### Chapter: 216
[Chapter 216 includes illustrated direction. Please turn on the illustrations for better understanding.]
As the black flames soared higher…
“Ahhhhhh!”
With Astria’s piercing scream, Kraush had soared into the sky.
He pulled Astria up and abruptly went for a princess carry, stretching his legs downward.
Boom!
As Kraush landed, smoke swirled gracefully around him.
Thanks to his aura protection, he didn’t take any damage, but he felt his own hair being tugged.
Kraush turned his head sideways.
There was the saint, her cheeks puffed up with tears, pulling at his hair.
It seemed like our dear saint had a bit of a fear of heights.
“U-uh… you okay?”
When Kraush finally asked, she turned her head away, sulking.
Her body froze as she was met with the sight of numerous Freeman citizens below.
While some were there for the festival, none would escape recognizing the saint.
“Saint?”
Someone called out to Astria, and bewilderment washed over her face.
In a panic, she hurriedly adjusted her robe.
But alas! Her robe had loosened, revealing her sunlit hair and the disappearance of the mask that hid her face.
Her eyes darted around.
Normally, she stood proudly as the saint in front of people, but being revealed like this was a first for her.
“Astria.”
Kraush called her name, and as he smoothly lowered her, everyone’s attention shifted to Astria.
Straightening her back, she remembered she had already stood as the saint multiple times before.
As she peeled off her robe, an exquisite form akin to divine craftsmanship was unveiled beneath, showcasing her saintly garb.
In an instant, her aura transformed.
Her serene and benevolent face radiated a glow, almost heavenly.
When everyone was left dumbfounded in awe, at last, her lips parted.
“Citizens of Freeman, and followers of the god, I, Saint Astria Stigma Freeman, make this announcement.”
Her voice rang with an unparalleled nobility.
The title of “saint” seemed to fit her like a glove.
“The existence of the saint of Freeman was not created by the gods but fabricated by Freeman’s holy royal family to elevate its status.”
And then, words flowed from her, denying the very concept of a saint.
People, entranced and not fully grasping her words, slowly began to process the meaning.
Whispers of confusion spread as some stared blankly, trying to figure out what they just heard.
But even the confused listened intently to Astria’s voice.
She had completely captivated this space.
“That was a travesty. Countless saints have been produced over the past centuries, and they were used for Freeman’s selfish gain.”
And those saints were discarded after serving their purpose.
With hands clasped together in remembrance of the many saints before her, Astria continued.
“I cannot condone this. Although I too am a saint, I do not want the cycle of saints born from Freeman’s greed to continue.”
There was a power in her voice that conveyed emotion.
And that power resonated with every citizen present.
Her sunlit eyes sparkled brightly.
“I intend to put an end to this malpractice.”
Kraush raised the Holy Grail beside her.
At the same time, black flames began to blaze within his grip.
Standing alongside the roaring black flames, Astria declared to everyone.
“Astria Stigma Freeman.”
A smile, youthful and appropriate for her age, lit up her usually benevolent face.
Crack!
And the Holy Grail began to melt in the black flames, causing cracks to spread throughout.
“From today, I am stepping down as saint.”
Clang!
Finally, the Holy Grail shattered into pieces, burning away entirely.
That smile made it clear to everyone that she was sincere.
“The saint is quitting?!”
“Really?!”
“U-uh, is that even allowed?”
“What will happen to Freeman now?”
“Doesn’t this mean the royal family committed sacrilege?!”
“T-this is unprecedented! This is breaking news!”
Naturally, her declaration sent waves of confusion through the crowd.
Even those beyond the reach of Astria’s voice caught wind of it, sharing their astonishment.
On the day of the gods’ festival, hearing the saint declare her resignation was bound to stir reactions.
And this would surely be a scene etched in history for ages.
At that moment…
“Follow Astria’s will!”
“Let the holy royal family of Freeman pay for their sacrilege!”
Loud shouts erupted among the citizens in response.
These voices were none other than the instigators’ rallying cries.
Kraush’s gaze shifted toward the temple.
He figured out who was behind it all.
‘They’ve switched tactics.’
King Termaan Beakis.
Upon hearing the situation, he quickly changed his strategy.
They could no longer rid themselves of the saintly malpractice by their own hands.
Instead, they aimed to utilize this situation to lead a religious revolution against the holy royal family.
Only, the one spearheading this movement had unexpectedly become Astria instead of Kraush.
Just then, something began to fall from above.
It was a newspaper compiling all the sacrileges committed by the holy royal family.
As the papers spread rapidly, the citizens’ anger began to boil.
Everyone learned of the horrendous acts the holy royal family committed to maintain or elevate their status.
This was enough to touch the citizens’ repressed grievances toward the royal family.
Just like rulers of any nation, the holy royal family could not satisfy all of the citizens’ underlying discontent.
And this incident had sparked a wildfire of outrage.
“Let the holy royal family pay for their sins!”
“How dare they blaspheme our god! Come down from the palace and face judgment!”
Unsurprisingly, the furious citizens vented their frustrations with loud chants, aiming to overthrow Freeman.
Freeman had kept people united through religion.
Now that they realized the religion had committed egregious acts, their fury united them as one.
‘This is exactly why religion is so frightening.’
Denying one’s beliefs is simply something that cannot be tolerated.
Boom!
At that moment, an explosion erupted where the holy royal family resided.
Kraush knew well who was responsible for that explosion.
‘That serpent is making its move.’
Termaan and the opposition were moving to take down the holy royal family for good.
It was the religious revolution that he had been unable to achieve in his previous life.
But this time it felt different.
With the saint stepping down, revealing the malpractice, the citizens’ anger was greater than ever.
After all, everyone knew how faithfully Astria had played her role as a saint.
“Astria.”
When Kraush called her name, she silently gazed at the enraged citizens.
“…Was it the right thing to do?”
She worried if it was acceptable for their anger to be directed at the holy royal family.
After all, this could lead to bloodshed.
“I don’t know.”
“But this is something we’ve done. If we say we didn’t know…”
“No, most things in this world happen without anyone knowing.”
Kraush shot back at Astria, who was filled with concern.
“Just like not every action will always yield good results, not every action will end badly either.”
Kraush knew that better than anyone.
The world he had witnessed through reincarnation didn’t always deliver bad or good outcomes.
“That’s why we just have to do our best.”
To aim for even the slightest favorable outcome.
Kraush was doing his utmost, day in and day out, ensuring he wouldn’t regret it in the end.
“You just need to do your best too.”
As Astria’s gaze met Kraush’s, she saw the sincerity in his eyes and couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
Slowly, she looked up at the sky.
The clouds overhead were massive, blocking the sun for a moment.
A shadow passed over Astria’s face.
“You… I’m no longer a saint.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
“Is there a place for someone like me now? People want a saint, not Astria.”
She had always stood before them as the saint.
And she had thought she would continue to do so.
But now that she had stepped down as the saint, she couldn’t recklessly say what remained for her.
“I want to.”
At that moment, Kraush spoke flatly.
Astria’s eyes, which had been studying the sky, slowly turned to him.
His eyes shone brighter than ever.
“I’m not looking for a saint. I’ve always wanted you, Astria.”
Kraush had always seen her as more than just a saint.
So from day one.
Kraush treated her as Astria, not the saint.
As she gazed into his eyes, she finally understood.
Why she had grown to like this man more and more.
‘Because from the start until today, he has seen me as just Astria.’
No one else could ever offer her that.
Maybe someone could in the future.
But no one aside from him could ever view her as Astria instead of the saint.
How could she not fall for someone like that?
Even if she were to be reborn countless times.
Even if she lived dozens of lives again—
The moment she laid eyes on him again, she would surely feel the same way once more.
A gentle breeze blew through.
A warm wind, just like the sun, wrapped around them.
And perhaps that was why.
Those words slipped out from her lips unconsciously.
Before long, the clouds melted away above.
Between the clouds, a ray of sunlight shone down upon Astria.
Her hair, the color of the sun, glowed vibrantly in the light.
Her smile seemed as if the gods themselves had adorned her.
She bore a brightly beautiful smile.
“So, you’ll take responsibility for this for life, right?”
That was a glimpse of the desire she never expressed as a saint.
At that moment, she revealed her one fleeting desire.
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