The Third Daughter of the Francis Duchy (Part 3)
Among the four Duke families of the Brigham Empire, the Francis Duchy holds a scale and influence that could almost rival that of a kingdom in its own right.
The Duke of Francis, who heads this noble house, has been focusing on a single matter lately.
“This is a shame.”
“Indeed. I never expected you to succeed in your rescue attempt.”
“Still, it changes nothing. You will be the one chosen as the Saintess.”
“Of course.”
This was the forbidden ritual being prepared by the Francis Duchy: making its third daughter, Evelyn Francis, the Saintess.
After all, the other candidates were no match for the power and prestige of the Francis Duchy in the Brigham Empire.
The only other possible contender might have been the granddaughter of the Elf Queen, but there was no reason for the Francis Duchy to yield to a kingdom within the Elysia Union.
The Saintess Contest, on the surface, was supposed to offer equal opportunities to all candidates. But in a world where status existed, true fairness was a joke.
The Church itself was sustained by tithes and sponsorships, so it made sense that they would not easily overlook a candidate’s background, I thought.
But I had not expected to discover the illusion so quickly…
‘Even though you’re a candidate from the Brigham Empire, you’ll receive no special treatment. And during the Contest, do not approach me uninvited.’
A few days earlier, during the Contest, each candidate had been assigned a live broadcast channel. Evelyn’s number had been too ambiguous, so I requested a direct visit to the Saintess to have it changed.
The reply that came back was exactly what I had feared.
Who in this world could treat Duke Francis so coldly?
No matter how lofty the Sepia Church’s prestige might be, the greatest donor to that Church was still the Brigham Empire itself.
I had expected my argument to be accepted without question, and the Duke of Francis had every right to look astonished.
As the Contest began and other candidates drew far more attention than his own daughter, the Duke started to feel a growing sense of crisis.
‘I should have killed that brat back then.’
It was understandable that interest would focus on the granddaughter of the Elf Queen—‘Grace High-Elven’.
After all, the breathtaking beauty of the High Elves was more than enough to capture the public’s gaze.
What baffled me was the crowd’s support for the stuttering candidate Ibril Barnet who had appeared on the broadcast.
At first I dismissed it as nothing more than the blind loyalty of simple commoners, but the Cardinal’s words about her connection to Adrian made it clear that such support could not be ignored.
‘If the Saintess were selected solely by the Church, it would definitely be Evelyn. But in the end, the Creator, Goddess Sepia, makes the final choice. If Evelyn’s dignity draws the Goddess’s interest, that would be perfect. However, a candidate who wins public support is a title she cannot afford to ignore.’
When I learned that my daughter had been born with innate holy power and that the Saintess Contest had begun to replace her, I believed it to be a divine revelation sent straight to me.
Unlike ordinary priests who gained holy power through the Church’s posthumous training, those born with it were an unignorable trait.
And now that trait had appeared in the very daughter I had brought up.
If that was the case, I had no choice but to utilize both my own power and the one my daughter had obtained.
So I believed in my daughter’s victory without a doubt and threw her into the Contest.
But unlike the confident beginning, things had now grown difficult.
‘This won’t do.’
The Francis Duchy of the Brigham Empire could not simply withdraw while the Contest’s heat only grew hotter around them like mere extras.
I needed to find a way to secure victory at all costs.
In the end, the Duke of Francis abandoned his complacency and began to charge into the Saintess Contest with even greater aggression.
Knock. Knock.
“Your Highness, there is a message from the Saintess Department.”
“Hm?”
The Duke, who had been watching the news of Ibril’s kidnapping while busy and weary, showed his surprise at the unexpected report.
The Saintess Department, which had never once come to find him since the Contest began, was now contacting him?
That felt rather suspicious, didn’t it?
“What is it?”
“You’ll have to hear the story to understand.”
With the kidnapping incident bringing the Contest to a temporary halt, the Duke received a message alongside his daughter from the Saintess Department.
[Duke Isaac Francis, Lady Evelyn Francis, please report to the Saintess Department by 1:00 PM.]
“Report?”
[All candidates have been summoned as witnesses to this abduction case.]
It felt as if instructions were coming down from above.
The Duke was deeply displeased, but he could not ignore it.
If he dallied and the arrows of suspicion rained down, he would be in trouble.
Moreover, since Adrian had already exposed his past deeds, a cold analysis showed that even among the witnesses, he was clearly close to a suspect.
“Tsk, understood.”
[Then I will wait for you.]
The moment the call ended, the Duke checked the time displayed on the terminal.
—12:30
He had only thirty minutes left until the 1:00 PM appointment.
The current Saintess displeased him even more.
“Do we really need to rush?”
“No, this time we’ll go a little earlier. It’s not a party but a serious matter.”
The two of them quickly headed to the Saintess Department with a large entourage of servants.
“I hope they don’t mean to gather everyone in one place for an examination?”
Fourteen Saintess candidates and their fourteen sponsors lined up before the Saintess sitting on the throne.
“It feels as if we’re greeting His Majesty the Emperor.”
The Duke expressed his discomfort with a single remark.
In response, Saintess Sharon Sylvester shrugged and pointed to one side.
The eyes of the summoned candidates and sponsors followed her fingertip, and soon a priestess holding a metal plate appeared there.
Most people tilted their heads, unsure what it was, but the Duke frowned because he had seen the item before.
“Are you going to use the Mirror of Truth to catch the culprit?”
“Exactly.”
“The Mirror of Truth?”
The appearance of the sacred relic caused the gathered people to stir with surprise.
“Through the Mirror of Truth, we have already confirmed that the incident is not the fabricated story of candidate Ibril Barnet and sponsor Duke Adrian Lawrence.”
The real culprit is among you, and from now on we will investigate using the Mirror of Truth.
The Duke’s face turned angry as he protested.
“The people gathered here include the highest nobles of every kingdom. Do you really think the Saintess’s actions are excessive?”
Many of them nodded in agreement, looking uncomfortable.
But the Saintess smiled as if to say, ‘What’s the problem?’
“Are you the culprit, Duke Francis?”
“What?!”
“Or is there a problem? Is it so difficult to say a single word in front of the mirror?”
The Duke bit his lip.
At that moment, the doors opened and a group of people rushed in en masse.
They were the Holy Knights who proudly represented Everhill, the Holy Land—each one a being on par with an Aura Master.
Seven of them in total, led by none other than the Saint.
If the Saintess used 8th-circle holy magic, the Saint was a Grandmaster-level warrior.
Together, even a Grandmaster like the Duke of Francis would not be able to withstand them.
Yet the person standing beside the Saint and the Holy Knights was more bothersome than either.
“Duke Lawrence?”
“Nice to meet you, Your Highness the Duke of Francis.”
Among the people who had recently most agitated the Duke’s emotions, the one who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Holy Knights beside Adrian and his fiancée Arsia as if it were natural was, of course, the top figure.
“Perhaps the culprit who tried to harm young Ibril might be a Grandmaster. That’s why we’ve come to assist.”
“What?”
Among the people present, the Duke of Francis was the only one who could be considered a Grandmaster.
Adrian’s words had clearly targeted the Duke as the culprit.
Naturally, the Duke’s face flushed red, and the atmosphere turned ominous, but the Saintess stopped Adrian.
“Duke Lawrence, the culprit has not yet been identified. Please watch your words.”
“Yes.”
With a flick of her hand, the Saintess summoned the priestess holding the Mirror of Truth closer.
“Then, step forward one by one and prove your innocence before the Mirror of Truth.”
The grand hall, with the throne at its center, fell into a deathly silence.
But those observing the situation stepped forward, breaking the silence.
“We will go first.”
The first to approach the Mirror of Truth was Claudia High-Elven, Queen of Elvenheim—the central figure of the eight kingdoms that made up the Elysia Union—and her sponsored candidate, Grace High-Elven.
As a character who, along with the Saintess, was known as one of Rondel’s Three Great Ladies, her mere presence drew every eye.
The dignity that seemed to accompany her silver hair flowing like silk was something even a Saintess could not match.
“I, Claudia High-Elven, am not involved in this Saintess candidate kidnapping case.”
“I, Grace High-Elven, am not involved in this Saintess candidate kidnapping case.”
In quick succession, after the Elf Queen, her sponsored candidate also declared her innocence.
And when she looked into the Mirror of Truth, only a faint blue glow appeared—no change.
“Both of your innocence has been proven.”
With the Saintess’s declaration, the two High Elves returned to their seats.
Considering the worst-case scenario, they were more than sufficient force.
The Elf Queen was an 8th-circle equivalent Spirit King summoner, and her granddaughter, the Saintess candidate, was also a supreme-level 7th-circle equivalent Spirit summoner.
“Then let’s continue.”
“Next is us.”
The next to step forward were Duchess Olivia Riberdale and candidate Judy Esther.
The results confirmed that both were innocent.
“Next is us.”
“Then we will go next.”
After the two teams stepped forward, the investigation proceeded extremely quickly.
After all, it seemed unlikely that anyone would stall the situation by opposing the Saintess’s decision.
“Good. Now only ‘two’ candidates remain.”
All eyes turned toward the last figure standing firm among the candidates.
Adrian and the Francis Duchy had an unfavorable relationship, and recalling how he had protested while looking into the Mirror of Truth earlier, it was unlikely he was the culprit.
In the end, the Duke of Francis had no choice but to approach the Mirror of Truth with his daughter.
As the Duke stepped forward, tension spread through the hall.
They might have a fight at any moment, after all.
Whoever he was, the swordsman ranked among the top five in the world and the Duke of the great empire of Brigham.
“I am not involved in this kidnapping case.”
“I am also not involved in this kidnapping case.”
Yet, contrary to everyone’s expectations, the Mirror of Truth remained silent.
And when he returned to his seat with an unpleasant expression, Adrian clicked his tongue loudly enough for everyone to hear.
“Tsk!”
In response, the Duke flared up and spoke.
“Clicking your tongue? Hey, Duke Lawrence. Aren’t you revealing your true feelings too much?”
“Isn’t it only natural to be suspicious when looking at your past actions?”
“I suppose you only have a short life left.”
“You’re younger than the Duke’s daughter, and yet you say that?”
“No, I think you’ll die before your lifespan ends, so that’s what I’m saying.”
“Quiet! Quiet!”
Adrian, who fearlessly confronted the Duke of Francis, was impressive, but the Duke’s every flaring reaction was fresh to everyone.
However, this was not the time for that.
The moment the Francis Duchy’s side was proven innocent, all eyes turned to the final Saintess candidate and her sponsor.