The existence of God was proven.
There may have been some objections, but at least the public thought so. This was because there was easily understandable evidence called ‘divine power.’
The power bestowed by the Heavenly Deity was literally a ‘miracle.’
Even if one fell ill or had limbs severed, recovery was possible if there was divine power. This was a feat that could not be achieved even by the system of ‘magic’ that humanity developed independently.
If the dragons who had once passed on magic to humanity were to return, then things might be different.
However, the dragons had long since vanished, and humanity’s knowledge had not yet grasped the will of God. Thus, it was inevitable that the Heavenly Deity Sect would thrive across the continent.
The empire is, by all accounts, the strongest nation on the continent.
And the Holy Kingdom was a place that even the empire could not treat recklessly.
There was no ruler who did not understand the true power of religion. Although the Holy Kingdom could not dare to provoke the empire, it was widely known that the empire respected the authority of the Holy Kingdom.
Those who summoned me to a religious trial existed at that very pinnacle.
It was the headquarters of the Heavenly Deity Sect, a place revered by countless believers.
Its name alone was an impressive one: the ‘Holy See.’
To summarize in one line, yes.
It meant I was in deep trouble.
“No, who on earth made the accusation?”
I asked as I pressed my temples, a groan escaping due to the throbbing headache. The woman sitting across from me also seemed uneasy, letting out faint sighs multiple times.
She was likely the only one who knew the whole story, the Lady Virgin Saint.
Soon, the Saint lightly shook her head. Perhaps she had been worn out over the past few days, her face showing signs of fatigue.
“First of all, it was not my intention. And I was not in a position to stop the accusation.”
That was likely true.
Common sense suggested that the Saint would not have initiated the complaint first. If she had, there would have been no reason for her to come to me to clean up the aftermath, as there had been ample opportunities previously to bring me to trial in the first place.
This meant there was no reason to accuse me now.
Therefore, there was only one conclusion: I had plotted some kind of conspiracy from the future.
Letting out a groan, I leaned back against the chair.
What on earth was that person thinking?
Did they simply want to make a fool of me?
Even among so many accusations, it had to be ‘sexual harassment’ specifically, a selection that felt purely malicious.
While I was lost in thought, the Saint calmly continued her explanation.
“So the catalyst was a few days ago, when I just returned to the Academy…”
On the day I was returning from the Northern Region, the Saint was in an exceptionally good mood.
First of all, she was pleased to hear that the prognosis of the patients she was in charge of was positive.
Although there were those who complained of serious injuries, there hadn’t been any more deaths. It was thanks to the overwhelming support of the Yuridina Clan. Moreover, was it not that the conflict between humanity and elves was drawing to a close?
The battlefield always preys on the poor.
There may be various circumstances, but most soldiers standing on the battlefield belong to the lower class. This was a common characteristic of roles that involved risking their lives for money.
Mercenaries or monster hunters, for instance.
Those standing at the edge of the cliff had to carry their own backstory.
Thus, the Saint never felt good every time she found herself on the front lines.
It was too evident that both allies and enemies were cornered. A battle that no one desired was taking countless lives away.
How could one who claimed to be a messenger of God take joy in this?
But that long tragedy was finally drawing to a close.
Thanks to the exploits of the man she loved.
The Saint’s heart swelled at the thought of seeing Ian after a long time. Though she regretted that she could not go directly to the Academy with him, she felt relieved that she could keep her promise to return in a week.
It didn’t take long for that buoyant feeling to settle down.
On the central road of the Academy, the man she encountered looked strange.
From his golden eyes dripped a palpable fatigue.
As she met his gaze, devoid of even a hint of emotion, the Saint sensed it.
That man was not ‘Ian.’
The person the Saint had feelings for was not so mechanical.
“…Ian?”
With her body stiffening in surprise, the Saint initially wore an awkward smile.
There was only one possibility.
It was ‘Ian Fercurus’ from the future. For reasons unknown, he had once again taken possession of Ian’s body.
Moreover, he was walking towards the Saint.
This meant he had something to say to her.
Right there in the bustling central road!
The Saint’s thoughts quickly became tangled. She couldn’t even begin to guess how to react.
Should she just pretend to know him and pass by?
Or should she move to a quieter place to inquire about the situation?
Of course, the man did not give the Saint any time to ponder.
“It’s been a while, Lady Virgin Saint.”
At this moment, the Saint became certain that he was not Ian.
It hadn’t even been a week since she and Ian had parted ways. It was not enough time to warrant the term ‘it’s been a while.’
A warm smile that she usually wore when dealing with most others appeared on her face.
“It’s been a while, Emmanuel. I hope you have been well?”
“I’ve been managing, more or less.”
Soon, whispers began to emerge around the Saint.
Both Ian and the Saint were famous figures at the Academy, known by everyone.
It was only natural that curiosity would arise when the two of them were in the same place.
After all, hadn’t Ian and the Saint been staying in the Northern Region just a while ago?
All the incidents that had transpired there had turned into heroic tales.
It would have been strange not to pay attention.
Today, the Saint felt burdened by those gazes.
The other’s intentions were shrouded in mist, while the public’s attention turned into a powerful piece of evidence that quickly spread.
It meant that it would be difficult to respond to any sudden situation.
Thus, the Saint intended to wrap up her conversation with the man suitably.
“Then that’s a relief. I hope the Lord is with you in the trials ahead. I have urgent business at the temple, so I will take my leave…”
With a smile, she traced the sign of the cross and stepped away.
She intended to find out the detailed circumstances later.
But it seemed the man had different intentions.
“You’re surprisingly in a hurry. No….”
He naturally stroked his chin with his index finger, giving the impression that he was closing his eyes.
Such a calm reaction.
Because of that, the Saint couldn’t immediately counterattack.
“…Was it the same in bed?”
His words made the Saint freeze.
She didn’t even notice that her smile had cracked due to shock. With eyes filled with disbelief, the Saint hurriedly turned around.
There stood the man, with a face still nonchalant.
Surrounded by pedestrians, whose eyes were wide open like the Saint’s.
“You were sensitive. Especially in the chest area…”
“W-Wait a moment!”
Even as her mind turned white, the Saint’s instincts were in motion.
She could not allow that man to continue speaking.
But the bomb had already been thrown, and the fuse was lit. There were already dozens of witnesses who had heard those disgraceful words.
There was no way to handle it.
The Saint desperately tried to pretend to be calm.
“W-What kind of horrible thing are you saying? Even between us, I won’t allow you to insult me any further…”
“You prefer being forced, don’t you?”
With that single line, the Saint was rendered speechless.
How did he know?
She thought it was a secret preference!
Now that she thought about it, that man had previously blackmailed her using her sexual preferences. It was a likely hypothesis that he had grasped even her intimate information.
While the Saint was momentarily flustered, the man smiled faintly.
It was one of the few emotional expressions he showed towards the Saint.
“I thought you would like it. I apologize if I made a mistake.”
Meanwhile, the pedestrians were casting blatant suspicious glances.
The murmurs pierced the Saint’s eardrums as strange gazes swept over her face. Every time a peculiar glance fell on her, the Saint felt as if she would lose her mind.
It was humiliating and bewildering.
Her face was surely as red as a tomato. There was no way she could rejoice at having her sexual preferences revealed to the world as a woman.
Furthermore, what entangled the Saint’s thoughts was that the man’s words had not yet ceased.
He was now intent on crossing a line.
“But there’s no need to suppress yourself too much. I believe Arus would want it that way too. Ah, I should also pray to Arus tonight to thank him for giving me a wonderful daughter…”
“R-Retreat!”
The Saint’s loud shout barely drowned out the man’s last words.
That was a relief.
If those actions spread, the Saint would have no means to cope. Directly mocking the Heavenly Deity was a whole different matter.
Thus, the Saint had no choice but to deploy a means to overturn all these topics.
“I will refer you to a religious trial!”
The divine of the empire, facing sexual harassment charges from the Lady Virgin Saint.
Thus, the rumor that spread throughout the Academy the next day was born.
“No, no! Wait a moment, then in the end, was it you, Lady Saint, who referred me to the religious trial?”
At my assertion, the Saint coughed lightly and slightly turned her head.
Soon after, a timid rebuttal followed.
“…I never said I intended it; I just said I didn’t initiate it.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
I shouted, trembling at the betrayal of a trusted companion.
Could it be true? The Lady Saint was trying to take me to court.
Could it be that the warning from Alphenhausen’s twins was correct?
I raised my voice towards the Saint, who still could not meet my gaze.
“How could you do this! The Lady Virgin Saint of the Heavenly Deity Sect, referring an innocent knight completely unrelated to sexual harassment…!”
“…Innocent?”
Her words were spat out like ice.
I broke into a cold sweat under the Saint’s gaze, which looked at me wordlessly.
Saying I hadn’t committed sexual harassment was too far-fetched.
Accepting that feedback, my statement was revised.
“Well, there may have been some misunderstandings, but… I approached with pure intentions…!”
“Pure?”
That did not stop me. I raised my voice again to defend myself.
If only the Saint’s arm hadn’t been slightly resting on her breast.
My gaze naturally shifted toward the emphasized curve. As a man, it was an unavoidable reaction.
The Saint’s eyes turned cold.
Letting out a long sigh, I surrendered.
“…Fine. Please, speak.”
Finally, the Saint smirked and began her explanation.
No matter how excited she was, she was still the Saint. Even amid the confusion, she must have hidden her true feelings.
“In any case, there were many people around, even if it wasn’t me. If such an explicit insult was heard, it would inevitably spread to the Holy Kingdom. Then, even without my involvement, a religious trial would be guaranteed.”
“Still, you could have bought some time…”
“What matters is that I requested the religious trial. I am the victim, after all.”
As she said this, the Saint showed a hint of smugness.
It seemed she was quite pleased with her meticulously crafted scheme.
“In other words, there’s a high chance my influence will be involved in the terms of settlement.”
“Settlement? Is that even possible?”
Still, I couldn’t shake my doubts.
Because my charge for being referred to a religious trial was something serious.
For now, it was ‘sexual harassment,’ but if the victim were the Saint, the story would change. The focus would likely shift to the charge of ‘sacrilege.’ After all, the Saint was the most beloved maiden of the Heavenly Deity.
Just the act of sexually harassing the highest-ranking official of the Holy Kingdom would be laughable.
Moreover, if the person in question were one of the symbolic figures of the Heavenly Deity Sect, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Holy Kingdom were to go wild and accuse me of crucifixion.
But the Saint still seemed confident.
“Ian, you should be aware of your position. If the Holy Kingdom were to say they would execute you now, would the empire accept that without question?”
At that moment, I gasped.
The Saint’s words were correct.
I had connections, including with the imperial court. Moreover, I was called the ‘divine of the empire,’ so no matter how clear my crimes might be, I wouldn’t remain undisturbed in the empire.
I would argue that it was merely sexual harassment.
This way, the Holy Kingdom’s calculations would inevitably become complicated. It seemed the Saint had taken advantage of that gap.
“While the Holy Kingdom is caught between a rock and a hard place, I, the victim, request leniency. And if they bring in settlement terms that are more about saving face, then the matter is settled.”
“Ohh.”
I looked at the Saint, my face showing pure admiration.
Did she manage to act that judiciously, even amidst all this chaos?
Moreover, through this, she was going to put the Holy Kingdom and the empire in her debt. After all, she was solving a problem.
I felt I had grasped anew the reason the Saint survived in the political arena of the Holy Kingdom.
Now, there was only one remaining issue.
“So, what are the terms of settlement?”
At that, the Saint wore a smile that was, once again, meaningful.
In the next moment, a sheet of paper was laid out before me.
Before I could even read its contents, the Saint said with an even more alluring smile,
“Shall we go greet my family?”
Family.
Even in my daze from the Saint’s devastating beauty, I thought.
Did orphans get families too?
Thus, my next destination was decided.
To the Holy Kingdom.
