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Chapter 5
Locke couldn’t take his eyes off Lady Priscilla.
“To speak of what enters one’s mouth is a great joy indeed. It is the mark of grace bestowed by God. All nourishment forms a healthy body, and through it, one becomes a vessel for divine will……”
“……”
“Seeking better nourishment is a profoundly sacred act.”
A voice like a calm ripple filled the silence. Her steady, graceful tone carried an almost holy resonance.
Beyond her clasped hands, as if in prayer, her gaze drifted somewhere distant.
“To study food is to benefit the empire. …My mission may not be easily accepted by others.”
There was a firmness in her eyes—like an unbreakable pillar that would never bend under any trial.
Unshaken by anything, unwavering in her conviction……
“However, Your Grace. As a saint of the empire, I will carry out these revelations to the very end for the sake of the empire.”
Was that what one called faith?
“…I see.”
Locke, who had been unconsciously holding his breath at the surge of energy emanating from the young lady, was jolted back to reality by his lord’s voice.
“Is that the lady’s mission?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Then show me.”
The power that only a saint possesses.
At those words, Lady Priscilla smiled gently and extended her arm.
Her serene, almost divine expression was so radiant that Locke was momentarily captivated again.
“…!”
Slash—!
Bright red blood splattered across the floor.
“Lady!! What are you doing?!”
It happened so suddenly that Locke couldn’t stop her.
Lady Priscilla had used mana with astonishing speed and inflicted a wound upon her own arm. There was no time to calmly admire the fact that she truly was from House Lockhart, famed for its mastery of mana.
“Lady, quickly, a physician—! No, Your Grace! It’s dangerous—!”
Even Locke, a veteran who had survived countless battlefields, was thrown into chaos by the sudden turn of events.
He hesitated—whether to take the young lady of House Lockhart to a physician, or protect his lord from an unknown threat.
But he soon recalled his oath. The vow he had carved into his heart the day he became the duke’s knight—to dedicate his entire life to him alone.
Discarding all variables, he decided to focus solely on removing danger from his lord.
Just as he reached for his sword—
“Locke. Stay still.”
“…!”
At his lord’s command, the entire hall was flooded with blinding light. Locke instinctively shut his eyes.
When he opened them again—
“…Incredible.”
There was the unmistakable bloodstain on the floor—and standing beside it, entirely unharmed, was Lady Priscilla.
The wound on her arm had vanished completely, as if it had never existed.
‘Heh. Hehehehe.’
Viva—another world. Viva—reincarnation.
‘Who said there are no reincarnation perks?’
Reincarnation itself is a perk, obviously!
When I entered the academy and awakened my mana, learning to use magic, there was only one spell I alone could use.
Healing magic.
A scratch could be healed in an instant, and with proper mana control, even broken bones could be reconnected.
And such healing magic—
‘In this world, only saints can use it.’
The reason I could confidently lie so shamelessly?
Because I possessed the widely known power of a saint.
Each saint had their own unique ability. But the one common power all saints shared was the ability to heal others.
Ordinary mages could not heal people.
Even my younger brother—hailed as a genius in the magical world and the heir of the Mage Tower Master at a young age—could not use healing magic.
‘When I first discovered this power, I suspected something wasn’t normal and hid it until now…’
Rather than hiding it, I had been waiting for the right moment. I truly thought I would become a saint, and that this was my reincarnation perk.
‘That’s what I wanted. If I became a saint, it wouldn’t be the Iris Church’s saint.’
Because—
‘Who would choose someone who curses and insults them every single day?’
Even gods probably prefer obedient believers.
…Probably?
In any case, it didn’t matter which god it was. As long as it wasn’t the Iris God, I was willing to accept any revelation.
Please give me freedom! Peace!
Perhaps because of such irreverent intentions, with no trace of true faith in my heart…
No god, it seemed, had any intention of answering my wish. Damn it…
‘Hmph. Fine. I don’t even know if gods exist in the first place. I’ll carve my own path.’
Eventually, after eighteen birthdays passed, I grew tired of waiting for a revelation that never came.
I decided I would rather become some kind of cultist than sit around praying to the Iris God while eating salads.
“I apologize for any discourtesy.”
I lowered my head, holding the hem of my dress.
“Please forgive my rudeness, Your Grace.”
Using mana so casually in front of royalty was, admittedly, a bit dangerous.
‘I got a little carried away trying to show off.’
I wondered how I should explain myself if the duke took issue with it—
“Raise your head, Lady.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Fortunately, he didn’t seem inclined to dwell on it.
The duke simply tapped the armrest of his chair thoughtfully before speaking.
“To be honest, I cannot fully understand your so-called mission… However, I cannot deny that you are a true saint who has received divine revelation.”
‘I’m sorry, Your Grace.’
I’m actually a fraud…
I swallowed the truth that almost slipped out.
“I am honored, Your Grace.”
“As long as you benefit the empire under the name of your god, the imperial family will express its gratitude for your devotion. …I hope you understand this well.”
In the end, there was only one thing I wanted.
“Then, I will formally announce the birth of another saint.”
The imperial recognition.
‘Ah… what a long, exhausting life it’s been.’
A table of nothing but vegetables. Food with no seasoning. People who saw nothing wrong with it.
Memories of loneliness in the crowd flashed before my eyes.
So what if I was a fraud?
Once I became an officially recognized saint, even if the nobility pitied me or quietly mocked me, and even if my actions went against Iris doctrine—
it would no longer matter.
Because it would be the empire’s sanctioned saintly duty.
A diamond spoon secured, and my glorious diet preserved.
A perfect win-win.
‘Come to me, sweet future…!’
“Saint Priscilla……”
Just as my heartbeat thumped loudly and I was about to lift my head—
“Excuse me.”
Clack—clack—heels struck the floor sharply.
The tension that had been tightly stretched snapped instantly.
‘Damn it.’
Who was it? Who dared interrupt at this moment?
I turned my head irritably toward the entrance—
“…Oh……”
Why is she here?
Standing there was Eve, the High Saint of the Iris Church.
Her sudden appearance felt unreal as I stared blankly at her.
Veiled, she slowly walked into the banquet hall.
“Fufu. Did I interrupt?”
“You certainly did. Do saints of the Iris Church not learn court etiquette before entering the imperial palace without notice?”
“…!”
Startled, I turned back toward the duke.
For the first time, his usually expressionless face was sharply twisted.
Seeing that reaction, the High Saint tilted her head with a hand on her cheek.
“Oh my, I apologize. I was so absorbed in thoughts of seeing Your Grace that I got a little excited.”
“…Wow.”
“Ha… Should I have the Mage Tower check whether a curse was placed on the temple? Locke, contact them. And we should relocate the Iris Church’s temple facilities to the borderlands. It would be disastrous if the curse spreads.”
“…Wow.”
“Your Grace, that was quite the amusing joke.”
“Does it sound like a joke?”
“……”
I glanced around nervously without realizing it.
Watching the Grand Duke and the High Saint suddenly start fighting in front of me… was this really happening?
