Chapter 282: The Blessed Country and the Cursed Human - 5
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 282: The Blessed Country and the Cursed Human - 5
An audience with the Saintess of the Sky was something that would not normally be permitted.
As the core of the Sanctum, the Saintess of the Sky was busy with matters both public and private; every single moment of her time was precious. Her time, which she spent seeing the future, was not the same as that of an ordinary human. This was not a turn of phrase, but the truth.
There was also the matter of her safety. The world was filled with those who thirsted for prophecy, and the predictions bestowed by the Saintess of the Sky were so valuable that many would wish to monopolize them.
And this man was the leader of a rebellion who had killed a king? He should have considered himself lucky that the Crusaders, her personal armed force, hadn't attacked him on sight.
But the Saintess of the Sky had decided to reveal herself to the world. The moment she made her decision, no one in the Sanctum raised an objection. They simply prepared a place for the meeting in silence.
When permission for the audience was granted, the Warlord was overjoyed. The instant he heard the news, he clenched his fists and broke into a wide grin.
And Yuel saw that very image with her Clairvoyance.
Seeing the Warlord’s reaction, Yuel felt a sense of pride, thinking it had been worthwhile to awaken the Saintess of the Sky.
However, the Saintess of the Sky, who had taken the difficult step of appearing, had a lukewarm reaction.
“Permission denied.”
The words on a tombstone are neither cruel nor gentle. They simply state an unchanging fact.
The words delivered by the Saintess of the Sky were much the same. She hadn't even opened her eyes since waking from her slumber, and her tone was still languid.
“We have never interfered in the politics of the mortal world, and we will continue not to. The will of God does not reside in the secular realm, but in the heavens above. That being the case, you ask to merely borrow the divine authority of God? We may not be merchants, but you certainly take us for fools.”
“Saintess, that is not my intention at all!”
“That’s how it looks from our perspective, so just listen. And now, I will tell you your own position, just as you wish. The new country you created… it was destroyed before long.”
A prophecy. Sensing this, the Warlord fell silent. His body swayed slightly at the word “destroyed,” but he managed to compose himself and listen intently.
Against the backdrop of silence he had created, the Saintess of the Sky spoke.
“The Grandiomor Royal Family possessed a certain power. The power to guarantee their safety even before the most formidable assassin, the power to execute someone with a smile and not be resented for it, the power to be the last one standing when all the animalistic bastards who only think of devouring each other are gathered together. In other words, the power to be king.”
The power the Five Sovereigns gained after driving out the King of Humans… Yuel silently recited the facts she had learned after being chosen as a Saintess.
“And so, Grandiomor became king. Everyone acknowledged and served him. Though that’s no longer the case.”
The Saintess of the Sky, Mayel, let out a deep sigh and waved her hand dismissively.
“Wow. You did a great job. You killed a king who couldn't be killed. So, now what? Besides the track record of having killed that king, what else do you have? Can you decisively execute a subordinate who breaks the law? Can you overcome an attack from vengeful remnants consumed by the desire for revenge? Or can you create a brilliant new system of governance?”
She didn't wait for an answer. As if she had already seen the outcome, Mayel spoke nonchalantly.
“Turns out, you have nothing. No matter how hard you try, you die in the chaos and the country completely collapses. Utterly.”
“In what way…”
“The way the country falls? There are too many ways for me to know such fine details.”
Mayel cut the Warlord off.
“Imagine you’ve built a castle on a sandy beach where the waves crash. No matter how much effort you put in, the sandcastle will collapse, won’t it? But how it collapses will depend on your actions. If I see the outer wall crumbling from the sea breeze and point it out, you’ll reinforce it, right? By building it thicker, or adding supports, or constructing the wall at a slant.”
“…I would, undoubtedly.”
“Even so, a few hours later, the tide will come in and turn everything back into a handful of sand. It’s a fact everyone knows, but if I were the only one to tell you, you might try to move the entire sandcastle. Or you might try to build a massive levee to block the tide. Whether it works or not.”
In the end, the nation the Warlord created was destined for ruin. The Saintess of the Sky casually prophesied the rise and fall of a country.
“A prophecy is, at the end of the day, just that sort of thing. Even if you came to me for help, there was no way for me to assist you in the first place. Because you died, and your country was destroyed.”
Her words were absolute. Death and destruction flowed from the prophet’s lips. An ordinary person would have despaired and left, defeated.
But the Warlord was not an ordinary person.
His strength was neither martial might nor political power. With firm resolve, the Warlord lifted his head.
“I wish to build the most beautiful sandcastle.”
It was his character that had elevated the Warlord to his position. And that character was further enhanced by his handsome appearance and exceptional eloquence. Thanks to these qualities, he had been chosen by the king and had once single-handedly bridged the great chasm between the kingdom and its people.
His talent shone even before the Saintess.
“‘Nothing Good Lasts Forever.’ A flower will one day wither. A human will one day die. A nation will one day decline. In that process, it will become ugly, hideous, and miserable. It is the law of nature that no one desires but everyone must accept. But.”
At that moment, Yuel’s and the Warlord’s eyes met. As if for show, the Warlord flashed a smile, pure and full of hope.
“But the people have risen up. The new nation, born from the will of the people, will be young and vibrant. Though it may one day decline, this nation will surely boast a brilliant youth to the world. We can create a future no one has ever seen! Because this is a nation that rose not by the power of a single king, but by the strength of all!”
Looking back on it now, Yuel realized it couldn't have been a coincidence. The Warlord had been smiling at everyone from the very beginning.
It was just that Yuel was the one who was caught in his gaze.
“I’m telling you, it won’t work. As a destroyer, you didn’t have that kind of ability.”
“I am keenly aware of that. But! That is precisely why I have come here! To borrow that ability!”
“Even if there were someone with that ability, what would they be lacking to join in on building a castle of sand…”
As she spoke, Mayel’s expression turned to one of shock, and she whipped her head around. The Saintess of the Sky had surely read the future.
Because Yuel, moved by the story of the sandcastle, had decided to help the Warlord.
“Good heavens, Yuel!”
“Warlord Valiorant! I am Yuel. And I am a Saintess! A Saintess is not bound by prophecy. I can give you a future that no one has ever seen!”
Yuel had watched the fall of the kingdom through her Clairvoyance. She had seen it all: the struggles of the people who could bear it no longer and rose up, the duel of the century that Sunderspear waged against the nation, the roars that erupted from the masses.
It would have been difficult for the Saintess of the Sky to understand. The emotions the people had dredged up to drag down their reigning king, the ideologies they had attached to incite their neighbors, the fierce battles, and even their dreams.
“Yuel! Ah, you were still so young! So very young…!”
Watching from afar had not kept her safe. Perhaps, because she had taken in every scene unfiltered, she had been all the more deeply influenced.
“Saintess of the Sky. Please grant your permission. He killed a king who could not be killed. Perhaps he can create a nation that cannot be created.”
“That wasn't his power! Yuel, you must have seen how that death was possible!”
The Saintess of the Sky had told Yuel to watch how King Grandiomor died. Yuel had a good idea why. King Grandiomor did not exist in Mayel’s future, but she likely didn't know how he had died. Therefore, she had asked Yuel, who could witness the scene directly.
“Yes. I saw it. King Grandiomor was crushed to death by the surging crowd. It was a coincidence and an accident, and because it was a coincidence and an accident, the king died. As a result, the plan to capture the king and use him as a puppet fell through.”
“H-How do you know that…”
The Warlord was stunned as top-secret information poured from Yuel’s lips. But after a moment of panic, he reacted with the well-honed social grace that was second nature to him.
“Indeed, no being living under the heavens can escape the Saintess’s stern gaze. Until now, it was only faith, but now I know it to my very bones. Just how powerful a strength and duty you bear, Saintess.”
Yuel smiled faintly.
The Warlord might not know Yuel, but Yuel knew the Warlord. She had watched his revolution from nearly the beginning to the end. She had seen every part of the turbulent drama that had unfolded.
Being praised by such a man made her feel as if she had been chosen by a celebrity, her heart floating as if on air.
In reality, a Saintess was far more significant than the leader of a rebellion, but at that moment, Yuel was too deeply captivated.
“But, Saintess of the Sky. It was the Warlord who gathered such a crowd and made them march to the royal palace. It was entirely his ability that persuaded tens of thousands of enraged people and made them stake their lives on him. I believe he can do it.”
“I am overwhelmed by your praise.”
Having gained an ally, the Warlord seized the opportunity and chimed in appropriately.
Just as the atmosphere was starting to warm, Mayel cried out vehemently.
“Yuel! You must not help him. He’s all flash and no substance; he doesn't have the strength to lead a nation!”
The Warlord, looking dejected, hung his head sullenly. Startled, Yuel protested loudly.
“Th-That’s why he can lead everyone! Kings with great power are common. But because he is incompetent, he will become an even more special king!”
“I cannot see that future!”
Mayel pleaded with Yuel.
“No matter how much you help him, in the end, you will be the only one left, and you will become the king of that new nation in place of King Grandiomor!”
“Saintess of the Sky. You said that another Saintess does not appear in the future of your foresight, correct?”
“Yes! That’s why a Saintess must stay by my side! Only by reaching me, the coordinator, will the future of the prophecy protect you. If you stray far from me, I cannot promise you a future!”
The only way to overcome Heaven's Decree is with Heaven's Decree itself. Therefore, a Saintess is free from prophecy. In other words…
“Does that mean if I am by his side, he can avoid the foresight of the heavens?”
At that time, Yuel was filled with a strange confidence. Or perhaps she was just too excited. She might have been young. In any case, Yuel at that time was incredibly stubborn.
Mayel, who had been opening and closing her mouth, finally fell silent and clasped her hands together.
“Oh, Saintess of Origin who blessed me. And Saintess of Origin who blessed Yuel. Is this, too, part of your design…?”
After praying, Mayel let out a deep sigh and murmured.
“You are excommunicated. Yuel, from this moment on, you are no longer a Saintess of the Sanctum.”
As a believer herself, Yuel couldn't help the sinking feeling in her chest at the word "excommunicated." But she soon realized something in Mayel’s words.
Not a Saintess of the Sanctum meant she was still a Saintess. A Saintess’s path was determined by the heavens, so no matter what she did, it wouldn't be a problem. The Sanctum would not interfere.
“…So, do as you please. The Sanctum has never been involved in how you use that power. Try to achieve it with your power alone, Yuel. The future that I could not see.”
Yuel felt a slight sense of disappointment. It would be a lie to say she hadn't hoped for the Sanctum’s help. Although Yuel possessed great abilities, she was no match for the Sanctum, and the power and faith that sustained the Sanctum were built on the future that the Saintesses monopolized.
But Yuel was a Saintess who saw a future yet to be reached, free from a predetermined fate. Yuel had confidence in herself.
With her Clairvoyance, she had peeked at and learned all the secrets and knowledge of the world. She could see anything she wanted. She could find enemies and lead allies to the right place at the right time.
She had even spotted a few people who could be of help. They were Taoists from the Order of Gaia, whose beliefs differed from the Sanctum’s, but what did it matter if they could be of use?
While watching the rebellion in the kingdom, she had often thought, If it were me, I would have given a different order there, and things would have turned out better. She would lie in bed, rolling around, letting her imagination run wild with countless possibilities.
With her power, she could step into the middle of these struggling people and make everything turn out for the best.
At that time, Yuel truly believed so.
*
As I opened the door and stepped inside, a disturbingly fresh scent brushed past my nose.
It was a stone room, faintly illuminated by a single magic lamp. Several urns were scattered about. On the solemn walls hung small portraits with plaques, and a crucifix stood tall, looking down upon them.
This layout… it felt familiar. Racking my brain, I soon realized the source of the déjà vu.
It was similar to the room where I met Tyr in Tantalus, wasn't it?
Captain Abbey looked around and spoke.
“…Report. This is a shrine. The form and composition are judged to be similar to an ossuary located in the basement of a shrine.”
“I see.”
“However, after the taxation ruling, all shrines except those privately operated should have been withdrawn. The intentions of the one who built this place are suspect.”
“That makes sense. A shrine that proclaims the will of God having to pay taxes to the state. The Sanctum would never accept that.”
“Affirmative. Therefore, an error occurs. All the Signallers who made the judgment at the time must have known this fact and pushed forward, so why…”
As she spoke, Captain Abbey looked in the direction her unique magic was pointing.
In the center of the room, a person was kneeling in prayer. It was a gaunt, emaciated woman. She had her hands clasped as if in penance, tenderly embracing something.
Like a devout believer who had fully accepted their faith.
The Morning Glory resonates. Countless flower buds bloomed in unison, all turning toward her. The vines grew even more fiercely.
If not for the Sunflower looking at me, Captain Abbey might have synchronized with her.
“You. Please, hold my hand for a moment.”
I silently offered my hand. Grasping my hand, and simultaneously grasping herself, Captain Abbey approached the woman.
“Signaller Yuel. I am Captain Abbey, a Signaller of the Military State. As a Signaller who controls and reports information, I request your cooperation.”
The only living person here. Naturally, she was Signaller Captain Yuel.
And also Yuel, the Saintess of Foresight, who had followed the Warlord out of the Sanctum.
“I have a few questions, but first and foremost.”
Captain Abbey looked down at Yuel and pointed to what she held in her arms.
“What is that corpse of an unidentified male that you are in possession of?”