The bird’s carcass was already divided into three pieces.
Since it had been dead for quite some time, it wasn’t a gruesome sight with blood gushing out. I carefully opened the stopper sealing the bottle and gently poured the liquid over the carcass. Not a single drop spilled; the liquid was neatly absorbed into the body of the bird.
Soon after, a faint blue glow began to envelop the fragmented bird, and murmurs could be heard from all around.
It was now time to burn the body. At my signal, Bael gave a nod, and three priests standing by the altar each placed a piece of the carcass onto the sacred relics.
The temple relics, the ring of the former emperor, and even the prophecy book from the Ivory Tower—all were laid out. The priests, tasked with burning the body, approached the bird’s remains with slightly tense faces, holding candles in their hands. The flames matched the hue of the liquid from the bottle—a soft, blue fire.
As soon as the flame touched the bird’s body, a massive blue blaze surged up.
“Gasp!”
“It’s holy fire!”
The onlookers gasped in astonishment. It was only natural for some to worry whether the sacred relics would burn along with the body. But this was no ordinary fire.
‘They say it’s a flame taken from the altar of a god or something.’
The so-called “holy fire” had a grand name, but it was said to burn only those who had defied the will of the gods.
‘Or at least that’s what Bael said.’
In reality, it was probably just a fire that reacted to the blue liquid poured on the bird’s carcass. Of course, it would be problematic if anyone knew that a saintess harbored such doubts during a sacred ritual.
‘Keep your expression neutral, stay calm…’
Muttering to myself internally, I watched the flames subside with as solemn an expression as I could muster. When the blue flames disappeared, not a trace of the bird’s burnt remains could be found. The fragmented soul of the Mad Dragon, trapped within the relic, let out a wail of resentment that echoed in my ears before gradually fading away.
I glanced around, wondering if anyone else had heard it, but everyone seemed enraptured by the divine spectacle, their faces blank with awe.
‘Was I the only one who heard it?’
In any case, it meant the sealing ritual had been successful, so there was no need to be concerned.
“With this, the seed of evil is forever sealed within the relic. I declare that a safe and everlasting era of peace has arrived for all of you.”
Bringing my hands together as if in prayer, I spoke a few ceremonial words, and applause and cheers erupted from all directions.
“God has bestowed peace upon us!”
“Long live the Saintess!”
As I rolled my eyes in mild embarrassment at the overwhelming cheers, Bael chuckled softly and raised his hand to calm everyone down.
“Furthermore, I wish to reveal the name of another martyr who helped fulfill the holy will of God here today.”
Despite the commotion, Bael’s voice resonated clearly through the space. At the mention of the grand term “martyr,” the previously cheering crowd fell silent, their curiosity piqued as they turned their gazes toward Bael.
Bael patiently waited until every eye was on him. Then, after making the sign of the cross and clasping his hands together, he solemnly declared, “The name of the martyr is Greslin, the mage who first noticed the foreboding signs of the Mad Dragon's revival and tragically lost her life while attempting to stop it on her own.”
Greslin.
The well-known name stirred murmurs of excitement throughout the room once more.
“Isn’t she the mage who killed her apprentice and fled?”
“They’re calling her a martyr?”
“They say she realized the Mad Dragon’s revival and died trying to prevent it.”
As the crowd buzzed with whispers, Bael spoke again.
“Though Greslin was falsely accused due to the Mad Dragon's schemes, God knows the truth of his innocence and has revealed it to me. From today onward, Greslin will be remembered not as a murderer, but as a martyr, and those who dare question this will be denying the words of God and will face divine punishment.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a radiant light flowed from Bael’s hands, bestowing blessings upon the gathered crowd. While blessing others was a basic skill for priests, doing so in such a large venue and for so many people at once required immense divine power—something only a powerful priest like Bael could manage in this era.
“Let us all pray in honor of the martyr Greslin and receive the blessing.”
Witnessing Bael’s immense holy power, not only the spectators but also his fellow priests, and even the newly appointed pope, bowed their heads in prayer without a trace of doubt.
I quietly observed the people solemnly praying in honor of Greslin. Seated in the front row of the grand hall were people I knew all too well. As this was the new pope’s first ceremonial event, high-ranking members of the imperial family, including Kirke, were in attendance, as well as notable figures such as Duke Elpinard, Axel, and Count Servian Kol. Among them, I spotted Eugene and Leonid, who were also praying with serious expressions.
It was a touching sight, seeing everyone united in prayer, blessing the memory of someone who had disappeared—someone who had once been “me.” I used to doubt even the existence of the gods, and I still did not revere them. Yet, despite this, I felt a strange warmth in my chest.
Taking a deep breath, I clasped my hands together and closed my eyes, mimicking the others. For the first and last time, I sincerely prayed to the God of Heaven.
Perhaps now, I could look back on all the memories of the past with a smile, as mere fond recollections.
* * *
“Saintess! Please, just let me shake your hand once!”
"Are you crazy? How dare you try to touch the Saintess’ hand? I’m just happy if she looks my way!"
"You idiot! If she looks at your face, her eyes will rot!"
"What did you say?!"
I quickly stepped away from the crowd, trying to avoid their escalating shouts. As soon as I safely climbed into the carriage, Leonid, who had been clearing the path for me with great effort, collapsed into the seat with a deep sigh.
“Who knew watching an opera would be this exhausting. Being friends with a celebrity is no easy task. Why isn’t the carriage moving yet?”
Leonid grumbled, casting a glance outside the window, then shuddered as if he was completely fed up.
“They’re not moving out of the way. We’re going to be stuck here for at least another 30 minutes.”
“Thirty minutes? That’s quicker than I expected.”
I pulled back the curtain covering the window and smiled, waving at the crowd gathered outside. The cheers that followed were loud enough to shake the carriage. Leonid quickly drew the curtain shut and gave me an exasperated look, scanning me from head to toe.
“You seem to be enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“It’s not enjoyment, it’s just familiarity. People naturally have things they want from the Saintess, don’t they? I’m simply fulfilling their desires. They feel blessed and happy just from me waving at them. It’s my own way of embracing this peaceful era.”
Thinking back to the days when we worried about the Mad Dragon and the empire’s peril, this world had become almost too peaceful.
In a world like this, the role of the Saintess was less about being a hero who would lead the world to salvation, and more like an actor warming people’s hearts.
'Considering all the benefits I gain from being treated as a Saintess, this much is the least I can do.'
It had been several years since the Mad Dragon had been completely sealed. Now, at twenty years old, I was a full-fledged adult. Though I’d been mentally mature for a long time, I could finally say my body matched that maturity.
The same could be said for Leonid, who sat across from me. He’d grown taller, his features had become sharper, and his voice had deepened. If it weren’t for his eccentric personality, he would have easily stirred up scandals with several ladies in high society by now, given his looks.
‘But he’s more interested in books and artifacts than in people.’
It was amusing how much he resembled his father, Servian, in that regard.
Meanwhile, the empire had also changed significantly. After the incident where the Mad Dragon, which had sought to revive, was resealed, the legends of the heroes who had saved the empire long ago once again stirred the entire nation.
With that strength as her foundation, Emperor Kirke purged the faction loyal to the former emperor and united the empire under a single goal. The result was a true era of peace and prosperity.
Leaning back in my seat, I let my mind wander, thinking about my companions who were all living in this almost dreamlike peaceful era.
The first person to come to mind, of course, was Emperor Kirke.