episode_0198
by fnovelpia“She is a saint!”
“Saint, please bless me too!”
Elise was canonized amidst the enthusiastic welcome of the high clergy and the people.
The work of Elise, now a saint, was not much different from when she was a nun. She helped people and spread smiles throughout the country, reassuring the believers.
Only the scale has grown incomparably larger than before.
Elise walks down the street in her black and white cassock. A procession of priests and knights guarding Elise has formed, and crowds have gathered to see her.
It was as if everyone had gathered to see the descending god.
However, Elise’s attitude did not waver at all. She greeted the believers with a friendly smile and a light wave of her hand.
“Did you just see that? The saintess waving at me?”
“What the hell are you talking about? I can tell just by looking at you.”
“The saint is a good thing… She smiles at someone like me.”
Elise, who stole the hearts of men at slave auctions with her delicate gestures and expressions, and repeatedly extorted large sums of money. Elise also carried the title of saint on her back.
Winning the hearts of the believers was no easy task.
‘Good.’
Of course, if you read her mind, you would never have reacted like that.
Elise felt that the reactions of the believers surrounding her were quite inconsistent.
Now, he’s going to flatter me by saying, “Saint, Saint~”, but the moment he reveals his identity, his attitude will change 180 degrees. He’ll be giving me murderous looks instead of affection.
It’s funny, it’s funny.
Well, I don’t really care. It’s common for both sides to try to use each other.
Elise spread a smile.
***
“Wow~ The great saint has come to see me. It seems that I have finally been blessed after living a good life.”
Even after becoming a saint, one thing that remains the same is going to Karami. Elise was dumbfounded when she saw Karami’s reaction to welcoming her.
“What are you talking about when the Master called you?”
“There must be a lot of annoying people around you, so I should help you relax.”
“Would you please not call me at all for my sake? It was so hard to come here today.”
Of all the changes that occurred as she became a saint, the most significant was the environment around her. She lived in a cathedral instead of a convent, and was attended to by nuns.
The front of the saint’s room is guarded by knights, so it’s not easy to sneak out.
“Unfortunately, that can’t be the case. It’s the master’s job to make sure the slave is okay.”
“You always speak well.”
“But isn’t it better for me than being with those people?”
Karami waits for an answer as he says this. The look in his eyes as he looks at Elise clearly shows what he is expecting.
“Um… .”
It’s true that it’s better to be with Karami than those people.
“Huh.”
I didn’t say anything, but somehow Karami’s eyes turned crescent-like as if she had read my thoughts. When I saw that face, I felt a sense of resistance that I had never felt before.
“It’s not like the Master is particularly good or anything, but it’s better than those humans~”
“If you look at it mathematically, I have a higher favorability rating than those people. A high favorability rating means something is good.”
“I told you it’s not a good thing?”
“Elise. She’s a bit of a tsundere. I can’t say I like something… .”
“Well, no!”
Finally, Elise couldn’t stand it anymore and shouted, “Barak!”
Then, the moment I saw Karami smiling brightly, I realized that I was caught up in his pace again.
I thought I would never fall for it again since I got used to it, but when I came to my senses, I was caught up in it again. Is there some kind of magic in the voice?
“Tsk.”
Elise calmed down.
I quickly regained my composure.
“Anyway, I might not be able to come every day like before. I have more things to do now that I’ve become a saint.”
“Hmm, that’s difficult. I have a disease that will kill me if I don’t see Elise’s face every day. If things are hard, should I just throw everything away and leave?”
“That can’t be.”
“When have you ever wanted to leave? Have you ever had any regrets?”
“Of course. How did I get here?”
I have come to a position where I can do whatever I want with the Holy Land and the Church. My goal is right in front of me, so I cannot leave now.
“Why did you suddenly decide to leave, Master?”
“There are more than one or two things that bother me.”
“What is bothering you? I’ll help you resolve it if possible.”
“Elise becoming a saint is so sudden. I can’t even guess what exactly led to her becoming a saint.”
“I told you about that. They needed a long-term partner to be the saint, and I happened to catch their eye.”
It goes without saying that revealing his identity to Marsenus is a secret from Karami. His movements are already unpredictable, so if he gets caught, it will be a huge headache.
“It was the Master who said that we had to dig into the heart of the ship to root out anything related to the experiment, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Are you doubting me?”
Elise with the expression of a shocked person.
It was the expression of a puppy that had been hurt by its owner.
Karami, who had been quietly looking into Elise’s eyes, smiled faintly.
“No way. I’m not suspicious of Elise, I’m just worried that they might do something weird to her.”
“Thank you. But don’t worry too much. They haven’t figured out our intentions yet. Even if they get caught, there’s no problem getting away.”
“Is that so?”
“The sect is now in my hands. Just wait a moment. I will fill it with the sect that bought Cassillon.”
Elise spoke confidently, watching Karami’s reaction.
“I’m not worried since Ellen is okay.”
Karami paused for a moment and then continued.
“If you have anything to hide or any concerns, please tell me.”
I wonder if I aroused your suspicions.
I was wondering if you had noticed something.
“… ?”
Elise blinked as she met Karami’s eyes. There was something sad about the way Karami looked at Elise.
How should I put this?
It was similar to the warm gaze that Elise had imitated as a saint, but different. It was the gaze of a truly concerned person, something that could not be imitated.
‘What is it…?’
Elise was a little embarrassed by that.
I couldn’t understand why he looked at me like that.
Because I had never built one before and it was my first time seeing it.
‘first…?’
no.
I think I remember seeing it.
I definitely remember seeing it somewhere… .
“… … .”
I don’t remember.
When I recall the memory, my head starts to throbbing and the pungent scent of blood tickles my nostrils.
Even though there is no blood around.
She is plagued by illusions that have no substance.
It was as if the head was refusing to come up.
“Elise?”
“Yes?”
Elise suddenly came to her senses at Karami’s call.
“What’s wrong? Isn’t this too much?”
“… No. I have nothing to hide. Master, just trust me and wait.”
“Okay.”
Elise woke up.
He poured the alcohol from the glass into his mouth.
It was a moment when I was hungry for alcohol.
“I’ll go.”
“Yes. Go in carefully.”
***
Elise walked the streets at night.
Normally I would have transformed into a bat and flown away to avoid being caught, but for some reason I felt like going for a walk today.
Fortunately, because of the vampires, nighttime movement was strictly restricted, so no one was wandering around.
The guards were patrolling, but they could just avoid them. Elise, half vampire, had the characteristics of a bat. It wasn’t hard to detect their presence.
I walked around the city as if it were my home without any worries.
Everything is going according to plan. I have fooled Karami, fooled Marsenus, and ascended to the position of saint.
All that remains is to take revenge on those who did this to him, perform the mysteries Marsenus spoke of, and hear the oracle.
Why do you ignore the earnest prayers of believers asking for help?
Why didn’t you help me that day?
I will ask you every single question without fail.
And then….
‘What should I do?’
What should I do after hearing the voice of God?
She’s a fake saint.
It’s just a stepping stone for the plan.
Even after everything is over, I have no intention of pretending to be a saint. I have no desire to stay in the Holy Land for long.
Should I go back to living like I used to, preying on people’s backs?
For life?
Becoming a vampire would probably extend your lifespan, right?
This time too, questions arose endlessly, but no answers were found.
Thump.
Elise stopped walking.
“How long will you follow me?”
There was a presence that followed me ever since I left the inn.
Exactly.
As Elise stopped, the person following her also stopped, along with the clear sound of her feet hitting the floor.
“Kkeulkeul, you’re quick-witted.”
“If you make a sound with your cane in a street where there is no one, there is no way you won’t notice, Grandpa.”
The old man whom Elise called grandfather was the former Pope Antonius.
“I brought you here and now I know it’s a bit odd to say this, but you’ve been staying for quite some time.”
“As you said, the owner of the room was really kind. He never told me to leave, and he made sure to feed me three meals a day.”
“He wasn’t an ordinary grandfather.”
“Why do you think so?”
Elise snorted.
“There’s no way that guy would treat you that well. There must be a reason why he can’t kick you out. I’m talking to Grandpa.”
“Kkeukkeukkeuk. Just like my master, I’m really quick-witted… .”
Their evaluation of Karami was already at rock bottom.
Sadly.
“Why did you follow me? With a body that has difficulty moving.”
“How can I ignore a lost lamb wandering around? When you get to my age, you will understand.”
“I won’t stalk you in a dark way, though.”
Antonius smiles brightly, wondering what’s good.
Elise sighed.
Why are there so many strange people around me?
‘Well, I’m not in a position to complain.’
It’s just weird people gathered around weird people.
“Then, will Grandpa solve my problem?”
“I guess I can listen to your story.”
“Not bad. My grandfather is also a new city person, so he might understand my concerns.”
I was already in need of someone to talk to.
It’s awkward to do it with Karami, and it makes even less sense to do it with Marsenus. Antonius is also suspicious, but he’s better than those two.
He happened to be wearing a cross on his neck that had faded from long use but still had its shape intact. It would be perfect if the other person was a believer.
“Have you ever heard the voice of God, Grandfather?”
“The voice of God. If I could hear it, I would be deeply moved.”
In short, it means that I have not heard of it.
Useless, roundabout speech.
It’s a speech habit unique to older people.
“Then do you think that if you pray earnestly, you will hear it someday?”
“Hey, you seem to be mistaken.”
“A mistake… right?”
Antonius calmly told the truth.
“The day you hear your own voice will never come.”
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