Banished Villainess

144 : Coloflare Kingdom; Thereafter

Three months have passed since then. The “True Saintess” designated by the church had turned into a witch but was saved by the miracle of the “Other Saintess”: This was the information that the Brown Papers have disseminated throughout the country.

It was published in the form of an exclusive interview with the crown prince, in which attached, a picture of a letter sent to him by the “other saintess.”

Written were the shocking accounts of the oracle communicated by the First Saintess, to the aforementioned unnamed saintess. It states that the ancient witch harbors a deep grudge towards the kingdom, and thus beckons the hearts of the new saintesses to succumb to evil; The purer their hearts, the more susceptible they will be to temptations.

In order to prevent such tragedies from happening again, the Saintess, the first, declared to the other saintess that it would prove dangerous to choose new saintesses among the living.

She dictated that; The witch must be revered in the same manner as they revere her, and implores her followers to appease the witch’s anger through the offering of prayers.

She further explained that the two of them were formerly close friends, and even though the sorrowful gears of fate had torn them apart from one another, the first saintess does not wish to continue their conflicts to the afterlife. She declared that the two of them shall be performing the duties of the saintess from now on, and beckons her beloved children to protect the kingdom, and overcome its challenges altogether, taking each other’s hands.

Of course, there were some among the sacred church who did not accept the oracle as true.

However, His Majesty, the king, upon receiving the report of the crown prince, had acknowledged it as the ‘Will of the First’ and furthermore, the eldest son of the House Sereknight had recognized his younger sister’s handwriting in the paper. It was then spread that the “other saintess”, who saved the “True Saintess,” was none other than, Chloe Sereknight, who proved to have atoned for her sins at the late Advent Festival.

Furthermore, the royal family had disclosed the name of the first saintess to be Cherry Blossom, and the name of the witch to be Yolda Moon. The people thus discovered that the main reason behind the devoted service of the House Moonlight to the Sacred Church generations after generations was in order to repent for the tragedy caused by their ancestors. At the same time, they welcomed the idea that it was the right moment for the Sacred Church to take new breathes of fresh air.

Because of this, the obstinate conservative leaders within the church were pushed to the sidelines, and the sacred church, with the help royal family, will be proactively reforming its organization. The pope may sit at the top of the organization, but the saintess, alone, was revered.

“Saintess” hitherto, became a title to be given to people with high divine power, who have wholeheartedly devoted their lives to the country. In other words, it became a post mortem title, making them a subject of worship akin to a god after death. It needs not to be mentioned that males who accomplish such feats are referred to as Saint.

Now, the priestesses who are chosen in the same manner as the ‘Saintesses’ of the past, shall now assume the post of a “Holy Chancellor.” They are to act as the bridge between the royal family and the sacred church; a post that will require them to submit reports and request to that effect, and shall also act as the Pope’s representative. They are also to act as diplomats in times such as the propagation of the faith to the other countries are being done, and in such times, the “Holy Vice-Chancellor, shall be responsible in domestic affairs as their substitute. That’s right, just like in Saintess’ the first’s time, it’s a position that requires a pair.