The mysterious phenomenon that was simultaneously witnessed throughout the country shook the capital and soon reached the Emperor's ears.
“Wow, writing appears in the sky. This is the first time in my life that I’ve experienced something like this.”
“I am almost sixty, but this is the first time I have seen something like this, Your Majesty.”
The attendant, who was standing nearby, sympathized with a dumbfounded expression.
The Emperor, who had been knocking on the desk, asked with a slightly fearful expression.
“I guess this must be a message from the goddess?”
“Of course, Your Majesty. It is a phenomenon that appeared from the sky, and there is no other way to explain it.”
“Phew.”
The Emperor touched his forehead.
The writing that appeared in the sky seemed to indicate that one of Shayne and Melina was fake, but it was hard to tell which one it was.
Aren't they both people who ruled over disasters and helped the empire with abilities that humans cannot have?
As the Emperor just sighed with an impatient look on his face, the attendant, unable to stand watching, cautiously offered his opinion.
“I think she might be Saintess Veloce. Compared to Saintess Melina, her abilities are not very good, and her actions after becoming a Saintess are also a bit suspicious.”
“Suspicious? What do you mean?”
“When she was chosen as a sacrifice and thought she would die without a fight, didn’t she suddenly return as a Saintess and drive out her father, government, and illegitimate child who had offered her up as a sacrifice? She said they were the ones who had angered the goddess.”
Now that he thinks about it, that's what happened.
Shayne said that the Duke's family had incurred the wrath of the goddess by murdering the legitimate heir and usurping his throne, but even after punishing them, the disasters did not stop.
At the time, he believed that Shayne was a Saintess and rushed to get things done, but looking back now, it is true that some parts were questionable.
Why was it that the ones who incurred that wrath were the Duke's family, who were on extremely bad terms with Shayne?
It could not be ruled out that Shayne had falsely claimed to be a Saintess to take revenge on the Duke's family.
But that alone wasn't enough to conclude that Shayne was fake.
“But isn’t that the same for Saintess Melina?”
“Saintesw Melina?”
“Yes, she was originally banished by Saintess Veloce and reduced to a servant of the temple. If it’s resentment, then it’s no small feat.”
“Well, that’s true.”
The attendant nodded as if he understood the point.
“Actually, I am more suspicious of Saintess Melina.”
“For what reason, Your Majesty?”
“I am concerned that she recently attempted to relinquish her position as a Saintess. The entire empire knows that the Duke of Veloche’s beloved illegitimate daughter has been enjoying luxuries beyond her means, but isn’t it too sudden a change for such a woman to give up her wealth and honor to live as a slave in the temple?”
“Hearing Your Majesty’s words, it is indeed so. She said that she was not worthy of being a Saintess.”
“Besides, since her appearance, Saintess Veloce has been on the defensive. The entire empire is praising Saintess Melona. It really bothers me that such a revelation came down so suddenly in such a situation.”
The attendant shrugged his shoulders.
Today, the Emperor's head was spinning so tensely that it made him feel very uneasy.
'Isn't it time for His Majesty to pass away?'
It was at that moment that the chief chamberlain glanced at the Emperor with a suspicious look.
The servant opened the door to the audience room, came in, bowed his head politely, and reported.
“Your Majesty, Saintess Melina requests an audience.”
“Saintess Melina? Hmm, let me hear it.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The servant walked out of the audience room with frequent steps, and soon Melina entered through the wide open door.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty.”
“Get up.”
The Emperor asked, gesturing lightly towards her as she bowed slightly.
“Yeah, what brought you all the way here?”
“I heard a rumor that a revelation from the goddess appeared in the sky.”
“That’s right. I was going to call the two Saintesses for that anyway.”
At the Emperor's words, Melina closed her eyes tightly. Her expression was closer to sadness than fear.
'Hmm, if you're fake, then you should be afraid.'
As the Emperor was observing her expression closely, she suddenly knelt on the floor.
“What is this! The daughter of the precious goddess kneeling on the floor? Are you trying to make me a blasphemous believer?”
The Emperor shouted with a stern expression.
Even though she was in front of the Emperor, it was unprecedented in the two thousand year history of the empire for a Saintess to lower her posture.
At this moment, the Emperor's additional weight, which had been unsteady, tilted to one side.
If this woman were a true Saintess, she would never have humbled herself. That would be insulting the goddess.
'Therefore, this woman is fake.'
Just as the Emperor was so certain, Melina fell to the ground, begging with a tearful voice.
“Please save my sister, Your Majesty.”
“What?”
Contrary to expectations, the Emperor's expression hardened at Melina's actions of begging for Shayne's life instead of her own.
That day, another rumor spread through the empire that was abuzz with mysterious phenomena.
“Have you heard? The usurper mentioned in the revelation of the Goddess is Saintess Veloce.”
“What kind of nonsense are you talking about? I just heard from my neighbor Hans that Saintess Melina knelt before His Majesty and begged for her life.”
“Oh my. Hans, that hot-tempered bastard, ran off without even listening to the rest of the story and ended up spreading a false telegram.”
“A false telegram?”
“Yes, it’s all a lie. The one Saintess Melina sought mercy for was not herself, but Saintess Veloce!”
“She knelt for Saintess Veloce?”
“Yes, I heard that before the phenomenon in the sky appeared, there was a revelation from Saintess Melina.”
“Revelation? What kind of revelation?”
“Well, the Goddess said that Saintess Veloce had taken the constellation without her permission to save her life, so she should quickly reveal the truth and correct the mistake! But Saintess Melina couldn’t bring herself to say anything.”
“Huh? Why are you saying that?”
“Oh, this guy is so frustrating. Think about it. If that fact were revealed, Saintess Veloce would not be able to avoid the most severe punishment for monopolizing the empire. Saintess Melina could not bear to see that happen. Even though they were not born from the same womb, they are sisters who share the same blood.”
“Huh, what... Wait, then why did Saintess Melina try to step down from her position as a Saintess yesterday?”
“Yes, she kept her mouth shut for her sister’s sake, but she disobeyed the will of the goddess, so she thought she was no longer worthy of being a Saintess. That’s why she tried to step down on her own.”
“Haha, it’s admirable that she cares about her sister, even though she's not even her biological sister.”
The man was momentarily impressed by Melina's kindness, but then he began to question her.
“Wait a minute, but isn’t that just Saintess Melina’s claim? Saintess Veloce is an official Saintess who has received His Holiness’s approval. And isn’t she accompanied by the Goddess’s representative?”
“Oh, that lion. Actually, he is not the representative of the goddess.”
“No?”
“Yes, Saintess Melina revealed that the lion was actually a wicked beast that the goddess had imprisoned a thousand years ago after causing great chaos in the empire. However, the beast hid in a cave for a thousand years and absorbed the power of time. So it is a kind of monster.”
“Is that true?”
“That’s right. But the darkness deep within Saintess Veloce’s heart consumed the lion. Why, while other nobles sacrificed illegitimate daughters to protect their legitimate daughters, Veloce didn’t sacrifice the legitimate heir. The only successor. So how much resentment must she have harbored?”
"Ha..."
“They say she used the power of darkness to control the lion and blind the Holy One and was crowned a Saintess. And she completely destroyed the Duke’s family who tried to kill her.”
“But didn’t the Saintess save their lives, so you can’t say she did it out of revenge?”
“Oh, this guy. How naive of you. Think about it. What is the most important thing to nobles? Life? No, what is important to them is honor, honor. That’s why she intentionally saved them. She knows how miserable it is for those who lived their lives high above everyone else to become slaves and be used by the common people.”
“Huh, if that’s true, Saintess Veloce is truly a scary person.”
He muttered blankly and then asked a question again.
“But isn’t that just Saintess Melina’s claim? Can’t we settle such an important matter based solely on Saintess Melina’s testimony?”
“You are right. That is why His Majesty said he would hold a test.”
"Test?"
“Yes. Three days later, he would visit the disaster site with only the two Saintesses, without the lions. According to Saintess Melina, Saintess Veloce cannot exert her power without the lions.”
“Haha, then it will soon be revealed who is deceiving the Empire.”
“Yes, in three day,s the constellations will be united again. I don’t know if it’s Saintess Veloce or Saintess Melina who will remain, but one of them will not be able to avoid death.”
“Wow, writing appears in the sky. This is the first time in my life that I’ve experienced something like this.”
“I am almost sixty, but this is the first time I have seen something like this, Your Majesty.”
The attendant, who was standing nearby, sympathized with a dumbfounded expression.
The Emperor, who had been knocking on the desk, asked with a slightly fearful expression.
“I guess this must be a message from the goddess?”
“Of course, Your Majesty. It is a phenomenon that appeared from the sky, and there is no other way to explain it.”
“Phew.”
The Emperor touched his forehead.
The writing that appeared in the sky seemed to indicate that one of Shayne and Melina was fake, but it was hard to tell which one it was.
Aren't they both people who ruled over disasters and helped the empire with abilities that humans cannot have?
As the Emperor just sighed with an impatient look on his face, the attendant, unable to stand watching, cautiously offered his opinion.
“I think she might be Saintess Veloce. Compared to Saintess Melina, her abilities are not very good, and her actions after becoming a Saintess are also a bit suspicious.”
“Suspicious? What do you mean?”
“When she was chosen as a sacrifice and thought she would die without a fight, didn’t she suddenly return as a Saintess and drive out her father, government, and illegitimate child who had offered her up as a sacrifice? She said they were the ones who had angered the goddess.”
Now that he thinks about it, that's what happened.
Shayne said that the Duke's family had incurred the wrath of the goddess by murdering the legitimate heir and usurping his throne, but even after punishing them, the disasters did not stop.
At the time, he believed that Shayne was a Saintess and rushed to get things done, but looking back now, it is true that some parts were questionable.
Why was it that the ones who incurred that wrath were the Duke's family, who were on extremely bad terms with Shayne?
It could not be ruled out that Shayne had falsely claimed to be a Saintess to take revenge on the Duke's family.
But that alone wasn't enough to conclude that Shayne was fake.
“But isn’t that the same for Saintess Melina?”
“Saintesw Melina?”
“Yes, she was originally banished by Saintess Veloce and reduced to a servant of the temple. If it’s resentment, then it’s no small feat.”
“Well, that’s true.”
The attendant nodded as if he understood the point.
“Actually, I am more suspicious of Saintess Melina.”
“For what reason, Your Majesty?”
“I am concerned that she recently attempted to relinquish her position as a Saintess. The entire empire knows that the Duke of Veloche’s beloved illegitimate daughter has been enjoying luxuries beyond her means, but isn’t it too sudden a change for such a woman to give up her wealth and honor to live as a slave in the temple?”
“Hearing Your Majesty’s words, it is indeed so. She said that she was not worthy of being a Saintess.”
“Besides, since her appearance, Saintess Veloce has been on the defensive. The entire empire is praising Saintess Melona. It really bothers me that such a revelation came down so suddenly in such a situation.”
The attendant shrugged his shoulders.
Today, the Emperor's head was spinning so tensely that it made him feel very uneasy.
'Isn't it time for His Majesty to pass away?'
It was at that moment that the chief chamberlain glanced at the Emperor with a suspicious look.
The servant opened the door to the audience room, came in, bowed his head politely, and reported.
“Your Majesty, Saintess Melina requests an audience.”
“Saintess Melina? Hmm, let me hear it.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The servant walked out of the audience room with frequent steps, and soon Melina entered through the wide open door.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty.”
“Get up.”
The Emperor asked, gesturing lightly towards her as she bowed slightly.
“Yeah, what brought you all the way here?”
“I heard a rumor that a revelation from the goddess appeared in the sky.”
“That’s right. I was going to call the two Saintesses for that anyway.”
At the Emperor's words, Melina closed her eyes tightly. Her expression was closer to sadness than fear.
'Hmm, if you're fake, then you should be afraid.'
As the Emperor was observing her expression closely, she suddenly knelt on the floor.
“What is this! The daughter of the precious goddess kneeling on the floor? Are you trying to make me a blasphemous believer?”
The Emperor shouted with a stern expression.
Even though she was in front of the Emperor, it was unprecedented in the two thousand year history of the empire for a Saintess to lower her posture.
At this moment, the Emperor's additional weight, which had been unsteady, tilted to one side.
If this woman were a true Saintess, she would never have humbled herself. That would be insulting the goddess.
'Therefore, this woman is fake.'
Just as the Emperor was so certain, Melina fell to the ground, begging with a tearful voice.
“Please save my sister, Your Majesty.”
“What?”
Contrary to expectations, the Emperor's expression hardened at Melina's actions of begging for Shayne's life instead of her own.
***
That day, another rumor spread through the empire that was abuzz with mysterious phenomena.
“Have you heard? The usurper mentioned in the revelation of the Goddess is Saintess Veloce.”
“What kind of nonsense are you talking about? I just heard from my neighbor Hans that Saintess Melina knelt before His Majesty and begged for her life.”
“Oh my. Hans, that hot-tempered bastard, ran off without even listening to the rest of the story and ended up spreading a false telegram.”
“A false telegram?”
“Yes, it’s all a lie. The one Saintess Melina sought mercy for was not herself, but Saintess Veloce!”
“She knelt for Saintess Veloce?”
“Yes, I heard that before the phenomenon in the sky appeared, there was a revelation from Saintess Melina.”
“Revelation? What kind of revelation?”
“Well, the Goddess said that Saintess Veloce had taken the constellation without her permission to save her life, so she should quickly reveal the truth and correct the mistake! But Saintess Melina couldn’t bring herself to say anything.”
“Huh? Why are you saying that?”
“Oh, this guy is so frustrating. Think about it. If that fact were revealed, Saintess Veloce would not be able to avoid the most severe punishment for monopolizing the empire. Saintess Melina could not bear to see that happen. Even though they were not born from the same womb, they are sisters who share the same blood.”
“Huh, what... Wait, then why did Saintess Melina try to step down from her position as a Saintess yesterday?”
“Yes, she kept her mouth shut for her sister’s sake, but she disobeyed the will of the goddess, so she thought she was no longer worthy of being a Saintess. That’s why she tried to step down on her own.”
“Haha, it’s admirable that she cares about her sister, even though she's not even her biological sister.”
The man was momentarily impressed by Melina's kindness, but then he began to question her.
“Wait a minute, but isn’t that just Saintess Melina’s claim? Saintess Veloce is an official Saintess who has received His Holiness’s approval. And isn’t she accompanied by the Goddess’s representative?”
“Oh, that lion. Actually, he is not the representative of the goddess.”
“No?”
“Yes, Saintess Melina revealed that the lion was actually a wicked beast that the goddess had imprisoned a thousand years ago after causing great chaos in the empire. However, the beast hid in a cave for a thousand years and absorbed the power of time. So it is a kind of monster.”
“Is that true?”
“That’s right. But the darkness deep within Saintess Veloce’s heart consumed the lion. Why, while other nobles sacrificed illegitimate daughters to protect their legitimate daughters, Veloce didn’t sacrifice the legitimate heir. The only successor. So how much resentment must she have harbored?”
"Ha..."
“They say she used the power of darkness to control the lion and blind the Holy One and was crowned a Saintess. And she completely destroyed the Duke’s family who tried to kill her.”
“But didn’t the Saintess save their lives, so you can’t say she did it out of revenge?”
“Oh, this guy. How naive of you. Think about it. What is the most important thing to nobles? Life? No, what is important to them is honor, honor. That’s why she intentionally saved them. She knows how miserable it is for those who lived their lives high above everyone else to become slaves and be used by the common people.”
“Huh, if that’s true, Saintess Veloce is truly a scary person.”
He muttered blankly and then asked a question again.
“But isn’t that just Saintess Melina’s claim? Can’t we settle such an important matter based solely on Saintess Melina’s testimony?”
“You are right. That is why His Majesty said he would hold a test.”
"Test?"
“Yes. Three days later, he would visit the disaster site with only the two Saintesses, without the lions. According to Saintess Melina, Saintess Veloce cannot exert her power without the lions.”
“Haha, then it will soon be revealed who is deceiving the Empire.”
“Yes, in three day,s the constellations will be united again. I don’t know if it’s Saintess Veloce or Saintess Melina who will remain, but one of them will not be able to avoid death.”
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