Published: July 26, 2025
Even though my body felt as if it were boiling hot, the core of my mind seemed completely chilled, and I felt as if my body was much lighter than usual.
Just by staring intently, I could see the head priest, who had been standing arrogantly by the door, go pale, as if all the blood had drained from his face.
If you’re going to make such a face, you shouldn’t have done such terrible things from the start. What an idiot.
“Myne, your mana is leaking. Control your emotions!”
Seeing the head priest’s complexion change rapidly, the high priest stood up abruptly, his face filled with panic, and shouted.
The unexpected voice drew my gaze away from the head priest to the high priest.
The moment the head priest disappeared from my sight, I heard a heavy thud as if a heavy load had dropped, and the head priest slumped down on the spot.
It seemed that once out of my sight, he was able to move again, because the priests who had been frozen in place rushed over to him, their voices reaching my ears as they called out in concern. As I listened to their distant voices asking about the head priest’s safety, I addressed the high priest.
“How do you suppress it?”
Tilting my head, I looked at the high priest with anger. He clutched his chest and groaned softly.
“Ugh... haven’t we always done it like this?”
“I don’t get it. You invited me here to have a discussion but suddenly gave orders in a commanding tone, resorted to force, and then said if I fought back, it would be capital punishment. How am I supposed to suppress this anger? I don’t understand.”
I quickly turned my gaze away from the high priest and back to the head priest. The head priest, who was slumped on the floor, no longer needed to look up to meet my eyes.
His voice trembled, his face twisted in fear, and he shook his entire body so comically as if trying desperately to keep his distance from me.
What a strange expression.
It was neither a kindly old man's face nor an arrogant one. It was like he had seen a monster or a fiend when confronting a frail little girl like me.
Feeling an indescribable irritation at the constantly changing expressions of the head priest, I took a step forward.
“D-Don’t come closer! Don’t come closer! Stay away from me!”
Breathing heavily, the head priest seemed to be in a state of panic, repeating the same words over and over.
From somewhere behind my right shoulder came the high priest’s anxious voice.
“Wait! If you release your mana in this emotional state, the head priest’s heart won’t hold up!”
I nodded slightly to his words and took another step forward toward the head priest.
“You should just die. If you keep living, you’ll kill my father and mother, right? Then die first. If you’re trying to kill someone, you should be prepared to be killed too, right? If you die, the people who want your position will surely be glad.”
After advancing four steps, the head priest foam at the mouth, his eyes wide open, and then he fainted.
At the next moment, the high priest stepped in front of me, blocking my view of the head priest, and knelt down before me. He furrowed his brows in pain, sweat dripping from his face, and pleaded with serious eyes.
“Let’s talk.”
“Talk? In body language? Or with mana?”
Startled by my question, the high priest coughed lightly, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. I couldn’t help but fixate on the red drops that trickled down.
“You must not kill. If you kill the head priest, your family will become relatives of noble slayers. That’s not what you want.”
His words made me realize something. I couldn’t let my reckless desire to protect my family turn them into criminals.
After blinking a few times, a heavy sigh of relief escaped the high priest.
“Seems like your reason has returned.”
“...Probably.”
Relaxed, the high priest wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and smoothed his disheveled bangs. Just that simple action returned his face to calm as if nothing had happened.
“Let’s have a discussion. Just as you wished.”