The capital city of Igguoqueden.

There were two remarkable buildings that one could never forget after visiting once.

One was the Igguoqueden Cathedral.

It was said to be “the world’s most beautiful cathedral,” boasting the tallest spire in the capital, along with various murals, famous paintings, relics, and sculptures inside. However, not long ago, the spire had been struck away by the will of the gods, and the interior was in disarray as everything was thrown out, replaced with new items, making it rather chaotic at present.

And the other was the Imperial Palace.

It was the residence of those who possessed the noblest blood in the continent.

Utilizing an entire hill without cutting it down, this palace was breathtaking to behold, and with moats thoroughly dug, it could easily serve as a small fortress in times of emergency.

At the center of that Imperial Palace was the Audience Room, where one could meet the Emperor.

On the red carpet, Linea knelt, bowing her head in greeting to the peak of power atop the Empire.

“Mother, I’ve returned.”

“Welcome back, Linea.”

Seated on the Emperor’s throne was Linea’s mother, Eirene von Einsberg, the 18th sovereign of the Einsberg Empire.

Her golden hair, shining brighter than the dust caught in sunlight, was elegantly braided and draped down one side, exuding grace, while her deep sapphire eyes, reminiscent of the vast ocean, served as a strong testament to her royal lineage.

Her remarkably pale skin was impressive, but the most significant feature was her chest.

Her bosom. Two massive orbs of such violent size that merely gazing upon them felt as if one would be crushed under the weight of the word ‘breast’!

Though her adoptive daughter, the second princess Linea, also boasted substantial curves, she paled in comparison to Eirene.

The overwhelming, mature breasts that only a fully matured woman could possess seemed ready to burst the luxurious dress apart.

Having learned suspicion before love, she was now 36 years old.

The reason the age gap between her and the 21-year-old Linea wasn’t that substantial was that all the children of the imperial family, including her, were her sister’s children.

They had adopted the children of the late previous emperor who had died early.

Eirene had ascended to the throne at the young age of 22 after the untimely death of her much older sister, Aisha von Einsberg.

Upon crowning herself as Emperor, she was met with the ugly scene of power struggles.

Brothers and sisters were rivals vying for the throne, and numerous nobles following them became her adversaries.

Despite this, she had managed to weather the storm and maintain her position.

She was willing to get her hands dirty when necessary, ready to spill blood to avoid being devoured.

And now.

At least on the surface, there were no longer those who seemed to harbor any rebellious intentions against her.

Though she had ended up acquiring children before finding a husband, it didn’t matter much.

After all, creating direct descendants would only complicate the succession, so it was better for her to inherit her sister’s children as they were.

Now, she had no intentions of looking for a husband. The presence of men had never occupied a spot in her interests.

She wasn’t uninterested in love… but what made her heart race was when her plans came to fruition, not when it came to a man.

Eirene stretched out her white hand and spoke.

“So, have you met the Saint?”

“Yes. As expected, she was appointed as a Holy Knight…”

“It seems something’s gone amiss?”

Following this was the story about the Holy Knight Plate. The mention of three people sharing one plate caused Eirene to slightly furrow her brows and tilt her head.

Her golden side hair swayed gently.

“Are you saying you appointed three Holy Knights?”

“That’s correct.”

Eirene’s white hand brushed over her pink lips.

“Well, that’s clearly a decision made by a cunning fox.”

Linea quickly caught on to whom Eirene was referring.

The Pope. A man, Agnes III, who was rapidly increasing church power and trying to regain authority.

“But Mother, this decision to select the ‘Holy Knight Plate’ was the will of the gods—”

“Linea, don’t tell me you truly believe in such nonsensical talk about the will of the gods?”

“…….”

Silence from her meant agreement.

After all, Linea didn’t particularly believe in the existence of gods either.

“Making us into enemies is a hassle. Yet, I don’t want to grant them enough power to keep in check… So, selecting all three would suffice. Both you and Ophilia are exceptional knights, so the risk of picking an unknown knight can be managed adequately. Furthermore, appointing three Holy Knights can create the impression that ‘the Saint that has appeared this time is special.’ The only thing remaining is to amend their rules, but… that can be resolved—”

By tearing apart that book claiming to be ‘divine words.’

They are beasts that devour the Bible.

Eirene chuckled as she said this with a tone of self-deprecation.

“It’s rather amusing how they’re struggling to recover their past glory now that the Saint has emerged. Whether they’re religious individuals or nobles with political ambitions… it’s truly laughable. Linea, since you’ve studied history, you must know, right? What happened just a few hundred years ago.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Eirene and Linea revisited the history of the past.

—Once, there was a time when even the Emperor had to kneel before the Pope due to the power of religion being so strong.

During that period, the Bible was the legal code. No, it was an era where religion was prioritized over any legal code.

Among all the women of the imperial family, there was even an obligation to reveal a portion of their bosom.

This would have been a significant humiliation for the royal family, which pursued secular values.

Could you believe that the authority of the Bible was unchanged, and the emperor’s position felt merely like a tax collector?

However, as much as the power of Heaven’s new bird was mighty, it had its limits.

The Pope at that time, Magnitipus II, was exceedingly greedy, and he originated an impious logic directly contradicting the divine intent that ‘as long as one can contribute offerings, the size of the Holy Power Pouch isn’t particularly important’ –

A tremendous blasphemy regarded as one of the most heinous sins in the religious community even now—

“You surely know, Linea?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Correct. —The sale of breast milk.”

“…You mean the sale of breast products, Mother.”

“That’s the same thing.”

After the shocking incident of ‘the sale of breast products,’ a qualification for becoming a nun even without a Holy Power Pouch, which would be unspeakable in today’s religious community.

With the rapid decrease in Holy Power due to insufficient pouches and the decline of the church’s absolute status, it ultimately led to today’s situation where, though it remains the state religion, the Emperor cannot exercise absolute authority, nor can the imperial family have unilateral control over the religious community.

Finally, a kind of balance had been achieved.

In such circumstances, a Saint had emerged after 200 years.

Naturally, it wouldn’t be odd if the Guoden Church aimed to actively utilize the miracle of the Saint to elevate its status on the continent.

It was only natural that the Emperor couldn’t just watch it unfold.

“I’ve agreed to become the ‘Holy Knight Plate’ for now… but to avoid being called out, should I study the Bible from now on?”

“The Bible is ultimately written by humans. Well, since you’ve become a Holy Knight, it wouldn’t hurt to read it… but for now, just stay out of sight, Linea. I’ll handle everything. Do you understand?”

“Are you going to take care of everything…?”

At that moment.

Eirene tilted her head slightly and gazed down at Linea.

The gaze of an absolute being. This was the look of a superior addressing an inferior.

“Before long, you will be the only remaining Holy Knight.”

“……!!”

Linea’s eyes widened in surprise, but Eirene continued speaking nonchalantly.

“Of course, I have no intention of getting my hands dirty. That would be a foolish move that would turn the church into our enemy. However, without dirtying my hands, I can mobilize various means and methods.”

“It wouldn’t do any good to unnecessarily irritate the nobles, so we’ll need to prepare somewhat meticulously to deal with the Transrente family… yes. For now, let’s take care of the unnamed knight first.”

Eirene said this and covered her mouth with her white hand as she chuckled softly.

The sight was so beautiful that it didn’t give the impression of a woman concocting schemes at all.

“Mother. Even so, doing something to the appointed Holy Knights doesn’t seem like a good idea…”

“Have you become friends already?”

“That’s not it, but if there are things that should be done in this world—”

—Surely there are also things that shouldn’t be done, right?

“You are still young, Linea. It’s not that there are things you should not do. It’s that there are things you must not get caught doing.”

“……!”

While Linea was taken aback into silence, Eirene remained remarkably calm.

In truth, since the Saint had appeared, it was just a matter of being cautious—what would an emperor need to be cautious about?

“Don’t worry. If they are truly the Holy Knights appointed by the divine, then even a mere human scheme wouldn’t be allowed by the gods, would it?”

With that said, she burst into laughter again—

“Yes. If ‘God’ was truly watching the humans with their eyes.”

* * *

Yum, yum.

“It’s delicious.”

While spending time peeling and eating tangerines, my phone vibrated.

[“The episode ‘Appointment of Holy Knights (4)’ has been uploaded!”]

“Oh! The next chapter is out!”

It’s here! My dopamine!

I’m so excited!

I have to go read the next chapter!