Chapter 28
In a room deep within the Grand Shrine in the royal capital.
The owner of the room, cardinal Dilet Horst, skimmed through the report brought by his subordinate and muttered, "Hmm..."
"So... the Saint really is the Saint, after all..."
The report delivered by his subordinate described the changes that had occurred at the Grand Shrine since the arrival of the Saint, Reina Laurel.
One month ago, a young girl was recognized as the Saint in the frontier town of Eggbell.
The girl was adopted into the Duke Laurel family and then entered the Grand Shrine.
It had only been a month since the Saint, Reina Laurel, arrived at the Grand Shrine.
And yet, numerous changes had already taken place at the Grand Shrine.
Priests and bishops who had committed crimes such as embezzlement suddenly repented and returned the funds they had illicitly pocketed. Some even left the Grand Shrine to embark on pilgrimages or journeys of community service.
Furthermore, the misdeeds of those who had tried to act improperly toward the Saint were exposed one after another, leading to their excommunication from the shrine and subsequent arrest by the authorities.
Those who remained were, naturally, the few who were motivated and detested corruption.
In just one month, the Grand Shrine, once mired in authoritarianism and corruption, had become completely clean and more transparent.
(To think things could change this much in only a month... The Saint's power is truly remarkable...)
The cardinal had been one of those troubled by the corruption within the shrine.
He had hoped that the arrival of a new force like the Saint might bring change to the Grand Shrine... but he had not expected such a dramatic transformation in such a short time.
(Many of the young priests now trust the Saint—some to the point of near worship... Given her beauty and talent, perhaps it's only natural...)
While pleased by the changes in the shrine, he also felt uneasy about how rapid they were.
The Saint is like a powerful drug. Medicine that works too well can also bring about harmful changes.
(In fact, I've heard that many nobles harbor distrust toward a Saint of commoner origin. They likely fear she might become a symbol for the commoners to overthrow the royal family and nobility...)
From what the cardinal could see... the Saint Reina had no interest in power or politics.
She might fend off trouble that came her way, but it didn't seem like she would confront the royal family or nobility head-on.
However, not all those in power would see it that way.
The more guilt a person carries, the more paranoid they become about being betrayed.
Some authoritarian nobles might even see the Saint as a threat and try to take her life.
(That said... no one should act rashly. The Saint Reina has the support of the Duke Laurel family.)
The Duke Laurel family is a prestigious house that once even produced a queen.
With their backing, anyone who might wish to harm Saint Reina would likely hesitate.
Moreover, even the Byrne Marquis family is indirectly supporting Reina.
That's because her adoptive parent, Priest Clael Byrne, is from the Byrne Marquis family.
(With two powerful noble houses in the royal capital behind her, no matter how much someone might see the Saint as a nuisance, they wouldn't dare move against her. She also seems to have the protection of the Holy Spirits, so perhaps there's no need to worry too much...)
Rather, what concerned him more was the Byrne Marquis family... or rather, Clael Byrne himself.
The Saint Reina clearly held affection for Clael.
It was only natural since he was her adoptive parent... but to the cardinal's eyes, it looked like Saint Reina liked Clael in a romantic sense.
(Someday, Saint Reina will likely marry into the royal family or a great noble house in the capital... No matter how noble his lineage, it would be unacceptable for her to end up with a rural priest...)
It wasn't a matter of whether Clael was a good person.
For the stability and future of the nation, the Saint should become the wife of a suitable person in power, the cardinal believed.
That said, he wouldn't go so far as to forcibly remove Clael.
Doing so would only earn the distrust of Saint Reina.
(It's unfortunate, but while Saint Reina is in the capital, I'll have Priest Clael get married. It's fortunate that there's a young woman of suitable age.)
To separate Reina and Clael, the cardinal decided to arrange a marriage meeting for Clael.
A daughter of a count he knew had lost her lover in the war and was now single, so he decided to have her marry Clael.
She was twenty years old. Three years younger than Clael.
She had been in mourning for a year since losing her fiancé... but she agreed to the meeting with Clael, saying she couldn't stay like that forever.
Clael had also accepted the meeting, and the young woman was scheduled to head to the town of Eggbell as soon as tomorrow.
(If Priest Clael gets married, Saint Reina will give up. She'll probably set her sights on another man in the capital...)
"Your Eminence, pardon the interruption."
A knock came at the door, and a familiar subordinate appeared.
"Is something the matter?"
"The daughter of the Turner Count family, who was heading to Eggbell, has gone missing. It seems... she eloped with another man."
"What!? What do you mean by that!?"
The cardinal stood up in shock and raised his voice.
This was rare for the usually mild-mannered cardinal.
"She eloped with a man... Don't tell me she had a lover?"
"N-No... It seems her fiancé, who was believed to have died in the war, was actually alive. He had been unconscious in a military hospital, but recently regained consciousness. Upon returning to the capital and hearing that his lover was about to have a marriage meeting... he took her hand and ran away with her."
"W-What in the world..."
The cardinal held his head in his hands.
Even though they hadn't met face-to-face yet, the woman he had introduced had run off with another man.
He had wronged Clael in a major way.
"There's no helping it... I'll send Priest Clael a letter of apology and a gift. I'll have to find him another match..."
The cardinal continued trying to introduce women to Clael... but each of them disappeared before even meeting him.
Because they found their destined partner.
Because the man they loved finally turned around and looked their way.
Because they decided to live for their work instead of marriage.
Because a gold mine was discovered in the hills behind their estate, and a hot spring gushed from their garden, leaving them too overwhelmed to think about marriage.
The reasons varied, but all of them turned down the marriage meetings for positive reasons.
Feeling as if some invisible force was at work, the cardinal felt a chill run down his spine.