Children of the Holy Emperor - Chapter 158

“Did you hear? Apparently, our dear Saintess was actually an apostle of God.”

“What? Goodness! So what does that mean? What exactly is an apostle?”

“Well, it means the Saintess was personally sent by God Himself.”

“But isn’t the Saintess originally a grace bestowed by God anyway?”

“That’s a bit different. She’s now a Saintess belonging to the Holy Knights.”

“I don’t know what it is, but that sounds amazing!”

The rumors spread incredibly fast.

Since Sisle’s declaration had caused such a huge stir, it was only natural for last night’s events to swiftly spread throughout the Imperial Capital.

However, the fact that all the citizens of the Imperial Capital knew about the [Apostle] immediately after the emergency council ended was largely due to the Information Department’s preemptive measures. They intended to capture public sentiment before even a shred of criticism could arise.

Thanks to that, the rumor reached the ears of Romaine, who was passing through Bertrand Street.

‘Apostle?’

He thought as he headed to the rendezvous point.

Something must have happened at the Imperial Palace yesterday, and Leo would probably tell him the details.

But when he actually arrived at the warehouse and faced him, Romaine realized,

‘…He’s out of it.’

Because Leonard was staring blankly into the air with a flushed face, his mind clearly elsewhere. And Romaine’s intuition was not wrong.

“Apostle? What’s that?”

“…”

What has he been doing at the Imperial Palace to be the only one unaware of a story the entire Imperial Capital is buzzing about?

Romaine shook his head. If the prince was that distracted, it must be about a woman nine times out of ten.

It seemed the princess had captured his heart more than expected. And things were developing in a rather favorable direction.

“Ah right, I have good news, Romaine. Prince Morres wants to meet you.”

“Is that so? I thought he’d be more cautious, but that’s unexpected.”

“Really? He didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding his affiliation with the Dark Cult at all. He readily agreed to set up a meeting.”

Or maybe my impression was quite trustworthy.

While ignoring the prince’s nonsense with one ear, Romaine rubbed his chin exposed beneath the half-mask.

Why? Was this uneasy feeling just his imagination?

“By the way, it’s really strange. Why would a perfectly fine Holy Prince of the Holy Empire claim to be a member of the Dark Cult? And how did you discover that prince’s secret, Romaine?”

Romaine stared at Leonard for a moment, then nodded. Well, he is a core member of the plan, so it should be fine to tell him this much.

“Leo. He’s probably not the real Prince Morres.”

“…What?”

“For some reason, the real prince must be dead. Anyway, what’s currently possessing his body is an evil spirit planted by the Dark Cult.”

Leonard, who had been staring with his mouth agape, asked in disbelief,

“What kind of nonsense is that? Is this a joke?”

But there was not a hint of laughter in the eyes visible beyond the half-mask.

“I mentioned before that I had a chance to see his soul while channeling with an incomplete seed, didn’t I? That’s when I confirmed it.”

What Romaine saw that day was a soul with no proper form and an extremely faint connection to the body.

Unless one had received the Baptism of Rest, a living person could never appear like that.

“To borrow Granius’s explanation, it’s probably because the part corresponding to the Bion is weak. Bion is gradually formed through the interaction between the soul and the body. That’s the very proof that the soul suddenly entered from the outside. It’s a common tactic used by the Cult of Rest.”

However, despite his detailed explanation, Leonard didn’t seem to understand well.

“Bion?”

“…Don’t tell me, Leo. You’re not familiar with the three-soul theory?”

“Ah. Is that related to theology?”

Leonard scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

“Yeah. It feels nostalgic, like a theology teacher or something.”

He nagged so much that I stabbed him without hesitation. Now he’s buried nicely in the palace’s rear garden.

“…”

“Anyway, it’s unexpected. For the Holy Emperor, that scary fellow, to leave an evil spirit in the Imperial Palace.”

“It means he’s a fairly useful vessel.”

In fact, that fake Prince Morres successfully thwarted Romaine’s planting plan on behalf of the Holy Emperor, didn’t he? Even now, it was an infuriating incident.

“But he’s still his son, you know?”

“In other words, it means he’s cornered to the point of having to use even an evil spirit possessing his son’s body.”

A confident smile curved on the lips beneath the half-mask.

“A great catastrophe originally begins from such small cracks, Leo.”

***

The ceremonial rite hosted by the Holy Emperor.

A huge crowd had already gathered in front of the Imperial Palace. It was a rare day when ordinary citizens could directly face the Holy Emperor.

People holding small bouquets could be seen here and there. With colorful petals fluttering in the air, the biggest festival in Delcros was beginning in name and reality.

“Because the birthday banquet is the only day you can directly receive His Majesty’s blessing.”

Sir Masain explained while guarding Seongjin’s front.

The birthday banquet was the day when God’s representative blessed everyone. During the day, he showed his face to the citizens of Delcros and blessed them, and in the evening banquet, he also blessed the dignitaries who had come from all over the continent.

‘You mean the birthday boy doesn’t get congratulated?’

That man has it tough too.

If he had known, he should have prepared a simple birthday present.

[If you cause a little less trouble, wouldn’t your father be happy enough with that?]

‘…Shut up!’

Although he rebuked the Demon King, Seongjin honestly had nothing to say.

Come to think of it, wasn’t he the one who first lit the fuse for this kiddo situation?

That’s why he was attending the unscheduled ceremonial event. He was a bit worried about how the kiddo, who had been at the center of controversy since last night, was handling it.

“Originally, this event is for the citizens. Your Highness is not obligated to attend.”

As Sir Masain said, there were no separate seats for dignitaries. So Seongjin was currently blending into the crowd in plain clothes.

Instead, the security was thorough, with Sir Masain and Dame Maria flanking Seongjin’s left and right, and Sir Kurt tightly guarding his back. The strongest forces among the resident knights had been deployed.

Upon closer inspection, dignitaries surrounded by security personnel could be spotted intermittently among the crowd. There seemed to be quite a few people who had come to watch secretly like Seongjin.

“It’s starting, Your Highness.”

Along with Sir Kurt’s quiet voice, soon the majestic sound of wind instruments resounded throughout the square.

Subsequently, the five Holy Knight Orders began to line up in turn. The sight of them, each with their unique characteristics, performing impeccable military drills in ceremonial attire was a spectacular scene.

Particularly eye-catching were the Order of Saint Aurelion and the Order of Saint Bastian at the front.

Their white uniforms, emblazoned with red and blue emblems respectively, formed a rather striking contrast on either side of the main gate.

“Oh! There’s Logan!”

Seongjin noticed a conspicuous figure among them and brightened.

Wow, he sure knows how to spin that sword hilt impressively.

After the Holy Knights’ military drill, which provided entertainment for a while, ended, high priests and a choir stepped forward, and a brief Mass followed.

“It’s Sisle!”

The kiddo, dressed in priestly robes and standing at the front with a rather dignified demeanor, caught Seongjin’s eye.

But the joy was short-lived as Seongjin’s expression turned serious. The hook-nosed old geezer glaring at the kiddo beside her with a sullen face caught his attention.

That old coot! Can’t he open his eyes properly?

“Cardinal Benitus isn’t an easy character, but he’s not fundamentally evil either.”

Masain, noticing Seongjin’s gaze, spoke soothingly.

“Perhaps there will be some friction with the princess, who suddenly received the position, but he’s a man who adheres to principles. Won’t he come to terms with it on his own soon enough?”

“Hmm, is that so?”

Seongjin looked up at Masain and thought.

Come to think of it, when he first went to the main palace for an audience with the Holy Emperor, wasn’t there a strange atmosphere between the Cardinal and Sir Masain?

“Sir Masain seems to know him quite well.”

At that, Masain let out a small sigh.

“Of course. Cardinal Benitus used to be my patron. That’s why, even though it’s been a while since I became an adult, he still can’t shake off old habits and tries to nag me at every opportunity.”

Come to think of it, Sir Masain was also cornered by the high priests, led by Cardinal Benitus, at yesterday’s banquet.

-Sir Masain. What are you thinking! Resigning from the perfectly good position of Captain of the Imperial Guard and becoming the Commander of the Detached Palace Guards! You are the adopted son of the Imperial Family! You must never forget this fact!

Recalling the nagging he received last night, Masain looked gloomy, but Seongjin chuckled and said to him,

“I get it. He’s pestering you to get married, right?”

“…Pardon?”

Masain’s expression turned subtle, but Seongjin patted his back with an understanding look.

“I know it well. Isn’t that the typical nagging of old geezers at this age?”

He knew that Sir Masain was approaching thirty.

The repertoire at this age was obvious. Do you have a job? Do you have a girlfriend? When are you getting married? When are you having kids?

Since Sir Masain was a respectable knight of the Imperial Guard, it was probably either a girlfriend or marriage.

“Ah!”

“Look, it’s His Majesty!”

At that moment, exclamations began to resound among the people. Finally, the Holy Emperor revealed himself on the podium.

Even though it was a once-a-year event, the Holy Emperor looked not much different from usual. It’s just that, befitting the occasion, he had properly fastened his judicial robes today.

“…”

It was a truly peculiar thing.

Even though he had merely appeared on the podium, it felt as if the eyes of the entire world were focused on him in an instant.

The people in the square, holding their breath in unison and concentrating on his every move. The sunlight directly shining down on his head.

Even the gentle breeze blowing seemed to revolve around him.

The Holy Emperor standing on the podium did not say much. He simply stood there quietly and exuded divine power in all directions.

However, the result of that simple action was unrivaled. The waves of divine power sweeping across the square were so fierce that even Seongjin, who had absolutely no divine power, could feel something passing by.

Whoosh.

The buds of the bouquets people were holding simultaneously bloomed in full. Even the trampled petals on the ground were revived vividly.

“Ahhh…”

All the citizens in the square were entranced, their eyes reddening. If ordinary people were like this, how about the priests sensitive to divine power?

Sob sob!

Hearing the sound of crying here and there, Seongjin turned to see people in quite exotic priestly robes collapsed on the ground. They seemed to be priests who had come from abroad for the birthday banquet.

Their writhing figures, having completely lost self-control, definitely looked out of their minds.

The Demon King had said this could also be a kind of [Captivation].

-In a sense, it may be more dangerous because they don’t think to resist like with demonic energy.

Immediately after that, the Holy Emperor disappeared beyond the Imperial Palace, but the excitement that had once swept the square did not subside for a while. Staring blankly at the people weeping with emotion, Seongjin thought,

‘Is it because I don’t have divine power? I can’t shake off the feeling that they’re like cult fanatics…’

“Quite a bizarre spectacle, isn’t it?”

It seemed Seongjin wasn’t the only one who felt that way, as the man standing next to him spoke.

“Having lived abroad for a long time due to work, I sometimes find these scenes in Delcros very unfamiliar.”

For a moment, Seongjin thought it was Riccardo standing there. The man’s tall stature and relaxed attitude were a spitting image of him.

But he soon realized that the man looked slightly older than Riccardo.

Fortunately, before Masain could say anything, the man politely bowed. His demeanor was not very respectful, but there was nothing to fault.

“Greetings to Your Highness Morres.”

“And you are?”

“So the rumor about your memory loss was true. I am Domenico Scarcepino. I have often paid my respects to Your Highness at gatherings.”

The coldly calm eyes beyond the greeting sparkled.

“Thank you for your concern about my sister’s health. I came to express my gratitude, even at the risk of being rude.”

As he said, following Amelia’s advice, Seongjin had sent a letter inquiring about Isabella’s well-being.

But there must have been more than one or two such letters for the sickbed of the queen who ruled the social circles. Yet he read them all and came to express his gratitude?

Seongjin narrowed his eyes and looked at him.

“Of course I’m concerned. Isabella is my fiancée. By the way, how is her condition? Is there any improvement?”

It was a bit awkward to ask like this after witnessing the scene where he tapped her head. But it was better than inquiring about Riccardo, whom he had directly beaten up.

Domenico then quietly observed Seongjin, as if appraising him.

Did this guy notice something?

“Thanks to Your Highness’s concern, she will recover soon.”

There was little change in emotion on the man’s face as he answered. Rather than managing his expression as a seasoned businessman, he seemed to have an inherently dry lack of emotion.

‘He’s not an easy one…’

Seongjin felt an inexplicable unease. And that uncomfortable feeling doubled when he introduced the woman next to him as his fiancée.

“This is my fiancée, Olivie.”

A pretty woman with a lively impression slightly lifted the hem of her dress.

At that moment, Seongjin was inwardly startled.

‘This woman is an assassin! What the hell is this guy up to?’