The Fortune-Teller Saintess - Chapter 69

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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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The Fortune Teller Saint

 

Chapter 69

 

At that moment, the meeting hall fell silent.

 

I swallowed hard but stood firm. If I wavered here, even what could work wouldn’t.

 

After a moment, it was a cardinal sitting nearby who broke the silence and spoke.

 

“Holy Lady Ellia, you haven’t been up from your sickbed for long, so you must not understand the situation well. That’s understandable. The fact that you were poisoned, and that the Ritual of Veneration was nearly ruined, was all actually the Mage Tower’s doing…”

 

“No. I understand the situation better than anyone, Your Eminence. That’s why I’m saying this.”

 

I took a short deep breath and continued.

 

“Mage Tower Master Nein Opert has no reason to poison me, nor any reason to corrupt the sacred relic. Most importantly, when the corrupted sacred relic went berserk, he protected me.”

 

“He protected you? No, even if that’s true, we don’t know his true intentions. Holy Lady Ellia, you must not carelessly trust mages. They are heretics who serve wrongful power. Their magic power is proof of that…”

 

“They were simply born with magic power. There is no evidence anywhere that those who possess magic power serve wrongful power, Your Eminence.”

 

When I interrupted and interjected twice, the cardinal’s brow furrowed. However, for me, these were statements I could hardly bear to hear any longer.

 

While I was engaged in a battle of wills with him, Cardinal Barion, sitting at the head seat, clapped his hands to mediate the situation.

 

When I turned my gaze to him, Barion opened his mouth with a solemn expression.

 

“Both of you, please calm down. Holy Lady Ellia, I understand your feelings of not wanting to cause trouble with the Mage Tower. However, from a third party’s perspective, we have no choice but to suspect the Mage Tower.”

 

“May I hear the reason?”

 

“Mage Tower Master Nein Opert secretly snuck into the Temple. If he had been upright, there would have been no need for that. Moreover, I heard that the Mage Tower Master was by your side when you collapsed. I also heard that he immediately fled when the situation was discovered.”

 

“That’s because of the Temple’s perception of mages as heretics…”

 

“Holy Lady Ellia.”

 

When Barion called sternly, I closed my mouth.

 

Barion sighed and continued while rubbing his brow.

 

“Even if it wasn’t the Mage Tower’s doing, in the current situation, they are the only ones who could be suspected. Isn’t that the case circumstantially?”

 

Though I felt it was all unfair, I couldn’t refute Barion’s words. From their perspective, it was inevitable that Nein would be suspected.

 

When I kept my mouth firmly shut, Barion opened his mouth as if to summarize the situation.

 

“If it truly wasn’t the Mage Tower’s doing, then heaven will prove their innocence. We will take the actions we can…”

 

“No. There’s no time to wait for that.”

 

At my words, Barion’s eyebrow twitched.

 

I faced him directly and declared firmly.

 

“There’s definitely a real culprit who orchestrated this incident. I will uncover that. So please give me time.”

 

“Wait, Holy Lady Ellia. Why go to such lengths when we could simply handle this as the Mage Tower’s doing and move on?”

 

A cardinal asked as if he couldn’t understand.

 

I answered him confidently.

 

“Because it wasn’t the Mage Tower’s doing. I cannot stand by and watch innocent people be falsely accused.”

 

“Why do you go to such lengths for the Mage Tower?”

 

Barion asked.

 

I had no choice but to remain silent for a moment at that question. But soon my resolve was set.

 

Why?

 

“Because Mage Tower Master Nein Opert is my friend.”

 

“What…!”

 

“A mage, and the Mage Tower Master at that, as a friend!”

 

The cardinals murmured. Their faces were all filled with shock and dismay.

 

Only Barion and I remained calm.

 

Barion looked at me intently, then quietly opened his mouth.

 

“Holy Lady Ellia, can you bear the weight of those words?”

 

“I don’t see why I couldn’t.”

 

I answered deliberately brightly. But I couldn’t help the cold sweat running down my back.

 

Barion, who had been staring at me intently, let out a deep sigh. Then he spoke in a voice slightly stiffer than before.

 

“We have already requested the punishment of the Mage Tower from the Imperial Palace. We cannot give you more time.”

 

“Then I’ll have to request it directly from the Imperial Palace.”

 

With my direction decided, I turned around to leave the meeting hall.

 

At that moment, Barion’s voice stopped my feet.

 

“Holy Lady Ellia, please think carefully about the right path.”

 

“Your Holiness.”

 

I turned around. Then disapproving gazes poured toward me.

 

I smiled brightly and spoke.

 

“I have always listened to the voice within me.”

 

“…”

 

“Then I’ll really be going!”

 

I kindly closed the meeting hall door as well.

 

Barion’s sky-blue eyes, visible through the crack of the door, were eventually hidden from view.

 

***

 

We immediately headed to the Imperial Palace. When we requested an audience with Jacad, the head attendant guided us to a guest room.

 

While sitting on the sofa waiting for Jacad, I glanced at Robelina standing behind me.

 

Robelina’s face was strangely contorted as if she had done something wrong.

 

“Rina, why do you look like that?”

 

“Ah.”

 

At my question, Robelina looked at me with wavering eyes, then immediately let out a deep sigh.

 

“I feel uneasy because it feels like I’m rebelling against the Temple.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

I let out a low hum. Certainly, from Robelina’s perspective, that could be the case.

 

Robelina was always devout and a good child who had never rebelled against her superiors.

 

The current situation of going against the Temple’s will could certainly be uncomfortable for her.

 

Of course, my thoughts were different.

 

“Personally, I don’t see the current situation as rebelling against the Temple. If anything, it’s correcting what’s wrong.”

 

“Correcting what’s wrong…”

 

“But still, if you’re really uncomfortable.”

 

I looked at Robelina quietly, then spoke with deliberate nonchalance.

 

“You can step out of this matter. I’ll be fine.”

 

“…! Ria!”

 

“The same goes for Count Lucian. If this matter makes you uncomfortable, you can step out anytime…”

 

“No.”

 

Lucian shook his head. He looked at me and continued with determined eyes.

 

“I don’t particularly like that mage, but I don’t think he’s someone who would harm you, Holy Lady. So I will support your intention to clear the mage’s false accusations.”

 

“Count Lucian…”

 

“Same here.”

 

I turned my head to look at Robelina.

 

Robelina looked at me with a face that had become resolute and said.

 

“I don’t think your actions are wrong, Ria. What I said earlier was just because I was disturbed by having different opinions from those I respect.

 

“Yeah. I know.”

 

“Knowing that, you tell me I can step out?”

 

Robelina grumbled with a pouty face.

 

Cold sweat trickled down at that.

 

“I just thought you seemed uncomfortable…”

 

“I’d be more uncomfortable stepping out of this matter.”

 

Robelina answered firmly and grabbed my hand.

 

“We’re friends, aren’t we?”

 

At those words, my eyes widened.

 

When I glanced over, Lucian was also nodding with an agreeing expression.

 

“…I may not know about other things, but I think I really chose my friends well.”

 

When I said this with a grin, Robelina smiled back. Lucian turned his head away, his ears reddening with embarrassment.

 

Just then, a blunt voice interrupted and broke the warm atmosphere.

 

“Are you all finished?”

 

“…! What? Your Highness, when did you arrive?”

 

“A while ago.”

 

Jacad walked over with a sigh and plopped down on the sofa across from us.

 

He glanced around at all of us, then fixed his gaze on me and asked bluntly.

 

“How are you feeling?”

 

“I’m not completely recovered yet, but it’s not bad enough to keep me from moving around. Actually, I had something to tell you about that matter, and thank you for sending Camuen, Your Highness.”

 

Though I usually treated Jacad playfully, this time I conveyed my gratitude with complete sincerity.

 

At my thanks, Jacad raised an eyebrow and then let out a small laugh.

 

“So you do know how to say such things.”

 

“What do you take me for!”

 

When I bristled, Jacad stared at me intently. Even Robelina and Lucian were giving me similar looks.

 

Feeling embarrassed, I cleared my throat and made an excuse.

 

“I can be serious when I need to be serious.”

 

“Let’s say that’s true.”

 

“Ugh.”

 

Jacad, who had been chuckling, stopped laughing. He hardened his expression seriously and spoke in a low voice.

 

“Seeing how you came looking for me as soon as you got out of your sickbed, is this about the Mage Tower Master?”

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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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