Chapter 6
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“Brother, what do you mean by that…? You’re going to withhold your strength from Theon?”
Irene was bewildered.
She was the proud daughter of the Eastern Grand Duke’s Anatol family, who oversaw the Empire’s grain supply, and the fiancée of the first prince.
As such, she could never fathom her father’s decision.
The Holy Sword Ceremony was only days away.
Without a doubt, Damian would pull some stunt. Especially since rumors of his frequent meetings with church officials had circulated recently, making caution all the more necessary.
In this situation, it was impossible for the Anatol family to side with her fiancé Theon without raising suspicions.
And Heron, her father, who had been renowned for his intelligence since childhood, would not miss something like this.
They had been drifting apart lately, but was there some secret she was unaware of?
Thinking back, her father’s recent behavior had been utterly peculiar. He seemed to have dropped from the sky, developing technological advancements that no one had ever heard of or seen before.
Although she knew little about his field, she was fully aware of his abnormal speed in innovation.
No matter how ingenious they were, it was simply “if it makes people happy, then good is good.” He had never delved deeper into the implications.
The one clear fact was this: the father of today was nothing like the father of her childhood.
“Theon is unworthy of the imperial throne.”
Heron stated this obvious truth as if it were the most natural fact in the world.
“That is a judgment only Father can make. I will pretend I never heard those words.”
“Irene, that is a decision only you must consider.”
The conversation continued along parallel lines.
“…Then I have one request. If you refuse to help Theon, at the very least, do not interfere with the Holy Sword Ceremony this time.”
“Irene, if you are a member of the family, consider what consequences your choice will bring. If you remain silent during the ceremony, then I shall also remain uninvolved.”
“…That is cowardly, Father.”
Irene’s lips trembled.
She understood the importance of family.
But.
The common people of the Empire.
The innocent ordinary citizens.
She could not bear to turn a blind eye to the suffering they would undoubtedly face.
Not in a thousand years.
If the second prince, who knew only his own selfish desires, ascended the throne, the Empire would inevitably plunge into ruin that very day.
And above all…
“Theon.”
She did not want to see her precious one suffer.
***
The Holy Sword Ceremony.
When the Goddess Alesia’s oracle descended, the Church selected the hero through the holy sword it managed.
This grand ceremony, which had only existed in name since the first emperor and the previous hero, had resurfaced thanks to the massive support of the Zephyr Duchy, which ruled the Western region where the Church was located.
The expenditure alone was equivalent to half of the annual territorial budget.
The Western region, renowned not only as a religious but also as an artistic holy land, was a tourist destination, so people flocked from across the continent. Without their contributions, the Zephyr Duchy could not have borne the financial blow.
“Hehe, if everything goes according to plan, Theon will be mine.”
Helena Zephy r smiled faintly, hiding her face behind a fan.
In truth, the enormous budget expenditure was due to her behind-the-scenes deal with the second prince.
Thanks to this, it had been difficult to convince her father, but today she would finally become the protagonist of her life.
“I was panicked when I suddenly transmigrated into this body, but I never imagined this world was the one in the novel.”
Before transmigrating, in her original world, Helena had grown up in a single-parent household.
Her mother was a prostitute who sold her body, and her father’s number of partners was so vast that she could never guess who he was.
As a child, when asked to draw her family, she drew only a bunch of gloomy uncles, becoming the target of ridicule.
“Mom is single and Dad has even numbers~.”
She ran home crying that day, but her mother only scolded her and slapped her for being bothersome.
No matter how much she apologized, she was only used as a punching bag.
She had grown up without knowing what love was.
Her only solace was secretly reading romance fantasy novels under the blanket every night.
In the stories, the female protagonist was always loved by everyone, overcame the hardships surrounding her, and ultimately claimed love.
It was exactly the story she had longed for.
So she became more and more immersed in the novels.
“Everyone Obsesses Over Me When I Became the Saintess”
She had transmigrated into one of her favorite novels from among them.
“I will definitely take Theon into my hands.”
To be honest, Helena did not love Theon.
But she had thought this.
If I take Theon into my hands and become the protagonist of the story, perhaps I will finally understand what love is.
***
Inside the temple where the Holy Sword Ceremony was held.
Even after all the major figures of the Empire, including Irene from the East and Helena from the West, had taken their seats, one person had not yet arrived.
“The first prince has not arrived yet.”
The head archbishop Benedict, who was presiding over the ceremony, said.
Thanks to the deal with the second prince, the hero’s role was already decided, but even as an archbishop, it was difficult for the first prince to simply not show up.
No matter how much Damian declared him the hero, if the first prince did not attend, there would inevitably be rumors behind it.
Even if the first prince had come uninvited, it would still be problematic. Especially since he had a good reputation.
Of course, even if it were possible to cover it up, it was best to avoid being criticized as much as possible.
“Proceed as planned.”
From the observation platform, Damian, casually greeting his subordinates, opened his mouth.
“Hmph… Honestly, I’m troubled too.”
“Brother looked unwell only a few days ago and apparently skipped breakfast. If the most important event in the imperial family is still not showing up, then surely his condition is not good.”
“Is that true?”
Irene could not help but exclaim from the observation platform.
“Yes. Although it is only speculation, you know it yourself, Brother is the type who does not appear late without reason.”
At least if it were Theon Asteris they knew, he would have been like that.
From the beginning, he was the kind of person who could not bear even the dirtiest thoughts, so that was the reason they believed in him.
“In the end, all we need to do is prove who the hero is, right? There’s no need for Brother to be here.”
“Very well. Let’s do it. Let’s begin. The second prince will take the place of the proof.”
Benedict solemnly declared, and Damian stepped forward to the stage.
“According to legend, the two eyes of the hero are called the divine eyes, and before them, no secrets exist.”
Damian’s expression remained relaxed with no change as he listened to the following words.
“Your Highness the prince, if you are truly the heir of the imperial family and the hero of this age, prove that you have found the hidden holy sword and that the holy sword responds to you.”
Damian walked somewhere without hesitation.
He had practiced this many times in advance, after all.
He knew exactly where the holy sword was, even if he could not see it with his eyes.
But this was not enough to be called a show to obtain the hero’s position.
So Damian summoned magic infused with holy power and dyed his eyes golden.
It was only in appearance that it was similar; he had no real ability.
“Those eyes… Is the second prince the hero…?
“The first prince must have known about this. It makes sense that he ran away for no reason.”
The observation platform was in an uproar.
Before long, Damian had reached his destination and was clutching the holy sword in his hand.
Even this time, the holy sword did not respond, but the work had been completed in advance.
If the sword did not respond, they would simply make it seem as if it had.
The intentions of the holy sword were irrelevant.
As Damian released his magic, the holy power of the believers prepared in advance erupted from the holy sword, illuminating the surroundings.
The radiance was at a level sufficient for those who had not seen the true holy sword to believe Damian was the hero.
“Oh… This light is the proof of the hero.”
Benedict recited the prepared lines.
The head archbishop who presided over the Holy Sword Ceremony placed the final seal himself, and the atmosphere in the observation platform could no longer be contained.
“Wait! Something is wrong!”
At that moment, Irene pushed her chair back from the observation platform and shouted.
“Irene Anatol, do you not like the fact that I am the hero? I understand the thought of worrying about Brother, but I have personally proven it before everyone.”
Damian, holding the holy sword, looked at Irene and said.
From the observation platform, Damian’s faction also began to jeer at Irene.
“I definitely saw it. The holy power gushing from the sword was mixed with the beliefs of many people. It’s hard to believe the sword responded.”
Irene said, pausing for a moment.
“Perhaps you simply misjudged it? And do you not think that is the ability of the holy sword?”
Helena sneered.
“I have never heard such a thing in my memory.”
“Since earlier, it has been bothersome. Are you daring to mock me, who was legitimately selected as the hero through proper procedure, and the authority of the Church?”
Damian growled aggressively.
“That is…”
Irene could not continue her words.
In the end, she was not the head of the Eastern Duchy, so she did not have enough power.
“I’m sorry, Theon. I am insufficient as I am.”
Irene bit her lip in frustration.
“This topic ends here! Head Archbishop, let’s conclude the ceremony.”
“In the name of Goddess Alesia, I declare from this place. The second prince of the Empire, Damian Asteris, is indeed the legitimate hero of the goddess—”
Benedict scanned the crowd once, just as he was about to conclude, when—
BANG!
“Yes, I also deny it. I do not recognize your decision or the Church.” The tightly closed doors of the temple opened, and the first prince, Theon Asteris, entered belatedly.