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"I'm sorry, but I can't understand what you're saying."
Arsia continued blinking at my shocking statement.
"What do you mean the Saint is an illusion...?"
"Perhaps Liena can also open that door."
Considering that I, who received the blessing of Goddess Miella, opened the door, it was reasonable to assume that Liena, who was also blessed, could also open it.
"It can't be. How can there be two Saints under the same sky?"
"In fact, when I opened the verification door, I had a brief conversation with Goddess Miella."
"You've received a revelation!"
"The goddess said. It's up to humans to decide if a Saint is a person or not."
"What? How dare a human do that...?"
"Because a Saint is a concept created by humans."
I continued speaking with Arsia in front of me, who had a blank expression on her face.
"Which do you think will have more absolute authority? Between leaving open the possibility that there may be several Saints chosen by the Goddess and concluding that there is only one."
"......"
"Of course, it's a person, right? And that person is in the temple. Protecting the doctrines taught by the temple and representing the position of the temple."
Arsia's body trembled.
"The presence of a Saint further strengthens the majesty of the temple. Those who listen to God's words belong to the temple, so who would dare to rebel? Even if the temple is corrupt."
"Are you saying that the Miella Church has been creating saints that don't exist?"
"Among the saints of the past, there must have been some who were truly chosen by the goddess and shared her power. Like me."
I pointed to the verification door with my finger.
"Otherwise, there would be no reason for that sacred object to verify whether one is a saint or not. That sacred relic is definitely real."
"Of course. It's an object that God directly gave to the first Saint a thousand years ago."
"The first saint was the one who saved humanity from the monstrous wave that occurred at that time."
"That's right. And with the help of Goddess Miella, she sealed the evil spirit that was trying to destroy humans."
Evil spirit. It was a word that made me nervous.
"... Can you tell me more about that?"
It had been almost three years since I transmigrated to this world, so I knew roughly about the empire's history, but I didn't have as much knowledge as Arsia.
"Ah, yes. I'd love to be able to help you."
Arsia sincerely informed me about the activities of the first saint on record.
As a saint, she knew the details of her past, which were only vaguely revealed to the world.
"A thousand years ago, demonic beasts, also called monsters and now extinct demons, invaded the human kingdom."
Arsia's voice sounded gentle.
"The first saint was originally an ordinary woman, but one day she embarked on an adventure after hearing the words of the goddess to save the world. It was a difficult journey, but thanks to good companions and the strength given by the goddess, she was able to overcome any adversity."
She finally encountered the Demon King, the culprit of the invasion, and discovered the truth that there was an evil spirit behind him.
After much effort, the saint managed to kill the Demon King and seal the evil spirit. She entrusted herself to the Church of Miella and made a prophecy before her death.
"It was a prophecy that even though the evil spirit was sealed, its power would continue to affect this land, and the demonic beasts would periodically flood, so we had to prepare for this."
It was a warning about the monstrous wave.
"And it is said that in the distant future, when the seal of the evil spirit weakens, a later saint who inherits her will shall seal the evil spirit again."
Arsia's gaze turned to the verification door.
"She also left a message that if you are truly chosen by God, you can open that door."
I asked thoughtfully.
"Didn't she say when it would be in the distant future?"
"No. Don't worry too much. The monstrous wave is approaching, but other than that, isn't the world peaceful?"
Arsia, somehow interpreting my serious expression, tried to reassure me.
"According to records, a thousand years ago, the power of the evil spirits spread throughout the continent, causing the land to crack and the rivers to dry up even before the invasion..."
"Arsia, just because it was like that then, there's no law saying it will be the same this time."
I made eye contact with Arsia.
"Don't be surprised, just listen. Even if there's no recorded omen, the seal of the evil spirit will soon be released. I can tell."
Because in the novel, Liena prevented the resurrection of the evil spirit at some point in the following year.
"Above all, the fact that Liena and I, who were chosen by the Goddess, appeared is evidence of this."
"W-Why?"
"Why would the goddess choose humans again? It's necessary to seal the evil spirit."
"But regardless of the seal of the evil spirit, the saint..."
Arsia immediately understood what I meant.
"Are you saying that saints are only chosen when they have to seal evil spirits?"
"That's my assumption."
"However, even after the first saint who sealed the evil spirit passed away, a saint continued to appear until today. That means..."
"All the saints who came after her were probably false saints presented by the temple."
Arsia, whose complexion turned pale, shook her head.
"I can't believe it."
"His Holiness said he made you into a false saint. Who else knows that you're false?"
"... only him now. The previous High Pontiff also knew, but he passed away only a few years later."
Although Arsia seemed distressed, she faithfully answered my questions.
"But Cardinal Morton seemed to suspect. It so happened that he saw His Holiness reprimanding me. He must have felt that something was amiss."
Perhaps because she was thinking of Morton attached to Liena, Arsia let out a somewhat tearful voice.
Must be filled with dreams of success right now. As is customary, the cardinal who serves the next generation of saints is crowned Holy Father.
"I've heard that story too. But now that we suspect almost all the Saints are false, I think we can think of it this way.
Full Chapter Here☜ (AntiC0pyr1ght)