Chapter 40
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: The Red-Haired Saintess of the Slums - 5
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A foul human stench permeated the holy land ruled by the gods.
The only thing the omnipotent deity demanded from these pathetic humans was a display of their humanity—yet even that they couldn't manage. Lined up in the middle of the town square, they shuffled toward some destination.
Dragging bellies bloated with desire along on spindly legs, mustering their willpower to crawl like ants.
"This is the solemn command of Archbishop Bobby! All who seek to pass through the central square must present identification and submit to inspection!"
Controlling these ants were priests who moved not by divine will, but by human whim. Having long ago chosen to serve desire over purpose, they bellowed at the innocent with bloodshot eyes.
The citizens were bewildered by the suddenly strict regulations, but those of us who knew the truth understood the inspections were aimed at finding the saintess.
Perhaps the clever ones had already caught on. The priests reacted with particular frenzy at the sight of a girl with red hair. Moreover, it had been exactly ten days since the saintess last appeared in public.
Anyone with sufficient intellect and rebellious spirit could easily sense this was no ordinary affair.
And so, as the saintess's absence dragged on, bizarre rumors began to circulate. A red-haired saintess had appeared in the slums. She would quell the chaos stirred by Archbishop Bobby and restore the goddess's true will.
The Order denied it, but the rumors only grew. Soon she would come. She would judge them all.
Rumors become hope, hope becomes will. And when will gathers, physical action inevitably follows.
Vanessa had predicted it would take at least a month to amass sufficient numbers, but I disagreed. Setting fire to people's hearts took no more than a fortnight at most.
I lifted my eyes to count the crowd in the square. At least five hundred. Perhaps more.
In contrast, the armed guards numbered barely a few dozen. The thugs we'd gathered as backup were about the same size.
"...That's too many."
Sera. Or perhaps Rachel, in a tense whisper. Before I knew it, her voice had perfectly mimicked the saintess's tone.
"That's what makes it perfect. Ready?"
"I've never been ready once in my life. But you'll help me, right, Luca?"
"Yeah."
"Your confidence is making me doubt you instead."
Rachel fidgeted anxiously, twisting her fingers. I watched her for a moment, then turned my head toward the low platform in the center of the vast square.
"Still need more prep time?"
"Haa... Postponing won't make it better. When do we start?"
"Now."
"Uwaaa..."
"No whining now. You knew this was coming, detective girl."
Vanessa flashed a cruel smile from beside me. Dressed neatly in priestly robes for the first time in ages, she looked less awkward than expected. Perhaps she'd been waiting alone for this day in the brothel called a holy land.
"Hoo... Fine."
"Think you can do it now?"
"It's what I have to do, right? And if we find the archbishop, we might get more clues about that girl."
Her calm remark left me speechless. Just then, a guard's shout echoed from afar.
"Hey, you there! Come here a sec!"
"Now we really have to."
Rachel pressed a hand to her heaving chest to steady herself, then turned to me with a smile. She tossed out a casual quip as if it were nothing.
"For the mint-scented girl."
And with that, she headed for the low platform in the middle of the square.
"Hey! Stop!"
The same guard rushed toward her, but I deliberately blocked his path with my body, keeping him from reaching her. Pretending ignorance, I shoved him aside and looked up.
"Hoo..."
Rachel had already climbed onto the platform. The people, lost in their own troubles, paid her no mind yet. She gazed at them and took a deep breath.
Then, she shouted with all her might.
"Citizens of Miler!"
A trembling breath. Tension seeped through. Yet her resolute will resonated across the entire square. Those living listlessly turned toward the surge of vitality she exuded. Even I glanced her way, struck by the unfamiliarity in that voice.
And there, I beheld the saintess—her authenticity restored precisely because it was all contrived.
Red hair shattering like rubies under the sun. Even as an ordinary girl, her beauty would have drawn every eye. She matched perfectly the Sera I'd met in the chapel, but gone was the vulgar attire that tarnished her dignity. Clad in a pure white dress like the heart of a girl before the divine, hands neatly clasped, she embodied the saintess without needing to utter a word.
"Saintess...?"
Some had to voice it to describe the scene before them. A few in the crowd called her name aloud, and the shock rippled through the square. The saintess. She's in the street, not the chapel. And she radiates an unusual grace unlike before. The incongruity bred mystery, overwhelming the people.
Even the guards gaped at her as Rachel slowly opened her mouth. Unlike Sera, her voice rang clear and confident.
"Proud citizens of the Empire. Beloved children of the Ennesic Goddess, bearers of human will even today. Hello. I am Sera."
"S-Saintess...?"
Even the guards finally uttered her name. Rachel nodded toward them.
"Yes. The saintess. That's one name you've called me. Some of you may wonder why I'm here. Why the Order's saintess stands not in the chapel, but in a place like this."
I saw the guard captain and a few others huddle, murmuring. Probably debating how to respond. I signaled a few thugs in sight, sending them that way. Meanwhile, Rachel's speech continued.
"I believed I'd lived righteously until now. Though the path differed, just as I once joined the hero's party to defeat the Demon King, I became one who served the divine will—this time to save not bodies, but hearts."
"She talks well."
I silently agreed with Vanessa. I'd only outlined the basics, not scripted every line. Yet Rachel wove her words fluidly, as if she'd truly become the saintess.
"It didn't take long to realize I was wrong. The Order worshipped not the sick and weak, but wealth and fame. It erected doctrines of depravity, venerating desire. And I... I knew it all, yet let it slide, believing it would change someday."
She paused, lowering her gaze. The people, seeing the unfamiliar light in her eyes, reflected on their everyday lives they'd taken for granted.
When had it started? When did we grow accustomed to corruption seeping into our routines? Sleeping with priests to absolve sins isn't natural. The saintess seducing believers with her body instead of faith is wrong. The same semen stench clinging to slums and cathedrals is clearly odd.
As long-held common sense shifted back to truth, the people lifted their heads. Not through direct description, but metaphor—they raised their heads. Rachel met their eyes and voiced their thoughts once more.
"Since when did we have to pay for confession? Why have the priests meant to lead believers by faith fallen into depravity? I have no defense. I overlooked their evils—and even condoned them."
Rachel bowed her head, reflecting on sins not her own. She couldn't know the full weight of Sera's karma, yet sincerity shone in her expression.
Then, she raised her head boldly, meeting their gazes.
"But no more overlooking or condoning. I'm here to tell you this: We can no longer wallow in this mire of corruption. The imperial family denies it, but the demonkin rise again. The Empire rots from the bottom at one man's whim. You know his name without me saying it."
"Oof. That's bold."
"But the name I speak today isn't his. It's the culprit who ruined this city and defiled the Ennesic Goddess's will—a criminal."
At that moment, the guards flinched, gripping their spears tighter. The citizens, knowing full well what name came next, swallowed tense breaths. Rachel scanned their faces, then spoke low but clear.
"Naturally, Archbishop Bobby."
"Shut your witch mouth!"
Cries of shock from the citizens mingled with the guard captain's crude curse. He stomped toward the platform to stop her.
"How dare you impersonate the saintess to incite innocent citizens! Get down from there now!"
"No! She really is the saintess!"
At that moment, Vanessa screamed in a heartbreakingly pitiful voice and rushed forward. She deliberately threw herself at the guard captain, collapsing limply. Clutching his ankle, she cried out.
"I won't let you torment the saintess anymore! Please, stop!"
"Y-You crazy bitch..."
Vanessa offered no lengthy fabricated tale. But the scene unfolding before the crowd was enough to ignite their imaginations. The saintess, missing for over ten days, suddenly appearing. The guard captain lunging at her. An unidentified priest blocking the way. Clear marks on that priest—perhaps from torture.
Sympathy's direction was obvious, and the captain sensed it, halting his advance. He couldn't predict how the citizens might erupt if he moved rashly.
Her hands slick with sweat from tension, visible to the naked eye, yet Rachel calmly lifted her head to meet their eyes. She pressed on with her remaining words.
"Archbishop Bobby cloaked himself in a false hero's name and led the Order down the path of depravity. Priests. Believers. Even children—he sacrificed them all to desire, raping them. And with lies of an ascension ritual, he sought glory to the end. We can no longer tolerate his tyranny."
The citizens' eyes had changed. Normally, they'd watch in helpless apathy, but having witnessed the miracle of the saintess amid this baseless crackdown, vigor gleamed in them.
"That's right!"
"Yes, Saintess!"
Our hired thugs chimed in perfectly timed shouts. In such a moment, the first voice becomes the chorus, igniting even the doubters.
"Thus, as a priest of the Ennesic Order—and once a member of the hero's party who rose for justice—I command Archbishop Bobby. No, the priest Bobby of the Ennesic Order..."
Her voice caught briefly, but it served as dramatic flair, captivating all. Feeling their piercing stares, she slowly uttered,
"...to appear for a religious trial for violating the Ennesic Goddess's tenets."
"Absurd! No priest will stand for putting the Order's archbishop on trial!"
The captain raged, refusing to accept the tide had turned. Rachel shook her head at him.
"No, Captain. Their permission is unnecessary. I have no intention of seeking judgment from those who've already forsaken the goddess's will. His sins will be judged by the citizens here. And someday, they will judge my sins as well."
Bitter words, yet her voice brimmed with conviction. Rachel turned back to the citizens.
"As a sinner myself, I couldn't judge Bobby. So I entrust both his life and mine to you. You, the most faithful children of the Ennesic Goddess—you who above all deserve to judge. I leave everything to you."
"Saintess..."
For the first time, a pure citizen's voice—not Vanessa's or a thug's—rang out. Realizing the plan had succeeded, I turned and slipped away.
"Will you grant this sinful saintess's final request?"
"Yes... Saintess..."
As I pushed against the awakening tide, an awed murmur reached my ears. But soon it swelled into everyone's voice.
"Will you heed the last words of this sinner entrusting her body to your hands?"
"Yes... Saintess...!"
"The wish of this foolish girl seeking to right her false life at last—can you grant it?"
"Yes! Saintess!"
In the distance, a few guards charged but were blocked by our hired thugs. More would come soon. They were our doing.
"No! I am no longer the saintess, nor will I be called so. As one mere believer, I request that Archbishop Bobby come to this square at once and face the citizens' judgment!"
Her voice, full of certainty, echoed into the air. But it found no echo against the blue sky. The citizens, believing they'd summoned this fervor themselves, roared with all their might.
"Death to Archbishop Bobby!"
"Long live the Saintess!"
Gazing at the false saintess, they chanted her name. Amid the wind of change, they embraced hope and whipped up a typhoon. Just before slipping from the massive throng, I glanced back at Rachel.
Surrounded by cheers, she savored a sudden glimpse of glory. Amid unconditional love and respect, she floundered yet smiled unwittingly. Being adored by all in any situation must feel good. As that thought crossed my mind, another followed.
If Eli hadn't lost her life to Sera... could she have become like that?
Unrealized hypotheticals always leave a bitter aftertaste. Amid the jubilant square, I alone chewed over my pain as I exited.
An artificial perfume scent stung my nose. Five years in, and it still felt unfamiliar. Well, what could change for a village assassin who'd spent his life killing, just because he'd draped himself in imperial finery? With a self-mocking laugh, I turned my thoughts to matters that offered no room for smiles.
Rick.
Nadia.
Bobby.
Sera.
And even the handler I'd recently sent.
Quite some time had passed since any of them sent regular reports. Sycophants reassured me it was nothing, but whenever plans deviated, it always linked to major disasters.
Bobby especially gnawed at me. Rick and Nadia were idiots from the start, fine. But Bobby—no word, even after I'd sent someone.
Someone might say it's just ten days. Sure, trivial to some. But the riffraff on the streets and I measured time differently. To me, gripping a nation's fate, every passing minute mattered. Everything boiled down to time, after all. Reports always ended with it.
Leo, His Majesty the Emperor has sent another letter regarding Rick's disposition. It's time to decide.
The thieves manipulating the court must be harshly punished. There's truly no time left.
The demonkin are expanding. It's only a matter of time before they cross the border.
Unsealing that girl is... a matter of time.
Yeah.
In the end, fuck. It all came down to cursed time.
Thud. Thud.
As I smiled bitterly, knocking echoed. I looked up to a familiar voice.
"...Can I come in?"
The soft voice worming into my ear brought a genuine smile. In this tiresome imperial life, this was my sole remaining pleasure.
But not now.
"No. Wait a bit."
I pondered briefly, then caressed the sword hilt beside me. Five years since I'd gripped it, yet the cold metal still soothed my mind. Closing my eyes, feeling calm settle, I spoke.
"Is the chamberlain outside?"
"Yes, Lord Leo."
A deep, trustworthy voice replied. Why had it taken so long to find this man? I sorted the names in my mind and called one aloud.
"Summon the Black Swan Knight Order Commander."
"May I presume to ask the purpose?"
Because the knight commander was arrogant enough to demand reasons. I commended the chamberlain's foresight silently and answered.
"I need to check Archbishop Bobby's status. Arm the knights and dispatch them to Miler."