Emperor and Crown Prince, Pop, and Saintess.
The reception room where the highest-ranking officials of the empire gathered was bleak.
We didn't say a word to each other until the steaming cup of tea had completely cooled down.
No, I couldn't share it.
How can the shock of witnessing with my own eyes a living person turn to ash in a matter of seconds, without leaving a single bone behind, easily go away?
We just fiddled with our teacups with silent expressions.
How much time has passed like that?
“I can’t believe it. How can a living person’s body catch fire and turn to ash in an instant?”
The Emperor, who had been muttering with a dazed expression, looked at the Pope urgently and asked.
“Isn’t that all the work of the heretic goddess Ibis?”
“Yes. Judging from the voice heard before the body of that woman named Melina was set on fire, I’m sure that’s true.”
“A voice? What did you hear? What kind of...”
“Well done, Melina. My beautiful daughter. Although you were of little use, you served me with all your heart, so your dirty, greedy soul will be at peace forever.”
The Emperor's gaze, which had been fixed on the Pope, turned to me.
“What are you talking about out of the blue?”
“Your Majesty, I heard that. I heard the same thing. It seems that Ibis had only intended to use Melina from the beginning.”
“Yes, I think so too. It’s a very cold thing to say to the servants she commands.”
I nodded with a miserable expression at the Pope's words.
Although Melina had committed an unforgivable sin against me and the Empire, she was a loyal subject who faithfully carried out her duties to the heretic goddess Ibis.
But how can she be disposed of so mercilessly, so easily, like boiling and eating an old dog after a hunt?
'Come to think of it, you said you personally gave the poison needle to Count Gus, too.'
She must not be a good person, as she so mercilessly abandons those who follow her.
'It's impossible for such a person to become the master of all things in the world.'
While I was laughing inwardly, the Emperor held his head and sighed.
“What on earth is the true identity of this Ibis guy! I thought she was just a con man and let my guard down, but she actually has such an absurd ability. I’m worried that she’ll do something so big that the world will turn upside down!”
“The big trouble has already happened. Not only did they kill the previous Saintess, but they even tried to kill the current Saintess, and now they even created a fake Saintess and elevated her to the position. Even if it wasn’t their intention, the Emperor has given them strength.”
“No, that’s...”
The Emperor opened his mouth wide as if he was speechless at his son's rebuke.
In the eyes that were glaring at the Crown Prince, I could see the thought, 'Why don't you just let it go quietly? Why are you bringing it up and making a fuss about it?'
But the Crown Prince simply clicked his tongue and turned his head away.
As the Emperor, who was the only one who felt embarrassed, was fidgeting and watching the situation, the Pope opened his mouth.
“I had planned to visit Your Majesty once things were settled, but now that the opportunity has arisen, I will tell you without delay. Is that okay with you, Your Majesty?”
“...Yes, Your Majesty. Please do so.”
When the Emperor reluctantly accepted, the Pope continued speaking with a stern expression.
“For over two thousand years since the founding of the country, the temple and the imperial family have respected each other and have tried not to infringe upon the rights and interests of either side. However, what Your Majesty has done this time is a clear infringement on the rights of the temple. Appointing a Saintess in the imperial family. This is absolutely incomprehensible.”
“Your Holiness, it is certainly worthy of condemnation that I was deceived by a wicked scheme and appointed that sinner as a Saintess. However, the situation in the empire at that time was so dire, and it was not known when Your Holiness would wake up...!”
“Has it been ten days or a month since I collapsed?”
The Pope's voice rose slightly.
“How could you make such a decision in just a week! Even if you include the period of my unconsciousness, it hasn’t even been a month. How could you be so hasty while introducing a joint Saintess system that is unprecedented in the history of the empire!”
The Pope raised his voice so loud that the room shook. The excuses that had been on the Emperor's lips disappeared.
“I’m sorry, Your Holiness. I was short-sighted.”
The Emperor gave up all defense of himself, bowed his head, and admitted his mistake.
Although it was only a brief bow, he was in name only the master of the empire.
Since that person bowed his head, there was no more room for criticism.
The Pope concluded the situation with a deep sigh.
“I believe that something like this will never happen again, Your Majesty.”
“Of course, Your Holiness. I am not an idiot. After what I have experienced this time, I would never do something like this again.”
The Emperor confidently beat his chest. But no one seemed to believe him. Not even the Crown Prince, who inherited his blood.
'No, maybe it's the other side that is at the peak of distrust.'
It was at that time that I was holding back laughter at the sight of the Crown Prince looking at his father as if he were looking at a mischievous seven-year-old son.
“Anyway, from now on, we should focus on tracking down that Ibis guy. His actions are becoming more and more daring, and if we don’t catch her soon, we’re going to be in big trouble.”
“Of course, we should! We can’t let that wicked woman run wild any longer! The royal family will also lend its support!”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
The Pope smiled benevolently, even though he knew full well that the Emperor was trying to score points quickly at this moment.
Thanks to that, the bleak atmosphere was slightly diluted when the Crown Prince opened his mouth.
“Now that the situation has been roughly sorted out, I think it would be best to call it a day. You are probably still not healthy, so please return to the temple and rest before the sun sets, Your Holiness.”
“Yes, that would be good.”
The Pope nodded coolly, grabbed the necklace that was on the table, and stood up from his seat.
“This seems to have a mysterious power, so I will take it. I will keep it in the temple and study it.”
“Yes, you should do so! They say it is a sacred relic made by a heretic goddess, but how can such an ominous object be brought to the imperial palace...?”
“Your Majesty.”
When the Crown Prince gave a hint in a low voice, the emperor, realizing his slip of the tongue too late, covered his mouth with a “Huh.”
“Ah, what I meant was that even if the royal family had it, it would be difficult to properly identify what it was, so it would be better to keep it in the temple. That doesn’t mean we are afraid of it or that we take the safety of His Holiness and the Saintess lightly. Haha!”
The Emperor hurried to pick up the words, but no one paid attention to them.
Because everyone already knew that the Emperor was that kind of person.
“Then I guess I’ll be going now. Let’s go, Saintess.”
“Yes, Your Holiness.”
“I will see you off to the castle gate.”
As we left the reception room with indifferent expressions, we heard a slapping noise behind us.
Everyone knew that it was the Emperor hitting his mouth, but as expected, no one paid any attention.
I sat in the fast-moving carriage and looked out the window.
The sight of the capital city coming to life after a complete halt in the disaster flashed before my eyes, but nothing particularly caught my eye.
'Melina died like this.'
I had committed a sin, so I was destined to die anyway, but I never thought she would die so meaninglessly.
I was in a strange mood when the Pope called me softly.
“Saintess.”
“Yes, Your Holiness.”
“How much trouble have you been through? Your half-sister, who even you saved her life, is now calling herself a Saintess, coveting the position, and even forcing you to undergo a retrial.”
“...”
“I know how black it must have been inside. That’s why I feel even more ashamed. If only I hadn’t lost consciousness after being attacked by them...”
The Pope sighed as if he were reproaching himself. But what sin did the Pope have? He too was merely a victim of the Ibis cult.
I smiled softly and shook my head.
“No. It was only a month. Fortunately, Your Holiness recovered quickly and the problem was resolved quickly. As expected, you were able to immediately recognize that Melina had no holy powers...”
I was about to praise the Pope affectionately, but then I stopped for a moment.
By the way, how did you figure out that Melina didn't have holy powers? Since holy powers are an intangible substance, can they be confirmed by the human eye?
'Wait a minute, now that I think about it, before too...'
When speaking of the death of Saintess Margaret, it was said that there was not a single bit of holy power left in her body.
That is to say, the Pope can verify the presence or absence of sacred power in a human body.
'But why me...'
As I stood there dumbfounded by the unexpected shock, the Pope asked me with concern.
“What’s wrong, Saintess? Your expression doesn’t look good. Is there something wrong with you?”
With a very worried expression.
If you knew that I was a fake Saintess, you wouldn't be this affectionate.
Unable to hide my confusion, I finally had no choice but to ask.
"Your Holiness."
“Yes, Saintess.”
“Your Holiness, can you confirm the power with your own eyes?”
But I thought he would shake his head.
If the Pope really could verify my canonization, it would make no sense for him to have made me a Saintess.
But.
“Of course. No matter how inadequate you may be, you is still the first servant of the goddess. I can see it all. So I could tell right away that the Saintess’s half-sister was a liar with an empty body that had no holy power.”
I just blinked in a daze at the unbelievable answer that came back.
'You can really see the power of the Holy Spirit?'
So what does this gentle attitude towards me mean?
I am no different from Melina in that I dare to impersonate the daughter of a goddess.
The brain, which had been struggling in confusion, finally began to control its mouth and spit out questions.
“Then why me...”
But the Pope who was asked that question looked even more embarrassed than I was.
“What are you talking about? Isn’t there definitely a holy power inherent in the body of a Saintess?”
The reception room where the highest-ranking officials of the empire gathered was bleak.
We didn't say a word to each other until the steaming cup of tea had completely cooled down.
No, I couldn't share it.
How can the shock of witnessing with my own eyes a living person turn to ash in a matter of seconds, without leaving a single bone behind, easily go away?
We just fiddled with our teacups with silent expressions.
How much time has passed like that?
“I can’t believe it. How can a living person’s body catch fire and turn to ash in an instant?”
The Emperor, who had been muttering with a dazed expression, looked at the Pope urgently and asked.
“Isn’t that all the work of the heretic goddess Ibis?”
“Yes. Judging from the voice heard before the body of that woman named Melina was set on fire, I’m sure that’s true.”
“A voice? What did you hear? What kind of...”
“Well done, Melina. My beautiful daughter. Although you were of little use, you served me with all your heart, so your dirty, greedy soul will be at peace forever.”
The Emperor's gaze, which had been fixed on the Pope, turned to me.
“What are you talking about out of the blue?”
“Your Majesty, I heard that. I heard the same thing. It seems that Ibis had only intended to use Melina from the beginning.”
“Yes, I think so too. It’s a very cold thing to say to the servants she commands.”
I nodded with a miserable expression at the Pope's words.
Although Melina had committed an unforgivable sin against me and the Empire, she was a loyal subject who faithfully carried out her duties to the heretic goddess Ibis.
But how can she be disposed of so mercilessly, so easily, like boiling and eating an old dog after a hunt?
'Come to think of it, you said you personally gave the poison needle to Count Gus, too.'
She must not be a good person, as she so mercilessly abandons those who follow her.
'It's impossible for such a person to become the master of all things in the world.'
While I was laughing inwardly, the Emperor held his head and sighed.
“What on earth is the true identity of this Ibis guy! I thought she was just a con man and let my guard down, but she actually has such an absurd ability. I’m worried that she’ll do something so big that the world will turn upside down!”
“The big trouble has already happened. Not only did they kill the previous Saintess, but they even tried to kill the current Saintess, and now they even created a fake Saintess and elevated her to the position. Even if it wasn’t their intention, the Emperor has given them strength.”
“No, that’s...”
The Emperor opened his mouth wide as if he was speechless at his son's rebuke.
In the eyes that were glaring at the Crown Prince, I could see the thought, 'Why don't you just let it go quietly? Why are you bringing it up and making a fuss about it?'
But the Crown Prince simply clicked his tongue and turned his head away.
As the Emperor, who was the only one who felt embarrassed, was fidgeting and watching the situation, the Pope opened his mouth.
“I had planned to visit Your Majesty once things were settled, but now that the opportunity has arisen, I will tell you without delay. Is that okay with you, Your Majesty?”
“...Yes, Your Majesty. Please do so.”
When the Emperor reluctantly accepted, the Pope continued speaking with a stern expression.
“For over two thousand years since the founding of the country, the temple and the imperial family have respected each other and have tried not to infringe upon the rights and interests of either side. However, what Your Majesty has done this time is a clear infringement on the rights of the temple. Appointing a Saintess in the imperial family. This is absolutely incomprehensible.”
“Your Holiness, it is certainly worthy of condemnation that I was deceived by a wicked scheme and appointed that sinner as a Saintess. However, the situation in the empire at that time was so dire, and it was not known when Your Holiness would wake up...!”
“Has it been ten days or a month since I collapsed?”
The Pope's voice rose slightly.
“How could you make such a decision in just a week! Even if you include the period of my unconsciousness, it hasn’t even been a month. How could you be so hasty while introducing a joint Saintess system that is unprecedented in the history of the empire!”
The Pope raised his voice so loud that the room shook. The excuses that had been on the Emperor's lips disappeared.
“I’m sorry, Your Holiness. I was short-sighted.”
The Emperor gave up all defense of himself, bowed his head, and admitted his mistake.
Although it was only a brief bow, he was in name only the master of the empire.
Since that person bowed his head, there was no more room for criticism.
The Pope concluded the situation with a deep sigh.
“I believe that something like this will never happen again, Your Majesty.”
“Of course, Your Holiness. I am not an idiot. After what I have experienced this time, I would never do something like this again.”
The Emperor confidently beat his chest. But no one seemed to believe him. Not even the Crown Prince, who inherited his blood.
'No, maybe it's the other side that is at the peak of distrust.'
It was at that time that I was holding back laughter at the sight of the Crown Prince looking at his father as if he were looking at a mischievous seven-year-old son.
“Anyway, from now on, we should focus on tracking down that Ibis guy. His actions are becoming more and more daring, and if we don’t catch her soon, we’re going to be in big trouble.”
“Of course, we should! We can’t let that wicked woman run wild any longer! The royal family will also lend its support!”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
The Pope smiled benevolently, even though he knew full well that the Emperor was trying to score points quickly at this moment.
Thanks to that, the bleak atmosphere was slightly diluted when the Crown Prince opened his mouth.
“Now that the situation has been roughly sorted out, I think it would be best to call it a day. You are probably still not healthy, so please return to the temple and rest before the sun sets, Your Holiness.”
“Yes, that would be good.”
The Pope nodded coolly, grabbed the necklace that was on the table, and stood up from his seat.
“This seems to have a mysterious power, so I will take it. I will keep it in the temple and study it.”
“Yes, you should do so! They say it is a sacred relic made by a heretic goddess, but how can such an ominous object be brought to the imperial palace...?”
“Your Majesty.”
When the Crown Prince gave a hint in a low voice, the emperor, realizing his slip of the tongue too late, covered his mouth with a “Huh.”
“Ah, what I meant was that even if the royal family had it, it would be difficult to properly identify what it was, so it would be better to keep it in the temple. That doesn’t mean we are afraid of it or that we take the safety of His Holiness and the Saintess lightly. Haha!”
The Emperor hurried to pick up the words, but no one paid attention to them.
Because everyone already knew that the Emperor was that kind of person.
“Then I guess I’ll be going now. Let’s go, Saintess.”
“Yes, Your Holiness.”
“I will see you off to the castle gate.”
As we left the reception room with indifferent expressions, we heard a slapping noise behind us.
Everyone knew that it was the Emperor hitting his mouth, but as expected, no one paid any attention.
***
I sat in the fast-moving carriage and looked out the window.
The sight of the capital city coming to life after a complete halt in the disaster flashed before my eyes, but nothing particularly caught my eye.
'Melina died like this.'
I had committed a sin, so I was destined to die anyway, but I never thought she would die so meaninglessly.
I was in a strange mood when the Pope called me softly.
“Saintess.”
“Yes, Your Holiness.”
“How much trouble have you been through? Your half-sister, who even you saved her life, is now calling herself a Saintess, coveting the position, and even forcing you to undergo a retrial.”
“...”
“I know how black it must have been inside. That’s why I feel even more ashamed. If only I hadn’t lost consciousness after being attacked by them...”
The Pope sighed as if he were reproaching himself. But what sin did the Pope have? He too was merely a victim of the Ibis cult.
I smiled softly and shook my head.
“No. It was only a month. Fortunately, Your Holiness recovered quickly and the problem was resolved quickly. As expected, you were able to immediately recognize that Melina had no holy powers...”
I was about to praise the Pope affectionately, but then I stopped for a moment.
By the way, how did you figure out that Melina didn't have holy powers? Since holy powers are an intangible substance, can they be confirmed by the human eye?
'Wait a minute, now that I think about it, before too...'
When speaking of the death of Saintess Margaret, it was said that there was not a single bit of holy power left in her body.
That is to say, the Pope can verify the presence or absence of sacred power in a human body.
'But why me...'
As I stood there dumbfounded by the unexpected shock, the Pope asked me with concern.
“What’s wrong, Saintess? Your expression doesn’t look good. Is there something wrong with you?”
With a very worried expression.
If you knew that I was a fake Saintess, you wouldn't be this affectionate.
Unable to hide my confusion, I finally had no choice but to ask.
"Your Holiness."
“Yes, Saintess.”
“Your Holiness, can you confirm the power with your own eyes?”
But I thought he would shake his head.
If the Pope really could verify my canonization, it would make no sense for him to have made me a Saintess.
But.
“Of course. No matter how inadequate you may be, you is still the first servant of the goddess. I can see it all. So I could tell right away that the Saintess’s half-sister was a liar with an empty body that had no holy power.”
I just blinked in a daze at the unbelievable answer that came back.
'You can really see the power of the Holy Spirit?'
So what does this gentle attitude towards me mean?
I am no different from Melina in that I dare to impersonate the daughter of a goddess.
The brain, which had been struggling in confusion, finally began to control its mouth and spit out questions.
“Then why me...”
But the Pope who was asked that question looked even more embarrassed than I was.
“What are you talking about? Isn’t there definitely a holy power inherent in the body of a Saintess?”
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