Master 61

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‘Did His Holiness not hear what I said?’

That was the first thought that came to mind when I heard the Pope’s words.

‘Did he just tell me to marry Hestia?’

If the front page of the newspaper these past few days was about me becoming a Hero, the second page was dominated by none other than my public proposal at the arena.

Even if high-ranking officials like myself and Meredia were already aware, the public had not yet received an official announcement, so it had been floating around like a tabloid rumor.

Therefore, its impact within the Empire was just as great as the news of a Hero’s birth, and naturally, there was no way the Holy Kingdom didn’t know about it.

“Sir Whitney. The current state of affairs is extremely unstable.”

Despite my doubts about the Holy Kingdom’s information network, which tended to be rigidly orthodox, I could only shut my mouth at the Pope’s next statement.

“Of course, the birth of both the Hero and the Saintess is something to be celebrated. However, we must not forget that these two figures have only ever appeared when the world was on the brink of destruction.”

“To put it more clearly, it means the Demon King’s resurrection is imminent.”

Because what he said was so spot-on, I was momentarily at a loss for words.

“That’s why… Sir Whitney, as the Hero, for the sake of stabilizing this chaotic world and protecting the Saintess, I ask you to make a decision.”

However, when the Pope once again directly mentioned marriage between Hestia and me, I snapped back to my senses.

‘If I marry Hestia now, you’ll be creating the Demon King with your own hands!’

After all, I had to stop this great crisis where the Demon King that the Holy Kingdom so feared could be born today.

“No, but shouldn’t we hear the Saintess’s opinion on this first?”

“Since Your Holiness has acknowledged her position, she is no longer someone who simply takes orders but a being equal to the Pope. For someone like her, is it really okay to force a decision like this…”

Of course, I couldn’t openly say in front of the Pope that if Hestia and I got married, Meredia would become the Demon King, so I decided to dig into Hestia’s stance and opened my mouth.

“Um…”

“Yes?”

“…I mean, I don’t really mind.”

But to my surprise, what I heard from Hestia beside me was something completely unexpected.

“I mean, yeah. I’m not exactly thrilled about it. Actually, I feel a bit uneasy. But, you know, it’s an unspoken rule…”

“Saintess?”

“So… if it’s for world peace and safety, then I guess it can’t be helped. Maybe it’s okay if my wishes aren’t respected…”

What the heck is she rambling about? Don’t tell me Hestia came here drunk again?

“Sigh… For your reference, this is something the Saintess strongly requested.”

“!?”

While I was eyeing Hestia with deep suspicion, the Pope let out a quiet sigh and drew a line, leaving me speechless with a blank expression.

“…Huh? No, that’s not true!”

Hestia, who was beside me, was frantically shaking her head with a panicked expression, but from what I could see, it looked like he had hit the nail on the head.

“Saintess… Is that really what you were thinking of me…?”

“Sh-Shut up! It’s a sacrifice for the greater good!”

“Ha…”

No way… I never imagined I’d be forced into a bride-kidnapping marriage—not by the Emperor, but by Hestia.

What if I get dragged off by the Holy Knights to the Holy Kingdom, and end up waving goodbye to Meredia through a crystal used for video broadcasts?

“Haha… I request a short recess.”

“……”

“I’d also like a moment to think things over, if possible.”

Desperate to avoid such a disaster, I quickly stood up and asked for a recess, intending to contact Lady Meredia for now.

“Sir Whitney. As the Hero, you are obligated to obey the commands of the Saintess.”

But the moment the Pope said that in a calm voice—

Just as I feared, the Holy Knights waiting outside poured in and blocked all exits.

“If you refuse, we will not be able to sit idly by.”

And as the Pope delivered what was essentially an ultimatum, cold sweat began to bead on my forehead without me even realizing it.

“Hmm, ahem.”

The Emperor, who had remained silent throughout my interrogation, suddenly cleared her throat and began to intervene.

“I’m truly sorry to pour cold water on such an entertaining situation, but I’d like to officially raise an objection.”

When I saw her narrow eyes—slitted even more than usual—and that distinctive, bitter smile curling at her lips, it was clear she had foreseen this situation all along.

‘But… what exactly is she planning to do?’

Honestly, considering I thought I had fallen out of her favor after the last merit ceremony, it was quite unexpected.

The problem was, I couldn’t predict at all how the Emperor would act in this situation.

No matter how great her power, to overturn the Holy Kingdom’s stance—backed by the cause of world peace—she would need some sort of secret weapon prepared.

But frankly, I couldn’t think of any clever move.

“Your Majesty. Even for you, raising a personal objection in this situation doesn’t seem appropriate, to be honest…”

Perhaps sharing a similar thought, the Pope spoke up without bothering to hide his displeased expression.

“That’s something we’ll confirm shortly. Because I’ve also brought a witness, just like you.”

“What do you…”

“A witness. Despite that annoyingly stubborn personality, you held out well. Come on in, it’s your turn.”

Ignoring the Pope completely, the Emperor began taking control of the situation by signaling the academy staff, who had been quietly watching from the corner.

“Your Majesty! How could you proceed without consent on such an important matter…”

“Pope. I’m sorry, but isn’t this academy a long-standing neutral zone?”

The Pope, unwilling to let this slide, raised his voice slightly, but the Emperor’s icy tone cut him off mid-sentence.

“Therefore, as leaders of two nations, your position and mine are equal. If the Holy Kingdom can call a witness, naturally I can as well.”

Normally, most people would have backed down at that point—but the Pope was the highest leader of the Holy Kingdom.

“…Your Majesty. This concerns the Saintess and the Hero.”

“Hm.”

“It might sound rude, but this isn’t something the Empire should be meddling in.”

Indeed, the Holy Kingdom, led by him, was a group that—if not for the huge events of the Saintess’s awakening and the Hero’s birth—would’ve gladly clashed with the Empire to interfere in the selection trials.

“Right. The Empire has long acknowledged the Holy Kingdom’s autonomy, and I respect that.”

Realizing that the Pope would not back down easily, the Emperor sighed and shifted her tone.

“But if the Holy Kingdom dares to ignore the Empire’s authority, then it becomes a different matter.”

“What do you mean by that…”

“For example, eavesdropping on the neutral academy grounds without permission.”

Of course, it was merely a ploy to throw a decisive card on the table.

“To throw out such baseless and absurd claims…”

“Pope. Do you really think I would say something like that without evidence?”

While the priests froze in place at her words, the Pope tried to remain composed, but the Emperor’s smile had vanished—her entire demeanor had shifted.

“You’re not the only ones with eyes and ears everywhere.”

Her rarely opened eyes were slightly parted now.

“And let me assure you—I fully intend to turn this into a diplomatic issue.”

With the Emperor showing a side no one wanted to see even in their nightmares, the mood in the meeting room turned ice-cold in an instant.

“So tell me. Will you let me call my witness, or shall I publicly expose your unsavory little hobby? Choose, right here and now.”

“……Sigh.”

Fortunately—or unfortunately—the Emperor and Pope were communicating via projection orbs from their respective domains, preventing any physical confrontation.

However, it was clear that the words the Pope would speak next would determine whether such a confrontation would happen in the future.

“I acknowledge the witness summon.”

And just as she said, the Pope wasn’t foolish enough to risk such consequences in a volatile time like this.

“Good. A true leader must know when to bend their opinion. Don’t you think, Pope?”

As the situation temporarily settled, the Emperor smiled in satisfaction and muttered as if showing off,

“…For once, Her Majesty’s opinion aligns with mine.”

At that moment, a cold voice drew everyone’s attention as the door to the meeting room opened.

“Lady Meredia…?”

Wearing the ring I had gifted her on her left ring finger, the one who stepped forward was none other than Lady Meredia.

***

“…Ha.”

While I stood there dumbfounded at Lady Meredia’s entrance into the meeting room, she let out a chilling laugh as she passed by me, radiating murderous intent.

“Consider yourself lucky.”

“Uh…”

“If you had said even one foolish word, I would’ve just let them take you off to the Holy Kingdom.”

Her whispered warning sent chills down my spine, but even then, my confusion remained unresolved.

‘Can Lady Meredia really turn this situation around?’

Sure, she was my fiancée, but that was merely a legal arrangement on paper.

Even though I’d proposed to her publicly a few days ago, our current relationship was simply that of a couple who had “promised” to marry.

Whether that promise could shatter the Holy Kingdom’s justification of uniting the Saintess and the Hero was still unclear.

“Pope. Representatives of the Holy Kingdom. Given the circumstances, I’ll skip the formal greetings and get straight to the point.”

Despite the tense situation, both Meredia—now standing before the projected image of the Pope—and the Emperor, watching silently, wore surprisingly calm expressions.

“Whitney Lingard cannot be handed over to the Saintess.”

As if they still held a hidden trump card capable of reversing the tide.

“Meredia Embergreen. Since you’re stepping into this matter, I assume you’ll provide a proper and logical reason.”

Clearly thinking it was impossible, the Pope scowled and warned her bluntly.

“Yes, then I’ll begin explaining that reason now.”

Still wearing that icy and composed expression, she glanced briefly over her shoulder at me, then began speaking in a low, steady voice.

“Because of your precious rules, Whitney Lingard cannot be paired with the sacred and noble Saintess.”

And the next moment—utter silence fell over the meeting room.

“Are you implying…”

“Since there seem to be some innocent priests who still don’t get it, I’ll say it more clearly.”

As the priests wore puzzled expressions and Hestia looked shocked, the Pope hung his head in defeat, clutching his forehead.

Watching that, Meredia added her next words with a chilling smile.

“He has already been defiled by me.”

“…What?”

“You can’t give a Saintess—who must remain pure—to a man who has already lost his chastity. Isn’t that right?”

Of course, this was all news to me.

“Pffft…! Oh wow, ahahahaha!”

In the deathly quiet meeting room, the Emperor’s uncontrollable laughter echoed loudly as she clutched her stomach in amusement.

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