In the Holy Kingdom of Constantine’s papal palace, where everyone walked around in immaculate white priestly robes, a man cut through the hallway.
Wearing plain black clothes, the man couldn’t run due to the strict rules of the Holy See, but he hurriedly pushed past others, tapping their shoulders as he went.
His vigilant eyes indicated something unusual had happened.
He tightly held a piece of paper in his hand, likely a telegram.
The priests’ glances fell occasionally on the paper he carried. The man stopped in front of a large office.
“Archbishop Julius.”
An urgent knock.
The door opened and a middle-aged man poked his head.
“What is it? I’m in the middle of morning prayers.”
Archbishop Julius frowned just enough to not offend God.
Morning prayers were a crucial ritual for the Holy See’s priests, and even the highest-ranking Archbishop Julius was no exception.
“Hah, huff. My apologies, but—!”
The man, catching his breath, anxiously looked around.
Only after confirming that no one else was present did he pull out the paper from his coat.
“It’s the telegram you instructed me to keep an eye on.”
“Thank you for bringing it, but since you came rushing like this, everyone must have noticed. If it’s so obvious, why are you looking around so nervously?”
“…M-My apologies!”
“Never mind, just come in for now.”
Archbishop Julius couldn’t help but be displeased. No matter how urgent, barging across the Holy See like this wasn’t ideal.
For a priest, having deep connections to outsiders wasn’t exactly a positive image. And here was an outsider, coming straight into the heart of the Holy See.
Given Julius’s role in overseeing the Holy See, many would overlook it, but others might cast suspicious glances, which was troublesome—especially in times like these when many schemes were brewing.
But spilled water couldn’t be scooped back up.
Julius composed his expression and led the man to a guest table.
“So, what’s the matter?”
“Well… it’s…”
The man glanced around nervously once again.
Julius sighed and tried to calm him down.
“Relax. No one has the audacity to eavesdrop on the Archbishop’s office, located just below the Holy King himself.”
“The Seventh Death Squad has been wiped out. If you look at this…”
The man handed Julius a sheet of paper.
It wasn’t written in the common continental language but was thoroughly encrypted, making it impossible for the average person to understand.
Julius, however, didn’t even try to decode it.
“What did you say? The Seventh Death Squad has been wiped out? Does that mean One is dead as well?”
Bang!
Julius slammed his hand down on the table, his outburst unbecoming of someone of his rank as Archbishop.
“How? Their skill is on par with the Holy Knights! No, One’s abilities rival those of the Inquisitors. That’s why I trusted them. How could this have happened?”
“I don’t have the full details…”
“Tell me everything you know.”
“They were taken down by a boy, a woman, and a middle-aged man.”
“What? Was the middle-aged man perhaps a Grand Magician or a renowned martial artist with a title like Varian?”
Julius, in disbelief, asked again.
The man could only shake his head.
“That… That’s something I couldn’t believe either, but the young boy’s activities were the most outstanding.”
“How absurd… Who’s your informant? Where did you get this information?”
“It’s from an informant embedded in the Concorde Count’s household. They saw the recording device with their own eyes. The boy’s identity and aura were also extraordinary.”
“Is there any footage left from the device?”
“It was destroyed. The battle was so intense that this was the best they could manage.”
“Damn it! Can’t they do anything right?”
“Well… they did manage to get a name.”
“Show me.”
The man hastily pulled out a stack of documents he had prepared.
“This is the person.”
“Lloyd… Lloyd…”
Julius furrowed his brow deeply, holding the documents in one hand while tapping the table with his fingers. After a few minutes, the man cautiously asked,
“Does the name sound familiar?”
“Nothing comes to mind.”
“Yes, he’s from an unremarkable family. We’ve already commissioned a more thorough investigation, and additional information should be arriving soon.”
“You did well. And the middle-aged man? Wasn’t he once a knight hailed as a genius? What’s someone like him doing as a village chief in some remote backwater?”
“Yes.”
“And the woman?”
“That… that’s where we hit a snag. The informant claimed they couldn’t reveal any information about her. They feared for their life and begged us to overlook it just this once.”
“They’ve lost their mind.”
“They’re not the type to make excuses. There must be something serious going on…”
“Inform them their payment will be reduced by a third.”
“…Understood.”
Julius leaned back against the sofa, closing his eyes.
His mind was tangled with complicated thoughts.
The Seventh Death Squad had been a useful asset to him.
“…I trust no information about our side has leaked?”
“Of… of course not! The cleanup was handled as discreetly as possible.”
“You’ve done well.”
Julius exhaled deeply.
As long as there were no repercussions.
None.
Archbishop Julius. He was, in effect, the second-in-command of the Holy See.
As the Archbishop overseeing the Holy See, Julius was traditionally second only to the Holy King.
However, with the arrival of Saintess Aria, everything had changed.
Julius clenched his fists.
He needed to find what needed to be found—whatever it took.
“We might as well consider Easton lost.”
“It seems unlikely we can reclaim the privileges that One held there. After all, the Holy See cannot directly intervene in the Empire’s affairs… Should we look for another organization?”
“…No need. There aren’t many who can handle matters as cleanly as One.”
“Isn’t Easton a key city?”
“That boy, Lloyd, or whatever his name is, must know that too. He’s no ordinary person. Investigating him comes first.”
“Understood.”
“And…”
Julius gestured for the man to come closer. He leaned in and whispered into his ear.
“Prepare something—anything—that could bring down Saintess Aria. Whatever it is, do it quickly.”
“…Understood.”
With a nod, the man took his leave at Julius’s signal.
Easton was lost.
Julius muttered a curse under his breath and began putting on his formal robes.
There was a regular meeting in the afternoon, and now, he had one more reason to push back against Saintess Aria.
◆
The Hero’s Party had defeated the Demon King.
And the candidate for Saintess within that party had been hailed as the new Saintess.
It had been 100 years since the birth of a new Saintess.
The name “Aria” was the same as one of the most illustrious Saintesses in history.
People love mythical stories, which was why so many flocked to the Deus Church.
The Holy Palace of Kingdom of Constantine, where the Saintess resided, became a pilgrimage site for those wanting to see her.
In no time, half the continent’s population had converted, and donations flooded in so heavily that new warehouses had to be built to store them.
The Deus Church was thriving.
All thanks to Saintess Aria.
The girl who had defeated the Demon King.
The objects she touched became ‘holy objects’.
Items she touched became “holy relics”.
Water she drank became “holy water”.
In fact, even the wells that produced the water she drank became revered as sacred.
The Saint’s Guards, a group devoted solely to her protection, had grown to be the largest organization within the Holy See.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Aria stood above even the Holy King.
However.
“What is going on here?! For months now, the number of believers has been sharply declining! Donations aren’t coming in properly either!”
Bam-!
The conference room of the Holy Emperor’s Office.
In the meeting room of the Holy See, an archbishop slammed his hands on the table, causing Aria to flinch. Archbishop Julius, despite his age, was tall and imposing, and his presence dominated the room.
Aria was afraid of him.
In fact, she was afraid of all these high-ranking figures. Despite being revered as the Saintess by all, Aria still shrank when faced with those in authority—especially intimidating men like Julius.
Moments like this always made her think of that person.
The one who, unlike the others, had been kind to her.
‘…Lee Han.’
Aria quickly shook her head at the name.
No, she said.
Lee Han was a bad person. His kindness was merely a facade to claim her for himself. She couldn’t trust him.
She shouldn’t.
But…
But on the execution platform, he had—
“Say something, Saintess! Don’t just stand there silently!”
“Hic… I… I’m sorry!”
“Didn’t the Holy See grow because of you, Saintess?”
The organization was no longer being sustained.
And it was because of you, Saintess.
That’s what the Archbishop’s manipulative words implied, subtly blaming Aria for the crisis.
An organization that grows too quickly inevitably faces a moment of crisis.
That crisis was money.
When there was no longer enough money to sustain the organization, the problem began.
They couldn’t just dismiss priests without a valid reason, not in the Holy Kingdom of Constantine.
This was why the meeting room of the Holy See had become so chaotic.
“You must take responsibility somehow!”
Aria froze at the look on the Archbishop’s face as he berated her.
Silence settled over the room.
The silence and the stares pierced her.
