Chapter 47
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48.
It was no sacred relic.
One of his ancestors had discovered a crystal that glowed in response to holy power and donated it to the Temple.
The Temple had inserted the crystal into a gnarled old branch, disguising it as an ancient holy object, and lured people in with tales that merely touching it would bring good fortune.
Eager to receive the light of fortune, everyone opened their purses and made donations to the Temple.
Since the Temple remitted a portion of those profits to the House of Johannes, the Dukes of Johannes had obligingly channeled their holy power into the crystal without complaint.
'Charlatans.'
Like all religions, the Defrian Church had not been as corrupt at its inception as it was today.
What the Defrian Church proclaimed was equality and freedom.
Its doctrine was that everyone should be able to enjoy pleasure without discrimination.
Of course, this came with the caveat of not infringing upon the freedom of others.
But once the Defrian Church became the state religion and the Temple began to gain power, the constraint of "one must not infringe upon the freedom of others" gradually became a doctrine that existed only in scripture.
In the process of forcibly drawing in believers, the doctrine of "without discrimination for all" began to be omitted as well.
Now all that remained of the Defrian Church was the pursuit of endless pleasure, nothing more.
The Temple, too, devoted itself solely to extracting donations.
The Temple was also the only entity in the Empire permitted to operate a legal casino.
I could not help but sneer at the ever-expanding girth of the Popes across generations.
Priests and monks were filled with people of appearances suited to the Pope's tastes.
No wonder foreign lands mocked the Defrian Church as "the Pope's harem."
This shameless Temple had managed to remain as the Empire's state religion for so long because of the existence of fanatics and customs passed down through the ages.
It was difficult for faith that had sustained the Empire for so long to change overnight.
There were always those who grew angry at the Temple's unreasonable actions.
Yet even they gladly attended the Goddess Defria's birthday celebration or the carnivals organized by the Temple.
Under the name of tradition, the Defrian Church had remained alongside the Rotandus Empire all this while.
I knew well how deeply rooted what I sought to tear down truly was.
'There is no need to rush.'
I had to wait until people recognized the rotten roots for themselves.
I smiled quietly as I recalled my plans once more.
* * *
"Then I shall take my leave. Croa, have the carriage prepared."
At my command, Croa bowed her head and quickly left. She too was eager to depart from this place.
The Pope, who had not taken his eyes off Leo, finally looked at me at my words.
"You've been away so long—surely you can stay a bit longer."
Deslatino's tone dripped with reluctance. Of course, it was reluctance directed at Leo, not at me.
Leo, reading the room, moved toward the door.
Deslatino, as if resigned, opened the door and escorted Leo and me to the entrance.
"By the way, when do you intend to marry? You should produce an heir while you're still young."
I wondered why he hadn't brought it up today.
I waved my hand at Deslatino's monthly ritual of a question.
"As for heirs, Your Holiness should focus on producing one yourself. You have several wives, yet still no children?"
"Wh—"
Deslatino's trailing words were swallowed by the clamorous cries of the faithful.
"Oh! Divine One! We are grateful!"
"No, this cannot be!"
Cheers and anguished screams mingled together from all directions.
The divination dice, which foretold one's fortune for the day, clattered endlessly as they rolled.
Anyone could cast the dice by making a donation of a set amount.
The higher the number on the dice, the better one's luck for that day.
Most of those rolling the dice were people seeking to use the casino connected to the Temple.
Their eyes burned with crimson bloodshot as they cast money into the donation box until the highest number appeared on the dice.
It was a hue that clashed entirely with the sacred white atmosphere filling the Temple's interior.
Though a familiar sight, Julian frowned in displeasure. It was a place that never failed to sicken him.
Just as Julian's group nearly reached the entrance, a priest came rushing toward them.
And he whispered into Deslatino's ear so quietly that Julian could not hear.
Upon hearing the priest's words, Deslatino broke into a grin so wide his mouth stretched from ear to ear, hastily bid Leo farewell, and hurried back into the Temple.
The fact that Julian had not heard directly did not mean he could not hear at all.
Julian called to Leo silently.
Leo scratched his ear with a hind leg as if annoyed and spoke.
'Rebecca might be a saint.'
* * *
"Then, I shall retrieve the sacred relic."
Rebecca watched intently as the priest carefully removed the sacred relic.
It was a pendant with transparent crystal set into a delicately carved piece of gold.
At first glance, it emanated an aura of sanctity.
The gathered servants' eyes widened as they beheld the sacred relic.
The ceremony to confirm a saint was simpler than expected—the relic merely needed to emit light upon contact.
Surprisingly, becoming a vessel for a saint or holy one was not particularly rare.
People born with divine power appeared roughly once or twice a month.
However, becoming an officially recognized saint of the Temple was far from easy.
First, one had to desire sainthood; second, one had to possess a beautiful appearance; and finally, one had to obtain permission from the Divine Messenger.
In particular, even if one satisfied the first two conditions, earning the approval of Leo, the Divine Messenger, was the most difficult.
Moreover, upon becoming a saint or holy one, there were many duties to perform as the Temple's official mascot.
Few welcomed an honorary position that was virtually unpaid.
Still, a certificate of divine power held value.
Possessing a sacred certificate was an advantageous condition when seeking employment in a good family or entering the marriage market.
Thus, the mere fact of being qualified as a vessel of the Divine was indeed glorious.
For some reason, the maids had been busily bathing me since morning. Yet that did nothing to dispel the foul stench emanating from the pustules.
It seemed Octavio had secretly brought in a priest while Zeppelin was away inspecting the Grape Farm.
It was something that would surely upset him if he found out, yet Octavio watched the priest's movements with a pleased expression.
I could not fathom why he would go to such lengths.
Rebecca cast a puzzled gaze toward Octavio.
Octavio felt her stare and approached slowly, then leaned down to whisper into her ear as she sat in the chair.
"If you become a saint, you can leave this place. That's why you spread the rumors, isn't it? I will help you escape from here."
"...!"
On the surface, his words seemed to be for Rebecca's sake.
But Rebecca saw through the contemptible intention hidden behind his gentle smile in an instant.
Rebecca's eyes widened with a surge of joy.
With a single phrase from him, memories from my past life and present memories intertwined. Then an unexpected conclusion emerged.
Ah. So that's why he....
To Octavio, I was a thorn in his side.
He wanted to manipulate Zeppelin as he pleased, but I always stood in his way.
I did nothing.
Yet my very existence alone was an obstacle to him.
Zeppelin would readily obey Octavio's words, but the moment I intervened in something, he would swiftly change his stance.
So Octavio must have wished for my disappearance.
Now that I thought about it, in my past life, when I fled the Count's Mansion, I had thought things went far too smoothly.
I had believed it was because Alicia helped me, but she too was being watched just the same.
Yet when these two women dared to betray their master, not a single Hound interfered.
Moreover, though it was obvious that I would flee to Liberta Orphanage, I was never discovered.
Even after leaving the orphanage, the village where I lived was one near the Count's domain.
Back then, I was too preoccupied with mere survival to act with any real caution.
Had the Hounds set their minds to it, they could have found me at any time.
Yet even after I gave birth to a child and considerable time had passed, I was never captured.
It wasn't luck.
It was because Octavio did not want me to return.
I was eventually discovered by Zeppelin, but that was likely because Alicia had tipped him off.
'Ha!'
I found this situation amusing.
Unintentionally, my wishes aligned with Octavio's, but unfortunately, I had no intention of becoming a saint as he desired.
Now I do not run away.
"Th-this light...!"
A dazzling radiance burst forth from the pendant. It signified that an enormous amount of holy power lay dormant within it.
The priest suddenly prostrated himself at my feet.
"Y-your Holiness!"
Sighs escaped from among the servants who had gathered to watch.
Rebecca—she truly was a saint!
I was momentarily flustered by the brilliant light, but upon seeing Octavio grinning from ear to ear, I quickly understood.
'It's a fabrication.'
Though I hadn't known he possessed the ability to manipulate sacred relics to such an extent.
I realized that Octavio's capabilities were far from ordinary.
That he was Zeppelin's right hand meant his abilities were exceptionally refined.
"What in the world is this?"
Zeppelin's roar cut through the throng of gathered employees.
Octavio's brow furrowed briefly at his elevated voice before his smile returned, smooth as silk.
Zeppelin's gaze flickered between the brilliantly luminous sacred object and the prostrate priest before he seized Octavio by the collar.
"Octavio! I told you not to pull any unnecessary stunts!"
"I had sent a letter stating there was no need for you to visit the Temple, but it seems it arrived too late. Since the priest has made the journey himself, I cannot very well turn him away...."
So saying, Octavio laughed quietly—his demeanor suggesting he found Zeppelin's threats utterly unintimidating.
Zeppelin stared at Octavio with piercing intensity before finally releasing his grip.
Octavio adjusted his torn shirt collar as he continued.
"But observe—it was not in vain. The radiance of that sacred object! Rebecca was truly a saint."
"It's a lie. That cannot be. Speak truthfully! Was Rebecca really a saint?"
Zeppelin drew his blade and pressed it against the priest's throat.
The employees gasped sharply.
No matter who Zeppelin was, brandishing a weapon against a priest was unquestionably sacrilege.
The priest trembled, yet his conviction remained unshaken as he opened his mouth.
"It is the truth. The sacred object has shown forth extraordinary radiance, which means the Countess present here is a vessel of God more exceptional than any other."
The Countess who had fled had returned.
E-book publication.
January 12, 2022
Author.
Long Night Sky
Publisher.
Desert Fox
Published by.
Woongjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd.
Submission received.
naver.me/54VzzLSn
Blog.
blog.naver.com/wj_fennecfox
Twitter.
@wjt_fennecfox
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