Chapter 823

“Haaa…”

I let out a shallow sigh, feeling dizzy, and placed the report Hersh had brought on the table next to the sofa.

Although I had caught the suspicious movements as intended, the direction of the suspicion was far from what I had expected.

For a moment, I even wondered if this half-black, half-fairy was playing a prank on me.

The information I wanted was evidence of some conspiracy between Eleonora and Belnesia, not the private lives I didn’t want to know about, like them being in a relationship.

Huh, seriously. Who would’ve thought Eleonora and Belnesia were in *that* kind of relationship?

I had noticed their similar vibes, their subtly prideful personalities, and their tendency to hide their true feelings and put on an act, but…

Even so, I never expected they’d be *that* close. If I locked them in the same room, I wouldn’t have to worry about heating costs this winter.

Well… anyway, it was truly a dizzying report.

“Should I just outlaw homosexuality…?”

I even considered splitting them up as a punishment for their audacity.

“Huh? Sister? What are you talking about all of a sudden…?”

As I lay back on the sofa, holding my forehead and sighing, Rana, who had been using my thigh as a pillow, startled and asked.

“It’s a joke. I may look like this, but I’m a saintess who’s received the Holy Mark. I wouldn’t ban people from getting together if they’re happy, right?”

I lightly pressed Rana’s forehead to stop her from sitting up and chuckled.

Outlawing homosexuality was nothing more than a light joke.

The church in this world respects not only heterosexual love but also homosexual love. As someone at the forefront of that, how could I ban same-sex love?

If it had been forbidden from the start, I could’ve used it as leverage against Eleonora and Belnesia, but arbitrarily banning and rejecting something that’s already allowed would only backfire.

So, I had no intention of interfering with whatever Eleonora and Belnesia were doing. As their superior, I should respect their private lives.

According to Hersh, there’s a possibility it’s just Eleonora’s one-sided teasing, so I should probably call Belnesia separately to confirm that part.

“Ah, it was a joke. I thought…”

Rana let out a sigh of relief and nodded at my teasing smile as I looked down at her.

I’m not sure why she’s relieved, though.

—

Thanks to Eleonora, Lambert, and the other administrators working tirelessly, sacrificing what might be their sleep or even their lifespan, the chaotic internal affairs of Landenburg quickly stabilized.

Enough to declare the founding of the eastern kingdom, Hestela, under Astraea’s blessing, and prepare for the coronation.

Landenburg finally announced the birth of a new kingdom to the world, like a baby emerging from its mother’s womb and letting out its first cry.

The declaration of independence, which Eleonora had requested to be as concise as possible, spread to the far corners of the world through messengers.

—

*As of today, Landenburg declares its independence from the Empire and the founding of a new dynasty.*

*The Kingdom of Hestela. That shall be the new name of this land.*

*This is not rebellion but separation.*

*Under the recognition of His Majesty Emperor Leopold and the Imperial Diocese, Hestela pledges to form an eternal and unbreakable alliance with the Kal Ros Empire.*

*Though the Empire and the Kingdom are now two separate nations, they shall remain steadfast companions, walking the same path.*

*The territory of Hestela shall… prioritize ability over lineage… (omitted).*

—

It was truly an Eleonora-style declaration. Short yet covering all the essential points without missing a beat.

For a declaration of independence, which is usually filled with flowery language and praise, it was unusually straightforward, but that straightforwardness clearly showcased the direction Hestela aimed to pursue.

A meritocratic bureaucratic state that condemns hypocrisy, vanity, the incompetence of rulers, and injustice.

That was the vision I had for Hestela, and Eleonora, Lambert, and the other officials worked through the night to turn that vision into reality with systems and procedures.

Not perfect, but close enough to be called the best.

And so, a new kingdom was born in the eastern part of the Empire.

– Independence?! A kingdom? What on earth…!

– Your Majesty! Is this declaration true? You’ve approved Landenburg’s secession and independence…!

I heard the Empire’s political world was in an uproar.

Although the high-ranking nobles had been informed beforehand, for the mid-tier nobles, it was a completely unexpected secret. It was understandable that they were flustered and making a fuss.

Well, it wasn’t my problem anyway.

The nobles’ protests were something Leopold and Duke Bien had to handle. Why should I care? They could bark all they wanted, but they didn’t have the guts to come at me.

In the first place, those half-baked nobles’ protests meant nothing.

The founding of Hestela had already been agreed upon not only by Leopold but also by Duke Bien, the head of the noble faction and the Empire’s chancellor, and Grand Duke Valdemar, who controlled the entire north.

So, I paid no attention to the uproar from the Imperial nobles and focused solely on Hestela’s affairs.

For example—

“So, what you’re saying is, we’re supposed to serve that red saintess as our queen now, instead of His Majesty the Emperor?”

“That’s correct. You are now citizens of the Kingdom of Hestela, not the Empire. However, please refrain from calling her the ‘red saintess.’ The knights might find it offensive.”

“We’re not Imperial citizens anymore…? Then what happens to my pension?”

“…I’ll report it to the higher-ups. It’ll take some time to get a response, so please bear with us.”

I dispatched administrators, soldiers, and priests across the territory to manage the sudden shift of citizens from Imperial to Kingdom subjects.

—

“Landenburg Knights! All units, prepare to charge! Show the might of the eastern knights!”

“Libra Knights! Lady Astika is watching! If you show any shameful behavior, you’ll be subjected to three days of fasting and prayer!”

“…Sister, there are only forty of us. Why are we doing this?”

“How should I know? But Lady Leonor said it would be a good experience, so we’ll give it a try.”

I observed the joint training of the existing Landenburg Knights, the Astraea Paladins, and the Rose Cross Knights who had arrived from the east.

—

– The Kingdom needs you!

– Fight alongside Saintess Astika, the Saintess of Order, and carve your name into the annals of history in a holy war!

– Only the Kingdom’s army can offer you such glory and honor!

I held a large-scale recruitment event to reorganize the Landenburg defense forces into the Hestela Kingdom’s army.

—

[With the existence of cursed sorcery, basic techniques like the Net of Blades or the Falling Flame Spear are now meaningless. If you have the energy to waste on such techniques, it’s better to enhance the Sovereign Step with Extreme Brilliance for greater power.]

‘So, crush them with life force energy while simultaneously piercing them with the thorns of the Life Force Technique… That does sound powerful.’

I redefined the techniques I had learned and realized with Hersela.

—

“It’s been years since I reached the level of a master, so why haven’t I broken through this wall yet…? I feel pathetic.”

“…If the Ghost Sword in the afterlife heard that, he’d flip his lid and burst out of his grave.”

I expanded the knights, hunted monsters, and even provided counseling to some subordinates who hadn’t broken through their limits yet.

With the construction of the cathedral and the preparations for the coronation ceremony on top of all that, I had no time to worry about the nobles’ protests. Time flew by like an arrow.

And then.

“By the Saintess of Astraea, descendant of the Twelve Knights Rotholandus, and bloodline of the Ka`har royalty, guardian of Landenburg and Berengaria, I declare.”

Finally, the coronation ceremony was held.

In Astraea’s grand cathedral, where the sunlight streaming through the stained glass sparkled brilliantly.

Draped in the saintess’s ceremonial attire prepared for this day, with a fur leather cloak over it, I walked down the red-carpeted aisle under the gaze of countless people and finally reached the statue of Astraea.

“Under the name of the Goddess of Order and Justice, Astraea, I swear upon the unbreakable sword, Durandal.”

I knelt on one knee, bowed my head, and spoke the oath I had carefully prepared.

“As the Saintess of the Goddess and Queen of Hestela, I pledge to eradicate all evil that threatens peace and safety, and to protect all people on this land until my last breath.”

In response to my oath, a wave of golden divine light spread out brilliantly.

The clergy and citizens watching praised the name of the goddess, as well as the name of the queen who was now blessed with the goddess’s favor.

‘Well, there’s no turning back now.’

Seeing how much the goddess cared for me, it was painfully clear that I had no choice but to live as both a saintess and a queen. It was almost nauseating.

[If you can’t avoid it, why not enjoy it?]

‘Easy for you to say. It’s not your life.’

It wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t a comforting statement either.

…Anyway, I had to do what I had to do.

I looked down at the Holy Mark, the cause of all this, which had become even more prominent, and carefully lifted the queen’s crown placed at the feet of the goddess statue.

A golden tiara adorned with golden threads and a pure white veil, combining the decorations of a queen and a saintess into one. This was the crown of Hestela.

Traditionally, the coronation ceremony involved the highest-ranking clergy or the previous monarch placing the crown on the new ruler’s head, but my coronation was an exception.

Since I was the first to ascend as the queen of Hestela, there was no previous monarch, and as for the highest-ranking clergy…

Frankly, none of the clergy here were qualified to place the crown on my head.

If I asked Lacey to do it, it would imply that the Elpinel Church was conducting the coronation, which would suggest that Elpinel was superior to Astraea…

As fellow saintesses, it could easily be interpreted as acknowledging Elpinel’s superiority over Astraea.

So, I lifted the crown placed before the goddess statue myself and placed it on my head, letting my long hair cascade down.

The moment the Queen of the East was born.