I Became a Childhood Friend With the Villainous Saintess - Chapter 155



155 – Mixed Wishes (6)

Since ancient times, the temple of order has not been a place where just anyone can enter.

The places open to the general public were extremely limited. The chapel inside the temple was off-limits to anyone except the highest-ranking members of the religious order.

In particular, the followers of Order were strict about ‘discipline’, so their internal appearance did not leak out.

There were many tightly closed doors in the long hallway.

As they passed the knights guarding each location, Achilles asked.

“Your Majesty, how much do you know about our sect?”

“I guess you know a little more than others. Those in power must have many secrets. I know that the Order of Order has many secrets.”

“Well, I am just a person who worships God. It seems a bit misleading to call me a ruler.”

“That’s the funniest joke I’ve heard all year. It’s made me feel a little less tense.”

Achilles continued to smile as if he had not heard anything.

The Crown Prince seemed not entirely pleased with the look on his face, but he didn’t press on any further.

Instead, the Crown Prince set his sights on the Temple of Order.

Achilles explained things here and there, but it wasn’t very important.

It has been said since ancient times that the virtues of a priest are moderation and abstinence.

However, the main temple of any religious denomination was built to be as splendid and luxurious as a palace.

The order was no exception. The light pouring in from all over the place was colorful and illuminated the hallway, and each and every one of them, from the ceiling to the pillars, looked like a work of art that had been painstakingly created.

Each sect says it is to show the greatness of God to human eyes, but well.

In Karzan’s eyes, the greatness of money was seen only rather than the greatness of God.

Anyway, it was quite a complicated route to get to the temple built with that great money.

The knights who were standing guard here and there became aware of the crown prince, but seeing Acleon, they did not take any action to stop him.

‘The security is pretty tight. The structure itself is pretty complicated.’

Karzan thought deeply.

Every building has a design, and that design contains human intention.

The path that followed Acleron was quite complicated and was guarded by knights without fail at every corner.

It feels like it’s blocked off so that it can’t be found easily.

No. Rather, this temple itself seemed like a cradle.

I don’t know where it’s going, but it feels like this temple itself was designed to protect and hide something.

It seemed clear that this was something that had been in mind before it was built.

Achilles smiled softly.

“Your Majesty, do you know how our sect differs from other sects?”

“It’s the most political denomination. For better or for worse.”

“Haha. Well, that’s not completely wrong. What we have to protect is ‘order,’ so in a broader sense, the peace and security of the empire are also values ​​we have to protect. So we ask for cooperation from the imperial family in various ways, and sometimes we receive requests as well.”

The cult of Temes helps to govern the empire.

In their view, treason and crime were things that had to be eradicated. For the empire, it was a way to reduce its workload and solidify its foundation for rule.

So the religious order has long grown in collusion with the powerful of the secular world.

However, what they protect is only order.

He had little interest in the imperial people living in peace.

That is why the punishments imposed by order were always merciless and cruel, and even when bad laws were enacted, they were not changed without a good reason.

The flip side of order is oppression.

The believers of order are those who cannot disobey orders given from above.

In other words, Achilles was like the absolute ruler of this cult.

“I think His Highness the Crown Prince doesn’t like our sect very much.”

“How could that be? All five sects are important pillars of the empire. And I treat all sects of the Pantheon equally.”

“Then that is very fortunate.”

Achilles stopped in front of a door.

A gate guarded by a complex and meticulously designed law, along with high-ranking priests.

It was a space that only high-ranking priests, such as saints or archbishops of the religious order, could enter.

As Acleron reached out his hand, the pure white magic responded and slowly began to open the door.

“I will continue what I was saying earlier. What makes our order different from other religious groups is that we have a piece of God.”

“Material? Are you talking about a sacred relic?”

“This time, you are not completely wrong. However, it is a little different. What I am about to show you is not something that can be described as a holy relic. It is literally a piece of God. It is a piece of Temes.”

What Acleon showed was an inorganic metal cube.

The cube, surrounded by immense divinity, occasionally fit together on its own or fell apart, and ancient new languages ​​were written and disappeared around it.

Achleon knelt before the cube, as if he was embarrassed just by looking at it.

The crown prince could feel it too.

That cube was no ordinary relic. It was the holiness of a being called God. It was a presence so great that the word greatness naturally came to mind.

However, the crown prince was not swayed by such feelings.

“A piece of God?”

“Yes. Since ancient times, order has been maintained by discipline. And humans can easily believe and follow something that is visible to the eye.”

“Then, is the Order giving an oracle through that relic? No, through a fragment?”

“Yes. Temes sends us the gospel through the fragments he personally sent down, and he also hears our prayers.”

Does hearing the prayer mean that Themes also grants Accleon’s wish?

Originally, saints and holy men were special beings chosen by God. They were those who occasionally contacted God and received divine orders, so it was not that strange.

Because you can think of it as Themes’ way of contacting the saint.

So, this wasn’t what the crown prince was curious about.

“It is indeed great. There is no room for doubt since the saint himself has personally guaranteed that it is a fragment of God.”

“Yes. Even I cannot defy the rules established here.”

“… … So, the suggestion you made was also made using a glimpse of God?”

“Yes. To restore sight to the blind and to raise the dead is impossible without a miracle of God. And at this moment, a miracle of God is right before your very eyes.”

To the crown prince, Acleon’s voice sounded like the whisper of a demon.

* * *

The space where life and death are divided. The sanctuary of Hybras.

In a fantasy floating on the river, a man and a woman walked down the hill together.

The silver-haired saintess did not hide her joy at all as she hugged her lover’s arm, and the man carefully held her in his arms.

Hybras watched the scene quietly and then waved his hand.

With a single gesture, the illusion disappeared like smoke.

Soon the god’s gaze turned to the rock where he was sitting.

An ominous voice echoed through the space.

“Is this it? Sonark. This is all I can do. I can’t go against causality anymore. I think this is the end of my contract with you.”

The god of time, Sonarq, raised his body from where he had been crouching behind the rock.

Sonarque’s gaze was directed somewhere far away.

The gaze seemed to be simply watching the flowing river, or simply lost in thought.

Or maybe he’s looking ahead to his fate.

Hebras asked without caring.

“Are you really okay? This is the result of using your last bit of strength. It’s good for me, but I’m sure you had other wishes.”

“■■■■■ ■■■ ■■ ■■ ■■■ ■■ ■■■■”

“That’s right. Your obsession is still the same now as it was then. But, well, I’m not in a position to talk about others anymore.”

Kuk kuk. Hebras laughed.

The god that all living beings face in the end.

It was the laughter of the god of death that even the gods dread.

Sonarq looked at Hybras with a cold gaze.

God does not forget the past. To God, time is just a flowing river.

Whether hundreds or thousands of years ago, time was just a number.

So Sonarq will never forget.

– Pay the price for deceiving death.

Long ago, the apocalypse that befell him had a name: Hybras.

Time could not end the rest, and fate was bound to end in death.

After a long fight, Sonarq lost the saint and had to fall into a deep sleep.

But now.

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Sonarq, although resenting Hybras, eventually boarded the ship.

“Don’t look at me like that. The only one who has changed is me. Didn’t I also get kicked out while hearing evil spirits? If you hadn’t proposed a deal, I would have quietly accepted my annihilation.”

“■■ ■■■■ ■■■■ ■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■■■■”

“Yeah, yeah. Are you stupid?”

Hybras again created an illusion over the river.

The vision depicted a distant place, a dark place as if night had fallen.

This time, Sonarq also saw the vision.

Hebras wiped the smile from his face.

Again a cold, sinister voice rang through the shrine.

“It’s time to put an end to this tiresome relationship.”