Chapter 38
This happened right before Rowena left the Holy Kingdom.
“Are you leaving?”
“I think it is quite funny for the one sending me away to ask if I am leaving.”
The Pope had sought out Rowena.
“I thought you were going alone, but you are taking everyone with you?”
“Not everyone, just those who will suffer once their ties are cut.”
“Do you not know that they are also brothers and sisters of the Holy Kingdom?”
“Even biological brothers and sisters do not always get along, and there are relationships that only survive when kept far apart.”
There was much to say, but the conversation’s course was set.
There were those asking if there was a need to take everyone, and those insisting they all had to be taken.
“Do you think the Empire will accept all of them? The Empire is a place that has banned Missionary Activities in the first place.”
“They did not ban it, they just said not to cross the line. You blatantly tried to paint the Southern Region with the colors of the Holy Kingdom under the guise of gifts… so, of course, they had no choice but to react that way.”
“Are you defending the Empire?”
“I am stating facts, not defending them. You used to be wise, but you have changed a lot since you started covering for the Saint.”
“…”
The Pope’s eyes changed drastically at Rowena’s words that scratched at his shameful parts.
His benevolent gaze disappeared, and he glared at the Saintess Candidate like a beast whose wound had been discovered.
“You are saying very offensive things.”
“That must be because you know you are in the wrong.”
“Do you think everyone can safely make it to the Empire? Right now, the Troops the Holy Kingdom can provide for your escort are extremely few.”
“Shouldn’t they be few?”
But even so, Saintess Candidate Rowena’s expression did not change.
Looking at the Pope calmly yet resolutely, she quietly spat out the words she had to say.
“It would have been easier for you if you had just called it an exile, but I suppose you were too conscious of how that would look.”
“Rowena!”
“Do you truly believe that just because I am not in the Holy Kingdom, the woman the Saint likes can become the Saintess? I am not talking about her talents.”
A Saintess is a symbol.
If Rowena became the Saintess, it would be uncomfortable, but she would exist within the Holy Kingdom regardless.
But what if the woman the Saint liked became the Saintess?
“You are doing Maselin a favor. If the news spreads that there is a Saintess in that country, how much do you think the Holy Kingdom’s influence will weaken?”
“…”
“Looking at your expression, it seems you know how things will turn out. Yet you still have no intention of stopping it?”
“…The times are changing. Besides, did you not see it too? Her Divine Power was deeper and mightier than anyone else’s.”
“It is an important factor, but by that logic, why don’t you just bring in any random Holy Knight and call him or her the Saintess?”
The Pope closed his eyes, even though he knew this.
“That is an unprecedented matter.”
“What you are doing right now is even more unprecedented. How can your standards be so different?”
“This Saint is special. Do you not know that too? There has never been anyone in the history of the Holy Kingdom so deeply connected to the god.”
“That is why I am saying I understand, isn’t it? I am just saying I will go my own way… I do not understand why you are acting like this.”
Seeing him not even bothering to open his eyes, Rowena had already hardened her heart.
But for what reason was he dragging out this conversation and holding onto her?
When tomorrow came, they would leave the Holy Kingdom and head to the Empire anyway.
“You go alone; leave the rest behind.”
Just how long had he dragged out the conversation like that?
At the Pope’s words, spat out bluntly as if he didn’t want to waste any more time,
“If I say, “Yes, I will do that,” would you even believe me?”
Rowena answered lightly.
“…”
“But come to think of it, taking everyone does seem to make no sense.”
“Is that so?”
“We must go together.”
The wordplay did not fit the current situation.
As soon as the Pope heard those words, he tried to stand up, but then fixed his gaze back on Rowena.
“That is the same thing.”
“You used to say they were clearly different, but now you have completely changed.”
“Do you not know that taking everyone will inevitably cause bloodshed.”
“Then did you think you could just… live happily with your child without even this much resolve?”
With those final words, Rowena reached out and pointed to the door.
The Pope knew this was Rowena’s order of eviction.
“I will pray that your journey to the Empire is peaceful.”
“You are saying things you don’t even mean.”
Ending that conversation, Rowena moved toward the Empire with her people.
+++++
“Lady Rowena, there are many exhausted people at the front.”
“…Let’s rest a little before we go.”
“Yes.”
The movement itself couldn’t really be considered difficult, but the problem was that the group was far too large.
There were elderly people and children as well.
The necessity of walking while paying attention to them naturally slowed down their movement speed.
As the movement speed slowed, they had to pay that much more meticulous attention to Supplies.
Because it was a Desert terrain, they even had to prepare for various dangers hidden in the sand.
[There are too many things to care about… If it’s a dispatch, the Holy Kingdom side would normally take good care to send us off.]
To think they would treat us as if they were casting us out with nothing but the clothes on our backs.
She had known, but the severity was too much.
She never dreamed they would deploy almost non-existent escort Troops.
She also hadn’t thought they would give the bare minimum of Supplies.
[Have they thrown away even the little conscience they had left?]
Was it right to be thankful that no one had been hurt yet?
Rowena was having such thoughts.
“Lady Rowena, there is talk that… an unknown number of personnel from the Holy Kingdom have departed toward the Empire…”
News was delivered that seemed to foreshadow trouble.
“They are knights, right?”
“Yes, it is presumed so.”
Who were they targeting?
[They can never target me; I am in the position of being dispatched to the Empire… It makes no sense for them to harm me.]
Was the Holy Kingdom trying to harm the Saintess Candidate who was being dispatched to the Empire to clear all suspicions?
This was a nonsensical story. Let alone the Holy Kingdom’s prestige, it was a matter that could lead to war with the Empire.
[I knew they wouldn’t send me off nicely, but… who on earth are they aiming for?]
Could it be.
Rowena’s eyes flashed.
If her assumption was correct, the Holy Kingdom was trying to commit a crazy act right now.
“My… surroundings?”
Ordinary Priests wouldn’t have much influence even if they moved, so they would be left alone.
She herself couldn’t be touched and was left alone.
The range of personnel they could practically harm became extremely narrow.
[The ones following me right now are the ones who will exert meaningful influence when moving to the Empire.]
Priests who could use Divine Power to some extent and Holy Knights who had trained for a long time.
What if they were the targets?
“They are demanding a choice from me.”
“Pardon?”
The eyes of the Priest, who still didn’t know what the situation was, met her gaze.
Leave them behind and go? That was out of the question.
But if she didn’t leave them behind, there would be bloodshed.
Inform the Empire of the current situation and request help?
If that were possible, she would have done it already.
“Let’s increase our speed.”
“Understood.”
The only means available right now was to stay clumped together as much as possible without scattering and head toward the Empire at a fast pace.
If only they had more escort Troops, they could have advanced more unhesitatingly.
If they were unlucky enough to encounter a demonic beast, they could consider that day’s plans completely canceled.
They were in a situation where they also had to worry about a Band of Thieves.
Now they also had to worry about Troops sent by the Holy Kingdom.
[You can do it, Rowena… You can do it. You’ve always been like this. Even now, you just have to keep moving forward alone.]
Rowena muttered like that inwardly and silently took a step forward.
They had to enter the Shadow of the Empire as far as possible.
If they could just reach its borders, everything would be resolved.
Holding onto that expectation, they walked and walked.
Thudududududu.
At that moment, the sound of moving horse hooves could be heard from afar.
The sand dust grew larger, giving off obvious signals that anyone could see they were galloping this way.
“…Just how far do you intend to fall and be ruined?”
The sand dust was rising from the direction of the Holy Kingdom.
Holy Knights of the Romper Church were coming this way, hiding their identities.
“Romper, is this truly your will? Telling your children to fight amongst themselves… is that your will?”
Rowena briefly looked up at the sky before returning her gaze to normal.
It was because the god existed in the sky, but humans were on the Ground.
She could not live forever looking up at the sky.
In the end, what we had to look at was the way forward.
“Prepare to fight back.”
“Yes.”
“We will not have anything taken from us.”
She would never yield to something unjust.
+++++
“Will it be alright not to intervene?”
“We do not move without the orders of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Gasp! I dared not fathom that meaning. As expected of you, Master.”
“Fufu, it is but a simple matter for me.”
Arveda and Teo were watching the Saintess Candidate move from high up in the sky.
Perhaps because it was definitely a large-scale group, their movement speed was incredibly slow.
To think she was trying to come to the Empire despite that slow speed while taking care of everyone.
It was immense greed, but it was surprising that one person was perfectly managing such an ambitious undertaking.
“She is a child with strong Divine Power.”
“She does look like it. To be able to bestow blessings upon all those people every day.”
“If it weren’t for the blessings, the travel time would have doubled. No matter how little Divine Power the blessing uses, she is amazing.”
Was such an amazing person a Saintess Candidate?
Arveda couldn’t quite understand.
[Humans are truly impossible to understand.]
She thought she knew them to some extent, having watched humans for quite a long time while bound by the covenant.
To think they would plan to kick out such a competent person to another country instead of revering her!
As if even that wasn’t enough, they were now trying to sever her support.
[Why.]
Arveda was shaking her head as if she absolutely couldn’t understand.
- Are they engaging in battle?
- Yes.
Teo was reporting to the Crown Prince.
- They must be at a disadvantage.
- Are you watching?
- It’s obvious without looking. Are there any casualties?
- Not yet. Perhaps they split into groups, but the advance personnel sent by the Holy Kingdom are small, so it is still tense.
- Are you sure they are the ones sent by the Holy Kingdom?
- They show signs of hiding their identities as much as possible, but they cannot hide their momentum. It is unique to the Holy Kingdom.
While explaining the battle situation,
- Are you perhaps coming?
Teo asked with a feeling of “could it be”.
- You ask the obvious.
The Crown Prince replied in a tone of “why would you ask such a thing”.
[His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is stepping forward himself?]
Even though a dragon and he were right here?
Had he not earned his trust yet?
The moment such a thought was about to arise,
- It is best to hide our Troops as much as possible.
- There is nothing good about exposing both an Executioner and a Magic Tower Successor to the outside.
Teo’s thoughts suddenly changed completely.
[Mmm, His Highness cherishes me.]
Was it because his mood had suddenly improved?
- The Troops to support the advance personnel are slowly arriving.
- It seems a full-scale battle will break out soon.
He excitedly rattled off his words, continuing the report.
- Are they targeting the Saintess Candidate?
- They are not targeting her. They are blatantly focusing on her followers.
- So even if the Saintess Candidate blocks them with her body, they avoid her and try to kill the rest.
- …That is correct, are you really not watching?
- I am slowly starting to see it.
Slowly?
He knew the distance from the Empire to here was quite far.
Furthermore, it was a place with a lot of Divine Power, making coordinate setting difficult, so Teleport was also tricky.
Just what kind of speed was he coming at?
That curiosity was only brief.
“Keuhak!”
“You held on tenaciously, but your limit has finally come.”
Finally, a bloody incident occurred.
The limit of a tense battle.
A Knight who had made a large-scale movement while caring for numerous people was present.
And a Knight in good condition who had come straight in a straight line solely to kill knights was also present.
It was safe to say that the victory or defeat between these two was actually decided from the beginning.
“L-Lady Rowena at least…!”
“Can you not tell from looking earlier? We did not come to kill Rowena. We came to kill you.”
“…Why on earth.”
“Because rather than letting you become the Empire’s, it is faster to just kill you.”
A stark conversation.
They could have killed him right away, but they chose to explain themselves, perhaps out of some twisted affection.
The time his breath persisted was extended for just a brief moment.
“Is this the will of the Romper Church!”
“…Ah, a slip of the tongue for a moment. We are just a Band of Thieves.”
Uwaaaagh!
Aaaaah!
No!
Don’t! Save me!
Why on earth are you doing this!
Y-You!
The screams of those who wanted to continue their lives.
And the words of those trying to take lives mixed together.
“You are dying from thieves today.”
“Do you think that makes any sense?”
Until just a few days ago, they were acquaintances who at least knew each other’s faces.
They were people who had no reason to even point swords at each other.
Even at this moment, the Saintess Candidate’s Troops had hesitation at their fingertips despite being in battle.
Why on earth did they have to fight a life-or-death battle with people they had no reason to hate?
When they were just trying to leave because their wills didn’t align, they thought those remaining would give them blessings.
[Was even that greed? Was it a vain hope?]
Slash!
As his leg was slashed, his body immediately plummeted into the sandy Ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
“Who would suspect anything if we don’t touch the civilians… and say we only killed the Troops protecting them before retreating?”
The highly raised sword covered the sun.
“No! Stop!”
The Saintess Candidate pleaded, begging them not to kill.
“There is no god to save you.”
The Knight said so and slashed his blade straight down toward the Knight collapsed on the Ground.
Right at that moment,
Fwoooosh!
“Uwaaaagh!”
Blazing flames engulfed the Knight holding the sword.
“Saintess Candidate, the path you were taking looked dangerous so I came here, and it certainly looks like there is a large Band of Thieves.”
The sun that the blade had covered revealed its form once again.
The Saintess Candidate immediately realized who the owner of the voice was.
The biggest reason the Empire was changing was this:
“H-His Royal Highness the Crown Prince…”
The Little Sun of the Empire.
“Listen up, you Band of Thieves coveting what belongs to the Empire.”
Bellon Bellos.
“You will not die peacefully. I promise you that.”
He appeared before the Saintess Candidate.