Chapter 602

Ellen didn't explain anything to the overwhelmed staff at the National Cemetery. They were too small to be involved in these matters. It was better for them to know nothing for their own safety. Ellen shook off the dirt from her clothes and looked up at the snowy sky. She realized that the problems that had occurred might be related to the Empire. She also realized why Rowen had approached Ludwig through Ellen - to investigate the incident. Rowen's actions were all aimed in the same direction - to track the incident that occurred in the underground tomb of the saints. She had approached Ludwig through Ellen because she couldn't enter the temple herself. Ellen sighed in response to Ludwig's question. "Let's go to the Temple Magic University. Then we'll find out," she said, walking ahead. Louise followed behind her, her expression stiffening. If something was happening at the Temple, and if the Empire was behind it, did that mean the Empire killed Archbishop Rowen? Louise couldn't understand why she was sent there, but the path they needed to take was clear. They discussed the possibility that the Empire was already aware of their actions and movements since they started investigating the incident. They needed to be cautious. Stop by the Temple Knights' headquarters.

Go to the Magic University.

Go to the National Cemetery.

All those footsteps would have been noticed.

And now that they were getting closer to the truth.

"Could it be that they couldn't touch us because you were involved...."

If it wasn't just some other group, but the Empire, they could never touch Ellen.

Because Ellen is Ellen.

The Empire may be in a situation where they cannot do anything about the pursuit of these four people.

Louise had already decided to get involved in this matter and was willing to take some risks.

But this was also a direct confrontation with the Empire.

It was impossible to withdraw at an appropriate time. The Empire had been watching from the beginning.

Investigating the murder case and ensuring the safety of the hero.

She thought that was the top priority, but now that she knew the Empire was deeply involved in this matter, she was suddenly caught up in a major decision that could determine the fate of the Schwarz royal family.

Looking at Louise, who suddenly had to make a very big commitment, Ellen calmly said.

"I'll protect you somehow."

"You?"

"Yes."

Ellen nodded slowly.

Louise said that Ellen's business was humanity's business.

Ellen knew well what Louise had endured and tried to help her with that in mind.

That's why Ellen would protect Louise who helped her with such a heart.

The Schwarz royal family also had no choice but to protect them.

These four people were all related to a very serious secret or suspicion related to the Empire.

A huge denial.

They returned to the temple to find out.

The temple was their home, but now that they knew that suspicious and dangerous things were happening in that house, they had no choice but to return to the temple with a completely different mindset than usual.

* * *

The group that returned to the temple immediately headed to the Magic University.

If the place they had to go was clear, they had to visually confirm what was happening there.

The place where access was restricted for completely different reasons was actually a place closely related to the incident.

And they could not help but see someone in a space where no one should be.

In the falling snow, a person sitting quietly under an umbrella.

"Tana Kyeong."

"...."

Savioline Tana.

She was silently watching Ellen and her party approaching under the umbrella as she sat alone on the bench.

She got up from the bench without saying a word.

Somehow, it seemed like she knew they were coming.

"Did you know I was coming?"

"I hoped you wouldn't."

Savioline Tana stood still and looked at Ellen.

"If you come back here again, it means you already know something."

If you didn't know anything, you wouldn't come back to this path to the Magic University.

If you find out that there is something, you will come back to this path.

That's why Savioline Tana was guarding the path.

Hoping that Ellen wouldn't come. "If I tell you not to ask anymore, you would know that the Empire is involved in this case. That's why I hoped you wouldn't know. But it's been three days... just three days." Savioline Tana exhales a deep breath. "You're too fast, Ellen." Savioline Tana looks at Louise von Schwarz instead of Ellen this time. "Your Highness." "...." "I didn't expect His Majesty to repay his favor like this." Louise von Schwarz was looking at Savioline Tana with her eyes wide open. The Emperor's favor. It's not just one thing that allowed them to enter the temple. In the first place, it was the Emperor who advised them to kill their siblings to save Heinrich. Savioline Tana's words, asking if it was reasonable for them to ignore such favor from the Emperor and come this far to uncover the Empire's secrets. Louise narrows her eyes at those words. "I know I'm not in a position to talk about kindness and guidance." At the point where she killed her siblings with her own hands, Cheonryun had already disappeared. "I didn't come here to dig up the Empire's weaknesses. Tana-kyung." Savioline Tana looks at Heinrich and Ludwig behind her. "Whatever you saw, it's all a coincidence, whatever you knew, it's all a mistake, whatever you imagined, it's all a delusion." "I can't accept that, but accept it that way." "Since you can't change anything even if you know, it's better to live without knowing." "There are things that hurt when you know." "There are things that make you sadder when you know." "Ellen." "Don't you know that well?" "After this, there's nothing you need to know." "Just accept it and step back." "If you find out, you'll only share a sin that's hard to bear." "There's no need to do that." Ellen opened her eyes at those words. Something that hurts when you know. Something that's sadder when you know. There's nothing else now. Knowing the truth because it's better than not knowing is only filled with painful things. Something is happening. Something terrible is happening or has already happened. If the truth that they have to know is only to share a sin, it's better not to know. But it's a story of going back without knowing anything. Ellen, who already knows too much about the sad truth, couldn't help but hesitate at Savioline Tana's sincere request, even though her attitude was oppressive. Savioline Tana was clearly appealing to Ellen and the other three with all her heart to step back. "There's no way we can just go back..." Ludwig murmurs absentmindedly. "What are you going to do with the people who were already pitiful just by dying? People who couldn't even die comfortably, why do you have to do that to them even after they're dead?" "It can't be justified. I have no intention of justifying it, and I'm not in a position to do such a thing." Savioline Tana's tone was cold and indifferent.

"So, let's think about it easily."

Savioline Tana stood in the middle of the street with an umbrella.

She was a presence that had risen to the only area of Grandmaster on the continent.

She was cautiously evaluated to have surpassed the strength of Ellen Artorius, a warrior, and had the same or greater strength as Ellen, who was in perfect condition, even though she did not possess a single relic, unlike Ellen, who possessed two relics, and had performed more difficult or dangerous missions and remained unscathed.

"You shouldn't know about this. It's better not to know. Because the fact that you didn't know anything when all of this is revealed will be your absolution."

"Are you saying that we can only remain silent if we know what we are doing?"

"Yes. Because we are doing something that we can only do."

Tana nodded her head at Ellen's question.

It is better to leave it unknown rather than trying to share the sense of guilt unnecessarily.

"This is not for me or the Empire, but for you."

Those who know about this can only feel a sense of guilt and responsibility.

If you want to escape from the responsibility theory later, you should not know.

Should you become a silent accomplice after knowing the truth? Should you throw away the opportunity to know and say that you didn't know anything when all the facts are revealed later?

A warrior should not know about this.

A warrior is people's hope.

When some evil is revealed, it should be someone unrelated to that evil.

A warrior must be on the side of justice.

So it's better not to know.

"You know."

Ellen said quietly.

"Just because I don't know about this little thing doesn't mean I can absolve myself."

"I'm not even going to try to absolve myself. You know that."

"If it's a painful truth, I already know a lot about it."

"It will be even harder and more tiring to hear people call me a warrior than it is now."

"So, it doesn't matter if you know a little more."

"Step back, Tana."

"I have to know what's going on."

Louise was listening silently to Ellen's meaningful words.

The truth that should not be known.

Absolution.

Something that has not been revealed to the public about the Gate incident.

Louise and Heinrich could not help but know that Ellen was talking about it.