CH 3.2

“Did you hear them? The saint was finally found.”

“In that little town?”

“Yes.”

“Looks like we’ll have good fortune, a saint finally appears.”

When Ellin heard those words, she almost dropped the plate she was holding.

‘I’m the saint, so where did this saint come from?’

Ellin was listening to their conversation with a puzzled expression on her face.

The pattern of saint was clearly engraved on her body. 

But does that mean that another saint appeared?

This was a major event that could shake the temple.

‘Or the temple was mistaken.’

Although there was little possibility, the temple could have mistaken it and taken someone else. There was no one marked with the pattern so they saw something and misunderstood.

‘Or it’s a fake.’

Then it was the worst case scenario.

Who dares to impersonate a saint? Is the temple so careless as to make a mistake?

When Ellin heard about the saint, she was confused. After thinking about it for several days, she finally came to a conclusion.

‘I want to see the saint.’

She tried to ignore it, but she couldn’t do it again.

It was because the ‘saint’ was her fate. The title ‘saint’ was always related to her.

Maybe, if the saint was real, she wouldn’t have to be sacrificed in this life.

She can be freed from the shackles of being a saint.

Perhaps time has turned back and she doesn’t need to become a saint.

She always thought there was no future, but now, there is a future. 

A future in which she doesn’t have to be burned to death again.

She wanted to check because she wanted to be freed of the shackle.

She decided to go to the temple.

She decided to be a saint before but now, she’s happy when another person was sacrificed instead.

It was a very selfish and lowly desire, but Ellin tried not to think about it.

This was her second desire.

***

“I will go now.”

“The capital city is dangerous, do you have to go?”

Despite the innkeeper’s reluctance, Ellin only smiled.

With that smile, the old woman could only sigh. 

Instead, she handed her a few coins to pay for the travels.

“Don’t worry. I will go and contact you.”

Seeing Ellin leaving, the innkeeper’s expression changed. She immediately started writing to someone.

[She started heading to the capital.]

***

The emperor’s room floor was made of bluish marble. This was said to represent the cold reasoning of the emperor.

Also, the red velvet carpet in the middle symbolized the emperor’s dignity.

Velvet was a luxurious fabric that was difficult to make, and dyeing it red was even rarer.

‘The ingredients are precious.’

Once upon a time, the whole place was stained with blood.

The Emperor’s aide, Bronn, was now fed up with seeing only red.

At the end of the red velvet carpet was a staircase, and above it was a throne adorned with gold.

And there sat the emperor of this country.

The man had a majestic body so that the throne looked small.

The black clothes were wrapped around his rock-like body that had been forged by swordsmanship.

As soon as the emperor saw Bronn, he got up. 

His red eyes looked down at Bronn. It was like seeing a wild beast right in front of his eyes, a gaze he was unfamiliar with whenever he saw it.

“It is said that they found the saint.”

At Bronn’s words, the emperor smiled brightly.

Compared to the man’s large size, his face was as beautiful as a delicate sculpture.

“What are you going to do?”

“What?”

The meaning of those words was immense. He can be killed with the wrong information. Now “So, did you find the real saint?”

“The thing is…….”

***

She rushed ahead of schedule, but when she reached the capital, the saint had already been officially appointed.

Ellin headed to the temple.

The public may only visit the saint if they made a large donation.

If they can’t do that, they’ll just have to wait for an ‘accident’.

Ellin, who had been snooping around like that, sighed.

When she became a saint, she couldn’t even step out of the temple. 

Although there was so much to learn. Maybe the saint is like that too.

When she was hesitant to enter the temple without permission, a very good opportunity arose. The selection of ‘Angelia’ in the capital has begun.

Angelia is a word derived from the angels, servants of God, and it refers to a woman who studies theology.

To be precise, it was to select the saint’s ‘handmaiden’.

They look after the saint and will discuss divinity with her.

Although it is based on their status, on the surface, anyone who is faithful would be selected first, so anyone could apply.

However, most of the applicants were eliminated in the first round.

Those with physical disabilities, those who could not read, and those who did not know the essence of the doctrine were excluded.

After the first test, the number of participants shrank to 100.

After about a month, Ellin was able to pass the preliminary round.

The second selection period was not very long, it was ten days after.

It was very difficult to write down the verses of the Bible. But Ellin could easily pass this one too.

Now only the final exam remains. The priests will be present there.

Ellin was allowed to enter the temple legally.

“Don’t recklessly walk anywhere else. I cannot guarantee your life.”

But because of the saint, the guards were strict, so the knights gave a stern warning.

She had no intention of becoming Angelia in the first place. Ellin apologized to the familiar holy knights.

She grew up here for nearly 10 years in her previous life. She was familiar with everything.

She was feeling nostalgic for some time, but it went smoothly all the way to the saint’s residence.

She even had the opportunity to stop at the statue of Saint Dazak in front of the Palace of Saints.

The Dazak statue was where she often offered her prayers. She could not overcome the joy and offered a brief prayer.

‘She’s probably memorizing prayers at this time.’

Ellin headed to the saint’s prayer room.

Seeing what sound was coming from inside the prayer room, it seemed that the saint was inside.

She hid in the grass and waited blindly for the saint to come out after praying.

After some time passed, the door to the prayer room opened and the saint came out.

Ellin covered her mouth as she looked at the person who came out of it.

‘Liliana!’

Why is Liliana a saint? She was even talking to people with a benevolent smile, not the usual face she had in the past.

‘How did Liliana…….’

She wondered if she had seen it wrong, so Ellin looked at her again.

But it was definitely Liliana, judging by her characteristics.

Ellin unknowingly stepped on a branch under her feet.

“Who are you?”

The one standing behind Liliana looked straight in the direction of Ellin and shouted.

‘Maynard!’

Her whole body trembled. It was a very short voice, but it felt like her heart would burst.

It was Maynard, the commander of the Holy Knights who served Elin during her first life.