98 – Invitation of the Imperial Family

“Saintess, today’s schedule includes…”

“Saintess, you must attend today’s prayers…”

“An orphanage made a donation in the Saintess’s name…”

Even today, without fail, a single, extraordinary

title filled the halls of the Order.

Saintess, the proxy of God.

A woman beloved by the divine.

Far from ordinary, she possessed a uniquely

extraordinary power.

“It’s the Saintess, the Saintess!”

“Jane, please don’t run around so much.

“You could fall and hurt yourself, you know?”

“Yes! Hee hee…”

She was, at this moment, living a life

no different from any other ordinary day.

The kind of time she always spent,

before the assault on the Holy Order.

Accepting greetings from almost every

believer directed her way,

laughing and chatting for a while

with the children protected by the Order,

entering the prayer room and,

on occasion, confessing and praying together.

This was the Saintess’s daily life,

and the daily life of the faithful.

‘…Even so, things can’t ever go back

to the way they were completely, can they…?’

Before her stood, aloof,

a single stone pillar,

its every nook and cranny

covered densely with people’s names.

“Reilly, Braum, Kern, Tike…”

She stroked the stone pillar.

No, more precisely, the names inscribed on it.

And she began to remember.

The faces that came to mind from each name.

Reilly, always cheerful,

greeting her warmly with a bright smile,

Braum, showing a steadfast demeanor,

vowing to entrust the Order’s safety to him,

and countless other names she

touched and recalled, again and again.

As she vividly remembered her

memories of them, the sense of loss grew all the greater.

The fact that they could never return

to the Order as it once was felt like a deep ache,

and the thought that if she had tried a little

harder, she might have lessened the casualties even a bit,

continued to swirl in her mind.

Why was she so powerless back then?

Why did she get captured by that damned Bishop?

If she had fulfilled her role as the Saintess back then, wouldn’t things have been different?

A mire of negative thoughts stirred within the Saintess’s mind,

but then,

[Child, it is not your fault.]

The voice echoed within her skull,

banishing every doubt.

The voice of He she had always trusted and followed without question.

“…But… because of my foolishness,

people who could have lived…”

[Child, it was unavoidable.

How could believing in people be considered a fault?]

His voice, striving to console her,

continued to resonate,

but she could not mask the bitter taste in her heart.

[…I know your heart is heavy,

but still, I am relieved you are safe.]

“….”

[It pains me to say this…

but to me, you are more precious than the others.]

“Th-that…!”

“Saintess!”

A voice calling her from somewhere cut off

her telepathic link.

She hadn’t even said all she needed to.

Resigning herself, she turned around to see

a nun calling to her,

eyes darting around the space.

“Sister Meli, is there something

the matter?”

“Ah, Saintess! I’ve finally found you!”

“S-sister, please calm yourself…

just tell me what’s…”

“Ah, forgive me.”

She was caught off guard by the sister suddenly seizing her hands, jumping up and down in joy at having found her.

She took a moment to catch her breath, unable to keep up with the nun’s excitement.

The sister, composed once more,

presented her with something.

“W-what is this, Sister?”

“It arrived for you just moments ago, Saintess.”

“It seemed a letter, so I thought to deliver it…”

“Ah, is that so?

Truly, I thank you, Sister.”

“Ah… no, it’s nothing. I only

did what was to be done.”

A single piece of paper is passed to the Saintess.

A letter envelope, luxurious even at a glance.

Devoid of any magical treatment, and

without even a sender marked, a suspicious envelope.

Having received nothing prior to suggest something would be arriving for her, a slight wariness began to stir within the Saintess, but

“Ah, that’s right. Saintess, have you heard the news?”

“..Yes? What… is it?”

A bright voice from her side scatters her careful suspicion.

Quite the interesting tidbit, as an added bonus.

“He has returned, Saintess!”

“H-He?”

“The Saint, Saintess!”

“Ah…”

“I hear he ventured into the Great Forest this time, and

is returning today?”

The Saint.

Who *that* referred to, she could quickly discern.

His brow bore the sigil, proof he had beheld the Goddess’s sacred form, but

for some reason, neither reverence nor

awe of the Goddess resided within him. No,

rather, a man who seemed to utterly

loathe Her, Jenison.

The center of the rumors that were currently

setting the Empire ablaze.

‘…At first, I thought him merely a rogue…’

A man who chased after women, and

indulged in the carnal pleasures forbidden by the Order.

That was all she thought him.

‘…Truly, were those behaviors merely a charade

“Was it because of the rumors, then?”

The rumors currently setting the Empire ablaze,

The rumors concerning the Reinhardt family.

Tales of them are spreading throughout the Empire as we speak.

Widely known, to the point that even a snot-nosed child would recognize them.

And the people’s reactions to it all are quite varied.

Those houses that routinely swore devotion and

allegiance to the Reinhardt family.

Namely, those families that sought to align themselves with them

are vehemently denying the rumors, claiming such a thing could never be.

While the followers of the four great houses, excluding the Reinhardt family,

are seizing this moment to pounce upon them.

Like wolves and hyenas starved for three days straight.

One could almost feel their desire to use this opportunity to

keep the Reinhardt family and their followers in check.

‘…It would have been a blessing if it had ended there.’

Unfortunately, the Reinhardt family’s enemies weren’t limited to just them.

Even the Imperial Family had begun to actively intervene in this matter.

The nobles who continued to threaten the authority of the Imperial Family.

Among them, the four ducal houses were the most menacing.

With the honor of one of those houses now plummeting to rock bottom,

there was no way the Imperial Family would let this chance slip by.

‘All that’s left… is whether or not the rumors are actually true…

Which, in all likelihood, they are, aren’t they?’

The time when he appeared to have changed noticeably

coincided with the period when he was cast out from the family,

and judging by his recent actions,

the rumors are probably true to a high degree.

‘..It’s unfortunate, if the rumors are indeed true.’

His mother, who bore him, passed away early,

and his father used him as a sacrifice for the family.

Even if he didn’t want to obey, he couldn’t help but do so.

Because it was an order from none other than the Reinhardt Duke.

Lacking strength, knowledge, and power,

he had no choice but to obey, to move forward.

Even knowing that the path ahead was a thorny one.

‘I should have extended a hand to you, back then…’

The Goddess, who impartially loves all things,

and himself, a proxy who inherited the power of such a being.

Even he, who had transgressed, deserved

for a hand to be extended to him.

But she had not.

She had, instead, felt only revulsion for him.

Avoiding him deliberately, never concealing

her dislike, surely some measure of pain

had been inflicted upon him by her as well.

She could not fault him, should he hate her.

And yet, despite all, he had saved her.

She knew not the reason, but he had saved her,

and saved the collapsing order besides.

So now it was her turn,

and the order’s turn, to aid him.

‘Father… no, the Pope, too,

will surely wish to help him, but…’

“Sister…!”

‘It hasn’t yet been proclaimed to the world that he is

the one chosen by our Goddess, so to overtly favor him…’

“Holy Sister!”

“Ah…!”

If she were to help him, how should she do it?

Lost in such thoughts, she felt two hands

grasp her shoulders.

Two hands, not heavy, landing with a soft thud.

Startled by their weight,

she raised her head to find, standing before her,

the nun, still present,

regarding her with a concerned gaze.

“Holy Sister, are you feeling unwell?

You’ve been keeping your head bowed for some time now…”

“Ah… no, Sister.

I am truly grateful for your concern.”

“Hehe, it’s nothing…”

Leaving the smiling woman behind,

she retrieved the envelope she’d received earlier.

Again, no magical effect seemed present;

just a plain envelope with no sender indicated.

Removing the fine envelope,

she found a soft cloth folded neatly inside.

“H..Holy Maiden, wh..what is this?!”

“..Ha, Sister?”

“Y-Yes…Yes?”

“Forgive me…but could you perhaps prepare some clothes for me?”

“O-Oh…Yes…Yes!!”

A bright yellow fabric, reminiscent of gold.

Ornaments, beautifully crafted and arranged.

And in the very center, a single embroidery emblazoned.

A sphere, intricately formed from threads of black and crimson,

and beneath it,

a lion seated in dignified splendor.

These were symbols that,

displayed to a drunken man in the street,

would snap him to immediate sobriety.

Even a single scrap of cloth such as this

commanded respect that could not be denied.

This very emblem, one that even the Holy Maiden

of this nation could not carelessly dismiss,

“..What brings you here this time, Your Imperial Majesty.”

was none other than the Imperial Family’s, the Imperial crest.

*

“Are you Jennison?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“At this degree…not bad..”

“…?”

“Jennison, I have a question to ask.”

“Speak, Your Majesty.”

“Do you have any thoughts of betrothing my daughter?”