Saint Marigold

20.

Lancel scribbled a short letter.

[Lancel Dante, died at the hands of the Pilgrimage. Please make him a martyr.]

This would be the last thing he needed in this iteration. Fortunately, someone who could understand these words had come to him of their own accord.

It was a time when his name could be heard anywhere in the Imperial Capital Rodniss. The news of Lancel’s death would be quite shocking. There couldn’t be a better time than now.

Lancel opened the second page of his will. This time, the recipient was different.

‘Mary.’

“Beautiful! You’re so beautiful, Mary!”

“How can her skin be like this…”

Saintess Marigold scratched her cheek slightly at the voices of the maids surrounding her.

They had been making her sit for an hour, dressing her up.

The reason was simple. Marigold, thinking about Lancel, who should be lying in bed, suddenly—

—He said we should go on an outing, but I wonder when he’ll get better…

That was the cause.

The sharp-eared maids couldn’t have missed those words.

They immediately grabbed Marigold and started making a fuss, saying they had to find out about ‘outing makeup’ in advance.

Of course, it was just an excuse.

The maids were people who had been itching to dress up Marigold legally at any time, to the point of being desperate.

“If Lancel Dante asked you to go, it means he has feelings for you, Mary.”

“U-uhm.”

“That’s right! Otherwise, he wouldn’t have said such a thing, right? Have confidence. Let’s just make it happen this time!”

“M-make what…”

“Well, that’s…”

Marigold flinched and covered her face with both hands at the maid’s voice, whispering with a sly expression.

“I-I’m a little worried about whether the trip he asked me to go on is really for that purpose…”

“The young master is a man, wouldn’t he have such thoughts? He might only be thinking about that.”

“Y-yes?”

“That’s what men are like.”

Marigold quietly smoothed her skirt.

—Once the competition is over, shall we go on an outing somewhere? A bit far away. Like a trip.

Lancel’s voice played clearly in her mind. She had decided not to expect too much about what that meant. It would be unfair if it was a misunderstanding.

In any case, she felt excited just by the thought of going on a trip together.

“Mary, you know? A fait accompli.”

“……!”

Marigold felt her heart pounding and needlessly tidied her hair.

Going on an outing. A smile naturally appeared on Marigold’s lips. She felt like she couldn’t control her face from relaxing.

‘A trip to the sea. Just the two of us.’

It was then.

Thump!

“M-Mary! Mary!”

Hesti appeared, bursting through the door.

Hesti, who would normally force anyone to knock, couldn’t say anything this time.

Because the words he said immediately after caused shock in the room.

“Lancel……!”

Marigold’s face froze coldly.

An unexpected scuffle was taking place in the Saintess Church in the Imperial Capital.

As news spread that Saintess Churches were collapsing everywhere, the believers began to build a human barricade to protect this place at least.

They were barely managing to defend the entrance from the Pilgrimage, who were pushing in roughly.

“How dare you! Do you know where this is! Who dares to say they’ll destroy our church as they please!”

“It’s an order from the Imperial Family! If you don’t move aside right now, you’ll be considered traitors!”

Murmurs spread.

An order from the Imperial Family had a terrifying meaning to them. Furthermore, treason was the greatest crime a human could imagine in this empire.

“Move aside! Don’t block the way!”

They were gradually pushed back.

No matter who they were, they didn’t have the guts to defy the imperial order.

All they could do was to get in the way as much as possible with their bodies. Even that was terribly powerless. With a thud, they were pushed back one by one without fail.

Just before the path to the Saintess Church was completely opened.

“Pilgrimage, stop!”

“Who the hell……!”

The expressions of the Pilgrimage knights, who turned their heads irritably, suddenly hardened.

“P-Prince Cerild?”

What appeared before them was the Imperial Knight order of the Imperial Family, wearing splendid armor.

In the center, Prince Cerild was riding a horse.

“The decision of the Martyrdom Church to cancel the approval of the Saintess Church has been overturned. This is a decision of the Imperial Family, and from now on, all acts that harm the Saintess Church will be punished as disobedience.”

“……!”

The news that the situation had been reversed in an instant caused a stir in the area.

“And.”

Prince Cerild’s eyes turned cold.

“From this moment on, all clergy members of all denominations are to prepare for the martyrdom ceremony for the Holy Knight Lancel Dante of the Saintess Church.”

His voice, lowered, flowed from his mouth.

21.

Prince Cerild stood before the screen.

The Emperor’s figure was reflected in the shadow.

“Did they say he’s dead?”

A woman’s voice flowed out.

“He’s still alive.”

“So, he’s almost dead.”

“They say he won’t make it through tonight.”

“Is that so?”

Prince Cerild looked askance beyond the screen.

“You pushed the Pilgrimage so hard, look at how well it turned out. Sister. Didn’t I tell you? Priestess Mary’s power is real.”

“Don’t misunderstand. I never doubted your words. Rather, I thought it was true, so I’ve been trying to stop it with all my might until now.”

“Then why didn’t you just make the Saintess Church our own?”

“That would be helping to create an idol. Those who are as clumsy, foolish, and full of fakes as the Martyrdom Church are much easier to handle.”

Prince Cerild chuckled.

It was virtually Sacrilege.

It was an abusive statement that not only denied the denomination recognized by the Imperial Family but also undervalued it cheaply.

“Haa, this is such a boring and troublesome world. Nothing goes well. In the first place, what kind of person is that Lancel?”

“The son of the Dante baronet family. The Empire’s Greatest Swordsman. The winner of the Knight Tournament. Saint Mary’s Holy Knight. And… a pitiful saint who was martyred by the ignorant and immoral Pilgrimage… or rather, someone who will become one.”

Prince Cerild spoke again.

“Tomorrow, the rumors will spread throughout the empire. What are you going to do?”

A small laugh was heard beyond the screen.

Whether they wanted it or not. The conclusion had already been reached. The person beyond the screen was not foolish enough to deny even that fact.

“Declare the Saintess Church as a denomination recognized by the Imperial Palace, and hold the martyrdom ceremony for Holy Knight Lancel Dante.”

A smile appeared on Prince Cerild’s lips.

“The Imperial Palace is reaching out to a denomination first. The future of the empire is bleak.”

“I know, thanks to whom.”

The person beyond the screen paused for a moment.

As if remembering something they had forgotten, they turned back to Prince Cerild.

“Duke Meriril Dunn. That person made a big mistake this time. Incompetence is a more serious crime than immorality. I should tell him to pack his bags and leave for the provinces, right?”

“……One of the eight great ducal families of Rodniss is falling.”

“Stars are bound to fall under the rising sun.”

The person beyond the screen gestured while reciting a poem.

It was an order to leave quickly because they were feeling sick.

Prince Cerild quietly fiddled with a letter in his pocket.

What returned to him, who had said he would help, was a single will.

-Lancel Dante, died at the hands of the Pilgrimage. Please make him a martyr.

A short phrase.

But the meaning within it was clear.

Lancel Dante was found collapsed in an alley, stabbed with a knife.

Prince Cerild briefly took out the Saintess Church rosary hanging around his neck and looked at it.

“Lancel Dante. I wanted to know you better.”

In the distance, in the plaza, lanterns were being raised one by one, decorating the night sky.

It was the moment when all the clergy members of all denominations stopped what they were doing and gathered at the Saintess Church.

The crowd gathering to commemorate the dying Holy Knight Lancel Dante seemed to be overwhelming.

The martyrdom ceremony, even more grand than the death of a royal family member, was stirring up Imperial Capital Rodniss.

Until the moment Lancel Dante finally martyred himself. This festival would not end.

22.

He was tenacious.

Lancel felt that his breath was tenacious. To still be alive. He felt like he was going to die soon, but his lifeline was truly tenacious.

‘I don’t mind dying, but I don’t like the process of dying.’

Lancel Dante’s breath slowly faded.

Numerous believers were looking at him, lying on the church’s platform.

“P-Priestess Mary, you’re going to fall.”

Soon after, one person came up to the platform with a staggering motion.

Despite the sudden appearance, no one stopped her.

Rather, they were helping her from falling, as she couldn’t see ahead.

“Lancel……!”

Marigold.

“Lancel!”

She cried out in a cracked voice and rushed into the arms of the dying Lancel.

As if she could feel his existence with the air, with her skin, with her senses, Marigold immediately embraced the lying Lancel with both arms.

==========

—Fame Event: All of the dismantled Churches of Marigold have been restored to their original state.

※Currently, there are a total of 199 churches, with 19 new churches added to the existing 180.

==========

“Lancel, Lancel…….”

Marigold’s shoulders trembled as she felt Lancel’s body temperature cooling down. He was dying in her arms.

Lancel hugged Marigold’s back one last time.

For him, who was already on the border between life and death, even this was an action that could only be done by drawing up his maximum strength.

“I won’t……be spoiled anymore……Don’t abandon me. Lancel……!”

Her body began to emit light amidst suppressed sobs.

Saaa-!

“Th-that’s…….”

All the clergy members who were waiting for the martyrdom ceremony were stunned.

Radiance was spreading out from Marigold.

At first, it was subtle like a bonfire, but soon it became a brilliant pure white, swirling around in all directions.

It was a light so intense that it illuminated the dark church like daytime.

It wasn’t just a light that was all form.

People’s bodies, touched by the spreading net of light, began to tingle all over. It was the sensation felt as the large and small wounds on their bodies healed in an instant.

From minor scratches to old scars, everything was cleanly erased.

Awe crept into the eyes of all those who faced the miracle.

“……Saintess.”

The Reincarnated Saintess.

Marigold.

The presence of an existing idol.

An entity that transcended denominations and ideologies.

The clergy members had no choice but to kneel down one by one and bow their heads before her. Mary is real. The incarnation of the Saintess, the divinity that has descended in this era. Now, no one will be able to deny this fact.

==========

—Fame Event: The two hundredth church has been built!

※Marigold’s Karma decreases by 1 point. Karma has reached ‘0’. The fog that covered Marigold’s world has lifted, and she finally faces the light!

==========

Marigold’s eyes, which had been cloudy silver, gradually regained their color.

A clear emerald light slowly filled her pupils.

‘Yes. That was the color.’

Lancel faced her brightened eyes in his fading consciousness.

Maybe it was because it had been a long time since he had seen them. Today, in particular, those unique green eyes were even more welcome.

“Ah…….”

Marigold stared at Lancel with wide eyes. She must have felt like she was being reborn.

‘I told you, I’d make you open your eyes.’

Lancel muttered those words in a faint voice that seemed to be about to break. A satisfied smile naturally appeared.

‘Ah, I’m dying.’

Is this the end?

No matter how much progress Marigold’s White magic had made, it was not enough to heal this level of serious injury.

It was a wound created by the Pilgrimage knight.

Of course, Lancel was the one who started the fight first.

But now, no one would know that fact.

‘I left a letter, so surely it won’t be a bad ending again, right?’

Lancel felt his consciousness fading more and more. Only Marigold’s tear-stained face was his last memory.

‘Marigold.’

Three lives since the day her eyes went blind.

Twenty-three years of time.

The eight thousandth night.

Lancel finally made her open her eyes.

That was 10 years ago.

.

.

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[Playtime 10 years 0 days]

—Marigold is 25 years old.

—There is no marriage partner.

—There are achievements.

▶White magic Awakening +30 points.

▷Black Magic Awakening +20 points.

▶Reincarnated Saintess Title +50 points.

▷Evil God Title +50 points

—Total score: 150 points. (Points remaining until inheritance of memories 500/1500 points)

[Bad Ending 9. Skeleton Soldier of Evil God Marigold]

—The ending has been recorded in the ‘Album of Memories’.

—Opening the album.

.

.

.

—We will meet again.

Hope and happiness fill Marigold as she confirms the last sentence in Lancel Dante’s will.

She is finally convinced that all her actions were the right answer.

‘Yes, we will meet again.’

Marigold walks down to the basement of the church.

She passes through the cave and stands before a dark altar.

‘Right today!’

Clatter.

Clatter.

The 200 bones that she had been carefully preserving vibrate on the altar and then merge into one. They stand up vigorously on two feet.

Congratulations! Marigold has finally mastered the basics of Black Magic!

Marigold feels a familiar scent from the Skeleton Soldier’s appearance.

‘Lancel.’

The person who was everything to her.

‘Let’s go on an outing together now. Lancel.’

The person who made her open her eyes.

‘From the roof of this empire to the walls and pillars, the floor and the foundation stones… the very day they all turn to ashes and disappear.’

Marigold hugged the 200 pieces of bone that were just walking around without muscles or skin.

Old memories, the cozy afternoon in the fallow land while riding a horse, come to mind.

She feels happiness overflowing inside her.

‘Let’s……go on an outing together.’

[Skeleton Soldier of Evil God Marigold – fin]

—Would you like to restart the game?

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.

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“That’s terrifying.”

Lancel couldn’t help but be shocked by the ending he hadn’t imagined.

‘Uh… why did it turn out like this?’

He naturally thought that he would be praised as the Reincarnated Saintess and live a life of luxury for the rest of his time. He thought that was the right ending in terms of the flow.

But this quirky girl did something strange again.

“More than that, why did you make me an undead?”

Lancel, who had suddenly become a Skeleton Soldier, wiped away the cold sweat. That’s just desecration, right?

She was a girl who made him embarrassed in many ways.

‘Marigold, when are you going to be happy?’

What should I do?

What should I do?

“Hmm.”

After much deliberation, Lancel came to a conclusion.

“Can I take some vacation?”

Yes.

I should just send this iteration to a sanatorium.

‘Honestly, I’ve suffered too much, right?’

Even Lancel, who had plenty of time, sometimes wanted to rest.

And that was now.

‘I’ve decided. This time, I’m going to enjoy seafood and live a life of gourmet. I’m going to take a sabbatical in a place with good water and good air! Goodbye, Marigold. See you later, Marigold.’

With that, Lancel boarded the train.

“Everyone, pay attention here! That Mary’s money-betting game! I’m back again today!”

A street in a village where the train stopped.

Lancel pricked up his ears at the familiar name.

‘……No way. It must be my imagination.’

That’s right.

Or it’s someone with the same name.

It’s not like the name Mary is rare.

“You bitch! Are you scamming me right now?”

“W-what nonsense! What scam did I do, did I do!”

“Huh! I just saw you taking out the dice, but you’re denying it?”

Lancel glanced over there and immediately regretted it.

“You’re just picking on me because you lost money! Ptooey!”

“Y-you……you……!”

Marigold.

She was playing thimblerig.

‘What is she doing?’

[Saintess Marigold – End]

[Next – Tycoon Marigold]