Chapter 158
Chapter: 158
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 158
>Chapter Title: Apostle (2)
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>“Did you hear that story? Turns out our little saintess was actually an apostle of the Lord God.”
“What? No way! So what does that mean? What exactly is an apostle?”
“It means she’s a saintess sent down personally by the Lord God.”
“But isn’t a saintess originally granted by the Lord God’s grace anyway?”
“Well, it’s a bit different this time. Apparently, she’s now officially part of the Holy Knight Order.”
“Whatever it is, that’s impressive!”
The rumors spread like wildfire.
Sisley’s declaration had caused such a massive stir that it was only natural for last night’s events to sweep through the imperial capital in an instant.
However, the fact that the entire capital already knew about the “apostle” right after the provisional holy assembly ended was largely due to the intelligence department’s preemptive work. They had moved to secure public sentiment before any criticism could arise.
Thanks to that, the rumors even reached Romaine’s ears as he passed through Bertrand Street.
‘Apostle?’
He pondered it while heading to the rendezvous point.
Something had clearly happened at the palace yesterday, but Leo would probably fill him in on the details.
But when he arrived at the warehouse and came face-to-face with him, Romaine realized.
‘...We’re in trouble.’
Leo was grinning like an idiot, staring blankly into space, completely lost in his own world. And Romaine’s hunch was spot on.
“Apostle? What’s that?”
“......”
What on earth had he been doing at the palace? How could he be the only one in the capital who hadn’t heard the talk of the town?
Romaine shook his head in disbelief. If the prince was this out of it, it was nine times out of ten something to do with a woman.
The princess must have captured his heart more than expected. And things seemed to be progressing quite nicely.
“Oh, right, good news, Romaine. Prince Mores wants to meet you.”
“Is that so? I figured he’d be more cautious. Unexpected.”
“Really? He didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding his ties to the Dark Church. He agreed to the meeting readily.”
Maybe my impression was more trustworthy than I thought.
Romaine rubbed his chin below his half-mask, letting the prince’s chatter go in one ear and out the other.
Why? Was this nagging unease just his imagination?
“By the way, it’s really strange. Why would a perfectly fine prince of the Holy Empire claim to be a member of the Dark Church? And Romaine, how did you even learn that prince’s secret?”
Romaine stared at Leonard for a moment before nodding. Well, he was a core member of the plan, so it should be fine to tell him this much.
“Leo. That guy probably isn’t the real Prince Mores.”
“…What?”
“For some reason, the real prince is likely dead. Anyway, what’s possessing his body now is an evil spirit implanted by the Dark Church.”
Leonard, who had been gaping stupidly, asked in disbelief.
“What kind of nonsense is that? You’re joking, right?”
But there wasn’t a hint of amusement in the eyes visible through the half-mask.
“Didn’t I tell you before? I got a chance to see his soul while channeling with the imperfect seed. That’s what I confirmed then.”
What Romaine had seen that day was a soul without a proper form, its connection to the body extremely faint.
Unless it had received the Baptism of Repose, no living person could possibly look like that.
“To borrow a Granius-style explanation, the part corresponding to the bione is weak. The bione forms gradually through the interaction between soul and body. That’s the proof that the soul was suddenly inserted from outside. It’s a common technique used by the Repose Church.”
But despite his detailed explanation, Leonard didn’t seem to grasp it.
“Bione?”
“...Don’t tell me, Leo. You don’t know the Three Elements of the Soul theory?”
“Ah. That’s some theology stuff, right?”
Leonard scratched his head sheepishly.
“Yeah. Theology teacher or something? Feels kinda nostalgic.”
I stabbed him good because he wouldn’t shut up with his nagging. He’s nicely buried in the palace gardens now.
“......”
“Anyway, surprising. The Holy Emperor—that scary bastard—letting an evil spirit roam free in the palace.”
“Guess he’s a pretty useful horse to have.”
In fact, that fake Prince Mores had successfully thwarted Romaine’s seeding plan in the Holy Emperor’s stead. Even thinking about it now made his blood boil.
“But he’s his son.”
“Put another way, it means he’s so cornered that he has to use even the evil spirit possessing his son’s body.”
The lips beneath the half-mask curved into a confident smile as he replied.
“Great catastrophes always start from such tiny cracks, Leo.”
* * *
The liturgical rite hosted by the Holy Emperor.
A massive crowd had already gathered in front of the palace. It was a rare day when common folk could see the Holy Emperor in person.
People holding small bouquets dotted the area here and there. Petals of every color fluttered in the air—it was truly Delcross’s grandest festival.
“The Nativity Festival is the only day you can receive His Majesty’s blessing directly.”
Sir Masin explained while vigilantly watching Seongjin’s front.
On Nativity Festival day, God’s proxy blessed everyone. In the daytime, he showed his face to the Delcross faithful and blessed them; in the evening banquet, he blessed the nobles from across the continent.
‘The birthday boy isn’t even the one getting celebrated?’
That guy’s kinda pitiful.
Maybe he should’ve prepared a simple birthday gift after all.
[If you just cause a little less trouble, wouldn’t your father be plenty happy with that?]
‘...Shut up!’
Though he snapped at the Demon King, Seongjin honestly had nothing to say.
If you thought about it, hadn’t he been the one to light the fuse in this little girl fiasco first?
That’s why he was attending this unscheduled rite. He’d been a bit worried about how the controversy’s center—the little girl—would handle things since last night.
“It’s originally an event for the faithful. Your Highness has no obligation to attend.”
As Sir Masin said, there were no separate seats for nobles. So Seongjin had changed into plain clothes and blended into the crowd.
His security was airtight, though: Sir Masin and Lady Maria flanked him on either side, with Sir Kurt covering the rear without a single gap. The strongest forces among the palace knights were all out in full force.
Looking closely, VIPs surrounded by guards dotted the crowd here and there. More people than expected had snuck in to watch like Seongjin.
“It’s starting, Your Highness.”
With Sir Kurt’s low voice, majestic brass instruments resounded across the plaza.
The five Holy Knight Orders began lining up one after another. The sight of them in their ceremonial uniforms performing flawless military drills was a spectacular pageant, each order with its distinct flair.
Especially eye-catching were the Saint Aurelion Order and Saint Bastian Order at the front.
Their knight uniforms—white bases emblazoned with red and blue emblems respectively—stretched out to either side of the main gate, forming a striking contrast.
“Oh! There’s Logan!”
Seongjin spotted one standout figure and lit up.
Damn, that guy’s twirling his sword hilt like a pro.
Once the Holy Knights’ drill—which had provided quite the show—ended, high priests and the choir stepped forward for a simple mass.
“Sisley!”
There was the little girl up front, dressed in priestly robes and standing quite composed.
But his delight was short-lived. Seongjin’s face hardened. Right beside her, a hook-nosed old man was glaring at the girl with a sullen expression.
That old geezer! Keep your eyes peeled nice and wide!
“Cardinal Benitus isn’t the easygoing type, but he’s not fundamentally evil.”
Masin noticed Seongjin’s gaze and soothed him.
“He might butt heads with Her Highness the princess at first since she suddenly got the position, but he’s a stickler for principles. He’ll come around and sort it out soon enough.”
“Hmm, really?”
Seongjin looked up at Masin, thinking.
Come to think of it, when he’d gone to the main palace for his first audience with the Holy Emperor, hadn’t there been a strange tension between the cardinal and Sir Masin?
“You seem to know him pretty well, Sir Masin.”
Masin let out a small sigh.
“Why wouldn’t I? Cardinal Benitus was my former guardian. Even after I became an adult long ago, he still hasn’t shaken the habit and nags me whenever he gets the chance.”
Come to think of it, at last night’s banquet, Masin had been cornered by the high priests led by Cardinal Benitus.
—Sir Masin! What in the world are you thinking? Resigning from a fine palace guard captain post to guard some annex? You’re the eldest son of the Holy Imperial family! You must never forget that!
As Masin recalled the nagging from last night with a gloomy face, Seongjin chuckled and said to him.
“I get it. He’s hounding you to get married, huh?”
“…Pardon?”
Masin’s expression turned subtle, but Seongjin patted his back with a face full of understanding.
“I know all about it. Isn’t that the standard nagging from old folks at this age?”
He knew Sir Masin was already nearing thirty.
The repertoire at this stage was predictable: Got a job? Got a girlfriend? When’re you getting married? When’re you having kids?
Since Masin was a proper palace knight, it was probably girlfriend or marriage.
“Ah!”
“There’s His Majesty!”
Gasps of awe rose from the crowd here and there. The Holy Emperor had finally appeared on the platform.
Even for this once-a-year event, he looked much the same as usual. Just because of the occasion, he was properly robed in his vestments today.
“......”
It was truly bizarre.
He had merely stepped onto the platform, yet in that instant, it felt as if the attention of the entire world converged on him.
The plaza fell silent as one, everyone fixated on his every move. Sunlight beamed straight down on his head.
Even the gentle breeze seemed to swirl around him.
The Holy Emperor on the platform said nothing special. He simply stood there, radiating holy power in all directions.
But the effect of that simple act was unparalleled. Even Seongjin, utterly devoid of holy power, felt the fierce wave sweep the plaza.
Whoosh.
The buds on the bouquets people held bloomed open all at once. Even the trampled petals on the ground sprang back to vibrant life.
“Aaah…….”
Every faithful in the plaza was entranced, eyes welling with tears. If ordinary folk were like this, what about the holy power-sensitive clergy?
Sob!
Glancing at the sobs, Seongjin saw people in exotic priestly robes collapsed here and there. Priests from abroad for the Nativity Festival, it seemed.
They thrashed about, completely lost to self-control—definitely not in their right minds.
The Demon King had called this a form of [Enchantment].
—In a way, it’s more dangerous than demon aura since you don’t even think to resist.
Right after, the Holy Emperor vanished toward the palace interior, but the excitement that had swept the plaza lingered for a while. Watching the people weeping in rapture, Seongjin thought.
‘Is it because I have no holy power? I can’t shake the feeling they look like cult fanatics…….’
“Quite the peculiar sight, isn’t it?”
He wasn’t the only one who felt that way. The man standing beside him remarked.
“Having lived abroad for work so long, scenes like this in Delcross sometimes feel terribly foreign.”
For a moment, Seongjin thought Ricardo was there. The man’s tall stature and relaxed demeanor were a spitting image.
But he soon realized the man looked a bit older than Ricardo.
Fortunately, before Masin could say anything, the man gave a polite bow. Not overly formal, but without flaw—a peculiar poise.
“Greetings to Prince Mores.”
“And you are?”
“The rumors of Your Highness’s memory loss were true, I see. I am Domenico Scarzapino. I’ve greeted Your Highness at gatherings now and then.”
A cool glint shone in eyes that seemed subtly cold beyond the courtesy.
“Thank you for your concern over my sister’s health. I took the liberty of approaching to offer my regards.”
As he said, Seongjin had sent a letter inquiring after Isabella’s well-being, on Amelia’s advice.
But for the queen of high society laid up in bed, such letters wouldn’t be few, yet he’d read them all and come to give personal thanks?
Seongjin narrowed his eyes at him.
“It’s only natural to worry. Isabella’s my fiancée. How’s she doing, anyway? Any improvement?”
It felt awkward asking since he’d been there when her crown was cracked, but better than asking about Ricardo, who’d done the deed himself.
Domenico gazed at Seongjin as if appraising him.
Had this guy figured something out?
“Thanks to Your Highness’s concern, she’ll recover soon.”
The man’s face showed almost no emotional shift as he answered. Less like a seasoned businessman controlling his expression, more like innate emotional dryness.
‘Not an easy mark…….’
Seongjin felt an inexplicable unease. And that discomfort doubled when the man introduced the woman beside him as his own fiancée.
“This is my fiancée, Olivier.”
A cheerful, pretty young woman in a dress lifted her skirt slightly.
Seongjin was stunned inwardly.
‘This woman’s an assassin! What the hell is this guy?’