Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: The Saintess's Rebellion
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In life, some things go your way, and others don't.
They can alternate like fortune and misfortune, or one side might dominate entirely.
That's why people say life is unpredictable.
And that's also why they criticize creative works for lacking plausibility.
Right now, I'm in that exact situation.
"Why am I here?"
"Why? To give you an award, of course."
They'd just given me one not long ago.
A staff I still hadn't used, but still.
So, what were they planning to hand over this time?
Another medal?
Not that I had any reason to refuse, and it wasn't like I couldn't understand the gesture.
But I'd been dragged here straight from cleaning up the aftermath at the scene, so it felt bewildering.
"Well, these things are what you have to accept even if you don't want to."
"Yeah, no choice. By the way, where the hell did that black mage disappear to?"
"No idea. And don't ask. It's giving me a headache."
I hadn't expected the lieutenant colonel to shut it down so firmly.
He must have been stressed out in all sorts of ways from letting that guy slip away.
Understandable—they thought they had him, turned their back for a second, and poof, gone.
Even if it was just a corpse, black mages knew how to make good use of those.
The frustration of losing a fish you had hooked must be indescribable.
And it wasn't even a personal matter; the fallout was widespread.
Still, it seemed they'd rated it positively that he'd greatly reduced the black mage's forces.
"Ah, looks like it's time. Let's go."
"Yeah, let's get this over with."
And just like that, I received my second medal.
It was a few ranks below the first one.
Still a medal, though—worth keeping safe.
I even listened to the emperor's commendation speech before heading out.
He suggested a party, but unfortunately, that wasn't possible.
He had imperial duties left, and the cleanup wasn't finished yet.
We had our own mess.
He had his.
With so many nobles vanishing from the empire in an instant, the chaos was immense.
On top of that, redistributing their lands to other nobles or absorbing them into the imperial house was a massive undertaking.
"Of course, one word from His Majesty could handle it. But he won't."
The lieutenant colonel told me not to worry and just focus on the cleanup.
Finish this, and he'd arrange for my discharge.
Wait, but I'd been conscripted against my will.
Why was he talking like he was doing me a favor?
I grumbled inwardly, but I'd gained plenty myself, so I went along quietly.
Black magic was so different from regular magic that it was worth studying in all sorts of ways.
Of course, actually doing anything with it would spell disaster.
After spending days researching—no, disposing of—the Philips Golem, I was finally allowed to go home.
The lieutenant colonel seemed regretful, but I had no intention of sticking around any longer.
As I said goodbyes to the colleagues I'd briefly shared time with...
Someone burst through the door.
Before the lieutenant colonel could frown and say anything, they shouted urgently.
"Urgent dispatch from the Holy Kingdom! The Saintess has...!"
What?
Somehow, I'd ended up hearing some monumental news.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ She'd been preparing for quite some time.
Hepiriya, the Saintess, had made her resolve after witnessing the dark underbelly of the Holy Kingdom.
Of course, there had been a trigger before that.
It dated back to her childhood, on a day filled with the Goddess's grace.
Thud thud—!
"Sis!"
"Hepiriya...! No running."
Luciana, the previous Saintess.
She put on a stern face as she saw young Hepiriya come dashing up.
Hepiriya gave an awkward smile at the expression.
"Hehe, sorry."
"Honestly. What is it?"
Luciana shook her head as if she couldn't stop her, then tilted her head slightly.
She lightly hugged Hepiriya and stroked her hair.
Hepiriya smiled, enjoying the touch, then spoke.
"The weather's great today! Let's go outside."
"Shall we?"
Luciana took the young girl's hand and walked down the corridor.
They chatted happily about this and that.
To some, it might seem like trivial small talk.
But to Hepiriya, it was immense joy and delight.
Of course, if there are good times, there are bad ones too.
"Saintess Luciana. Here you are."
"...What brings you here? I don't recall any business today."
Luciana didn't get along well with the archbishops.
Young Hepiriya couldn't understand why, but she figured there must be a reason.
Her kind sister wouldn't act this way otherwise.
The archbishop gave a small smile as he looked down at the child.
Frightened by his gaze, she hid behind Luciana, who stepped forward protectively.
"What is it?"
"Ah, there's an urgent matter that needs handling. We need your opinion as Saintess."
He flashed a smug, nonchalant grin.
Luciana's brow furrowed faintly but smoothed over quickly.
With Hepiriya behind her, picking a fight here would only hurt them.
Swallowing a sigh, she said she'd go right away.
He told her to hurry back and turned to leave.
Luciana glared at the back of his head until he was out of sight.
She looked down at Hepiriya, who was clutching her sleeve.
Taking the girl's hand, she knelt to meet her eyes and smiled reassuringly.
"Hepiriya. Sorry, looks like we can only play until today."
"Yeah... It's okay."
"Hehe, you're such a good girl. Thank you, Hepiriya."
Luciana hugged her once, stroked her hair, and stood.
As she let go, Hepiriya fidgeted regretfully.
Luciana chuckled at how cute it was and headed to the meeting hall.
And that was their last encounter.
"Sis..."
The same kind of day.
The same warmth.
But after that day, it all vanished.
Hepiriya couldn't believe it.
How could a perfectly healthy person just die suddenly?
And the cause of death was ambiguous.
She'd reportedly clutched her chest and collapsed.
Right in the middle of a meeting.
The Saintess, proxy of the Goddess and bearer of her power, suffering such a thing.
Hepiriya couldn't accept it and began digging into the archbishops' backgrounds.
Since they'd been there, investigating them might reveal the truth.
The old Hepiriya might not have thought of it, but Luciana's death changed her.
Months passed, but the truth never came out.
No evidence surfaced.
Instead, the archbishops' ugliness started revealing itself bit by bit.
Taking bribes was standard.
They arbitrarily forgave criminals' sins and even sold indulgences.
Lining their pockets in the name of religion.
Hepiriya was furious.
How could the archbishops, of all people, do this?
But she couldn't confront them directly.
Not even her.
Even after becoming Saintess at a young age, she acted maturely.
Composed in her demeanor.
Polite with honorifics.
And to avoid being underestimated, she began reading voraciously from then on.
Knowledge was power, and it built her sparse vocabulary.
She regulated her every action flawlessly, without rough edges or vulnerabilities.
Without giving them anything to grab onto, she built her own faction until she could topple theirs.
All to uncover the truth behind Luciana's death.
She prayed countless times to the Goddess.
But the Goddess loved all humanity and gave no answer for one Saintess alone.
It was fine.
Because now, it was okay.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Hepiriya, who had closed her eyes, slowly opened them.
She smiled nostalgically at the childhood memory that had surfaced briefly.
But only for a moment—she snapped back and looked ahead.
Dozens of shadowy figures stood in formation before her.
All silent, awaiting the Saintess's orders.
These were the ones who'd gathered information for her until now.
Trained that way, and as long as nothing changed, they'd continue.
The Saintess scanned their faces carefully.
What she was about to ask was tantamount to sending them to their deaths.
She had no intention of fleeing from sin.
She'd steeled herself for this from the start.
After a deep breath, she spoke.
"Everyone. As I informed you beforehand, today is the day we act."
Not many words, yet all tensed up.
Hard to believe such aura came from her petite frame.
Anger seemed about to engulf her body, but she held it back.
Instead, she converted that rage into strength and transmitted it to them all.
"It'll be a tough fight. Most archbishops are out on external missions, but some remain. And we have to watch their forces too."
The Saintess had been collecting information to sway public opinion all this time.
But the walls they'd built were too solid.
There was little one Saintess could do alone.
Even building a faction, it often got buried.
Above all, the Pope and cardinals wouldn't budge.
It was precarious even competing with the archbishops.
So the Saintess was grateful to the Pope for dispatching the archbishops outward.
It had shrunk her own position, but aided her cause.
"That's why, from now on, we'll commit sin. Will you still join me?"
"Yes!"
"Of course, Saintess!"
All nodded as one.
The Saintess gave a small smile at their response and expressed her thanks.
"Then, Operation Dawn. Let's begin."
At last, the plan to overturn the Holy Kingdom began.