Chapter 36
“We must absolutely meet the Saintess.”
“Please come back another time.”
“If we return, will we be able to meet her?”
“That will depend on the circumstances.”
He was a blunt man, choosing only the most irksome words to respond with. Sage sighed and took a step back.
“Then we will come back tomorrow.”
“Take care on your way.”
That was all the farewell they received.
As soon as they left the temple, Shah-Naz stomped his foot, causing flames to erupt beneath him and the ground to tremble.
“Shah-Naz!”
“H-How dare, how dare they treat me this way?”
Despite them being the lowest of the low.
Shah-Naz was so infuriated he didn’t know what to do. Watching him, Sage let out a deep sigh.
Burt and Garan seemed to have their schemes, which is why Shah-Naz was brought in, but it now seemed like it might have been a mistake. To put it nicely, Shah-Naz was straightforward and fiery; to put it not so nicely, he was overly simple and impulsive.
“Shah-Naz, be careful with your words. She is the Saint now.”
“I am being careful.”
“Then be more careful.”
Shah-Naz shook his head irritably before responding.
“Okay. But are we really going back tomorrow?”
“We must keep returning until we are granted a meeting.”
It was the only breakthrough.
“The official ceremony to appoint her as the Saintess hasn’t happened yet. Can’t we just wait until it’s over? Perhaps the outcome might be different.”
“There has never been such a case before. While there can be more or less ability, the voice of the goddess has never been wrong. So it’s better to make our move now.”
“But you never know.”
Shah-Naz made a sullen face, clearly displeased with the situation.
But there was nothing to be done. The word of the goddess was absolute. It was inevitable for Irene to be formally appointed as the Saintess.
Would becoming a Saintess make her forget past grievances? Sage’s answer was ‘no’.
These were the people who had imprisoned and ordered her to be tortured. Would she want to care for the countries of such people upon becoming a Saintess?
Therefore, it was right to start improving relations from now on.
‘But it feels like a dead end. Should I have come a bit earlier?’
But it was Garan who said it. He advised against visiting her when she was in the midst of suffering, to avoid being disliked even more.
Moreover, Ramiel was on his mind, causing hesitation, and during that time, something happened. Garan had visited Irene separately.
It seemed Garan had visited in secret, but despite appearing weak, Sage was also a king. He wasn’t just sitting idly by, so he was aware of Garan’s meeting with Irene, who was now the Saint.
Sage couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.
“We must meet the Saintess somehow and persuade her.”
He reaffirmed his resolution, looking forward to the next day.
However, the next day came, and then the day after, yet the Saintess was not easily accessible.
Just as Shah-Naz was contemplating a forceful entry, the door to the Saintess’s room opened.
“You are invited in.”
Following the paladin, Sir Sizu, who immediately stood beside the bed where Irene lay.
Shah-Naz was about to get irritated again at the overt display of the guard, but Sage calmed him down. Then, for the first time in a long while, they made eye contact with Irene.
Deep, clear, crimson eyes.
No emotion could be read from those eyes, a color impossible for humans, as if hidden behind a wall.
Her black hair, which was a mess soaked in blood the last time they saw her, was now neatly combed. Apart from the bandages that had yet to be removed, she looked much better than before.
Irene looked at them without saying a word. From the tightly closed lips, it was clear she had no intention of speaking first.
So, Sage spoke first.
“It’s been a long time, Saintess.”
Then, Shah-Naz greeted her with a displeased expression.
“Long time no see.”
It seemed Shah-Naz was still reluctant to even refer to Irene as the Saint.
Sage nearly sighed at the omission of the title but managed to hold it back.
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