The Crown I Will Take From You - Chapter 173

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Part 2, Chapter 20

Priest Paollo chimed in agreement.

“Truly words befitting the Goddess’s representative. Since you have received such an unprecedented blessing through the holy will of the divine, perhaps His Majesty the Emperor of Valdina should also bestow the Goddess’s mercy.”

“….”

The Claudio father and son exchanged silent glances. They couldn’t understand why the Holy Kingdom was trying to protect them.

However, with their alliance, the possibility of entering Valdina, which had seemed impossible, began to emerge.

‘I don’t know what’s happening, but things are going better than expected. If I can just ride this current well…!’

“Your Majesty, sob sob, please bestow the Goddess’s mercy upon us.”

Looking down at Hoakin, who was putting on another fake plea, Jason recalled events from a few days ago.

Before departing for Valdina, secret allies had come to find him.

“I cannot carry out the Emperor’s command to put the Claudio family back into the Valdina Royal Family. Those siblings will never accept Claudio.”

“Don’t worry. There are allies there as well. Your Grace will obtain what you desire.”

‘Is that man the ally they mentioned…?’

Jason’s eyes sharply observed Paollo, who was enthusiastically spitting as he spoke.

“All the continentals gathered here will remember Your Majesty’s grace. When this news spreads, His Holiness will surely be pleased as well.”

Meanwhile, Paollo was applying subtle pressure by invoking the Pope.

‘Arrogant northerners, do you think you can refuse our Holy Kingdom no matter how much you scheme? I must engrave in their minds that ignoring us means no future on the continent.’

What had initially been protection of Claudio for the Saint’s sake was gradually becoming a matter of pride.

Perhaps it was because he still hadn’t forgotten the memory of having to leave Valdina shamefully like a fugitive three months ago.

“….”

Peleus remained silent.

Paollo twisted his lips into a smirk and turned toward Medeia.

“Then what does the Princess of Valdina think? Do you believe you must sever blood ties and absolutely strangle their lifeline?”

‘I will definitely expose that witch’s true face for the Saint’s sake!’

In the eyes of High Priest Paollo, who had been manipulated by Rachel for the past few months, Medeia was the axis of evil trying to frame the Saint.

A malicious question designed so that no matter how she answered, she would be caught in a trap.

When Peleus tried to step forward, Medeia gently grabbed his sleeve to stop him.

‘Rachel, making Paollo face me in your stead—your methods remain unchanged.’

Just like in the past life, you want to stay in a safe place and only thrust knives.

Medeia raised the corner of her mouth almost imperceptibly.

‘The more you do that, the more I’ll drag you out.’

So you can no longer hide behind the veil.

In the past life, Rachel was revered as a hero who saved the continent. Even though her activities only involved traveling between the Holy Kingdom and Kazen.

She had never slain an evil dragon or suppressed monster waves, staying only in the peaceful temple. But Rachel was treated as the world’s hero solely based on her position as Saint.

Seeing how they swayed like reeds at the Saint’s every word and gesture, it seemed this life would be no different.

In that case.

Medeia intended to throw stones at that solid faith.

Just as everyone in the banquet hall was focused on the answer the Princess of Valdina would give.

“The Saint said that one should accept the faults of blood relatives.”

Her pale lips began to speak.

“….”

“But since when have the Goddess’s teachings said to unconditionally forgive sinners?”

Her straight green eyes turned toward Rachel.

“Accepting everything without righteous judgment would rather go against the divine will.”

Her calm voice rang out as if slapping Rachel’s pale cheek.

“The Goddess’s mercy means discerning love, not limitless permission. Saint, can the latter be called providence? I simply cannot understand.”

Medeia shook her head slightly as if puzzled.

“…Th-that’s…”

Caught off guard by the arrow suddenly flying toward her, Rachel panicked and lost her words. Her mind seemed to go blank.

Paollo stepped forward in place of the speechless Rachel.

“Princess! How dare you discuss doctrine in front of the Holy Kingdom’s representatives? How arrogant!”

“How could I dare deny what the representative has said? However, if it truly is the Goddess’s will, then I should naturally accept it.”

Finding an opening in Medeia’s words, Paollo hesitated and his eyes gleamed.

“Then are you saying, Princess, that you will take responsibility and take in the Claudio family?”

“High Priest, shouldn’t we first determine whether the Goddess truly desires us to bring the rebels back into Valdina?”

Medeia pointed out.

“Ha! The rumored Princess is as beautiful and virtuous as her reputation. However, this old man must say what needs to be said.”

Caught by her provocation, Paollo raised his voice as if his faith had been questioned.

“The Goddess abhors the arrogant. When he fell to earth with broken wings, did Icarus realize? The punishment for that arrogant act of daring to fly to the heavens and oppose the gods?”

When the Princess didn’t respond, Paollo raised his voice even more triumphantly.

“Don’t you know who the representative is? One who conveys the words of the Absolute. The Saint’s will is the Goddess’s will, so how can you doubt the Goddess—”

“Kyaaaah—!”

At that moment, Paollo’s lengthy speech was forcibly cut off by a long, echoing scream.

“Th-the Goddess statue is shedding tears of blood!”

A noble lady was pointing at the Goddess statue with a pale face.

“Nonsense, how can a sculpture shed tears?”

“Look there, look there!”

The noble stretched out her arm pointing to the banquet hall wall. Those who followed her fingertip burst into sounds of shock and horror.

Red tears were indeed flowing from both eyes of the Goddess statue hanging on the wall.

The blood-red tear tracks stood out even more against the white sculpture. Moreover, with tears flowing from both sides, it looked even more eerie.

What on earth was happening?

Even Rachel and Paollo were momentarily flustered.

Then someone shouted.

“The Goddess is angry! You’ve distorted the Goddess’s will, making her shed tears of blood!”

People thought his words made sense.

What else could be the reason for the strange phenomenon occurring in the perfectly fine Goddess statue the moment the High Priest declared that the Saint’s will was the Goddess’s will?

The Goddess was expressing her will.

“That can’t be. That’s fake. She wouldn’t deny me. I’m the Saint, so how could—”

When the desperate Rachel tried to approach the Goddess statue, Medeia’s voice flew toward her.

“Saint, are you saying the bleeding Goddess statue is false because you consider yourself equal to the Goddess?”

At Medeia’s words, the Holy Kingdom priests’ faces changed.

No matter how much they had awaited the Saint’s birth, a representative was only a representative and could never speak for the divine.

Paollo hesitated. Coincidentally, his own words criticizing the Princess earlier came to mind.

“When his wings were broken, did Icarus realize? The punishment for that arrogant act of daring to fly to the heavens and oppose the gods?”

The punishment of arrogance given to one who tried to oppose the divine.

“…Saint…”

When even the High Priest, who had worshipped her like a fanatic, looked at her with a confused face, Rachel’s anxiety exploded.

“Princess, don’t condemn me!”

She snapped sharply.

It was a far cry from the gentle and kind Saint she had been until now.

Medeia observed that appearance with detachment.

‘Rachel, this is the first time I’ve seen you make such a face. The face I always saw was full of composure.’

The face that couldn’t grasp the situation and was confused even about herself was both unfamiliar and amusing.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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