#96

Just as Larien was about to speak—

“――――――――――.”

Her words muffled into an incomprehensible blur.

The same happened with Bobby’s voice.

What’s going on?

Before I could panic, the entire space felt as if it was being distorted by an unseen force.

I had been fully absorbed in watching the scene unfold, but now, I darted my eyes around in confusion.

Why was it cutting off at the most critical moment?!

‘Just a little more! Show me what happens next!’

Frustrated, I struggled against the sensation, but the Divine Beast’s memory ended right there.

In the blink of an eye, I was back at the Mishir altar.

“Are you alright?”

Ella’s concerned gaze met mine.

Tilting my head in confusion, I suddenly felt something warm stream down my cheek.

“Huh?”

I blinked in surprise, instinctively reaching up to touch my face.

My cheeks were drenched in tears.

I had been crying—without even realizing it.

It was a strange feeling.

I had only been witnessing someone else’s memories, and yet…

It felt like it had happened to me.

Somehow, while reading the Divine Beast’s past, I had been swept up in its emotions as well.

“Lady Cersia?”

“I’m fine.”

I forced an awkward smile, wiping away my tears.

In the Divine Beast’s memory, Larien had cherished the black lion deeply.

She had given up her own power to bring him back to life—

That wasn’t just the bond between a master and a pet.

It had to have been something more.

‘So what happened to them after that?’

Even in the original story, Saintess Larien’s fate was never explained in detail.

All that was mentioned was that the first Saintess broke her vow with the Divine Beast and was exiled.

‘I never expected that the black lion was the reason she was cast out.’

But there were still gaps in the story.

I hadn’t seen how Bobby died in the first place—

Or what exactly the vow between Larien and the Divine Beast had been.

One thing, however, had become very clear—

I finally understood why Hebel feared black lions so much.

To the priests of Hebel, the black lion was the one who had corrupted the Saintess.

That was why, even after all these years, they still clung to the past—

Using a centuries-old grudge as an excuse to keep Jabis under their control.

‘Seriously? Over something that happened a thousand years ago?’

Was falling in love really such a crime?

I let out a scoff, shaking my head.

Of course, I couldn’t even be sure if Hebel actually knew the full story.

Only Naaman, the Head of Hebel, was allowed to read the Holy Scriptures.

It was said that the priests only knew what he chose to tell them.

That was why the Head of Hebel held such immense power.

* * *

By the time Ella and I emerged from Mishir, a large assembly of priests was already waiting for me.

At the very front stood Naaman, who greeted me with a respectful bow.

“We have been awaiting you.”

“Everyone’s gathered here, I see.”

“It is only fitting to celebrate the birth of a Saintess.”

Naaman flashed a smile and cast a glance at the Mishir River.

The moment my pheromones had been accepted as an offering, the river’s waters had turned a soft pink hue.

It was as if my pheromones had diffused into the water itself.

That alone was proof that I had been acknowledged as a Saintess.

Seeing it, the priests immediately fell to their knees in reverence.

“Oh, great Saintess!”

“Freedom to Hebel!”

They cheered with devoted admiration in their eyes.

Of course, some still looked skeptical, but with the evidence right before them, no one dared to challenge it.

Before they could smother me with their worship, I seized the moment and boldly made a request.

“Before the celebrations, let me see the Treasure Vault first.”

Now that I had been officially recognized, there was no reason to waste time in Hebel.

“Of course. However, there is something we must confirm first,” Naaman said.

“Confirm?”

“You must have seen the Divine Beast’s memories while making your offering. May we ask what you witnessed?”

Naaman’s gaze slowly settled on me—his expression calm, yet clearly expectant.

Sensing the underlying implications, I skillfully feigned ignorance.

“It was nothing unusual. Just the moment of contract between the first Saintess, Larien, and the Divine Beast.”

Technically, I wasn’t lying.

In Ella’s Kingdom, that was exactly the vision that Ella had experienced.

Still, I chose to deceive Naaman.

After what had happened at my wedding, I couldn’t be certain that Hebel was as pure-hearted as the original story had portrayed.

“I see…”

For a fleeting moment, disappointment flickered across Naaman’s face.

But it was so brief that I wouldn’t have noticed it if I hadn’t been paying close attention.

Feigning innocence, I tilted my head.

“Why do you ask?”

Caught off guard by my directness, Naaman hesitated slightly before answering.

“Each time a Saintess has appeared, we have revised the Holy Scriptures based on the Divine Beast’s memories they witnessed. Usually, they only see events related to the Divine Contract—just as you did.”

“Has anyone ever seen something different?”

“Not yet. But we are waiting for the day when a Saintess witnesses a new memory.”

For a moment, I thought I saw deep reverence for the Divine Beast glinting in Naaman’s eyes.

When I remained silent, he continued.

“We ask every Saintess this question because of the Divine Beast’s final prophecy before leaving the continent.”

“A prophecy?”

“Yes. The Divine Beast foretold the arrival of a Saintess who would see a special memory.”

“A special memory?”

“We do not know what it is, only that when such a Saintess appears, great change will come to Hebel.”

“I see…”

I murmured, lost in thought.

If Hebel couldn’t be trusted, then admitting that I had seen something different was far too dangerous.

For all I knew, the “special memory” in the prophecy could be exactly what I had witnessed.

‘I should keep my mouth shut for now.’

After all, I couldn’t even confirm if the memory I saw was truly what the prophecy referred to.

If it were an event so important that it could shake Hebel itself, then surely there should have been some kind of clue.

If only the memory hadn’t cut off so abruptly…

I clicked my tongue in frustration.

Just then, Naaman spoke again.

“Then allow me to guide you to the Treasure Vault. Afterward, please join us for a feast and the festival. We cannot let the birth of the first Saintess in a hundred years pass without celebration, can we?”

“Sounds good.”

With a bright smile—pretending as if nothing had happened—I followed Naaman deeper into the temple.

* * *

As we arrived at the entrance of the sanctum, where the Treasure Vault was located, Rachel spoke up.

“If anything happens, scream immediately.”

Since Rachel wasn’t permitted inside the sanctum, she had to wait outside.

I responded enthusiastically, “Yes, Mother! Don’t worry!”

“You are the worry itself. Tiny thing, always scurrying around like a little bug.”

I froze mid-smile and glared at Rachel.

How long was she going to call me a snot-sized runt?!

At this rate, when I reached adulthood, she’d probably call me a giant snot instead.

“Let’s proceed,” Naaman urged.

The moment I stepped into the sanctum, where the Treasure Vault was housed, the previously dark chamber suddenly illuminated.

A dazzling display of sacred relics lined the room, each gleaming under the golden light.

“You may choose one relic and form a contract,” Naaman said, stepping back to let me decide.

I carefully examined the relics.

Each one rested in its dormant state, appearing as raw gemstones.

And then—

I stopped in front of a brilliant blue sapphire.

The moment I reached for it, I was whisked away into the Room of Choice before I could even speak.

This Room of Choice was vastly different from Taby’s.

Rather than an endless, misty space, it felt like a humid underground cave—dark and damp.

Then, a deep, authoritative voice echoed—

—Are you the one who awakened me?

A mole suddenly burst out of the ground, effortlessly tunneling upward.

Even in the pitch darkness of the cave, he was somehow wearing sunglasses.

‘Can he even see with those?’

Yet, he carried himself with complete confidence, as if fashion took priority over function.

I nearly burst out laughing at the sight of him—a mole in sunglasses, sticking his head out of the dirt.

And when the light caught his shiny forehead, I felt an uncontrollable urge to pat him.

But I held back.

This mole was the Sapphire of Order, also known as the “Old-fashioned Mole”.

If I dared to be disrespectful, he would bolt immediately, abandoning the contract entirely.

‘Stay strong. Don’t laugh. Don’t pat his head.’

I clenched my teeth, barely holding it together—

Until the mole fully emerged from the ground, standing with his hands clasped behind his back.

His posture exuded the dignity of a scholarly gentleman.

Yet…

He was tiny.

His entire stocky, short body was no bigger than my forearm.

The contrast was too much to handle.

The moment I saw his ridiculously small frame, I lost it.

“Pfft— Bwahaha!”

 

 

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