Ch.155155. Helena Valerinus (2)

The next day, Helena Valerius rose from her bed, clutching her throbbing head.

“Ughh… my head.”

A strange sensation, as if hot energy was surging from within—something she hadn’t felt in a very long time since becoming a high-ranking officer.

She had intended to rest in bed for a while, but… somehow she felt something unfamiliar appearing in her bodily sensations.

It was like having an extra pair of arms suddenly grow and being able to control them—a bizarre situation.

Just then, Helena Valerius recalled what had happened in her dream, and because of this, she began to feel an ominous premonition amid the confusing situation.

“……”

So, with her body completely stiff, she very slowly activated that sensation, trying to figure out exactly what was happening.

*Flap!!!*

At that moment, as she felt something alien behind her back, Helena Valerius confirmed that she could see white wings fluttering in her field of vision.

The alien sensation she had been feeling was none other than the sensation of wings growing from her back.

※ ※ ※

When a perfectly normal human suddenly appeared with wings on their back overnight, the headquarters naturally turned upside down.

The ordinary soldiers and mid-level officers who knew nothing were either inspired or encouraged by the sight of the white wings—the symbol of angels from the Pantheon’s gods.

They simply thought these white wings, identical to those of angels, were a sign that she had received the blessing of the Pantheon’s gods.

But—the truth was that the atmosphere among the priests and the command staff, who knew well about divine blessings, was rather chilled.

They knew very well.

Throughout the long history since the establishment of the Pantheon until now, there had never been a case like Helena Valerius where wings or similar body parts had sprouted.

This alone was enough to warrant suspicious glances, though of course, if Helena Valerius had brazenly stepped forward, there wouldn’t have been an issue.

It would have made sense for the hedonistic, impulsive, and capricious gods of the Pantheon to bestow a blessing never seen before.

“…In my dream… the vengeful evil god tried to deceive me by approaching in the form of Juno-Shala.”

The problem was… that Helena, who wasn’t particularly politically savvy, simply confessed this fact in front of the apostles and high-ranking commanders.

“……”

A deep and heavy silence descended over the entire meeting hall.

Though no one dared to speak it aloud, the commanders present were probably all thinking the same thing.

“…Has that woman finally gone mad?”

“Why is she revealing this now…?? Why??”

They, being highly political figures, couldn’t understand Helena’s actions.

To reveal this fact completely, and in this setting… The possibility that the already suspicious wings might actually be the product of an evil god.

It was essentially like proudly declaring, “I was actually a collaborator.”

All the high-ranking officials present naturally had no choice but to suspect Helena.

Of course, this suspicion was less about her position or abilities and more about the wings that were presumed to be the blessing of an evil god.

The apostles, who knew better than anyone about blessings and divine powers, were convinced that if the wings were a blessing from an evil god, it would be the worst possible situation.

In their common sense, gods couldn’t bestow blessings on non-believers, and furthermore, they knew that gods could intervene with specific targets through blessings.

“……”

Naturally, suspicion mixed into the gazes directed at Helena Valerius.

While they were concerned about the damage she might cause if she had already converted and went on a rampage, most of those present had formed a deep conviction in their hearts.

“Um… Valerius. I’m sorry, but you’ll need to be detained for a while.”

“…As expected, this is the outcome.”

In response to those words from the apostle of Commander-in-Chief Makius, Helena smiled bitterly, having heard the answer she anticipated.

She herself understood that the current situation warranted reasonable suspicion, so she had prepared for and expected this kind of response.

Thus, Helena Valerius was voluntarily confined to her tent.

For the command staff, it was a rational decision made apart from political considerations, in preparation for any cunning tricks of the evil god, but…

“Why has she been imprisoned?!!”

“How could you do this to someone who has been blessed…?”

“How can you claim those wings are the work of an evil god? In what way do they look like the work of a malevolent deity?!”

They encountered fierce resistance from their subordinate soldiers, which they had not anticipated.

※ ※ ※

Imagine you are a soldier serving in the main imperial army.

Most ordinary soldiers simply follow their commanders’ orders without knowing the exact reasons, but they are aware that political struggles within the command staff are commonplace.

Then one day, as the army was returning after reclaiming an occupied holy city, angel wings grew from the back of the highly respected “hero” Helena Valerius.

Naturally, like other soldiers, you accepted this as something sacred, and you happily discussed with your comrades the fact that the gods’ blessing had taken physical form.

But then… suddenly an emergency meeting of the command staff was held, and rumors spread that the blessed Helena Valerius had been imprisoned.

Belatedly, a centurion conveyed something about falling victim to an evil god’s scheme, but even the centurion who delivered the message didn’t believe it.

With all kinds of political maneuvering from the higher-ups being so notorious, in non-combat situations like this…

Even if one knew the truth, nothing would change.

A false rumor—that some apostles had imprisoned her out of jealousy for her blessing—was treated like an open secret among the soldiers.

Naturally, the high-ranking officers tried to control and deny these rumors, but rumors gain strength the moment they are mentioned in attempts to hide or suppress them.

In an instant, the story of the vile Commander-in-Chief’s conspiracy spread throughout the main force, and no amount of denial or protest could stop it.

In terms from another world, this would be called the Streisand effect—when information spreads even more widely because of attempts to deny or censor it.

“Everyone, this is not true. This is—”

“O Apostle of the merciful Juno-Shala! Do not fall for their jealousy and conspiracy!!!”

“That’s right!! Those who attempt to slander even in this situation will face the judgment of the gods!”

By this point, the situation had already slipped from everyone’s control.

Even if Helena Valerius, the victim from their perspective, tried to persuade them herself, an invincible logic had long been established in everyone’s minds.

Helena Valerius, an innocent victim caught in a political scheme; a pure and merciful person who would defend them even in this situation.

And the slanderous forces who, out of ugly jealousy for the divine blessing bestowed upon her, claimed such beautiful wings were the work of an evil god.

Since Helena’s own political capabilities were by no means insignificant, those she had personally dealt with—notably her predecessors—would burst into laughter if they heard about it.

It was the moment of the establishment of the so-called “Committee to Protect the Pure and Innocent Apostle Helena.”

The funny thing was, even the founder of this committee—or more frankly, this factional group within the army—didn’t really believe that Helena Valerius was truly innocent.

The mysterious founder, who always carried a red cross in their bosom, sought to cause discord through this organization out of some kind of belief.

“…Sigh.”

Helena Valerius herself just found the whole situation headache-inducing.

Those who claimed to support her but were causing trouble and being a nuisance, the gradually worsening public opinion throughout the legion because of them, and—

“Those guys… surely they’re not really going to throw me away…?”

Perhaps because the situation was so troublesome, even the leadership was starting to consider betraying her.

For Helena Valerius, each day was a trial, and she was barely hanging on, feeling like she was walking a tightrope over a cliff.

《So, how do you like my gift?》

“…You! You! This was your doing!”

Just as Helena Valerius was beginning to become mentally exhausted, the Red-Robed King—Ma-Duk, the God of Vengeance—contacted her through a dream.

A grotesquely twisted red werewolf wearing a luxurious but worn red cloak and a glittering crown on his head.

The being, whose very sight seemed to drain Helena’s mental strength, opened what could only be called a muzzle with a twisted smile.

《Yes, and in that spirit—why don’t you look behind your back?》

At those eerie words from the Red-Robed King’s mouth, Helena Valerius turned her trembling eyes toward her back.

“—?!!!”

What Helena saw when she turned her head was—

—something so horrific that she let out a silent scream.