3-12 - How Could the Villainous Young Master Be a Saintess?

# Volume Three: Chapter 12 - Hidden History 'Virtue +120.' 'Current Virtue: 10,524.' With a change in his virtue, Wenny couldn't help but feel amazed at how much Ishtiya had granted him. Though this virtue amount was nothing significant compared to the elder sister Mirexia, it was enough to overshadow the mischievous spirit girl, Mielan. "I'm sorry, Ishtiya, but I don't have a supply source for this potion," Wenny said, shrugging in helplessness. Just kidding! Having a treasure invites trouble, and if word got out about this mysterious, potent potion and it was known he was the only supplier, what then? Moreover, if the Fanghui Church were to catch wind and investigate thoroughly, discovering the potion contained the blood of the Saintess, wouldn't his supply source be instantly exposed? Wenny wasn't about to take such a risk. "If you need more, I have a few bottles here. You can have them all," Wenny said, taking out all the green potions from his pocket and handing them to Ishtiya. "Do you mind if I ask where you got these potions?" Ishtiya wasn't ready to give up, seeing as this was the only remedy she had found to cure her 'Saintly Collapse.' Of course, she wouldn't relinquish it easily. "Oh, that's a long story," Wenny began, sticking to his pre-prepared explanation. "I found these potions in a basement back home during a long holiday visit. I don't know who left them there, there were no labels, and I was unaware of their use. Fearing side effects or that they might have expired, I tested one myself. Afterward, I felt invigorated and guessed it was a restorative potion," Wenny explained. "Are these the only ones?" Ishtiya asked. "Yes, I found just these few bottles," Wenny nodded. "The storeroom used to have more, but they're likely gone now. A severe rodent infestation occurred ages ago, and they cleaned out treasures and valuables, likely including rare potions not found on the market." Ishtiya glanced at Wenny, silently taking in his words. She understood well what the so-called 'rodent infestation' referred to. After the House Ferris had waned and was expelled from the Fanghui Church, the church initiated a 'Holy Artifact Recovery' operation. They claimed that with the withdrawal of divine power, these relics should rightly return to the church to continue benefiting future generations. This was a fact known by the high-levels across the continents of Terilis. It was classic robber logic, but relationships between nations and churches were far too complex to judge in black and white terms. Thus, no nation dared protest such actions nor dispute them. Moreover, the Fanghui Church's actions carried a semblance of legitimacy; after the House Ferris's decline, no one was more qualified to reclaim the relics than the church. "If you want it, these are probably the last remaining ones. Reproducing one might be possible, though you know my alchemical skills are lacking," Wenny scratched his head. "Would you be willing to sell them?" Ishtiya inquired. "Ah, I have no use for them? Since you need them, just pay what you think is fair," Wenny smiled. He had two choices here: push the potions' value for more gold from Ishtiya, or opt for more virtuous deeds. Wenny chose the latter. "Thank you." 'Virtue +60.' 'Current Virtue: 10,584.' Huh, he thought, that's all the virtue I got? Wenny was somewhat disheartened. He was hoping to gauge Ishtiya's generosity through virtue but found she might not be as generous as a certain white-haired dwarf. Suddenly, a stone shimmering with radiant colors in the sunlight was tossed his way. Caught off guard, Wenny clumsily caught it, only then realizing it was a sapphire roughly half the size of his palm. Oh, wow! Dumbfounded, Wenny marveled at the gem, which reflected varied hues when held to the light. He'd never seen such a large, natural sapphire in his life—not even in both his lifetimes combined. This was pure extravagance! Wenny had heard that the Tyrellian Empire was a luxury goods hub, especially for gemstones and agates, with bountiful mines in the area. It's no wonder the main branch of the Count Galatus family was in the empire, with fashion designs beautified with these precious gems. Their exported luxuries, paired with these jewels, were sought after by nobles abroad. This was a stroke of fortune. If Wenny sold this gemstone, he could live comfortably for the rest of his life. Why keep toiling for money? A single piece of natural blue sapphire could buy his life. It's sobering to realize: what the imperial princess nonchalantly tossed away as a trivial trinket was a peak he could only dream of reaching. He retracted his earlier words. In terms of the Carriliman lineage, Ishtiya, the Imperial First Princess, was indeed more generous than a certain white-haired dwarf. Wenny decided, for that moment, in his eyes, the Tyrellian Empire stood as the true heir to the ancient Terilis Empire. Ishtiya, cradling the potions, produced a black pouch and carefully stored them inside before slipping it into her dress pocket. "So, Ishtiya, I've seen you often reading history books. Do you have a particular interest in this field?" Wenny asked, trying to steer the conversation and feeling it impolite to fixate on her given reward. "Wenny, do you know the origin of the potions you're selling me?" Ishtiya countered with a question instead of answering directly. "Huh? No, I don't," Wenny feigned ignorance. "These green potions might have been made by one of your ancestors," she noted, fingers tracing the book on her lap. "And it's possible the contents include the blood of a Saintess." "What?? Is that really so?" Wenny acted astonished, mouth agape in disbelief. "How do you know this?" he continued, probing further. Ishtiya offered no explanation. Wenny knew exactly why she remained silent. The fewer people aware of her condition, the better. Especially since her affliction seemed anything but ordinary. What could be cured by derivatives of saintly blood when even the greatest alchemists and physicians of Terilis could not? Apart from a demon lord's curse, it seemed it must be an ailment born of divine blood’s backlash. This was an easy deduction for Wenny, who understood the underlying circumstances. "Wenny, are you aware of how the Terilis Empire met its end?" Ishtiya shifted her gaze calmly to the thick historical book resting on her lap, ignoring his previous inquiries. "Well, I guess it must have been the demise attributed to the invasion of demons," Wenny stated, regurgitating what he’d read in history books. "The demon horde took advantage of the weakened ancient empire, demolished the imperial capital, slaughtered the royal family, and razed numerous city-states of the empire. Then, they used it as a launchpad to assault other human nations." This was the standard answer in history books. "Is that so? Didn't your ancestors tell you about it?" Ishtiya’s serene violet eyes were fixed upon Wenny as she questioned him. "Huh??" Wenny exclaimed in surprise. Could there be a hidden truth? This was news to him. However, Aesphyra should know, right? As the only legitimate heir of the Carriliman family, Aesphyra would have no reason not to know. "Could there be more to this story?" "Perhaps your ancestors never had the chance to pass down this secret before the family's decline," Ishtiya murmured softly. "You may not be aware of the state of the ancient empire back then. The Terilis Empire was at its zenith, with a formidable military and unwavering support from the nobility, and the imperial knights made even the demons cower. Any knightly order under them could easily rout the regular demon army.” “Historical records note the unity of the demons, but don't explain why. Historically plagued by internal strife far worse than humans, what could unite the disjointed, often combative demon factions?” Ishtiya continued. “That was the Terilis ancient empire—a colossal adversary, one so powerful it threatened to obliterate them with a mere gesture." "Back then, the entire imperial structure, including fierce rulers like the Dragon King of Peiono, the Grassland's Nomadic King, and our family, the Grand Duke of Rantville, were all subjects of the Carriliman emperor. Even the Saintess of the Fanghui Church, who was supposedly on par with the Terilis Emperor, would heed him when it counted.” “The mighty Terilis Empire could crush the demons single-handedly. Surely, an empire this strong wouldn't fall to demons overnight, would it?” "W-well." Faced with Ishtiya's questions, Wenny floundered for answers. Come on, he had barely grasped the official historical accounts, and now he’s delving into such explosive hidden truths? What’s he supposed to do—just stand there and listen? "I suppose that's unlikely, right?" Wenny responded. "Indeed. Yet the ancient empire still fell. Do you know why?" "No," Wenny pressed his lips together. "But I imagine a strong empire doesn’t usually fall to external forces but due to internal issues." "Correct, that's precisely it." Ishtiya nodded. "The Terilis Empire was not content with the limits of this continent." "Their research into divine grace and divine power was cutting-edge. To them, conquering the continent and destroying demons was a trivial task, so there was no rush to act. At that time, the demons were not even considered a threat." "The empire reigned supreme due to their unparalleled advancements in divine blessings, magic, and divine authority. However, it was these very advancements that led to their downfall." "Huh? What do you mean by that?" Wenny's curiosity was piqued. "The imperial family of the Terilis Empire, the Carriliman family, sought something they should never have dared to touch." Ishtiya explained. "Something they should never have dared to touch?" "Humans should remain human, but they wanted to play god. Nothing comes without a price, after all." "The majestic imperial capital, bustling city-states, and their invincible army—all vanished overnight. This was something no demon could achieve; it was the ancient empire's own doing." “The chaos caused by 'that thing' engulfed nearly a third of the ancient empire, turning it into ruins and drastically reducing the human population, which created an opportunity for demons to exploit.” “In truth, the fall of the ancient empire’s capital and the annihilation of their army had nothing to do with the demons. But a scapegoat was needed, and so the blame was shifted to the demons." "That thing??" Wenny tilted his head, bewildered. “What exactly is ‘that thing’?” Ishtiya did not offer a direct explanation but continued, “Carriliman Academy, during the era of the ancient empire, was directly under the emperor’s control. Thus, it houses something identical to what led to the ancient empire’s downfall.” "What? You're saying...?" "After the fall of the ancient empire, Carriliman Academy realized the terrifying destructive power of 'that thing' and, unable to control it completely, decided to keep it sealed using the ancient empire's technology." Ah, his head was itching—was it possible he was starting to get smarter? As he listened to Ishtiya, an idea emerged in Wenny’s mind. He suddenly recalled the scene when the Alchemical Demon Pillar, Eurnes, invaded. Why was the Demon Pillar Eurnes so bent on destroying the 'Tower of Order'? Also, from the zealots’ mouths, he gathered their target seemed to be the Tower of Order at Carriliman Academy. Could it be that everything was connected to the Tower of Order? "Are you referring to the Tower of Order within Carriliman Academy?" Wenny asked, a strange expression on his face. But Ishtiya did not answer this question. Instead, she closed her book and got to her feet. "Pleasure doing business, Wenny," she said, brushing past him and leaving the abandoned park behind.