Chapter 481

The first thing to clarify is that I have no intention of revealing this Holy Mark.

If it becomes known that I’ve received Astraea’s Holy Mark, everyone will start pushing me to become a Saintess.

Unless someone’s lifelong dream was to be a Saintess, for me, it’s no different than being handed a poisoned chalice.

“The Holy Sun Alliance will stop at nothing to drag me in. Their only weakness was the lack of a Saint Candidate, and now I’ve appeared out of nowhere. They’ll try to use me to seize control of the Holy Kingdom. …What a bother.”

“Wouldn’t it be an honor for you to ascend to the position of Saintess, Lady Median?”

Seilon, standing at attention in front of me, cautiously asked.

Honor? That’s only an honor for the Holy Kingdom’s people.

“I’m not from the Holy Kingdom; I’m a noble of the Empire. I have mountains of work to do, and I can’t afford to be tied down by the Holy Kingdom. His Majesty the Emperor and Marquis Ludwig won’t stand idly by either.”

Of course not. It’s like losing the Empire’s most crucial combat power to another nation. Leopold wouldn’t just sit back and watch.

Even Duke Bien, who doesn’t get along with me, would oppose me being absorbed into the Holy Kingdom.

“Besides, even if I became a Saintess that way, I’d just be a puppet for the Cardinals. I have a critical disqualification, you see.”

“A disqualification?”

I tapped the bandaged Holy Mark and explained to Seilon the decisive reason why I had to hide it.

It’s true that I received the Holy Mark, but I can’t manifest Divine Light.

“No, that can’t be…?”

Seilon, visibly shocked, asked if he could inspect the Holy Mark.

Understanding his position, I exposed my upper chest again to show him the mark.

Seilon, now with a reverent expression, examined the Holy Mark and channeled a faint Divine Light from his fingertips into the Golden Scales pattern.

– Whoosh!

At that moment, as if reacting to Seilon’s Divine Light, my Holy Mark emitted a brilliant golden glow.

If it weren’t for the fact that we were in a tent with no windows, the Paladins would’ve stormed in again.

“The amplification of Divine Light… It seems there’s no issue with the Holy Mark’s power. But if you still can’t manifest Divine Light… I’m at a loss.”

“Who knows? Maybe it’s because I’m not a priest. Or maybe it’s because I’m not from the West. My faith is a bit different from yours.”

I acknowledge the existence of gods but don’t submit or obey.

To put it bluntly, I see gods as immensely powerful beings, not objects of worship.

Unless I change this mindset, there’s no way for me to manifest Divine Light.

Without brainwashing, there’s no way to change a mindset rooted so deeply in one’s core.

“Anyway, because of this, I can’t step forward as a Saint Candidate. Every time I clash with the Cardinals, they’ll use this to drag me down. At best, I’ll end up as their puppet.”

Whether it’s to maintain their power… or out of a religious sense of duty to educate and guide someone lacking in saintly knowledge to become a ‘proper’ Saintess…

Neither is a welcome outcome, and the latter is especially hard to counter.

Since their motivation stems from pure faith, they won’t give up until they die.

“An Easterner’s faith… It’s a concept I can’t fully grasp, but given that Astraea bestowed the Holy Mark upon you, Lady Median, I believe this is also her will.”

“If only everyone thought like you, it’d be easier.”

But that’s unlikely.

A divine envoy who can’t wield divine power? Even I find it contradictory and alien.

—

Seilon didn’t seem entirely convinced, but he promised to respect my wish to keep the Holy Mark hidden.

Though he did say he’d have to inform Cardinal Zaisers.

“His Eminence is someone who thoroughly follows Astraea’s will. If you express your desire not to reveal it, he’ll respect that.”

Hmm… Really?

Honestly, I’m not so sure.

“Cardinal Zaisers is also part of the Holy Sun Alliance. He’s the one who sent you to aid Wilhelm. I find it hard to trust him.”

Won’t he just announce it the moment he hears about it from you?

To make sure I can’t back out.

“His Eminence joined the Holy Sun Alliance not for personal gain but to maintain the Holy Kingdom’s order and balance. He believed that if the three strongest Church Orders cooperated, the others would follow suit. Given the current situation, it was a miscalculation… but regardless, he’s not the type to force your hand against your will.”

“Hmm…”

I’m not sure if I can trust that.

Trusting Seilon and trusting his judgment of people are two different things.

“Besides, if we don’t inform His Eminence about you, he’ll never accept the Holy Legion’s retreat.”

“Really? Then I guess there’s no choice.”

If that’s the case, I’ll have to trust him.

There’s no better alternative anyway.

I put out the cigarette I’d finished and crossed my legs the other way.

Another cigarette was already between my fingers.

“What do you think Cardinal Zaisers will do if he finds out I have the Holy Mark?”

“Hmm… He won’t leave the Holy Sun Alliance now. The balance of power would collapse. Instead, he’ll stop opposing you and likely cede control of Arad. If a city blessed by Astraea is governed by someone bearing her mark, it would be the most devout act.”

…I plan to leave once this is over.

Even if they hand over control, it’ll just become a city under the Kranuus Church Order in name only.

I’ll have to discuss this with Lacey later.

“Additionally… he’ll probably send a priest to explain our doctrines to you, Lady Median. So you can better understand Astraea’s will.”

So I can’t avoid studying their doctrines after all.

At least I won’t be dragged to the cathedral for lessons; I’ll have a private tutor. That’s something.

“Can’t you just do it?”

I glanced up at Seilon and asked.

He’d be much better than some stuffy priest.

As a Judge, he must know their doctrines inside out, and we get along well.

“Me, you mean?”

Seilon’s eyes twitched.

A mix of honor and awkwardness. He seemed both willing and hesitant.

“Is it difficult?”

“Well… As a high-ranking Judge, it’s hard for me to stay by your side without a special reason. Guarding the successor of the Holy Mark would be the greatest honor and a clear justification, but since you’ve decided not to reveal it… my presence would raise many suspicions.”

After explaining, Seilon took a deep breath and continued.

“Especially… given the recent unfortunate incident, many would link it to that.”

Recent incident…?

Ah, he means when the Paladins barged in.

Thinking about it, there’s plenty of room for misunderstanding.

An Empire noblewoman with no ties to Astraea’s Judges is always seen together with one, and rumors spread that they were doing something indecent in private…

Damn it.

“*Sigh*…”

I took a deep drag of the cigarette.

The ember at the tip glowed brightly, burning halfway down in an instant.

Honestly, even if Seilon didn’t stick around, those rumors wouldn’t die.

If he’s around, people will say we’re close. If he’s not, they’ll say he was just a fling.

They won’t say it openly, though.

Wait, no.

I hadn’t thought of this before, but if Seilon withdraws now, even worse rumors might spread.

Like, I ‘negotiated’ with him to make him back off or something.

Rather than deal with that misunderstanding, it’s better to…

—

“*Sigh*…”

I exhaled a long stream of smoke.

My head hurt, and my stomach churned.

Discomfort and nausea mixed with the smoke.

The best solution I could think of was to accept something I’d been avoiding all along.

“…Let’s just admit it. No matter how much I think about it, it seems like the best option.”

“Admit what? Wait, don’t tell me…!”

Seilon, realizing what I meant, looked shocked.

I bit down on the cigarette butt and answered.

“Let’s announce that we’re… lovers. That way, at least the rumors about me being promiscuous won’t spread. You can naturally stay by my side too.”

Seilon’s jaw dropped, and he slumped down.

He looked like he’d lost half his soul.

I looked down at him and reconsidered the benefits of making this announcement.

To convince myself.

Seilon would become the Judge who withdrew his troops for love and get thoroughly criticized, but that’s still better than the misunderstanding that he was ‘negotiated’ into backing down.

As for me, I’d have Seilon, who doesn’t seem like the type to screw me over, as a close aide instead of some priest sent by Cardinal Zaisers.

Plus, with an official… lover, rumors about being the Emperor’s mistress or arranged marriages would stop.

Duke Bien would ease his scrutiny of me, Milia would feel at ease…

And as someone who’s abandoned the Paladin role of Elpinel and become a foreigner with no ties to the Holy Kingdom, this would give me the minimal justification to keep intervening in the Holy Kingdom’s affairs.

It’s an incredibly unpleasant situation, but… if I endure it, many problems would be solved.

Alright, let’s think positively.

It’s just a cover relationship, right?

I’ll explain it later… later.