Chapter 171
Then the Dark Specter would likely try to break the seal more quickly before the Chief Deity could act.
Using Alice.
The Chief Deity had said:
The Dark Specter also knew that with just the blood of someone who had strongly received the deity’s power, the seal of an ancient magic circle could be broken.
And he had said the Dark Specter was also watching the Chief Deity.
They knew each other well.
In a way, the Dark Specter had been secretly observing the Chief Deity for countless ages since the primordial era.
A Chief Deity who hadn’t given oracles for 100 years suddenly sending down a hero to eliminate it?
If he knew where it was, why send a hero instead of manifesting directly?
Wouldn’t the Dark Specter, having observed the Chief Deity, naturally find this strange?
Therefore, the Dark Specter would ultimately fall for Alice’s provocation and try to capture her.
If Alice pretended to fall into the trap they set, the Dark Specter would break the seal, and the Chief Deity would possess a human body to descend to this land…
And that would be the end of it.
It was quite a good strategy, wasn’t it?
Even the Chief Deity had acknowledged it.
Said it wasn’t a bad plan.
So it shouldn’t go wrong from the start.
Although Alice believed Prion would do well, perhaps because of the stormy weather, she felt uneasy for no reason.
As if something unexpected might happen to her perfect strategy…
“No. I shouldn’t have such ominous thoughts at all. Ptui, ptui.”
Alice made gestures of spitting to ward off the ill omens.
Aileen, watching Alice, showed no particular reaction.
She had now accepted that the lady she served was somewhat unusual compared to other noblewomen.
Alice then drank her tea again to moisten her dry mouth.
At that moment, she suddenly recalled a bizarre remark the Chief Deity had made yesterday.
‘When all this is over, I will make you a Saint.’
The deity had brought this up after they had finished discussing all aspects of the strategy.
‘A Saint? Me?’
Alice had asked the deity with wide eyes, finding the remark completely unexpected.
The deity nodded calmly and replied.
‘Yes. You’ve gone through a lot for me. Plus, due to my mistake, you entered that body and even had to endure an unwanted marriage.’
The deity looked at Alice with slightly downcast eyes and continued.
‘So when everything is over, I’ll let you live freely. You don’t like being tied down to one place, do you?’
‘That’s true, but…’
Alice’s words trailed off at the deity’s words, which showed an uncannily accurate understanding of her.
And for good reason—after first possessing Alice’s body, her goal had been to escape danger and travel this world freely.
But now…
‘If you become a Saint, you can travel anywhere on the continent without restrictions. Plus, no country would dare treat you carelessly.’
The deity continued.
‘You would be treated as an honored guest in any country and live in luxury for the rest of your life. Naturally, you wouldn’t have to worry about money either.’
Alice’s golden eyes, which had been quietly listening to the deity, trembled slightly.
It was because the offer the deity had just made was honestly too good.
Wasn’t it?
No restrictions in any country, treated as an honored guest, and never having to worry about money for life.
Anyone would perk up their ears at such an offer.
Seeing Alice’s wavering, the deity quickly continued, as if not wanting to miss the opportunity.
‘Also, I will specially declare you a Saint not bound to the temple, so if you find someone you love, you can even marry.’
Marriage?
The moment she heard that word, Alice’s mind, which had been swayed as if enchanted by the deity’s words, suddenly cleared.
Alice raised her hand to stop the deity, who was about to say more.
‘No, wait. Marriage? I’m already married… So that means, if I become a Saint, I’ll completely leave the Dearrut Duchy?’
In truth, leaving the duchy upon becoming a Saint was obvious, but in that moment, Alice couldn’t separate the concepts of being a Saint and being part of the Dearrut Duchy.
Because having Kylus by her side had become such a natural part of the Dearrut Duchy for her.
‘That’s right. Once you become a Saint, you will no longer bear the Dearrut name. You will receive a new name directly from me.’
‘A new name…’
‘It doesn’t matter anyway, does it? It wasn’t a marriage you truly wanted, and the name Alice isn’t even your real name…’
‘I don’t want that.’
Alice said firmly before the deity could finish.
The deity paused, seeing Alice shake her head with an uncharacteristically serious expression.
‘You don’t want it…?’
‘No. I don’t want to become a Saint.’
‘…Why? This should be the life you wanted.’
Alice inhaled deeply, “Hmm,” and nodded.
‘It was. In the past. But not anymore. Now, rather than enjoying a prosperous and free life as a Saint, I prefer the Dearrut Duchy. Because the person I love is there.’
The deity’s face hardened slightly. He opened his lips slowly.
‘…The person you love.’
Alice answered while slightly averting her gaze from the deity’s intense stare, as if embarrassed.
‘My husband. Kylus Dearrut. Although we met through an unwanted marriage, I’ve come to truly love him. And he knows. Who I really am.’
‘…’
‘So when everything is over, I want to… live with him. Wherever that may be, with Kylus.’
Having confessed her sincere feelings that she hadn’t yet expressed even to Kylus, Alice awkwardly scratched her flushed cheeks.
Strangely, it felt like telling her parents about a boy she liked.
It was just too embarrassing.
But for some reason, the deity’s silence was prolonged.
‘Ah, could it be because I told Kylus my identity?’
Alice raised her gaze to the deity and said.
‘Don’t worry. I told him I’m not the real Alice, but I absolutely didn’t say anything about Lord Helios turning back time in this world.’
As Alice opened her eyes wide as if to prove her innocence, the deity exhaled a deep sigh and lowered his head.
‘…This is truly maddening.’
‘What? What did you say? I didn’t hear.’
When Alice asked again, unable to hear the too-quiet words, the deity raised his head and looked directly at her.
‘Child. Let me ask just one thing.’
The deity’s suddenly heavy atmosphere.
Though he appeared as a small boy, smaller than her, Alice felt as if she were looking at a giant statue.
‘What on earth does he want to ask?’
‘He’s never shown such an intimidating demeanor before.’
And Alice realized from the overwhelming aura.
That the Chief Deity had been going easy on her all along.
Alice opened her lips with a naturally subdued voice.
‘…Yes.’
As she swallowed dryly, tensing up, the deity asked.
‘Does it really have to be that man? Will you truly love only that man for the rest of your life?’
‘What?’
After all that tension, Alice asked back with an incredulous face.
She had thought he was going to ask something extremely important about this world.
She wanted to say, ‘What kind of nonsense is this?’ but unlike her, the deity showed no wavering.
In other words, unlike the incredulous Alice, the deity was sincerely asking.
About how much she loved Kylus.
Though she couldn’t guess the reason for such a question, since the deity was serious, Alice answered seriously too.
‘To be honest… how could I know about the future? Well, I hope it doesn’t happen, but my feelings might change.’
‘Then…’
‘But, right now, I love him. And I want to be with him.’
Alice’s eyes were resolute.
‘And this might sound a bit silly… even if I can’t trust my future self, I trust Kylus. He will never betray me first. Because he’s someone who loves me more than I love myself.’
Alice concluded firmly.
At that, the deity closed his mouth, which he had opened to speak. With a rather peculiar expression that seemed both annoyed and perplexed.
‘But… why are you suddenly asking this?’
When Alice asked, the deity waved his hand as if it were nothing.
‘It’s nothing. Just… you made a choice different from the you I knew. I was curious about how significant that love is to you, the love that led you to make such a choice.’
‘Ah…’
As Alice nodded, the deity said.
‘You should go back now. I think I need to return to the divine realm too. I have… one more thing to do.’
And with those words, the deity disappeared without even saying goodbye.
Showing a considerably troubled face, unlike his usual self.
“…It was a bit strange.”
Alice murmured softly, finishing her recollection of the brief conversation with the deity.
She had just brushed it off then, but thinking about it now, there were many strange points.
Suddenly telling her to become a Saint, asking how much she loved Kylus.
Was there… something going on?
Just as Alice narrowed her brow—
RUMBLE CRASH—
A tremendous thunder sounded from the sky.
Enough to startle not only Alice but even Aileen.
“Ouch, that scared me! But what timing. Is it telling me not to have unnecessary suspicions?”
To Alice, the thunder sound just now seemed exactly like the voice of the Chief Deity angry at reading her thoughts.
The timing was too perfect.
Alice put aside her thoughts, soothing her startled heart.
Yes, well. After all, there wasn’t any connection between the Chief Deity and Kylus.
Kylus didn’t have any holy power at all.
Given the situation, I was probably just being too sensitive.
Alice exhaled, “Whew,” calming herself, and murmured softly.
“…Come to think of it, I didn’t ask the most important thing.”
She realized as she recalled her conversation with the deity.
The person who would receive the Chief Deity’s spirit. She hadn’t asked who that person was.
He had clearly said it had to be someone extremely strong…
He said it couldn’t be Prion.
But since this person would receive the deity’s spirit, they would need to be somewhat compatible…
It’s probably someone within the temple?
Who could it be?
As Alice was wondering about the identity of the person she hadn’t been able to find out, a carriage of the duchy, having broken through the torrential rain, stopped in front of the mansion’s courtyard.
Aileen, who saw it first, said to Alice.
“My lady, it seems the Duke has returned.”
