This isn't the first time the Pope has said something like this.
On that day, when I impersonated a Saintess in a fit of rage, my eyes were turned to the trash who raised their voices, saying that I should be punished for having barely returned alive after being dragged off to be eaten by lions, the Pope said this to me when I went to the temple to have my authenticity verified.
“Oh, it’s been 13 years since a woman received revelation from the goddess. I thought something like this would never happen again...”
I was offended by the Pope's certainty.
Why did he think that even though no one suspected the disappearance of the Saintess after 13 years of absence?
“Have you received any revelations from the goddess Hethel?”
I asked the question that had been on my mind all along, but the Pope just shook his head quietly.
“No. If I had received such a revelation, I should have informed the Empire. I have not heard anything. I can only make a guess based on a few circumstances.”
“What do you mean by the situation?”
"That..."
The Pope remained silent in response to my question.
I could sense deep distress from the way he nervously moved his lips together and apart.
'Oh, I'm so frustrated.'
Judging by the way he was hesitating like that, it seemed like he was definitely hiding something, but he didn't open his mouth, so I was going crazy.
I barely held back the urge to grab the Pope by the collar and demand that he tell me what he was hiding.
'It would be problematic if I bothered him for no reason and then he just shut his mouth.'
It was at that time that I endured the boring silence with superhuman patience.
“Well, what could I possibly hide from the daughter of a goddess? Would you please follow me for a moment?”
He got up with a sigh and left the reception room with slow steps.
I quickly followed him.
The place where he stopped after a long while, walking forward with heavy steps, was none other than the mass room.
“Your Holiness, why are we here...”
He entered the mass room without answering my question and stood in front of the statue of the goddess placed in the center of the altar.
But there was another place where those eyes were directed.
“Do you know what this is?”
“Isn’t that the torch stand?”
He nodded at my answer.
“That’s right. This is a torch. But don’t you think there’s something strange?”
“Strange, what is...”
I looked at the torch with a puzzled expression.
The intricately carved silver torch was a sight to behold.
“Well, to my eyes, it just looks beautiful. There’s no rust or discoloration, and it’s clean without a speck of ash...”
I continued speaking without thinking, but then suddenly my body froze.
'There is... no fire.'
As a child, there was something that always caught my eye when I visited the temple: the burning flame next to the statue of the goddess.
I once reached out and touched the red-hot torch, which was so beautiful as it quietly burned, casting a soft orange glow around it, and got burned.
But now, even if I squeezed it hard, I could only feel a cold chill, not to mention any warmth.
“Why didn’t you light the torch?”
When I asked with a puzzled expression, the Pope smiled faintly.
“Never once has a fire been lit on the altar in the temple.”
“Huh? That’s impossible. I clearly saw it with my own eyes...”
“The Holy Fire is something that always exists. It doesn’t need fuel or ignition. It’s the fire of the Goddess. It burns brightly 365 days a year without any human touch. But...”
After a moment of silence, he continued speaking.
“It never caught fire again after it went out that day.”
“If you say that day...”
“The day Saintess Margaret died.”
“Oh, so....”
Now his confidence was confirmed.
On the day when the Saintess returned to the goddess without warning, even the holy fire that had burned brightly for thousands of years went out, so it is easy to assume that the goddess had changed her mind.
I nodded as if I understood, but the Pope hadn't finished speaking yet.
“That’s not all there is to the situation.”
“What else is there?”
“Yes, this is a fact known only to me and a few cardinals within the temple. If this were to become known to the world, the already unstable public sentiment would be shaken uncontrollably, so we kept it a secret...”
I opened my mouth quickly as the Pope showed signs of hesitation again.
“Please tell me frankly, Your Holiness. Since the goddess has accepted me as her daughter, I have to end this calamity. To do that, I need to know every little thing.”
“That’s true.”
He nodded as if he agreed, then opened his mouth again as if he had made up his mind.
“Let me tell you. Actually, there was a problem with the death of the previous Saintess.”
“What’s the problem?”
“Yes, the maidservant who was attending to the Saintess said that the Saintess was in a strange condition, so she went to check on her in a hurry, but she was already dead. She had been in such good health the day before...”
“Did she die suddenly?”
“Yes, there was no special cause. It was the first time that a Saintess died before a successor was assigned, and I was very perplexed that I couldn’t even find out the cause. But what was even stranger was...”
He took a deep breath as if recalling the memories from that time was difficult for him, and finally opened his mouth again after a long time.
“...There was not a single trace of divine power left in the corpse.”
With a look of utter despair.
But I couldn't understand the disappointment.
“The Bible says that when a person dies, the body and soul are separated. The soul is born from the hands of the Creator and returns to the side of the Goddess, while the body inherited from humans remains in the human world. So isn’t it natural that the divine power evaporates? Because the divine power belongs to the Goddess.”
“No, that’s not it.”
The Pope shook his head firmly.
“I didn’t tell the Saintess, but in reality, it’s not easy to accept the raw power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is literally the power of a god, so it’s only natural that it’s difficult for a human body to handle.”
“...”
“So, before the previous Saintess died, she passed on her power to the next Saintess. The power that had been settled in the human body first was fused with the raw power, making it easier to settle. However, not only did the Saintess die suddenly before the next generation could be designated, but there was not a single power left in her body...”
“Do you think the goddess has taken away her power?”
“...In this old man’s humble opinion, yes.”
Although he had said it was a brief comment, his voice was almost full of conviction.
Not only was the Holy Fire extinguished, but the Saintess died suddenly and her holy power evaporated.
It wasn't strange to think that way.
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On that day, when I impersonated a Saintess in a fit of rage, my eyes were turned to the trash who raised their voices, saying that I should be punished for having barely returned alive after being dragged off to be eaten by lions, the Pope said this to me when I went to the temple to have my authenticity verified.
“Oh, it’s been 13 years since a woman received revelation from the goddess. I thought something like this would never happen again...”
I was offended by the Pope's certainty.
Why did he think that even though no one suspected the disappearance of the Saintess after 13 years of absence?
“Have you received any revelations from the goddess Hethel?”
I asked the question that had been on my mind all along, but the Pope just shook his head quietly.
“No. If I had received such a revelation, I should have informed the Empire. I have not heard anything. I can only make a guess based on a few circumstances.”
“What do you mean by the situation?”
"That..."
The Pope remained silent in response to my question.
I could sense deep distress from the way he nervously moved his lips together and apart.
'Oh, I'm so frustrated.'
Judging by the way he was hesitating like that, it seemed like he was definitely hiding something, but he didn't open his mouth, so I was going crazy.
I barely held back the urge to grab the Pope by the collar and demand that he tell me what he was hiding.
'It would be problematic if I bothered him for no reason and then he just shut his mouth.'
It was at that time that I endured the boring silence with superhuman patience.
“Well, what could I possibly hide from the daughter of a goddess? Would you please follow me for a moment?”
He got up with a sigh and left the reception room with slow steps.
I quickly followed him.
The place where he stopped after a long while, walking forward with heavy steps, was none other than the mass room.
“Your Holiness, why are we here...”
He entered the mass room without answering my question and stood in front of the statue of the goddess placed in the center of the altar.
But there was another place where those eyes were directed.
“Do you know what this is?”
“Isn’t that the torch stand?”
He nodded at my answer.
“That’s right. This is a torch. But don’t you think there’s something strange?”
“Strange, what is...”
I looked at the torch with a puzzled expression.
The intricately carved silver torch was a sight to behold.
“Well, to my eyes, it just looks beautiful. There’s no rust or discoloration, and it’s clean without a speck of ash...”
I continued speaking without thinking, but then suddenly my body froze.
'There is... no fire.'
As a child, there was something that always caught my eye when I visited the temple: the burning flame next to the statue of the goddess.
I once reached out and touched the red-hot torch, which was so beautiful as it quietly burned, casting a soft orange glow around it, and got burned.
But now, even if I squeezed it hard, I could only feel a cold chill, not to mention any warmth.
“Why didn’t you light the torch?”
When I asked with a puzzled expression, the Pope smiled faintly.
“Never once has a fire been lit on the altar in the temple.”
“Huh? That’s impossible. I clearly saw it with my own eyes...”
“The Holy Fire is something that always exists. It doesn’t need fuel or ignition. It’s the fire of the Goddess. It burns brightly 365 days a year without any human touch. But...”
After a moment of silence, he continued speaking.
“It never caught fire again after it went out that day.”
“If you say that day...”
“The day Saintess Margaret died.”
“Oh, so....”
Now his confidence was confirmed.
On the day when the Saintess returned to the goddess without warning, even the holy fire that had burned brightly for thousands of years went out, so it is easy to assume that the goddess had changed her mind.
I nodded as if I understood, but the Pope hadn't finished speaking yet.
“That’s not all there is to the situation.”
“What else is there?”
“Yes, this is a fact known only to me and a few cardinals within the temple. If this were to become known to the world, the already unstable public sentiment would be shaken uncontrollably, so we kept it a secret...”
I opened my mouth quickly as the Pope showed signs of hesitation again.
“Please tell me frankly, Your Holiness. Since the goddess has accepted me as her daughter, I have to end this calamity. To do that, I need to know every little thing.”
“That’s true.”
He nodded as if he agreed, then opened his mouth again as if he had made up his mind.
“Let me tell you. Actually, there was a problem with the death of the previous Saintess.”
“What’s the problem?”
“Yes, the maidservant who was attending to the Saintess said that the Saintess was in a strange condition, so she went to check on her in a hurry, but she was already dead. She had been in such good health the day before...”
“Did she die suddenly?”
“Yes, there was no special cause. It was the first time that a Saintess died before a successor was assigned, and I was very perplexed that I couldn’t even find out the cause. But what was even stranger was...”
He took a deep breath as if recalling the memories from that time was difficult for him, and finally opened his mouth again after a long time.
“...There was not a single trace of divine power left in the corpse.”
With a look of utter despair.
But I couldn't understand the disappointment.
“The Bible says that when a person dies, the body and soul are separated. The soul is born from the hands of the Creator and returns to the side of the Goddess, while the body inherited from humans remains in the human world. So isn’t it natural that the divine power evaporates? Because the divine power belongs to the Goddess.”
“No, that’s not it.”
The Pope shook his head firmly.
“I didn’t tell the Saintess, but in reality, it’s not easy to accept the raw power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is literally the power of a god, so it’s only natural that it’s difficult for a human body to handle.”
“...”
“So, before the previous Saintess died, she passed on her power to the next Saintess. The power that had been settled in the human body first was fused with the raw power, making it easier to settle. However, not only did the Saintess die suddenly before the next generation could be designated, but there was not a single power left in her body...”
“Do you think the goddess has taken away her power?”
“...In this old man’s humble opinion, yes.”
Although he had said it was a brief comment, his voice was almost full of conviction.
Not only was the Holy Fire extinguished, but the Saintess died suddenly and her holy power evaporated.
It wasn't strange to think that way.
But...
'Is it really true that the goddess is so merciless that she turns away from the humans she cares for without saying a word?'
I shook my head firmly.
God is a being who guides humans to the right path. It would be impossible for Him to turn His back without any hesitation.
Of course, there may have been incidents that made God so angry that He had no choice but to do so, but wouldn't it be more reasonable to think of it this way?
'Perhaps there was an incident so serious that the Saintess exhausted all her powers.'
I quietly rubbed the corner of my mouth and fell into thought.
After much thought, I decided to first investigate the death of the previous Saintess.
Since the Saintess's death was not ordinary, if we dug into it, we might find something.
'Let's start with the temple people first.'
I began to interrogate each and every one of the people who had been close to the Saintess, from those who had served her up close to the servants who had no contact with her regularly.
“Was there anything strange before the Saintess passed away? It doesn’t matter if it was something trivial, like meeting someone, eating something she didn’t normally eat, or feeling uneasy somewhere.”
But even after interrogating them for three days and nights without rest, there was no real result.
“No, the Saintess ate food like she usually did, and she didn’t meet anyone in particular. She wasn’t sick. She really lived her life no differently than usual.”
I was losing motivation as the investigation was not making any progress.
“We can’t move forward like this.”
I sat down on the lawn nervously.
My legs were really sore from running around all day for the investigation.
That was when I was rubbing my legs without any hair.
“They seem to have no manners!”
An angry voice came from beside me.
“No, if your legs hurt, you can just take a nap. Why are you doing that again...?”
I awkwardly retorted, thinking that he was pointing out my un-noble behavior.
But the reason I quietly took my hand off his leg was because I knew that his point was not wrong.
'This never happened when I was a Princess, but is it because my heart is wrong that my actions also become wrong?'
As I was scratching the ball, Delton clicked his tongue and pointed somewhere with his stubby toes.
“Not you, but those guys, those lewd bastards who have no shame and are licking their lips in front of everyone!”
“Licking their lips?”
I tilted my head to wonder what he was talking about, then looked in the direction he was pointing.
There, a man and a woman who appeared to be lovers were holding hands affectionately.
Perhaps Delton caught them briefly kissing while they were walking around the temple.
“Hey, that’s something that can happen when a young man and woman are dating. Why are you so angry?”
“That’s possible! This is a public place, so how can you be squeezing like it’s your own bedroom?”
“No, they didn’t even kiss, it was just a light peck, so why did you go that far...?”
I looked at Delton, who was getting overly angry, with puzzled eyes.
'Why are beasts that mate anywhere so conservative?'
At that moment, when I could not hide my shock, Delton fell to the floor and muttered sullenly.
“Actually, I have never mated in my life.”
No, what is this...?
'Is it really true that the goddess is so merciless that she turns away from the humans she cares for without saying a word?'
I shook my head firmly.
God is a being who guides humans to the right path. It would be impossible for Him to turn His back without any hesitation.
Of course, there may have been incidents that made God so angry that He had no choice but to do so, but wouldn't it be more reasonable to think of it this way?
'Perhaps there was an incident so serious that the Saintess exhausted all her powers.'
I quietly rubbed the corner of my mouth and fell into thought.
***
After much thought, I decided to first investigate the death of the previous Saintess.
Since the Saintess's death was not ordinary, if we dug into it, we might find something.
'Let's start with the temple people first.'
I began to interrogate each and every one of the people who had been close to the Saintess, from those who had served her up close to the servants who had no contact with her regularly.
“Was there anything strange before the Saintess passed away? It doesn’t matter if it was something trivial, like meeting someone, eating something she didn’t normally eat, or feeling uneasy somewhere.”
But even after interrogating them for three days and nights without rest, there was no real result.
“No, the Saintess ate food like she usually did, and she didn’t meet anyone in particular. She wasn’t sick. She really lived her life no differently than usual.”
I was losing motivation as the investigation was not making any progress.
“We can’t move forward like this.”
I sat down on the lawn nervously.
My legs were really sore from running around all day for the investigation.
That was when I was rubbing my legs without any hair.
“They seem to have no manners!”
An angry voice came from beside me.
Delton, who was sitting next to me, was stunned.
I awkwardly retorted, thinking that he was pointing out my un-noble behavior.
But the reason I quietly took my hand off his leg was because I knew that his point was not wrong.
'This never happened when I was a Princess, but is it because my heart is wrong that my actions also become wrong?'
As I was scratching the ball, Delton clicked his tongue and pointed somewhere with his stubby toes.
“Not you, but those guys, those lewd bastards who have no shame and are licking their lips in front of everyone!”
“Licking their lips?”
I tilted my head to wonder what he was talking about, then looked in the direction he was pointing.
There, a man and a woman who appeared to be lovers were holding hands affectionately.
Perhaps Delton caught them briefly kissing while they were walking around the temple.
“Hey, that’s something that can happen when a young man and woman are dating. Why are you so angry?”
“That’s possible! This is a public place, so how can you be squeezing like it’s your own bedroom?”
“No, they didn’t even kiss, it was just a light peck, so why did you go that far...?”
I looked at Delton, who was getting overly angry, with puzzled eyes.
'Why are beasts that mate anywhere so conservative?'
At that moment, when I could not hide my shock, Delton fell to the floor and muttered sullenly.
“Actually, I have never mated in my life.”
No, what is this...?
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