Chapter 102: CH 102

That night.

I was sleeping lightly, and I suddenly felt a presence. When I opened my eyes, Kyuu was growling toward the outside of the window, his fur raised.

Rubbing my eyes, I stood by the window and saw a shadow as if someone was standing there.

“…!”

However, the shadow was extending toward the window in the room.

Horrified, I hurriedly turned around. In front of my eyes stood a very unwelcome figure.

Blonde hair that shone softly in the moonlight and shapely purple eyes. It was Diego Vester.

“…You scared me.”

I rubbed my forehead and grumbled at him. Then he stroked Kyuu, who was standing upright and glaring at Diego.

“It’s alright. A guest is here.”

I calmly sat down on a chair at the table and invited him to sit down.

Before going to bed, I usually turn off the oracle, thus the Gods wouldn’t know he came.

“Don’t you think it’s too much to ask someone to come and make such an expression as if it’s troublesome?”

Diego sat down in a chair and spoke to me.

“I did ask you to come first, but isn’t it too much for you to come at this time?”

Besides, to think that he came in without a word.

‘I thought my liver would fall off.’

Whether he knew I was grumbling or not, Diego kept a smile on his face.

“You have an eye booger on your eye.”

“…Ah, really.”

I rubbed my eyes nervously.

“What about the object?”

At his words, I took out the Raid statue from the box.

Diego, who accepted it, had a somewhat displeased expression on his face. He stared at the statue and put it back on the desk.

Soon after, dark intangible energy covered the Raid statue.

“But isn’t that really too much?”

I fired back and forth while Diego did his job.

“Even if you can’t help me, why are you letting go of your hands like this?”

I’m talking about him healing alone in the sea.

“Isn’t that why I’m helping you like this?”

I was taken aback by his words.

He said he would sign a contract, yet now he did nothing as if it’s not his business!

I gasped and glared at him.

Diego held out the statue to me again as he finished covering the statue with energy. I received it and carefully put it back in the box.

“You’ve been doing surprisingly well.”

I was closing the box when I heard Diego’s voice.

“It’s because I’m the type to find my own way of life well.”

I put the box down and looked him straight in the eye.

“I don’t want to see anything like this again. Is the rebel going well?”

He said he was planning to rebel against Demon King Leto and become a new one.

‘I don’t care whether he does…’

My eyes met with a strange purple gaze.

“You’re always brave.”

A smile formed on his lips again.

“Sure. It’s going well.”

His words gave me some comfort, though. I don’t want to think about the contract with a demon.

‘I hope it ends soon.’

I yawned and told him.

“Now go back quickly. I’m going to sleep.”

“Already?”

At my words he glanced at my bed and said.

“Actually, my back hurt a little earlier, so I want to rest.”

No, what kind of trick is this?

I strained my eyes and pointed to the door.

Go away. (she said this in english lmao)

Diego is probably older than that old man, Heinz, by age alone.

He laughed and turned around.

After I opened the door, I looked at his back inadvertently and gasped.

‘Crazy, there are five arrows stuck on his back!’

It wasn’t to the point of a slight back injury. If he were a human rather than a demon, he would probably be meeting the God of Death.

But I didn’t bother calling him. It was because his movement didn’t look like he was uncomfortable despite the arrows on his back.

And it was a problem that I couldn’t heal him with my holy power anyway. Because my holy power is no different from an attack towards the demons.

“Kyuuu?”

Kyuu also looked at Diego with a puzzled sound.

I said, closing the door.

“Seeing such cruel things isn’t good for your mental health.”

“Kyuuuuuu.”

Diego, didn’t he just hang out in the sea?

I thought he might be having a tough day in his own way.

***

At that time, Camilla’s room.

She was having a conversation with Heinz.

“What do you mean?”

Camilla didn’t understand what she had just heard, so she turned to Heinz.

“There are rumors that Saintess Ariel’s holy power is decreasing.”

“It’s decreasing, you say?”

“The leg of the priestess named Daisy was broken, yet she couldn’t heal it herself, so she called a priest.”

Healing a broken leg was something even only a mid-level priest could do.

‘But she didn’t treat her directly…’

Camilla was lost in her thoughts.

Rumor has it that Ariel’s holy power has weakened.

She just couldn’t believe it.

The whole thing could have been some kind of trap Ariel had set up.

“Just in case, try to find out more carefully.”

“I understand.”

At a time when the power struggle between each other was fierce, she also thought that Ariel couldn’t have revealed her own weakness.

However, at the same time, it occurred to her that Ariel was a fake saintess.

She accidentally manifested holy power, but… Maybe things have changed since she, the real saintess herself, showed up.

A small smile crossed Camilla’s lips.

“Ah, and are you sure the statue is in Ariel’s room?”

“Yes, it is. I was informed by the maid who cleaned her room that there was a box with a statue in it.”

Camilla smiled happily and pursed her lips.

“The Great Father is helping me.”

***

A week later.

The holy power confirmation procedure was opened.

At Camilla’s request, numerous believers, priests, and palace officials flocked to the temple.

The citizens of the capital were also interested in the holy power confirmation procedure scheduled for today and were chatting about it.

Which of the two would be the one and only saint of Elium?

As if the rumors spread by Reihausd had worked, I often heard stories of my holy power disappearing after a new saintess appeared.

In front of the temple gate, people of the Lloyd’s Merchant were selling food and drinks.

[The God of Justice, Hetuse, clicks his tongue, saying that the temple is the merchants’ world.]

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, sees the street food on the stall and licks his lips.]

I entered the main building at the time I had been told.

Kyle was sitting cross-legged in the center of the main building, and I saw him smiling slowly as I entered.

Cass was sitting next to Kyle. Dressed in fancy clothes, he looked quite aristocratic.

‘Indeed, he’s a marquis.’

Needless to say, many young ladies in the background were glancing at them.

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, expresses his inner intimacy while looking at Cas.]

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, sees Kyle and wags his tail.]

Unlike the usual chat window, the atmosphere in the temple hall was very solemn.

Across from me was Camilla, who was sitting quietly, and next to her was old Heinz, glaring at me.

Moments later, Daisy rushed into the temple hall.

She mouthed to me from a distance, saying something, and I smiled as soon as I saw it.

‘A young priest following Camilla broke into the Saintess’ room and took the object.’

It seemed she was aiming for the gap as I had left the room.

It seemed that in the end, Camilla found the Raid statue and took it.

A familiar voice came from behind.

“As you know, there was a big problem with Elium recently.”

It was Reihausd in a white uniform.

“We were divided in two factions and fighting over who colluded with the Demon World. Shame on us.”

“Sir Reihausd! You’re not qualified to lead the temple!”

At that time, a priest from Heinz’s shouted harshly.

Reihausd looked at him with cold eyes before opening his mouth again.

“I will leave the judgment to the believers and the Imperial Palace. If they have eyes, they’ll have good judgment.”

Then the shouting priest’s eyes darkened a little.

They believed only Camilla’s words and dared to torture Reihausd, the High Priest, in the underground prison.

Their purpose was to purify him, but if they didn’t reveal that I was a fake saintess this time, there would be a huge headwind.