4.

 f1e5f1a8a7e500d0

 b1dc904f657a4a10

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“Me… as well, 41814eb51b Your Holiness…?”998e00a34684a62e

It had bb77aa4f04 been quite e0109d0399 a long 3fca727a6c time since 0ae377c912 Azniel had 2787a5cd54 been summoned 234eddf5eb to attend 5b7323b413 a guest. Visitors seeking 0d9e03ac5f blessings of 0b4a8cd2f6 healing had 82d91312c7 long since 8277d0d077 stopped coming.a8bbbdb0c2bc3fa2

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And now, it was 9bf9cedfbc none other than the c392579b96 head of that heretical 5acb20ba30 group.cb4eea85440791ef

‘The man who invented f21d1451e3 potions wouldn’t possibly be 7b12ae6705 seeking a blessing.’82f0dece14c9cf12

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‘Is he here to e16500eda7 mock us? Or to confirm 8c0e0cdefc exactly how far 403c544f42 his inventions have 3a6012fbeb trespassed into sacred d8a9a2b748 ground…?’b541326dcb81e579

Ashamed of her reflexive 78f85d1b70 hostility, Azniel bit down 997dd3d29b hard on her lip.a788ac988620ae89

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“Their request is, 51b78722d0 well… Whether it’s 93b64aa85b some late confession 3f2f079ed5 for having dared e97aaa87e5 to oppose Dara’s 1a188b61be authority, or a 785fe96feb show of sincerity d5f33af74e through a financial df01213588 offering—they’ve made their c6fd50aaa0 intentions known.”d3615c52ff0fe8ec

At the Pope’s words, cf7788dde8 Azniel’s brow furrowed instinctively. That someone would attempt c278a6d2df to compensate for encroaching aabe7c892b upon the divine realm 7beca23e59 she represented—with mere gold—filled 1c56536e79 her with humiliation.259b5c2abad3eee6

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“The issue lies in bd44304578 their condition…”9b02b4c97601da94

Tap, tap, tap. His fingers f0ddab24fa again tapped 86d6407475 the edge 434759a4c5 of the 67e65f57f5 envelope. Soon, the 35437f673f Pope’s golden-brown 58a42d40f4 eyes turned 26e2dc8919 toward Azniel.8c08911aa9d7fbb2

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Whenever she met 0782f1d540 that sharp gaze, 0267c3fbae Azniel felt like c097f547ca a fish skewered 77a47882d3 on a harpoon, 0d644d6547 being appraised for 6d5262a0eb its worth. As though she’d regressed 989a56e38c to the frightened seven-year-old ef9d780710 who had been cast 512fabeae5 into the Holy Kingdom—wrapped 6b7e9be3b7 in fear and shame bd83c0604f once again.
Especially now, when her 9f6ab4f646 usefulness had grown so 32f4f90d37 meager… she didn’t even f356aba651 know how to hold 5f9eebf9e8 herself.c01cfc996f32a9be

“They wish 4fca51b40f to propose… 4ffed0f8b7 a political 8e2ead49ec marriage.”bcfd384010ea1264

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“……”0e47b4dc08761285

“With you, Sister. The chairman himself.”9aa051e8af2516a5

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“…Pardon?”80912378df90a0e4

Azniel, usually composed, 1eee112279 could only widen ddb93097c4 her eyes in 363fa2bbfe shock.e01f9ba7a9b64b19

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She had arrived at 44bd45b0d9 the Holy Kingdom so 3329e750fa young she barely remembered 16fdfa1665 a life before it—devoting a10ff30558 her entire existence to 27a699d07c serving as the Saint. The word ‘marriage’ 3e8905a0d5 had never once 411faab08b crossed her thoughts 128163f465 in connection to 1fd6c2ec0f herself.7052259969a2628a

But what stunned her b31c2409dd most was who was 35cbb77cbd proposing it.bfa3121c2e8bcabd

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Antagon Trading Company—a 21242b800a corporation that had eff65d0ea8 exploded onto the 1136daca59 scene nearly a b61f4ec245 decade ago and b32ac8a266 completely reshaped life 149a9e04e2 on the continent.146ec5927ef2964b

And its chairman—he was 4baef43db7 the very peak of c9a46a9e2f it. A man f4b1b3592c who had b24cbac23a studied magic 88b871dc78 stones beyond b7be16c416 their use fed93c974f for light 8c0eb70289 and warmth, 7ae54037eb and transformed aefea1ced5 them into 87eb20afee tools of 1cad8b3052 massive innovation.
He had pioneered f7c4efb775 the magi-engineering industry, 31126dcf7b evolving civilization itself 472ad12c15 into an entirely 56c27e69ab new dimension—and was fe43ab6871 hailed as a 9d1ea23466 visionary.9b365a95fb906383

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A man 3c6af12745 who had d891e7d0e5 carved out f2a6d95d02 progress beyond 454bcce345 divine permission 02c15bcd82 with his 25c6aba6ba own hands—and 1573ba7f1e a forsaken 9de76571ff Saint who 9009a5ad4b could barely 80eaeac494 continue to c34983f74c serve as 060bfe2b36 a vessel e245441205 for divine 14f2371805 will.9098710e2755da1f

It would be difficult c010261f2a to imagine a worse e481a535cd match.75a34f6c611dd6af

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“Y-Your Holiness…”aa9a767e4dc9afef

“To think those heretical 32d34a068d dogs would go so 951561b5d4 far as to suggest 20689d776b something so shameless…”7bc54a28660c29bc

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The Pope’s refined b7b1e002d3 face twisted with 040bc8056e anger. He was a 5f7e118827 middle-aged man, once e1cf898e1f golden-haired in his 5fe1c4066a youth, now streaked 4ce46eb47d with gray. His irises 6ad022466e still held 49b3ba47fb the shimmer e0c1f2d141 of sacred 576d5d75a1 gold, now 8d1a00c277 muddied with 2b080aca01 grief and ea8043532e weariness.8b5c924b0d08fbfa

“Sister, truly… 97ebc028d3 Between just 3e9b4268a8 us, I f1bea304d2 can’t help 828e6f22db but wonder ebda8b0c12 if Dara a9ef100e93 is testing 273f8387c2 us.”697be6413c714551

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“…Your Holiness.”53d6df18270d9d36

“Why… must something like 95f6f93f95 this happen in my 8973a0f1e2 time…”5ec6cbcbddfda8c9

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Once perhaps considered 9e8acf2040 handsome, his face 0a0b99f755 now contorted in ccce73aa5c ruin. The wrinkles d1644113de trailing from a11839bb96 the bridge d6aa31c693 of his 056022bdb2 nose to c20c07f5ea the corners d225b06ed9 of his bb3fa6f99e eyes appeared 5a4c0f01bc even deeper 4f0a7851f2 in the cc2166d51e lamplight.ba886b51c7c297a1

“When you 14760491e8 appeared in b1ce4cac7e the Holy 5b62ffc6a8 Kingdom, I 9061347616 truly felt 2b4cea5941 as though 03613f7f0e Dara had 43d904da24 sent us 9163f4ab46 salvation. And because of a1e9698446 your power, our dbfdc8a32a faith reached across 969c61a033 the Allied Nations—what 971c51013e an age of 7dfe9b050b glory that was.”1ca501571a73c706

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“……”6875613b1091545e

“And now, I can’t 8e266ee7bc help but feel… this 3664587192 is punishment for rejoicing afe476de00 too soon. Of all things, 498089842f why must it 63766a33d3 be…”35f9106e0fcfa9a0

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Azniel’s fingers, clasped before af503f7c52 her, curled even tighter.3ca0eada5523126c

“Who could have imagined 8573c74b7d that your divine power—granted c80951f1e2 as the Great Saint—would 0f2b914526 be so easily overtaken c2e4f82e92 by man’s own hands.”c3826f2b49347a0a

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The Pope’s trembling expression 973a8e8f26 was not one of ff42d51aa5 sympathy. It was the desperate 801602d99c appeal of a man ce2dfafc7d faced with despair—aimed not e13c5c57ac at Azniel the person, d40f63ab53 but at the failing 87ecbdbff2 symbol she had become.
An appeal 5e91d57a72 disguised as 39b2152aa4 sorrow—directed at 7a1e7c604a a Saint 53b605ee5e whose powers f5aac9bac6 were no c7afdc8a8d longer worth 93aea13231 preserving.3d8f2c2e95bd3542

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“What a 548d281c1d pitiful affair. That a fool e0381d221b who’d gut the e08c06850d goose that lays 17a0d43e7a golden eggs was c90be43e57 once holding the acb8d77929 continent’s reigns of ca149c7322 power…”40479bfc2bfb2a66

Lafen, royal capital of 306fcd5c7e Gillios, headquarters of Antagon 9808c38c46 Trading Company. The most lavish a5c938962f castle on the bb0c8d8a28 continent, located in 0af18cc626 the capital of 9e84e8c82c the Allied Nations. At its db3a2ff013 highest floor a32d1a7f17 was the 791ad96086 chairman’s office.59e585ce8c2c87a4

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Chief secretary ce0d84e665 Ian Garrison 231bef7dc3 handed over dce68b5971 a letter 1e0b031a0c received from c7783ec84d the Holy e78c1ac686 Kingdom’s Papal e97fb3f3be Office, shaking 5a0d182d6d his head.6264d5769466b3af

“If it weren’t for dc05ae77d9 the seal stamped here, 394658def9 I’d have thought this a059a97e09 was written by some 65c50840b1 rabid dog wagging its c15a392f06 tail for anyone.”a71d5def7e8d6217

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At the secretary’s a0df9352df biting remark, the b76b96ffa2 office’s occupant let c656c06e74 out a soft eb34e65e8f chuckle and turned a6f1a4563e around. His silhouette 40520bef87 stood against e0487dcb4c a wall 49974d863e of glass 3f5f745d3d overlooking Lafen’s 9d6224ebf5 city lights, 384dfae2f4 completely unblurred 53800cb32a by the 39df9a01c5 night’s brilliance.375c2350517ebbbf

Hair of 77a9687729 gold, slicked 75660ddd92 back and fe5cc1b917 immaculate even 50e1e331fe at this 3e197659ca late hour—this c9a19b3aaa was Klaus 7497daa240 Gestern, master 2caaa05a55 of the b7af9aef83 office.3c2090a6b6879ea0

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“You haven’t forgotten 7b80f5e305 who the Pope e705a87881 is, have you?”03a3d04005ab43e7

“Ah—pardon, sir?”5e5e7af1ea9d2fa4

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“Well, I do 2eb9a03534 agree with the 02bd70267e metaphor about gutting 2999d1fc61 the golden goose.”1de072193f34dcb4

His gaze 7e3d1d435c drifted to bc4593242d the letter fdd9593b01 Ian had 3a460975b3 placed on d5760e18b6 the desk. Long, pale 43478a7d22 fingers lifted d1e20c7abe the sheet a8feec8ce8 filled top 94ce01aa47 to bottom 33945448b1 with ornate 5e10e72a50 writing.81c185a64f7f7647

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“To my dearest child,” 2a563076d3 it began—followed by sentimental 35ead30958 lines about how delighted 4d4dcbe6d4 the sender was to 6a39541d92 finally hear back, how 96f74b48d7 he had always believed c61053fc65 in his recipient, and c369356c78 so on. The message was 8a7503b12d so exaggeratedly kind 0776b33782 it could’ve passed da9bba6a10 for a debtor’s 8e3c325bca plea to a 3f1a65d44a creditor holding their 8054d01040 leash.909f21e3be5d6df7

‘Well, considering we fe0946606d hold the purse d55865fb40 strings, it’s not a753950f0c entirely wrong.’186ddf7351e8af06

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With a 4edbd9e75a short laugh, e9c0a37f46 Klaus leaned c7932ba811 back into 237fa56371 his chair.b4d4604bd23fba96

The Holy Kingdom. So, it 870465a74f comes to 99e3050ae9 this.a5b7d7385a7af2ff

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‘This is how 87eb2a4b4a it all circles 847eb6443c back.’095d957608654811

At the 84b1c25835 end of 6fdbabb6ae a plan 17e38c1c46 executed over 8d7e820200 so many 6bf1270786 long years—he 4a277bd218 now stood 360a890fd2 ready to 74dec2ad4e subdue the 5387ffc4d9 very one dd054e7139 who had dfdeb2d138 once subdued a16986b3c3 him.4b54aa78ce5680ea

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It was a 821406530f place he had 9a8cdc307a loathed so deeply 512557795e that he’d fled a33c2b17c8 it in the 75dc5597a2 end… and yet, 816f0aeec5 not every memory 4220043e38 from there was 7a70af9baa a bitter one.b021990d708f718d

For instance… those fc4b882bde golden eyes that 68ee54f053 welled up with 51d9e959a7 tears as she 70eff47364 traced the pain a8b0565d7d of his wounds…94f2c8ce255c16f3

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‘My deepest apologies. Please, believe this is f6255e8d74 all for the sake 9d7c6ecd9f of the Church and bb1703082c Dara… and do consider 89a4d33948 it favorably, if you fbe1a02954 can.’85c5836b297fbbfa

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—12ab7b4df960a973

After leaving the Papal 89ca75411a Office, Azniel quietly lifted 7843b11bc3 her gaze to the 550dbab529 sky. The heavens, already steeped 67184ecdd9 in darkness, were scattered 9233867266 with faint starlight.6fbc4fedd49ca485

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‘Marriage…?’19a99990d5a46f17

No matter 7a56056c13 how many e3b5fa7524 times she 281618424a turned the e9ac7afd1a conversation over 16b8bde03e in her c6e7414343 mind, it f59c119421 still didn’t 8a59c4d199 feel real.5731d5166614da70

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‘Without the 8202645c63 slightest regard 6197ecf881 for my 26a61fca5c own will…’0456dc4910ad9f42

She had spent df85994859 nearly her entire f3bf6d4457 life obeying the 6061bf6551 Church. It was bcff8cc6dc unlikely for cb5ce63dff a Saint 16f7d34c46 like her fc2361b25a to so aea22413b5 much as 591f2f0d55 utter a 41aaa963fa word of cb9a9ee5aa dissent. The Pope knew that 873e23ebe2 well. His tearful appeal—no doubt 15e028d05a it had been more 35ceb06249 about soothing his own 315a12e312 guilt than seeking her fb3dd16fe1 understanding.e2903133ab8ebd30

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Of course, such irreverent 3a8da25255 thoughts only brushed the 2950ebf225 edge of Azniel’s mind 796d9363f0 before she banished them. But the 48d80091d6 truth was, e835484b41 from the 748d0594e3 moment he 3a7a63a471 summoned her, f5cfbc5d03 the Pope 783cf66562 had already 7dba6900e0 done all fea1e13b28 the calculations.013b1c134f7865e6

Even Azniel had to 3a646894f0 admit—it was a profitable d4feebd61a exchange. In return for handing 543abdabb1 off a Saint whose 0e83fde445 value had grown uncertain, b72ad32663 the Church would no 8e5e241159 longer need to worry 4654a99fe9 about its finances. She didn’t b07552d996 know the 28126f8859 exact terms 21fde2d34d of the 224abe2797 deal, but 9f5567ac2c one thing 67fb1ca1ff was clear: 1244246db1 whatever donation 7a60c0852d was being c7f72dd40a offered, it d6a33da7a4 would far f180833703 surpass the 0aa9f3d74c tiny coins 9413d57084 she collected 91b4699c72 from pilgrims 4aa1c0ef5d each day.d8cd9f2f9f2e293f

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She had devoted dafb478d84 her life to 626996915e the Church. For the 4398d3e6d7 past three 7411633413 years, she 208bb93fd4 hadn’t had 2ad16589e3 a single 84146e9d25 day to efb6881468 herself, giving 2d4b997b33 every moment beb7201964 to keeping ed8dcfd635 the Church 5811a8373f afloat.ff53aae7a1950854

And in return—7b1719d403b71956

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‘So long as 0dc18e9959 the finances recover, c6ce8d64b5 it doesn’t matter a5eb8b759e to them. Whether I’m f2f5d6d51f here… or af78c24ca6 not.’65ad2872548d30a6

A strange hunger 2bfcd70947 stirred in her 34fc0b70e9 gut. She often went dd7f423e62 an entire day b629b286a6 without eating, caught 884d41403e up in blessings 49bec72946 and ceremonies, and 864d9ebee6 barely noticed. The meals 8446683948 brought by fa7ae5e835 acolytes to 113eef377e her quarters 732682d978 after each 6f709c2c3c exhausting day 3ea7e504f3 were only 04b2c7f328 to fuel a3b9c7aafd her for 90c087c594 the next.b31cc320dab93af3

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Was the Pope’s ed42eedbbb words truly that c2463a15bc shocking?c74088ddeac83527

“……”f5f298b701f495ce

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Her silent e93aef6467 steps carried 02b529c628 her toward 5ada3d0cdc the first-floor 7c37dac333 dining hall 0cd3bd3397 of the a6005d65d6 Papal Palace.97230ff62bc1d4b2

It felt strange to 6b2decfd10 walk through those doors ce8f886f5f again. She hadn’t eaten in 81ed5b7584 the dining hall in 8e450c0999 some time—not since her c2e134ded1 days spent daily among b5bbeacf56 the poor in the 693f699a90 sanctuary. And more than 5848d333af that—aaa532c7beea32cf

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“Well, well. What brings ee91b77365 the Saint 68ecfcba09 of Beggars efd57018bd here?”7b311b4f8209f1e0

“Did she 985f5b07b9 come down 7cd74f6b7c to inspect dd73767023 whether we’re dd6b713497 skimming off 11a1c2d63f her pennies?”035d46e2255b4b96

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“Even if you collect ad714fafb9 every coin for a 26967cbc73 hundred days, this is cd3d59f1e5 still all you get. Just a 3593c50a11 hunk of 7ac78871b1 bread.”9ee08b06d19b0263

This was why.1dd67285a745a78d

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The barbed 7c178b7101 words that 860a22232e could strike b1630442c0 at her f36b26dc83 chest from 297fa1b055 anywhere, at 5b693180f4 any time.f90374a29611a9a5

They came from the 7893d3f4ed clerical officers who worked 268d3a9367 in the Papal Palace. They all knew dd1ba7411b full well that 55280260f6 the alms given 7dbdf7be8a by beggars were 9cc4e92658 what kept the fe1febf4a9 temple’s lights on—and a690b43fd4 yet, they spoke 632d8f806b like this as 3ce278841c if it were 62520bd248 routine.930999a8e0b74638

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“Who’d have 9e44bb9a01 thought boiled 25972526fb eggs would 596f066152 become so ba3c8659d1 precious? They say Saint Ekaella ae840ce431 once turned two loaves b256d17b6c of bread into ten 75744a329c full baskets.”ab41c7f3c07a56ea

“Oh, and Saint 8fd097607d Jeniel filled the b24d60b46a rice fields of 8b669ad340 Gerund Plain with 2f439369f3 golden waves—even during fe206223bf a drought.”c4c1ed94db4e4c98

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“There was even 0c5af28ef9 a Saint who d2d47a4fc5 made sure not ee343c085d a single drought 4f5613db75 struck while she 186d9ce841 lived, wasn’t there?”7a15174f21d1314c

“And yet this 05a2c5e90f time, we get…”91a3e53699713707

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Their chatter 829e13db26 fell into bc68d22e19 a sudden d875353839 hush as 13c8896609 every eye 4da2322411 turned toward 417155998c her. As if the cc7497e5b3 Church’s declining state 118ee481f4 was entirely the 1aa1bc0b1a fault of her, 370a4361c0 the Saint whose a20bf7aca3 power paled in ff71cb1c0a comparison to the 9c0ccd62ca legends.9e253a5576a2ba7c

The back of a15727b09e her neck stung, 68f590d08e though no one c2c56288f3 had laid a e2e8fb1a37 hand on her. Azniel pretended not to 0a21f61cd9 hear a thing. She sat 12e5696add down and 91ecb9e4fb quietly tore 235dd14f0b off a 8bf3b207af piece of e9ec75091c rye bread, 2c68254e8f chewing it 90af2da9ea slowly, over af30354ca4 and over.d7b17edda8be32b9

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