"Hmm, is this Grave Duchy? Not bad at all."
Upon arriving at the Duchy through teleportation, Celestia's first action was to fan herself and cover her mouth.
Seeing this, the bishop sighed and called out to her.
"Saintess."
"Yes?"
"Are you imitating some villainous character you recently saw or something?"
Quietly closing her mouth and avoiding eye contact, Celestia made the archbishop click his tongue.
"That's right."
"No, Archbishop Semaine? Why are you picking on me since earlier?"
"Even I have to consistently controling your behavior to avoid trouble."
…
"Please! Saintess! Just this once! Please refrain from any impulsive actions, please, I beg you…!"
"What did I do…"
"Just suddenly declaring your intention to visit the ducal mansion without any prior consultation is already a problem!"
…
"That time, as I said then, I was just trying to figure out what kind of person the problematic duke is…"
"So, what did you find out?"
"I'm trying to find out right now."
…
"Regardless, please, just don't cause any big problems."
"Okay."
"I'm getting old too, I don't want to worry like this at my age…"
A heartfelt voice.
But Celestia just smiled at the bishop.
"Don't worry, Archbishop."
"Oh, indeed…"
"Even if a problem arises, the one above will take care of it."
"No, look here."
With an expression of helplessness, the bishop looked at her.
But in the end, he resigned himself.
After all, when has this saintess ever listened to his requests?
"Indeed, Denver will surely help."
So as there was no one else to rely on as a priest.
Leading the priests who came with her, Celestia strode confidently towards the ducal mansion.
'What kind of guy will he be?'
Full of anticipation for the young duke she was about to meet.
And it was around the time she came out of the teleportation and entered the street.
"Welcome to the land of Grave, Saintess Celestia. I am Setarim Wiverer, the commander of the Blue Empire Knights, and I greet you."
A group of knights lined up and greeted her.
Celestia raised one corner of her mouth.
'Oh, is it already a show of strength?'
The Grave Duchy is the Empire's leading magic noble family.
Although they have a knight order, they are still a step below the magic brigade.
If they sent knights instead of the magic brigade, the meaning would ultimately be that.
"Nice to meet you, Commander Setarim. I am Celestia, the saintess of the Holy empire Church."
Of course, without showing such intentions, she responded to Setarim's welcome with courtesy.
But she wasn't just passive about it.
"Everyone, meeting like this…"
"Ah, they are not knights."
"What?"
Although Setarim's reply made her smile fade.
"Aren't they knights?"
"They look like knights, but they're not."
"They have swords at their waists?"
"But they're not knights."
As if to say she couldn't compromise, Setarim answered firmly.
"Earlier, you mentioned the knight commander. So, the ones who came with the knights…"
"Ah, I just came by myself."
"Excuse me?"
With a puzzled expression, Celestia blinked.
"I'm sorry for the late introduction."
Setarim kindly smiled and introduced a young man who was quietly standing next to him with a strict, dignified, and serious expression.
"He is Alanso, the 7th rank magician who is in charge of the main family's magic brigade."
"And the ones behind him are also promising magicians from our family…"
…
"A feeling of disgust can be felt."
"What? What are you suddenly talking about…"
"No, it's just my thoughts."
Ignoring Lepentier, who was looking at me wondering what I was talking about, I casually brought the glass to my lips.
"The saintess?"
"They say she's about to arrive soon. They say the atmosphere is somewhat subtle."
"Well, that's how it is."
It seems that Alanso has done his job properly.
Although I don't know, he probably didn't convey the feeling of disgust with his strict, dignified, and serious expression.
"It's about time for her to arrive, right?"
Then I should start preparing too.
The Celestia I remember, the saintess of the Holy Empire Church, is quite a complicated person.
The image of being kind and sloppy is just an appearance; inside, she is quite ruthless.
There have been several people who fell for her facade and suffered.
– Kyle, doesn't she look like a dog?
She always lived with a cigarette. At least the Celestia I saw was that kind of woman.
There was a dark shadow under her eyes, and she always tapped her index finger as if she were tapping something.
It was impossible to feel the past when she politely spoke to everyone.
She was ruthless.
And it was a time when she had to be ruthless.
I always gave the same answer to her dog-like comments.
"That's true for everyone."
This era, everyone in this world is like that.
After hearing that, Celestia smiled faintly and nodded her head.
Yeah, she did her best as a saintess of the Holy Empire Church. It was just that her 'best' was a tragedy of meaninglessness.
And in the last moment, what did she say to me?
Certainly…
"Your Highness?"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Oh, it's nothing. You seemed lost in thought, so I thought there might be a problem."
"No, nothing like that."
I was just lost in old memories. It was necessary to recall them to deal with the current Celestia.
Anyway, I know a lot about Celestia. I even know her personal secrets.
Perhaps even at that time, that secret was progressing.
"Lepentier."
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"Did you handle what I mentioned last time?"
"Yes, if you're referring to the herb, it's been taken care of."
Lepentier confirmed once again.
"It wasn't easy to get, being so rare, but I managed somehow."
"Did you bring it?"
"Yes."
Lepentier pulled out a crimson herb from his pocket and handed it to me.
"It doesn't seem to have much use other than being rare, but do you have a use for it?"
"Of course. It's not well known among people right now, but it will be useful for sure."
At this point in time, this herb would appear to be nothing more than a rare weed.
At best, it would be seen as an unusual spectacle flower.
But in the near future, this herb will have tremendous power in unexpected places.
And when I face her, I will know its power.
"Wait a moment," Lepentier returned and said, "Your Highness, the saintess of the Holy church has arrived at the mansion."
"She's here. Let her in."
It's been a while since I thought about seeing an acquaintance, so I feel a bit pleased.
—
Thud.
As the door opened, a woman entered slowly. She didn't quite give off the atmosphere or dress like a typical saintess of the Church holy empire.
But she was undoubtedly the saintess I remembered, Celestia.
"It is an honor to meet you like this, Duke Kyle Grave."
With a kind expression and a gentle voice typical of a saintess, she greeted me.
"I trust Denver's blessings guide your path."
"Thank you, saintess. I believe Denver has already kindly shown me the way."
I chuckled and gestured for her to sit.
"You've come a long way, so please, have a seat."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Celestia nodded and sat across from me.
Now, everything is in place.
I've informed the people around me through Lepentier and made sure those who followed her didn't interfere.
"I didn't expect to have the opportunity to be scolded by you like this…"
"Wasn't that why you requested the visit?"
At my words, Celestia's demeanor changed slightly. After a moment, she sighed and spoke slowly.
"The note."
"Ah, the note you sent with the criminal. It didn't mean much. It was just about the mismanagement of the bishops…"
"Your Highness, I am a saintess of the Church of Holy empire. I have received considerable trust from Denver. Thanks to that, I feel much stronger than others. It's a kind of 'intuition,' you might say."
"Hmm."
"And that intuition has led me to at least anticipate 'what intention' was behind the note you sent."
Celestia quietly looked at me.
Her eyes staring straight into mine.
That's not just a peculiar-shaped pupil; it's a kind of blessing Denver has bestowed upon her.
"Seeing it this way, I am even more convinced. The content of the note you sent was not simply to condemn our church."
"…"
"Your Highness, may I ask a question?"
Meeting my gaze directly, she spoke slowly.
"How did you know that I could no longer hear Denver's voice?"
Denver no longer responds to her words.
If this were to be made public, it could be a significant blow to the Church of Holy empire's prestige.
'Intuition.'
Even now, she has received a very heavy blessing. In some cases, it's almost like prophecy.
Even now, she must have confirmed my secret through that 'intuition.'
Well, I knew it.
Moreover, if she reveals it so easily, I should respond in kind.
"How did I know… but before that, let me ask you something."
"Go ahead."
"How long will you continue to play the role of someone you are not?"
"…"
"Don't just bash your head against the wall. Speak comfortably. That's why I called you here."
"…"
Seemingly at a loss for words, Celestia just stared at me.
"Your Highness, I am practically the second-in-command of the Empire in the Church of Holy empire. And you are aware that your attitude is quite disrespectful."
"I am aware."
Even if I am a duke of the empire, it is disrespectful to use informal language with a saintess. However…
'I know about you.'
Celestia is not an ordinary human being.
I quietly waited for her response.
"Ha."
Whether she 'intuited' something or not, Celestia suddenly burst into laughter, holding her stomach.
"Hahaha!"
After laughing for a while, she wiped away the tears in her eyes and spoke.
"Oh, is the duke getting feisty?"
"I also have 'intuition,' so I felt uncomfortable when you were trying to be overly polite."
I also felt a bit relieved after i gave her permission to speak more casually. It must have been more comfortable for her from her perspective.
And sure enough.
"Well, if you say so."
As soon as she got my permission, she sat with her legs crossed and her chin in her hand.
"So, Duke, what is it?"
Her green eyes shimmered strangely, drawing a crescent moon shape.
As if the previous conversation was just a thorough act, she showed a completely different atmosphere and asked me.
"Why did you summon me through such a note?"
"Just curious."
"If you're curious?"
Now it's my turn to present a card to her.
A card that she cannot simply ignore from her position.
I'm sure Celestia will not be able to remain calm about this topic.
"are you addicted?"
The word seemed to come out of my mouth terrifyingly.
"…!"
She stood up abruptly, her eyes wide open.