heavy noise, the two archbishops froze.

Thud.

“What’s that noise?”

Thud.

The repeated noise seemed to be getting closer.

“Stay still, this noise is…”

Bang!

With a final loud noise, the tightly shut temple doors were flung open.

The earlier noises were the sounds of all the doors leading to their Ninth Chamber being forcefully opened.

Of course, it was clear they were forced open.

Because…

“I heard the ones who took my granddaughter are here.”

Step, step.

A slightly limping old man, using a sword stick and dressed immaculately in a white suit, with red hair, was staring at them.

“Is it you guys?”

The Red King, Lionel Lebatan, stood there.