* * *
The moment I heard that the "oracle" from the rural saint claimed the prince was the "seed of evil" and needed to be purified, I knew exactly what was going on. Purification—the very same ritual that had once tormented young Eugene—was designed to create a vessel to contain the Mad Dragon.
But now, since the vessel they’d worked so hard to prepare was unavailable, they were scrambling to find a new one. And, absurdly enough, that new vessel was supposed to be Kirke’s son.
I had to admit, their persistence was somewhat impressive. If it had been me, I’d probably have said, "Ugh, this is too much trouble. I’d rather just die!"
As I stared curiously at the Mad Dragon wearing Hazen’s skin, he gave me a smug smile and spoke smoothly, “I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
Despite my generous warning, the dragon in Hazen’s disguise clearly had no intention of backing down. Perhaps he had yet to experience just how petty the gods could be, and that’s why he was dismissing my kind advice so lightly.
“It’s true. If the gods find out you’re impersonating one of their messengers and delivering a false oracle, they’re going to be furious. Why don’t you confess now and leave quietly while you still can?” I suggested, subtly gesturing toward the crowd that was watching our exchange closely.
There wasn’t any old bond between us, but I figured it was only fair to give him a chance to clean up his own mess. Back in my days as a dark mage, I wouldn’t have even considered something like this. But now, as a *Saintess*, I had to uphold a certain level of grace and generosity.
‘If I’m going to introduce myself as a proper Saintess, I should at least show this kind of magnanimity,’ I thought, amused by the idea of living up to everyone’s expectations of me.
“You speak as though you know those beings up there quite well,” the Mad Dragon said, pointing toward the sky with a sly grin.
He clearly didn’t appreciate my generosity.
“I’m close enough to hold direct conversations with them if I want to,” I replied casually, hiding the part about how costly those "conversations" could be. There was no need to disclose everything.
The Mad Dragon let out a loud, showy laugh, one that echoed through the hall and was clearly meant for everyone to hear.
“In that case, why don’t you summon the gods right here and prove that my words are false?” he suggested, raising his voice so everyone could hear.
Our private conversation was no longer private. His challenge was a deliberate attempt to turn the situation into a public spectacle.
‘How clever,’ I thought.
There’s a vast difference between claiming to communicate with the gods and actually summoning them. The Mad Dragon was trying to blur that line, pushing me into an awkward position. If I couldn’t summon a god here and now, he would frame me as a fraud, and my claims of divine communication would crumble.
But...!
“I was planning to do that from the start,” I replied smoothly, a soft, confident smile on my face.
“Planning to... do that?” he repeated, his brow lifting ever so slightly in surprise—a change so subtle that only I, standing close to him, could notice.
“Yes. Didn’t I make it clear from the moment I arrived? I came here to apprehend a *fraud*—someone pretending to be a saint,” I said, turning my gaze to the gathered crowd.
I gave each person a warm smile, and they all flinched, quickly lowering their heads. It seemed the Saintess’s authority still carried quite a bit of weight. After demonstrating a little power, it was time to make my case.
“The gods have spoken,” I declared, my voice ringing out clearly for all to hear. “They have commanded me to punish this imposter, who dares to pose as a saint and fabricate a false oracle. These are the true words from the heavens—the *real* message from the gods.”
The emphasis I placed on the word "real" seemed to have an effect, leaving the crowd, which had previously been swayed by the Mad Dragon's words, even more confused. They were caught between two seemingly divine figures: one who had gained a reputation for performing miracles, naturally becoming known as a saint, and another, officially recognized as the Saintess by Cardinal Bael and the Church.
Who truly carried the word of the gods?
*Bang!*
Before they could dwell on their thoughts, another loud sound filled the hall. This time, it was the former Emperor who made the noise, slamming his fist onto the armrest of the throne. With a sneer, he shot a cold glare at me.
"Saintess Reshia *Elpinard*. The Elpinard family is quite close to the Emperor, isn’t it? Could it be that the Emperor sent the Saintess here in a hurry to protect his son? Think carefully—God sees everything," he said with biting condescension, his eyes full of unwavering trust in the saint standing beside him.
Just as the Empress had fallen under the sway of her maid, it was clear the former Emperor had been thoroughly brainwashed by the Mad Dragon in disguise. In the future I had seen, the former Emperor’s loyalty to the so-called saint had only grown stronger, to the point that he followed the saint’s every word without question.
I had expected the former Emperor to react like this, so I exaggerated my shock, pretending to be taken aback. Then, I dramatically covered my mouth with both hands and gasped.
"Oh my, it seems the *seed of evil* isn’t the prince—it’s the former Emperor! You’ve been thoroughly possessed by this demon pretending to be a saint!"
“A demon?!”
The former Emperor slammed the armrest again and shot up from his seat, his face flushed with anger. Internally, I smiled. This was exactly the reaction I had hoped for.
I could have handled the Mad Dragon quietly without causing such a commotion, but there was no reason to stay subtle when the stage had already been set for me. Ignoring the Mad Dragon’s demands and refusing to hand over the prince would have sufficed, but since they had stirred the pot, why not dance to the rhythm they’d set?
‘Meanwhile, Kirke’s loyal subordinates are busy reviewing my subscription contract... I’ll have to give them a bonus for their trouble.’
Feigning innocence, I faced the fuming former Emperor, my gaze shifting toward the Mad Dragon, who continued to wear a serene, saintly expression.
"Your Majesty, you must break free from this demon masquerading as a saint. Have you truly lost all your clarity of mind to the passage of time?"
"Hah! Are you suggesting I’ve grown senile and can’t even tell the difference between truth and lies? That I’ve fallen for the deceit of a false saint?"
Graciously, the former Emperor said exactly what I had hoped to avoid saying myself. I simply offered him a knowing smile, my expression calm and unbothered.
"I’m merely concerned for Your Majesty’s state of mind, nothing more."
“You insolent—!”
The former Emperor was seething now, his whole body trembling with rage, on the verge of collapsing from sheer fury. If it were to be proven that the rural saint was indeed a fraud, the former Emperor would become nothing more than a senile old man, duped by a con artist. His influence, built on his former glory, would crumble in an instant.
‘This way, I can take down both the Mad Dragon and the former Emperor in one fell swoop,’ I thought, pleased with the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
The witnesses the former Emperor had conveniently gathered would make this all the more satisfying.
I let out a dramatic sigh, shaking my head slowly, deliberately. "How unfortunate, that the former Emperor has fallen victim to such a shallow trick..."
“Who are you calling a trickster—?!”
“Your Majesty,” the Mad Dragon interrupted softly, gently placing a hand on the former Emperor’s shoulder, calming him before he could raise his voice further. The former Emperor, though still visibly upset, settled back into his seat with a huff.
“The Saintess’s claim that I am a fraud is nothing more than her personal assertion,” the Mad Dragon said calmly, addressing the crowd. “I am the one chosen by God. It was the saint who saved my life when I was on the verge of death. I myself am proof of the saint’s authenticity.”
The former Emperor, now more composed, leaned back leisurely in the throne and eyed me up and down.
"If there’s a fraud here, wouldn’t it be more fitting to call the Saintess the impostor?" he said with a smirk.
"Are you suggesting, then, that you doubt the Church’s choice?" I asked, meeting his gaze.
"Who knows? Maybe even the Church was deceived by a clever con artist," he replied, though it was clear he didn’t want to fully antagonize the central Church. Instead, he deftly shifted the blame toward me.
"If that’s your belief, why don’t we invite priests from the central Church and let them decide who the real saint is, and whose words truly come from the gods?" I offered, pretending to be caught off guard by his accusation, my shoulders trembling slightly.
The former Emperor seemed emboldened by my reaction. With a sly grin, he raised a hand, cutting off my words.
"A method of verification, you say? Indeed, there is one."
“There is?” I feigned surprise, keeping the tension in the room high.
"Yes. We can verify the will of the gods through a *relic*!"
*Relic*.
At last, the word I’d been waiting for emerged from his mouth. As soon as he said it, memories of my conversation with Serlus about divine powers resurfaced in my mind.
[If you gain the ability to use the gods’ power, there will be one additional condition that must be met.]
〈What condition is that?
[As you know, the gods of Heaven cannot directly interfere in the human world. That’s why they’ve been resolving issues through you, their subscriber. To use divine power in the human world, a conduit is required.]
〈Don’t tell me that to use this conduit, I’ll have to pay more Heaven Coins or complete more tasks?〉
[No, not at all. In anticipation of such events, the gods have left traces of their power in the human world. These are what humans commonly refer to as *relics*. By using them as a medium, you can invoke the gods’ powers in the mortal realm.]
〈Sounds simple enough. Since they’re relics, I assume they’re in temples, right?〉
[Well… about that…]
〈What is it? Don’t tell me they’re not in temples? Are they hidden in some ridiculous places that we have to hunt for?〉