Chapter 15 : Chapter 15
Chapter 15. I Heard You Two Sleep Together
Days passed, the sun rising and the moon setting. Since the summoning ceremony ended and the assassin caused chaos during the Central Council meeting, three days had already gone by.
It was said that the assassin named Brian still refused to repent even after being beaten to the ground by the Pontiff. Inside the secret prison, he continued provoking the Inquisition’s interrogators.
“I won’t say anything! Come at me! Aaaah!”
The result was a group of burly men with bulging muscles spending an entire night drenched in sweat, forcing a few insignificant names out of his mouth. When investigators checked those names, they discovered they were either retired gatekeepers or some distant relative of a Church knight who had absolutely nothing to do with anything.
“He’s tough. His mouth is sealed tight. The brothers were exhausted.”
Fia still remembered how the interrogator looked when reporting to her. His face was pale, clearly indicating he had been thoroughly troubled by the ordeal.
However, this outcome had been expected.
Combining her memories with what she had observed at the scene that day, she already had a rough range of suspects in mind regarding the mastermind behind the incident. Unfortunately, the information was limited. There was not enough evidence to support taking action.
Her status also prevented her from acting first and reporting later.
Perhaps it might be possible in the wilderness, but within the Church those well-dressed gentlemen were considered foreign envoys. Any slight mishap could cause the carefully arranged future plans to deviate.
What a headache!
Fia swung the sleeve blade in her hand, slashing the straw dummy before her and leaving a deep mark across its body.
If the body was not strong enough, then the equipment had to make up for it.
That was also why she had not chosen to block the assassin with a weapon that day. Even though the physique of a stealth operative was far inferior to that of a warrior, the bonuses granted by a high-level professional were still far beyond what a low-level rookie like her could compete with.
Maybe she should hug Lorinna more often.
That would increase her Constitution a little more.
Fia looked at the effect of her title.
She hated probability-based triggers the most. Clearly it was her effort and sweat, yet people would say she had only been lucky.
“Saintess!”
The young guard delivering a message slowed his pace, carefully avoiding the knights performing one-handed push-ups on the ground. He handed a thick envelope to Fia.
“Hey kid, come train with us. Heave-ho! Heave-ho!”
After delivering the letter and receiving Fia’s cheap little smile, the guard intended to leave immediately.
However, the knights at his feet called out to him. Before he could refuse, several tall men with buzz cuts grabbed him directly.
“Train hard, prepare for battle! Knights have strength! Come on, kid. Repeat after us.”
“Wait, brothers! I still have work!”
The messenger’s cries faded into the distance.
Fia opened the envelope.
The moment she saw its contents, she frowned.
***
“Their usual tricks. After all these years, they still haven’t changed.”
The Pontiff set the cloth document in his hand aside.
Inside the council chamber, only he and Fia remained. The guards had already withdrawn. Lorinna’s schedule was packed to the brim, so she was not present either.
“Joint petition requesting the noble, god-chosen Hero to travel and rescue us who suffer under hardship...”
Large black characters were written across the center of the cloth.
The back side and the empty spaces between the text were filled with dense red handprints and signatures.
This was what Fia had received.
A “joint petition.”
“It seems their target is not only the Hero. I was included as well.”
Fia smiled and casually picked up the cloth document, leisurely counting the number of names written on it.
A proper petition should have been submitted to the Pontiff or reported to the Central Council. Yet instead it had been delivered to her, the decorative Saintess.
The intention could not have been more obvious.
“If nothing unexpected happens, the next step will be spreading rumors through various channels claiming that I have already accepted the people’s request. Then they will use that as an excuse to pressure me into giving an answer.”
“And you’re still smiling about it. You’re completely unserious!”
The Pontiff commented sharply. His expression was far from pleasant.
Based on his understanding of those people, this was only the beginning.
“Barking dogs are still better than lurking wolves. Judging from this situation, they must have already decided on the Hero’s route?”
Fia tapped her cheek thoughtfully.
Calling it a “discussion” would be inaccurate.
“Argument” would be a better word.
Ever since the Hero appeared, the lights in the Central Council chamber had not been turned off. Some representatives performed theatrics, others deliberately stirred the conflict, but at their core they were all competing for the benefits that came with the Hero’s identity.
If the Hero traveled, could her clothing display commercial logos?
Could the food she ate and the equipment she used include advertisements?
Merchants argued fiercely over these issues.
Once the Hero arrives at a location, should she solve the local problems?
If she failed to solve them, would the Church step in?
That was the focus of kings and ministers.
There were even hostile factions arguing over which nation should host the Hero first.
In short, complete chaos.
No one could persuade anyone else.
“More or less. In the end, the one with the bigger fist gets the final say.”
The Pontiff took out a route map.
Every place name had been carefully marked with a pen. It even indicated which inns would host the Hero, along with nearby scenic locations and facilities prepared for promotional campaigns.
If they could, they would probably mark which bathroom the Hero would use.
Fia had learned one thing through experience.
Never trust the bottom line of creatures driven purely by profit.
“What are these?”
Fia pointed at several black human-shaped marks scattered across the map. Next to them were a series of code names.
“Oh, the candidates they prepared for the Hero... and possibly for you as well.”
The Pontiff glanced at them briefly before taking a sip from his teacup and speaking calmly.
“‘Noble Prince of the Rainy Night.’ ‘The Crown Prince Returned Home.’ ‘The Wise Merchant.’ What kind of nonsense is this?”
Fia nearly lost control.
Each name she read made her feel nauseous.
“Aren’t these just ‘rich second-generation,’ ‘royal second-generation,’ and ‘merchant second-generation’?”
These people were representatives of entire nations. Yet their naming sense was this terrible?
“Aren’t they afraid I might get angry and simply hide inside the Church with the Hero, refusing to leave?”
The Pontiff did not answer.
The door suddenly burst open.
Chaotic footsteps echoed inside the chamber. Fia turned around.
Lorinna rushed in with a nervous expression and grabbed Fia by the shoulders.
“I didn’t say anything!”
“?”
Time returned to three hours earlier.
Driven by some unseen force, a rumor began spreading throughout the Church. Even pilgrims who had traveled from distant lands had heard about it.
“The Saintess stole Candidate Lorinna’s key fragment in order to secure her own authority. That caused the ritual to malfunction and resulted in summoning a weak Hero.”
After repeated retelling and exaggerated embellishment, the source of the rumor became impossible to trace.
Even though some devout believers immediately scolded those spreading the rumor, suspicion still continued to spread.
Unable to find the Saintess, they instead approached Lorinna, who had been holding a gathering outside at the time, seeking an explanation.
The poor candidate believed her diligence had finally earned her widespread support.
With a smile on her face, she prepared to deliver an impromptu speech.
Instead, the crowd confronted her with a blunt question.
“I heard that you and the Saintess sleep together every day. And that you personally gave her the key used in the ritual. Is that true?”