Chapter 08
“What do you mean by that?”
For a moment, Seine looked flustered at the priest’s words, but she quickly forced herself to appear calm and asked back.
There was no way anyone had been watching her.
The only witness was Sera. But Sera, who had been with her the entire time, wouldn’t have told the priest.
Then the only one left was the holy knight who had opened the door…
There’s no way he opened the door and then immediately went and tattled, right…?
“There is salad sauce on the corner of your mouth.”
The priest spoke firmly, as if saying there was no use denying it.
At that, Seine glanced at Sera as if asking whether it was true. Understanding the meaning behind her gaze, Sera gave a small nod.
Just in case, Seine raised her hand and wiped her mouth—sure enough, there was sauce on her fingers.
“Hahaha.”
She never expected to get caught so easily.
She thought she had eaten carefully, but to have sauce on her mouth like this…
At this point, there was no use insisting otherwise.
“The baptism ceremony is urgent, so I will let this pass for now. However, after the ceremony, I will make an official report to the High Priest.”
The priest spoke in a stiff voice.
No matter that she was the Saint, there were no exceptions.
Anyone belonging to the temple had to follow its rules, and if they broke them, they would be punished.
Seine felt a surge of frustration at the priest’s words, which made it clear he wouldn’t overlook it—but she said nothing.
She already knew that even if she asked him to keep it a secret, he wouldn’t agree.
“Now, I will explain the baptism ceremony.”
The procedure itself wasn’t complicated.
The Saint would kneel before the prepared altar and offer a prayer. Then, the High Priest would baptize her with holy water.
After that, the Saint would officially awaken her abilities and be recognized by the god as a true Saint.
That was all.
Still, there were precautions to take, so the priest explained several important points with a serious expression.
Seine listened as attentively as she could.
After all, she had become the Saint, and she intended to at least fulfill the minimum duties that came with it.
Fortunately, the precautions weren’t many or complicated.
“Then, I will see you at the ceremony.”
With that, the priest left the room, as if he had finished his task.
Afterward, the trainee priests quickly helped Seine prepare for the ceremony.
The first thing she did was bathe.
She washed herself in a tub filled with holy water and applied fragrant oils.
Then she changed into clothes for the ceremony and was adorned in a manner befitting a Saint.
‘This is way too excessive.’
Looking at herself in the mirror, Seine let out a small sigh inwardly.
For a Saint, her outfit was as lavish as that of a noble lady.
There weren’t many accessories or patterns on the clothing itself, but the design was inherently extravagant.
Why am I wearing so many layers…
All she had to do was sit still and let the trainee priests handle everything, but the longer it took, the more bored she became.
The trainee priests devoted themselves wholeheartedly to preparing her.
After some time passed, everything was finally ready, and Seine carefully began to walk with the escort of a trainee priest.
The heels were higher than she expected, making them uncomfortable, and the white veil partially blocking her vision was equally bothersome—but she had no choice.
When she arrived at the ceremony hall, she saw more people than expected.
It wasn’t just priests attending.
From the Emperor to nobles and even commoners—people from all walks of life had gathered to witness the Saint’s baptism.
‘This is seriously grand.’
She had already felt it when she first arrived, but there wasn’t a single place in the temple that didn’t look luxurious and magnificent.
Especially the hall where the ceremony was being held—it was the largest and most splendid place in the temple.
Soon, Seine stepped forward to the altar.
At the same time, the High Priest ascended it, signaling the start of the ceremony.
After his words ended, Seine followed the instructions she had been given and knelt beneath the altar.
Fortunately, there was a soft rug where she had to kneel.
Seine folded her hands neatly and took a posture of prayer.
Then, the High Priest approached and lightly tapped her head three times with a hand dipped in holy water.
‘…So I really am a Saint now.’
Receiving the baptism, Seine murmured bitterly.
At that very moment, she felt a sacred power surge through her body like a tidal wave.
It felt as if a massive tsunami was swallowing everything about her.
Just enduring that energy alone was overwhelming.
But although it was heavy, it wasn’t enough to make her collapse.
It simply felt like something was suddenly filling an empty space, making its weight undeniable.
‘So this is divine power.’
As expected, perhaps because it was divine power, the unfamiliar energy felt both strange and oddly familiar at the same time.
—From now on, take care of me, my child.
Within the energy that filled her and wrapped around her protectively, Seine heard the god’s voice she had heard before.
‘I have no intention of becoming the kind of Saint they want.’
—That’s fine. You are you. Not all Saints have to be the same. Be your own kind of Saint.
‘Are you really okay with that?’
She might become an extremely difficult and prickly Saint.
People might even question whether she was truly a Saint at all.
—No matter what you become, you are my child. And I do not wish for my child to live suffocated by human-made rules.
‘That’s exactly what I want too.’
Seine wanted to live freely.
The reason she had disliked becoming a Saint wasn’t the role itself, but the restrictive life that came with it.
In the past, she had endured things and followed others’ opinions to avoid conflict.
But she had no intention of doing that anymore.
Enduring it only meant losing her rights and her life.
So, to break free from those suffocating constraints, she intended to carve her own path.
Even if that meant clashing with the temple priests every single day.
‘So from now on, I’ll be a rule breaker.’
If rules prevented her from living the life she wanted, then she would simply break those rules.
Didn’t the god say before that those rules weren’t made by them, but by humans?
Then it didn’t matter if a human like her broke them.
And hadn’t the god also said that how she lived as a Saint was her own choice?
—As long as you fulfill your role as a Saint, nothing will be able to stop you. I respect your life, and I respect your choices.
As long as she didn’t ignore her duties or commit acts unbecoming of a Saint, the god would always be on her side.
Seine Luracian.
Among all the children chosen by the god, she was the one most loved and cherished.
Meanwhile, those watching the baptism—filled with anticipation, joy, and excitement—were left in awe as a brilliant light and immense divine power burst from Seine’s body.
It was an experience unlike anything they had ever felt.
Among the attendees were those who had once seen the previous Saint’s baptism, yet even they were deeply shocked.
This light was far more glorious and noble than before.
The High Priest, who performed the baptism, felt the same.
This Saint had once escaped the temple before her ceremony—something unprecedented—and he had doubted whether she could truly fulfill her duties.
She was so different from any Saint he had known.
But in this moment, he had no choice but to acknowledge her.
Others, unfamiliar with divine power, simply marveled at the sensation—but the High Priest, who possessed great divine power himself, could clearly see how extraordinary she was.
Her power was different.
Deeper, purer, more intense.
If their power was divine, then hers felt like the power of the god itself.
The aura flowing from her was that special.
It alone inspired reverence—but just how deep and vast was it?
It was enough to fill the largest temple in the empire and still overflow.
The light she emitted was so brilliant and sacred that it was almost impossible to look at.
‘This is the greatest honor.’
To serve such a Saint.
He would likely take pride in this moment for the rest of his life.
Even if serving her might not be easy.
That could be taught over time.
Possessing the power of a Saint and having the qualities of one were separate matters.
She still had much to learn.
Thus, the short yet intense baptism ceremony came to an end.
Even afterward, the attendees couldn’t easily come back to their senses, remaining dazed for a long time.
Seine was escorted back to her room by the trainee priests.
Although the ceremony was short, the Saint herself had to endure an overwhelming surge of divine power, leaving her exhausted.
She would likely need several days to adapt to the power now filling her.
“This is seriously tiring.”
She had done nothing, yet her body felt limp.
Like a sponge soaked with water.
At that moment, the High Priest came to visit her.
Is he here to scold me after hearing about the rule I broke?
Seine frowned slightly.
Normally, she would argue back confidently—but now, she was too tired.
She just wanted to rest.
“You’ve worked hard.”
“…You too, High Priest.”
She replied out of courtesy.
“It cannot compare to yours. You must be exhausted today, so please rest well. Starting tomorrow, you will begin your duties as a Saint. However, considering your condition, you will focus only on prayer for the time being, without any external schedules.”
“That’s a relief.”
Though it wasn’t as much rest as she wanted, she didn’t have the energy to complain.
“Then I will explain the rest in detail after tomorrow’s prayers.”
Seine simply nodded weakly.
The next day, Seine officially began her life as a Saint.
