The Kingmaker System
Chapter 251 - 250. The Masked Intent (3)

Chapter 251: 250. The Masked Intent (3)

"Sir Asher," I called softly, drawing Asher’s attention back to me.

"Yes?"

"There is something that I need to ask you."

"What is it?" Asher asked.

I took a breath, carefully crafting my words. This was a delicate game, one I had to play flawlessly.

"Ace told me that... There are a couple of shady things that are going in the Temple."

The effect was immediate. Asher’s posture straightened, his entire body coiling like a spring ready to snap. He didn’t interrupt, so I pressed on, keeping my tone casual, as if I were merely curious.

"But he didn’t tell me the details, he said there are things and dark passages in the Temple that are hidden and need to be uncovered. Do you..." I looked at him, "know anything about it?"

Asher pursed his lips in a firm line for a moment before he spoke up, "You shouldn’t involved yourself into it, Mirielle."

I expected that. It was predictable, and I already had my counter ready. The key was to maintain just the right level of urgency without seeming desperate.

"You don’t understand, Asher. If it’s not exposed then I’ll have to stay here for longer time. I need to return home so, I need to find out as much as I can."

His brow furrowed deeply. Two quick strides and he was in front of me, gripping my arms tightly. His desperation was almost palpable, and I made sure to look just vulnerable enough to evoke sympathy.

"You don’t need to do such a dangerous thing, Mirielle. You don’t have to work according to that man’s orders. If you wish to return home then I will take you, but please..."

His eyes and his expression morphed into a pleading one and I couldn’t help but feel a little pity for this oblivious man. I smiled.

"I can’t, this is my work."

"It’s not, Mirielle. You’ll die if they know what you’re trying to do here."

"I won’t," I said but he didn’t look a least bit convinced.

"Regardless," he removed his hands from my arms and stepped back, "I can’t tell you anything. I will not deliberately put you in danger."

He turned and I couldn’t help it, "I need to save that child."

He stopped and then looked back at me, "Pardon?"

"The Saint... I’m sure you know he’s not here because he wants to. I need to free him..."

Asher frowned, "Is it because of him that you’re here, Mirielle?"

"Not only him, Ace’s motive is exposing the Temple’s bad deeds and mine is to protect the innocent child who’s suffering because of all this." I explained.

Asher’s eyebrows twitched as he stared at me and I sighed.

"Even if you don’t help me, I won’t stop trying and," I let my expression go a bit cold as I added, "if I get hurt in that process then it’ll be your fault."

Asher’s jaw clenched and he stared at me as if trying to make me change my decision.

"You... Please don’t do it," he pleaded once more and I shook my head.

"I’ve been going on my own for all this while, Asher. And I’m sure even younhad a reason to stick in this place even after knowing everything about these people, right?"

Asher flinched. I wasn’t a fool to not add two and two after knowing that Asher had the knowledge of every bad deed that happened in this so-called holy place. He was here for a reason to, and since he hadn’t thought twice before attacking the High Priest when he thought I was kidnapped meant that he wasn’t truly loyal to them.

He was aware of their dark side so, he must be here to do something and I had a couple of possibilities to test.

"You’re here for the same reason as Ace, right?" I asked and Asher stiffened up.

"You... wanted to expose the Temple so that like your mother no other woman would die in vain." I prompted.

The lack of response from Asher gave me my answer and I sighed.

"It must have been extremely hard for you to let go of your family and pretend to be loyal for those who were responsible for destroying your life. You didn’t even tell your family about your plan and accepted their hatred just for your mother..."

Asher looked down at his feet, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Don’t... think so highly of me," he muttered.

"But you spent all those years training and enduring everything, isn’t that worthy of praise and respect?" I got up from my bed where I was sitting and walked up to him.

"I... I only did this for revenge." He said.

"And there’s nothing bad in doing that." I shrugged and stood in front of him.

"Ace and I can help you achieve what you wanted for all these years, we need your help, Asher. There are lives on line." I said touching his arm and he flinched.

"Help us, expose the Temple’s real face, Asher. Bring justice to your mother’s death, and help me protect that child who is suffering and can’t even voice his misery." I urged.

Asher seemed torn as he looked at me and clenched his jaw so hard that I was afraid he might end up shattering his teeth.

"How much do you know about the Saint?" He asked.

"Only that he wasn’t found at the Holy place and that... he is cursed." I answered.

The rule of manipulation a smarter person was to make them believe that I was being completely honest and by sharing a snippet of what was really important information. If he was convinced that I was really willing to expose my side then he would willingly share the information with me without me needing to waste more time.

The addition to this was the usage of the word ’need’, if they think they are an integral part of the plan then they would be driven to act more on their role and it would make things easier for me.

Asher inhaled deeply as he gestured for me to sit and I obliged, he sat down himself before me looking a bit reluctant as he clasped his hands together.

"What I’m about to tell you is a really dangerous information, Mirielle, so, please be careful of letting it slip before anyone, all right?" He asked and I nodded.

"Yes, I’ll be careful."

Asher licked his lips and started speaking, "The Saint wasn’t found at the Holy place as what you know... rather, he was brought by the Pope one day who claimed that while he was visiting the Holy place he came across him and had an oracle that a Saint shall appear to bless the kingdom of Denril."

I nodded, indicating that I was listening attentively and he continued, "But, it was obvious that he wasn’t brought from that place. There were the hints of bruises and wounds on his body and even his clothes were tattered and old. He looked really pitiful at first glance. I thought that maybe, His Holiness would take care of the child since he had claimed that he was a Saint but..."

"But?" I pressed.

"I guess I couldn’t expect goodness from a monster."

"What do you mean?"

Asher eyes met mine and I could see the hardness in them.

"His Holiness had been using the Saint as his puppet since the very beginning, he wants to gain an upperhand over the nobles and create a Holy Empire."

I knew of it from the beginning but I still paid attention not missing any details in case I got some different version.

"But his greed wouldn’t stop to Denril. He purposely urged the King to keep the war going with Sestia so that the nobles at some point would exhaust themselves and then he would get to establish his dominance over them."

My eyebrows jumped as I heard that, it wasn’t surprising but it was surely something that I hadn’t heard before.

"And he wants the Saint to be his weapon for this process?" I prompted and Asher nodded.

Using a five year old child for such a thing, the Pope was a special kind of bastard. He would need to receive some special level of punishment for pissing me off.

"He had been keeping the Saint away from everyone’s eyes and hidden in the temple by... shackling him."

I could hear the hint of disdain in his voice as he said that, "It seems like he had someone put a curse on the Saint so that the Saint won’t be able to run away or tell anyone about what he’s going through."

"I wished to help him at times but..." Asher shook his head with an exasperated sigh.

"High Priest keeps him in strict control and never lets anyone else get close to him. He has even placed the Saint in a special room where no one else is allowed to enter."

"A special room?" I asked and he nodded.

"For the record, it is shown that the Saint has a good room but... that’s not the case. The Saint’s power is potent and they want to control it that’s why they have made a special room for him."

My blood boiled under my skin and for some reason I felt as if it would melt my false skin and reveal my real body.

I inhaled slowly, forcing myself to remain calm. "Where is this room?"