Chapter 726

Whether he believed in my innocence or thought it was pointless to scold me now that the deed was done, Leopold didn’t press me further about the responsibility for the Holy Mark outdoor exhibition show.

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It was obvious that holding me accountable wouldn’t change a thing, so maybe he thought it was better to discuss the problems that would arise from this instead.

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“With the entire Imperial Capital watching as you revealed the Holy Mark, the Church Order will likely grant you a holy position. You’ll become the representative of the Astraea Church Order.”

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“…I figured as much.”

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The representative of the Church Order? If I could refuse, I’d do so with all my might.

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Not only was it a position that didn’t suit someone with zero faith like me, but just imagining the responsibilities that came with it made my head spin.

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“Of course, that’s how it’ll be. However, the problem is… your status is far too complicated to grant you a holy position without any complications.”

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If it’s too complicated to grant me a holy position, then why not just not grant it?

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Ah, right. Of course not. I get it. Those fanatics wouldn’t let go of someone who possesses the Holy Mark, which hasn’t appeared in 800 years.

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“From the start, you’re an outsider who doesn’t belong to the Church Order, not even a Westerner but an Easterner of mixed blood… and you’re also entangled with the Elpinel Church Order due to being a descendant of the Twelve Knights.”

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“I quit being a Paladin of the Elpinel Church Order.”

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I quit when I declared the great city of Arad in the Holy Kingdom as my territory.

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…Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I heard any news. I wonder how the city’s residents are doing. Does Lacey know? I’ll have to ask her later.

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“It’s a good thing you quit. If you had still held that position, it wouldn’t have been strange for the Elpinel Church Order and the Astraea Church Order to come into armed conflict.”

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That serious, huh? Well, if I had kept my Paladin position, from the Elpinel Church Order’s perspective, they would’ve lost one of their most important assets. Even if it was the goddess’s will, since she’s not the one they worship, they’d naturally hold a grudge.

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“And that’s not all. You’re also the head of the Median and Landenburg families, making you my vassal. Holding both an imperial title and a holy position from the Church Order is unprecedented in the history of both the Empire and the Holy Kingdom.”

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“No precedent? Then what about the Church Electors?”

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If dual positions are impossible, I distinctly remember there being two Archbishops who held Elector positions just last year. Though one of them was taken out by Lacey.

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“Didn’t you know? Well, I suppose not. The Elector position isn’t a secular title. It’s more of a privilege created to appease those with power strong enough to threaten the imperial authority. You should learn about it now.”

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Leopold picked up the wine glass on his desk, took a sip, and began explaining the history and meaning behind the Elector position.

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The Elector position was originally the result of a compromise between the emperor and powerful nobles.

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As the saying goes, “A tiger father begets a tiger son,” but not all descendants of capable individuals are capable themselves.

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The Empire’s history spans over 800 years, and there have been plenty of utterly incompetent individuals who ascended the throne solely based on their bloodline.

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While such incompetent emperors floundered, their vassals gradually amassed power, to the point where they openly ignored the emperor’s orders or even sought to claim the throne themselves.

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The Elector position was born during such a time.

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A time when the emperor’s authority was at its lowest. A chaotic period where powerful nobles coveted the imperial throne and kept each other in check—a time when the Empire could’ve easily been torn apart.

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“During that time, three families united and negotiated with the emperor. They declared they had no intention of coveting the throne and would ensure no other family threatened the imperial authority… in exchange for a suitable reward for their loyalty.”

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Those families were Wien, Pailoon, and Landenburg.

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Descendants who, despite going against the teachings of the Twelve Knights, rose to become some of the Empire’s most powerful figures. The emperor at the time accepted their proposal and granted them the authority to intervene in the imperial succession.

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Though, on the condition that they never reveal they were descendants of the Twelve Knights.

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That was the origin of the Elector position.

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“Then what about the Church Electors?”

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“That was added later. Incompetent emperors weren’t exactly rare. An emperor overwhelmed not by his vassals but by the Church’s power followed the old precedent and negotiated with them.”

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So the emperor was basically a pushover. Not only did he bow to his vassals, but he also caved to the Church.

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“At the time, the Church was so influential that it was allowed for clergy to meddle in secular affairs.”

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I thought Leopold was the only one who got the short end of the stick, but it seems there were plenty of emperors who had it even worse than him.

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Though, unlike Leopold, who’s suffering despite his competence and character, most of those emperors were just plain incompetent and reaped what they sowed.

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Anyway, according to Leopold’s explanation, there was criticism back then too, saying it was unbecoming of clergy.

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“So, the Church at the time used sophistry to suppress the backlash. They claimed the Elector position wasn’t about becoming a vassal under the emperor but about gaining the right to elect the most capable and suitable individual for the sake of humanity’s well-being.”

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“That’s sophistry, isn’t it?”

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“Yes, it is sophistry.”

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Leopold nodded.

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“But for them, that sophistry was enough. With the influence of Elpinel and Shaulite, the Elector position came to signify a privileged status separate from the emperor’s ruling authority.”

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I understood what he meant.

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“To summarize… the Elector position and the Saintess position can be held concurrently, but a Marquis title and the Saintess position cannot, is that it?”

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“Exactly. A Saintess’s allegiance is solely to the gods of the Heavenly Realm, so submitting to the emperor’s commands as his vassal would be blasphemous.”

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…Isn’t that a good thing?

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In short, as long as I stubbornly hold onto my Marquis title, I won’t have to take on the burden of being a Saintess.

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“Then I’ll just refuse to be a Saintess—”

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“Of course, that’s how it’s been until now.”

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Leopold cut me off firmly and shook his head.

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With a look that said, “I know what you’re thinking, but it’s pointless, so give up now.”

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“Do you think the Astraea Church Order will simply let go of the Saintess of Order, who appeared for the first time in 800 years? Especially someone with combat power that could be considered the strongest of this era, along with unparalleled achievements and fame?”

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…Right. Of course not. Even objectively speaking, the current me is someone they’d go to any lengths to recruit.

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Moreover, judging by Astraea’s recent actions—causing such a huge incident with just one prayer—I couldn’t even begin to guess what she might try if I stubbornly refused the Saintess position.

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Who knows, she might even descend in person in front of the entire Imperial Capital. Like how she left me a message at Arad’s Cathedral before.

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I doubt she’d go that far, but if something like that actually happened…

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It wouldn’t just be a matter of being a Saintess. It could lead to a catastrophe where I’d end up at the very top of all Church Orders.

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From what I know, there hasn’t been a single instance of a god directly speaking or sending a message since Carolus.

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If something like that happened, I wouldn’t just be an ordinary Saintess. I’d become a legendary Saintess who manifested divine miracles on this earth.

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‘Praise be! The earthly representative of Goddess Astraea, the most noble Grand Saintess, the embodiment of the Oracle, Ha-shal-leur!’

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‘Oh, Ha-shal-leur. Oh…!’

‘Bless us…!’

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For a moment, the image of millions of people kneeling before me, clad in a Saintess’s robes, offering praise and prayers, flashed through my mind.

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…Ugh.

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It was such a cringe-inducing thought that even my remaining arm broke out in goosebumps.

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“The Astraea Church Order won’t let you go. No matter what happens, no matter what reasons you give. Just as they did before, they’ll suppress all opposition under the pretext of divine will and force the Saintess position upon you.”

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Watching me swallow dryly at the horrifying thought, Leopold continued in a low voice.

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“They’d rather break the unwritten rule that holy and secular positions can’t be held concurrently… or turn you into someone who doesn’t need to be loyal to me.”

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“Someone who doesn’t need to be loyal to you?”

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I didn’t understand what he meant.

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Leopold sighed and explained.

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“The Median Territory, the Landenburg Territory, the small territory granted by Pailoon, and Arad in the Holy Kingdom. Add to that the territory you’ll receive for your achievements in this war. Do you know that if you combine all these lands, they’d surpass even the Duchy of Pailoon?”

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…Is that accurate?

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His explanation felt rather out of the blue for an answer to my question.

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“…I didn’t know it was that much.”

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I didn’t even know they were planning to grant me more territory for this war.

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“The Astraea Church Order knows. And they’ll think this: ‘If she holds enough territory to surpass the Duchy of Pailoon, isn’t that practically a small kingdom?’ Do you understand what that means?”

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Ah.

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I understood.

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I understood exactly what Leopold was getting at.

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“They’ll make you a queen. Not a vassal of the emperor, but the rightful queen of an independent kingdom. Now, do you see what you’ve done?”

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…I was speechless.

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