執拗な神々

Ch 11

"The statue of the First Emperor is shattered, which means that if the Crown Prince ascends to the throne, the empire will probably be destroyed."

Meanwhile, behind me, I heard the nobles exchanging words in a low voice.

I glanced around.

Everyone's eyes were full of fear because of the unexpected situation.

And I could see the Crown Prince, standing with his cold eyes, from behind.

I wondered what he was thinking as he looked at the shattered statue.

A strange emotion poked me in the chest.

Maybe it's because Ariel's body liked him.

Then, the Queen's voice was heard again,

"I don't know why God was angry with us even though the Saintess came and blessed us."

She said with a sigh as she opened her fan and shook her head.

The murmur of the nobles grew louder, but Kyle just stood still with shining, cold eyes.

Hmm. But come to think of it, these two don't seem to be on good terms.

Well, how good could your relationship be with your father's concubine.

"It's an undisputed request, but when you return to the temple, I would like for the Saintess to pray for the empire."

I then heard the Emperor's voice.

Before I knew it, this series of thunderstorms was becoming a prerequisite due to God's anger.

But I couldn't let this slide.

Why would this happen after receiving my congratulatory message? Does he hold a grudge against me?

Already in the original, Kyle Alexis plays a crucial role in Ariel's death. I had to stay on good terms with Kyle to avoid the death flags.

I opened my mouth with everyone's gazes pouring out on me,

"Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Turning slowly with his eyebrows hardened, he had a cold look on his face.

"God told me that he was pleased."

"...Pleased?"

Kyle asked back with a stiff face as if asking what I meant.

In the chilly atmosphere of the hall, when my words spread, the atmosphere calmed down as if it had been splashed with cold water.

The Queen opened her mouth as if my words were nonsense to her,

"I can't understand the meaning of what the Saintess is saying."

The Emperor's words also followed,

"Saintess, what do you mean by that?"

He had an angry expression as if adding fuel to the fire.

Of course, the banquet was ruined at this point, and I understood how ridiculous they felt when I said this.

But I opened my mouth without worrying about it,

"Your Highness was born in the month of Ciel after receiving the blessing of Ciel. Destruction is creation, and destruction is the source of all great things. That is your origin."

People in this world are blessed by different gods depending on the month they were born, and in Kyle's case, it was Ciel, the god of destruction.

That's why the congratulatory message also contained the contents about Ciel.

In other words, the destruction of the bronze statue that was caused by a lightning strike can give a plausible reason for the satisfaction of Ciel.

The omnipotent power that destroys everything!

That is the power and blessing of Ciel, the god of destruction.

"What is that, that nonsense..."

The Queen's confused voice was heard, but it was soon buried by the Emperor's exclamation,

"Ciel's blessing! Is that how the Saintess sees it?"

I nodded at the Emperor's words.

Fortunately, as I thought, the crowd was easily convinced.

"Indeed...!"

"You mean we have seen her divine power?"

"Well, His Highness was born in the month of Ciel. That's why no one was hurt."

Public opinion quickly changed and the nobles were now sending their congratulations to Kyle.

And at that moment, a strange light seemed to pass through Kyle's eyes.

"It seems that Ciel was overjoyed about your birthday, Your Highness."

"Congratulations, Your Highness."

The scene of the bloody banquet quickly warmed up again.

I could see the Queen standing up as if she wanted to leave her seat.

The atmosphere was loud and music was played, some nobles approached the Emperor and talked to him.

In a very disorganized atmosphere, Kyle stared at the Queen with a cold expression, then turned his gaze to me.

"Then, enjoy the banquet."

I quickly lowered my gaze a little before he could say anything.

It's time for the fake saint to leave now that Hesed's situation has been resolved.

I bowed my head to him one more time and turned back silently.

I could feel his gaze on the back of my head.

"Phew."

I thought I should tell the gods not to throw thunderbolts again, and investigate the relationship between the Queen and the Crown Prince.

The complex thoughts sped up my steps, but I stopped when I heard Kyle's voice,

"Saintess."

His deep but loud voice penetrated my ears.

I stood still and pondered for a moment.

'Should I just pretend I didn't hear it and go away?'

But as his footsteps neared, my options were dwindling.

Soon, I heard a low voice close to my ear,

"The banquet is just starting."

The Kyle in the original story wasn't very interested in Ariel. If he had any emotions, then his feelings for her would be close to contempt.

But today, he was stopping me from leaving.

Looking back at him with an awkward expression, I was caught on his strong gaze from his dark red eyes.

Then came a low voice that I could never have imagined coming out of his mouth,

"You can't just leave me like this."

What? What's wrong with him?