I looked down from the window as the carriages left the castle’s carriage houses and parked at the fountain, waiting for their respective nobles to board before leaving the estate.

One by one, they filed out, nobles in their fine silks and expensive furs, merchants with their heavy coin purses, all of them satisfied with the morning’s proceedings.

They’d gotten what they came for: a chance to curry favor with the Saint, to spread their influence through SBV’s expanding network, and to publicly distance themselves from Cass’s weakening authority.

It made me sick.

"Enjoying the view?" a voice came from behind me.

I turned to find Ilya standing there, her arms crossed, glasses reflecting the light from the window.

"Not particularly," I replied, turning back to watch another carriage roll away. "Just wondering how I ended up volunteered for manual labor when I’m supposed to be a guest here."

"Guest is a generous term," Ilya said, walking up beside me. "You’re more of a... person of interest."

"That’s one way to put it."

"The Saint’s proposal was quite clever," she continued, adjusting her glasses. "He gets free labor for his construction projects, the nobles get to look pious and generous, and he gets to publicly demonstrate that even the Duchess’s prisoners fall under his jurisdiction now."

"And the Duchess just... let it happen?"

"What choice did she have?" Ilya replied quietly. "Refuse, and she looks like she’s opposing God’s will. Accept, and she looks weak. Either way, he wins."

"So when do I start breaking rocks?" I asked bitterly.

Ilya was silent for a moment.

"Tomorrow morning," she finally said. "You and the other prisoners will be transported to the construction site at dawn."

"Honestly, breaking rocks is an easier task than the one you assigned," I sighed. "Especially for a ’person of interest.’" I added, side-eyeing her to see her reaction.

But Ilya, ever the stern secretary, simply adjusted her glasses with one hand. The light caught on the lenses, hiding her eyes for a moment.

I will buy her a new pair with the wages I’d earn as a construction worker. Tighter ones.

"That’s the Duchess’s will," she replied nonchalantly, as if she was doing me a favor. "You can choose not to follow it and end up in prison for all the crimes you committed, or get away with it by helping her a little."

She really called that a little favor?

"I didn’t know being undercover and gathering intel on the Saint’s hidden projects was ’little,’" I said dryly.

Ilya frowned at that, her lips pressing into a thin line.

"For all it’s worth, there could be nothing the Saint is doing in secret," she said stubbornly. "For all we know, it could just be the Duchess’s imagination."

"You’re wrong," I said, sighing.

I looked back out the window. More and more carriages were leaving the estate now, a steady stream of wealth and influence departing.

Cass was downstairs in the great hall, taking part in the customary party for the gathering of nobles and merchants. It was already dusk, and the Saint had left in the morning after staying for an hour or so once the proceedings were over.

"The Duchess wasn’t exactly asking me to verify anything," I added. "She meant ’bring in the proofs.’"

Ilya looked thoughtful. She moved to sit on the windowsill, her legs crossing gracefully as her tight skirt shifted with the movement, extending slightly to the side. She crossed her arms over her chest, her expression becoming more serious as she understood what I meant.

"So you’re saying she already knows for sure that the Saint is conducting some shady business, and she wants you to gather evidence?" she asked. "How can you be so sure?"

I stretched my body, already feeling dread about tomorrow.

"Because I know the Duchess well enough to figure that out," I replied. "Besides..."

I looked directly into her brown eyes.

"If the Saint is really from Starfall Enclave like he claimed, then he’s already involved in the demonization program."

Ilya couldn’t control her gasp. Her lips parted slightly in shock, and her arms dropped from her chest.

"What...?"

"Of course, Cas—ahem, I mean the Duchess probably doesn’t know that yet," I corrected myself quickly. "But she’s definitely caught wind of his suspicious activity from Selka."

I stretched again, trying to work out the tension in my shoulders.

"Since he lives in a well-guarded facility, the Duchess can’t risk sending Selka in and potentially getting her killed. So she needs someone to infiltrate."

"Wait..." Ilya’s brow furrowed. "If Selka couldn’t do it... how does she think the Saint will allow a prisoner to get inside his office?"

I smiled at that.

"It’s more practical than it is theoretical," I said. "It’s hard to explain."

I turned away from the window and returned to the couches.

"I have to talk to her..." Ilya muttered, clutching her head with both hands. Her usually perfect composure was cracking.

I sat down beside Sera, across from Lydia and Merin.

"So... you won’t be with us from tomorrow?" Sera asked, already looking ready to sulk at my inevitable "yes."

But I shook my head.

"What do you mean?" Sera’s expression shifted to confusion.

"You guys are coming with me to do some manual labor," I said casually.

Sera’s eyes lit up immediately. I wasn’t sure if she’d even heard the "manual labor" part.

Lydia’s expression seemed exasperated, but she didn’t look opposed to the idea. She just sighed and leaned back against the couch.

Merin quickly looked away, probably cursing internally as she guessed I was going to make her carry the team from tomorrow onward.

Manual labor is actually a good way to watch Merin suffer.

"Manual labor?" Lydia finally asked. "What exactly are we doing?"

"Construction work.. may be?," I replied. "Building cathedrals, offices, orphanages... or whatever the Saint needs."

"That doesn’t sound so bad," Sera said brightly.

She always liked praying and thus cathedrals and ofcourse, orphanages are always never hated. But I am guessing she forgot to take in the fact that we will not be working as staff but as some prisioners doing free hard labor in the mid-day sun, sweating.

Lydia gave her a look. "You’ve never done manual labor in your life, have you?"

Sera paused. "...No?"

I couldn’t help but smile.

Well, I don’t plan on making her work too much since I will make Merin work hard for all of us... but if I have to say I am pretty much satisfied with the team.

"Ilya, I am guessing you will be coming with us to "oversee" things."

She looked up at me. "Yeah, at least as an excuse to help you with your assignment."

Good. That settles it. If I rank my team from strong to weak.. first spot would undoubtedly be Merin’s, I could comfortably occupy the second, third would either be Lydia or Ilya.. I am more inclined towards Lydia, considering her superior mastery in combat. Fifth would be Sera, yet to awaken her aura.

A grin spread across my face as I leaned forward.

Demonisation project was the turning point to SBV... I wondered how I could stop it in this life since I was too late in my past one... but the opportunity presented itself.

I won’t let it pass unused.