An Ancient Longing (5)
Benedict recalled an old memory. It was nearly eight thousand years old now, yet it remained crystal clear. The memory of her—the one he had respected and pledged his loyalty to. Despite her tremendous accomplishments, only the epithet "the First Saintess" survived; her true name had never been passed down.
—Ugh, just thinking about running into that damn face again makes me want to puke.
—Is that really something a person who's leaving should say?
—What does it matter? We're going to meet again anyway.
—...When will we be able to meet again?
The First Saintess handed El-Anat over to Benedict as she spoke. El-Anat refused Benedict's touch and screamed noisily.
—Kyaaak! You pervert! You molester! Give me back to Master right now!
Both the First Saintess and Benedict ignored it.
—Oh, stop making that pathetic face. It's disgusting. You're about to cry at this rate.
—Damn it. You're going to tell me anyway, so stop messing around and just say it.
—Nope~ I'm never telling you~ Go suffer trying to find me~ Kyahahaha!
...He had only said it was vivid. He never claimed it was a good memory.
—Try not to find me if you can. No, make sure there's no reason to find me. Sigh. It's not like we won't meet again anyway? Damn it.
With that uncertain promise of reunion, the First Saintess departed.
* * *
"You... what do you mean by that...! You've lived for over eight thousand years...!"
Dominic exclaimed in shock, questioning Benedict.
"I've known you since you were young. But..."
"Well... it turned out that way. It was a kind of... disguise using 'my own' holy technique."
Benedict's own holy technique... The choice of words felt strangely familiar.
"Benika. Would an age gap of several thousand years be a problem?"
"Cheska... is that really the important part right now?"
"Uh... for now?"
..Let's just ignore the secret conversation between Benika and Cheska after hearing Benedict's answer.
"I cannot tell you any more at the moment. Finding the First Saintess is the most urgent matter right now."
It's really annoying. That "that's all for today~" way of speaking. If you're going to tell me, just tell me everything. If you don't want to, then don't open your mouth at all. I have no idea what standard he's using to decide when it's okay to speak or when he can only reveal this much. That human(?) needs to get a taste of his own medicine someday. Then he'll understand what it's like to make someone furious.
—No~ I mean, you stupid bastard! Master is right here! Why do you keep spouting nonsense!
"Haa... Could you hand over that damn skewer for a moment? I have something to say."
Wow, he actually made Benedict say "damn." That holy spear really is something. The problem is that a high-performance weapon only raises the opponent's will to fight. Its provocation level is downright FFF-class.
—Eek! M-M-M-Master?! You're not really going to hand me over to that guy, right?! Right?!
Yeah, I'm handing you over. It's obvious he wants you just to shut you up. No reason not to.
—Kyaaak! You pervert! You molester! Give me back to Master right now!
"Shut up and listen to what I'm saying. Before I snap you in half."
"Yeah. Maybe the age gap of several thousand years won't matter..."
Get a grip, Cheska. What on earth are you finding attractive?
"Hey. Your taste in escort knights is really firm."
No wonder even Mint was making a disgusted face, different from last time.
"Well, it's not like I can't understand it at all."
"What part?"
"Let's use Earth as an example."
"Uh-huh."
"A young woman confessed to a very handsome older man with a huge age gap."
Is something like that possible in reality? Ah, it's happening right in front of us now. I don't know about Earth, but in this world, it was possible.
"And that handsome older man says this."
What line?
"'Why do you keep putting me in a difficult position,' 'At my age, if I meet you... haa.'"
At the part where he says "at my age, if I meet you...," Mint even mimed loosening a nonexistent necktie and wiping her forehead dry—a nice touch.
"And for the finale, he says, 'What could you possibly like about an old man like me...' Ugh... Not my taste, but it's the kind of line that drives people crazy."
"Beyond not being my taste, I think it's actually driving someone crazy. Wipe the drool from your mouth."
What part is supposed to drive people crazy?
"Ah, you don't get it. As expected, both body and mind need to be female."
Thwack!
"Ow!"
This time I flicked Mint on the forehead for talking nonsense. Saying both body and mind need to be female? That's a huge problem! If that's the only way to understand it, then I don't need to understand it!
—Huh? Aha! Oho... No, I'm getting angry? You've been keeping that to yourself all this time?! You bas— No... I'm not angry! Fine, I get it! Just stay quiet!
I didn't know what she said, but El-Anat, now back in my hands, stopped interfering and stayed quiet. It seemed Benedict had used some method so the others couldn't hear his voice.
—Hehe, Master's soft, squishy thigh meat...
Crack.
—Kkgegegegek..!
Instead of staying quiet, it tried to rub its shaft against my thigh, so I just snapped it. Unfortunately, it only made a loud noise and didn't actually break. I want to give it to anyone. I don't need this stupid holy spear.
"As I said, finding the First Saintess is the most urgent task. Even if a Hero is eventually chosen and Levia becomes the Saintess, forming a complete Hero party, this matter will take priority."
Don't speak as if it's a given that I'll become the Saintess, Benedict. Think about it. Another cardinal who supports me might not appear. El-Anat might revoke its choice of me. The Hero might reject me after some unfortunate (physical) incident with the Saintess candidate, me.
"Don't make that face, Levia. After all, among the three candidates, you are the most likely one."
"Three..?"
Three? I thought I was the thirteenth? Since Benika stepped down from candidacy years ago, there should be twelve, right?
Whether because of my question or Benedict's words, the atmosphere in the conference room grew slightly heavier. Yet Benedict continued calmly.
"Yes. Three. Only the 2nd, the 8th, and the 13th—Levia—remain."
"No, wait a second..."
"There are many things that must be prevented, even if they are fated. To do that, we need a central figure to unite Eliaque."
"Wait, wait, waaait! Why only three? Including me, there should have been twelve!"
"I was planning to say this at the end, but it doesn't matter now."
The atmosphere suggested a rather serious reason. Still, I had to know. It wasn't because I envied those who could easily give up while others were dragged in unwillingly and half-threatened into becoming Saintesses. If the mood hadn't turned heavy, I might have thought that. But not in this situation. If twelve had been reduced to three, there was likely someone capable of reducing it to one, and it was obvious my surroundings would suffer in the process.
"...Since it relates to the content of this meeting, I'll tell you. The three had enrolled in the Hero Academy while hiding their identities. However, there was an attack on the Academy, and for unknown reasons, those three had all their divine power stolen."
The Hero Academy exists? Fortunately, the three whose divine power was stolen only lost their power thanks to some Hero candidate's efforts and suffered no threat to their lives.
"Two were assassinated by people presumed to be affiliated with those who targeted Levia. Three fell into the hands of the Chaos Sect."
The former two were likely the 8th Cardinal's doing, and the latter three... Ah, so eight years ago, that clown bastard's scheme against Benika had that purpose. He had been trying to drag Benika, who was a Saintess candidate at the time, into the Chaos Sect. I stopped that. Glancing at Benika, she seemed to know. From the way she smiled gently at me, it appeared she still felt grateful even after all these years. There was no need for her to go that far.
"Lastly, there were originally three Saintess candidates staying at the Papal Vatican before Levia arrived. Now there are two."
"What happened to that one?"
"That is one of the reasons we have gathered here."
Come to think of it, while I had heard the official reasons in detail, I hadn't properly heard the true purpose. To block eavesdroppers, Benedict had set up a holy technique barrier for perfect soundproofing and added a magic barrier with Noah's help. Only then could we enter the conference room and view the records left by the indomitable Hero regarding the First Saintess. Then I learned that I was the only clue capable of finding that First Saintess.
"It seems... the 8th Cardinal, Greccio, has crossed the line."
"It would be better if I explained this part."
Dominic, who had been wearing the most serious expression, asked for permission and joined the conversation.
"Just now, Benedict..-nim.. No.. Hmm.."
"Please treat me as before."
"Thank you. Anyway, as Benedict said, the candidates who enrolled in the Hero Academy while hiding their identities had their divine power stolen."
"Honestly, I don't understand that part about having their divine power stolen. It's awkward to say this, but... as everyone knows, my way of handling divine power is different from others, right?"
If I delved deep, it would get complicated and hard for me to explain, so to put it simply: my divine power is entirely my own, but other clergy only 'borrow' as much as Lumentis permits. In other words, "having divine power stolen" was a phrase that only applied to me. Not that such a thing would happen, of course. If it were true that someone had stolen the power of a god that others were merely borrowing, it would be a little—no, very—serious matter.
"Levia. I understand what you're saying. However, it actually happened."
"Was the culprit caught?"
"No. Thanks to one Hero candidate's efforts, the three girls avoided death, but the culprit wasn't caught."
The story was taking a strange turn. We were talking about how the original three at the Papal Vatican became two, yet now he was bringing up the previous three again. Don't tell me...
"And the exact same thing happened at the Papal Vatican. The culprit is the same person."
The same incident that occurred at the Hero Academy had also happened at the Papal Vatican.
"Evidence that it's the same culprit?"
"The victims all share a common point. The Saintess candidates who had their divine power stolen all received a stigma."
Dominic raised his clenched fist and tapped his forehead.
"Right here on the forehead. It's a strange stigma. It's not another form of the Seed of Sin, nor is it caused by Magi. It was a stigma created with divine power."
"You mean a holy technique..?"
"Yes. A form of holy technique I've never seen before. If I had to find a similar case, it would be your method of handling divine power."
"Me?"
"Yes. A holy technique based on divine power, but one no one else can perfectly replicate."
"Combining that with what Benedict said, it means Cardinal Greccio is behind it."
"Yes. The culprit is presumed to be the 8th Saintess candidate he sponsored, Ashurta."
"Greccio is certain, but it sounds like Ashurta isn't?"
"Because there's no way to tell whether that child simply received benefits or directly used some kind of power."
"Benefits?"
"Yes. Ashurta. That child's divine power increased by the amount stolen from the others. Greccio doesn't even bother hiding it anymore."
So that's why there were no assassination attempts. It wasn't to avoid suspicion while I was at the Papal Vatican—it was because he no longer had anything to fear. It was like, "Try it if you dare." An attitude that said he wouldn't hesitate to stage a coup if provoked wrongly.
"We need to determine whether Ashurta is being used by Greccio or actively participating."
"That's why everyone here must keep a close watch on Levia. So that her divine power isn't stolen."
"Who else would protect my granddaughter! Leave it to this old man. By the way, is His Holiness really Levia's mother?"
At Benedict's absurd request, Grandpa Carlo answered with a joke to lighten the mood. The others nodded in agreement.
"Honestly, who's protecting whom here."
Most of them were weaker than me. Protecting me, my ass. For some reason, I felt a ticklish sensation in my chest and my face growing warm.
"Levia. I know what misunderstanding you're having, but what I said has a slightly different meaning."
"Huh?"
"The problem isn't Levia having her divine power stolen. The problem is what happens after it's stolen."
No, this guy is really starting again.
"You must preserve your divine power at all costs. Otherwise, a disaster will fall right in the middle of Eliaque's capital."
No, what is it this time?!