Chapter 18: The Swordsmanship Prodigy Saintess

Saintess (9)

1.           

The carriage rattled as it rolled down the main road.

‘Still the same as ever, huh.’

A stark white road.

Stark white buildings.

Everything unified in one color, making the entire city feel like a single massive structure.

How does anyone live in a place like this…?

Just staring at this all-white city made it feel like one might lose their mind.

This was the Papal State.

The place where the Pope resided.

Built upon the ancient ruins of Delphi—once called the center of the world—stood the first and grandest cathedral:

Cosmos Cathedral.

The Cosmos Cathedral boasted its presence even from afar.

The steeple atop the main hall looked as if it might pierce the heavens themselves.

Bathed in sunlight, it reflected an elegant ivory shimmer, cloaking the entire structure in a mystical aura.

No matter how many times I see it… it really is a beautiful building.

The carriage came to a stop at the entrance of Cosmos Cathedral.

“We’re here.”

The carriage door opened—someone had opened it from outside.

Louis stepped down first.

I followed shortly after, descending slowly—

“Eek—?!”

I was horrified by the sight that greeted me as soon as I stepped out of the carriage.

Lining the road on both sides, fully armored knights clad in immaculate white plate stood at attention.

They were making such a fuss over welcoming one person.

With the Hero personally escorting me, we walked toward the cathedral’s entrance.

“Welcome.”

Waiting at the steps was a man in red cardinal robes.

It was a face I had seen before.

We weren’t exactly close, but I’d seen him a few times back when I used to meet with the Saintess.

If I remember right…

“Cardinal Siegbert.”

Yes, that was his name.

I brought my hands together over my chest and gave a polite bow.

The standard greeting of the Celestial God Church.

“Hello. I’m Elia.”

“You must be tired from your long journey. Please, come inside first.”

We followed Siegbert into the cathedral.

“Hngh…!”

The moment I stepped inside, a shiver ran through me.

I was enveloped by a divine energy so massive, so dense, it nearly knocked the wind out of me.

Back when I visited this place last time, I hadn’t felt anything like this.

But now that I could manipulate divine power… I could feel it.

The whole cathedral brimmed with an invisible ocean of divine energy, like oxygen in the air.

“Haha, surprised?”

Siegbert chuckled gently.

“Everyone reacts like that when they come here for the first time. When I first set foot here, I was so overwhelmed I nearly fell backward!”

Siegbert smiled warmly as he began to reminisce about his early days at the cathedral.

I listened with one ear and let it out the other.

I felt sorry for him as he spoke so happily, but I wasn't interested.

Treating his voice as background noise, I took the opportunity to look around the cathedral’s interior.

“Wow…”

The chapel at the end of the long corridor was majestic.

Towering arched ceilings.

Pillars thick as a giant’s legs.

A chorus of stained glass windows glistened under the sunlight, scattering prismatic hues across polished marble floors.

I’d been to the grand cathedral before, but this was the first time I had leisurely looked around and felt the place.

Tap, tap, tap.

The sound of our three footsteps echoed through the still chapel, soft and steady, like the rhythm of a lullaby.

“She’s here.”

We came to a stop at the altar, situated at the front of the sanctuary.

Two men were already waiting.

One was familiar—the Holy Knight Leode, who’d come to try fetching me last time.

And the other was an old man, who was lighting candles in a silver candlestick.

“Welcome. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The old man greeted me with a benevolent smile.

Mysterious golden eyes turned to me.

It was the Pope.

Jeez. The old geezer’s aged like milk.

We were technically the same age—or, well, used to be.

That’d make him well past ninety now.

His back was slightly hunched, but he seemed very healthy, still standing upright on his own two feet.

His mind seemed sharp, too.

It was truly amazing that he hadn't gotten dementia or started smearing poop on the walls at that age.

“You’ve done us a great service, Hero.”

“I only did what was necessary.”

The Pope exchanged pleasantries with Louis, then turned to approach me slowly.

“Thank you once again for coming all the way here. After you refused the Holy Knight so decisively, I thought you’d reject us this time as well.”

“I’m just here to prove that I’m not the Saintess and then go right back.”

I really meant it.

If I wasn’t the Saintess mentioned in the divine revelation, I’d enlist in the Imperial Army immediately.

I had already told Louis as much on our way here.

“Understood.”

The Pope nodded.

...That’s it?

That was surprisingly straightforward.

Honestly, I’d expected more clinging even if I wasn't the Saintess.

It's a bit awkward for me to admit it myself, but I have an unusual amount of divine power for someone my age.

In another words, a perfect candidate even for a high priest.

Leode had seen it firsthand, so he should know it well.

That’s why I figured once I arrived, they’d try every trick in the book to keep me here, regardless of whether I was the Saintess or not.

I didn’t expect such a… clean answer.

Not that I’m complaining.

If they’d tried to play dirty, I’d already made up my mind to break out—by force, if necessary.

“The preparations have been made in advance. This way, please.”

We followed the Pope to a prayer chamber tucked behind the sanctuary.

“Please take this.”

“...A needle?”

The Pope handed me a sharp needle.

“Inside the room, you’ll find the Chalice of the Sky. It’s already been filled with wine. Use the needle to draw a drop of your blood and add it to the wine. Then take a sip. The revelation’s result will become clear.”

“Wait a second…”

Just before entering the prayer chamber, I stopped at the door—hand still on the handle—and turned around.

“You didn’t mess with anything, did you?”

My eyes narrowed.

I trusted the Pope.

But I couldn't trust the Church.

Not everyone in the clergy, of course—

—But there were more than a few priests in the hierarchy who’d love to twist this into some kind of political power play.

The kind of people who’d rig the test just to force a result.

“Perish the thought.”

The Pope replied gently.

I wasn’t looking at him, though.

I was looking past him—at Cardinal Siegbert, standing just behind.

But the Pope answered anyway.

“I prepared everything myself, start to finish. The only thing in that wine is my prayer. Nothing else. You can drink it with peace of mind.”

“…Alright. I’ll trust you.”

Creak—

I opened the door and went inside.

The prayer chamber was tiny.

Just large enough for two people to stand shoulder-to-shoulder.

There was a wall behind me and a tall arched window in front of me where I could look up at the sky.

And beneath the sunlight coming through the window, a single chalice rested on a pedestal.

The Chalice of the Sky.

It was a simple metal cup, no ornate carvings, no gemstones, no gold leaf.

However, the divine power it radiated made its sacred nature unmistakable.

I held the chalice with both hands.

Sniff, sniff.

The bittersweet scent of wine tickled my nose.

In the Celestial God Church, wine like this was called the holy blood.

They said it was the blood of the Celestial God Himself.

I set the chalice down gently.

“…I'm getting nervous for no reason.”

I pricked my left index finger with the needle.

At the same time with a small sting, a bright red drop of blood welled up, glistening like morning dew on the tip of my finger.

-Drip.

The blood dropped into the wine.

For now, there was no change.

It seemed that this alone wasn’t enough to confirm anything.

I picked up the chalice again.

The surface of the wine reflected my face.

Even now, in a moment like this, it surprised me how pretty I looked.

And how obviously tense I was.

What if… what if I really am the Saintess?

I hadn’t thought about it yet.

If I was the one the divine revelation spoke of, there’s no way the Church would just let me go.

Even if I managed to run away, they would persistently follow me.

Even if I somehow joined the Imperial Army, who knows what would happen if the Pope spoke with the Emperor?

“…That would be a disaster.”

Well, I've already come this far.

Might as well get it over with.

Let’s just check.

I wasn’t the Saintess anyway.

There had to be someone else, the real girl from the revelation.

Me? Reincarnated as a Saintess after living a past life as a Sword Saint?

That’s ridiculous.

Uhm, uhm.

Nodding to myself, I brought the chalice to my lips.

The cold rim met my mouth, pressing gently against my soft lips.

“…Gulp.”

I took a small sip.

A rich, sweet aroma bloomed across my tongue.

But behind it, a bitter gravity lingered, which was dark and dry.

All in all, it was just plain delicious wine.

“Hmm…”

I placed the Chalice of the Sky back in its place.

“…Hmm…”

Nothing happened.

I just stood there blankly in silence.

One second.

One minute.

As time passed, there was still no change.

Which meant…!

“See? I told you I wasn’t the Saintess.”

Smirking triumphantly, I raised a toast.

Then I drank the entire thing in the chalice.

Gulp gulp gulp…

Ahhhhhh.

It’d been so long since I’d had real wine.

They had served it at the convent now and then, but Sister Bertina never let me drink any, saying I was still young.

Heh. My soul’s old enough to be her grandfather.

I stepped out of the prayer chamber, smiling.

“Nothing happened.”

I said to the Pope with a cheery grin.

“Now, we will check for the stigmata.”

“…Pardon?”

“Sisters, if you please.”

Before I knew it, four nuns had appeared at my sides, surrounding me.

“Please come with us.”

“H-Hang on a second—!”

“Right this way.”

I was grabbed and dragged away by the nuns.

We ended up in a guest bedroom, located in the cathedral’s side wing.

“W-Why are we here…?”

My eyes darted between the nuns nervously.

“Please take off your clothes.”

“Huh? Take what off?!”

“All of it, if you don’t mind. We need to check for the stigmata.”

“No, no! W-Why do I have to strip?!”

“The Saintess’s stigmata can appear anywhere on the body. It may manifest on the shoulder, or the back…”

“Allow us to assist you.”

“W-Wait—! Kyaaaa!”

I shrieked like a schoolgirl as they started undressing me—gently but mercilessly.

Even though I resisted, the nuns kept removing my clothing piece by piece.

They removed my nun’s habit.

Even my undergarments.

After that, I ended up completely naked, my hands pressed over my chest and crotch in frantic embarrassment.

I really didn't think they would take everything off.

“W-What are you doing?!”

I burst out in anger.

However, the nuns weren’t listening.

They were crying.

Literally clasping their hands in front of their mouths, faces trembling in awe.

“Saintess…”

One of them whispered reverently.

“Wha—Hey… D-Don’t be ridiculous! There’s no way I—”

I hurriedly waved my hand.

Then one nun stepped aside, brought a full-length mirror.

I froze.

In the reflection stood a trembling girl with porcelain skin and a blush on her face…

…And on her smooth lower belly, just above the navel, a crimson sigil glowed softly.

“W-What the hell is this?!”

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