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The consecutive terrorist attacks in the Valtarian Empire only fueled fear and resentment toward the cultists even more.
Thus, the Empire, the Holy Kingdom, and other nations dedicated themselves to the identification and capture of cultists. Their intent was to completely erase the specters symbolizing violence and revenge from the world.
“Quickly escort the cultists away!”
“We must reach the Holy Sanctuary by today! Hurry up!”
The holy knights clad in brilliant armor shouted.
Then, hundreds of people, their hands tied with ropes, emerged. Dressed in ragged clothes and being dragged like livestock, they were cultists captured by the Holy Kingdom.
“Kill them! Kill them!”
“Filthy cultists…! There were still so many of them!”
Those heretics who worshipped the Forgotten God.
Murderers who had committed slaughter and human sacrifices.
The cultists, filled with negative aspects, were always subjected to scorn and oppression. As they were escorted, killing intent poured in from all directions.
Burn them alive.
Hang them at once.
All kinds of ominous shouts rained down.
Among those being escorted were even young children, yet public opinion remained unchanged. The citizens of the Holy Kingdom, accustomed to the fervor of slaughter, showed no mercy to the cultists.
“Ahh!”
“Stop it! Kugh!”
Rocks were thrown at the cultists being taken to the Holy Sanctuary.
Countless stones and pebbles flew from both sides, expressing hatred. The cultists, becoming sacrifices to relieve the hatred, soon turned into bloody messes.
“Is this the Holy Sanctuary? Ridiculous. To call a place devoid of sacredness a sanctuary.”
Shouts tinged with rage and screams stained with agony echoed.
The acrid black smoke from burning corpses filled the air.
It was unpleasant.
The entire city was filled with pain and death.
As soon as Zebeline arrived with the Saintess, the gruesome reality of the so-called Holy Sanctuary became apparent. It was natural to frown at the sight filled with violence.
“It truly is a hell on earth that even the Creator Deity would dare not glance at.”
The girl with flowing silver hair forced a smile.
The site of the large-scale massacre in the Holy Sanctuary seemed like a living hell even to the First Saintess of the Holy Kingdom.
“These are heretics who denied the Creator Deity’s teachings and worshipped a false god. Naturally, they ought to be purified by the fires of judgment!”
As Zebeline and I were witnessing the massacre, a spirited young priest interrupted us.
Was he eager to showcase his faith?
Dressed in ornate vestments, he began to deliver a lengthy speech to the champions and the saintess of the Holy Kingdom.
“Among those being dragged away are children. They surely knew nothing and were led by their parents to worship the cult.”
“How tragic. To be misled by fanatic parents… But worshipping the Forgotten God is a great sin, so they cannot escape judgment.”
Who exactly is the cultist?
Who exactly is the fanatic?
Filled with scorn, I looked at the priest of the Holy Kingdom, who stubbornly justified the massacre.
This is madness.
Is this the result of extreme idolatry?
I sighed, chewing on the fanaticism of the believers serving the Creator Deity. Eventually, the carriage carrying the champions and the saintess reached the Februa Cathedral located at the center of the Holy Sanctuary.
“Welcome back, Saintess.”
“…It’s been a while.”
The First Saintess Zebeline, who had been in the Valtarian Empire for a long time, finally returned. To the point of overwhelming even the Holy Monarch, numerous priests gathered like clouds to welcome her.
Of course, they preferred the saintess over old, wrinkled men.
The priests, adorned in pure white vestments, focused their gazes, sending waves of adoration toward the beautiful girl. It was like watching fans greet their favorite idol.
“Your family is waiting inside.”
The reason Zebeline stepped into the sanctuary she had been so reluctant to enter was to meet her family. If the Holy Kingdom had not taken them hostage, she wouldn’t have come to that ominous slaughterhouse.
Her family was waiting.
At the priest’s words, Zebeline bit her lower lip tightly.
It was natural to hesitate.
After all, she was about to meet her family after several years, filled with love and hate.
“You don’t need to worry too much. I’ll be by your side.”
“Thank you, Edan.”
I could hardly predict Zebeline’s state of mind.
In both her previous and current lives, I had good family ties, so I couldn’t understand her.
But I could certainly play the role of a dependable ally.
Nodding while holding the trembling saintess’s hand, Zebeline steeled herself and began to move her once-stopped feet.
‘By the way, I don’t see the Holy Monarch anywhere… Even went as far as sending a handwritten letter to summon me. The First Saintess and a new champion responded, yet…’
Since entering the Holy Kingdom, she had been warmly welcomed by the cardinals. However, for some reason, the figure of the Holy Monarch who had sent the invitation was nowhere to be found.
Is it a trap?
It might be.
Maybe they threw out the bait without setting a trap.
Casting doubtful glances around, nothing felt amiss. At least, it seemed that there weren’t any traps around the Februa Cathedral where Zebeline’s family was staying.
*
What kind of people are the family of the First Saintess representing the Holy Kingdom?
Carrying that question in mind, I arrived at the reception room inside the cathedral.
“Li, nee…?”
Waiting on the sofa in the reception room were a total of five individuals.
A middle-aged couple who appeared to be the father and mother.
And two siblings, one male and one female, who looked to be the brother and sister.
Zebeline’s little sister had changed so remarkably that I was taken aback. I was equally shocked by her transformation, but it was clear her family was even more so.
Was ‘Lina’ the nickname her family called Zebeline?
What a cute nickname. I should try calling her that someday.
“It’s really been a while.”
With a trembling smile, Zebeline finally spoke.
A heavy awkwardness enveloped the room.
Even a simple greeting required immense courage.
The merciless passage of time had been enough to sever ties of kinship. Especially since the Russell family’s past was fraught with misfortune, that was even more the case.
“You’ve grown so much. Really, so much….”
“…….”
The middle-aged woman with brown hair reached out to come closer. Zebeline, however, took a step back in a startled reaction.
She had only accepted the reunion.
It didn’t mean she would take them back as family.
To convey her intent, Zebeline intentionally displayed a cold demeanor.
“What business do those from the Beruso Kingdom have with me? It would be appreciated if you could state your purpose first. I am quite busy, you see.”
“Y-yes, indeed. Because she is the saintess of the Holy Kingdom….”
Zebeline stepped forward and sat on the sofa. The middle-aged woman, who had intended to shake hands with her long-lost daughter, nodded as she stuttered.
Gulp.
The sound of dry swallowing could be heard.
I watched the dazed expressions of Zebeline’s siblings.
Their faces were filled with freckles and scars.
They surely bore the marks of having had smallpox in childhood.
They were busy glancing sideways like criminals awaiting their verdict. It must have been due to fear that their sister, now the saintess of the Holy Kingdom, could take revenge on them.
“Lina, I’m sorry for sending you away alone!”
“Recklessly, I ask you…! Please let us live here!”
After suffering from famine and plague for years, the Beruso Kingdom finally perished. The Russell family, having lost their country in an instant, fled to the Holy Kingdom like refugees.
What kind of deal did they make with the cardinals?
The Russell family desperately begged for mercy from their youngest daughter, who had now become a saintess.
‘They seem to have been doing quite well until now…’
Watching the family lamenting their misfortune, I suddenly thought. The colors in their faces didn’t resemble typical refugees arriving from a famine-ravaged country.
Zebeline’s father and brother had robust builds due to years of accumulated fat.
Moreover, Zebeline’s mother and two sisters were adorned in very luxurious clothing and jewelry.
They had packed well even while fleeing.
It seemed they had continued receiving financial support from the Holy Kingdom ever since they sold their youngest daughter to the monastery.
“Looks like we came in vain.”
“…….”
A voice laced with contempt was conveyed.
I sighed heavily at that.
“Now all my last remnants of attachment have disappeared. So it’s fine now. Even if the Holy Kingdom holds them hostage, I won’t care at all.”
“Really?”
The shameless attempts of a family seeking to cling to a daughter they had sold for a few gold coins snatched away any remaining attachment I might have had.
The reunion with the family after several years turned out to be the worst.
Zebeline coldly turned her back.
Watching the back of the saintess, her flowing silver hair swaying as she stepped away, I sighed again, filled with complex emotions.
“Well… I wish luck to the Russell family. Oh, and I’ll take responsibility for your daughter.”
“…….”
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