==============
Through the letter that arrived from the Holy Kingdom, I could glimpse the unfortunate past of the First Saintess.
Scritch scratch.
Several sheets of densely written letter paper.
As I read aloud in front of Zebeline, who was watching with an anxious gaze, I realized the pain and loneliness she must have endured.
“So what are you going to do?”
I asked the Saintess.
Then a cruel reply flew back.
“They’re parents who sold their daughter just to scrape together a few gold coins. They aren’t worth considering. I’m sure they’re plotting to squeeze out a bit more.”
Her lips quivered slightly.
She was trying hard to suppress her emotions, probably speaking bitterly to erase any lingering attachments or hesitations in her heart.
Zebeline’s seemingly unconscious reaction seemed to represent her complicated feelings. While gazing at her, I returned the letter I had finished reading.
“Are you serious?”
“Of course.”
“Well… then I have to respect your judgment.”
“……”
I had no intention of meddling unnecessarily.
The right to decide the future belonged solely to her.
It was Zebeline’s decision.
So I decided to respect her choice.
Even three years ago, when we first met, she was extremely reluctant to reveal her past. Dragged into a front line where survival and death repeated, I thought she must have had an unfortunate past… But who would have guessed she was sold to a convent by her parents?
“I… I’m a really terrible woman, right? You must feel disgust towards me.”
“Well, I can’t say I’m in a righteous position either.”
“You mean the woman known as the First Saintess of the Holy Kingdom has completely severed ties with her blood relatives! Where else in the world would you find such a venomous person?”
“……”
That’s true.
If it became widely known, she would face countless criticisms.
The First Saintess abandoned her parents.
Fearing the revelation of her unfortunate origins, she turned a blind eye to her parents’ pleas.
Even if Zebeline’s parents didn’t step forward, the Cardinals of the Holy Kingdom would surely spread slander. The letter Zebeline received was a warning that they would expose her if she didn’t return to the Holy Sanctuary.
“Maybe so. But no matter how many people in this world criticize you, I will always be on your side.”
“You’re really skilled at sweet-talking women. Quite the playboy.”
Why was that?
I thought I had lived quite correctly.
After Ludmilla, now I was also labeled as a ‘playboy’ by Zebeline.
“It doesn’t matter what decision you make. I will always protect you.”
“Ugh…!”
As I reached out, I gently stroked Zebeline’s head.
She looked like a fluffy little rabbit.
Looking at her snow-white silver hair and shiny blue eyes, I thought.
“I hesitated all day… but now I’m firm.”
“What?”
“The old fools of the Holy Kingdom made the first challenge, so I should naturally accept it.”
“Wait… does that mean!”
I’m heading to the Holy Sanctuary.
I conveyed my firm decision to the First Saintess.
Then Zebeline trembled and gasped in shock.
“Are you out of your mind? It’s obviously a trap!”
“Maximilian is in the Holy Sanctuary. And your parents are there too.”
The reason for Maximilian’s appearance was unclear.
But currently, Zebeline’s parents were held as hostages.
If Zebeline ultimately refused their demands, they would surely harm her parents. Threatening the lives of hostages was a cruel tactic the Holy Kingdom frequently used against cultists.
“The elders of the Holy Kingdom probably see you not as the White Dragon, but as the Disaster of Famine.”
The tyrant’s form as a puppet of the Earth Mother had finally resurrected. The Cardinals of the Holy Kingdom must have been fearful, thinking the Disaster of Famine would soon revive as well.
They had likely already declared that she was no longer just the First Saintess, but rather the Apostle of Famine.
Devoted fanatics who worshipped the Earth Mother wouldn’t hesitate to kill Zebeline’s parents. Even if they didn’t kill them right away, they might secretly dispose of them once they had served their purpose.
“Cutting ties with those terrible parents who sold their daughter is fine. It’s a decision made by you, the victim. But we can’t just let them die, can we?”
“……”
I grasped Zebeline’s hand.
As expected, her soft hand trembled pitifully.
How terrifying and agonizing must it be?
It was pain that one could never empathize with unless they were the person involved.
I might not bear equal pain, but I could help her overcome it. That’s why I decided to accept the challenge from the Holy Kingdom, so that Zebeline could stand tall after fully overcoming her unfortunate past.
“Why are you helping me so much? I thought you didn’t want to meddle…”
“Of course, it’s because I like you.”
“Pfft. I’m sure you sweet-talked that way to the old maids too. I’m an easy girl who soon softens to sweet talk.”
“…I won’t deny that.”
As I confessed the truth, Zebeline chuckled and shook her head.
Such an unavoidable person.
She said that with a pouty lip.
With her silver hair cascading down, the Saintess stretched out both her hands and hugged my neck. At the same time, she lifted her toes high.
“……!”
I felt the sweet scent stimulating my senses as our lips met, wrapped in a soft warmth.
Her eyes were softly closed.
Her cheeks were blushing like a peach.
Staring at the delicate face right in front of me, I realized I was kissing the First Saintess.
To reciprocate the First Saintess’s kiss, I wrapped my arms around her slender waist. Zebeline’s body was hotter than ever, even through her vestments.
“Hmph, mmm…!”
As I slipped my tongue into her mouth, I stole the inexperienced kiss of the untouched maiden.
It was hot.
And soft and moist.
As my tongue grazed her teeth, Zebeline trembled and let out heated little moans.
“Pu, ha…!”
We pulled back our lips at the same time, finishing the dense kiss.
Strands of saliva hung in the air.
Zebeline’s face, flushed with passionate desire, was more adorable than ever. I gave a brief peck on the First Saintess’s scarlet lips, wiping away the saliva.
“Are you really going to the Holy Sanctuary?”
“Yep.”
“I understand. But… I will accompany Edan as well.”
“……”
She wants to go together?
Is she really going to accept the Holy Kingdom’s intentions?
It could be dangerous.
I had no idea what might happen in the Holy Sanctuary.
As if sensing the anxiety hidden in my heart, Zebeline expressed her determination with resolute eyes. I nodded in respect of her judgment.
*
I guess I’ll move just as the Holy Kingdom desires.
It was a declaration of war.
No, this was a declaration of war against the followers of the Creator Deity.
It seemed Ludmilla had anticipated this, responding nonchalantly.
“Did you really choose the thorny path in the end?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m really sorry. If only I hadn’t lost my reason to the Disaster of Tyranny… The resurgence of tyranny has handed them an opportunity.”
“The Cardinals of the Holy Sanctuary are intentionally provoking the Disaster. Even if it wasn’t for the last incident, they would have surely reached out to us.”
War. Tyranny. Famine.
All the disasters except for the one on the verge of resurrection—the Demon King of Death—had gathered.
We had to prevent the complete resurrection of the Disaster.
The followers of the Holy Kingdom began to move desperately to defend the Creator Deity’s throne.
This was war.
The Earth Mother and the Disaster of Innocence.
The Creator Deity and the Disaster Gods were preparing for an all-out war to seize the throne of the Creator Deity once again. Perhaps this was a fate that was always meant to be.
Did the author never expect the Disaster of Innocence, which he created, would shake the world so much?
The Disaster of Innocence was merely a concept created to explain the Demon King of Death, the ultimate evil in the story. Just as it showed, the other disasters didn’t appear in the story itself.
The Empire’s Red Dragon was the Disaster of Tyranny.
And the White Dragon of the Holy Kingdom was, in fact, the Disaster of Famine.
It was merely a setup made to provide a twist for the readers. But a sudden idea had grown into a backlash that could shake the story’s world.
Isn’t that absurd?
This situation could be referred to as a butterfly effect.
“Ludmilla, I’m about to prepare to set off for the Holy Sanctuary.”
“Yeah…”
As the Second Imperial Princess representing the Valtarian Empire, I couldn’t fight against the Gael Holy Kingdom. After all, the Empire worshipped the Earth Mother as its Creator Deity alongside the Holy Kingdom.
That meant Ludmilla, who had awakened as the Apostle of Tyranny, had to stay behind.
“I’ll visit Liza and Rue before I leave. If I leave without a word, they’ll worry a lot.”
“Of course.”
I nodded while recalling the beautiful Villainous Princess and the scatterbrained Fairy.
I’m heading into the Holy Sanctuary.
What kind of reactions would I get if I told them truthfully?
Elizaveta would surely be shocked and tremble. And Rue would display her adorable tilting head.
“Well… the Holy Kingdom could have called me to simply restore friendly ties, right? So there’s no need for too much worry.”
“You know very well there’s no chance of that.”
I couldn’t help but smile awkwardly at Ludmilla’s reply.
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