Chapter 51

Now that I looked closely, the name “Ruthi” was floating clearly above his head. I hadn’t realized the Commander and Vice-Commander were siblings running the show together.

“Sir Beryl…?”

“If that’s the case, then Sir Beryl must take responsibility…”

The atmosphere shifted instantly. Instead of Ilian, people were now beginning to debate Beryl’s punishment. Ilian watched this not with relief, but with a deepened scowl. Before I could even wonder why, Ilian’s voice rang out through the sea of murmurs.

“The responsibility lies with me. I was the one who entrusted it to Beryl.”

The hall went silent once more. People looked at one another, unsure of how to proceed.

‘Is he insane?’

Ilian was acting like a man who was itching to be dismissed. Was it out of a sense of duty as a Commander? Or brotherly love to protect his sibling? Whatever it was, I didn’t like it.

‘I’ve worked so hard to build a favorable relationship here.’

Losing Ilian now would be a massive waste. I scanned the faces in the assembly. There was the Pope, his expression hardened, and Samuel, who was snickering with the people beside him as if enjoying the show. I recognized the other Cardinals sitting nearby from the book Ilian had given me; they were all members of the Orthodox Faction, just like Samuel.

‘Are they saying, “Well done, you landed a good blow”? ’

Judging by the shape of their mouths, they seemed to be praising Samuel’s conduct. It looked like publicly shaming Ilian was a coordinated effort by the Orthodox Faction. The Pope clearly wanted to bury the matter, but seeing how they pushed back… well, it was obvious their relationship wasn’t exactly amicable. I didn’t know the reason, but one thing was certain: taking Ilian’s side in this atmosphere would guarantee making an enemy out of the Orthodox Faction.

‘Even so, I have to do what I have to do.’

Besides, even if it weren’t for Ilian, I was bound to clash with the Orthodox Faction eventually.

‘The problem is fundamental.’

To them, recognizing the existence of a commoner-born Saintess was practically a denial of their own doctrine. If a person’s place is fixed from birth, then a commoner should live a commoner’s life; they could never become an Apostle of Ralphican whom everyone looks up to. This was something I’d been considering ever since Beatrice advised me to distinguish between those who would be an asset and those who would be a liability. Since one side was destined to reject me anyway, I didn’t have much of a choice in the stance I had to take.

I quietly raised my hand. The Pope’s eyes filled with curiosity, but he didn’t forget to give me the floor.

“Saintess. Please, speak.”

The room, startled that I would even speak, briefly fell into a noisy stir. I stood up and looked down at the assembled clergy. The Cardinals at the circular table, and the Bishops and Priests sitting in the rows behind them. Their faces were a mix of all sorts of emotions. Confusion, embarrassment, disdain… and a subtle sense of anticipation. I took a breath and opened my mouth.

“Sir Ilian has committed a very grave mistake, one for which he deserves to be criticized as incompetent.”

At my words, Samuel curled one side of his mouth into a relaxed smirk. He seemed to think a stupid commoner was firing wildly at her own ally without understanding her situation.

“However, that accident occurred because he prioritized the swift resolution of the incident at Lanta Village and the discovery and safe protection of me, the Saintess.”

The smirk on Samuel’s face cracked instantly.

“Hmm. If we’re weighing the Saintess against a Holy Relic, it’s certainly the Saintess who comes first.”

“I heard the number of attacking magic beasts was substantial. Yet, there were no civilian casualties…”

“I see. Losing a Holy Relic is a shame, but if he saved lives, then that’s…”

“Wait a moment! Even so, losing a Holy Relic is—!”

“Cardinal Samuel. The Saintess has the floor.”

At the Pope’s restraint, Samuel gnashed his teeth and glared at me. It was a terrifying expression, but I actually gained confidence from it. I had been unsure, but if the opponent is pissed off, isn’t that proof that I’m doing well? Great, this is fun. Let’s keep talking.

“Of course, it would have been best if he had prioritized me while also securing the Holy Relic, but there is a reason why he couldn’t.”

Murmurs asking for the reason began to rise.

“It is because the cause of this incident was the itself. That armor wickedly lured the magic beasts and drove the people into a corner. In a scene where magic beasts are harming people, would it not be difficult to secure a Holy Relic that is emitting such foul power?”

They must have heard there was a problem with the relic, but didn’t know the specific details; the hall grew chaotic once again.

“What does that mean?”

“What? The Holy Relic lured magic beasts…?”

“How could such a thing happen?!”

“And if there had been loss of life in this incident, whose responsibility would it have been?”

“……”

The only answer was the Order of Ralphican. The silence indicated that everyone had reached the same conclusion. I turned my gaze from Samuel to Ilian and continued.

“In fact, I believe it wouldn’t even be enough to reward Sir Ilian for his merit in preventing a disaster.”

Ilian, whose eyes met mine in mid-air, appeared calm on the surface, but his flustered state was clearly visible. His blinking had become strangely rapid. Look at you, are you all moved and stuff because I’m taking your side?

“Certainly, if it weren’t for the Saintess, those villagers would have all…”

“The mere thought is horrifying…!”

Good. The atmosphere has almost completely shifted to my side. I added one final word.

“Furthermore, please recognize that Sir Ilian and Priest Kalat not only found me in that village but also assisted me in resolving the demonic contamination in the County of Garein, helping to recover the as well.”

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“Cardinal Beatrice. You have the floor.”

While my attention was diverted by my reputation points going haywire, Beatrice—who was sitting diagonally from me—suddenly raised her hand. Come to think of it, Beatrice was also listed in Ilian’s book.

‘She was the figure representing the Neutral Faction.’

“I agree with the Saintess’s words. While Sir Ilian did commit a mistake, I believe the situation was only contained to this extent because it was Sir Ilian. Rather than pointing fingers, shouldn’t we be praising his actions?”

Samuel countered the moment she finished speaking.

“That logic only holds if Sir Ilian actually found the true Saintess!”

“Cardinal Samuel! Mind your words!”

Heated shouting began to erupt between Samuel and Beatrice. Beatrice clearly held the logical high ground. At this rate, we’d win. Good, then I’ll just sit here gracefully and watch the show…

Ding!

…I guess sitting back won’t be an option.

Swallowing a curse, I recited the selected line in the gentlest tone possible.

“Are you saying right now that I am not the Saintess?”

“N-no, I mean it’s just too early to be certain…”

“Actually, I agree with Cardinal Samuel.”

“You what—pardon?”

“Everyone brought me here saying it was certain I am the Saintess… but honestly, I myself am not sure if I am someone who deserves to stand in such a grand position as the Saintess.”

“Eh? No, wait, what?”

“However, even I know this much.”

The reason I stepped back was to deliver a more painful blow.

“That Ralphican would never tolerate an act of avoiding a real problem by shifting the blame onto a single person like this.”

While Samuel stood there stunned, his mouth hanging open like a fish, the priests who had been watching the mood began to speak up one by one.

“The Saintess hasn’t said a single thing that’s wrong.”

“If we’re going to demand accountability, it’s only right to place the blame on our entire Order…”

“Was it not an extremely urgent situation? It’s true that Sir Ilian did his absolute best.”

“Even so, losing the Holy Relic is a problem…”

It was good improvisation. I cleared the choice somehow and seized the momentum. At this rate, they’d likely settle for a lenient punishment.

Slam!

“How dare a mere lowborn, who just happened to get lucky and match the prophecy to snatch the seat of Saintess, babble on like that!”

Babble on… babble on…

Because the horrified Bishops all shut their mouths at once, his shout echoed with terrifying clarity through the hall.

“I understand Cardinal Samuel’s feelings, but…”

“Doing this at the General Assembly is a bit rash…”

“He’s been riding high lately, but he finally crossed the line…”

“There he goes again…”

Samuel must have realized his blunder too late; he hurriedly lowered the fist he’d slammed on the table and covered his mouth. The Pope gave a crooked smile, taunting him.

“It seems Cardinal Samuel has some grievances with the Prophecy?”

“N-no. It’s not the Prophecy, it’s just that the identity of the Savior isn’t certain yet…”

Daring to doubt a holy prophecy was an act of blasphemy. Samuel denied it, terrified.

“The Saintess received a revelation from Ralphican to reveal the attack on Lanta Village as well as the Great Sin of the Countess of Garein. The testimonies of the priests who witnessed it are consistent. The verses of the Prophecy seem to fit the situation perfectly.”

Beatrice also pushed Samuel like a rapid-fire cannon. Flustered once again, Samuel let his mouth run.

“There’s no guarantee it wasn’t fabricated! You know as well as I do that it’s difficult to identify a Saintess through the Prophecy’s descriptions alone!”

He wasn’t wrong. Because there was actually a separate prophecy that described the Saintess’s physical appearance. Was that prophecy only known to the Pope and Ilian? Seeing as a high-ranking Cardinal didn’t know it, it might be a prophecy passed down only to the Pope. While I was deducing various possibilities, Samuel babbled a bit more, but he was forced to shut up by the Pope’s dismissal.

“Prophecies are naturally ambiguous. Would you have Ralphican spoon-feed us every little detail? The interpretation of prophecy is also a task given to us by Ralphican. We must not be negligent in it.”

Afterward, the meeting proceeded under the lead of the Pope, the Reformists, and the Neutral Faction. Ilian received a simple disciplinary measure, and the matter of the Kingdom of Brishwin was quietly buried. Regarding the interpretation of the Prophecy, it was concluded that the word ‘noble’ in ‘Noble Savior’ did not imply a specific social class. In other words, they had officially recognized me as the Saintess of Ralphican.

‘Essentially, everything was decided in the direction the Pope wanted.’

The assembly ended, and I returned to my room feeling complicated. Emily chattered away, asking how it went and telling me I did a great job, but it didn’t really register.

‘I’m just…’

Tired.