Emperor Has Returned

Cathedral.

Helmut was blankly staring into space while lying down on his sofa.

In front of him, several priests in black clothing stood waiting. The room was distastefully overwhelmed with the scent of aroma, but it wasn’t like the priests could say anything about it.

All they could hope for is for the current storm to peacefully pass by.

By Helmut’s foot, one black priest was on the ground pleading.

It was the black priest that he’d sent to threaten the saintress. Ignoring the fact that he failed to do what he was told, the priest was now trying to persuade the Pope about something.

“Your highness, by any means I’m not declining your demand. It’s just…….”

“If not declining what it is?”

“This saintress is no ordinary saintress, your highness.”

The black priest said with conviction. The Pope turned to gaze at the other priests. Most were expressionless but a few had snide grins on their faces while looking down at their fellow pleading priest.

As doctrine interrogators that have gone through and heard about all kinds of insidious acts, it was a natural reaction.

In his wildest dreams, Helmut could not have imagined that a black priest would stand up to him.

“I saw it. Felt it. This saintress is different from the past dolls that we had control over. From her eyes and voice, I felt the emperor’s will. While I did think for a second that maybe an evil spirit has possessed her, the thought absolutely disappeared upon seeing her open the veil of benevolence.”

“Hmm….”

“Your highness, please consider withdrawing your request about the saintress. And hear what she has to say. I have no doubt she will be helpful for the chur………”

The black priest didn’t get to end his sentence. He clutched his throat as if he was being strangled. There was no sound of gagging.

The other priests who were looking on already knew that his life was over. The black priest spastically wriggled on the ground and then a tumor popped up from his hand.

Then, everywhere on his body, circular sores and tumors started to appear.

Not before long, he was completely covered with giant lumps of sores and tumors. To the point where it was hard to even see that he was human.

But still alive, he weakly wriggled about.

“Throw this traitor into the dungeon cell.”

Helmut pointed with his chin as if he couldn’t even be bothered to point. Being intoxicated in aroma allowed one to calm their mind and erase other smells, but it also made them lethargic.

Without a word, a few priests began dragging their fellow comrade out who’d been turned into a giant tumor.

Helmut turned his gaze at the remaining priests.

“Anything else to add or ask?”

“Is it true that the veil of benevolence was opened?”

Helmut shook his head at the question.

“While a guard saw her venture out during the night, nobody saw her going to the palace. To add to that, she hasn’t left the cathedral since that night. So to answer your question, no but nothing is for certain.”

But in everyone’s mind, they knew this was too far fetched to be considered a lie.

“Even if the veil of benevolence had been opened, it’s not your concern anyways. You guys are the guardians of the church. If I find something that may be harmful to the church, shouldn’t it be your job to go and erase this error with your knives?”

“It is as you say, your highness.”

The black priests answered without hesitation. Helmut liked what he heard back.

The black priests were a group that he’d formed by picking only those that would be loyal to Helmut himself.

While it was unexpected to see the saintress successfully turning one of them against him, all this did was reconfirm that the saintress was truly a danger to him.

If she could turn black priests to her side, it was only a matter of time before she could do the same to everyone else.

Helmut made up his mind.

“Find the saintress. Cut her tongue or make her commit suicide. It’s happened many times with previous saintresses so the public shouldn’t be all that surprised.”

*****

At the outskirts of the cathedral stood an orphanage that was a school at the same time.

Called the ‘cradle’, many children from around the empire were brought here to be taught the ways of the church. The talented few were turned into priests and those not were only sent back out after they were deemed loyal to the church. Eve was also a product from the ‘cradle’.

“I’m having these gaps….Its been happening more often.”

“It’s because you’re under too much stress. Being a saintress is of the highest honor but its hard work. Plus it requires you to meet that perverted Pope too often.”

At Eve’s grumbling, Lua, a young apprentice priest replied back.

Eve had known Lua from their days at the cradle before she’d been selected as the saintress. She had been one of the children that Eve had personally raised.

While there was a big age gap, Lua thought of Eve like her older sister.

Eve laughed at Lua’s words but quickly hid her lips.

“Lua, you can’t be going around saying that. You’ll be in trouble if the Pope hears this.”

“Do you think he’ll do something perverted to someone young as me? Although, hmm…… personally I think he will. He’s that vile.”

Lua continued to curse at the Pope.

On one hand, Eve was restless about having this conversation, but on the other hand, her mouth was itching to agree and speak out. After becoming the saintress, those that she’d come into contact with were mostly servants of the Pope so it was hard to find people that she could freely discuss anything with.

Eve held Lua’s hand and looked back at the path that led back to her dormitory.

In the past, this was a place that she’d gotten bored of, from being at the place so often, but now she missed it.

Opportunities to be with Lua were scarce. She always made sure to visit her whenever she happened to visit the cradle.

“In truth, I’m happy that Eve nim got to be the saintress, but it also feels a bit weird to think that Eve nim is the saintress. Saintress…….hmm, isn’t she someone that’s exquisite, divine and everything else?”

“It’s strange for me too. I don’t think I’m well suited for the position.”

“That’s not true. Others have been saying that Eve nim has changed for the better after becoming the saintress. That you’ve become more amazing.

But to me Eve nim is still the same Eve nim. I’m hoping someday we can call you sister Eve like we’ve always done.”

Eve smiled bitterly. She had also noticed that others were treating her differently. Respectfully but with a tint of fear. These gazes were foreign to Eve. A young orphan girl from the cradle being treated with respect, just because she became a saintress…….Even Paladin knights that had ignored her in the past were bowing and showing respect.

But for some reason, Eve felt that they were showing respect not to her, but to someone else.

‘Maybe it’s related to the gaps I’ve been having in my memories.’

Upon hearing what had happened during her ceremony, a ‘message’ had been delivered from her mouth. And that it was about Hiveden.

Eve didn’t have any memories of this. Furthermore, recently she was experiencing amnesia more often. For example, once she had been bathing and suddenly she’d be lying down on her bed in her clothes.

Eve couldn’t help but be scared. She couldn’t remember what she had been doing during those gaps.

“Alright, I’m off. Eve nim! See you next time.”

Upon reaching her dormitory, Lua waved goodbye and headed off. For a long time, Eve stood and waived back. Once Lua disappeared, Eve quietly made her way towards her room. Two assistant female priests of hers that were waiting, followed behind.

As the sun started to set, shadows created from pillars were stretching far and beyond.

A quiet scenery.

Then, Eve suddenly felt a weird feeling. She was at a corridor that didn’t house much activity but it was the first time she saw it being void of people.

Feeling a bit puzzled, she turned back to see if anyone was to her back, but upon doing so all she found was her two assistant priests promptly exiting as they shut the door.

“Huh?”

Eve was left alone inside the corridor. She felt a sense of foreboding.

Right on queue, behind the giant pillars, several people wearing black priest clothing walked on over and surrounded Eve.

In their hands were staff and daggers that were glistening in the sunset.

Eve felt as if she couldn’t breathe. She had a hunch that no one would come to her aid even if she screamed out loud.

“Pl…please don’t do this……”

Her legs were shaking. The black priests mutely approached her.

A female priest with a pale face wearing black clothing walked to her side. She slowly held out a dagger to Eve.

Eve felt as if she was going to faint.

The female priest flicked the dagger around and displayed the handle at Eve.

“Cut it.”

“Euhhgegh….Sorry?”

“Your tongue or your throat. I’ll let you choose. If you cut your tongue the Pope will allow you to keep your life.”

Eve wanted to scream. Tears fell from her eyes. What sin had she committed.

She hadn’t done anything to oppose him. She had done what he had asked and stayed still when he wanted to let out his frustration on her. So why?

“If you can’t do it yourself, then choose. I’ll help you do it.”

Eve quickly scanned her surroundings.

There was nobody to call out for help, nowhere for her to run. The twelve black priests had her completely surrounded.

But then, she noticed someone that wasn’t wearing black clothing.

A man in shabby clothing, holding a bucket and a mop.

No doubt a janitor that worked in the cathedral. Following the saintress’s gaze, upon noticing the figure the priests all contorted their eyebrows.

“What? I told them to not let anyone else in.”

“Amateurs. Sloppy as always……..Send him out before it’s too late.”

A black priest holding a staff walked over to the janitor. The janitor blankly stared at the black priests as if he couldn’t understand what they had been trying to do.

Even now, Eve desperately wanted to call out to him for help. The female priest moved her dagger onto Eve’s throat, tickling it.

“Do anything stupid and I’ll make sure you experience something worse than death.”

Eve couldn’t move. The black priest holding the staff tore into the janitor.

“Doctrine interrogation work here. Find somewhere else to clean!”

But the janitor didn’t move an inch. He stood by and continued to blankly stare at the black priests. The priest’s eyebrows twitched.

Using the end of his staff, he shoved the janitor’s chest.

“Are you deaf? I told you to get going!”

“My priests, what could be a reason for you to conduct work while holding a knife inside the cathedral?”

The janitor opened his mouth for the first time. The face of the priest holding the staff distorted. Looks were exchanged between the other priests.

“Your useless eyes and tongue have just cost you your life.”

The priest swung his staff down at the janitor.

His staff had been able to dent iron so it could comfortably smash a person’s head open. Eve who looked on, clamped her hands over her mouth.

But the staff didn’t even reach the janitor.

“What?”

The black priest was swinging with nothing in his hand. For some reason, the staff was tightly held in the janitor’s hand.

The janitor had whipped a rag around the staff and cooly snatched it into his hand.

Then, the event that followed went by in a flash.

The janitor again whipped his rag around the black priest’s neck and face then pulled hard.

The black priest’s body spun into the air before smashing head first onto the ground.

The priest fainted with his mouth still open.

Realising that this janitor wasn’t an ordinary opponent, the other priests all rushed in at once.

It was over as soon as it started.

Every black priest that had just been surrounding Eve was left moaning and rolling on the ground.

Broken bones and disjointment, no one had been killed.

As a last resort, the female priest who had been interrogating Eve tried to hold her hostage, but before she could do anything, a bucket came flying into her head, knocking her unconscious.

“What…, how is this……”

Wearing a dumbfounded expression, Eve looked at the janitor. In no less than 10 seconds, he had them all sprayed on the ground and yet he looked as relaxed as he could be. Then, with eyes filled with half curious half respect, he began staring at Eve.

Having this unknown figure stare at her with those eyes, Eve felt a bit uncomfortable. After managing to calm her heart down, she carefully asked.

“Wh..who could you be?”

“Who? Wasn’t it you that commanded me to protect you?”

“Co, commanded? Me!?”

The janitor nodded. Then he pulled out his finger resting in his pocket. Eve’s eyes widened upon seeing what was on it.

A ring that was the symbol of the imperial guard.

“My name is Renri Loen, Captain of the imperial guard. The emperor has commanded me to protect you.”