Chapter 160

“Ha… what on earth is… this?”

The judge looked utterly bewildered at Riena’s startling declaration.

“What did that woman just say?”

“She claims to be a Saintess.”

“A Saintess? What nonsense.”

“Has she gone mad?”

The same confusion spread among everyone gathered in the outdoor courtroom.

Thanks to the divine power Riena had spread around, hostility was slightly less than expected—but no one was foolish enough to believe her words outright.

The judge, seemingly suspecting a mental issue, signaled to the guards.

“Ensure that the defendant is firmly restrained so she cannot interfere until the trial concludes.”

Just as the guards carrying ropes and a gag approached Riena—

“Excuse me, but I also have a word to say!”

Cardinal Morton suddenly stood and shouted loudly.

“Riena here is indeed a Saintess. I have confirmed it with my own eyes.”

A stir ran through the crowd. This reaction was completely different from when Riena had spoken.

In the Asterot Empire, the temple—the Miella Church—wielded enormous influence.

All citizens were followers of the Miella Church, and nonbelievers were naturally discriminated against.

Even within the Miella Church, Cardinal Morton had reached the highest rank among priests outside of the Patriarch.

Even if it sounded absurd, people had no choice but to listen.

Cardinal Morton stepped forward, showed proper respect toward Riena, and then addressed the judge.

“Therefore, I request that this trial be suspended.”

“W-What are you saying, Cardinal?!”

“You know well that a Saintess, the noble messenger of the gods, has absolute immunity.”

Saintesses were servants of the gods and could not be punished by human law. This was common knowledge in this world.

Others with immunity included the Emperor, Empress, Crown Prince, and the Patriarch.

“I believe the Saintess is innocent and caught in a conspiracy. Even if that were not the case, no one should ever dare bring a Saintess to trial.”

“Yes, that is true, but…”

The judge hesitated, then pointed out the most pressing issue.

“How can the defendant be a Saintess? Saintess Arcia is alive and well!”

This was exactly why no one had believed Riena—there was already a Saintess in the world.

Saintess Arcia. A girl discovered in a rural village by the current Patriarch over ten years ago, who had entered the temple.

She spent most of her time quietly praying inside the main hall, rarely appearing in public, but was greatly revered.

In Return and Walk the Flower Path, she was mentioned occasionally until the mid-to-late part, when Riena clashed with the temple and her prominence surged.

Cardinal Morton’s face darkened.

“Yes, I know. There cannot be two Saintesses under heaven. My statements now are indeed a tremendous offense to Saintess Arcia.”

“Then why…?”

“As I said before, I have personally confirmed with my own eyes that Riena is a Saintess.”

He spoke resolutely, as if he were a devout clergyman.

“I apologize to Arcia, but I cannot turn away from the truth I have witnessed with my own eyes.”

Quickly, Morton took a palm-sized stone from his pocket.

Judging by the engraved patterns, it seemed to have broken off from a larger artifact.

“This is a fragment of the ‘Door of Verification.’”

“The Door of Verification… that’s a sacred relic?!”

The judge and many others widened their eyes, staring at the stone.

The Door of Verification—a gate that verified whether the person attempting to open it was a divine messenger.

Even deep inside the main hall, only a Saintess could open it.

Traditionally, before a Saintess died, she would leave a prophecy regarding the next Saintess.

Priests would then bring candidates fitting the prophecy to the Door of Verification to test them.

Sometimes, however, the prophecy was too broad, and physically bringing all candidates to the main hall was impossible.

For example, if the next Saintess was said to come from a certain city, it was impossible to bring every child from that city to the main hall.

In such cases, high-ranking priests would receive fragments from the Door of Verification.

While less accurate, it was still possible to confirm whether someone was a Saintess using a fragment.

“This fragment glows when it comes into contact with the Saintess.”

The cardinal said this as he extended the sacred fragment toward Riena.

Riena confidently grasped it, and immediately, the fragment emitted a brilliant blue light.

The glow was large and vivid enough to be seen even by those sitting at the farthest end.

The courtroom instantly erupted into chaos, like a bustling market.

“Could she really be a Saintess…?”

“Then what about Arcia?!”

“If the cardinal’s words are true, Arcia must be a fake.”

“That’s impossible! She’s such a remarkable person!”

“But the relic glowed.”

“Wait… the Saintess wouldn’t commit fraud.”

“I don’t know… what is going on?”

People flailed about in confusion.

“This is bad.”

Behind me, Isaac, who had been sipping wine, spoke seriously.

“If Riena is recognized as a real Saintess, it’s a serious problem.”

Roland muttered a curse.

“Damn it! She must have used some trick to make the relic glow. Just wait—her deception will be revealed soon.”

“I wonder. If she truly is a Saintess, Father and I should escape as soon as possible.”

“Why should we?!”

“Think about it. People firmly believe that a noble Saintess could never commit wrongdoing. Her authority is immense. Moreover…”

I spoke the next part.

“There’s the Monster Wave.”

A catastrophic disaster occurring roughly every hundred years, where monsters overrun human territories.

No signs had yet appeared, but the time for the next Monster Wave was approaching.

Experts predicted it would likely strike in the latter half of next year or the year after.

Isaac murmured:

“In times of crisis, humans turn to the gods. Moreover, the temple has relics for large-scale monster attacks that only a Saintess can activate.”

His tone, usually playful, was unusually serious.

“If it’s the Saintess’s doing, people will overlook it even if it’s serial killings rather than fraud. Justice aside, people value their own lives above all else.”

Historical records show that during the last Monster Wave, well over a million people died across the continent. Injuries numbered tens of millions.

Even when the Saintess at the time actively used her power, the casualties were devastating. Imagine what would happen without a Saintess.

Even the Emperor could not advocate imprisoning a Saintess in such circumstances.

Proceeding with a trial while ignoring the possibility that the defendant was a Saintess was equally unthinkable.

I looked toward the Emperor. He appeared clearly annoyed at the unexpected turn of events.

With so many citizens witnessing this, it couldn’t simply be buried.

Roland, finally sensing the gravity of the situation, grabbed me urgently.

“Baron Luciviu, do something!”

Indeed, if Riena gained the power of a Saintess, even Roland, her enemy, would be at risk.

“You can do it, right? Prove that she’s a witch, not a Saintess!”

“Wait a moment. I am not the one to act now.”

“Then who? And aren’t you in danger too? Why so calm?”

I wasn’t exactly calm, but I appeared composed because…

‘I had anticipated this might happen.’

Riena, now a Saintess, was a possibility she had already considered in the story.

A Saintess was one chosen by the goddess, receiving a portion of divine power.

Having returned to the past and able to wield blessings, Riena fit this definition perfectly.

But when Riena realized this, Arcia had already been publicly declared a Saintess.

Riena had asked Miella if she had chosen Arcia, and the goddess had said:

“No, I never did.”

This strengthened Riena’s conviction that she was the true Saintess, and she debated revealing it to the world.

Yet there were problems. Being a Saintess brought immense power and prestige—but also severe restrictions.

The temple constantly interfered with her actions, she had to leave her family under the pretense of distancing herself from worldly matters, and she was prohibited from engaging in economic activities.

Marriage was even legally forbidden.

Naturally, a free and wealthy woman like Riena, as a Cassius noble, could hardly enjoy such a life.

‘Especially with Mikhail by my side.’

Having pondered, Riena gave up the Saintess’s position—she had no intention of being bound by the rigid temple.

But now, having lost everything, including Cassius and Mikhail, Riena had no choice.

Her only remaining path was to become a Saintess.

‘Riena, I really hoped you would go quietly to prison.’

Unfortunately, unlike your hope, only despair awaited you.

I glanced at the seats of the temple officials.

Even they seemed bewildered by Cardinal Morton’s unilateral action.

Yet one person remained perfectly still.

The hood concealed their face, but they rose abruptly.

“I cannot tolerate the current situation.”

Though not shouting, everyone’s attention was immediately drawn to this person.

As they removed their hood, gasps of shock echoed throughout the courtroom.

“Good heavens! Saintess Arcia!”

“Saintess Arcia herself!”

A beautiful woman with long violet hair approached Riena.

“There can be only one Saintess in this world. And yet, you dare impersonate a Saintess and mislead countless people.”

Arcia spoke coldly.

“That crime must be punished with death.”

This was the move I had prepared.