To the Love Born in the Lowest Place

7. The Real Saintess

Located in the center of Bygen, the capital of the Holy Hilysid Empire, boasting the largest scale in the Empire, and overseeing all temples in the Empire.

The Haikan Spirit Temple.

Priests with graying beards sat around a long table. A heavy silence hung in the Garcia Room, where priests gathered when there were important matters.

“Well, then…”

The priest who had just returned from the Lartman and Hamelsvoort wedding broke the silence.

“I’ll say it again. I truly heard the Supreme God’s voice there. It was truly glorious. It was a holy voice that humans could never imagine, one that sanctifies just by hearing it.”

“If it was really the Supreme God’s voice, of course it would be.”

“Then, white flower petals fluttered from the sky. It was an incomparably beautiful sight.”

“Hmm… Even though it’s Priest Otto’s testimony, it’s hard to trust, but since everyone who participated there is saying the same thing, we have no choice but to believe it.”

“Unless they all had a collective hallucination, that must be true.”

“This really confirms it. With such clear evidence, we can’t deny it.”

“Yes, Miss Liv Hamelsvoort truly receives God’s love. Ah, now it’s Mrs. Liv Lartman.”

As the conclusion was drawn, the priests’ eyes turned to the High Priest sitting at the head of the table.

“High Priest, what do you think?”

The face of the one called High Priest showed clear traces of age. But his eyes emitted an intense presence that wouldn’t lose to a wild beast.

“…You seem to have already found the answer.”

“Your opinion might be different, High Priest. Besides, Mrs. Liv Lartman was controversial as a fake Saintess…”

“That could have been due to our misinterpretation as well. Of course, if so, we would have made a big mistake…”

The High Priest was silent for a moment, then opened his mouth.

“There have been many testimonies about Mrs. Liv Lartman, so the answer is clear now.”

“Then…”

“I think Mrs. Liv Lartman receives God’s love.”

At those words, a strange light appeared in the priests’ eyes. God’s love was another proof of the existence of the Supreme God they believed in.

“But there’s a separate problem. Is she a Saintess or not?”

“If she receives so much attention from God, she must be a Saintess, right?”

“What do you think about Lady Hildegard who uses holy power?”

“It’s unprecedented to have two Saintesses at the same time. But the Supreme God might have specially given this country two Saintesses for…”

“Let’s think about it.”

The High Priest spoke in a subdued voice.

“Rather than assuming that something unprecedented suddenly happened in this generation… let’s assume that Mrs. Liv Lartman truly only receives God’s love, but is not a Saintess.”

“But such a thing has never happened… Ah.”

The faces of the priests who realized something turned pale.

Something everyone knew but had been ignoring until now.

“The Gracia family has received God’s love until now, but no one called them Saintesses or holy people.”

“Hasn’t the Gracia family been exterminated?”

When the Gracia family was exterminated and the Steinberg family became the new imperial family, the temple strongly opposed. How could a family not chosen by God reign as Emperor? But the Gracia family had few descendants and no collateral branches, and the only distant blood relatives found were a sick old man and a newborn baby. Taking advantage of the disagreement among the priests, the Steinberg family used their power to become the imperial family.

Of course, after that, the Steinberg family also held events regularly and showed miracles as evidence of receiving God’s love to be mindful of the temple faction, but within the temple, there were cautious whispers that this might be using ancient magic. Some priests had even planned to oust the Emperor, but they were eventually discovered by ‘Tyrant August’ and lost their lives. Under the Emperor, who was more hardline than ever, the temple faction was losing power day by day and remained silent.

“Well, maybe we don’t know.”

Soon, the High Priest made a statement that could knock everyone there off their feet.

“The Supreme God might have chosen a new imperial family.”

“High Priest, such words…”

“Why, did I say something I shouldn’t have?”

As they anxiously looked at each other, the High Priest continued.

“For now, we should call the Saintess and hear the detailed story.”

* * *

“Saintess.”

Hildegard, who arrived at the Garcia Room, sat at the head of the table with a nervous face. The temple treated Hildegard even more reverently than the High Priest, but Hildegard, originally from the slums, found this awkward. She had somewhat adapted to the social circles of those haughty nobles, but the priests living ascetic and strict lives were different from the nobles and had their own difficult aspects.

“We heard you attended the wedding of the Lartman ducal family and the Hamelsvoort count family.”

“…Yes, I saw a miracle there.”

The reason they called Hildegard was indeed as she had guessed.

“It was the same as the Supreme God’s voice I had heard before.”

“Oh, as expected…!”

The priests rejoiced at those words, then asked in a gloomy voice again.

“Then what do you think Mrs. Liv Lartman is? Another Saintess? Or…”

“…A candidate for Emperor?”

“My goodness.”

Hildegard covered her mouth in surprise at the High Priest’s bold words. She was also one of those who feared Tyrant August. But she didn’t expect people to think of using Liv’s power politically so soon. Of course, it wasn’t a groundless claim, but if such talk arose, Liv would be in danger.

However, Hildegard couldn’t dare tell the truth. If she said that Liv received the love of all gods, it would be blasphemy. So she should say that Liv only receives the love of the Supreme God, but…

‘What exactly is Sister Liv?’

It was still difficult to fully understand even after directly experiencing divine punishment. She didn’t know either, so Hildegard tilted her head. Why did Liv come to receive the gods’ love?

“Well, I don’t know that either. I only know that Mrs. Liv is someone who receives the Supreme God’s love, separate from being a Saintess.”

Thinking this much should be okay to say, Hildegard added.

“The Supreme God told me. That He won’t give Mrs. Liv the troubleso… I mean, the burdensome position of Saintess.”

“Why would the Saintess…”

“That’s because the position of Saintess comes with heavy responsibility. The most important virtue of a Saintess is devotion. The Supreme God doesn’t want Mrs. Liv to bear such responsibility.”

“To think the Supreme God’s love for Mrs. Lartman is so deep…”

The priests nodded, then spoke with still dark faces.

“Then it seems our guess is correct.”

“What? What…”

“Mrs. Liv Hamelsvoort might be a new… to succeed the Gracia family…”

“Ohh!”

Hildegard looked around in surprise, and only then did the priests seem to come to their senses and close their mouths. They returned with shameless faces as if they hadn’t said anything.

“In any case, it doesn’t change the fact that we have made a big mistake towards Mrs. Liv Hamelsvoort.”

“…That’s right. After the temple officially treated Mrs. Liv as a fake Saintess, she went through many difficulties in various ways.”

Hildegard recalled when the temple had made its statement just as she had become a Saintess.

-We had been believing in a fake Saintess, but fortunately, by the will of the Supreme God, we were able to find the true Saintess. Here is Saintess Hildegard Hamelsvoort, who received the revelation of the Supreme God!

Hildegard remembers the expression Liv had on her face below the platform at that time. It was like that of a young child learning loss for the first time…

At that moment, breaking her reverie, one of the priests spoke up.

“Anyway, shouldn’t we confirm for ourselves whether she has God’s power?”

“Priest Jakob…”

Hildegard recognized the priest who said this and looked slightly puzzled. As far as she knew, Priest Jakob was one of those most hostile to Liv. He often criticized the fake Saintess in front of Hildegard.

‘It seems his intentions are not pure.’

However, the others didn’t seem to notice Jakob’s intentions, and they all nodded.

“Yes, it would be good if she could show us that blessed power.”

“She will need the temple’s recognition anyway, so she should go through the proper procedures.”

When they decided to visit Liv, Hildegard could only pray that everything would turn out well.

* * *

The entrance of the Lartman mansion was noisy. It was natural for the mansion to be noisy as many nobles had been sending gifts since their wedding, but today was not because of that reason. Those standing at the entrance of the Lartman mansion were clearly dressed as priests to anyone who saw them. As Laga stood in front of them to relay that Liv would be coming soon, they bowed their heads politely.

“We are from the temple to see Mrs. Liv Lartman.”

“The madam is just coming down…”

“Ah.”

Those who had mistaken Laga, with her rare white hair, for Liv looked flustered and quickly approached Liv, who had just come down the stairs.

Liv quietly looked at the people dressed in white standing in front of her. They all had sparkling eyes as they looked at Liv. Middle-aged men making such expressions was somehow… their overly enthusiastic aura felt burdensome.

“We have heard much about the miracle Mrs. Liv Lartman performed at the wedding. As faithful servants of the Holy Church serving the Supreme God, we ask to see that power once again.”

“Please.”

They were showing a completely different attitude from when they had driven Liv out of the temple before. In front of such people, Liv felt like she might mistakenly think she had become too precious.