"Ha, what a clever diversion."

In the study, Granzon also paused in surprise upon hearing the news of Heinrich being kidnapped, then chuckled bitterly, "To fall for such a simple trap, I must be losing my touch."

By using a small number of people to divert the attention of a large group of knights and Granzon himself to Gilliast, leaving Sevita to come knocking at the capital every day, they neglected the direct guarding of Heinrich, giving the Church assassins who had infiltrated the capital under the guise of transporting food from all over the country the opportunity they needed.

"Hahaha, Granzon, you fool! You fell for it, idiot! You stood me up! Go bash your head against the wall!"

On the road leading to the Holy See, a carriage raced ahead, kicking up billowing dust clouds behind it. And a certain red-robed Archbishop in the carriage raised a universal hand gesture towards the direction of the Milanian border, a look of utter satisfaction on his face as if he had finally resolved a long-standing grudge.

"Sevita... What has gotten into her?"

Heinrich, seated in the front of the carriage, hesitated for a moment before asking Karina, who was driving.

"Well…"

Karina glanced back at Sevita, who had just returned to her seat after venting her anger, then answered in a low voice, "She was offended by that War King, Your Majesty."

To divert Granzon's attention, Sevita had been visiting every day for the past month. Initially, Granzon would meet with her, but eventually, he grew weary of her constant presence. He started making all sorts of excuses to avoid her, from approving documents, to overseeing food supplies, or inspecting city construction and military matters. The excuses became more far-fetched as time went on, to the point where reasons like "I'm not in the mood to meet today" or "I have a celestial observation claiming it's not suitable for an audience today" or even "Today marks the fifth anniversary of Little Tiran inventing the Italian cannon, so I need to attend the celebration at the Ministry of Military Affairs" began popping up.

Most commonly, Sevita would do nothing but sit in a reception room specially prepared for her in the palace, waiting all day long. The palace guards prohibited her from wandering around, leaving her with no option but to sit there and drink tea all day. In the end, the Archbishop had almost memorized every attendant who brought her tea.

On the other side, the king was also surprised by Sevita's persistence, even at one point suspecting that she had taken a liking to him.

"Your Excellency, while your persistence moves me, I already have a wife… Though marrying a queen according to the kingdom's laws wouldn't be an issue, my wife would definitely have objections."

Just yesterday, after ignoring him for over two weeks, she finally agreed to meet with him, only to almost drive Sevita to assassinate him on the spot with her words.

Enduring humiliation, the Archbishop wondered why he, a dignified Archbishop, the heir to the Pope, had to endure such treatment from that guy!

The more Sevita thought about it, the more frustrated she became. If the plan hadn't succeeded in rescuing Heinrich and redeeming her humiliation, she might have actually spat three liters of blood on the spot.

"Oh, Sevita."

Karina suddenly turned her head and asked, "One of His Majesty's pupils, Johannes, is one of those on the way to Gilliast, isn't he?"

“Yes, I believe I mentioned it to you before."

Sevita nodded after a moment of hesitation.

“Just wanted to make sure. After all, having carried out a mission together, I’m somewhat concerned about his safety. According to the plan, is he... captured by now?"

Karina had only learned of the full rescue plan after Heinrich had been saved, and she also knew that Johannes and Sullivan were merely decoys meant to attract attention.

Sullivan was reliable, being a holy knight, his loyalty was unquestionable. Even if ordered to sacrifice himself for the goddess, he would charge forth without looking back.

But Johannes agreeing to do such a thing… Besides the crown's orders, it was more due to his lack of understanding of his role.

“You needn't worry about that."

Sevita crossed her arms. "While we managed to outwit Granzon this time, His Majesty and I have a mutual understanding. Initially, his capture of Heinrich was just to gain more favor from the Church, not to openly clash. Regarding private interrogation... With the temperament of that king, he won't go so far as to harm minor figures like Johannes."

“Understood."

Karina nodded, refocusing her attention on the road ahead.

While reassuring Karina, Sevita furrowed her brow.

She wasn't lying, just not revealing the full truth. Keeping Johannes locked in Milanía was also in a way a form of protection from the crown. After all, in the eyes of both Granzon and the majority of the Church, the Pope's student was just a talented young man, and the Church had no shortage of talented individuals.

Only a few people understood that at his age and power level, being able to wield the tome of divine punishment or summon an Angel meant an exceptional level of talent.

In private, the Pope had even told Sevita that if something were to happen to her, and she couldn't inherit his position, among the new generation of the Church, Johannes was definitely the most competitive candidate.

But allowing him to participate in a mission that could easily result in his capture by Milanía... Was just another indication that the crown wasn't keen on ensuring his safety.

The contradictions between the crown and the Order of the Holy Cloister were far beyond what outsiders could perceive.

“I suppose it will be a busy time when we return."

Sevita stretched her arms upward, taking a deep breath.

"Salwin? Salwin?"

Being shaken awake, the Holy Knight slowly opened his eyes, still feeling groggy from overdrawing his mental energy to manipulate illusions.

The face shaking him gradually came into focus.

"John? Ugh... Where am I?"

Glancing around, Salwin finally realized his situation.

Stiff black metal bars, cold solid ground beneath him, two simple iron grating beds, and a table with an oil lamp were the only furnishings.

"The castle dungeon."

Theurg seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, then looked puzzled. "By the way, why were you caught in the princess's bedroom?"

"What?"

Salwin was dumbfounded.

"That's what the two guards who brought you here said. The princess saw you lying face down in her room when she returned and decided to have you brought here."

As memories before his second loss of consciousness began to return, Salwin's face darkened.

That Vera guy... Just because he didn't agree to teach, he had gone to the extent of returning him here after retrieving him?