C163
"I'm sorry, but I can't understand what you're saying."
Arsia continued blinking at my shocking statement.
"What do you mean the Saint is an illusion...?"
"Perhaps Liena can also open that door."
Considering that I, who received the blessing of Goddess Miella, opened the door, it was reasonable to assume that Liena, who was also blessed, could also open it.
"It can't be. How can there be two Saints under the same sky?"
"In fact, when I opened the verification door, I had a brief conversation with Goddess Miella."
"You've received a revelation!"
"The goddess said. It's up to humans to decide if a Saint is a person or not."
"What? How dare a human do that...?"
"Because a Saint is a concept created by humans."
I continued speaking with Arsia in front of me, who had a blank expression on her face.
"Which do you think will have more absolute authority? Between leaving open the possibility that there may be several Saints chosen by the Goddess and concluding that there is only one."
"......"
"Of course, it's a person, right? And that person is in the temple. Protecting the doctrines taught by the temple and representing the position of the temple."
Arsia's body trembled.
"The presence of a Saint further strengthens the majesty of the temple. Those who listen to God's words belong to the temple, so who would dare to rebel? Even if the temple is corrupt."
"Are you saying that the Miella Church has been creating saints that don't exist?"
"Among the saints of the past, there must have been some who were truly chosen by the goddess and shared her power. Like me."
I pointed to the verification door with my finger.
"Otherwise, there would be no reason for that sacred object to verify whether one is a saint or not. That sacred relic is definitely real."
"Of course. It's an object that God directly gave to the first Saint a thousand years ago."
"The first saint was the one who saved humanity from the monstrous wave that occurred at that time."
"That's right. And with the help of Goddess Miella, she sealed the evil spirit that was trying to destroy humans."
Evil spirit. It was a word that made me nervous.
"... Can you tell me more about that?"
It had been almost three years since I transmigrated to this world, so I knew roughly about the empire's history, but I didn't have as much knowledge as Arsia.
"Ah, yes. I'd love to be able to help you."
Arsia sincerely informed me about the activities of the first saint on record.
As a saint, she knew the details of her past, which were only vaguely revealed to the world.
"A thousand years ago, demonic beasts, also called monsters and now extinct demons, invaded the human kingdom."
Arsia's voice sounded gentle.
"The first saint was originally an ordinary woman, but one day she embarked on an adventure after hearing the words of the goddess to save the world. It was a difficult journey, but thanks to good companions and the strength given by the goddess, she was able to overcome any adversity."
She finally encountered the Demon King, the culprit of the invasion, and discovered the truth that there was an evil spirit behind him.
After much effort, the saint managed to kill the Demon King and seal the evil spirit. She entrusted herself to the Church of Miella and made a prophecy before her death.
"It was a prophecy that even though the evil spirit was sealed, its power would continue to affect this land, and the demonic beasts would periodically flood, so we had to prepare for this."
It was a warning about the monstrous wave.
"And it is said that in the distant future, when the seal of the evil spirit weakens, a later saint who inherits her will shall seal the evil spirit again."
Arsia's gaze turned to the verification door.
"She also left a message that if you are truly chosen by God, you can open that door."
I asked thoughtfully.
"Didn't she say when it would be in the distant future?"
"No. Don't worry too much. The monstrous wave is approaching, but other than that, isn't the world peaceful?"
Arsia, somehow interpreting my serious expression, tried to reassure me.
"According to records, a thousand years ago, the power of the evil spirits spread throughout the continent, causing the land to crack and the rivers to dry up even before the invasion..."
"Arsia, just because it was like that then, there's no law saying it will be the same this time."
I made eye contact with Arsia.
"Don't be surprised, just listen. Even if there's no recorded omen, the seal of the evil spirit will soon be released. I can tell."
Because in the novel, Liena prevented the resurrection of the evil spirit at some point in the following year.
"Above all, the fact that Liena and I, who were chosen by the Goddess, appeared is evidence of this."
"W-Why?"
"Why would the goddess choose humans again? It's necessary to seal the evil spirit."
"But regardless of the seal of the evil spirit, the saint..."
Arsia immediately understood what I meant.
"Are you saying that saints are only chosen when they have to seal evil spirits?"
"That's my assumption."
"However, even after the first saint who sealed the evil spirit passed away, a saint continued to appear until today. That means..."
"All the saints who came after her were probably false saints presented by the temple."
Arsia, whose complexion turned pale, shook her head.
"I can't believe it."
"His Holiness said he made you into a false saint. Who else knows that you're false?"
"... only him now. The previous High Pontiff also knew, but he passed away only a few years later."
Although Arsia seemed distressed, she faithfully answered my questions.
"But Cardinal Morton seemed to suspect. It so happened that he saw His Holiness reprimanding me. He must have felt that something was amiss."
Perhaps because she was thinking of Morton attached to Liena, Arsia let out a somewhat tearful voice.
Must be filled with dreams of success right now. As is customary, the cardinal who serves the next generation of saints is crowned Holy Father.
"I've heard that story too. But now that we suspect almost all the Saints are false, I think we can think of it this way.
Although this is an assumption that is based to some extent on my imagination.
"It's not the person who discovers the saint who becomes the Holy Father, but it's the person who will become the next Holy Father who brings a candidate to be a false saint.
"... what?
"Thinking about the past. Has His Holiness ever been as anxious as you? Have you ever felt afraid of being found out as a fake?
"I-I don't know.
Arsia looked back at her memories for a moment and then shook her head helplessly.
"It doesn't seem like it. He always used to tell me I worried too much.
"Isn't it strange? If the truth were to come out, His holiness wouldn't be safe either.
"That...
"His holiness didn't commit an act that had never happened before in history. He simply followed the 'customs' of the temple, just like in previous cases.
"I never heard anything about that!
"Since not many people know the secret, that would be for the best. Besides...
The following words didn't come easily from my mouth. Because those words were too harsh for Arsia.
"It would have been easier to control you that way.
But Arsia said those words herself.
"If it makes me anxious, I'll listen to your instructions better.
There's a high probability that generations of Holy Fathers had tied Saints in this way.
When the first saint was alive, the temple's status must have been so high it reached the sky. But the representative of the Goddess died.
Perhaps the Holy Father of that time skillfully manipulated her will and created a way for the temple to enjoy its superior status forever.
"I still don't know the principles of the sacred relics."
However, occasionally it shone in the hands of people who were not saints, to the point that its lack of accuracy was widely known.
In other words, as long as the verification process through the Verification Gate remained a closely guarded secret, anyone who answered the sculpture could become a false saint.
"... What do you plan to do from now on?
Then Arsia asked.
"If you, a true saint, decide to reveal this blasphemous secret to the world, I will cooperate as much as possible. If only I could wash away my sins even a little...
"No. You haven't sinned.
"But I'm also an accomplice...!
"Arsia, I don't think this fact should be revealed. For now.
"Why?
"Think about it. The monstrous wave is just around the corner. In this situation, what would happen if it were revealed that the Miella Church, which supports the hearts of many, had been promoting false saints all this time?
There will be great chaos. Since faith in the temple was great, disbelief would be double.
"There will definitely be some who deny the truth and continue to believe in the temple. There will probably be some people who criticize those people.
What will happen if disaster approaches and we split up and fight amongst ourselves? The result would be obvious.
"Of course, that doesn't mean you have to hide it until the end. After overcoming the monstrous wave, we will carefully consider and reveal a method to minimize the impact.
"Ethel-nim...
"And I would like Arsia to take on that role. Is that okay?
"What?!
"Actually, I think you are more suited to be a saint than me.
"That's ridiculous!
"But you have been performing your duties as a saint wonderfully for the past ten years. Your faith in the Goddess must be much greater than mine, right?
"Still, you are the chosen one of the Goddess.
"Anyway, a saint is a concept created by humans, so what's the problem if someone who is more faithful and cares more for the believers takes over?
"Still...
"It's okay! I saw Miella God a while ago, and even though he knew all the things the Holy Fathers had done at their own discretion, he didn't seem angry at all.
I patted Arsia on the shoulder.
"I suppose he wouldn't consider Arsia a sinner either? Just trust me. I'll help you continue to be a saint.
Despite my continued persuasion, Arsia hesitated.
"If I become a saint, my range of movement will be limited as I have to perform the minor duties of a saint. Then it will become an obstacle to sealing the evil spirit.
So, in the end, she accepted my offer after hearing these words from me.
Her attitude was also extremely saintly. As expected, my eyes didn't deceive me.
After a while, I left the temple.
I wanted to talk more with Arsia about the sanctity verification that would take place in three days, but unfortunately it was already too late.
It was when we returned to the villa after promising to meet again tomorrow.
"Teacher! I have something to say.
Lucy, who jumped out of her bag, said that.
"Definitely, I felt something today while listening to my teacher talk to that woman.
"What?
"It seems we've been confusing the effect of my teacher's blessing.
It was a comment that came out of nowhere.
