Chapter 124
Chapter: 124
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 124
>Chapter Title: The Saintess's Trials (4)
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>Archbishop Wesker closed the letter and pressed a hand to his throbbing head. His headache was so intense that he half-illusory felt his long-lost right eyeball about to pop out.
The Holy Emperor's sudden commands weren't exactly a one-time thing.
'Out of nowhere, a saintess...'
It wasn't even about verifying a saintess candidate who had appeared.
It was an order to package some perfectly ordinary person as a proper saintess and present her within a few days.
'What does His Majesty think the Orthodox Church or the Holy Council even is?'
But it was the Holy Emperor's decree. Whatever he did, there had to be a reason behind it.
Having reached that conclusion, Wesker quickly began racking his brains.
'First, find a suitable rural church and forge a recommendation letter, then procure a couple of witnesses who claim to have witnessed the saintess's miracles, convene the bishops in the afternoon for a rough vote, submit the documents to the Holy Council while subtly informing Cardinal Mayer...'
He planned to tell doctrines and rules to go to the dogs, but from the old days, she and the Holy Emperor had always been in sync on such matters. Unlike Cardinal Benitus, who clung rigidly to principles no matter what, Wesker always prioritized practicality.
In the early days of his reign, she had often pulled off such stunts with the Holy Emperor. Thinking of Cardinal Mayer's panicked face as he scrambled to clean up after them still brought a chuckle even now.
Heh heh. Swallowing a laugh as he walked, Wesker suddenly halted upon spotting a small girl standing quietly in one corner of the corridor.
Saintess Ciselle.
Silver hair gleaming brightly, clad in white priestly robes.
The girl, who seemed crafted by the Lord God from the purest essences of the world's flawlessness and innocence, stood blankly gazing beyond the corridor where she wasn't permitted.
"Lady Ciselle."
At Wesker's call, Ciselle slowly turned around. As always, clutching a small diary preciously to her chest.
"...Archbishop Wesker."
"Why are you here all alone? Where is Sister Ursula?"
Recalling the chatty sister who attended the saintess, Wesker rubbed his forehead.
There were limits to negligence of duty. To leave the Lord's tiny blessing unattended in a place like this.
But Ciselle looked up at Wesker with clear eyes and asked an unexpected question.
"I heard from Sister Ursula. A new saintess candidate has appeared."
"......"
"Will she become a saintess?"
She wasn't truly asking if the girl was a saintess or not.
She was asking if the Holy Emperor had permitted it.
Wesker fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"Yes, Lady Ciselle. It will likely happen."
"Then, unlike me, will she get the chance to meet His Imperial Majesty the First Holy Emperor?"
The instructions just received from the Holy Emperor flashed through Wesker's mind.
Make Sei-seo an impeccable saintess to the outside world. And schedule her inauguration before the birthday celebration, at which time she would have audience with [the Holy Emperor's Crown].
"...That will be the case."
"......"
No sooner had the words left than tears began plopping from Ciselle's clear gray eyes.
Her doll-like face remained expressionless as always, but that very fact made the girl's sorrow pierce Wesker all the more keenly.
"Wha... why are you like this?"
Flustered by the girl's sudden tears, Wesker awkwardly bent down and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Archbishop Wesker. Until now, I've truly served the faithful with all my heart. I've done my utmost for Delcros. So why does His Majesty still refuse to acknowledge me?"
"Lady Ciselle......"
Wesker gazed pityingly at the girl shedding silent tears.
It was hardly unreasonable for her to think that way. The first time the Orthodox Church had moved to elevate Ciselle as saintess, the Holy Emperor had rejected it outright.
Had it not been for Ciselle's own firm will, she never would have become a saintess.
And though the Holy Emperor had reluctantly allowed her elevation, he had steadfastly refused the customary audience with [the Holy Emperor's Crown] that all saintesses underwent.
The young girl seemed to interpret this as her father not properly recognizing her.
"Your... Ladyship Saintess. It's not just you. His Majesty has forbidden all members of the Holy Imperial Family from audience with [the Holy Emperor's Crown]. You know this, don't you?"
Indeed. Even Masain, now Clanos, had been prohibited.
Considering how, during the previous Holy Emperor's reign, the entire Holy Imperial Family would visit St. Bastian Cathedral like an annual event, it was truly an inscrutable measure.
But as always, Wesker preemptively assumed the Holy Emperor had some valid reason. Of course, she had no idea how to persuade this deeply dejected little girl.
"Lady Ciselle. Don't you know? You are the precious child His Majesty first held in his arms. I was there that day. It was the first time in my life I'd seen His Majesty smile so joyfully."
"......"
"There's no way he wouldn't acknowledge such a child as you. It's absolutely not that. Someday, we will all understand His Majesty's intentions."
Wesker simply comforted her like that, stroking the girl's shoulder indefinitely.
* * *
What do you think is the most important thing in a romance fantasy novel?
That's right. The presence of a handsome male lead.
This novel has one too, of course. A dashing main male lead.
The eldest son of the Northern Border Count, a genius swordsman with icy charm: Grand Young Lord Oerden Zigsmunt!
He's a capable man who uncovers his family's dark secrets, battles internal enemies, and simultaneously protects the fief from external threats.
But the man who seems indifferent and cold about everything is actually pure at heart, still cherishing memories of his first love.
And soon, he'll fall for the heroine saintess and transform into an obsessively devoted man.
Ahh, I just wanted to save this world from crisis, but the male lead obsesses over me and won't let go—what a huge problem!
"So, what does that Zigsmunt grand young lord look like? No illustrations?"
"He's exceedingly handsome."
"What? That's it? What about his skin? Hair color and eye color? Is he fresh-faced, ruggedly handsome, androgynous beauty? Like a wounded feral beast, or a solitary flower blooming proudly on a cliff?"
"...Is that really so important?"
"Of course it is! In a proper romance fantasy, you need to dedicate at least a few pages to praising the male lead's appearance!"
* * *
Recently, Oerden's state of mind had been exceedingly complicated.
He was already overwhelmed chasing the suspicious forces infiltrating Zigsmunt territory, yet Amelia's cold words from a few days ago kept circling relentlessly in his head, disturbing his thoughts.
-I meant nothing to you all either, did I? Until the day Father Emperor pulled me out of there, I knew full well I was as good as nonexistent in the count's household.
No. That's not true at all, Amel.
I've always...
"What are you thinking so deeply about again, Lord Oerden?"
Snapping his head up at the voice, he saw Hermann shoving a stack of documents at him with a face full of dissatisfaction.
Hermann was practically Oerden's right-hand man, but hardly the picture of loyal obedience—an insolent subordinate.
"Don't you think spacing out like that is a luxury when time is so pressing? Once this birthday celebration period ends, we won't have another chance to move in the capital without the family head knowing."
Oerden rubbed his dry face with one hand and took the proffered documents.
"Even so, I've got a rough idea. The investigation should see some progress soon."
"A rough idea? You don't mean that speculation that Scarzapino is the link connecting the family head to the Millo Merchant Company, do you?"
"It's not speculation. It's confirmed through my own investigation."
Hermann gave him a look of utter disbelief.
"Your own investigation? You surely don't mean that business of tormenting that poor clueless lady the other day?"
"Poor? She was utterly repulsive."
Oerden snorted.
Isabella Scarzapino.
So, the woman who dominated high society truly was no ordinary actress, playing innocent with remarkable skill.
He already knew she frequented the Millo Merchant Company with young lordling Ricardo, yet she trembled as if remembering nothing.
Oerden slammed the small medallion he'd been fiddling with onto the desk.
A crude spider emblem etched on the small medallion.
The ominous mark appearing lately all over the territory—Oerden had been investigating it in secret from the family head.
The strange happenings in Zigsmunt territory were deeply tied to the Millo Merchant Company, which had begun dealings with the family head years ago. And Oerden had already suspected the merchant company's backer to be Asain or Scarzapino.
Then, a few days prior, he'd received a letter from young lord Ricardo Scarzapino with one of these spider medallions enclosed. It was practically blackmail: stay silent about it, and attend the birthday celebration as his sister's partner.
And seeing Isabella play dumb at Salon de Mershi had confirmed it. The Scarzapinos were deeply involved in the events unfolding in Zigsmunt territory.
"This spider emblem does seem to be the mark of the dark cult, indeed. Information from a personal acquaintance who's an exorcist: lately, the [Penance] sect has been appearing frequently across the north and east."
Hermann glanced at the medallion, then added with a hint of worry.
"Lord Oerden. If this incident truly involves remnants of the dark cult, our forces alone won't suffice. Wouldn't it be better to request help from the inquisitors or exorcists?"
Oerden gave a wry smile.
"Hermann. These are the family head of House Zigsmunt's doings. If the Heresy Tribunal finds out, do you think our house will emerge unscathed?"
"But won't they consider it a whistleblower from within? If Zigsmunt falls, the defensive bulwark against the demon realm vanishes too. The capital's officials wouldn't want that either."
"No, scraping by with our lives would be fortunate. The Heresy Tribunal doesn't weigh aftermath—they solely purge heretics. Whether seized by devil worshippers or smashed by inquisitors, the house ends up in ruins either way."
"...Sigh. Things are so frustrating, I misspoke."
Hermann sighed.
"Perhaps I should have made contact with Prince Logan when the Lilium Subjugation Force passed near the territory. He seemed to have noticed something."
After finishing the sea beast subjugation, Prince Logan on his way back had requested to formally investigate the territory, clearly having spotted something. The family head had rejected it outright, of course.
"The family head was uneasy even about the subjugation force lingering briefly in the territory. With him constantly watching Prince Logan, meeting the prince without his notice would have been impossible."
"That's true."
Moreover, Lilium was a detachment of the St. Bastian Knight Order. The Orthodox Church's notoriously rigid lapdogs didn't seem any better than the Heresy Tribunal.
Well, with no notable reaction so far, Prince Logan probably hadn't uncovered anything crucial.
"If only there were some other force, not under the Orthodox Church or Heresy Tribunal, that could show a bit of flexibility..."
As Oerden muttered with a sigh, Hermann suddenly brightened as if struck by an idea.
"Ah, come to think of it, I hear the administrative branch recently established a Demonic Beast Task Force. Have you heard?"
"Demonic Beast Task Force?"
"Yes. Led by the 3rd Prince, apparently. A department that investigates evil entities separately from the church. It's newly formed, so no notable achievements yet."
"Prince Mores..."
Suddenly, the image of a boy standing beside Amelia that day flickered in his mind. A boy with fierce eyes and a somehow irritating smirk, exuding uncommon skill.
Oerden frowned.
Hadn't he gotten off on the wrong foot with him from the start? Would he really offer help just because asked?
But with no time or options left, Oerden had no sharper alternative than drawing in the Demonic Beast Task Force. After much deliberation, he ended up leading Hermann to the administrative annex.
And the prince, who surprisingly listened quietly to Oerden's explanation, curled one lip into a nasty smirk once he finished.
"But empty-handed?"