55 – Invited to the Sect.
In the empire, there is a saying.
In the middle of the night, a fox took a child away.
A dragon got hit by cheap sh*t falling from the sky.
It’s an idiomatic expression used when talking about things that seem impossible or absurd.
Ascal decided to boldly add one more to this.
Sushia will become a saint.
“Tell me calmly.”
“Well… you see…”
Sushia couldn’t continue her sentence, just like someone who had fallen victim to a voice phishing scam. Ascal quickly stuffed a cookie into Sushia’s mouth.
Munch, munch.
As Sushia melted the cookie with warm cocoa, she regained her composure.
“What happened was…”
Ascal focused on Sushia’s story. Even Lea, who usually didn’t take Sushia’s stories seriously, listened attentively.
Even the cicadas outside the window stopped their chirping and waited for Sushia’s story.
“Yesterday was a rainy day. Although it was raining, I didn’t want to spend my precious day off cooped up at home, so I put on my umbrella and went outside. It was lunchtime, and I was getting a bit hungry. I bought a delicious sandwich from the bakery I always go to. Oh, and by the way, they were having a promotion at the bakery, so they gave me cookies if I bought two sandwiches. And not just any cookies, they were chocolate chip cookies! Who wouldn’t buy them? I didn’t hesitate and bought two sandwiches right away. And since eating sandwiches without anything to drink can make your throat dry, I also bought some apple juice. By the way, sandwiches and apple juice go perfectly together. Take a bite of the sandwich and then a sip of the cool apple juice, and the harmony that forms in your mouth…”
Ascal interrupted.
“Stop. Don’t drag the story out with repetitive phrases. Get to the point.”
“It’s all part of the same story.”
Sushia continued, puffing out her cheeks.
“I was planning to go to the park, where it’s nice to eat sandwiches with an umbrella, but on the way through an alley, I saw an old man getting drenched in the rain. His cheeks were sunken, and it seemed like he hadn’t eaten for days. So, I said to him, ‘Sir, would you like to have a sandwich?’ And that’s when the old man said, ‘If there are still such kind young ladies in this world, and he started eating the two sandwiches right there.’ I was worried his throat might get dry, so I gave him some apple juice as well. Then I realized that I had only one cookie left to eat. So, I thought about going back to the bakery to buy another sandwich…”
Lea couldn’t hold back and said one word.
“Sushia, please get to the conclusion.”
Sushia replied.
“In fact, the old man was the bishop of the Starlit Sect, and he said he sensed potential in me, so when the time comes, he’ll come back. He also asked to borrow some money, saying he didn’t have any for the fare, so I lent him some.”
“I’ve been scammed.”
“You’ve been scammed. Sushia.”
Sushia scoffed as if it was impossible.
“It’s true. They told me I was a candidate for Saintess. Please believe me!”
“Of course, I believe that you were scammed.”
When Sushia first heard the story of being chosen as a candidate for Saintess, she was honestly surprised, but after hearing the truth, it was just a happening where Sushia was scammed.
The tension eased and Ascal wiped her back.
The Saintess was predetermined from the beginning.
Aileen from Haven Orphanage. She would become the Saintess of the Star Sect in the future and condemn the Empire.
In a country that abandoned its children, there was no future… The Empire was rotten from the roots.
And the Empire makes alliances. They try to arrest Aileen, but the soldiers who tried to capture her were blinded by the sacred light instead.
Even after that, Aileen consistently criticized the corruption of the Empire, and as a result, the Empire’s reputation continued to plummet without a trace.
It was the moment when the reputation of the fallen Empire was completely ruined by the plane crash.
And Ascal was already riding the Saintess coin in advance.
“I’ve been supporting Haven Orphanage consistently. When Aileen becomes the Saintess, she will repent for her sins and convert to the Star Sect.”
The corrupted minister of the fallen Empire is converted by the Saintess. How great is this story? And while at it, receive protection from the sect.
It’s only natural because several ministers’ heads will be cut off as soon as Julia becomes the Empress. And that’s just the beginning. The remnants of Prince Pa’s faction, who didn’t stand on her side, will suffer from the slaughter of blood.
And as for himself, who has become the leader of the emerging noble faction (a tortured Emperor), there is no need to say more.
Julia is a style that distinguishes between public and private matters. No matter how many vulnerabilities she shows now, if she ascends to the throne as Empress, there is no guarantee that her life will be safe.
“What a frightening woman.”
When Ascal looked at herself, it was Julia, who stared back, cocking her head.
Fortunately, he had saved the Emperor’s health with medicine in advance. It gave him a little more leeway.
“By the way, isn’t it about time for Aileen to become the Saintess?”
Ascal checked the sponsorship form from Haven Orphanage, which he had been automatically supporting all this time. And his eyes widened.
＜Haven Training Center＞
It had changed its name.
It was no longer Haven Orphanage.
What on earth had happened at the orphanage during that time?
He had to confirm it.
“Welcome. Have you come to register at the training center? Are you the registrant yourself, or is it your child?”
“I have come to visit, but…”
“Shall I introduce, or would you like to explore on your own?”
“I will explore on my own.”
Ascal, who stepped foot into the orphanage, or rather the Haven Vocational Center, was speechless.
The building had grown much larger since the last time he came. And in the large courtyard, children were swinging wooden swords according to the guidance of the instructors.
“One! For the empire!”
“For the empire!”
“Two! For our cause!”
“For our cause!”
And the child at the front, swinging his wooden sword, was Stephan. He would become the future vice commander of the Anti-Imperial Guerrilla Battalion.
Ascal approached him stealthily.
“Swish…swish… I will definitely become a general.”
It seemed like he would have to remove the ‘anti’ part from the anti-imperial army.
Ascal stepped foot into the building.
The clean and spacious hallway made a clear sound with each step Ascal took.
And as expected, as soon as he entered, there was a grand portrait hanging in the main hall, so that everyone could recognize it.
“The Great Comrade, Kal Dongji”
A handsome man with black hair, emitting an aura just like an imperial general.
“You’ve come again.”
Named appeared.
Serius, who would become the commander of the anti-imperial army, was looking at Ascal. The boy had grown quite a lot since they last met. The atmosphere also seemed somewhat calm.
“You definitely said your name was… Ray, right?”
“That’s right.”
Serius laughed.
“That’s definitely a lie, isn’t it?”
“Well.”
Ascal neither denied nor confirmed.
“I had many things I wanted to say. But as time passed, they all evaporated. I wondered if there was a need for them. As a result, only one sentence remained.”
“I see.”
Serius bowed his head.
“Thank you.”
“Indeed, changing the children’s diapers was a bit difficult.”
It was still horrifying to think about how they had to struggle with the children all day when they came as daily teachers.
“hahahaha. Changing children’s diapers is indeed difficult.”
Is the director still here?
“Yes. Now he is the principal. He is in his office on the second floor.”
Ascal climbed the stairs after saying goodbye to Sirius.
He had to check the coins as soon as possible.
Ascal lightly knocked on the door to the principal’s office.
“Come in.”
It was Irene’s voice.
Ascal kneeled down as soon as he opened the door.
Irene, with a golden necklace and sparkling gemstone bracelet, was sitting in the chair with plump body.
From Noble mtl dot com
If you give too much water to plants, they rot.
As a result.
The saint coin was delisted.
“You are the reserved parent, right? Our Haven Seminary is divided into premium, advanced, intermediate, and basic courses. The premium course is expensive, but it’s definitely worth the money. So at our seminary…”
“My coin… my coin!!!”
“…?”
Ascal screamed.
Upon arriving at his office, Ascal cut off his support for Haven Seminary. The seminary was self-sufficient enough even without sponsorship.
Ascal sat in his chair, rummaging through his memories.
He knew there were various conditions for becoming a saint.
To willingly kneel down to the lowest person even from the highest place.
“Hey, lady. Bring me water.”
“Yes, sir!”
To be able to sincerely grieve over someone else’s misfortune.
“Grandfather, would you like a sandwich?”
To maintain a clear mind to accept God.
“Minister! I don’t know how to calculate this!”
Innate sanctity will surely be exceptional.
＜Yesterday, I watered the dying flower, and it suddenly blossomed beautifully!＞
“…I highly doubt it.”
Sushia merely fell for a peculiar grandfather’s scam.
Certainly, that must be the case.
“Minister! The Bishop of the Star Sanctum has come to the Evaluation Bureau!”
“Oh my.”
He had sponsored the orphanage a bit too generously.
What on earth could have happened?
“…And so, we have decided to take Sushia with us at the Star Sanctum.”
“Even if it’s the Star Sanctum, Sushia is unquestionably a precious member of our Evaluation Bureau. It’s not so simple to take her away.”
“In the future, we will provide the Evaluation Bureau employees with discounted blessings and potions. Thanks to the grace of the Severin Cathedral.”
“Take her with you.”
Ascal handed over Sushia.
You must live well there too, Sushia.
“Minister! I don’t want to go!”
“Why not? Do you not realize how great an honor and a sacred duty it is to become the Holy Maiden of the Empire’s state religion and the most prestigious Star Sanctum on the continent?”
“If I go there, I can only eat vegetables for the rest of my life and can’t go outside at night!”
Ascal looked at the Bishop.
“Is that true?”
“Yes. Fire impedes the acceptance of the gods, so the Holy Maiden’s body must always be in prime condition.”
“In that case, lose some weight while you’re at it, Sushia.”
“Please, please don’t abandon me, Minister. Do you know how deep the bond we’ve built is?”
“Well, becoming a Holy Maiden is not even guaranteed. Among the countless Holy Maiden candidates, your chances are extremely low. Think of it as going on a fasting retreat.”
“But, but…”
It’s like a survival program of sorts.
Holy Maiden candidates gathered from various countries enter the Star Sanctum, live together, pray to the gods every day, and memorize scriptures.
And from among them, the most deserving candidate becomes the Holy Maiden of the Star Sanctum, like (the former) Irene.
Sushia was clearly the first to be eliminated.
If she could receive that valuable potion at half the price in exchange for offering prayers at the Star Sanctum for a while, there was no need to hesitate. It was an age without insurance.
Sushia seemed to lose focus as if she had given up.
Then, she spoke to the bishop.
“If I become a candidate for Saint and go to the Star’s Order, can I take a guardian with me?”
“Wait a moment, Sushia.”
“Yes. As a candidate for Saint, you have the ‘right’ to ‘recruit’ a guardian to watch over you during your training period.”
“Sushia, that’s a hasty thought.”
“No matter how high-ranking a person is in the Empire?”
“Principally, yes.”
“Sushia, I cannot survive without eating meat every day.”
Sushia smiled coolly.
“I will choose Ascal Erinndail as my guardian.”
The Order overlooked something.
Ascal was an important figure in the Empire.
Those who heard that he had been taken by the Order were furious and outraged.
Among them were individuals who not only protested against the Order but also didn’t hesitate to storm in themselves.
One by one, their names were called.
The Mysterian masseuse Laika.
Evaluation Department guard Jelot.
Evaluation Department Section 1 Manager Kane.
Evaluation Department Section 3 Manager Devan.
Emperor’s chief hunting dog Arthur Devre.
Second Imperial Princess Serena Barba.
And the Third Imperial Princess Yulia Barba.
Berenstein spoke.
“I will explain the Ascal Erinndail rescue operation.”
Hahaha, he got reversed Uno’d.