Ch.109The True Saint – 3

Most of the people gathered here did not know the true meaning of that light.

It was only natural. The death of the Saint before Rosaria happened so long ago that one would have to dig through history books to find it. More than enough time had passed for generations who directly witnessed that miracle to change.

Except for a very special few, it meant that almost no one among the countless people gathered here intellectually understood the true meaning of the light illuminating Rosaria’s head.

But that didn’t mean they couldn’t understand the miracle unfolding before their eyes with their hearts.

The halo floating above her head, the radiance shining behind her back, the four pairs of golden wings beautifully spread, and finally, the light piercing through the clouds. How could anyone fail to recognize the divinity emanating from all of it?

Even those who, for whatever reason, didn’t believe in God couldn’t help but be astonished, so the reaction of people who had once belonged to the Starlight Order was predictable.

Those who were devout had not yet abandoned their faith, and those who were devout had gathered here today, each shedding tears, clasping their hands together, and prostrating themselves on the ground.

Easily exceeding tens of thousands, perhaps approaching hundreds of thousands, every single person without exception lowered their head. I looked down at the scene with mixed emotions.

“Lady Mira! Something terrible has happened!”

The Red Tower Master, one of those who didn’t believe in that god, rushed frantically into the room.

“I know. I’m watching it too.”

I shouldn’t panic as well. After responding calmly, I racked my brain.

This was a completely unexpected situation. I had simply intended to create a fake saint to calm the remaining Starlight Order believers, but out of nowhere, she had become a real saint.

At this rate, the Emperor might have to be mindful of Rosaria instead. That’s not what I wanted. While observing the reactions of the people below, my gaze unconsciously turned toward Aria.

Aria, the protagonist of the original novel and the person who should have obtained everything we now possessed, was genuinely amazed that a saint had appeared and was congratulating her as if it were her own achievement.

Not a trace of jealousy could be found on her face.

‘Of course, that makes sense.’

What a foolish imagination. I erased the strange thought from my mind with a smirk. The Aria we remember from the original story and the Aria who has changed since my intervention might as well be completely different people.

How could the current Aria possibly think that this was originally meant to be hers? Even to me, it felt like a thief worrying about getting caught.

Rosaria had faithfully crafted her image as a true saint, and so she was genuinely chosen by the goddess. Just as Aria is not the Aria of the original story, Rosaria is not the Rosaria of the original either.

‘Leona… seems confused.’

Unlike Aria, who was purely congratulating Rosaria, Leona appeared bewildered, her lips moving silently toward the holy sword emitting golden light.

Beside her, Laura and Priscilla were clearly shocked, which hardly needed explanation.

“Lady Mira. As you know, we absolutely cannot overlook the existence of a saint. We might even need to be mindful of the saint’s feelings.”

I know that too.

What was the reason the original Rosaria could remain unscathed for months despite her atrocious behavior at the Academy? It was solely because of her position as a saint candidate. Just that one position—being the most likely to become a saint.

With just that, even the chairman couldn’t touch Rosaria recklessly, let alone a real saint.

“Could it be that you anticipated even this and set up the whole—”

“Of course not.”

I flatly denied the misconception. I refuse to be misunderstood unnecessarily.

“…”

Rosaria, chosen by the light, gently descended to the ground. The light piercing through the clouds faded, but the halo, radiance, and four pairs of wings remained.

Rosaria was looking at me with a dumbfounded expression. It was truly fortunate that few people could see that expression since everyone was prostrating themselves.

Her face clearly showed that she didn’t understand the current situation.

“What about the plan? Should we proceed as planned? It’s just my personal opinion, but it doesn’t seem necessary in the current situation.”

The Red Tower Master cautiously asked. He was right. With a real saint appearing, it would be ridiculous for us to pretend to deliver divine punishment.

“…Let’s observe the situation for now.”

Considering the symbolism of the saint candidate, we had specially selected only former high priests of the Starlight Order, but it’s not like this was our only opportunity for execution.

However, the situation began to take an unexpected turn.

“You traitorous bitch!”

A venomous voice pierced through the quiet atmosphere.

It was the Pope. According to Leona’s testimony, the Pope, who had aged several times more than when she had met him, was shaking off the Royal Guards and glaring at Rosaria while spewing curses.

This was only possible because the Royal Guards were momentarily stunned by witnessing the birth of a saint.

“After all I’ve done for you, how dare you! You ungrateful wench!”

I think he “cared” for her for different reasons. According to Rosaria, if she hadn’t been a saint candidate, she would have been dragged to his bedroom and subjected to all sorts of vile acts long ago, judging by the way he looked at her.

“Tell me! Whose legs did you spread to pull off this scam? Was it that man you always kept by your side?! Your silence tells me there must have been many! You loose woman!”

‘He’s quite perceptive to realize this is a scam.’

Setting aside everything else, it was indeed a scam. More precisely, it would have been a scam if she hadn’t been chosen as a saint. But the goddess actually selected her as a real saint, so…

“If I had known that even a whore like you, who’s been passed around by dozens of men, could become a saint, I would have taken you long ago! You would have felt like new no matter how many times I had you! What a waste!”

It was truly vulgar and sordid abuse. Since his death was already certain, he seemed to have decided to go all out. Whether he died quietly or after spewing all his venom, he would die either way.

As the crowd below the altar grew hostile, looking ready to tear the Pope apart at any moment, and as the Royal Guards, who had been frozen at the sight of the newborn saint, were about to step in, Rosaria gestured for them to stop.

[Can you take responsibility for your words?]

A voice that was both Rosaria’s and not Rosaria’s emerged from her mouth. It sounded like someone speaking into a microphone with an echo effect.

The people who had been enraged at the Pope instantly calmed down. They all instinctively recognized who the voice belonged to.

“…”

The Pope, with eyes bulging in shock, couldn’t move his tongue that had been wagging so freely just moments ago. The being who was Rosaria yet not Rosaria continued.

[I have never seen a filthier being among the humans of this earth. It is laughable that such a person would defame a virgin so pure and clean. Do you truly not understand why I withdrew my faith from humans?]

That finger pointed at the Pope.

[Let divine punishment fall upon the corrupted one.]

A week had already passed since Rosaria was chosen as a saint. Time flew by incredibly fast.

The first thing I did was to manage the situation.

Rosaria publicly declared in the name of the saint that God exists only to love and give, and that it is the Emperor who rules over humans, so loyalty should be given to the Emperor. The believers naturally followed.

Thanks to this, the empire wasn’t split in two, nor did the Order regain its former influence. After all, the saint herself proclaimed that she was beneath the Emperor.

“You’ve done an excellent job, Mira Crate.”

However, I couldn’t prevent the situation where the Emperor, having heard of the saint’s birth, summoned me directly.

“An Emperor supported by the saint—my name will be the first to be recorded in the empire’s vast history books.”

I was sitting across from the Emperor, holding a teacup. Directly with the Emperor himself. It was a level of privilege that would make other nobles foam at the mouth and go berserk if they saw it.

Ironically, the person who proposed this meeting suggested I think of him not as the Emperor but simply as Laura’s father, an even more radical proposal. This person seemed similar to Priscilla’s father in his excessive behavior.

“Thanks to you, my position has become very secure. Few emperors have wielded such imperial authority, except perhaps the first. The Order has always been a hindrance. Khuhu.”

“Your Majesty, your dignity—”

“You’ve sworn loyalty to Laura, not to me. So why do you need to maintain formalities? Once I step down from this position, I’ll just be an old man in the back room.”

“…”

What would other nobles think if they saw this scene—nobles who spend a week learning all sorts of gestures and etiquette just to get a glimpse of the Emperor from afar?

One thing was certain: their reaction wouldn’t be positive.

“Have you heard the news?”

“I’m not sure what you’re referring to, but I probably haven’t.”

“The chairman of Bellium Academy raided the imperial treasury.”

“Pardon?”

“Said he’d return whatever was left, but he scraped the treasury clean of anything valuable. He claimed it was to repay you and the hero. Said you accomplished what had been his reason for living.”

This was truly the first I’d heard of it. As I remained silent, the Emperor laughed heartily.

“I heard that when the chairman mentioned repayment, you said no reward was necessary and that you were just doing what needed to be done. Is that true?”

“…I don’t remember exactly, but I probably said something to that effect.”

“If you wanted something, you should have just said so. Why did you play hard to get and let our treasury get cleaned out?”

“…”

“I’m joking. After all the help the chairman has given us over the years, the imperial treasury is a small price to pay. Besides, how could I begrudge material things when the saint candidate who accompanies you has awakened as a true saint?”

The Emperor burst into laughter again. Some joke—it sent chills down my spine.

He seems to be trying to close the distance between us in his own way, but… does he realize that his position allows him to literally move mountains with just a word of displeasure?

“Hmm, come to think of it, I almost forgot to mention this. I hear you’re quite famous at Bellium Academy. Even more so than my daughter, the hero, or the future saint.”

“If you’re referring to what happened at the entrance ceremony—”

“No. That too, but I’m talking about something else.”

Suddenly, the Emperor’s demeanor changed.

“I hear you have many women around you. Is that true?”

“…It is true.”

I couldn’t deny that, so I answered in a half-shrinking voice.

Honestly, I had something to say. Look, the original story was a yuri romance novel, so all the main characters are women—what am I supposed to do about that? Plus, two of them are protagonists, and the other three are possessed individuals like me.

“You created a club with only women except for yourself, and even put a bed in there.”

“…The saint didn’t want to stay in her assigned room and decided to use the club room as her bedroom.”

“Whatever the reason, the fact remains that there’s a bed in the club room, isn’t there?”

Put that way, I had nothing to say. I nodded.

“And recently, my daughter has been frequenting that place…”

Twitch. Muscles about to burst bulged beneath the imperial robes.

“You’re not trying to corrupt my innocent daughter, are you?”

“…”

Um, well.

I probably shouldn’t mention that his “innocent” daughter is obsessed with stealing and wearing my clothes.