"Ah, and if possible, please seal off the entire temple right away."
"...The entire temple?"
Eirik, who had been sighing for some reason, asked back at my sudden request.
"There's not just one spy, Kento."
"What?"
"There are more spies?"
Both Eirik and Seth looked visibly shocked.
I felt a little sorry for constantly surprising them, but unfortunately, it was the truth.
"Yes, but I don't know who they are or how many of them there are."
This was true. If only I had all the details nailed down, I could've earned their full trust!
Unfortunately, the original work had only glossed over this part. What a shame.
So, I'd have to put in the legwork to uncover them one by one.
"Please take charge of rooting out the spies, High Priest and Commander. I'm sorry to burden you with this the moment you've returned, Commander."
I briefly considered conducting the interrogations myself, since I've become pretty good at it, but Eirik and Seth are both main love interests.
There was no need for me to intervene—they'd take care of it thoroughly on their own. I decided to trust them with it.
"No need to apologize. It's only natural for me to do this as the Commander. We'll conduct a thorough search, so don't worry and get some rest. You don't look well."
To be honest, I'd love to stay up all night with Seth, laughing and grilling Kento, but…
"Then I'll leave it to you. Let's talk about the rest tomorrow."
My mind was clear, but my body was about to go on strike.
Had she never worked out in her life? Ordel's body had absolutely terrible stamina.
This won't do. I'll need to start building up my basic fitness soon.
"You look like you're having trouble walking... Let me escort you to your room."
Perhaps I looked like I'd collapse after just one step. Seth nervously took my arm and supported me.
"Oh my, then I'll take you up on that."
Why refuse when there's no reason to?
I bid Eirik good night and leaned on Seth's sturdy shoulder as we slowly made our way to the bedroom.
After Ordel and Seth left, Eirik was left alone in the kitchen and held his forehead.
The headache that had been with him ever since accepting Ordel as the saintess of the Temple had grown even worse in the past few days.
To be precise, ever since Ordel began showing a completely different side of herself. He still couldn't tell whether that was a good thing.
'...She said she didn't tell me because she couldn't trust me completely.'
Ordel, who casually said she'd put herself in danger because of that.
But did she realize?
That her words meant she didn't trust herself either.
Why did her tone—like she hadn't expected him to trust her at all—bother him so much?
It had been two years since Ordel joined the Temple.
In all that time, there hadn't been a single moment that could have built mutual trust.
So, it made no sense for it to suddenly form now—yet somehow, it still came as a shock.
Eirik let out a bitter laugh.
"Ah, you're still here."
Just then, Seth, having escorted Ordel, returned to the kitchen.
At that moment, Eirik decided to ask what had been on his mind.
"Commander, how come you didn't recognize the Saintess? It's not like you've only seen her once or twice."
Seth was a Swordmaster with an exceptionally keen eye.
It was extremely odd that he hadn't recognized Ordel.
"Well... somehow, the impression she gave off was completely different. It was like she had become a different person."
"Different?"
"Yes. The last time I saw her before leaving the Temple, she had a fierce and stern look... but now, she's so gentle that I couldn't possibly think it was the same person."
Seth thought back to Ordel.
She always narrowed her eyes sharply and wore a stubborn expression.
Her eyes, tinged strongly with yellow, had a piercing glare that warned everyone not to treat her lightly.
But what about her appearance now, after just half a year?
Seth had never seen Ordel with such a soft, serene expression.
Her eyes even seemed to glow with a honey-golden hue, not the cold yellow he remembered, as if they were filled with a gentle smile.
With such a stark contrast, how could anyone think they were the same person?
In fact, it was precisely because his observational skills were so sharp that this misunderstanding occurred.
"...It seems the Saintess has gone through some significant emotional changes lately. Maybe that's why her personality has shifted too."
Eirik briefly explained the recent things Ordel had done at the Temple.
Starting with how she had raised concerns about improving the children's meals, how she had begun dining with them in the cafeteria, and how she had been the one to catch Kento's embezzlement that very afternoon.
Seth was genuinely surprised.
"The Saintess has accomplished something remarkable. Catching an embezzler was my responsibility... I'm sorry. I must have been away for too long."
"It's not solely your fault, Commander. I was the one here, unaware that a rat was eating through the granary."
Eirik gave a bitter smile.
With Seth gone, he should have kept a closer watch over the Temple himself. This was entirely his oversight.
"And now isn't the time to assign blame. We need to catch the rest of the spies before it's too late."
At Eirik's words, Seth's ice-blue eyes darkened with resolve.
"You're right, High Priest. Just as the Saintess said, I'll issue the lockdown immediately and summon everyone residing in the Temple."
"Check everyone—clerics, holy knights, even the acolytes. Don't leave anyone out. Just be careful not to frighten the children, but don't let a single doubt slip past."
Investigating the children might seem excessive, but this was a matter of the Temple's security.
They couldn't afford to repeat the same mistake.
Seth nodded firmly, his expression resolute.
"I'll be thorough."
"In the meantime, I'll interrogate Kento. I'll get him to confess who his accomplices are."
"Will you be alright handling that alone? I could take over if you'd prefer."
Worried, Seth offered to take on the task, but Eirik shook his head firmly.
"This is a matter concerning the honor of the Great Temple. I won't treat it lightly, so you have nothing to worry about."
Seth didn't try to insist a second time and simply nodded in agreement.
The two men immediately sprang into action.
Seth gathered the Holy Knights, while Eirik headed alone toward the deepest cell where Kento was imprisoned.
A damp, filthy stench full of humidity stung his nose.
Guarding the cell where Kento was confined were two Holy Knights whom Seth trusted deeply.
Since these two had practically been raised by Seth and were above suspicion, Eirik entered the cell with full confidence.
Kento was bound hand and foot by chains and shackles fastened to the wall.
"Kento. From now on, you'd better answer my questions properly."
Eirik picked up a whip that had been prepared on one side of the cell for interrogation.
Kento, who had been scoffing at him dismissively, flinched when he saw the sharp barbs attached to the whip's tip.
Did he really think torture wouldn't exist in a temple that served a god? Not a chance. Precisely because this was a holy place, it was justified.
It was only natural to mete out divine punishment to those who had defiled the god's name.
"I'm in a rather foul mood today, so this is going to hurt quite a bit. Scream all you want, and once you feel like you can't endure it anymore, go ahead and confess. That might make me feel a little better."
Sensing the dangerous air, Kento instinctively tried to back away.
But with all exits blocked, there was nowhere for him to run.
"Don't worry. You won't die. Very fortunately for you, the god I serve is the Sun God—who specializes in healing."
Torture, heal. Interrogate, heal. Repeat.
Realizing what that meant, Kento's face turned deathly pale.
But in contrast, Eirik's expression as he looked down at him was utterly devoid of emotion.
Soon, horrific screams echoed through the dungeon.
The next morning.
Having both carried out their tasks through the night, Eirik and Seth met again in front of the Saintess's reception room.
Seth made an awkward face at the faint scent of blood lingering around Eirik.
"High Priest... the smell of blood..."
"Ah, my apologies. I tried to wash up as best I could. Is it still noticeable?"
"Well... It's faint enough that the Saintess might not notice it right away, but in an enclosed space, she might pick up on it."
Eirik nodded at Seth's advice.
He decided he'd open a window as soon as they went in. Ordel always took a while to get ready anyway.
'Oh, wait. That's right—she doesn't dress up anymore.'
Ordel used to spend a lot of time dressing up in luxurious gowns and elaborate accessories.
But the transformed Ordel had ordered all her dresses to be gotten rid of.
Now she wore the Saintess's robes or simple everyday clothes that she used to never even glance at.
It was a clear sign that she had truly changed.
Remembering her asking him to trust her, Eirik found himself inexplicably conflicted and let out a sigh.
"Um, High Priest. Commander."
Just then, the maid who had gone to announce their arrival returned from Ordel's bedroom with a troubled expression.
"Th-the Saintess is not in her room. It's completely empty."
At her unexpected news, both men widened their eyes in shock.