In front of the door to Yuria’s room in the ruined imperial palace.
“Your Highness, Princess Linnea, what brings you here…?”
“I came to see my sister.”
At Linnea’s words, the royal maid lowered her head, seemingly unsure of what to do.
“Well… it’s just that… Princess Yuria is expecting a very important guest today, and she ordered that no one be allowed in…”
“Is that so…?”
Just as she was about to postpone the conversation, she heard a voice from beyond the door.
“It’s fine. Let her in.”
Upon hearing this, the maid quickly opened the door and bowed to Linnea.
Once inside the room, what greeted her was the sight of her sister, Yuria, sitting in a chair, holding a quill and writing something.
Yuria von Einsberg, the iron-blooded princess who had been marked as the next emperor at the age of 11 and had completed her imperial studies.
Her blonde hair, which symbolized the royal bloodline, and her violet eyes were the same as Linnea’s. However, the sharpness of her gaze was different.
Yuria’s cold and sharp eyes were a stark contrast to Linnea’s slightly gentler gaze.
Her body, which was slender and well-balanced, was in stark contrast to her younger sister or adoptive mother, whose certain features had been overly developed.
Her hairstyle was simple—a short bob that required little effort to set.
The only distinct feature was the long lock of hair on the right side that fell down to her shoulder.
It was a style that gave off an extremely practical vibe.
Despite this, her beauty was undeniable.
Whether or not she spent time styling her hair didn’t matter much in terms of her overall impression.
The phrase, ‘You resemble a cold aunt more than a caring mother,’ was something Yuria took as a kind of pride.
It was natural for a strong individual to lead the empire, not a weak one.
This had been Yuria’s belief since her aunt became her adoptive mother, and she never once questioned it.
“Long time no see, Linnea. You came all the way here to see me? I have an idea of why, though.”
“You know, don’t you, sister? Mother is…?”
“Talking about changing the state religion, right?”
“Did you hear everything?”
“With my ears open, I can’t help but know.”
Unlike Linnea, who looked anxious, Yuria appeared remarkably calm.
She gave the impression that this was nothing too serious.
“Is it okay to leave things like this? The Igodenkyo cult isn’t all that anti-social, and the appearance of the Saint has improved public sentiment, but… you know well what happened when the religious community gained overwhelming power.”
“It can’t be okay.”
“Then shouldn’t we do something about it…?”
“Linnea.”
At that moment, Yuria put down her quill and turned her head to look directly into Linnea’s eyes.
“Have you ever thought about why the sacred power pouch… why a woman’s chest is so revered by the clergy?”
“Huh? That… that’s because it’s mentioned in the Bible.”
“White magic.”
Yuria interrupted Linnea and began explaining in one breath.
“My guess is, women with larger chests may show significant talent in white magic, even among the priests.”
“Suddenly…?”
“Think about it. The religious people often say ‘the Bible forbids it, so don’t do it’ or ‘the Bible encourages it, so we must do it,’ but the Bible is ultimately something written by humans. In the beginning, it could only have been written by humans. Linnea, you don’t actually believe that ‘God’s words’ are written in the Bible, do you?”
“Of course not!”
“Due to the dry and hot climate, people in the southern part of the continent don’t eat pork often. Scholars have found that this was mainly because of a doctrine in a native religion that emerged during the time when the Unified Empire didn’t exist, which regarded pork as an ominous food. But is it really because pigs are an evil animal? It’s more rational to think that the doctrine was created because raising pigs wasn’t beneficial in the climate and environment, and there was a plausible reason to impose it on the people.”
[This is an example of how a group’s taboo or recommended practices often have a logical explanation behind them.]
“In other words, even if the Bible says ‘God forbids this’ or ‘God encourages this,’ there must be a reasonable explanation behind it.”
Yuria’s eyes shone with a glint of certainty.
It was the look of someone who believed without a doubt, someone like an absolute being.
“The same applies to the sacred power pouch. Until now, white magic has been exclusively practiced by Igodenkyo cult priests, right? The study of magic was mainly passed down through the religious community, unlike other types of magic that were studied at the Magic Tower. So, the bigger a woman’s chest, the more likely she is to have exceptional talent in white magic. And those individuals would naturally excel as nuns or saints. That’s my theory.”
Having explained up to that point, Yuria twisted a lock of her golden hair around her finger.
It was a habit she had whenever she fell into thought.
“Of course, this hypothesis has some gaps. If my theory were correct, our mother would have been the greatest nun… no, she would have been an outstanding saint. But there are different talents when it comes to magic, so there may be missing links that I don’t know yet. But I think it’s reasonable to believe that a woman’s breast size affects the efficiency of white magic.”
—That’s why the person who first wrote the Bible made sure to include that line.
“Then, the bigger the chest, the higher the talent for being a nun… and a white mage?”
“Yes. The saint Erin who just appeared has the talent to surpass the limits, which is why she was chosen as the saint.”
With that, Yuria maintained her cold expression and then let out a soft chuckle.
“God granting a saint… it’s nonsense, right? A saint is chosen by the human pope.”
“I suspect that what happened to our mother was also a type of white magic. Mental manipulation magic isn’t unheard of, and given the size of the saint’s sacred power pouch, it’s safe to say she has an overwhelming amount of mana compared to other priests.”
Linnea could only nod in agreement.
Erin was likely around her age.
But when she thought about the violence-like size of her chest…
“So, you’re saying you’re going to shatter that illusion now?”
“Illusion?”
“Yes. What happened to Mother was just a slight alteration due to white magic, not a divine miracle. I’m going to prove it in front of the saint. Once I do that, this strange commotion will end. Besides, if magic is confirmed, I might even be able to find a way to return Mother to her original state.”
“But how…?”
“I’ll do the same thing as Mother. She claimed that after encountering the light that leaked from the Bible, she was changed. But there’s no divine miracle involved. It’s most likely some form of white magic. If Mother had been susceptible to magic, it might have worked on her—”
—I won’t fall for it.
Upon hearing those words, Linnea finally understood Yuria’s intention.
Magic resistance usually increased in proportion to one’s mana and understanding of it.
And the one who just spoke—Yuria—was an exceptional woman.
If she hadn’t been the first imperial princess and the heir to the emperor, she would have been sought after by the Magic Tower for her talent.
She had wanted to walk the path of magic, but unlike herself, who had taken the path of a knight due to a lack of talent, she truly had the potential to become a grand sorceress.
Naturally, her magical resistance was strong, so if the enemy was indeed using magic—Yuria could easily overcome it!
“Sorry, but I can’t just hastily appoint the Guodun Church as the state religion at the imperial level. The fact that ‘God’s miracle failed’ will become the most powerful weapon to prevent that from happening.”
***
At that moment.
There was a soft knock at the door.
As soon as Linnea heard it, she remembered the maid’s voice saying, “A very important guest is expected today.”
“Princess Yuria, the Saintess has arrived.”
“Could it be… the important person who was supposed to come today…?”
“Yes, the Saintess Erin. I personally invited her. So, leave this to your sister and go back to your room, Yuria. Linnea, you have work to do, right? You’re supposed to think of ways to bring the Guodun Church under the influence of the Einsberg family within the religious community. Understood?”
With Yuria’s voice calling for the door to be opened, the door swung open—
And there stood Erin, dressed in an outrageously shameless saint’s robe, tightly clutching the Bible, her appearance a disgrace to Linnea’s eyes.
“Welcome, Saintess.”
“Hello, Princess Yuria…! Is it true that you are eager to receive God’s straightforward facts in your own body as soon as possible?”
Yuria, instead of the cold expression she had when talking with Linnea, spoke with a warm smile that would be enough to withstand any public gaze.
“Of course. My mother also experienced ‘God’s straightforward facts.’ As the heir to the throne, I’ve been quite curious about it myself.”
“To think that you were the one who first proposed receiving Lord Igogodon’s straightforward facts…! I’m so happy that the imperial family is deeply interested in Lord Igogodon’s will. Furthermore, Princess Yuria, you are very lucky. It just so happens that it arrived not long ago…”
“Arrived?”
Erin blushed and gently traced the Bible with her pale finger, running her hand over her stomach as she spoke.
“God’s straightforward facts… are in my stomach…! Enough to share with you, Princess Yuria…!”
Yuria, who honestly thought it was absurd, did not reveal her true feelings.
From now on, the situation could potentially be embarrassing for the Saintess.
But she could not openly oppose her.
Her goal wasn’t for them to gain influence in the religious community; it was to place the religious community under their influence.
Respecting etiquette was the first step toward that goal.
Though she didn’t understand what all the nonsense about “straightforward facts” was, it was best to play along here.
“I’m so happy to hear that. Well then, could you share with me the ‘will of God’ that you showed to my mother?”
“Certainly…!”
‘There’s no such thing as a god. I’ll finish this foolish farce and remove the magic clouding my mother’s eyes with my own power.’
Yuria gave Linnea a look.
It was a silent request to leave.
Yuria’s magical resistance was high, so it didn’t matter to her, but Linnea could be affected, so she needed to leave.
Linnea, picking up on her sister’s unspoken meaning, quietly left the room.
***
The door to Yuria’s room closed, and Linnea pressed her hands to her racing heart, letting out a deep sigh.
‘Will things go well…?
Well, gods don’t actually exist, so my wise sister must be right… but…’
‘No. In a few minutes, everything will be decided. As my sister said, I have to do what I can.’
Her role was to be the bridge to the religious community.
Even if her sister couldn’t experience God’s miracle, the stance she had to take was clear.
As she thought about it, a light began to spill out from the door.
Linnea instinctively closed her eyes, wondering if this could be magic.
But strangely, it didn’t feel like magic, so she opened her eyes again.
Having once walked the path of a magician, she knew that even magic affecting the mind could leave a trace of its effects.
But this was just light.
It didn’t feel like magic at all…
A few minutes passed.
The door to Yuria’s room opened, and Erin, still clutching the Bible, walked out with grace.
“Ah, the ‘Holy Knight’ Linnea. My apologies for the late greeting. I trust you’ve been well?”
“No, it’s nothing, Saintess.”
Erin smiled benevolently at Linnea, her expression so serene that Linnea couldn’t detect even the slightest sign of embarrassment.
–The fact that Erin’s expression showed no signs of confusion made Linnea’s stomach turn with unease.
“Linnea, you’ve been chosen by Lord Igogodon. Soon, you’ll join the Church, won’t you? Even without going through such artificial processes, the day will come when you will naturally face God’s straightforward facts. Until then, I hope you’ll do your duty as a Holy Knight by my side.”
Thud, thud.
“I will follow the Saintess’s instructions.”
The sound of Erin’s footsteps faded as Linnea stood there, her heart pounding in her chest.
After Erin disappeared from sight, Linnea grabbed the door handle of Yuria’s room.
***
Erin, having left the imperial palace, once again caressed her stomach.
I can feel it, Lord Igogodon.
The straightforward facts given by Lord Igogodon…! This ‘fact,’ overflowing with love…!
–God has commanded it.
Just tell her to do whatever she wants.
You shall wield everything you possess without restraint.
Convert the non-believers, and paint the world with Igogodon’s colors.
Please watch over me, Lord Igogodon…!
Fighting against the inexplicable feeling of dread, Linnea managed to open the door and was met with the sight before her.
It was Yuria von Einsberg.
The cold and calculating “Iron-Blooded Princess,” the rightful heir to the throne.
The imperial family’s favorite, the one who had been unable to take anything from the magic towers…
“Lord Igogodon…!”
On her knees, Yuria was weeping profusely.
“I didn’t know…!”
“Lord Igogodon! I was foolish! How dare I stand before you without even understanding the basic principles of magic! And yet, you shared such straightforward facts with even a non-believer like me…!”
Yet still, “Your generosity even embraces my lack of holiness…
Ah! I, Yuria von Einsberg, have realized! Lord Igogodon exists! The one who created this world, who is always watching over us…!”
Lord Igogodon! Lord Igogodon!
With a reverent cry, she bowed deeply and pressed her forehead to the floor.
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