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[Translator - Night]
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Chapter 169
“The majority of the high-ranking officials with decision-making power seem to have made up their minds to oust her.”
“It’ll be a headache if word gets out.”
“Well, it’s easy enough to dismiss her as a heretic. Hardly anyone knows that possessing a divine Stigma is, in itself, proof that she isn’t a heretic.”
It seems the Holy Kingdom is thoroughly rotten to the core.
“Aren’t you one of the high-ranking officials yourself?”
“Technically, yes. But I’m merely someone with a foot in the Holy Kingdom’s politics, nothing more.”
“Still, you’re in a position to help, aren’t you?”
“Hmm… I have no desire to get more involved. The risk is too great.”
He feigned ignorance, as though he truly didn’t know any more.
“This whole situation is just ridiculous.”
Of course, the Saintess wasn’t at fault.
It was the bastards who saw her ideals as a threat to their own interests who were in the wrong.
“…There’s something I’d like to ask.”
He shifted his gaze toward Luna.
“Luna Basilin. Do you feel nothing when you look at her?”
“Displeasure.”
“I feel the same.”
His voice was firm.
“When the bearer of the divine Stigma—the one meant to be beloved by God—cannot bring herself to like her, it makes it difficult for me to see her in a favorable light.”
What the hell?
Are demons and angels just the same, after all?
“…I just can’t get used to it. A demon with devout faith in God?”
Even Melissa, sharing my thoughts, muttered aloud despite the rudeness of her words.
At that, Luna, her arms crossed, snapped back in a curt tone, making no effort to hide her displeasure.
“That is what’s strange.”
“Strange, you say?”
“You don’t need to bother trying to understand. That’s just how he is.”
I still couldn’t wrap my head around it.
A demon serving God.
Yet, Diablo didn’t seem bothered by Luna’s sharp retort.
On the contrary, he looked as though he fully understood her reaction.
“However, her existence is significant. That’s why I broke protocol and shared this information.”
He smiled faintly as he continued.
“I like humans.”
“…What?”
“When I see innocent children playing, I feel a warmth that transcends race. But their politics… I do not care for it.”
In other words, while he found joy in humans and devoted himself to serving God, he had no desire to meddle in their politics.
Yet, the reason he had stepped in now was because he understood the importance of the Saintess.
He was an observer.
“Once is enough for experiencing the guilt of causing someone irreparable pain by acting recklessly.”
For a brief moment, his eyes flickered toward Luna before turning away again.
There was clearly a painful past hidden there, but I didn’t pry.
With that, he stood from his seat.
“Well then, I’ll be on my way.”
“Cooperate.”
Luna’s demand was firm and brief.
“I am an observer, Luna Basilin.”
“…Diablo.”
Calling him by his full name, Luna opened a subspace and retrieved something from within, tossing it to him.
Thud!
“…This is…”
The object landed in his hands, and his eyes widened in shock.
It was the demon ornament we had found in the mines.
"Diablo, the blasphemous demon."
So, that’s why he went by "Dibel."
“…How did you… come by this?”
“Picked it up. It’s yours, right?”
Her casual remark made his expression twist with a whirlwind of complicated emotions.
“…You’ve cornered me.”
“Is it important to you?”
“Yes. It was a gift from the first human I ever met when I came to this land. I lost it long ago and never thought I’d see it again.”
He gently turned the ornament over in his hands, examining it with delicate reverence.
* * *
Diablo’s position as a self-proclaimed neutral figure carried considerable weight, even within the Holy Kingdom.
After all, those with golden cross brooches were typically figures of great respect and influence.
By offering to return the ornament in exchange for his cooperation, Luna successfully drew him to their side.
In effect, they had gained the support of a significant faction within the Holy Kingdom.
It worked out well, considering the ornament had no real use for us anyway.
Seated on a reclined chair on the terrace, I gazed at the night sky, lost in thought.
Before I knew it, Luna was by my side, quietly watching me.
Her eyes flickered anxiously, like a child who had done something wrong, glancing about uneasily.
I reached out and gently pulled her by the arm, guiding her onto my lap.
It was an unusually affectionate gesture for me.
Without a word, she buried her face into my chest, as though seeking comfort, her emotions tangled.
“Are you… upset that I just gave it away?”
After a long silence, that was the first thing she said.
She must have been talking about the demon ornament she had handed over to Diablo.
“No. Honestly, I’d almost forgotten about it. It was the perfect thing to use at the right moment.”
“…We might have found another use for it later.”
“Would we, though?”
According to Diablo, it was a simple keepsake—a memento given by the first human he met in this world.
I still had no idea why such a humble trinket had been in that altar, but it was clearly something he had sought for a long time.
And yet, Luna still hadn’t found Fate Lord, the ring she was looking for.
That was probably part of why she was so conflicted.
An angel clinging to a ring, and a demon attached to a mere ornament.
It felt as though common sense was shattering from every angle.
“…After this is over, let’s go search for that ring again.”
She didn’t respond.
Instead, I felt the faint tightening of her hand as she clutched my collar.
After a moment, her face flushed red as she slowly sat up.
Without a word, I hoisted her onto my back.
“Let’s go for a walk.”
Melissa had fallen asleep, and both the saintess and Diablo were resting in their chambers.
At this hour, the only ones awake were her and me.
So, I left the mansion with her on my back and wandered through the territory.
Luna simply buried her face against my back, absorbing the warmth.
“I don’t know what you were in the past or why you can’t talk about it now.”
At my words, she flinched slightly.
“But since I’m not exactly good with people, let’s just focus on the present.”
Feeling the slight increase in pressure from her arms tightening around my neck, I smiled faintly.
“Leon, put me down.”
At her request, I gently lowered her.
She glanced around, scanning the surroundings.
“No one’s watching.”
“Hmm?”
Without warning, she grabbed my collar and pulled me down.
Then, she pressed her lips against my cheek.
Stunned by her sudden action, I stared at her in a daze.
With her hands now clasped behind her back, she took a few steps away and flashed a bright smile.
“Leon.”
She called my name softly.
And then, slowly, she spoke.
“If things don’t go well… I’ll step in.”
There was no mistaking her meaning, no misunderstanding what she was implying.
She, who despised her own existence, was offering to use it.
Because I knew what she truly was.
And I knew how much she loathed resorting to it.
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[Translator - Night]
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* * *
At dawn, Melissa, Luna, and I gathered with the saintess of the Holy Kingdom and Diablo.
One was the symbol of the Holy Kingdom.
The other was the leader of the neutral faction, who had distanced himself from the country’s politics.
In truth, the two of them didn’t have much prior association.
Yet, I could see that Saintess Nadia was somewhat afraid of him.
It was only natural.
After all, he barely concealed his disdain for her, even more so than Luna did.
Now that I looked at her, it was clear that the authority of the saintess wasn’t as great as one might expect.
“Saintess.”
“Y-Yes!”
“You are the symbol of the Holy Kingdom. Straighten your shoulders.”
“Uh….”
“The more you shrink back, the more the people of the Holy Kingdom will cower. I won’t tell you to be perfect. Just be dignified.”
“I-I’ll keep that in mind…”
He let out a short sigh.
“Since I’ve accepted this burden, I might as well see it through. After this is over, I plan to retire.”
“D-Director Diablo! R-Retire?!”
“Saintess, it’s merely a personal vow. You needn’t be overly concerned.”
“Still…”
“Ah! I was very clear, wasn’t I? A saintess bearing a Stigma must never shrink back.”
“M-My apologies…”
Now that I observed them, it felt less like he hated her and more like a strict teacher scolding a nervous student.
“Frankly, I had no intention of getting further involved in this matter. But thanks to the ornament Luna Basilin gave me, I have no choice but to board this ship.”
That ornament clearly meant enough to him to make him compromise his beliefs or even part of his life.
“I did some digging into the situation in the Holy Kingdom last night. It was quite the spectacle.”
“Why? Did they officially declare the saintess a heretic or something?”
I asked jokingly, though the thought was absurd.
But he fell silent.
Wait… seriously?
They’ve completely lost it.
“Yes. As of now, Saintess Nadia Ten Lilibel has been officially branded a heretic. They claim her Stigma is fake.”
This was far beyond the previous accusations against the high priest Nabel, who had been labeled a heretic for being of dubious origin.
“The reason? The reckless smuggling of holy relics and the use of those relics to awaken a forbidden monstrosity.”
At those words, Nadia’s eyes widened in shock.
“W-What do you mean…?”
“Do you know of the colossal monster that appeared on Pinas Island? The Holy Kingdom has declared that you controlled that beast and laid waste to Remilish Isle. It has already been officially announced.”
Though fabricated, it wasn’t entirely baseless.
After all, the massacre had indeed happened.
Thus, they pinned it on the saintess, publicly stripping her of her position and condemning her as a traitor to the divine.
“At this point, cutting off the enemy’s head wouldn’t even solve anything.”
At my bitter remark, he nodded in agreement.
“Yes. There is only one way to turn this around.”
He glanced between Saintess Nadia and Luna.
“Let’s put on a show—a divine descent.”
The moment I understood what he meant, I crushed the cup I was holding.
“You intend to use Luna?”
The icy chill in my voice made him shake his head slightly.
“Saintess, let me be blunt. Can you perform a large-scale miracle?”
Before Nadia could answer, it was Luna who spoke.
“Impossible. She can’t even accept her Stigma properly. The only thing she can do is linger in its afterglow.”
Luna’s sharp criticism made Nadia lower her head in shame.
“She’s right. The saintess cannot perform such a miracle in her current state. And it’s not something that can be fixed in a short time.”
His voice was firm, almost detached, but the implications were clear.
They needed a miracle.
And Luna, despite her resistance, was their only hope.
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[Translator - Night]
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