“In the name of the Sail Kingdom, arrest the councilors of the Free City Alliance who colluded with the Warlock!”
Queen Irena’s command echoed through the Grand Garden. Her voice held no hesitation.
“As per Her Majesty the Queen’s orders!”
Armed knights immediately approached Mayor Atilane, Vice Mayor Reinel, and the remaining councilors.
“What is the meaning of this! We are innocent!”
Mayor Atilane shouted, but two knights had already seized him by the arms. The Mayor’s face contorted with shock and rage.
“Your Majesty, this is a misunderstanding! We have never colluded with warlocks!”
Vice Mayor Reinel also shouted desperately, but his voice was lost in the surrounding commotion. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his eyes widened in terror. The thought of the consequences if he were branded a heretic for colluding with warlocks sent a shiver of fear down his spine.
However, no one was on their side.
“The Queen, who is also a Saintess, has commanded us to drag out these demons!”
An Inquisitor joined in, shouting.
“Heretics! Those who have defiled the Goddess’s name!”
Another Inquisitor joined in. Their eyes blazed with vengeance and a sense of justice. After all, not only had they consorted with warlocks, but they had also killed a priest of the Church.
“Accomplices in the murder of Priest Clayton!”
Those who had been trembling in fear moments ago were now judges. A Crusader spat on Councilor Caleb’s face. Caleb, his face flushing with anger, tried to retort, but the knights silenced him.
“The words of those who colluded with warlocks are not worth listening to!”
Councilors were bound by chains one by one and dragged away. Their faces were filled with despair and terror. Those who had been the leaders of this city until yesterday were now criminals.
“I am innocent! Your Majesty, this is slander! Please! Please, hear the truth!”
Despite the Mayor’s desperate plea, Irena maintained a calm expression. Her eyes revealed no emotion. Maru stood by, ready with the Holy Sword, just in case.
“Your sins have already been proven. Did not the Inquisitors of the White Church and the holy Crusader soldiers witness it firsthand?”
It was a play with a predetermined ending. The councilors were beside themselves with injustice, but as Irena spoke, the Inquisitors voiced their opinions.
“That’s right! We saw it with our own eyes! We saw them with the warlocks!”
“I swear by the Goddess, they are traitors to humanity!”
The Inquisitors’ testimonies continued, their voices full of conviction. No one could possibly doubt them. Even if someone had doubts, who would dare to oppose the public opinion? If anyone were to claim the councilors’ innocence, they would undoubtedly be branded a traitor to humanity as well.
“Th-that’s not true! This is a conspiracy! We are innocent!”
Vice Mayor Reinel, for the last time, shouted but no one was listening anymore. They were roughly dragged away by the kingdom’s knights.
After all the councilors were taken away, only Irena, her royal guards, loyal Crusaders, and Inquisitors remained in the Grand Garden. The tense atmosphere gradually subsided.
“……”
Maru moved and took a step closer to Queen Irena. A more intense light emanated from the Holy Sword he held. The light illuminated Irena’s silhouette sacredly. At that moment, the oldest and highest-ranking Inquisitor stepped forward. His face was covered with a beard, and deep wrinkles creased the corners of his eyes. He slowly knelt.
“Saintess…”
His voice, white-haired, trembled with reverence.
“Today, we have witnessed a miracle from the Goddess. The Saintess has saved us from dark magic.”
Starting with one person kneeling, all the Inquisitors began to kneel one by one. Their faces were filled with awe and loyalty.
“Glory to Saintess Irena!”
The Crusader soldiers also knelt. The Grand Garden was transformed into a place like a shrine. The shoulders of those kneeling trembled. Maru remained by Queen Irena’s side, observing the situation. The light from his Holy Sword continued to envelop Irena. She appeared divine, as if a goddess had descended.
“Saintess, please guide us.”
The white-haired Inquisitor pleaded, bowing his head. His voice trembled with sincere reverence.
“Drive out heresy and evil, and usher in a new era filled with the Goddess’s blessings.”
Irena slowly looked at them. A smile appeared on her lips. It was not a benevolent smile, but a thoroughly calculated one.
‘It’s unfolding according to *his* plan.’ Irena thought to herself. She was merely an actress in this play, but no one knew that.
“Rise, everyone. In the name of the Great One, we will cleanse the Free City Alliance together.”
Queen Irena officially declared her intention to conquer the Free City Alliance. Nevertheless, the kneeling Inquisitors cheered at her words. Their faces shone with joy, as if blessed by a goddess.
“Long live Saintess Irena!”
“Glory to the Goddess and the Queen!”
“Long live the Sail Kingdom!”
Their cheers spread beyond the Grand Garden and throughout the entire city.
***
Queen Irena’s appearance was nothing short of a miracle. With her arrival, the warlocks disappeared, and the monsters that were destroying the city suddenly began to retreat to the Silent Mountain Range. The citizens of the Free City Alliance called Queen Irena their ‘Savior’. Children who had almost lost their families to monster attacks threw flowers at her procession, and the elderly offered blessings with bright faces. More and more people began to call Queen Irena a Saintess, heralding another miracle. Some even suggested deposing the current Saintess and enthroning Queen Irena as the Saintess.
“She is blessed by the Goddess!”
“Long live Saintess Irena!”
Cheers erupted on every street corner. Freed from the terror of the monster wave, the citizens expressed their gratitude to Queen Irena. As Queen Irena’s popularity reached its peak, the White Church was enveloped in a somber atmosphere.
“Ah… what are we to do?”
A Cardinal muttered with a worried expression. His wrinkled face bore the marks of deep contemplation. The White Church had won this war. However, it was a victory without gain. To be precise, they had purged the warlocks and captured all the heretics, but that was the work of the Sail Kingdom, not the White Church.
The Sail Kingdom had gained strong justification in this war: ownership of the entire territory of the Free City Alliance. Even the White Church had no grounds to oppose it. They had purged the warlocks, arrested their collaborators, the leaders and councilors, and defeated the monster wave. Simultaneously, Queen Irena intended to station her troops until the Free City Alliance stabilized, which, from a third-party perspective, was tantamount to a mere pretense. In this situation where the leaders were absent, when would stabilization occur? It was no different from the Sail Kingdom officially declaring its annexation of the Free City Alliance.
The problem was there was no basis for opposition. On the contrary, the citizens of the city alliance were cheering Queen Irena’s name, leaving other countries with no grounds to intervene against the Sail Kingdom. Furthermore, according to the Inquisitors’ testimonies, a knight beside Queen Irena held a sword imbued with sacred energy. Some even called it a Holy Sword.
Holy Sword! The very name stiffened the faces of the Cardinals. Could it be the Holy Sword that the White Church had stolen recently? However, the leadership of the Church did not believe that the Sail Kingdom had stolen the Holy Sword. Some high priests even suggested that the Holy Sword had found its rightful owner. The Cardinals felt no differently.
“But there is a possibility that our authority will be undermined.”
A Cardinal said in a low voice.
“If this continues, the Church’s influence will significantly diminish.”
“Perhaps this is the will of the Goddess?”
Cardinal Millian’s words were met with silence. No one could entirely deny that possibility. Queen Irena’s popularity soared to the heavens. Voices calling for her to be enthroned as a Saintess, and even blasphemous claims of ‘the Goddess’s descent,’ were being uttered. Naturally, Saintess Helisa, who was present, grit her teeth and fidgeted. Her pale face was contorted with anger and fear.
“This is blasphemy that cannot be tolerated!”
Helisa said in a voice trembling with rage.
“How can a queen, overnight, not only be called a Saintess but also the descent of the Goddess? This is undoubtedly blasphemy!”
“……”
However, no one took Saintess Helisa’s words to heart. Ultimately, what had the Saintess accomplished? In the previous Sail Kingdom civil war incident, the Saintess had been unable to play any role. At best, she could have received a divine oracle, but there was nothing of the sort this time either. Because of this, some harbored doubts as to whether Helisa was truly a Saintess. The Cardinals present felt no differently.
“Oh, Saintess. Please calm down. You shouldn’t get worked up over every little thing.”
They tried to pacify the Saintess with benevolent smiles, but it was akin to dismissing her.
“What is most important now is the identity of the knight by Queen Irena’s side. Has she truly been chosen by the Holy Sword?”
“Indeed. We have no clue whether it is the emergence of a Saint or a hero.”
The Cardinals exchanged glances, concealing their true thoughts.
“Then, why don’t we ask Queen Irena directly?”
Cardinal Millian carefully suggested.
“About the knight’s identity. If she truly possesses the Holy Sword, wouldn’t it be our duty as a Church to verify it?”
That was the most reasonable approach. However, there were objections.
“If we arbitrarily send someone to the Queen, it would be an act of undermining the Church’s authority.”
“If we extend our hand first, it would be no different from acknowledging the Queen’s power.”
The White Church had not yet officially recognized Queen Irena as a Saintess. There could not be two Saintesses. Moreover, Queen Irena was not of pure Church lineage. She was not someone born and raised in the Church like Saintess Helisa. That was why they hesitated.
“But the knight’s identity is important, isn’t it? If she is truly chosen by the Holy Sword……”
At that, Helisa suddenly stood up.
“That is fabricated! The Holy Sword was undoubtedly stolen, and the traitor must have handed it over to the Sail Kingdom!”
“Saintess, do you have proof?”
Cardinal Millian asked coldly.
“What? Proof? Is a divine revelation not enough? I am the Saintess, the representative of the Goddess!”
“Oh, if you received a revelation, I would like to know exactly what it was.”
Helisa’s face turned pale. Her eyes wavered nervously.
“Th-that… that is… a revelation that has not yet been clearly interpreted.”
A small sigh escaped the Cardinals. Disappointment and disbelief were evident in their eyes. The Cardinals exchanged meaningful glances.
“Saintess.”
Cardinal Millian said in a gentle voice.
“Casting a little rest, wouldn’t it be best? Interpreting revelations takes time, so there’s no need to rush.”
This was a clear exclusion.
***
Hunters of the Fire Bird Guild patrol and guard around Lee Kanghyeon’s residence. Among them were those from the faction of the deceased Vice Guild Leader Jeong Taeyeong.
“Yes, I’ve just confirmed the lights are off in Lee Kanghyeon’s room, Team Leader.”
A hunter whispered into a black walkie-talkie.
“Understood. I will handle it immediately.”
As the hunter holding the walkie-talkie gestured, five silhouettes moved from the surrounding darkness. They were all dressed in black, their faces expressionless. Acting under Seo Gyuhye’s orders, they began to move stealthily to eliminate Lee Kanghyeon.
