The girl before her wore an expression of confusion.
It seemed she couldn’t believe that Professor Riyan was a celestial being.
As a saintess, it wasn’t entirely an incomprehensible reaction.
On the first day of the entrance ceremony, when she herself had stood before the professor and felt the greatness of his soul, she had been skeptical at first.
She had only come to believe it with certainty about a month later.
That girl, too, must be feeling bewildered right now.
And since she couldn’t even see through souls as the saintess could, her confusion was likely far greater.
But that didn’t matter.
After all, it was the saintess’ duty to guide the lost lambs.
“Think back on the events so far, Sister Karen,” said the saintess, smiling kindly as she clasped Karen’s hands.
“If he were just a brilliant but ordinary professor, there are far too many things that would defy explanation.”
“There was a limit to mere competence.”
“No matter how remarkable someone’s intelligence was, perfectly predicting the future was practically impossible.”
“His actions always seemed as if he were reading the future,” she continued.
‘Professor Riyan unable to foresee the future?’ That was nothing short of absurd.
Otherwise, was she supposed to believe that:
‘By sheer coincidence, he decided to confront a student suspected of racism during the entrance interview, only for the student to turn out to be a hidden demon?’
‘By chance, he predicted and stopped a terrorist attack?’
‘By some fluke, his casual remarks inspired students to gain enlightenment and reach the level of swordmasters?’
‘And somehow, he “randomly” invested in stocks that turned out to belong to a black magic cartel, dismantling an entire criminal organization?’
‘What’s more, by luck, the cartel’s associate—a serial killer seeking revenge—happened to self-destruct?’
‘Coincidentally, without any intention, he saved an entire race and earned their adoration?’
‘And even without much thought, when assigning problems as trivial as “1+1,” he was misinterpreted as profound, while accidentally exposing hidden demons and discovering ancient ruins on a casual trip to a national park?’
Such a string of coincidences did not exist in this world.
It wasn’t possible.
***
He could see the future.
Thus, (omniscient).
“On top of that, his power knows no bounds,” the saintess added. “This is something anyone in the Academy would know.”
“Professor Riyan could cast the great spell “Meteor” as effortlessly as breathing.”
“He had reached the realm of life and death, surpassed mind’s insight, and defeated black magicians with sheer will alone. “
“His swordsmanship? It didn’t even bear mentioning—it was leagues beyond comparison.”
“An overwhelming talent. A limitless capability.”
“His power was boundless.”
Thus, omnipotent.
“What else could we possibly call someone who knows everything and achieves everything but a god, Sister?”
Karen’s eyes gleamed with a peculiar light.
What they carried was unmistakably the seed of fanaticism.
But at moments like this, what mattered most was the object of that fanaticism.
To believe in the wrong thing obsessively was a sin.
‘But to believe fervently in the right thing?’ That was devotion.
‘Was devotion a sin?’
‘Was it wrong to serve him with utmost sincerity?’
‘Could intense reverence lead to madness?’
No, absolutely not,’ the saintess thought firmly.
‘In fact, such dedication was something to be admired.’
‘If it weren’t, people would have called me crazy long ago.’
But everyone had been kind to her.
While there were some who were initially unreceptive, she had persisted for twelve days, earnestly conveying her sincerity until they finally understood her and offered their support.
Guiding Sister Karen onto the righteous path—this was likely the first reason Riyan had entrusted Karen to her care.
***
“Sister Karen, gather the forces of the honor guard. It seems a significant event is about to unfold,” the saintess instructed.
“The second reason was to prepare for war.”
“The rot of the corrupt Holy See could no longer be tolerated, and it seemed the time had come for him to personally intervene and reform it.”
“Otherwise, why else would he have sent Karen to the saintess so suddenly and asked her to reveal that he was, in fact, a celestial being?”
It was a thoroughly logical conclusion.
What was required now was preparation for war.
A war to overturn everything and rebuild the Holy Kingdom.
“Karen seemed far more capable than she’d expected.”
“Judging by the fervent look in her eyes, betrayal was unlikely.”
“The army would likely be assembled without issue.”
“Still, above all else, what mattered most was his will.”
“Without his command, nothing could proceed.”
The saintess, Cristiana, steeled herself and began walking forward.
Two unexpected things happened.
‘First, my plan worked surprisingly well.’
‘I wasn’t sure if it was because I was terrible at making plans or if I simply had bad luck, but every plan I’d devised before had ended in miserable failure.’
‘This time, however, things had gone surprisingly smoothly.’
“I understand now that the professor is not an apostle of the celestial being.”
Karen was now completely calm.
Whatever the saintess had said to her, Karen even went so far as to apologize, saying, “I’m sorry for the absurd misunderstanding.”
By sheer luck, I had managed to prevent further misunderstandings this time.
That was the first unexpected event.
The second one was…
“Apologies for visiting so late, Professor,” said Cristiana, standing at the door of my lodging.
Considering who she was, I couldn’t help but worry.
‘Is she here to denounce me as a heretic too?’ I wondered nervously.
But what came out of her mouth was something completely unexpected.
“It’s better to confirm things directly than to act on presumptions. That way, the process can flow properly,” she said.
The saintess had come to me, seeking answers.
Then, she launched into a bizarre explanation.
***
“Currently, the Holy See is divided into two factions: the extremists and the moderates. The two forces are clashing, leaving the Holy Kingdom in chaos,” she began.
The Holy Kingdom—her homeland and our neighboring nation.
I had heard rumors that the country’s situation wasn’t great, but I hadn’t paid much attention to the details, busy as I was with other things.
Cristiana, however, explained the situation clearly.
“The extremists’ acts of violent destruction and military demonstrations have left the citizens trembling in fear. The escalating conflict has even disrupted the operation of the state.”
She seemed to be implying, “I helped clear Karen’s mind, so now it’s your turn to help.”
The saintess spoke about the chaos caused by the extremists, and even I couldn’t deny that their actions were too outrageous to be ignored.
“So, you’re asking me to help somehow resolve this situation and restore peace to the Holy Kingdom, right?” I asked.
While I had no intention of getting personally involved, suppressing a group of deranged fanatics was something I could handle by pulling a few strings.
I had plenty of money, so hiring mercenaries wouldn’t be an issue.
As long as no one found out it was my doing, there’d be no problem.
Helping out wasn’t entirely off the table.
Or so I thought, before her next words hit me.
“No, I wasn’t asking you to deal with the extremists. I was hoping you could help butcher those lazy pigs in the moderate faction instead.”
“…Ah.”
That was when I realized I had missed a crucial detail.
No matter how much the extremists seemed like an insane group of violent fanatics, Cristiana was undoubtedly part of the most radical faction.
There was no way she’d align herself with the moderates.
***
“Hesitation in carrying out the will of God is a lack of virtue. To truly be faithful, one must not falter, even in actions everyone else deems insane,” she said with conviction.
She claimed that it was acceptable to use force if it was for the sake of correcting what was wrong.
To her, the best remedies for heretics and demons were molotov cocktails, explosives, and bullets.
‘Definitely not someone I should be involved with,’ I thought, grimacing instinctively.
For some reason, Cristiana misinterpreted my expression as apprehension and hurriedly tried to explain the situation further.
“The moderates are using the name of the celestial being as a tool for profit. They sell indulgences, claiming that any sin can be forgiven for the right price, and positions in the Church are determined by the size of one’s donations, not by faith.”
The Holy See had become a corrupt organization exploiting God’s name for money.
Angered by this, the so-called extremists had risen up.
However, their excessive zeal and shockingly violent actions made it hard for them to garner widespread support.
On one side were the overwhelmingly numerous moderates.
On the other, the extremists—a small but elite group, powerful yet few.
One side’s victory would end the conflict.
But if the moderates won, the Holy Kingdom would become a den of apostates using God’s name to commit fraud.
And so, Cristiana had come to ask for my help in resolving this situation.
‘It’s better not to get involved in something like this,’ I thought.
Still, the situation was a bit different this time.
‘This is a fight the extremists can’t possibly win.’
The moderates outnumbered them fifty to one.
Though it was called a war, from what Cristiana said, it was essentially a foregone conclusion.
The moderates already held actual power, while the extremists were little more than a small revolutionary force opposing the regime.
The outcome was obvious.
‘If I get involved in this…’
When the extremists fall, I’ll go down with them.
But that might actually work in my favor.
It could serve as the perfect opportunity to achieve my goal of getting fired.
The politically savvy, corrupt clergy would ruin my reputation and socially destroy me without me needing to lift a finger.
I’d lose my standing without fail.
“So, what exactly are you asking me to do?” I asked her.
“All I ask is that you permit us to claim your support,” she replied.
Her terms weren’t bad.
I wouldn’t need to participate in the war, nor would I need to do anything risky.
All she wanted was the use of my name.
There was no reason to refuse.
Without hesitation, I agreed to the saintess’ proposal.
***
[Is the saintess part of a cult?]
[Cristiana venerates a man as a god.]
[Anyone who doesn’t believe in Professor Riyan is a heretic. He is the celestial being, and heretics must be eradicated immediately.]
[War! A war like no other looms ahead.]
It was four days later when I realized I was absolutely screwed.