Chapter 57

Those bastards.

Trying to skip town in the middle of the night?

It’s a good thing I used a Location Tracker to chase them down immediately. I almost lost them!

‘I need to get on right now.’

Surely they wouldn’t do something as unsightly as forcibly dragging a Saintess out of a carriage.

By the way, I expected a grand send-off, but there was no one. No accompanying servants, no porters. Only the chilly night wind brushed past us. My original plan was to use Emily’s help to disguise myself as a servant and follow them secretly… but well, this actually worked out more conveniently. Let’s just have a cozy trip ourselves.

As I climbed into the carriage and sat in the corner, Kalat and Ilian surprisingly followed suit without much protest. I had expected a stronger reaction. Ilian sat across from me, wearing a beaming smile and speaking in a soft, melodic tone.

“Could you explain in more detail? What kind of terrifying dream did you have this time?”

His legs were crossed, and his hands were placed neatly on top of them. That posture represented Ilian’s heart, which had slammed shut the moment I blindsided him. In short, he was absolutely livid.

‘If I tell him everything now, he’ll probably just drain me for information and then dump me.’

I couldn’t let myself be played that easily. I hugged my luggage tight and opened my mouth.

“I will tell you once we arrive at the Imperial Capital.”

The crack in Ilian’s smiling facade widened.

“If you want to hear it, shouldn’t we get moving as soon as possible?”

“…….”

Kalat, who had been watching our exchange with anxious, wandering eyes, whispered into Ilian’s ear.

“Y-yes. Lord Ilian! We can just attend the medal ceremony ourselves and head back quickly! It seems the Saintess just wants to get some fresh air…”

Of course, since we were in a small carriage, I heard every word. It seemed that in Kalat’s eyes, I was simply someone who was tired of life in the Church and wanted a change of pace.

‘Is he treating me like a spoiled child?’

Well, considering Belita’s actual age, it made sense. Twenty-two… What was I doing with my life back then?

“We can’t. If we leave now, we’ll barely make it back the day before the appointment ceremony. That won’t leave enough time for preparations.”

They really took my words as a joke. I decided to add a bit more weight to my explanation.

“The situation might not even allow for an appointment ceremony.”

“…….”

Both of their eyes widened.

“Do you intend to ignore the crisis about to strike the continent?”

“A-a crisis? Then we must inform His Holiness immediately—!”

“I’ve already tried. But…”

I trailed off with a wistful expression. Ilian and Kalat’s faces hardened, their eyes filling with a complex mix of emotions. It seemed they were guessing a plausible reason for why I was acting so recklessly.

“…Understood, for now.”

“Good heavens, what is happening…?”

“Will the medal ceremony be canceled as well?”

“No, not that.”

“Then, please stay quietly at the lodging during the ceremony… No, that’s a bit worrying.”

Ilian hesitated, expressing concern about leaving me alone when he hadn’t even brought any guards.

“Lord Ilian. Why don’t we just have the Saintess enter with us?”

“Priest Kalat.”

Ilian glared at Kalat through gritted teeth. Kalat flinched, but he didn’t stop talking.

“We’re allowed to bring one employee each. It’s not like we’re revealing the Saintess’s face, so wouldn’t it be fine?”

Is he telling me to attend as a servant?

‘That’s not bad.’

I had already decided to wear a veil whenever I appeared in public. It was a good way to reduce risks to my safety, and thanks to the Pope’s aggressive push for it, it had been approved long ago. If I wore a veil, no one could see my face unless they got incredibly close.

‘And besides members of the Order of Ralphican, no one knows my face anyway.’

What if someone appeared who knew the original Belita?

‘That’s not a problem either.’

The Order of Ralphican hadn’t released any of my personal details to the public.

‘The articles only mentioned a Saintess of commoner origin. Then they listed my achievements in Lanta Village.’

There was no mention of my name, my age, or my past as a maid for a Ducal house.

‘I heard the Church silenced everyone.’

The only people who knew my original face and identity were those present during the tragedy at Lanta Village. A few expedition members, the villagers, and members of the Imperial Knights and Berha Knights. Beatrice said that if they spoke carelessly, they would face “God’s mace.”

‘God’s mace sounds a lot like a literal physical mace, but that must be my imagination.’

Anyway, it meant the Church had done a good job of keeping people quiet. There were two reasons for the Church going this far. First, they were worried that people who knew me from before would cause false scandals or confusion.

‘It’s true, I can easily imagine my old coworkers being shocked out of their minds if they found out.’

Second, the Church wanted to push the Saintess with a “mystical” concept.

‘It’s easier to deify someone that way.’

It all sounded plausible. And it was good for me, too. Thanks to that, even if I had to wander around outside with my bare face like this, it wouldn’t be a problem at all.

“Of course, we’ll need some kind of disguise!”

“…Sigh. I suppose it’s better than leaving her alone.”

Having completely surrendered, Ilian stepped outside to drive the carriage. When I asked Kalat how the Pope would react if he found out I had run away, he gave this answer:

“The Holy State won’t officially request a search for the Saintess. If rumors spread that the Saintess has run away, the prestige of the Church would be ruined. It’s most likely His Holiness will keep it hidden himself.”

‘So I can wander around without worrying.’

…Having reached that conclusion, we departed for the Nilcaron Empire with peace of mind.

The Nilcaron Empire is a powerful military nation that occupies half of the continent under the protection of Ralphican. Its exposure to magic beasts is as vast as its territory.

However, the trials that failed to kill them only strengthened the empire’s resolve. Utilizing exceptional human resources and technology, it has established itself as the undisputed hegemonic power of the continent.

“Ooh~ the protagonist’s country is super strong, they say.”

-Look at that vocabulary choice lol

-Are you an elementary schooler?

-Hey, it’s a good summary.

A gathering held in such an empire wouldn’t be a simple commemorative banquet to honor heroes. It was closer to a procedure to reconfirm the Empire’s survival and authority. Naturally, the splendor of a banquet prepared with such intense effort would be beyond words.

“I’m grateful for the grand treatment, but what’s the deal with a return banquet being held an entire month after the return?”

“Sir Arianne.”

Hereis stopped Arianne, who was launching sharp criticisms at the banquet. Of course, he said it with a face full of smiles. From a distance, one would mistake them for having a friendly conversation. Hereis’s sharp hearing picked up the voices of noble young ladies in the distance.

“Oh my, what could those two be talking about?”

“Surely it’s a very serious discussion about the future of the Empire!”

“Look at Sir Hereis smiling! So cute!”

“I want to sneak into Sir Hereis’s bedroom.”

-This is tough lol

-For real lol

-Wait, there’s a dangerous person mixed in there

-Police officer, right here

Hereis decided it was probably better not to listen. Currently, Hereis and Arianne were in the Imperial ballroom, wearing jewel-encrusted medals on their chests. They had just received them. The moment the ceremony ended, so many people tried to talk to them that they had only just managed to escape the crowd.

“Shall we run away to the terrace?”

“This is a place to celebrate us; it wouldn’t be right to leave entirely.”

“But still…”

Arianne kept staring at the window, seemingly unable to let go of the temptation. Meanwhile, Hereis looked around the ballroom. It was filled with all sorts of precious decorations, starting with a chandelier featuring the most candles in the world, crafted by the master Sebasso. The most gaudy item was the throne decorated with diamonds, a choice that made Hereis frown as it reminded him of the Countess. The red-haired Emperor leaned his arm arrogantly on the armrest, looking down at the ballroom with a bored expression. Hereis quickly turned his head before making eye contact with the Emperor. However…

“It has been a long time!”

“It’s only been a month.”

The faces he saw upon turning were familiar ones.

-Oh, the Church duo.

“Sir Ilian, and Priest Kalat.”

When Kalat offered a handshake in greeting, Arianne took it. As Arianne gripped his hand tight and shook his arm vigorously, Kalat’s entire body swung wildly. It was a one-sided handshake, as if she were shaking a doll.

“Ugh… auuuugh!”

“Sir Arianne. Please, mind your strength.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I did it without thinking…”

Was it because her mind was elsewhere that she couldn’t focus?

-Probably because she’s focused on listening to the people talking lol

-Well, anyone would be nervous if there’s a criminal around lol

Arianne offered a sincere apology to Kalat, looking as if she truly had forgotten herself. It was best to change the subject. Hereis brought up the name of the person whose absence he regretted.

“By the way, how is the Saintess doing?”

“Sh-she’s likely doing well?”

Kalat gave a subtle reaction. It almost looked like sweat was beads on his forehead.

“I’m doing just fine.”

“Huh?”

“Ah.”

At that moment, a woman with glossy blonde hair and long, slender limbs wearing a maid’s uniform appeared from behind Ilian. As Hereis saw those unfamiliar amethyst-like eyes, he was bewildered.

‘Wh-who?’

-???

-?????

“Wait, who is that?”

-Looks like Belita.

-??? For real??

“I’m wearing a bit of a disguise due to circumstances. How do I look?”

Belita fidgeted awkwardly with a flushed face. She looked up at him and asked in a trembling, shy voice.

-Cute.

-She’s cute.

-Is that really Belita?

-100k won, damn.

-The Association President is really excited.

-Since the stock skyrocketed, he has no choice but to be excited.

-This person bought in from the very beginning.

“Whoa, GloomyFollower, thanks for the 100,000 won donation~.”

For some reason, Belita’s expression darkened slightly. Of course, it was so subtle that no one noticed.

Ding!

-Kyaaa

-He said “you’re pretty.”

“Wait, didn’t you say the Saintess wasn’t receiving a medal earlier? Why is she here?”

-Seems like she came pretending to be a maid?

-Her outfit is a maid uniform, after all.

-Then he should speak informally.

“Is that so? Then informall—”

“Really? Then formal—”

-Truth.

-Informal is correct here.

-SincereLife’s opinion failed lol.