Episode 95
Victoria smiled in a way that could be interpreted as either amusing or perplexed by Lillian’s words. It could mean both or neither.
Lillian had met many people throughout the empire and the Boswick Kingdom, but she often thought there was no one as enigmatic as Victoria.
Instead of replying, Victoria took a moment to puff on her pipe. After contemplating for a while, she then asked Lillian,
“There are two answers I can give you. The good one and the bad one. Which one do you want to hear first?”
“The bad one.”
“Alright. Unfortunately, we can’t fulfill your second condition.”
Victoria’s firm response caused a frown to crease Lillian’s face.
“Even though you only have to fulfill one of my two conditions?”
“Yes. Finding Damien Portier or undoing the implication on your friend are both beyond our capabilities. However, if you only need us to provide Damien Portier’s whereabouts…”
“I don’t need that.”
“…I see.”
Victoria shrugged as if she had expected that. While she was willing to do anything for Lillian, this time it was unavoidable. Lillian found her attitude somewhat bewildering.
“So, what’s the good answer you can give me?”
“It’s the somewhat hopeful one.”
With a fresh smile, as if she had never been troubled, Victoria said,
“If we achieve our goal, the implication on your friend will automatically be lifted.”
“…What did you say?”
Lillian furrowed her brow in disbelief, but Victoria remained nonchalant.
Or rather, it seemed as though she had expected such a reaction. She appeared a bit weary. Holding onto long-standing animosity often created such an atmosphere.
She licked her lips a few times before speaking.
“Lillian Maynard. Have you ever wondered why the daughters of Moonlight, possessing such strong powers, had to be exploited by the temple?”
“…Excuse me?”
Why should daughters with powerful abilities be exploited by the temple?
She hadn’t thought deeply about it. What mattered to Lillian was always avenging Swan, not the process.
But in retrospect, it was odd.
“Implications can only be sustained as long as there’s strong divine power.”
The reason why Damien’s implications didn’t affect Lillian was that her divine power surpassed Damien’s by far. When Lillian’s divine power awakened, Damien’s implications became useless.
So, what about the daughters of Moonlight?
They were descendants favored by the gods, with powers of such magnitude that they would be recorded in history. But could such individuals be controlled by the temple? Were there always people with such tremendous divine power?
The answer was clear even without asking.
“No.”
“The temple has a massive crystal in the baptismal room, also known as the Tears of the Gods. To be baptized, everyone must touch that crystal.”
“…I’ve heard of it.”
Theo had mentioned baptism before. He said that he also placed his hand on the crystal and recited prayers alongside the archbishop.
“That crystal contains an immense amount of divine power. Enough for anyone to come into contact with the gods. Even those known as Saints, they couldn’t dare to approach that divine power.”
A vast amount of divine power. Something that no one could touch.
These two propositions were unmistakable.
Lillian’s pupils shook greatly.
“In that case…”
“Yes. That’s the medium through which implications are cast.”
The temple had been imposing powerful implications through relics.
So no one could undo them, and no one could escape from them.
“The temple’s strong control stems from there. Even ordinary people become fanatics after baptism, and even those with strong convictions lose their senses.”
Lillian thought of Kennis Deverin. After Odile was revealed as a fake, Cedric was greatly shocked by the incident. He had suspected it, but he had never thought that Kennis Deverin could deceive him to that extent.
―As you know, Lady Kennis is renowned for her popularity. It’s an undeniable fact that she has poured considerable time and resources into charitable activities.
―Then why would she orchestrate something like this?
―That’s what I’m puzzled about too. I never thought Lady Kennis would do such a thing, especially considering… she, like me, knows the pain of losing a child.
The reason Lady Kennis became so engrossed in religion and charity work was precisely because of the pain of losing her child. But now, she was conspiring to use Cedric’s lost daughter?
No matter how much she thought about it, it seemed unnatural. She had previously brushed off the idea that one could never know what was inside someone’s heart when faced with a clear situation, but now that she heard those words, the situation seemed different.
“Lady Kennis was also under an implication.”
As a devout believer, she had received baptism and become a servant of the temple. As the pieces fell into place, a chilling shiver ran down Lillian’s spine.
“So, there’s no way to undo that implication?”
“Why wouldn’t there be? As I said, once we achieve our goal, the implication on your friend will naturally be lifted.”
At Victoria’s words, Lillian’s expression stiffened.
Victoria’s mention of toppling the temple and the true identity of “baptism,” along with the relic known as the Tears of the Gods, pointed to one thing.
“We’re going to destroy the relic.”
If the relic were destroyed, the temple’s strong control would collapse. All the corruption and truths concealed through implications would be exposed.
And the whispers of the heresy lurking in the shadows.
“We’ve been preparing for that moment for a long time. It may not be apparent now, but when the implication is lifted, everything will come to the surface.”
The Reading Society was not just a disguise. The heretics had infiltrated the priests and believers for a long time through theological studies and reading sessions. Their ideas had already been widely exchanged, and there were even priests who realized that something was wrong with the interpretations officially presented by the temple.
The group Lillian encountered on her first day at the Reading Society, debating over the interpretation of the “moon,” was one such group.
“The temple made many interpretive errors in the scriptures to erase the daughters of the Moonlight from history. It lost its foundation and authenticity. Right now, implications prevent others from realizing that, but…”
“When the implications are lifted, everything will be revealed.”
“Exactly. At that time, we will change the power structure.”
Once that happened, all the priests above the rank of Archbishop who currently held power in the temple would be removed. And they would face appropriate punishment for their actions. Those outside the temple’s influence were nothing more than ordinary citizens, so Lillian could exact her revenge as she pleased.
As Lillian listened to the detailed plans and scope, her heart began to pound.
“Finally, revenge is within reach.”
But at the same time, a corner of Lillian’s heart grew cold. Lillian knew its identity. The one truth she hadn’t been able to let go of for over a decade. At the same time, her lie.
That was Swan’s death.
Even as her heart raced at the word “revenge,” Lillian didn’t forget one suspicion.
Strictly speaking, the essence of it.
“…I understand what plan you have. But what does that have to do with the daughters of the Moonlight?”
While Victoria thought of Lillian as a daughter of the Moonlight, Lillian was a fake.
It needed to be confirmed how this would affect the plan. Even if Lillian was fake, the plan had to proceed.
“Of course, I was going to explain. It definitely has a connection. Didn’t I say from the beginning? We need you.”
Victoria smiled without much surprise.
“Only the daughter of the Moonlight can destroy the relic.”
