121 - How Could the Villainous Young Master Be a Saintess?

As far as I'm aware, there's currently no Saintess in the Church, is there? Friian Peono, also known as Friian V, is the current king of the Kingdom of Kamella and the father of Princess Mirexia. His capabilities stand out even among the past monarchs of Kamella, and his virtues and unwavering faith in the Goddess have earned the respect and recognition of both his nation's people and followers of the Light of Dawn Church. Just a week ago, he received a request for a visit from the church. The Pope expressed that the Kingdom of Kamella had always been a loyal follower of the church but had recently become distant and hoped to strengthen the relationship between the Church and the Kingdom of Kamella. Thus, the church dispatched Cardinal Singer Handel, along with a delegation and gifts, to the royal capital of Saint Harlan City in the Kingdom of Kamella. As a devoted and faithful follower of the Goddess, Friian V naturally agreed enthusiastically, arranging a banquet and ceremonial reception befitting a foreign leader, to demonstrate his respect for the church and the Goddess, and to emphasize the importance of this meeting. Of course, everyone understood that the church’s sudden decision to send a delegation wasn't simply due to the 'lack of communication'. This was a shared understanding. "I have long heard of Your Majesty's extraordinary leadership and remarkable presence; indeed, your virtues and unwavering faith in the Goddess are renowned far and wide. Therefore, in this visit, His Holiness the Pope has sent me to bring a Mysterium Silver statue and sacred artifacts as a token of our greetings. I hope Your Majesty will not find the gift too humble." "The gift has been received by the Rage Dragon Knights," Handel said respectfully, holding a sacred cross. "Such a valuable gift, please convey my gratitude to His Holiness the Pope," Friian V rose from his throne, cordially welcoming the esteemed visitor from the church. "Bring a seat." Two Rage Dragon Knights brought a luxurious chair and placed it below the throne before leaving, so only Friian V and Singer remained in the hall. "I'm truly honored that His Holiness the Pope has sent such a distinguished representative with gifts across great distances to visit me," Friian V indicated for Singer to sit, then returned to his crystal-embedded, dragon-adorned throne. “Let me think... since that one event over a dozen years ago, the Kingdom of Kamella rarely received any decrees or guidance from the church and the Goddess. Time flies, doesn't it?” Friian V mused about the past changes. Hearing this, Singer raised an eyebrow. He was unsure why Friian V brought up the incident from over a decade ago, whether it was deliberate or not. Regardless of the intention, Singer pretended as if there was none. "Please forgive us, Your Majesty. Under the heavens, all are followers and believers of the Goddess. His Holiness the Pope cannot show favoritism. The Goddess’s decree promotes peace and unity, which has always been the creed of the Church of Light of Dawn. The Kingdom of Kamella has always taken this guidance to heart, leading the nation, so naturally, the church would not cause trouble for no reason." Singer chuckled, addressing the question hidden in Friian V's words. "Not cause trouble for no reason? Indeed, quite so." Friian V nodded in agreement and continued. "Since that's the case, given His Holiness's constant dedication to the welfare of the world and the believers, I'm sure there's an important reason for Archbishop Handel's visit?" "To be honest, apart from renewing bonds with the Kingdom of Kamella, my visit involves a small matter requiring Your Majesty's approval," Singer smiled as Friian V followed his lead. "Oh? What matter does His Holiness require my approval for?" Friian V held the scepter, somewhat puzzled. "Archbishop, please speak freely. Anything I can do to assist the church, I will not refuse." “Haha, worthy of the ‘Lion’ of the Kingdom of Kamella. Your steadfast faith will surely be safeguarded by the Goddess,” Singer laughed, deciding to be candid. “It’s like this: His Holiness the Pope has learned through the priests and churches in Kamella that a tome originally penned by Saint Elysia Ferris, the seventh Saintess, was recently discovered in some ruins in the Kingdom of Kamella. Could Your Majesty confirm this?” “Indeed, that is the case. The church’s information network remains as efficient as always,” Friian admitted without reservation. "Then, Your Majesty, you're aware the tome is a lost creation of Saint Elysia Ferris?" Singer continued. “Of course, is that why His Holiness sent you?” “To be frank, His Holiness is very interested in the lost tome of the Saintess. He believes that if that tome were acquired, it could better serve the believers and uphold the Goddess’s will. So, the church wishes to know if the Kingdom of Kamella could return the tome to the church?” “Certainly, we don’t expect Kamella to bear the expenses without compensation. Although the tome was authored by Elysia Ferris and technically belongs to the church, it’s long lost. If not for your royal judgment, Your Majesty, it might have never surfaced again, let alone benefit the world." “If you are willing, name your price, and we don’t even need the original. Allow our scribe to copy it.” Singer laid his cards on the table. The language implied that the tome was church property and other parties had no rightful claim to it. “I understand your point, Archbishop. As followers of the Goddess, the Kingdom is more than willing to contribute the tome to His Holiness’s cause, yet, unfortunately, now is not the time,” Friian V shook his head. “Now is not the time?” Singer furrowed his brows. “Could Your Majesty clarify what you mean by that?” “The tome is incomplete, with substantial sections missing, leaving too little to be comprehensible. But don’t worry, I have dispatched our most skilled conservators for its restoration,” Friian V explained. “You can entrust this to the Church of Light of Dawn. Since the tome belongs to the church, we can restore it more proficiently.” “Currently, it’s a critical moment in the restoration process; it’s impossible to relinquish it now. Moreover..." Friian V paused, his tone certain. “If I recall correctly, didn't the church retrieve all it claimed, belongings to the church, the relics, and the writings of predecessors, from the Kamella Kingdom back in the day?” Hearing this, Singer frowned unable to hold back. “By the terms of that agreement, the Church of Light of Dawn was not to trouble Wenny Ferris and could only take relics from the estate. Since then, the church acknowledged it had retrieved all rightful possessions. I believe that’s accurate, yes?” Friian V stroked his chin, appearing contemplative. The implication was clear enough: that since the tome was unearthed in Kamella, it belonged to Kamella. “Your Majesty is correct, but one cannot forget the tome was penned by the Saintess and should belong to the church,” Singer seemed reluctant to let it go. “Yet, as far as I know, the church currently has no Saintess, correct?” Friian V furrowed his brow. “Or is my memory failing me?” “True, but…” “Even based on such a rationale, I think it should belong to the descendants of Saint Elysia, Wenny Ferris—the only heir of the Ferris family—don’t you agree?” Friian V continued before Singer could respond. “However, Wenny Ferris is now part of our Kingdom, you might say the Ferris family is now nobility of the Kingdom, so legally speaking, it’s reasonable for the Kingdom to possess this tome.” “Your Majesty, we're open to any demands you might have, as long as it’s something the church can accommodate.” Singer still seemed reluctant. "I mentioned earlier, now is a crucial time for the tome's restoration. We cannot allow the wisdom of a previous generation’s Saintess to be overshadowed by future neglect, thereby dishonoring the domain of the Goddess and the Saintess," Friian V shook his head. "Since His Majesty has made up his mind, I won't persist," Singer sighed, seeming to concede. "However, I must remind you, Your Majesty, that the tome is of significant importance, and other factions besides the church may also have their sights on it. There might even be some dangerous individuals hidden among them." "Thank you for the warning, Archbishop. I will keep it in mind," Friian V smiled and continued to engage Singer in other topics. Afterward, with a grand gesture, Friian V and Singer headed to the banquet, escorted by the Rage Dragon Knights. "Archbishop, how did it go?" a man in gray-blue robes asked after the banquet as they returned to the royal guesthouse. "Chances are slim," Singer shook his head. "So, we just report back to His Holiness like this?" "There's no other option. This is their territory, and no matter what we say here, we don't have the upper hand," Singer’s expression was subtle, his eyes reflecting an unclear light. "I suppose so..." --- "What? You want to run for student council?" Fred exclaimed, shuffling his cards. "Come on, Wenny, you’re not serious, are you? When did you become so ambitious? Don't scare me! Bring back the old Wenny who vowed to slack off with me forever!" "Yeah, Wenny! Weren’t we supposed to laze around together for life? Have you already forgotten the bond of our card-playing club?" Bond? You mean messing around with hundreds of packs and only managing to draw a decent card once, coaxing me to join in and eventually losing everything, forced to work at a maid café as a maid, and getting tormented by Aesphyra for an entire afternoon? "Cut it out, I'm serious this time. I genuinely want to run for it. So, do you guys know the process or not? If you do, please fill me in," Wenny said, playing the only blue card in his deck. "Hmm? That's quite a card. If I recall, this wasn't in your deck before, was it?" Fred asked. "Humph, so you guys can buy cards and I can’t? I just happened to draw it when I bought a pack the other day," Wenny boasted, sticking to his pride before pretending to lament his situation. "Ah, bad luck—just one blue card from a pack. Unlike you lot, who at least get golds and even rainbows from a single pack." "You got that from one pack, Wenny? That's pretty good! I remember once pulling three purple cards from a pack during my unluckiest draw," another card buddy chimed in, unrelenting in his boasting. The exaggerated claims left everyone speechless. "Yeah, right! You didn't seriously pull three purples in one pack. I bet you pulled a hundred times and only got three purples, which drove you crazy, didn't it?" another card buddy teased. "Ha! You just don't know what it's like to be in true favor of Lady Luck. Come on, play a round with me, and today I'll crush you!" Reacting to the exposure of his exaggeration, the card buddy was provoked. "Alright then! I'll show you the new 'Saint Elysia' I drew! Let's go!" Saint Elysia?? Wenny paused; if she was a Saint, she must be one of his ancestors, right? "Lester, did you pull a new card? Let me see!" Wenny called out. "Haha, of course. I'm truly blessed by the Goddess. Look! Here, the freshly released Ultra Rare card from the church faction, 'Saint Elysia.' It's already in my collection! Hahaha!" Lester exclaimed, showing his multicolored, holographic-style card. The figure on the card changed depending on the viewing angle, creating a ‘moving’ effect—an exclusive feature of top-tier, rare cards. "Dammit! You rascal! How many months of pocket money did you burn on that?" "You secretly drew cards, and you actually got something! Alright, guys, let's crush this guy today. Who's with me?" "Count me in. Let's get him!" "Tsk, nothing to it. Not having one doesn’t change anything... But still, ugh, so jealous!" "Hey, hey, if you can't play, don't just take it out on me! I really drew it in one go. I'm not lying!" "Pfft! We’ll see if your skills are as hard as your luck today!" As this bunch squabbled in envy, Wenny was engrossed in examining the card. Depicted on it was a stunning girl with cherry blossom hair, dressed in a pure white Saintess gown. Her braided hair complemented her delicate features as her long pastel pink locks swayed with the breeze. With her hands clasped in prayer and a gentle smile gracing her lips, she seemed like a Madonna praying for all the beings in the world. Even the sun's dazzling light seemed dull in comparison to her brilliance. As the light changed, the girl’s pose shifted, revealing mesmerizing, compassionate eyes that gave Wenny the distinct impression she was looking directly at him.