"Life-aspect battle aura… You're with the Church."
Feeling the sting at his throat, Orphis stared at Hel's youthful face, and in an instant, countless thoughts exploded through his mind.
At the same time, thin arcs of electricity began to rise from his skin.
His entire body transformed into lightning, shooting toward the office window.
In Orphis's eyes, Hel was highly likely to be someone from the Church—perhaps even a Judgment Knight.
But the pride of a sixth-tier expert would not allow him to simply surrender without doing anything.
And so, the only window in the office became his escape route.
With the innate talent of his thunderbird bloodline, he could convert himself into lightning, achieving speed like a bolt from the heavens.
As long as he could reach a crowded place, even if Hel intended to threaten him with force, she would surely restrain herself.
After all, Hel couldn't possibly beat him in public without damaging the Church's image.
Skoll Academy had nothing to do with witches—so even Judgment Knights had no reason to attack them.
And if something like that truly happened…how would the Church ever convince the nobles of the Southern Continent to serve them?
However—the moment he surged forward, a ripple of spiritual force swept across his lightning form.
His body immediately lost control, forcibly exiting its transformed state.
By the time he reached the window, pain flared again at his neck.
He twisted his head—and saw that Hel had appeared beside him once more, at some unknown moment.
That mithril sword, still sheathed, was once again pressed against his throat.
Orphis swallowed hard, discreetly wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.
Turning back awkwardly, his voice trembling slightly, he said:
"My friend… let's talk this through properly.
Don't worry. Whatever you need, I will do my best to satisfy it."
"Didn't I state my request from the beginning?"
Hel replied calmly.
"I want Skoll Academy to support my friend, Hiness."
"Th-that…"
Orphis hesitated.
Staring at the blade against his neck, he swallowed again and said:
"You aren't a Judgment Knight from the Southern Continent, are you?
At your age, reaching this level of strength…
Let me guess—you came from the Holy See."
At that, Orphis suddenly smiled as though he'd figured everything out, muttering to himself:
"Of course… Those two special envoys from the Holy See wouldn't arrive without attendants.
So you must be the knights assigned to protect them in secret."
After Hel displayed her power and borrowed Pablo's sword to bluff her way through, Orphis's attitude flipped completely.
Though he didn't say it outright, the respect in his tone was unmistakable.
When Hel didn't respond, he assumed she had tacitly admitted it.
So, with an uneasy expression, he continued:
"Even if you are a great figure from the Holy See…the Church and the Three Empires of the Southern Continent have an agreement.
Kings and nobles follow the Church's will, but the Church may not interfere in the selection of royal heirs.
Even a Judgment Knight cannot break that pact."
Clearly, faced with Hel's threat, Orphis was trying to invoke the authority of the Church's upper ranks to make her hesitate.
Because in his view—if the Church could not interfere in royal succession, then no matter how strong Hel was, she could not truly affect Savant's political future.
And certainly not make Hiness victorious in this struggle simply through her support.
So although Orphis was shocked by Hel's strength…he still did not intend to change his stance.
"The Church can't interfere in royal selection?"
Hel nodded thoughtfully.
Then she said with complete seriousness:
"Very well. I admit it.
I'm not a member of the Church, nor am I a Judgment Knight.
So supporting Hiness purely in my personal capacity should be fine, right?"
"Th-this…"
Orphis twitched at the corner of his eye.
He glanced at the mithril sword still resting against his throat.
Good grief.
A knight cultivating life-aspect aura, wielding a Judgment Knight's sword…and she says she isn't one?
Who would believe that?
Orphis even felt that if Hel suddenly pulled out a sacred Judgment Wing cloak and draped it over herself right in front of him, it wouldn't be surprising at all.
But Hel clearly had no idea what was going through his head.
She continued earnestly:
"What do you think the odds are…if I go academy by academy, pin each dean to the ground, and force them to support Hiness?"
"…"
Orphis imagined it.
Given the strength Hel had shown—the fact that she could place a sword at his throat so effortlessly meant she could kill him just as easily.
And combined with her absurdly strange ability…Orphis was willing to bet it was none other than the legendary power of Authority.
The very force that allowed its bearer to challenge far beyond their tier.
So he had no doubt—Hel could single-handedly deal with every sixth-tier expert in Savant.
But…was this really acceptable?
A Judgment Knight should be hunting witches, not interfering in royal succession in Savant.
Was she not afraid of punishment from the Church's high authorities?
No—wait.
Maybe she truly wasn't afraid.
That terrifying thought suddenly surfaced in Orphis's mind.
He felt that even if Hel slaughtered every sixth-tier expert in Savant…nothing would happen.
He had heard of what York did—how he bathed the Three Kingdoms in blood.
That great figure from the Holy See killed countless people, including royal families and nobles.
And what crime did the Church charge him with?
"Harming fellow members of the Church."
That's right.
Only that.
As for the massive number of dead civilians across the Three Kingdoms?
Not a single word.
Orphis had even heard that due to interference from the Remedy family, that butcher received no serious punishment at all—only a period of service within the Church branch of the Ymir Empire.
If an ordinary person had committed such atrocities…they would have been ground to dust long ago.
So what was privilege?
This… was privilege.
And so, even though Orphis still did not believe Hiness had much chance of winning the succession struggle—he did not dare gamble on whether Hel possessed a backing as terrifying as the Remedy family.
Nor did he dare gamble on whether Hel would act without regard for consequences and strike at the deans of the Seven Great Academies.
Thus, although his tone remained firm…he spoke with remarkable tact:
"Skoll Academy can support Hiness. After all, she is one of our own. And if she becomes the next King of Savant, it would indeed benefit us. However…"
Orphis's gaze sharpened.
"I hope you will truthfully tell me, Your Excellency—what is your relationship with Hiness?"