'My... ancestors?'
I couldn't hide my embarrassment.
That would be the case since the Duke Veloce is a prestigious family that has been around for over two thousand years, but they have never produced a Saintess.
As I tilted my head in confusion, the Marquis, who had been hesitantly moving his lips for a while, finally opened his mouth.
“There is one of your ancestors who, for unavoidable reasons, was unable to become a Saintess. In such cases, the holy power is transferred to the next candidate for sainthood, and some of the holy power that was unable to escape is then passed on to you through the blood.”
Oh, so that's why.
I now have a rough idea of why my body is imbued with holy power.
“Then who is that ancestor...”
“I can’t tell you that.”
The Marquis cut him off coldly.
It wasn't a question that I couldn't ask, but seeing him cut it off so coldly made me more curious, looking at his expression, it didn't seem like he would answer even if I asked him more.
I suppressed my ever-growing curiosity and changed the subject.
“Then, could it be that the holy relic accepted me because of my body’s sacred power?”
“Well, that may be true. But the fundamental reason is that the holy relic liked you.”
“The holy relic... me?”
The Marquis nodded.
“Do you remember what I said before, that only those permitted by the goddess can use the holy relics?”
“Yes. I remember.”
“Actually, that’s only half true.”
“If you say half...”
“The essence of the sacred object is the souls of the four angels who shared joys and sorrows with the primordial goddess. It is not a simple material, but a living being with a self.”
It's a living thing.
I carefully held the sacred object hidden in my waistband.
Looking at it this way, it just seemed like a solid glass bead, but I couldn't believe that it had a self.
“They basically follow the will of the goddess, but sometimes they make their own choices. Whether it’s someone they can lend their power to.”
The Marquis took a sip of his slightly cooled tea and turned his gaze back to me.
“There is no trace of the goddess’s blessing on you. So we must assume that Adam simply chose you.”
“You... chose me.”
I was a little embarrassed.
Of course, I have worked for the happiness and safety of the people of the empire all my life. Although I have gone astray for a while, I can be proud of the fact that I have walked the right path more than most people.
However, that does not mean that my life was so noble as to shake the heart of the holy relic.
Because I was an ordinary human being who knew anger, jealousy, and greed.
'But why...'
It was when I was seriously thinking about why the holy relic had chosen me.
“Yes, is that all there is to the question? If that clears up your doubts, then I’d like you to go now. Unfortunately, I tend to sleep in a lot.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I came too early. But since I came all the way here, can I just ask you two more questions and then leave?”
"I know."
The Marquis nodded coolly.
I didn't want to waste time and disturb his rest, so I opened my mouth without delay.
“By the way, do you know someone named Ibis?”
“...Ibis?”
“Yes. She is the goddess of the heresy that His Highness the Crown Prince and I discovered a while ago. She is also the one behind the fake Saintess incident that has caused quite a stir in the world.”
“Well. There are more than a few people who claim to be gods, so why do you humans insist on asking me about the one you should be investigating?”
“There are many who claim to be gods, but it is rare to find someone with powers comparable to gods.”
I answered with a complicated expression, took out a bell and a necklace from the small box I was carrying, and held them out in front of him.
“What is this?”
“This is a sacred relic created by the heretic goddess Ibis. I examined it in the temple and found that it is not made of mortal material. I brought it here in case Your Excellency knows about it.”
I told him about the power of the bell and necklace I had witnessed before, and the Marquis picked them up quietly.
Then he rolled it around in his hands for a while and then put it down on the table without any sincerity.
“Well, I don’t know.”
“...You don’t know?”
“Yes, I sense an ominous aura from the metal itself, but I don’t know anything about it. So I guess I have nothing to say.”
I was confident that the goddess's beloved one would know for sure, so I went to the temple and brought the heretic's holy relics, but I ended up feeling discouraged.
'What on earth is this Ibis guy?'
Where on earth could one obtain such a substance that even the goddess's beloved does not know about?
I was rubbing my throbbing forehead when suddenly I felt something strange and furrowed my brow.
'No, but why is this guy so indifferent?'
Someone who looked down on his mother's place created a sacred object out of materials that had not been revealed to the world.
If that's the case, shouldn't he feel the gravity of the situation and go find that person as soon as possible?
As I was glancing at him with a puzzled look, he said with a sigh.
“I will look into this metal on my own. The other brothers might know about it.”
Oh, that's a surprise.
I was surprised by the immediate response as if he had read my mind, but soon nodded in delight.
“I would be most grateful if you could do that. After all, it is a problem that is too vague for us mere mortals to track down.”
“I thought so. It is my rule not to interfere with royal affairs, but I cannot stand by and watch anyone dare to rebel against my mother.”
His face looked very tired as he stared at the relics of the heresy and muttered.
'The dark circles have spread to the middle of his face.'
It seems that the saying that he sleeps a lot in the morning is not a lie.
I thought that if I dragged my feet any longer I might offend the Marquis, so I got back to the main topic.
“Then next question.”
The Marquis' gaze turned back to me, and I looked straight into his eyes and asked.
“Is there any problem with the goddess’s safety?”
The Marquis froze in place, still holding his teacup, at my words that were cut short and spit out.
After a while, I quietly left the Marquis' residence.
The knight who had been waiting outside the door in a reserved posture approached and asked.
“Have you finished your work, Saintess?”
“Yes, for now.”
“Then shall we take you straight to the temple?”
“That would be good.”
At my words, the paladin immediately opened the carriage door.
As I took his hand and climbed into the carriage, the coachman began to drive the horse skillfully.
I sat in the moving carriage and stared blankly out the window.
The cheerful scenery of the capital filled my vision, but my attention was entirely focused on the conversation I had with the Marquis.
“What are you suddenly saying, ‘There’s a problem with the goddess’s safety?’”
“I used to think that this disaster was the wrath of the Goddess. That the Goddess was so angry with us humans that she was punishing us. But after hearing what Delton had to say, I started to think that maybe it wasn’t such a simple problem.”
“What did the lion say?”
“It’s been five years since the deadline for the promise with the goddess, but she hasn’t come yet.”
“...”
“It’s strange. The promise of the Goddess is as valuable as a thousand pieces of gold, but even if she was angry with humans and turned her back on humanity, how could she break the covenant she made once? So after thinking about it carefully, I could only guess at one conclusion. Perhaps, there was a problem with the Goddess.”
“...”
“Be honest with me. Am I right in my guess? Or maybe the goddess...”
“Well, I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? How could you not know, Your Excellency, when you are the goddess’s beloved child?”
“...As you probably know, I’ve spent my entire life in the human world. I occasionally go to see my mother, but that was 15 years ago. Our time is different from human time.”
"...”
“But after hearing your guess, something seems strange. Let’s look into that too.”
“...”
“Yes, that’s the end of the scheduled questions. Should I go back now? I think I’ll be busy doing the homework you gave me.”
I was lost in thought for a moment, then I let out a heavy breath.
Something just didn't feel right.
It has already been 13 years since the disaster swept the world.
Even though he was hiding in the mansion, he could not have been unaware of the chaos it caused.
'But you never once thought that fact strange?'
I was biting my fingernails and stuck my head out the window.
One of the knights escorting the carriage noticed me and approached me.
“What is it, Your Ladyship?”
“I’m sorry, but I think we need to change our destination.”
“Yes. Please tell me.”
“Let’s go to the palace.”
It seemed like I would need to consult with the Crown Prince.
I couldn't hide my embarrassment.
That would be the case since the Duke Veloce is a prestigious family that has been around for over two thousand years, but they have never produced a Saintess.
As I tilted my head in confusion, the Marquis, who had been hesitantly moving his lips for a while, finally opened his mouth.
“There is one of your ancestors who, for unavoidable reasons, was unable to become a Saintess. In such cases, the holy power is transferred to the next candidate for sainthood, and some of the holy power that was unable to escape is then passed on to you through the blood.”
Oh, so that's why.
I now have a rough idea of why my body is imbued with holy power.
“Then who is that ancestor...”
“I can’t tell you that.”
The Marquis cut him off coldly.
It wasn't a question that I couldn't ask, but seeing him cut it off so coldly made me more curious, looking at his expression, it didn't seem like he would answer even if I asked him more.
I suppressed my ever-growing curiosity and changed the subject.
“Then, could it be that the holy relic accepted me because of my body’s sacred power?”
“Well, that may be true. But the fundamental reason is that the holy relic liked you.”
“The holy relic... me?”
The Marquis nodded.
“Do you remember what I said before, that only those permitted by the goddess can use the holy relics?”
“Yes. I remember.”
“Actually, that’s only half true.”
“If you say half...”
“The essence of the sacred object is the souls of the four angels who shared joys and sorrows with the primordial goddess. It is not a simple material, but a living being with a self.”
It's a living thing.
I carefully held the sacred object hidden in my waistband.
Looking at it this way, it just seemed like a solid glass bead, but I couldn't believe that it had a self.
“They basically follow the will of the goddess, but sometimes they make their own choices. Whether it’s someone they can lend their power to.”
The Marquis took a sip of his slightly cooled tea and turned his gaze back to me.
“There is no trace of the goddess’s blessing on you. So we must assume that Adam simply chose you.”
“You... chose me.”
I was a little embarrassed.
Of course, I have worked for the happiness and safety of the people of the empire all my life. Although I have gone astray for a while, I can be proud of the fact that I have walked the right path more than most people.
However, that does not mean that my life was so noble as to shake the heart of the holy relic.
Because I was an ordinary human being who knew anger, jealousy, and greed.
'But why...'
It was when I was seriously thinking about why the holy relic had chosen me.
“Yes, is that all there is to the question? If that clears up your doubts, then I’d like you to go now. Unfortunately, I tend to sleep in a lot.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I came too early. But since I came all the way here, can I just ask you two more questions and then leave?”
"I know."
The Marquis nodded coolly.
I didn't want to waste time and disturb his rest, so I opened my mouth without delay.
“By the way, do you know someone named Ibis?”
“...Ibis?”
“Yes. She is the goddess of the heresy that His Highness the Crown Prince and I discovered a while ago. She is also the one behind the fake Saintess incident that has caused quite a stir in the world.”
“Well. There are more than a few people who claim to be gods, so why do you humans insist on asking me about the one you should be investigating?”
“There are many who claim to be gods, but it is rare to find someone with powers comparable to gods.”
I answered with a complicated expression, took out a bell and a necklace from the small box I was carrying, and held them out in front of him.
“What is this?”
“This is a sacred relic created by the heretic goddess Ibis. I examined it in the temple and found that it is not made of mortal material. I brought it here in case Your Excellency knows about it.”
I told him about the power of the bell and necklace I had witnessed before, and the Marquis picked them up quietly.
Then he rolled it around in his hands for a while and then put it down on the table without any sincerity.
“Well, I don’t know.”
“...You don’t know?”
“Yes, I sense an ominous aura from the metal itself, but I don’t know anything about it. So I guess I have nothing to say.”
I was confident that the goddess's beloved one would know for sure, so I went to the temple and brought the heretic's holy relics, but I ended up feeling discouraged.
'What on earth is this Ibis guy?'
Where on earth could one obtain such a substance that even the goddess's beloved does not know about?
I was rubbing my throbbing forehead when suddenly I felt something strange and furrowed my brow.
'No, but why is this guy so indifferent?'
Someone who looked down on his mother's place created a sacred object out of materials that had not been revealed to the world.
If that's the case, shouldn't he feel the gravity of the situation and go find that person as soon as possible?
As I was glancing at him with a puzzled look, he said with a sigh.
“I will look into this metal on my own. The other brothers might know about it.”
Oh, that's a surprise.
I was surprised by the immediate response as if he had read my mind, but soon nodded in delight.
“I would be most grateful if you could do that. After all, it is a problem that is too vague for us mere mortals to track down.”
“I thought so. It is my rule not to interfere with royal affairs, but I cannot stand by and watch anyone dare to rebel against my mother.”
His face looked very tired as he stared at the relics of the heresy and muttered.
'The dark circles have spread to the middle of his face.'
It seems that the saying that he sleeps a lot in the morning is not a lie.
I thought that if I dragged my feet any longer I might offend the Marquis, so I got back to the main topic.
“Then next question.”
The Marquis' gaze turned back to me, and I looked straight into his eyes and asked.
“Is there any problem with the goddess’s safety?”
The Marquis froze in place, still holding his teacup, at my words that were cut short and spit out.
***
After a while, I quietly left the Marquis' residence.
The knight who had been waiting outside the door in a reserved posture approached and asked.
“Have you finished your work, Saintess?”
“Yes, for now.”
“Then shall we take you straight to the temple?”
“That would be good.”
At my words, the paladin immediately opened the carriage door.
As I took his hand and climbed into the carriage, the coachman began to drive the horse skillfully.
I sat in the moving carriage and stared blankly out the window.
The cheerful scenery of the capital filled my vision, but my attention was entirely focused on the conversation I had with the Marquis.
“What are you suddenly saying, ‘There’s a problem with the goddess’s safety?’”
“I used to think that this disaster was the wrath of the Goddess. That the Goddess was so angry with us humans that she was punishing us. But after hearing what Delton had to say, I started to think that maybe it wasn’t such a simple problem.”
“What did the lion say?”
“It’s been five years since the deadline for the promise with the goddess, but she hasn’t come yet.”
“...”
“It’s strange. The promise of the Goddess is as valuable as a thousand pieces of gold, but even if she was angry with humans and turned her back on humanity, how could she break the covenant she made once? So after thinking about it carefully, I could only guess at one conclusion. Perhaps, there was a problem with the Goddess.”
“...”
“Be honest with me. Am I right in my guess? Or maybe the goddess...”
“Well, I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? How could you not know, Your Excellency, when you are the goddess’s beloved child?”
“...As you probably know, I’ve spent my entire life in the human world. I occasionally go to see my mother, but that was 15 years ago. Our time is different from human time.”
"...”
“But after hearing your guess, something seems strange. Let’s look into that too.”
“...”
“Yes, that’s the end of the scheduled questions. Should I go back now? I think I’ll be busy doing the homework you gave me.”
I was lost in thought for a moment, then I let out a heavy breath.
Something just didn't feel right.
It has already been 13 years since the disaster swept the world.
Even though he was hiding in the mansion, he could not have been unaware of the chaos it caused.
'But you never once thought that fact strange?'
I was biting my fingernails and stuck my head out the window.
One of the knights escorting the carriage noticed me and approached me.
“What is it, Your Ladyship?”
“I’m sorry, but I think we need to change our destination.”
“Yes. Please tell me.”
“Let’s go to the palace.”
It seemed like I would need to consult with the Crown Prince.
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