Don't you like it?
Don't you like it?
The moment we entered the banquet hall, dozens, hundreds of pairs of eyes pierced right into us all at once.
Me and Elisia, one of the hottest topics in the Holy Kingdom these days.
To be exact, an immense amount of interest was drawn to the hands Elisia and I held clasped together.
"How unpleasant."
At the same time, it was directed toward the black banquet dress she had personally bought for me and dressed me in.
Tightly tailored to fit my body snugly, the dress had zero intention of hiding the curves flowing from my chest down to my waist.
Golden embroidery flowed over the black fabric, making my reddish-tinted eyes stand out even more vividly, while my voluminous black hair cascaded softly over exposed shoulders and collarbones.
Men and women alike scanned me up and down as if appraising me.
Elisia standing beside me had a similar amount of exposure, but well, she's Elisia.
Rather than looking at her and getting killed for no reason, they'd rather just look at the safe option—me.
But am I really safe?
Because Elisia is extremely displeased right now by the way they are staring at me as if evaluating me.
Looks like she doesn't appreciate glances daring to appraise something that's hers.
"How dare they keep staring at what's mine."
Elisia's voice sank coldly.
It sounded like she was speaking to me, but in reality, it was a warning aimed at the surrounding people staring at me.
Of course, even with such a warning, only a tiny fraction of the gazes diminished; most were still looking at me.
I do understand.
Because there was fear mixed in along with curiosity.
However, whether she thought such feelings were none of her business, merely at the fact that gazes were coming our way, her fingers dug even deeper between my black-gloved fingers.
Thanks to that, my bones creaked.
"That hurts."
"Then who told you to dress like that?"
"Saint-nim personally dressed me in this, didn't you?"
"That's why I don't like it."
"Then you should have told me to change."
"I hate that too."
She hates it if I wear it, she hates it if I don't.
What does she want from me?
Before I could even say anything, Elisia yanked my hand and pulled me even closer to her side.
With only Elisia's paper-thin shawl acting as a barrier, our shoulders touched.
It was a distance so close that with every step, the hems of our dresses and our thighs faintly brushed against each other.
Seeing that scene, several nobles whispered once again.
Mostly talking about me.
"Is that person really that mad dog...?"
"Shh."
"But the Archbishop..."
"Shut your mouth. Do you want to end up like that too?!"
They seemed to be trying to whisper, but it all reached my ears clearly.
As expected, they all know.
That Bertion is dead.
And even the fact that I was the one who killed him.
I immediately squeezed Elisia's hand a little harder in return.
It was a signal telling her not to kill anyone.
Because if I heard it, Elisia heard it too, and since she heard it, I could feel her grinding her teeth beside me as if ready to incinerate someone this very second.
Elisia looked down at my hand, then withdrew her divine power with a displeased expression.
Seriously, if I hadn't stopped her, one of the people chattering away almost died.
In exchange, offering up my waist as a price was inevitable.
"What is this?"
"I'm holding you."
"You're already holding my hand."
"It's not enough."
"What is?"
"A mark showing that you're mine."
Elisia's arm pulled my waist in even more firmly.
Now, our soft bodies were pressed tightly together just like lovers.
The strength that normally would have been rough enough to break a leg or an arm was strangely, exquisitely gentle today.
To the point where a hint of tenderness could even be felt.
Is she that desperate to show off that I belong to her?
Even without doing this, everyone would know.
Since the rumor that a mad dog got attached to a mad dog is already famous.
"You're clinging too close."
"Because those other things are staring."
"The more Saint-nim does this, the more they will look. Aren't they looking even more right now?"
"Let them look now. Even if they do, they won't dare covet you like this."
Elisia seemed to have absolutely no intention of backing down.
So I gave up too and scanned the banquet hall while embraced by her.
My purpose for coming to the banquet hall today is the Pope.
Because there are few places where one can almost definitively see the elusive Pope.
I have to find out why on earth he condoned Bertion's death and silenced the entire Order in one breath.
"By the way, does Pope-seongha usually arrive late?"
"No. Maybe it's because he's old, but he's always the first to arrive."
Yet it was strange.
The Pope's seat, arranged atop the golden stairs at the innermost part of the banquet hall, was completely empty.
Only the platinum staff and Saint's Crown symbolizing the Pope were placed on the table, leaving behind only authority in the banquet hall, while its actual master was nowhere to be seen.
'Has he not arrived yet?'
I checked the time first.
There were less than ten minutes left until the banquet started.
Just as Elisia said, the Pope in the original work was someone who kept time more strictly than anyone else.
Even if there were cases where he didn't attend, there was never a single scene where he was late to an official event.
Such a person is absent at this exact timing.
Is he skipping the first large-scale event held right after I killed Bertion?
"Who are you looking for?"
"Pope-seongha."
"That old geezer?"
"Please do not call him that. There are many ears listening."
"I feel like you called him that on the inside too."
She's right, but that's on the inside, isn't it?
I can't shamelessly call the Pope, that old geezer, an old geezer like you do.
I must not admit this.
That's asking for a divine trial.
"Regardless, Pope-seongha has not arrived yet."
"Good."
"What's good about that?"
"I didn't want to see him anyway. Seeing as he's not here by now, it looks like he doesn't plan to come."
Elisia's expression flashed coldly for a brief moment.
There was no hint of fear like when she faced Bertion.
Instead, there was blatant disgust.
How on earth was the Pope receiving disgust that not even Bertion received?
I was about to ask if something had happened, but closed my mouth upon noticing someone walking toward us.
It was a middle-aged man wearing golden clerical robes.
Just as that person had accurately sought me out, I also knew who he was.
Archbishop Martian.
The Pope's external hands, feet, mouth, and tongue.
He approached with a nonchalant smile.
"I greet Saint-nim."
Elisia did not answer.
Since she loathed the Pope, she naturally seemed to loathe Martian as well.
Well, Martian and the Pope were close enough that they could practically be considered one and the same.
As if accustomed to such treatment, Martian immediately turned his head toward me.
"You must be Adjutant Rhea Valentia. It is my first time greeting you."
"Is it your first time?"
Is this really his first time seeing me?
I thought this man would know where Rhea came from before I possessed her.
Since my previous affiliation was unknown to everyone, the Pope must have naturally pulled strings.
And if so, Martian would know as well.
My superhuman eyesight caught Martian's brow twitching subtly at my probing question.
As expected, he seems to know after all.
"Indeed it is."
However, Martian spoke a lie once again with a composed face.
To that, I played one more move.
I didn't know what kind of move it would turn out to be, but with this, I would get some grasp of what the Pope wanted to do with me.
"Then do you know about Archbishop Bertion-nim?"
For an instant, it felt as though the surrounding sounds vanished.
It hadn't actually become quiet.
The music continued, and people's conversations carried on.
However, the clergymen who were nearby and heard my voice held their breath.
Yet Martian, who heard it point-blank, remained composed.
"Bertion..."
He repeated the name once.
As if it were a name he was hearing for the first time.
"I do not know who you are speaking of."
As expected.
Having caught a slight glimpse of how the Pope intended to treat me, I smiled.
"You do not know?"
"As far as I know, there is no one with such a name among the Order's archbishops."
"He was the archbishop in charge of the Stigma Ritual."
"No such position exists."
"He was the person who personally engraved the stigmata, though?"
"Adjutant-nim."
Martian's voice lowered.
His smile remained, but an unmistakable warning was contained in his eyes.
A warning telling me not to mention it any further.
"It appears you have come across incorrect information."
"I see."
I took a step forward.
Martian instinctively stepped half a step back.
Though he was a human with a larger physique and a higher status within the Order than me, he could not harm me.
Because the Saint was behind me, and the Pope must have told him to condone whatever I did.
Otherwise, there would be no reason to erase Bertion to this extent, as if he were a person who never existed.
"Then, I shall take my leave now."
Martian backed away, clearly wanting to leave now.
Thinking his eyes would be full of loathing just like how Elisia looked at him, I tried to meet his gaze.
However, when our eyes actually met, what flashed for an instant was passionate goodwill.
Although it turned back to disgust right after, there was no way I could fail to recognize that intense goodwill.
"Archbishop Martian-nim."
Sensing something strange, I called out once more to him as he was about to retreat.
"When is Pope-seongha arriving?"
"I have not been informed either."
"Is he not attending today?"
"I do not know. Then, excuse me."
Martian casually walked away after throwing me into confusion with merely a brief glance.
Elisia snorted as she looked at his departing back.
"Shall I kill him for you?"
"No."
"You don't like him, do you?"
"If we kill people just because we don't like them, no one will be left in the Saint's Palace except Saint-nim and me."
"Why do you think you'll be left?"
"Don't you like me?"
"...I don't, actually."
Having had our usual banter, I looked back toward the Pope's empty seat.
Bertion became a person who did not exist.
Even Martian, who was likely the most influential in the Holy Kingdom after Elisia, feigned ignorance, claiming not to know the name.
The only person who could give such an order is the Pope.
Yet the Pope is not here today.
Is it really a coincidence?
No, there's no way it's a coincidence.
Then what on earth is the reason?
'I didn't think it would be to this extent.'
I had expected things to get busy starting from the banquet.
Because up to the banquet was the tutorial of Saint Maker, and everything after was like the main game.
But to think it would bring such massive confusion from the very day of the banquet.
"Rhea."
While I was lost in thought, Elisia pinched my cheek.
"That hurts."
"You're not looking at me."
"I was pondering Pope-seongha's whereabouts."
"Is that old geezer more important than me? When you're my adjutant?"
"It's not a matter of that."
"To me, it is a matter of that."
Elisia turned my body around to make me face her directly.
Blue eyes beneath silver eyelashes shone right in front of me.
A slender hand grasped my chin and made me lift my head.
"Stay only by my side today. So that even if that old geezer comes, I can show him you're mine."
"I am by your side continuously."
"Keep your eyes on me, too."
"Are you telling me to look only at Saint-nim in the banquet hall?"
"Yes."
She's truly shameless.
"I refuse."
"Want me to gouge your eyes out?"
"Then I won't be able to see Saint-nim either, will that be fine?"
Elisia's lips closed shut.
Since Elisia is someone who always blabbers first and thinks later, this kind of response is effective.
Even so, I silently thanked this Elisia in my heart.
Because even in the midst of chaos, Elisia was still Elisia.