CH 52

Tanma paused at Ara’s words. “In any case, it should be fine since you’re the saintess, but… you might receive some backlash too.”

“Because it’s also considered to be forceful?”

“No. They should be used to obeying the strong.” 

In other words, Ara was a ‘child of god’, so none of the demons would be able to go against her. The only position that could be compared to hers would be the demon king, who also used the power of god.

“It’s just that since Miss has been with His Majesty the whole time, others may speculate that you acted on his behalf.”

“So they’re going to make an issue out of it since I still haven’t gone to the demon realm and greeted the council of nobility there yet.”

“Yes. They would be quite full of complaints.”

“I was thinking of going after the proclamation ceremony as soon as this situation has been cleared up though…” It was completely beyond her as well since her return was delayed for too long. Tapping her chin and mulling it over, she suddenly opened her mouth again. “What if I had justification to do so?”

“Justification?”

“A justification for me to break the contract.”

Tanma was silent for a moment. “Do you have anything in mind?” 

Ara’s eyes lit up. 

“No matter how many times I think over it, there’s simply no reason for Olivia to touch the Grand Duchy. And at the same time when she’s dealing with the capital as well.” 

If she was going to do it, then she would’ve done it at a time when she could’ve gone there herself to exert her own power and influence. There was absolutely nothing for her to gain by going now.

“Are you saying that it’s an independent move made by Frody?”

“It could be.” Ara kept the smile on her face as she said those words. “And even if the contract is with a human, the fact that he hurt one of his own kind? They won’t be able to let this go easily.”

“That’s for sure… but these are the demons who often engage in territorial wars of their own anyway.”

“No, this isn’t a dispute between demons, rather it’s ‘accepting a human’s request’.” Ara took the demons’ own pride and the fact that they wouldn’t be able to accept that into consideration. “Whether it was his own independent act or an order from Olivia, wouldn’t that be enough for us to forcibly break the contract and summon Frody back to the demon realm?”

At her voice that seemed to even be somewhat playful, Tanma smiled. “I’ll return to the Palace of the Demon King and definitely make that the justification.” Ara’s smile deepened at Tanma’s resolute response to her.

“But did you find a way to break the contract?” It wasn’t that he meant to look down on her, but he just truthfully didn’t think that Ara would be able to pressure him like Lecht. 

That was when Ara opened the book she was holding and showed it to him. “Although the contract is forbidden magic, books written about the contract aren’t.”

It was a book about summoning demons and signing a contract with them. You could see how old it was just from seeing the paper, which was dry and crumbling. 

“If you know your enemy and yourself, you can fight a hundred battles and win.”

The page she had flipped to detailed the importance of the ‘summoning medium’ that was used to make the contract.

* * *

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

Thanks to Tanma, who had returned from the Palace of the Demon King after making sure that it was a probable cause to do so, I was able to forcibly break Olivia’s contract immediately thereafter. 

“Miss Olivia, would you be able to give us an explanation? Why would a demon come out of your necklace?”

Being able to guess that the medium for the contract was the necklace was all thanks to Meliara as well.

—If it’s something she carries all the time, then… a necklace. It’s probably that necklace.

“How do you know?”

—The Saintess Olivia that I know has always insisted on wearing accessories and clothes that are of the latest trend. But she hasn’t changed that necklace ever since the day I first met her. And it’s just my gut feeling, but… it never seemed to match Olivia’s preferences.

“Then if that’s definitely the case…”

That was how we put all pieces of the puzzle together, and how the situation right now came to be.

“I-I don’t know! I said I don’t know!” Olivia continued to deny everything I said.

As she continued to deny it, I had no choice but to open the book I had brought and place it in front of the emperor. “The necklace just now was the medium Olivia used to make the contract with the demon. By breaking it, the contract is forcibly terminated.”

Although the emperor seemed to be shocked at the sudden appearance of a demon, he quickly regained his calm composure. He took a quick look at the book I showed him.

“No, Your Majesty. She’s trying to frame me! You must have done something to the necklace!”

“How could I possibly tamper with a necklace that you’re always wearing?”

“Right now! You’re clearly snatching the necklace right now!”

Olivia shouted urgently, but I simply continued to speak at a leisurely pace to the high priest. “Please go and confirm it. There shouldn’t be any of that vast ‘power’ you felt in her previously anymore.”

“G-Get away from me!” Olivia screamed and clung onto Ziken as the high priest began to move towards her at my words. However, the emperor’s knights had also moved at the emperor’s command.

“Your Highness, you also know that they’re setting me up right now! Your Highness, please help me!”

“Li-Livi…” Ziken was unable to do anything for his screaming lover. Since they were the emperor’s very own knights. 

Olivia, who had been pretty much pushed into the hands of the high priest, kicked up a fuss trying to escape his grasp, but it was no use.

“Heok! Th-There’s really none left…!” The high priest of the Solar Religion stumbled backwards in shock. 

You came here already knowing that she wasn’t the real saintess, so what are you acting so surprised for? 

Although I felt rather apathetic toward it, I looked at the emperor after receiving a small nod. “I beg Your Majesty. On the fact that she summoned a demon with the forbidden magic and used the power she contracted as a sacred power to deceive others. On the fact that she pretended to be a saintess with her false power, tarnished the Solar religion’s name, and deceived all the nobles in the empire, including you, Your Majesty.”

“No… No!”

“On the fact that she couldn’t stop there, and unleashed a poison that originated from the demon realm against the citizens who loved her, causing countless people to fade away with the disease, driving them to death—I accuse her. As a result of her actions, half the capital was immobilised, causing both direct and indirect damage to many people.”

“Shut up! I said it’s not me!”

“And, furthermore… on the point that she framed me, Meliara Darchez, numerous times in order to obtain the position beside the crown prince, who was originally my fiance.” 

I listed off all of her false accusations against me thoroughly. From the fact that I was accused of stealing something all the way to the fact where she had tried to shift the blame for the epidemic onto me.

“I carried the prejudice of having attempted to poison people, the reputation of the Darchez Duchy was seriously damaged, and even an imperial marriage was broken.”

“…”

“I desperately beg of you to mete out punishment for all of these malicious deeds.” I placed my hand slightly above my heart and bowed my head. 

Although Olivia was still screaming, everyone else was now looking at me silently. Olivia, who had been shouting that it wasn’t her for a while now, gradually became quieter in the silence. Bent at the waist, I remained unmoving.

“To think that the damage caused by the lies of a single person would escalate to the extent of it being a national tragedy. How pathetic.” Letting out a long sigh, the emperor pressed his fingertips to his forehead and tried to speak calmly. 

But I could see the fury that filled his eyes. It was a fury that was directed at the fact that one person could fool the entire empire, including himself, the emperor. 

“Drag the ‘fake’ saintess, Olivia away.”

“Your Majesty, I’m not the one at fault! It’s not me!”

“We can investigate that little by little. Just how far you truly went with your little ploy.” The emperor looked at Olivia with a cold look in his eyes. The time where people thought she was the Solar religion’s saintess was over. All that love had now been returned as betrayal and anger. “I will investigate this down to the very detail of it all.”

Was it that difficult for him to make his ruling right now, even with how clear the evidence is right now?

Feeling a bit disappointed, I nodded slightly, but the emperor said something I hadn’t expected at all. “It isn’t to determine if that person is guilty or not. In any case, she’ll receive the death penalty for pretending to be a saintess with the help of forbidden magic.”

I didn’t hide my confusion at his words that were directed toward me. “Then why investigate…”

“It’s to make sure that those who were affected by the culprit are adequately compensated.”

“Oh…”

It was a promise to expel all the false accusations from Meliara Darchez, the original owner of this body. In addition to the other victims such as the messenger and the temple maid, who were standing behind me right now. 

‘How reliable.’

I was able to laugh carefreely for the first time since this situation erupted. “Thank you.” And bowed my head.

“No! Argh!!”

I turned my head toward the still noisy Olivia. As she was being dragged away, Olivia’s eyes met mine. All I did was just stare at her, yet her face turned red as she looked at me. “You’re looking down on me again, aren’t you?! Again! Ahhhhhh!”

With her current appearance, no one would be able to associate her with the word ‘saintess’.

* * *

The ‘fake’ saintess incident that had erupted out of nowhere had caused the emperor to be quite busy. We vacated the place at his words that expressed he was sorry, but we should catch up casually over tea another time. The high priest of the Solar religion also went back in a hurry since it was necessary for him to sort out the temple. 

And Frody, of course, had resumed his humanised state at the command of Lecht. 

“I didn’t expect that you’d break it, Saintess. That’s a violation of the regulations though.” Frody said with a smile.

“What violation.” I didn’t pay any attention to him. I looked back at Tanma, ignoring him.

“In any case, it seems like it all fortunately went quite well, huh?”

“Because rather than the disciplinary action, everyone just wants to see the saintess as soon as possible instead.” 

Tanma told me about what had transpired when he returned to the demon realm.

*

At an emergency council meeting in the demon realm that was held at the request of Tanma.

“I thought the saintess would be coming since he said it was an emergency, but even His Majesty hasn’t arrived yet?”

“Just what the hell is taking them so long?! Isn’t he stopping us deliberately? I’m telling you, he’s taking advantage of the fact that we can’t cross over into the human realm without his permission first!”

The nobles who had gathered as a council after a long time were busy placing bets. 

A few months ago, the story of the saintess appearing started to circulate throughout the demon realm. It was only natural, since Ryno had spread rumours all over the place, saying that he had become the exclusive servant of the saintess.

Ever since then, all of them had put in a request to be granted an audience with the saintess, but Tanma continued to block them by saying that the saintess still had issues that she had to resolve in the human realm.

The nobles, who had brushed over it at first, started to complain when it lasted for several months. 

“I’m saying, why the hell would the proclamation ceremony be held in the human realm first? Isn’t Lunar the demon realm’s god in the first place?”

“The Lunar religion wouldn’t have spread all the way to the human realm if His Majesty hadn’t stayed in the human realm in the first place.”

No matter how much they thought about it, it felt like their demon king was trying to hog the saintess to himself by using one excuse or another. 

“The proclamation ceremony in the human realm was the saintess’ choice.”

“…”

After silencing them with words they couldn’t refute first, Tanma said, “But even that is being delayed.”

“Why is that?”

“I knew it, he’s obviously doing this on purpose…”

“It’s because of Sir Frody’s interference.” 

The conference room suddenly became quiet once Frody’s name was brought up. A chilling tension hung in the air.

“Everyone is aware that he signed a contract with a human, right?”

“Is that the problem? Even if we know, the regulations…”

“Yes, the contract is fine. However, he used it as an excuse to hurt His Majesty’s people.”

“…”

“The bigger problem at hand is that their return to the demon realm is being delayed since the saintess is currently handling it. Because of what Frody did under the pretext of the contract.”

“Ahem, ahem…!”

All of them showed an unpleasant expression, just like he expected. 

Making sure that all of their arrows were being pointed at Frody, Tanma said, “So the saintess is going to forcibly terminate the contract.”

“…!”

“So that she can come to the demon realm as soon as possible. Oh, and there will be a grand welcoming ceremony that will be held when she comes.”

All of them shut their mouths. Disciplinary action or whatever aside, their biggest wish was for the saintess to come back as soon as possible. 

“Is there anyone who opposes this?”

Although Tanma’s smile seemed extremely hateful in their eyes, no one dared to raise their hand.

“Then I’ll let the saintess know your exact words. I’ll see you all again with the saintess.”

That was how the emergency meeting ended.

*

“Things went well thanks to Tanma’s efforts.”

“It’s my honour for me to be of help to you.”

“Gosh, I really should rush to the demon realm as soon as the proclamation is finished. I didn’t know everyone had been waiting for me like that.”

Although Ryno had always told me, maybe I hadn’t been able to believe him wholeheartedly since it was him who was telling me…

“When you return, come and see me too–”

“Tanma.”

“Yes, understood, Your Majesty.”

Frody tried to take advantage of the gap in conversation to call out to me, but Lecht and Tanma immediately cut him off. 

“Regardless, I made a huge meritorious contribution this time…”

“Shouldn’t you think about what you’ve done so far?” I turned around after spitting out a harsh remark to Frody.

Although my work wasn’t completely finished yet, now that the emperor was moving too, all I really had to do was wait. I was rather pleased that I was able to make it to the deadline of the proclamation ceremony by a narrow margin.

“Then, let’s go and prepare for the proclamation ceremony! We only have two days left!”

It had been a long time since I had last been able to laugh carefreely without my feet feeling heavy.

*

However, another stumbling block came to find me sooner than I expected.

“Meliara. Can I talk to you for a bit?”

It was Alion Darchez.