The Archbishop’s office is one of the most luxurious spaces in the great Temple. A gloom had descended here.
“Count Thorpe is withdrawing his patronage”, Archbishop Liang said bitterly.
“Even the Count of Thorpe? Do the nobles of the Temple have no sense of loyalty? How can they all withdraw their sponsorship in a matter of days!” Duke Eisen was furious.
“More than half of the nobles of the Great Temple have already withdrawn their support.”
It was evident that the number of nobles leaving the Temple faction would increase further.
“It’s not just the nobles, even the priests are deserting the Temple. Commoners are avoiding the Temple altogether.”
“First a fake Saint now this!”
Duke Eisen slammed his hand on the table.
Then he glanced at the downcast Archbishop. If the situation worsened, he too considered fleeing the Temple faction.
‘There’s no need to be the last person on a sinking ship.’
After getting caught, Asta began to speak after being interrogated.
‘How much did they torture her to spill the words?’
Duke Eisen clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Asta confessed to all of her crimes, conspiracies, and collaborations with the Temple.
The revelation of the ‘Diving Poisoning’ being a dupe was a deadly blow to us.
A few days earlier, the Emperor had officially announced that Divine Poisoning was a hoax. Physician Henderson’s findings and Asta’s testimony were the proof.
The Temple became a criminal organization that slaughtered innocent people.
They had to accept the Emperor’s verdict without a word of protest.
The Archbishop defended the Temple by claiming from Divine Poisoning, to Hanelope’s kidnapping was solely done by Asta. The Temple had been deceived by Asta. But that didn’t stop their hard-earned reputation from crumbling like a sandcastle.
“The more Asta opens her mouth, the more deeds she is exposing.”
Archbishop Liang said bitterly.
“The slum children were killed by Asta and her priests. The public is still boiling with rage.”
This wasn’t all.
“The brothel murders, the theft of holy relics, and the illegal auctions that were said to be the work of Prince Hart, have all been revealed to be Asta’s crimes.”
It was no secret to either of them that Asta had framed Hart for her crimes.
Duke Eisen sighed heavily, “I thought Prince Hart was so in love with Asta that he kept quiet about it. But it turns out that he’s been out on a secret mission.”
“I was fooled too, I thought he was a madman buying young slaves, but he was actually trying to save the child.. Thanks to that, public sympathy is rising for Prince Hart.”
Asta even went so far as to enlist a member of the imperial physicians to try to harm the Emperor’s health.
“Now that things have come to this, the testimonies of the people who have suffered at the hands of Asta are pouring in.”
“I don’t know how much money Asta has embezzled from the Temple.”
The Temple insisted that all the misdeeds revealed so far were the work of Asta alone. But Asta was a Saint. As she fell, so too did the Temple’s position.
“We should have gotten rid of Asta long ago. She long lost her usefulness.”
“I told you not to listen to her. Let’s think about what to do next.”
But no matter how much they discussed, they couldn’t see any opportunity.
At that moment, when only sighs were deepening, the door of the Archbishop’s office opened, and someone entered.
It was the Pope.
“Your Holiness? What brings you here to the office in your condition? Shouldn’t you be resting in your room?”
Neither Archbishop Liang nor the Duke of Eisen hid their displeasure. The meddling of the old was nothing but a nuisance now.
The Pope was unperturbed, and said meekly, “I couldn’t just stand by and watch the Temple crumble.”
“Do you have any ideas, Your Holiness? Or are you going to ask us to help Asta again?” Duke Eisen sneered.
The Pope shook his head with a good-natured smile, as if he didn’t understand the mockery, “I do have an idea. God Prache knew this day would come, and he bestowed an oracle long ago.”
“What? An oracle to the Pope?”
Archbishop Liang said, excitedly. The Pope chuckled and said, “Have you forgotten that it was Prache who selected me as a Pope?”
In fact, it was originally a member of Archbishop Liang’s family who was to become Pope. But fate changed when the trust was bestowed, leading to the selection of the current Pope.
Archbishop Liang said bluntly, “But you haven’t received any oracle since then, have you?”
“If you don’t believe me, I’ll show you for yourself. Follow me.” The Pope said.
The Pope said. Grand Bishop Liang and Duke Eisen followed reluctantly, openly expressing annoyance but curious nonetheless.
The Pope led them to the relic storage room in the basement.
Among the broken relics, stood the “Casket of Judgement”.
It was different from what Asta had used.
Inside was a woman with jet-black hair, lying as if dead. An eerie atmosphere. Yet, there was something captivating about her.
Archbishop Liang and Duke Eisen stared at the woman in the coffin, dumbfounded.
“W-Who is this woman?” Duke Eisen finally asked in a trembling voice.
The Pope smiled meaningfully, “She is the ‘True Saint’ sent by the deity.”
“Another Saint?” Archbishop Liang trembled at the word. He was already fed up with Saints.
Seeing their reactions, the Pope clicked his tongue sympathetically, “I understand the doubt due to the fake Saint. I, too, am angry that I was deceived by her lies. But…”
“Enough. What do you mean another Saint? Why would the real Saint be inside a casket?” Duke Eisen snapped.
But the Pope showed no anger, “The true Saint was injured by the false Saint’s plot during her descent. So she has been placed inside this coffin, to heal with the help of divinity.”
“W-What are you talking about…”
“We’ve all been fooled. By the ‘fake Saint’.”
The Pope explained God’s plan to Grand Bishop Liang and Duke Eisen.
Their expressions changed with the flow of the story. Soon they gained enlightenment.
The Pope smiled, asking if they understood now.
“When will the Saint awaken?” Archbishop Liang asked with a humble attitude, different from before.
“As fate would have it, God, aware of the crisis in the Temple, sent someone to awaken the Saint. There was a significant explosion, and there were casualties, but thanks to that, the Saint’s soul found its place again.”
An unseen light shone in the Pope’s eyes.
“Now, the ‘True Saint’ will awaken and protect our Temple and the faith of the people from the ‘fake Saint’!”
At that moment, Yenna, who had been sleeping as if dead inside the coffin, opened her eyes.
***
‘…In other words, all four demon gods had fallen in love with Prache. Unable to withstand their maddening obsession, the god Prache sealed the four demons.
– The Hidden Truth of the Great Temple,
Author: Delulu de Foie Gras.’
“…….”
I glared at the book and threw it in the trash. But there was no room for more in the overflowing bin.
There were still unread books piled on the desk.
“They’re probably garbage too.”
Sigh!
Divinity and the Kochs.
Prache and the sealed gods.
It had been a month since I started researching for answers.
“I’ve even asked Maxim to help me scrape through the archives, but it’s all a bunch of bollocks.”
I didn’t expect it to be easy to find answers.
“But I want to know. What kind of deities are Prache and the demons? Why wasn’t the Koch Family blessed?”
Why my mum had to die the way she did?
‘Is there anything in the secret chambers of the Imperial Library? Or do I have to go to the Great Temple?
I hesitated and pulled out The Koch pharmacy aide. I was planning to gloss over the disease part once again. But the notebook seemed slightly different.
“W- What’s wrong with this?”
New letters were superimposed on top of the old, making it look blurry and three-dimensional.
‘I couldn’t read. It was hurting my eyes.’
The back, including what my mum had written, was fine, but the front was unreadable.
Why did the book…?
‘The only thing that’s changed is.. I was now able to use divine power.’
Could that be it? Was there a hidden code in this book that only those with divinity could see?
I half-heartedly imbued the pharmacy book with divinity. The disjointed letters magically came together and morphed into new words.
{ This is a final message left by those who rejected the deceitful blessing and sought the ‘Merciless God’ for the heirs of freedom. }
“!”
There was a hidden message.
With trembling hands, I turned the page. For a moment, my vision was filled with white light.
“W-What is happening? I can’t see anything!”
Panicked, I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand.
And after blinking several times, I could finally see again.
“Thank goodness! Now I can see agai—”
I was horrified by the sight before me.
Endless, sprawling land stretched out before me. Giant birds soared in the sky, and only sparse houses dotted the land where humans walked. Soon the frail humans collapsed.
Strangely, I could understand the reason.
‘It’s because of the divinity that fills the world.’
This was a continent from long before I was born. It was the era of divinity, ruled by five gods.
‘When humans hadn’t yet been blessed.’
I had been transported to this ancient past.
The Archbishop’s office is one of the most luxurious spaces in the great Temple. A gloom had descended here.
“Count Thorpe is withdrawing his patronage”, Archbishop Liang said bitterly.
“Even the Count of Thorpe? Do the nobles of the Temple have no sense of loyalty? How can they all withdraw their sponsorship in a matter of days!” Duke Eisen was furious.
“More than half of the nobles of the Great Temple have already withdrawn their support.”
It was evident that the number of nobles leaving the Temple faction would increase further.
“It’s not just the nobles, even the priests are deserting the Temple. Commoners are avoiding the Temple altogether.”
“First a fake Saint now this!”
Duke Eisen slammed his hand on the table.
Then he glanced at the downcast Archbishop. If the situation worsened, he too considered fleeing the Temple faction.
‘There’s no need to be the last person on a sinking ship.’
After getting caught, Asta began to speak after being interrogated.
‘How much did they torture her to spill the words?’
Duke Eisen clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Asta confessed to all of her crimes, conspiracies, and collaborations with the Temple.
The revelation of the ‘Diving Poisoning’ being a dupe was a deadly blow to us.
A few days earlier, the Emperor had officially announced that Divine Poisoning was a hoax. Physician Henderson’s findings and Asta’s testimony were the proof.
The Temple became a criminal organization that slaughtered innocent people.
They had to accept the Emperor’s verdict without a word of protest.
The Archbishop defended the Temple by claiming from Divine Poisoning, to Hanelope’s kidnapping was solely done by Asta. The Temple had been deceived by Asta. But that didn’t stop their hard-earned reputation from crumbling like a sandcastle.
“The more Asta opens her mouth, the more deeds she is exposing.”
Archbishop Liang said bitterly.
“The slum children were killed by Asta and her priests. The public is still boiling with rage.”
This wasn’t all.
“The brothel murders, the theft of holy relics, and the illegal auctions that were said to be the work of Prince Hart, have all been revealed to be Asta’s crimes.”
It was no secret to either of them that Asta had framed Hart for her crimes.
Duke Eisen sighed heavily, “I thought Prince Hart was so in love with Asta that he kept quiet about it. But it turns out that he’s been out on a secret mission.”
“I was fooled too, I thought he was a madman buying young slaves, but he was actually trying to save the child.. Thanks to that, public sympathy is rising for Prince Hart.”
Asta even went so far as to enlist a member of the imperial physicians to try to harm the Emperor’s health.
“Now that things have come to this, the testimonies of the people who have suffered at the hands of Asta are pouring in.”
“I don’t know how much money Asta has embezzled from the Temple.”
The Temple insisted that all the misdeeds revealed so far were the work of Asta alone. But Asta was a Saint. As she fell, so too did the Temple’s position.
“We should have gotten rid of Asta long ago. She long lost her usefulness.”
“I told you not to listen to her. Let’s think about what to do next.”
But no matter how much they discussed, they couldn’t see any opportunity.
At that moment, when only sighs were deepening, the door of the Archbishop’s office opened, and someone entered.
It was the Pope.
“Your Holiness? What brings you here to the office in your condition? Shouldn’t you be resting in your room?”
Neither Archbishop Liang nor the Duke of Eisen hid their displeasure. The meddling of the old was nothing but a nuisance now.
The Pope was unperturbed, and said meekly, “I couldn’t just stand by and watch the Temple crumble.”
“Do you have any ideas, Your Holiness? Or are you going to ask us to help Asta again?” Duke Eisen sneered.
The Pope shook his head with a good-natured smile, as if he didn’t understand the mockery, “I do have an idea. God Prache knew this day would come, and he bestowed an oracle long ago.”
“What? An oracle to the Pope?”
Archbishop Liang said, excitedly. The Pope chuckled and said, “Have you forgotten that it was Prache who selected me as a Pope?”
In fact, it was originally a member of Archbishop Liang’s family who was to become Pope. But fate changed when the trust was bestowed, leading to the selection of the current Pope.
Archbishop Liang said bluntly, “But you haven’t received any oracle since then, have you?”
“If you don’t believe me, I’ll show you for yourself. Follow me.” The Pope said.
The Pope said. Grand Bishop Liang and Duke Eisen followed reluctantly, openly expressing annoyance but curious nonetheless.
The Pope led them to the relic storage room in the basement.
Among the broken relics, stood the “Casket of Judgement”.
It was different from what Asta had used.
Inside was a woman with jet-black hair, lying as if dead. An eerie atmosphere. Yet, there was something captivating about her.
Archbishop Liang and Duke Eisen stared at the woman in the coffin, dumbfounded.
“W-Who is this woman?” Duke Eisen finally asked in a trembling voice.
The Pope smiled meaningfully, “She is the ‘True Saint’ sent by the deity.”
“Another Saint?” Archbishop Liang trembled at the word. He was already fed up with Saints.
Seeing their reactions, the Pope clicked his tongue sympathetically, “I understand the doubt due to the fake Saint. I, too, am angry that I was deceived by her lies. But…”
“Enough. What do you mean another Saint? Why would the real Saint be inside a casket?” Duke Eisen snapped.
But the Pope showed no anger, “The true Saint was injured by the false Saint’s plot during her descent. So she has been placed inside this coffin, to heal with the help of divinity.”
“W-What are you talking about…”
“We’ve all been fooled. By the ‘fake Saint’.”
The Pope explained God’s plan to Grand Bishop Liang and Duke Eisen.
Their expressions changed with the flow of the story. Soon they gained enlightenment.
The Pope smiled, asking if they understood now.
“When will the Saint awaken?” Archbishop Liang asked with a humble attitude, different from before.
“As fate would have it, God, aware of the crisis in the Temple, sent someone to awaken the Saint. There was a significant explosion, and there were casualties, but thanks to that, the Saint’s soul found its place again.”
An unseen light shone in the Pope’s eyes.
“Now, the ‘True Saint’ will awaken and protect our Temple and the faith of the people from the ‘fake Saint’!”
At that moment, Yenna, who had been sleeping as if dead inside the coffin, opened her eyes.
***
‘…In other words, all four demon gods had fallen in love with Prache. Unable to withstand their maddening obsession, the god Prache sealed the four demons.
– The Hidden Truth of the Great Temple,
Author: Delulu de Foie Gras.’
“…….”
I glared at the book and threw it in the trash. But there was no room for more in the overflowing bin.
There were still unread books piled on the desk.
“They’re probably garbage too.”
Sigh!
Divinity and the Kochs.
Prache and the sealed gods.
It had been a month since I started researching for answers.
“I’ve even asked Maxim to help me scrape through the archives, but it’s all a bunch of bollocks.”
I didn’t expect it to be easy to find answers.
“But I want to know. What kind of deities are Prache and the demons? Why wasn’t the Koch Family blessed?”
Why my mum had to die the way she did?
‘Is there anything in the secret chambers of the Imperial Library? Or do I have to go to the Great Temple?
I hesitated and pulled out The Koch pharmacy aide. I was planning to gloss over the disease part once again. But the notebook seemed slightly different.
“W- What’s wrong with this?”
New letters were superimposed on top of the old, making it look blurry and three-dimensional.
‘I couldn’t read. It was hurting my eyes.’
The back, including what my mum had written, was fine, but the front was unreadable.
Why did the book…?
‘The only thing that’s changed is.. I was now able to use divine power.’
Could that be it? Was there a hidden code in this book that only those with divinity could see?
I half-heartedly imbued the pharmacy book with divinity. The disjointed letters magically came together and morphed into new words.
{ This is a final message left by those who rejected the deceitful blessing and sought the ‘Merciless God’ for the heirs of freedom. }
“!”
There was a hidden message.
With trembling hands, I turned the page. For a moment, my vision was filled with white light.
“W-What is happening? I can’t see anything!”
Panicked, I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand.
And after blinking several times, I could finally see again.
“Thank goodness! Now I can see agai—”
I was horrified by the sight before me.
Endless, sprawling land stretched out before me. Giant birds soared in the sky, and only sparse houses dotted the land where humans walked. Soon the frail humans collapsed.
Strangely, I could understand the reason.
‘It’s because of the divinity that fills the world.’
This was a continent from long before I was born. It was the era of divinity, ruled by five gods.
‘When humans hadn’t yet been blessed.’
I had been transported to this ancient past.
