Chapter 46 - You're Not Going To Cause Trouble, Are You?

For several days, I had to go back and forth between the Pantheon and the imperial intelligence agency, the Black Fortress, for what they called an investigation.

In fact, it was more like a process of checking if there were any wounds on my body or if I was injured anywhere, rather than an actual investigation.

And finally, when I came out as a free man, it was a mess like no other mess.

[Breaking news! Revealed that the evil god's chosen one had infiltrated the imperial palace! Shocking!!]

[Saint of Healing Amael! Saves the Empire!!]

[Holy Woman of Evil Destruction! Newly born! High Priest Miromel of the White Order swears loyalty and obedience to the new holy woman!!]

[Holy Woman of Evil Destruction and the Hidden Princess Iomene! Punishes the evil god's chosen one!!]

All the newspapers in the empire were reporting extensively on the events that had occurred in the imperial palace.

Moreover, all the citizens in the capital had witnessed the moment when the brilliant light burst out as the fragment of the evil god shattered and healed people.

In such a situation, when the imperial family transparently disclosed everything that had happened to the public, the world's reaction was truly explosive.

"Saint! Ahhh!!"

"Saint!! Saint!! Please look at me just once!!"

"He looked at me!! He looked at me!! The Saint looked into my eyes!!"

People started fainting or shedding tears of emotion if they even made eye contact with me on the street.

And one more side effect.

"Just say one word!!"

"Saint! Saint! This is Arcal Daily! Could we have a brief interview?"

"How did you catch the evil god's chosen one who had infiltrated the imperial palace? They say even high-ranking priests find it difficult... no! It’s nearly impossible to find someone wrapped in the very powerful miracle of concealment!!"

Journalists started clinging to me.

Perhaps because what I had done in the imperial palace was so shocking, journalists who smelled a scoop clung to me like a swarm of bees.

People crying.

People fainting.

People begging to just hold my hand once.

Journalists rushing through those people to somehow get an interview and passionately throwing questions.

Oh, damn it!!

Leave me alone!!

I felt like my soul was running away on that short journey from the Black Fortress back to the Magic Tower temple because of the people who had gathered to see me.

"Yodel. I want to rest."

"As you wish!!"

I returned to the Magic Tower temple and told Grandpa Yodel not to let anyone in unless it was absolutely necessary, then collapsed on the bed in my room.

What should I do now?

The method of flying to Korea with the cheat key had vanished.

That meant I had to return to the orthodox strategy of being forgiven by the Goddess...

As I said, this method had a high failure rate.

Moreover, since I was being misunderstood as having performed an enormous miracle unwillingly, it was obvious that if I disappeared, there would be even more people trying to find me.

What kind of unfairness is this!?

I don't want to go to hell!!

"Saint?"

While I was depressingly beating up the pillow on the bed.

Grandpa Yodel knocked on the door right after I had entered the room.

"I'm sorry, but knights from the imperial guard have come."

Ah.

It seems His Majesty the Emperor sent them.

I sighed and told them to come in.

Knights of the imperial guard in splendid attire with long swords at their waists entered my room with discipline.

"Saint. His Majesty has ordered us to escort you."

Right.

He would call for me.

I had expected he would call after all the aftermath was dealt with.

I got up from my seat.

For the orthodox escape method, I needed three things:

A way to neutralize methods that could find me, like the miracle of tracking. I could ask the order people about this.

A way to strengthen the Time Stop ability which was essential for escape. I needed to inquire about this at the Magic Tower.

Money to live on where I escape to.

This.

This third one was the biggest problem.

The Grace Order was famous for being wealthy, and Karma Company was making a fortune, so why not embezzle some of that money?

I couldn't.

The Goddess was already pissed off enough to want to throw me into hell, and if I touch even a little of the order's money?

The Goddess might shout, "Result! Only the result remains!! King Crimson!!" and delete the process completely, instantly turning me into eternal hellfire whole pig barbecue.

Then where do I get such secret money that's hard to trace and doesn't show, but enough to live on?

His Majesty the Emperor, of course.

Wouldn't His Majesty the Emperor have enough of such money?

He was probably going to ask what I wanted as a reward.

I was planning to ask for gold.

The kind that couldn't be traced.

It's a fantasy world, right?

Wouldn't there be something like a subspace pocket with a lightening magic cast on it?

I’d put gold in something like that and then secretly run away with it.

And I'd go somewhere where it was hard to find people and live quietly like a dead mouse.

Praying that no one would ever find me.

"Please guide me."

At my words, the imperial knights politely guided me.

Their eyes were filled with such deep respect that it made me wonder if they would show such an expression even if they saw the Emperor himself.

It was burdensome.

To show such eyes to a bastard who was only thinking about receiving gold from the Emperor and running away.

This was why people should live lives that match their status.

What saint am I?

It's really burdensome.

Let's run away quickly.

And really quietly.

Let's end it by living like that, like a dead mouse.

Please, may the Goddess forgive me with that...

***

The spacious and splendid reception room was full of objects that seemed like it would take three generations working their bones off to pay for even if you just scratched them slightly.

"Your Majesty. We have brought him."

"Well done. You may withdraw."

The imperial knights saluted with discipline and then withdrew from the reception room.

The Emperor and Empress. The twin sisters Iomene and Almene.

Priests and holy knights of the White Order were lined up with discipline behind Princess Iomene with serious expressions.

Even High Priest Miromel of the White Order was standing at the very front.

It seemed certain that Iomene had become a holy woman.

"Welcome, Saint."

Seeing me, the Emperor approached me directly, took my hand, and kissed the back of it.

From his tone to his actions.

It was excessively polite for the ruler of a country.

But no one in the room looked at that scene strangely.

I felt so burdened that I might get a hole in my top.

"It's too much, Your Majesty. I'm just an ordinary imperial citizen..."

"You are the savior of the empire. The savior of an immature father and an unfortunate daughter. No matter what courtesy I show you, it will never be too much."

After saying that, the Emperor personally seated me on the sofa in the reception room.

As soon as I sat on the sofa, Iomene, who had been sitting next to the Empress, ran over and clung to me.

"Like!!"

Her speech was still clumsy.

By the way...

I didn't notice when she was wearing shabby clothes with black wings on her back, but now that she was dressed up and even lightly made up, Iomene.

She really was pretty.

"Iomene was so insistent on wanting to see the Saint. She had a sulky face all day," the Empress said with a gentle smile.

Princess Almene was smiling too.

Even the Emperor.

No.

Is that the right reaction when your daughter is rubbing her face against a strange man?!

...Well, forget it.

Let's just think about quickly receiving gold and running away.

"Saint. The reason I called you today is none other than to make a request."

A request?

Didn't you call me to give me a reward?

Please give me gold.

Just give me about 10kg of gold bullion and I'll quietly live on that.

"We would like you and the Grace Order to take full charge of treating my daughter Iomene."

Treatment?

Was Iomene injured somewhere?

I'm sure I thoroughly healed her body at that time?

"What treatment are you talking about?"

At my question, Princess Almene pointed to the magic circle engraved on her left eye.

The magic circle that forcibly kept her eye closed.

Wasn't it magic that cut off the connection between the two of them?

"Now that the fragment of the evil god has disappeared from Iomene's body, we need to release the blocking magic between us. By doing so, we need to restore Iomene's weakened mind."

"Is that possible?"

"It's possible because we're conjoined twins. Because we share the same soul, if one side's mind is injured, it's possible for the other side to recover it. However, Iomene and I have been separated for 19 years, and Iomene's mental state is not good, so we need to use powerful holy magic for mental protection together."

Princess Almene smiled faintly.

"The only place where equipment that can release powerful holy magic and powerful blocking magic simultaneously exists is the Magic Tower temple of the Grace Order. Moreover, the Saint is absolutely necessary for Iomene's emotional stability during the mental recovery process."

So it was the Lilia Order.

Well, even I thought the only place where priests and top-class mages were together was the Magic Tower temple.

But I’m in a position where I need to run away soon, you know?

I'm planning to receive gold from His Majesty the Emperor today, find a way to avoid the miracle of tracking and a way to use Time Stop efficiently, and then run away right away.

"It won't take long. We can start the procedure right away after about 2 days of preparation. I want to restore Iomene's mind quickly. Saint. Please."

Princess Almene bowed her head slightly.

2 days...

Well, 2 days.

I'm not going to disappear right now anyway since I can only leave after getting my hands on the things I just mentioned.

Isn't that amount of time appropriate?

Moreover, I want to see Iomene become normal.

I hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded.

"I'll do as you said. Please send the two of them to the temple. I'll help with the treatment there."

"Thank you, Saint."

Everyone looked at me with eyes of respect.

Please stop doing that.

I'm really going to get a hole in my top.

"I've made another shameless request. Saint. Everything you've done for the empire is so immense that it can't be repaid with any compensation. What do you want?"

Finally, the line I wanted came out of the Emperor's mouth!

Right! It doesn't make sense to use people without giving anything in return!

Gold!

Just as I was about to say give me 10kg of gold.

Suddenly.

I remembered the people crying and wailing in front of the burning factory.

"I'd like to request two things."

I looked straight at the Emperor and stated my demands.

"Please make a law requiring all factories to mandatorily install fire prevention facilities. There were people who died burning in fires. I want to prevent more such people from appearing."

The Emperor smiled at my words.

"You are truly noble. Unfortunately, I can't grant that request. The Senate has already passed a new fire prevention law. It will probably be implemented nationwide from next month."

Ah. If that's the case, that's fortunate.

"That's truly fortunate. And next…"

It's a bit awkward to say this right after being praised as noble.

"I need 10kg of gold. Could you possibly prepare about 100 pieces of 100g gold bars? In a subspace pocket with lightening magic, that is."

It's embarrassing!!

But as confidently as possible!

Let's make a brazen expression like I'm going to use it for something saint-like!

"You are modest. To ask for only that much. Of course. I'll give it to you. But I can't end it with just giving 10kg of gold to the person who saved the empire. The prestige of the Arcal Empire is at stake."

What... what else are you going to give?

"I'll exempt all taxes on the profits earned by Karma Company for the next 10 years."

The Emperor grinned.

"It's a small offering I'm giving you, Saint. I'll entrust Iomene to you. If possible, could you stay with Iomene during the 2-day preparation period? I heard that emotional stability is most important for the mental recovery procedure."

I looked down at Iomene, who was still snuggling in my arms with a childlike smile.

He's giving me 10kg of gold and exempting Karma Company's taxes for 10 years.

I should provide after-sales service, what else can I do?

"Gladly."

He said 2 days, right?

In that time, I'll find out how to avoid the miracle of tracking and how to use Time Stop efficiently as quickly as possible and then run away fast!!

"Like!!"

....Let's start by fixing this clinging habit of Iomene's first.

***

Princess Almene was feeling perplexed, feeling her heart pounding to a serious degree.

This is serious.

Even though the magic cutting off the connection between the two of them hadn't been released yet, Iomene's intense emotions were breaking through the magic and being transmitted to Almene.

Love.

She could feel Iomene's madly passionate love.

She's not going to cause trouble, is she?

Almene was slightly worried.