Chapter 441: Relationships and Interrogation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 441: Relationships and Interrogation
The Great Barrier that had sealed the skies above the Holy City dissipated, vanishing like a massive curtain being drawn back.
Warm sunlight spilled down. The long-awaiting believers craned their necks, finally catching sight of the holy procession upon the golden road.
Under the lockdown of the Holy City, these ordinary faithful had no idea of the dire crisis the Saintess’s party had just endured. In their minds, they had merely offered a bit of insignificant patience.
And the wait was worth it.
The procession moved slowly. Silver-armored knights on tall steeds cleared the path, nuns chanted holy hymns, and the clergy maintained a solemn, dignified air. Through the fluttering white veils, the people could clearly see the holy figure seated within.
No matter the vantage point—whether from the top of a soaring clock tower or beside a low wall, whether a trembling elder or a bright-eyed child—under their fanatical gaze, that figure appeared perfect, without a single flaw.
Thus, the fervor and piety of the believers only intensified.
Following the established route, the procession departed from the Emiel Cathedral at the very heart of the Holy City, traversed the main thoroughfare known as the "Path of Gospel," reached the southern district, and then circled through the primary streets. Only after covering nearly the entire Holy City did the procession begin its return, arriving beneath the Great Cathedral—the place watched over by the gaze of the Goddess’s statue: the Place of Dawn.
The Place of Dawn was a vast plaza where almost all the grand ceremonies of the Holy City were held.
By the time the procession arrived, everything was naturally prepared.
The Sacred Carriage bearing Her Highness the Saintess proceeded to the center of the plaza and finally, slowly, came to a halt.
Instruments played and the holy hymns reached a crescendo. Under the breathless gaze of countless onlookers, a small hand clad in a white silk glove reached out and slowly pulled back the light veil.
That holy figure finally appeared before everyone’s eyes.
Dressed in a pure white gown, she looked like a white swan taking flight. Atop her head sat the sacred crown, reflecting the most brilliant radiance in the world.
She was dazzling.
The believers could not help but choke up, tears of joy streaming down their faces.
"Ah... Her Highness the Saintess..."
"What a figure... what holiness..."
"Your Highness... please allow us to follow you forever, just as we shall forever follow the Most Holy Goddess..."
The shouts rose like a tide.
Standing at the center of that tide, Liya felt a momentary sense of daze.
In the hazy light, she saw the countless believers surrounding her, a dark mass stretching like a sea into the distance.
They were all looking at her—looking at their new Saintess.
In this moment, Liya once again felt the terrifying pressure carried by the title "Saintess."
Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Yet this weight was many times heavier than any physical crown.
Liya even found it difficult to breathe.
However, when she turned her head slightly to look back at the seemingly empty Sacred Carriage—the interior of which was invisible to those outside—that pressure suddenly vanished.
Because her knight was right there, also... watching her.
The gaze of the believers brought pressure, but only that unique, warm gaze could give her infinite strength.
And so, she no longer feared. Stepping through the sunlight, she straightened her back and walked with elegant poise toward the center of the masses.
Just like every Saintess of previous generations, she walked this path.
"Your Highness the Saintess!"
Suddenly, a fanatical believer broke through the wall of knights and fell prostrate before her in a disheveled heap, holding up a bundle of swaddling clothes.
"I beg of you... please save him! He was born premature, he’s dying..."
The sudden turn of events caused the knights responsible for the Saintess's protection to pale, but Liya did not panic.
She stopped the rough knights and, with a smile, placed her finger on the forehead of the premature infant, whose face had already turned blue.
"The Goddess blesses you."
A holy light flickered. The infant’s cheeks turned rosy at a speed visible to the naked eye, followed by a loud cry that echoed across the plaza like the rising sun of a new birth.
A true miracle had descended upon the mortal realm.
The believer, face covered in tears, held the bundle high and knelt piously.
"This is the Goddess’s grace... this is Her Highness’s grace! Long live the Saintess!"
"Long live the Saintess!"
Countless believers knelt in succession, fanatically chanting the Saintess’s name.
With this casual display of a miracle, even those believers who still harbored nostalgia for the previous Saintess could no longer question the authenticity of the new one before them.
The shouts shook the Holy City, refusing to subside for a long time.
*
"What a spectacular scene."
Taking advantage of the moment when all the believers were kneeling and cheering, Muen stealthily crawled out from under the Sacred Carriage. He brushed the dust off his clothes and looked at Lin, who was standing nearby, as if nothing had happened.
"By the way, that believer wasn't a plant arranged by your Church, was he? It looks crowded here, but the security is actually terrifyingly tight. How could an ordinary person rush right up to Liya?"
Muen glanced around. Unlike the streets, which were difficult to defend, this wide plaza was under the Church's strict control. He could even feel several terrifying consciousnesses constantly scanning the crowd—at least Bishop-level figures were personally monitoring the area.
Under such tight security, let alone an assassin, even a mosquito with ill intent wouldn't be able to get near Liya.
Thus, Muen had reason to suspect the Church was faking it to help Liya build her reputation.
"Don't think so poorly of the Church."
Lin stared straight at Muen, looking somewhat speechless.
"It is precisely because that believer was an ordinary person that she was able to approach Her Highness. The Church has no need for such theatrics. The Saintess chosen by the Church is the Saintess chosen by the Goddess. Her Highness’s qualifications are beyond doubt."
"...Alright, I admit I overthought it. But... Miss Lin..."
Muen rubbed his arms and asked cautiously, "Why do you keep staring at me? Did I do something to upset you again?"
"...No, I'm just wondering..."
Lin looked Muen up and down as if seeing him for the first time.
"You stayed inside with Her Highness, yet you didn't do anything at all. That really doesn't seem like your style."
"Didn't do anything? Were we supposed to do something?" Muen blinked innocently, his eyes projecting the most primitive purity.
"You went through all that trouble to sneak into Her Highness’s carriage just so you could..."
"Of course it was to protect Liya up close! Didn't I say that? An assassination attempt just happened; how could I feel safe leaving her alone?"
"Besides, what else could I possibly do at a time like this?"
Lin’s expression stiffened slightly.
Muen rubbed his chin and suddenly leaned in close to Lin, scrutinizing her with a mischievous grin.
"Miss Lin... the 'thing' you're talking about... it couldn't be that, could it? No way, no way... surely no one actually thinks I'd do that? That kind of play is so perverted; even I only think about it. There's no way I'd actually do it. And you're a nun! How could you think such things?"
"Tsk, tsk. You're quite lewd, Miss Lin."
"..."
Lin silently closed her eyes and began to recite the Holy Scripture in her mind.
It wasn't that this would cleanse the sin of her "lewd" thoughts, but rather that if she didn't distract herself...
She was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop her clenched, rock-hard fist from smashing into that punchable dog face.
Seriously, with such a high taunting ability, it was a miracle this guy had lived this long.
Of course, Lin didn't know that Muen had even dared to taunt an Evil God to its face. Otherwise, she would probably feel lucky that she only had slightly high blood pressure.
As for the last being Muen had ruthlessly mocked...
*
After his daily teasing of the stiff Great Nun Lin, Muen wandered around the edge of the crowd, bored, watching Liya’s ceremony from afar.
He didn't think there was much to see. No matter how beautiful Liya looked now, she couldn't compare to how she looked at night by the flickering candlelight.
Mm... I should remember to have her wear this outfit tonight. That would definitely have a unique flavor.
"Muen Campbell?"
Muen, who was currently enjoying thoughts of a wonderful evening, suddenly heard a familiar voice.
Turning around, he saw Margarita, whom he hadn't seen for a few days, and Paul, who still looked as scruffy as ever behind her.
Paul was grinning and about to wave at Muen when Margarita stomped hard on his foot. He shrunk his neck and retreated, looking like a husky being punished for misbehaving.
"Miss Margarita, good afternoon."
Sensing some hidden drama between the two but knowing better than to ask, Muen pretended not to see Paul and greeted her warmly.
"I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you had already returned to your country."
"I didn't expect it either," Margarita said with a faint smile.
"I thought you’d be standing beside Her Highness right now in your capacity as an Honorary Holy Knight. That’s a great honor, and I don't think the Church would stop you. They seem quite happy to see you firmly bound to them."
"It does sound tempting."
Muen shrugged. "But I don't want to stand out that much. After all, my status is special... By the way, where are the others?"
"As you said, they’ve gone back."
"Gone back?" Muen rubbed his chin. "It seems failing the Saintess competition was quite a blow to them."
Especially that arrogant loli, Annie. With her temper, she probably thought she had a great chance, only to end up with nothing. She might be hiding under her covers at night, crying and tearing at her handkerchief.
Yeah, that’s actually pretty funny to think about.
"Although I feel like Mr. Muen is having some rude thoughts right now, the truth is... we aren't as sad as you imagine," Margarita said.
"Miss Fei'er had a 'give it a try' attitude from the start. Even if she failed, the Tower of Origins will always have its doors open for her. As for Annie... she was dragged back by her family elders the very next day to continue her alchemy research. I heard there's a high probability she will inherit the Stone Cauldron Association in the future."
"Then you..." Muen was stunned.
"I’ll naturally go back to being a princess," Margarita chuckled, covering her mouth. "I have no intention of giving up the Platinum Name just yet."
"..."
Muen was speechless.
So this wasn't some hot-blooded story of strivers working their way up; it was just a bunch of rich kids bravely trying out a second career path, right?
In the end, was my poor, cute Liya the only one who put everything on the line?
"Of course not, Mr. Muen. We all came to the Holy City with the intention of giving it our all. After all, despite our different backgrounds, the education we received since childhood was all geared toward striving for that position."
Margarita seemed to have guessed Muen’s thoughts. She gazed at Liya in the distance, her eyes narrowing slightly as she gathered all that shimmering light into her pupils.
"But... perhaps it’s because we couldn't let go of our pasts that we lost to her... Therefore, there’s nothing to be disappointed about."
"Is that so?"
"Of course. But I think... Mr. Muen is the biggest contributor to Liya becoming the Saintess."
Margarita tilted her head and looked at Muen, asking, "What will you do next? Will you stay in the Holy City? Given your relationship with Liya and the Church's high regard for you, if you join them, there will surely be a seat for you as a Bishop in the future."
"A Bishop? Sounds nice." Muen smiled.
"But... as good as the Holy City is, I don't belong here."
Muen looked up, his gaze drifting toward the infinite distance.
Another towering, majestic city was where he truly belonged.
"Are you going back to Belland?"
"Yes."
"I heard it hasn't been very peaceful there lately. It seems something big is about to happen."
"..."
Muen raised an eyebrow in surprise, but Margarita’s expression didn't change at all, as if it were just casual small talk.
"Is that so?" Muen suddenly chuckled.
Not very peaceful... huh?
He had sensed this long ago.
Given his unique status, he naturally knew that a terrifying vortex was currently brewing within the most prosperous city on the continent.
But...
"So what?"
Muen straightened his collar and said nonchalantly, "If a house isn't cleaned for too long, pests will always breed. Should we stop going home just because we find the bugs disgusting?"
"...No."
Muen suddenly grinned. "At a time like this, one should naturally bring swords and torches, uncover the darkest corners of the house, and burn those disgusting pests to ashes!"
Margarita was slightly stunned, looking in bewilderment at the blond man whose aura had suddenly shifted.
In an instant, he seemed to transform from the loyal and reliable knight by the Saintess's side back into that rumored, untamable son of a Duke.
"Then I wish you luck in your battles," Margarita nodded slightly.
"No, the pleasure is mine."
Muen looked at the neighboring princess with a meaningful gaze. "I hope you all can stay your hands when the time comes and uphold the principle of neighborly friendship. I would be most grateful."
"Mr. Muen must be joking. Our Kingdom has always been peace-loving. How could we do anything 'bad'?"
Margarita blinked playfully, her tone exceptionally sincere.
Muen acted as if he believed her and reached out to shake Margarita’s hand.
"That’s wonderful. If I get the chance, I’ll definitely visit the Kingdom in person."
"I look forward to it. I hope you can bring your continent-renowned, excellent fiancée with you. I will host you personally."
Both wore perfect smiles, looking like a pair of close friends.
Only Paul, standing to the side, hugged his shoulders and shivered. In this warm spring, he inexplicably felt the weather was a bit chilly.
*
"Name."
"Ariel Bugard."
"Age."
"Eighteen."
"Gender."
"..."
Ariel froze for a moment, then suddenly slammed the table. "Can't you see for yourself?"
"My apologies."
Across the interrogation table, the solemn Knight Xier glanced at Ariel’s chest and said very seriously, "For the sake of factual accuracy, we must be one hundred percent certain of even the smallest details. We never assume a person's gender based on their appearance—especially when this person's secondary sexual characteristics are so indistinct."
Xier fiddled with the magic device in front of him. "Don't worry. You can't lie in front of this lie-detecting magic device. So, I’ll ask again: Gender."
Ariel was furious. "You bastard, don't you look down on me! I'll—"
Clang—
Facing the circle of swords drawn simultaneously around her, Ariel grit her teeth and sat down in humiliation. "Female."
"Very good."
Knight Xier made a show of scribbling in his notebook and asked, "Then, Miss Ariel, please answer my question—why did you attempt to assassinate Her Highness the Saintess? Who instructed you to do so?"
"I didn't! It was a misunderstanding!"
"A misunderstanding?"
Xier tapped his notebook with his pen. "This is a fact witnessed by many. Do you dare say you had no intention of assassinating Her Highness?"
"..."
Ariel’s voice faltered. After a long silence, she said with a long face, "I did intend to wound the Saintess, but... but it really was a misunderstanding! Where’s Liya? I want to see Liya! I want to explain it to her face!"
"How bold!"
Xier barked, "Not only do you refuse to admit your actions, but as a criminal suspected of assassinating Her Highness, you actually expect to see her openly? Do you really take me for a fool?"
"It seems you won't talk without some persuasion. Men, first give her—"
But just as Xier was about to let Ariel experience the "hospitality" and "rich resources" of the Judgment Temple’s Black Prison, a knight rushed in and whispered a few words in Xier’s ear.
"An order from Her Highness personally? Why..."
"Fine. Since that’s the case, there’s nothing to be done. I understand."
After a brief exchange, Xier suddenly stood up, seemingly preparing to leave.
"Wha... what’s going on?"
Seeing his sudden change in attitude, Ariel felt inexplicably uneasy.
"Hmph."
Xier turned back, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Ariel Bugard, your lucky days are over. Because next, a knight even more 'excellent' and 'diligent' than I, one who enjoys Her Highness’s deepest trust, will take over your interrogation!"
"I hear he’s a real ruthless character who throws himself into 'hard labor' day and night. Even the Great Nun speaks highly of him!"
"What?"
Ariel’s face paled.
A ruthless character?
No way... it really was a misunderstanding!
Liya? Liya, save me!
"Anyway, I advise you to repent early. Otherwise... heh."
Leaving behind those ominous words, Xier quickly departed.
He left Ariel behind, deeply unsettled by his warning. In the cold prison, she pinched the insects on the floor to vent her frustration.
Damn it, that bastard Mu—
No, damn the Salvation Society! It’s all your fault! I’m starting a feud with you people!
Just you wait!