{Many shall seek the glory of the Saint and flock to his side.

Yet, the Saint shall deny his own divinity, for he deems himself unworthy.

True grace is not found in written words or recited scriptures,

but only in the purity of the soul.

Thus, the goddess shall remain silent before her chosen one.

Ignorant yet radiant with divine grace, he shall come to you.

And though the Saint denies himself over and over, I tell you this—

When he stands before you, you shall know it is him.}

— The Book of Grace, Chapter 52, Verse 3

“The false Saint will claim he is truly Lady Lilia’s chosen one.”

High Priest Yodel spoke with a look of pure disdain.

“The Book of Grace states that the true Saint will be ignorant yet radiant. He will deny his divinity. Even Lady Lilia herself will not utter a single word to him. He will believe himself unworthy of the title and, for that reason, he will reject his own sanctity.”

“What if someone claims to be the rightful Saint of the Lilia Order?”

“Then he is a fraud. More than likely, he’s just another con artist who has infiltrated our Order in hopes of seizing our wealth. Do you realize how easy it is to fake sainthood when there are no holy marks? For the past month alone, false saints have been popping up like weeds in the southern regions. Every single one of them has ended up as ash in the pyre.”

Yodel  let out a dry chuckle.

“The Lilia  Order is one of the wealthiest religious factions in the Empire. You could even say nearly everyone in the southern regions worships the Goddess of Grace. A false saint could never resist such temptation. Anyone seeking our riches would never deny their divinity. 

No, they would go to great lengths to prove themselves.”

Turning to the 23 gathered religious leaders, Yodel  spoke with conviction.

“He has never once spoken to the Goddess. Naturally, he cannot wield divine power. He has likely never read a single verse from the Book of Grace. He is ignorant. Yet, despite that—an undeniable radiance will follow him wherever he goes. You will know when you see him. I am certain that he is the Saint of Grace.”

“Understood. In two months, at the trial, we shall see whether he denies or accepts his divinity.”

The discussion was over.

“Lady Lilia  is alive among us! Ahhh! The Saint!”

“The Saint!”

I stood frozen as I watched the members of the Lilia  Order fall to their knees, wailing in tears, while the presiding judge smirked at me.

No.

What the hell is this atmosphere?

I laid it all out for them!

I told them everything!

I made it crystal clear!

Shouldn’t they be throwing me in the underground prison by now?!

“We shall now proceed to the second trial.”

What do you mean, ‘second trial’?!

I was supposed to fail the first one!!

“Do you intend to continue this trial, Your Honor? I am not the Saint.”

“As expected. Jericho Amael, we shall proceed to the next trial.”

“No! … I—I’m not the Saint! That should be the end of it, shouldn’t it?! I falsely claimed to be one! Lock me in the underground prison!”

“We cannot do that. Your actions align perfectly with the Book of Grace. We will move on to the next trial.”

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

I’M NOT A SAINT!!

I’M NOT!!

WHY ARE THEY CRYING AGAIN?!

WHAT KIND OF NIGHTMARE IS THIS?!

“The second trial: Witness testimonies. First, let us hear from the living proof of a miracle. Erfa , witch of the Mars Tower.”

A four-armed Dawaan witch stood up, her face naturally imbued with an enchantment spell, her lips curling into a soft smile.

“Witch of the Arcane Path, do you believe the man before you is truly a Saint?”

“I am certain of it. When I was drenched in filth and on the verge of collapse, he embraced me. 

When my grotesque, rotting left face repulsed the world, he kissed it and healed me. Not once did he look at me with disgust. He told me to live. He did not just heal my body—he healed my soul. Without a doubt, he is the Saint.”

“Are you certain he did not use some deceitful magic, an unknown ancient spell, or perhaps even black magic to heal you?”

“I am certain. It was nothing short of a miracle. There was no trace of mana flow, no rearrangement of magical energy—he simply placed his hand on me and healed me. It was not magic. It was a true miracle.”

“Take your seat. Next! The man whose daughter was cured of decay. Jonathan Karma! Step forward!”

A man, looking eerily like Scrooge, rose from his seat.

“Do you believe the man standing at the defendant’s stand is truly the Saint?”

“I am certain. When he healed my daughter and my wife and me, we tested his miracle in every way possible. We used dispel scrolls, analysis wands, and every detection reagent available. 

There was no trace of magic. No divine power, either. And yet… we were healed. That is the only result that remained.”

Jonathan Karma turned to me, his eyes brimming with tears, and shouted:

“He is the Saint! There is no way this could have happened without a miracle!”

“Grace be upon us! Lady Lilia !”

The followers of the Order erupted into fervent cries once again.

Meanwhile, I was growing visibly paler by the second.

No. I’m not a Saint. No. Please…

“High Priest Yodel ! Raise the healed children!”

“Gladly!”

At Yodel’s  gesture, the fifteen matchstick-selling girls I had saved from the back alleys stood up.

The judge on the tribunal looked at them and asked,

“What do you think? Is that man truly a Saint?”

“No! That mister isn’t a Saint!!”

Finally!! Finally, the answer I’ve been waiting for!!

“When he healed us, he just said he was someone who serves the lowly. After saying that, he healed all of us! He didn’t even take any money!! We’re so grateful! Now Grandpa Yodel  is taking care of us! We’re learning to read and even getting pocket money!!”

“And delicious food too!!”

“I’m so thankful to him!”

As the children shouted in unison, the judge nodded.

“No matter how you look at it, he’s a Saint.”

The priests of the Lilia  Order also nodded in agreement.

“He is undoubtedly a Saint!”

“Without a doubt! We can swear upon our faith! That man is a Saint!!”

The others followed suit, creating a consensus.

No!! No, damn it!! My heresy trial!! My underground prison!!

“Lastly, bring forth those who knew Jericho Amael in his childhood! Bring them in!!”

At the judge’s command, priests of the Silent Order, clad in black robes and masks, led in a group of people.

Familiar faces.

They were the neighbors from my hometown whom I had often seen.

“What do you say? The man on trial, Jericho Amael — is he a Saint?”

One by one, they began to speak.

“A Saint? I’ve never seen him attend the Order of Grace. But he was a good kid. Always greeted people politely. His parents, though, were a bit of a nasty sort.”

That was the old lady from the vegetable shop where I often bought groceries.

“His parents were terrible people. Vain and wasteful. But Amael was different. He cleaned the house, cooked meals for his family, and took care of them. I know because I saw it all. A Saint… maybe not, but he was a good boy.”

That was the fat old man next door, who sang every morning.

“One day, he suddenly said he’d be working for the last time, took his wages, and disappeared. 

It was a bit upsetting at the time, but looking at him now, I see he must have answered the Goddess’ call to heal the weak. I never thought of him as a Saint, but… he was a good person. 

Hardworking, too.”

That was the owner of the restaurant where I briefly worked after my parents died.

At their testimonies, the judge declared as if it was obvious.

“The second trial has been passed!!”

No! No! Someone just say I’m guilty of impersonating a Saint!! Just say it!!

Didn’t I literally say it myself just now?! Didn’t I confess everything?!

Then why is this happening?!

“We shall now proceed to the third and final trial.”

Now, the judge was openly smiling.

He stood from his seat.

“To conclude, the accused, Jericho Amael, has already passed the third trial. He is a Saint.”

Excuse me???

What?!

How did the trial end before it even started?!

The judge smiled at me before slowly donning a mask.

Then, with a voice I recognized, he spoke.

“Two months ago. Do you remember the Silent Order priest standing outside your prison, Saint? 

The one who begged you to heal his sick daughter?”

Oh! I remember!! I definitely remember!! Back then, I clearly…!

“You told me that, in exchange for healing my child, I had to testify that you could not use divine power, that you were not a Saint. And you healed her. But to confess before everyone here— That was a lie.”

The judge removed his mask again.

“That child was not my daughter. She was a victim of a demonic cult, cursed at birth and meant to be sacrificed. If you were a false Saint, a mere con artist, or a follower of an evil god, the moment you touched her, the curse would have latched onto you. Curses are drawn to greed and dark desires, after all.”

The judge looked at me with pure admiration before bowing deeply.

“But you were untouched by the curse. Instead, I saw it dissipate at your fingertips. You healed her with the purest of intentions. At that moment, I was certain—you are a Saint.”

No!

“B-but you promised to testify that I wasn’t a Saint!! P-please, keep your promise! I’m really not a Saint…!”

“As the leader of the Silent Order and a devoted servant of the God of Darkness and Secrets, R’Nery, I solemnly declare this! The man before us is a Saint! He has passed our Order’s most secretive trial without harm. His actions perfectly align with the scripture of Grace. There is no room for doubt!!”

“Wait!! I’m really not! I swear I’m not a Saint!!”

“High Priest Alois of the Sun Order, servant of the God of Justice, Rophus! High Priest Yodel  of the Order of Grace, servant of the Goddess Lilia ! And I, High Priest Gerson of the Silent Order, servant of the God of Darkness and Secrets, R-Nery, declare upon our faith and honor!”

The judge shouted grandly,

“The Pantheon recognizes Jericho Amael as the first Healing Saint to appear in 300 years, and the first ever since the founding of the Order of Grace!!”

“Hail!!”

“Goddess! O Graceful Lilia !!”

Thunderous cheers erupted.

“If anyone from the Senate, Supreme Court, or Magic Tower wishes to oppose, speak now.”

The nobles of the Senate stood, clapping.

“The Senate greets the new Saint.”

The justices of the Supreme Court stood, clapping.

“The Supreme Court respects the judgment of the Pantheon.”

Finally, The witches and wizards of the Magic Tower stood.

“Those who walk the path of magic greet the new Saint…”

“No!!”

A sharp, piercing scream rang out as Witch Tuidel shouted.

The applause and cheers faded as all eyes turned to her.

Hope glimmered in my eyes.

Yes!! Tuidel! You’re on my side, right?! You’ll testify that I’m not a Saint!!

“That man is an abomination who will lead the Empire to ruin!! He is a worshiper of an evil god! I am certain!!”

...Huh?

An evil god? That’s not right…

“Records in the Magic Tower speak of those who deceive and mislead through inexplicable means, neither holy nor magical! He is a worshiper of an evil god!! That’s why he could heal a being cursed by the abyss! He will bring destruction upon the Empire! He is no Saint!!”

Her voice sent a chill through the hall.

The once celebratory atmosphere was crushed under an oppressive silence.