Chapter 196

C196

You came to me to solve an issue with the sacred relic, but it would be awkward to ask if you emphasize such a pure heart.

"The aroma of the tea is so good, maybe because the Pope is so concerned about me that he even visited the capital himself."

I said it with the most docile expression possible to make it even more annoying.

"Yes... Mmm! By the way, saint."

"Yes, go on."

"There's news that the incarnation of the saint needs to know."

"News?"

Seeing that he changed it to "news" instead of a "request," he's a human with a fierce edge.

"Santa Nayla left behind a great sacred relic to block the evil darkness a thousand years ago, in the early days of the foundation of Azutea."

"Of course, I know. Because I am the incarnation of the saint. You mean the rosary brought by the cardinal during the incense ceremony, right?"

"Yes. However... There is something wrong with that sacred relic."

The white rosary, symbolizing the sacrifice of the goddess Nayla, was a famous sacred object that not only nobles but also commoners knew its form. However, a problem arose with the sacred relic in this situation when public sentiment towards the temple was at its lowest. Sooner or later, an annual event will take place in the Grand Temple, but the Pope will have a big problem since he can't go out with the problematic relic.

But I pretended not to know anything and spoke as the Pope intended.

"Oh, something went wrong with my things. As the incarnation of a saint, it's not an affair that should be overlooked."

I put down the teacup with a somewhat serious expression and looked at the Pope seriously.

"Let's see the state of things."

"Yes! Yes! Holy Maiden."

The Pope quickly responded with a flushed face and reached out his hand as if asking for an item.

"That's it..."

"What is it?"

"The color of the rosary beads suddenly started changing minutely, so to prevent discoloration, I put them in holy water containing strong divinity. So... If you excuse me, could you pass through the Domain of Heleia?"

The capital was agitated by the news of Princess Deborah's sudden departure to Heleia. Of course, it was natural and common sense for a saint to pass through the Grand Temple when invited by the Pope.

"Nothing strange, but..."

Seeing that the saint was Princess Deborah, it was somewhat uncomfortable. It seemed like the princess would fit into a more glamorous ballroom than the Vatican.

And that's not all.

"I heard that Seymour has formed a terrifying elite team to escort the saint."

"Of course, since she is a saint, I understand, but Princess Deborah should be the strongest in the first place, why?"

"I heard that the saint's divinity is ruthless to evil demons but merciful to people. Do you know that people are scarier than ghosts? What if someone with an evil heart attacks the saint? You have to be prepared for that."

"Despite that... Isn't the power that can annihilate a small country a bit severe?"

"How big?"

"First, the White Knights and Duke Visconti, who is the vice-captain, applied as escorts..."

"And?"

"The owner of the Tower of Mages, Duke Seymour, the Elders of the Tower of Mages, the Mage Combat Unit led by Sir Rosad, Sir Belreck with offensive magical tools... who else was there? Oh! There's also the fifth princess and the direct escort of the princess, the Knights-..."

"Stop. I understood well enough."

In front of the ancient teleporter that moved from the capital to the Grand Temple, the Pope and the priests who gathered with Princess Deborah's group were perplexed for a moment. Especially the lower-ranking priests were surprised.

"I-Is she really a saint?"

They saw her portrait, but the real image of the saint was so cold that they were only surprised twice by the splendid lineup of the escort.

"That's the saint's promised one we've only heard about... Duke Visconti."

"Even the genius twins of the Seymour family..."

"Doesn't that dark-haired swordsman carry a sword?"

To think that even priests living far from the capital would personally come out to escort the saint.

"Is she planning to go to war with the temple?"

The Pope struggled to hide his embarrassment.

"So many people are following us! I am amazed by the saint's popularity. Of course, there are many paladins in the temple to protect the saint."

"Isn't the escort too much?" said the Pope slightly.

"This group... is half of half of half of half. I can't reduce it any further."

But Princess Deborah spoke somberly with a somewhat tired voice, so the Pope couldn't speak anymore.

"Hmmm. Then, shall we go?"

After a while, the ancient warp gate loaded with a large number of people activated, and Princess Deborah entered the temple for the first time in her life.

"This magnificent building is the Holy See in the center of the Grand Temple. Every piece seems to be alive and moving."

Thierry looked in admiration at the interior of the temple filled with magnificent paintings and sculptures. He stopped playing every day, and his sword skills improved dramatically, so he was narrowly selected as Princess Deborah's escort.

"Thierry, do you think you came here for a tour?"

The fifth princess clicked her tongue at Thierry's frivolous behavior.

"But, what can I do if there's no tension at all? Being in a group that can win even if the Grand Demon is summoned makes it more comfortable than lying in my room's bed."

"Not bad, but protect the dignity of Azutea's nobles."

"Okay. Because they are already protecting the dignity of Azutea's nobles there."

Thierry proudly pointed to Isidor, who was leading the march.

All the priests and servants coming and going from the Grand Temple looked at him with a surprised gaze. People who saw Isidor's appearance for the first time usually reacted like this, doubting their eyes.

"For some reason, he seems to be getting more handsome. I feel like his body has improved."

"He's not the symbol of Epsilon and the flower of the year for nothing."

"Wow, if Isidor looked a little less..."

"Sorry, even assuming Isidor looked a little less... In many ways, you couldn't."

"Even though he looks so light, he was in the middle of recovering from a broken heart, does he really have to break my bones?"

"I'm getting angry again."

"What?"

"... I can't believe I feel the same as you. It's embarrassing."

While Thierry and the fifth princess had a light conversation, Isidor watched the priests closely.

The sacred relic was faded, and the princess's divine power was taking a while to recover. It's not a good sign. If remnants of black mages remained, there was a possibility they hid here, pretending to be priests like Mia Binoche.

"I've experienced enough of the lesson that it's dark under the lamp...."

"Princess, isn't the Pope leading you to the wrong place, not the sacred object?"

At Isidor's whisper, Deborah shook her head slightly.

"That's not the case."

Arriving here, memories of Nayla growing up in the temple in the past surfaced. At the end of this labyrinthine corridor, there would be a sanctuary where water containing divine power would spring.

"It's here."

The Pope, who had been leading the way for a long time, stopped in front of a white marble arched door. Beyond the door, in the center of the circular room, there was a large sculpture of Nayla, with a small fountain underneath.

"From here, only a limited number of people can enter—."

At the Pope's words, Belreck raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"It's a place where blessed water with great purity and divine power springs, to prevent external contaminations... Saint?!"

It was then.

Suddenly, Princess Deborah passed through the massive door and began to move quickly towards the center of the room where the sacred relic was.

"Deborah?!"

"Again... my heart..."

Boom, boom-

From the moment she found the rosary in the holy water, her heartbeats began to race wildly, just like during the incense. Her heart pounded so much that her eardrums hurt, and countless secondary images of the past flashed quickly before her eyes. In the avalanche of memories, a question suddenly arose.

How did that rosary provoke such an intense reaction?

"When I was in the city, I awakened all my strength because of that thing."

Every time she encounters that white rosary, her heart races like crazy, and she gets caught up in distant sensations—could it be simply because it stimulated memories of her previous life?

"Why are you doing this?"

As if posing a question, she looked at the rosary in holy water.

"And why did the color change like this?"

At that moment, a faint light began to emanate from the beads of the rosary, which had been dyed a muddy gray color. As if answering her question.

[Deborah.]

"Oh? Did I just hear my name?"

"That familiar voice..."

She reached out her hand as if possessed by the sorrowful voice...

"Hyuk!"

The moment she grabbed the smooth marbles, a strong light flowed from the six marbles and gradually began to draw a determined shape.

"No way... a magic circle?"

"Cursed."

Something feels strange, but she thinks it's already too late.

As the space around her began to ripple like waves, she choked back her curses. The distortion of space became more and more severe, and eventually, the floor she was standing on became like a swirling sea.

Standing precariously in a space that had started to distort, she instinctively looked back. When sensing any danger, she looked for the first person who came to mind.

"Deborah?!"

The image of Isidor calling her flowed slowly like a slow-motion video.

Embarrassed, he ran directly towards her and quickly grabbed her wavering arm, but soon the space distorted mercilessly like oil floating on water. In an instant, she was thrown to a strange place.