The Archpriest and the Truth About the King

The Archpriest and the Truth About the King (神官長と王の真実, Shinkanchō to Ō no Shinjitsu) is the twenty-third episode of the Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts anime series.

Summary
While Leonhart confronts Set, Sariphi encounters a strange creature in the bowels of the palace. This may be the key to all the mysteries that have puzzled her. But will the answers she finds be enough to put an end to Set's madness?

Plot
Leonhart demands that they open the gates. A guard tells Set that there is an emergency and Set orders him to summon all of the guards and wonders why he has come to him and wonders if Leonhart is aware of the creature existence.

Sariphi wonders if its started and Lanteveldt tells her any moment and says that they should hurry to find the diary and get out of there when suddenly Sariphi's ring starts to glow and tells him that there's something nearby.

They then walk towards and sees a creature and Lanteveldt wonders what it is, Sariphi runs towards it but Lanteveldt stops her and tells her that he hasn't seen a monster like it before and Sariphi tells him that its not a monster. Sariphi then asks Bennu if he can heal it and Bennu says he can't since its not alive anymore much to Lanteveldt's disturbance.

The creature then wonders why Sariphi posesses the king's magic, Sariphi then walks towards him and wonders if that was his voice, her ring starts to glow again and he tells her that the king has chosen her. Lanteveldt wonders why she's talking to herself, Sariphi asks if he can't hear him and the creature says that speaking is beyond him and that he is speaking to her directly in her mind, he then introduces himself as Capel and tells her that he was the former archpriest and that he has guarded the king's secret for a century.

Lanteveldt says suprisingly that the archpriest is the second most powerful guy in Ozmargo and that he disappeared when the former king reigned and that they never replaced him. Sariphi then wonders how he got in this form and capel tells her that he knows a concerning secret about the king and says that he ensorcelled himself and then hid but then Set discovered him, much to Sariphi's shock she then wonders if he was the one who gave him the wounds that he has. Capel asks her to give her hand, Sariphi's ring then glows again and Capel tells her that to protect the king that he will entrust her with the secret of his birth since he has guarded it since the former king reigned over Ozmargo.

Jormungand knocks out a guard and asks if Leonhart is hurt, Leonhart apologizes and says that his human form isn't a match for beasts he then walks towards Jormungand which he tells him to leave the rest to him, he refuses and says that his duty is to stop Set's rampage and Set says from a distance that there's no need for it. Set then uses a magic shield and says that he is amazed that he returned, and that he thanks him to refrain for violence in the palace, Leonhart then calls out to him.

Capel tells Sariphi that the former queen had always been sickly and passed away shortly after and the former king was in disappointment since they had yet to have a heir, the former king tells Capel to keep the matter a secret and Capel confusingly asks what he means. The former king then tells him to find him at all cost and bring him back to Ozmargo and that he is the only one he shares his blood with. Capel asks if he means to bring back his exiled younger brother for a heir.

Sariphi is shocked when Capel tells her that the former king had a brother and he tells her that when twins are born the older one is heir and the younger one was exiled from the palace right after his birth and only the former king and him was the only one who knew about it, he then tracked the younger brother and made a shocking discovery that in the mid battle with Yoana he had fled to there and secretly fathered a child with a human.

Sariphi then wonders that the child must be the current king of Ozmargo and Capel tells her that it is and that the former king's brother had already passed away with no other choice he took the infant away from his mother, and the infant was revealed alongside the former queen's passing and the people of Ozmargo greeted him as the child, that the former queen had given her life to birth him.

The former king of Ozmargo wasn't able to accept that his heir was a human's son and as time went on his mind went ill and he passed away and he then tells Sariphi that is the only truth he knows of the king's birth history. Sariphi then wonders since the king is a human's child and a royalty too. Sariphi then hugs him and tells him that she will tell the king everything he entrusted to her. Lanteveldt tells her that if she wants to tell the king that they have to hurry and join him.

Capel tells her to wait and says that he has another truth he must tell her. Set was confounded when he tells Leonhart and Jormungand that they came back for their execution and calls them rebels and that they're not meriting for the trials he then activates the magic and tells them that he will finish their sentence right now. Capel tells Sariphi that the other secret is to save the child that took his destiny in awry, he then proceeds to show Sariphi his memory of when he took the infant king away from his mother and former king before he disappear in thin air leaving only the gem, Bennu then says that the spell is undone now that he did his duty of guarding the truth until the right time came and since he told someone he can now rest in peace.

Sariphi says that the legacy is safe with her. Anubis asks what's wrong with him and Set wonders if the spell is broken and wonders who could have done it. Set tells Anubis that they have been feint and that the human has sneaked into the palace along with her guard. He tells Anubis to gather guards to search for them everywhere. Jormungand calls out to Anubis and Leonhart calls out to Sariphi and breaks the magic barrier, Set uses his magic again around Leonhart and Jormungand then he brings Leonhart up to him and Set tells him that he shouldn't overexerting and that he is in much greater pain than Jormungand and calls humans tragic creatures and even though Leonhart broke through the restraint for a moment. Set then tells him that he will send Sariphi and Leonhart to their graves together.

Set then goes outside and evey guard sees Leonhart restrained by his magic and asks him how it feels to look out from something that was once his. Leonhart then looks out to the town and sees the destruction, Set tells him not to worry as he will fix the town to its proper way in which species are divided into classes and that the will make the realm into one beauty and that a king with royal blood is how it will be which Leonhart denies and tells him that he didn't strive so that the species would be divided but so that everyone could live as themselves and no one chose their birth and that everyone should take pride in themselves and as Set said that he has no right to rule but that he has a duty to stop his rampage.

Set recalls when his mother tells him that he is of true royal blood and that he should have stayed by the king's side and that he should have been the next king and apologizes for birthing him this form and that he doesn't look royal. Set said that he and his mother were always in the corner of the palace but since he didn't look like the king no one paid them attention because of it. He then says that the king deceived them because of it so that he could continue to play a king and when he slays him with his own hands he will be able to have pride in himself for the first time he then laughs.

Lanteveldt knocks out a guard, they then runs and sees many guards and that would mean that the king is somewhere nearby, they then see a dead end. Suddenly someone puts a knife near Sariphi's throat, Lanteveldt looks back and sees Anubis holding Sariphi at knifepoint and tells her that this is as far as she goes, two guards restrain Lanteveldt and wonders why he feels so weak, Anubis tells him that he planned that they would flee this way and that they cast a magic barrier here, Bennu then comes and says that's why he feels like his powers are being drained. Lanteveldt tells him that he is disappointed in Anubis and that he never liked him and he thought that his loyalty for te king was real but it turned out that he was a real supremacist.

Anubis takes Bennu and throws him to the guards and tells them to take them both away and Sariphi tells him not to worry about her, Anubis then pushes Sariphi towards the wall while holding her at knifepoint and tells her that she is still awfully confident in herself and asks her what she has come back here for and Sariphi tells him that they discovered the origins of the king and Anubis tells her that it is no consequence now and Sariphi tells him that he must have known what is going on outside the palace and where Leonhart goes she goes and she made up her mind to stay with him forever.

Anubis tells her that the king has a human for and that it isn't troubling her the least. Anubis then asks her when she learnt of this and asks her if she has known about his human form all along and she agrees that she has known ever since she came to Ozmargo to be sacrificed and Anubis on the other hand was fooled by him from the beginning he then says that she has to answer one final question and asks her if he had no human blood if she still would have loved him and she says that she doens't know much to his confusion.

Set tells him that straining will only lead to his limbs to fall off and tells him to struggle if he wishes as it makes him look pathetic. Leonhart thinks that even if he is in his human form that he is still the king of beasts and that he will never give in to someone who fails to protect the realm and the people in it. Anubis comes and says its pointless, Set compliments him and says that he did it quickly but Anubis says that he only knocked her unconsious. Set tells him to begin with Sariphi's execution by his hand much to Leonhart's shock.

Set tells him that the girl conspired with the false king to deceive him and that they trampled on his pride and his dignity and tells him that he has every right to. Leonhart looks in horror as Anubis prepares to execute Sariphi much to Set's joy. Anubis is confused as to why she doesn't know and asks her what she means by it and if she can't love a pure blooded beast, he then says that she can only love other humans like her, but Sariphi denies it and says that the king is both since he has both human and beast blood and he agonized it because of that and that's the king she loves Anubis then stabs Set in the hand much to his confusion then he pulls the knife out. Set's spell wear off and Sariphi awakes and Leonhart falls much to her shock she then runs towards him.

Set angrily asks why he would go to back to the former king. Anubis then says that he has never called him his king even though Leonhart has a bizarre assumed human form that he is his king and no one else. Set activates his magic and attacks Anubis, Set walks towards him and tells him that he will finish him off when suddenly a spear comes. A mysterious gang says that they shouldn't sit by when the lord is in need and that they have come to restore the people and the king and that the full might of the Istan navy has come they then attack.

A guard tells the others that Set has called up every other guard in the palace, a guard that holds the rope that restrains Lanteveldt asks what they should do with him and the other guard tells them to get a move on, Lanteveldt then knocks them both out and tries to undo the rope, Amit tells him to stand still while she cuts it off, Lanteveldt wonders why they're here since they told them to stay where they was outside Ozmargo but Amit tells him that they couldn't sit by and watch and that when they reached the palace they saw some from the Istan navy, Lanteveldt says suprisingly that they should get moving before Amit stops him and tells him that there is something they're searching for and if they find it and get rid of it that they can get the king back to his beast form.

Joz tells Galois not to push himself too hard and that yesterday he complained about his hip acting up yesterday. Galois tells him not to worry and attacks some guards and even if he is old, he was still known as Galois the Sea God. Ocelot is telling the other guards to take the refugees under their protection and tells them that the king of maskviana commands it, several guards carry some beasts that are unable to continue walking. Maru and Rog looks behind them as a wolf tells them that they're running to the humans for refugee and calls them lesser species and prepares to attack them, Ilya comes and defends them and tells them to get out of here, some guards then comes and aids them, while Maru and Rog walk away, El tries to say thanks much to Ilya's shock, he then thanks Ilya for saving them, Maru and Rog then bows and runs away along with the guards, Ilya prepares for the attack and tells the beast to do his worst.

Set is wondering why they are struggling against the sea beasts suddenly someone comes and tells him that it is an emergency as the kingdom of Sarbul has sent a message, Teto tells his people that they would be first-class subjects under the new king, Set and accepting it might pave the way for the future and that he rejects it much to the people's shock. Teto then tells them he might see his choice as foolish, but for the youth that the future depends on and those who will inhabit it that they mustn't leave a world where one species determins who's standing and that Sarbul stands behind the king of Ozmargo who has fought for the equality of species since he started to rule over. Tetra then tells Sariphi that they're on their side while she carries Calcara who is happy after his father's speech. The person says that Braun the overlord who rules Maasya and others that if the king of Ozmargo isn't returned to continue the reign that they will prepare to fight alongside him.

Amit, Lanteveldt and Clops & Cy finds the room where the magical array that caused the Miasma to clear from the skies and because of how long the spell has remained in effect that there must be a trick to it, Lanteveldt then touches it but gets burned, Amit tells him that it is a blood pact and the one who cast it can control the spell but unless they have enough blood to overwrite it the spell will be undone. Amit pulls out the knife she had with her much to Lanteveldt's shock. Set asks what the meaning of it means and that he understood the sea people but the other lands he made first-class. Sarphi then tells him that they're not posturing and she understands that people enjoy to keep others down but no one deserves to be treated less and that the king worked hard to stop it from happening and the people who fought alongside him, understands it, Leonhart looks proudly at her and tells him that if he really wants to become king that he should look at its people and listen to them.

Sariphi then tells him that if he can't look at them why would they look at him, Set tells her to be quiet, Leonhart calls out to her and Set tells them to be quiet and then he unleashes magic that throw Sariphi into the air, Leonhart jumps after her and tells himself that everyone gave strength to a weakling, suddenly the miasma comes back and everyone looks in shock as Leonhart is returned to his beast form carried by Gwiber and says that he will repay their devotion and then roars.

Anime and Manga Differences

 * The scene where Ocelot, Ilya, and the guards came to help the beastkinds only appeared in the anime and not in the manga.
 * In the manga there is a scene where Sariphi and Lanteveldt survey the palace to try to figure out a good way to enter. Since the palace is full of guards, they decide to use the same canals that Arthur had used when he accidently ended up in the palace. The anime skips this scene, and instead starts with them having already exited the canals inside the palace.

Navigation
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