Chapter 46

For the past few days, I had to keep shuttling back and forth between the Temple of All Gods and the Imperial Intelligence Agency, the Black Fortress, under the guise of an “investigation” or whatever they wanted to call it.

Honestly, though, it wasn’t really an investigation—it was more like a thorough check-up to see if I had any injuries, making sure I wasn’t hurt anywhere.

And when I was finally set free… there was no other way to describe it—it was absolute chaos.

Every single newspaper in the Empire was running headlines about the events in the palace.

On top of that, every citizen in the capital had witnessed the radiant burst of light that erupted when the fragment of the Evil God was shattered, healing those in its path

.

With the Imperial Family transparently revealing everything that had happened, the public’s reaction was nothing short of explosive.

“Saint-nim!! Aaaahhh!!”

“Saint-nim!! Saint-nim!! Please, just look at me once!!”

“He looked at me!! He looked at me!! The Saint made eye contact with me!!”

People started either fainting on the spot or bursting into tears from sheer emotion the moment I so much as glanced at them.

And there was one more unwanted side effect.

“Just a few words, please!!”

“Saint-nim! Saint-nim! I’m with the Arkal Daily! Could you spare a moment for an interview?”

“How did you manage to capture the Chosen of the Evil God who infiltrated the palace? They were said to be shrouded in the Miracle of Concealment—a powerful miracle so potent that even high-ranking priests had difficulty detecting them… no, they said it was nearly impossible!!”

The reporters had started swarming like a hive of wasps that had sniffed out a major scoop.

Tearful citizens.

People fainting left and right.

Others begging—literally begging—to hold my hand just once.

And on top of that, journalists who pushed through the crowd, determined to squeeze an interview out of me at any cost.

Ah, for fuck’s sake!!

Just leave me the hell alone!!

The short walk from the Black Fortress back to the Mage Tower’s temple felt like my soul was being dragged straight out of my body with the sheer number of people flocking to see me.

“Yodel. I need some rest.”

“As you wish!!”

As soon as I returned to the Mage Tower’s temple, I told old man Yodel to bar absolutely anyone from entering unless it was a dire emergency. Then, I collapsed onto my bed.

Now what?

The cheat-code way of flying back to Korea had officially failed.

That meant I had to go back to Plan B—getting forgiveness from the Goddess through the proper channels.

But, as I mentioned before, this method had an incredibly high chance of failure.

On top of that, I was now being mistaken for someone who had performed an earth-shattering miracle, and if I suddenly disappeared, even more people would start searching for me.

What kind of cosmic bullying is this?!

I don’t wanna go to hell!!

“Saint-nim?”

Just as I was beating my pillow in frustration on the bed, old man Yodel knocked on the door, despite barely giving me any time to settle in.

“I apologize, but the Imperial Guard knights have come to see you.”

Oh.

The Emperor sent for me.

I let out a deep sigh and told them to come in.

Clad in dazzling uniforms with long swords strapped to their waists, the Imperial Guards entered my room with impeccable discipline.

“Saint-nim, His Majesty has summoned you.”

Yeah.

Of course, he would.

I figured he’d call me once everything had settled down.

I rose from my seat.

For a proper escape plan, I needed three things:

A way to neutralize any miracles or spells that could be used to track me down. I could ask the temple folks about that.

A way to strengthen my time-stop ability, which was essential for my escape. The Mage Tower should have answers for that.

Money—enough to survive after I fled.

This. This third one is the real problem.

Couldn’t I just embezzle some funds from the wealthy Grace Order or the insanely profitable Karma Company?

No.

The Goddess was already pissed off enough to threaten me with eternal damnation. If I so much as laid a finger on temple funds…

She might just go full “Only the results remain!! King Crimson!!” and erase the entire process before incinerating me with a one-way ticket to Hell’s eternal barbecue.

So, where could I get my hands on a large sum of money—something discreet, untraceable, and difficult to track?

The Emperor.

His Majesty definitely had that kind of cash.

No doubt, he’d ask what I wanted as a reward.

I was going to ask for gold.

Untraceable gold.

This was a fantasy world, after all.

Surely, they had some kind of lightweight enchanted dimensional storage pouch or something.

I’d pack up the gold in one of those and vanish.

Then, I’d go somewhere remote, lay low, and live like I didn’t exist.

I just prayed no one would ever come looking for me.

“…Please, lead the way.”

At my words, the Imperial Guards escorted me with the utmost respect.

Their eyes were filled with deep reverence—so much so that I wondered if they would even look at the Emperor himself with such devotion.

This is too much.

Here I was, planning to take the Emperor’s gold and flee, and they were looking at me like I was some kind of divine being.

This was why people should live within their means.

I am no saint.

This was suffocating.

I needed to escape.

And for real, this time.

I’d go somewhere far, far away—live quietly, like a ghost, unnoticed by the world.

I just prayed that, somehow, the Goddess would forgive me…

***

The lavish and spacious reception room was filled with items so expensive that even leaving a single scratch on them would take three generations of backbreaking labor to repay.

“Your Majesty, I have brought him.”

“You’ve done well. You may step back.”

The Imperial Guards saluted with perfect discipline before retreating from the room.

Inside were the Emperor, the Empress, the two princesses, Iomene and Almeine, and behind Iomene, the priests and holy knights of the White Order stood in a solemn formation.

At the very front stood the High Priest, MiroMel.

It seemed certain now—Iomene had truly become a saintess.

“Welcome, Saint-nim.”

The Emperor approached me directly, taking my hand and placing a kiss on its back.

From his tone to his actions, his demeanor was far too polite for a ruler of a nation.

Yet, not a single person in the room found the scene strange.

Meanwhile, I felt like I was about to have a meltdown from sheer discomfort.

“This is too much, Your Majesty. I am merely a citizen of the Empire—”

“You are the savior of the Empire. The savior of a foolish father. The savior of an unfortunate daughter. No honor I bestow upon you could ever be excessive.”

After saying this, the Emperor personally guided me to the sofa in the reception room.

As soon as I sat down, Iomene, who had been sitting next to the Empress, rushed toward me and clung to me tightly.

“Like!!”

She still spoke clumsily.

Now that I really looked at her…

Back when she wore tattered clothes and had black wings, I hadn’t paid much attention. But now, dressed properly with even light makeup, Iomene—

She was stunningly beautiful.

“Iomene has been pestering us nonstop about wanting to see you. She was sulking all day.”

The Empress said this with a warm smile.

Even Princess Almeine was smiling.

Even the Emperor.

…Wait a minute.

Your daughter is rubbing her face against a strange man, and you’re all just smiling like this is perfectly fine?!

…Whatever.

I should just focus on getting my gold and getting out of here.

“Saint-nim, the reason I have called you today is for a request.”

A request?

Weren’t you calling me here to discuss my reward?

Just give me gold.

Just 10kg of gold bars, and I’ll quietly live out my days in peace.

“I would like to ask you and the Grace Order to take charge of my daughter Iomene’s treatment.”

Treatment?

Was Iomene injured?

I was sure I had fully healed her body back then.

“What kind of treatment are you referring to?”

At my question, Princess Almeine gestured toward the magical sigil engraved over her left eye.

A sigil that forcibly kept her eye closed.

It was the spell meant to sever their connection.

“Since the fragment of the Evil God has disappeared from Iomene’s body, the barrier magic between us must now be lifted. This will allow Iomene’s weakened mind to recover.”

“Is that possible?”

“It is—because we are twins. Since we share the same soul, when one’s mind is damaged, the other can help restore it. However, since we have been separated for 19 years and Iomene’s mental state is fragile, we will need powerful divine protection spells during the process.”

Almeine smiled softly.

“The only place with both powerful divine magic and equipment capable of lifting such a strong barrier spell is the Mage Tower’s temple of the Grace Order. Furthermore, for Iomene’s emotional stability during the recovery process, your presence is absolutely necessary.”

So that’s why it had to be the Grace Order.

Now that I thought about it, she was right. The only place where priests and top-tier mages coexisted was the Mage Tower’s temple.

But I’m literally trying to escape soon.

I was planning to take the Emperor’s gold today, figure out how to avoid tracking miracles and improve my time-stop ability, and then disappear immediately.

“It won’t take long. We’ll need about two days to prepare, and then we can proceed with the procedure. I want to restore Iomene’s mind as soon as possible. Saint-nim, please.”

Princess Almeine bowed her head slightly.

Two days, huh…

Well, I wasn’t going to disappear right now anyway.

I still needed to get what I came for before leaving.

That seemed like an appropriate timeframe.

Plus, I did want to see Iomene fully recover.

After a brief hesitation, I eventually nodded.

“I will do as you ask. Send both princesses to the temple. I will assist in their treatment.”

“Thank you, Saint-nim.”

Everyone looked at me with eyes filled with reverence.

Stop that. Seriously.

I feel like I’m about to explode from the pressure.

“I realize I’ve asked another favor before offering anything in return. Saint-nim, no reward could ever fully repay what you have done for the Empire. What would you like?”

Finally.

The words I’d been waiting to hear from the Emperor at last!

Yes! You can’t just use someone for free!

Gold!

I was about to say I wanted 10kg of gold bars when—

Suddenly.

I remembered the people who had been sobbing in front of the burning factory.

“…I have two requests.”

I looked straight at the Emperor and made my demands.

“Please pass a law that requires all factories to have fire safety facilities. There were people who burned alive in the flames. I don’t want to see that happen again.”

The Emperor smiled.

“You are truly noble. Unfortunately, I cannot grant that request.”

…Huh?

“The Senate has already passed a new fire safety law. It is set to take effect across the entire Empire next month.”

Oh.

Well, that’s a relief.

“That is truly fortunate. Then, my second request…”

I felt a bit bad making this request right after being praised for being “noble,” but whatever.

“I need 10kg of gold. Could you provide me with one hundred 100g gold bars? Preferably stored in a lightweight dimensional pouch.”

Damn, this is embarrassing.

But I had to act confident.

I put on my best “I’m a saint and this is totally reasonable” expression.

“…How modest. To think you would only ask for that much. Of course, I will grant it.”

Success!!

“But…”

The Emperor smirked.

“I cannot simply reward the savior of the Empire with only 10kg of gold. It would be unworthy of the dignity of the Arkal Empire.”

Wait.

What else are you giving me?

“I will exempt all taxes on Karma Company’s profits for the next ten years.”

…What?

The Emperor grinned.

“This is my small offering to you. Saint-nim, I entrust Iomene to your care. If possible, could you stay with her during these two days of preparation? I hear emotional stability is crucial for mental recovery.”

I looked down at Iomene, who was still clinging to me, giggling like a child.

…10kg of gold and a 10-year tax exemption for Karma Company?

Well.

I guess I have to provide some after-sales service.

“…Gladly.”

Two days.

In that time, I’d figure out how to evade tracking miracles, optimize my time-stop ability, and get the hell out of here!

“Like!!”

…First, though, let’s work on getting Iomene to stop clinging like this.

Princess Almeine felt her heart pounding in a way that was growing increasingly troublesome.

This is bad.

Even though the magic sealing their connection hadn’t been lifted yet, Iomene’s intense emotions were already bleeding through to her.

Love.

Overwhelming, passionate love.

She’s not going to cause a scene, right…?

Almeine started to feel a little concerned.

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