Ch.68Confession (3)

“Lady Livga.”

There are moments when one wavers.

Because even a Saintess, before being a Saintess, was human.

“Lady Livga. The Empire’s situation is concerning. It’s been two days since we lost contact with the First District. Please dispatch the Holy Knights immediately…”

“Saintess. We’ve lost contact with the Holy Knights. As of yesterday, we can’t communicate with the Second District either.”

“Refugees are flooding in. The Holy Knights are trying to control them, but there are too many. You must turn them away. At this rate, we’ll run out of food first. We should at least petition the Eastern Alliance…”

That once-mighty Empire collapsed overnight. When Livga first heard the news, she was too shocked to speak.

The Empire had the strongest knights and a Grandmaster who had protected its peace for hundreds of years.

And there was Olivia.

The person who had steadfastly supported her from when she was a young girl until she became an adult.

The person who never withheld advice.

The person who showed through actions what a Saintess should be.

Perhaps someone who was more suited to be a Saintess than herself.

“…What happened to Lady Olivia?”

The priests, who usually never hesitated to comment, kept their mouths shut in that moment. They looked at each other. Then, as if having made a decision, they nodded.

“You should… see for yourself.”

And Livga saw.

A world frozen pure white.

*****

Olivia stared at Livga through the wooden slats of the confessional.

Livga’s favorability was disastrous, as expected. But Olivia wasn’t surprised.

‘Livga is more than capable.’

This was the conclusion she had reached after observing her for a few minutes before speaking to her.

Among the people of the Light Order, how many would consider it a sin to hate their enemies?

Livga naturally harbored thoughts that ordinary people wouldn’t dare to have.

Indeed, she had the character befitting a former Saintess.

‘…It’s different from the game.’

If favorability truly worked absolutely, Melina wouldn’t have been able to overcome her killing intent with mere “affection for her disciple.”

Favorability seemed absolute, but there were clearly gaps.

This was a thought Olivia had harbored since meeting Calliophe. She sensed possibility in her, who suppressed her killing intent for the sake of “the greater good.”

And by Melina’s stage, she was certain.

Olivia calmed herself. Since the moment she entered the penitentiary, notifications had been ringing madly.

[You are currently in a ‘Sacred Domain’!]

– Mana regeneration is greatly reduced!

– Ancient magic cannot be used!

– Mana consumption is greatly increased!

– Casting time is greatly increased!

It was a debuff almost comparable to Kiel’s “Severance.” No, considering it was constantly maintained, this was far more powerful.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t afraid with such debuffs. Olivia considered wrapping her entire body in shields but soon abandoned the idea.

Rather than doing things halfway, it was better to be decisive.

‘…This is the only way.’

Kiel, Melina, Ashe Balthar, even the Dragons couldn’t exert their full power in this “Sacred Domain.”

But there was one exception: Livga. As a Saintess, she was practically an avatar directly chosen by the Goddess of Light.

And an avatar…

Tssssssss!

In the Sacred Domain, exerts overwhelming power above all others.

“How dare you… Do you know where you are?!”

An enormous amount of divine power spread out from Livga. For a moment, it felt as if the world had turned white.

[‘Saintess Livga’ has declared a Sacred Domain!]

– Livga recognizes you as an ‘enemy’!

– Four of your five senses will be randomly sealed.

First, the world became odorless. The musty smell of dust disappeared.

The sound of vibrating air could no longer be heard.

The taste of blood flowing from her mouth could no longer be felt.

Until then, it was bearable.

But when she lost her sense of touch, her thoughts changed.

She couldn’t feel herself sitting on the chair.

She couldn’t feel the air touching her fingertips.

She couldn’t feel her lungs rising and falling. She couldn’t feel her eyelids blinking.

It was as if her existence was being denied.

“……”

Only thought remained possible.

If she didn’t constantly remind herself that she was alive, it felt like she would lose her existence.

Livga approached at a pace neither fast nor slow. Olivia vaguely understood why she had left sight among the five senses.

To see.

To see clearly with her own eyes how her sins would be judged.

Tssssssss!

An enormous pressure manifested behind Livga. It was divine power so mighty that its limits were unfathomable.

“——.”

Livga slowly opened her mouth. Though her hearing was sealed and she couldn’t hear, Olivia could somewhat guess from her lip movements.

She was saying to pay for her sins.

Olivia didn’t answer. She just sat quietly, waiting for the right moment.

Pure white divine power had already condensed around Livga. The divine power climbed up Livga’s hand and gradually took the form of a spear.

A holy spear to punish evil.

Livga grasped the handle of the holy spear. It was clearly no ordinary weight, but Livga’s face showed no concern.

Soon after, six wings appeared behind Livga.

Even the priest’s ultimate skill, Angelization.

Originally, Livga learned Angelization years later. Olivia realized anew how cheating regression truly was.

‘…How is that a priest?’

Livga’s appearance resembled a Holy Knight more than a priest. If not for the priest’s robe fluttering in the wind, she would have been mistaken for a Holy Knight.

Livga stepped back with her right foot and planted it firmly on the ground.

Whoooosh!

Enormous power concentrated at the tip of the spear she had pulled back.

And then.

It shot forward.

KWAAAANG!

The pure white spear blade came right up to her face.

Death came just as close.

But Olivia’s expression didn’t change at all.

A face full of certainty.

[Title ‘One Who Is Brave Before Dragons’ activates.]

Thanks to the title, Olivia shook off her last fear and closed her eyes without hesitation.

As she voluntarily gave up her last sense, the world became silent. A moment felt like an eternity.

‘One, two, three…’

Olivia counted in her mind. And when that number reached ten, she slowly lifted her eyelids.

‘…As expected.’

The holy spear that hadn’t been thrust to the end was stopped right in front of her face. Livga’s hand holding the spear was trembling.

It wasn’t because the Goddess of Light intervened.

It was clearly Livga’s own will that stopped the holy spear.

“……”

Livga bit her lip hard. Then, after giving Olivia a look she couldn’t understand, she withdrew the holy spear.

– Poof!

First, the six wings dissolved into feathers and disappeared. Next was the holy spear in her right hand. The pressure weighing down the air also vanished.

Her senses returned as well.

As expected.

Hadn’t she said it before?

‘Responsibility and duty.’

The Goddess of Light, Aether, grants divinity in proportion to the duty one bears.

In Livga’s eyes, Olivia was a sinner. A terrible sinner who had slaughtered and deceived hundreds of thousands, millions.

Livga had a duty to punish evil.

But before that, she had an even greater duty.

“…What did you just say?”

“I said I want to make a confession.”

“……”

Perhaps Livga had been waiting for Olivia to counterattack. No, she certainly had.

But instead of counterattacking, Olivia closed her eyes.

At that moment, Olivia became not a sinner but a confessor.

And Livga had a duty to hear a sinner’s confession.

That’s why Livga withdrew her holy spear of judgment.

“Do you understand what that means?”

Her voice was filled with cold anger. It was a tone so cold it was hard to believe it came from Livga.

Confession doesn’t end simply by reciting one’s sins.

“I am prepared to accept any penance.”

“……”

Penance.

The punishment given by the priest after hearing the confession.

And the authority to impose penance rested entirely with the priest.

In other words, after the confession, Olivia would have to willingly accept whatever penance Livga imposed.

‘…But I have nothing to lose.’

Although she said she could impose any penance, there were clear limits.

If the penance would lead to another sin, such as ordering suicide, the meaning of confession would be lost.

Of course, if the penance was to live in atonement until death, there would be no choice…

But Livga wouldn’t impose such a penance.

‘I’ll make sure she doesn’t.’

Livga’s expression changed.

She too realized it.

Having come this far, whether she liked it or not, she had no choice but to hear Olivia’s confession.

“…Sit down.”

Livga made the sign of the cross and recited a prayer.

A notification window appeared.

[Confession begins.]

– The confession priest, ‘Saintess Livga,’ can never, under any circumstances, reveal the contents of the confession to anyone.

– The confessor, ‘Olivia,’ cannot make a false confession and must carry out the penance imposed by the confession priest.

– Penalties will be imposed for violating the above!

This was content she already knew.

“…Now you may confess your sins.”

Livga’s voice was filled with anger.

[‘Saintess Livga’ is using ‘Lie Detection’.]

Her tone suggested, “Go ahead and try to speak.”

Olivia slowly opened her mouth.

“I…”

When the confession ended, a heavy silence fell.

Livga’s pupils slowly, very slowly, grew larger.

Until they could grow no larger.

“…!”

Olivia’s calm confession.

It was all a lie.