“The Saint…?”
As soon as I heard the word “Saint,” the image of Lady Araidel flashed through my mind. I had never met her in person, only seen her portrait, so it’s not like we had any real connection.
But lately, have they been recruiting Saints like that? I couldn’t understand why the Pope of the Aldehir Church, one of the five major sects serving one of the great gods, would say such a thing to Roka.
Glancing around, even the Cardinal seemed stunned, and all the priests of the Aldehir Church were in shock.
“…? Is it edible?”
It seemed like an unexpected proposal for Roka too. The child hesitated before finally speaking, saying something so childlike. But I don’t think Roka doesn’t understand the meaning of the word “Saint.” She’s just flustered.
…Right?
“Your Holiness Poiem, may I ask one thing?”
“Ah, Your Excellency. Please, go ahead. What is it you wish to know?”
“Well… Is it really acceptable for a Saint of one of the continent’s five major sects to be chosen through such a simple process?”
“Why not? If the god takes a liking to someone, even a child walking by can become a Saint.”
Even the Chancellor seemed taken aback, his expression clearly showing his confusion.
In fact, it wasn’t just him.
“Is that so?”
“You’re a Cardinal of our church, and yet you didn’t know that? A Saint isn’t as grand a position as you might think. Well, it is grand, but it doesn’t carry as much weight as people usually assume.”
The Pope clicked his tongue and continued.
“However, creating a Saint or Saintess requires a significant expenditure from the god, so not just any god can appoint one. That’s why they prefer to choose someone they favor.”
“Among them, those three gods are particularly peculiar. They pick children who show potential from a young age, raise them, and then appoint them as Saints or Saintesses once they’ve grown enough.”
The Pope declared this to the still-dazed Cardinal and the surrounding priests.
“Think about it. Do we have Saint or Saintess candidates in our church? But the Three God Faith does. That’s just the preference of the higher-ups. The Three Divine Gods and our god are different, so naturally, their Saintesses and ours are different too. They share the same title, but they don’t hold the same status.”
“Wait, why have you been hiding this all along? Shouldn’t I have known?”
“If it were you, would you want to say even one more word to someone who’s always grumbling and calling you an old man? Have you ever even asked?”
Besides, there was no need to tell you until now.
His Holiness the Pope said this and then looked at Roka with kind eyes. Roka, feeling the warmth of his gaze, awkwardly stepped back.
That child seemed more flustered by the grandfatherly warmth than by any mischievous prank. Like someone who’s only eaten cold food struggling to swallow hot stew, Roka couldn’t bring herself to meet the Pope’s eyes.
Thinking about it, since I met her, I’ve been the only one to treat her warmly. It’s not that everyone else is bad, but we’ve been so busy that it just turned out that way.
If we had stayed in Larpentia, or if Roka and I had gone to Pumpkin Vine Village, maybe by now Roka would have made other friends. But with all the traveling and the people we’ve met, it hasn’t been possible.
Since Roka doesn’t approach others warmly, others have to approach her, but finding someone with that kind of affinity isn’t easy.
At best, His Majesty the Emperor or Lady Rowena might approach her, but whether they’d treat her warmly is another matter…
So when Roka looked at me like a chick searching for its mother, I just smiled. I silently expressed my full support for her decision.
“If I become a Saintess… do I have to serve the god the Pope serves?”
“That’s the biggest difference between our Aldehir Church and the Three God Faith.”
The child hesitantly asked.
His Holiness smiled kindly and explained in detail.
“In the Three God Faith, a Saintess is the god’s adopted daughter, part of the family. Not just the Saintess, but all priests call their god ‘Mother’ and worship her. In our Aldehir Church, as you can see from that guy over there who’s always snapping at me, the relationship isn’t so hierarchical.”
“…So I don’t have to believe?”
“We are people who gathered because we love the sky, who came to explore the heavens. Faith is already included in that sentiment, so our god doesn’t demand more faith than that. Whether you believe in him or not isn’t important to him.”
Ahem. He cleared his throat and then asked Roka.
“Child. What’s your name?”
“Roka. It’s Roka.”
“Roka. Alright. Whether you believe in him or not doesn’t matter. The Heavenly God isn’t trying to win your heart or make you kneel.”
The Pope smiled and continued.
“He just wants to make a deal with you. You were born with the mystery of the sun and moon, so the Heavenly God is making this offer.”
Is it that becoming a Saintess would benefit both Roka and the Heavenly God?
When the child didn’t answer, he chuckled. The Pope drew the Heavenly God’s symbol in the air and then lightly tapped Roka’s shoulder.
“Child. You don’t have to answer right away. Take your time to think about it. Decisions like this aren’t made in a hurry. Whenever you have thoughts, you can tell me or that guy over there.”
“Um, if I become a Saintess, what will I gain?”
“Aldehir will grant you great divine power. Like the Saintesses of the Three God Faith, it won’t be enough to elevate an ordinary priest to near-divine status, but it’ll still be a significant power. Don’t expect too much, but it’ll be more than you think.”
Roka, deep in thought, asked again.
“Then what do I have to give to the Heavenly God?”
“Nothing. Just being nominally his follower is enough for him. Why he thinks that way, I don’t know, but I’ve been serving the Heavenly God for a long time. Let me share my thoughts, would you listen?”
Roka nodded. The child perked up her ears and opened her eyes wide, ready to listen. Meanwhile, preparations continued smoothly.
“In my opinion, the Heavenly God seems to have high hopes for your future. If you become truly great someday, Aldehir might also become even greater because of your fame. I’m just an old man who gazes at the sky, but I’ve met quite a few people in my time.”
Ah, I see. The Saintesses of the Three God Faith receive a massive amount of divine power from their goddess, becoming great in an instant. But it seems the Heavenly God doesn’t intend to grant Roka that much power.
That method would be too burdensome for the god. That’s probably why the Three Divine Gods only have one Saintess per era.
“But those who reach such heights at a young age like you are truly rare. Geniuses are different from the start, but they grow even more different as they mature. Some trees become towering giants, while others remain small and insignificant.”
“Child. The Heavenly God might be expecting such potential from you. Of course, this is just an old man’s opinion. Perhaps he’s simply fond of the mystery of the sun and moon you possess. I don’t know. It’s hard enough to understand people, let alone a being born from desire.”
For Roka, this proposal might be nothing but beneficial. Not all deals in the world require one side to lose for the other to gain.
There are definitely deals where everyone wins.
Roka hesitated, then politely asked another question.
“Um, may I ask one more thing?”
“Of course. What is it?”
“If I become a Saintess… do I have to follow the Pope and join the Aldehir Church?”
“Inseok. We have no home, no temple. Just a few airships.”
The Pope chuckled.
“Have you heard of the Aldehir Church’s temple? We’re human, so we do have a base, but we don’t stay in one place forever. The sun moves, the clouds move, so why shouldn’t people? Where in the world can you go that’s not under the sky? Anywhere under the sky is a shrine to the Heavenly God.”
“Then… can I stay by my master’s side?”
“You can even go beyond the sky if you want. He might even prefer that.”
His Holiness the Pope gently stroked Roka’s head as if she were his own granddaughter. Roka made an awkward face but didn’t reject the touch. It didn’t seem unpleasant.
“Take your time to think and give your answer when you’re ready. You don’t have to accept. And…”
Then, his gaze slowly shifted toward me.
For a moment, it seemed like a light flashed in his eyes. Beyond his pupils, another pair of eyes seemed to flicker. I was almost certain. The one I just locked eyes with was someone far greater.
“Saint of the Ancient God.”
Before I could say anything, surprise flickered across his face.
“Perhaps, it’s someone even beyond that. The Heavenly God has never been this surprised before. He’s not a resident of this land or sky, just a passing visitor.”
“Your Holiness, it’s an honor to meet you. I’m Kyle, a priest who serves hope.”
“That’s strange. Hope is just a human emotion, so why would the being behind you call himself hope? Perhaps in times like these, he’s using that name to help us.”
Tilting his head, he extended his hand.
“Nergal Poiem. I’m the Pope of the Aldehir Church, though I’d rather be observing stars. But the Heavenly God won’t let me go, so here I am.”
“I heard this airship belongs to the Aldehir Church. Thank you for helping me in so many ways. I’m not sure how to express my gratitude.”
“Let’s decide who should be thanking whom after this is over. I’ve never been in a fight, even in my youth, and now at this age, the thought makes my vision go dark.”
…Did I hear that wrong?
“Wait, old man. What did you just say?”
“My ears are still fine, so why are you already going deaf? I’m planning to fight that Phoenix or whatever monster too. Why?”
“Are you crazy… no, since when does the Pope fight on the front lines? Of course, our church doesn’t have Holy Knights, so priests have always fought, but…”
Tsk. He clicked his tongue and scolded.
“Omen. I’m not young anymore. Even with divine power filling my body, I’m still human. Aging comes slowly, but it comes. With my death not far off and this much divine power, should I take it all to the grave? No.”
“Your Holiness, are you going too?”
Roka’s eyes widened. The child hesitated, unable to speak.
“That’s…”
“In situations like this, everyone faces death. But if an old man like me turns and runs out of fear, everyone will scatter like headless chickens and meet their doom. Child, a priest doesn’t fear death. If they fear anything, it’s not their own death, but others’.”
The Chancellor, unable to continue, let out a deep sigh.
“Alright. Let’s all board the airship together. We’ll either all die or all survive. Either way, we’ll share the fate of all the Republic’s citizens.”
