The Heroines Who Framed Me Are Clinging to Me

Chapter 52 - Saintess Aria (1)

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 52 - Saintess Aria (1)

The Holy Office of Holy Constantine.

A man clad in black casual clothes walked down the hallway, cutting through the procession of priests, all dressed in their pristine white robes.

He couldn’t run due to the strict rules of the Holy Office, but he hurried along, brushing past others’ shoulders as he advanced with urgency.

The way his eyes darted around constantly made it clear that something serious had happened.

In his tightly clenched hand, he held a piece of paper, likely a telegram.

The priests around him glanced at it curiously.

Finally, the man stopped in front of a large office.

"High Priest Julius."

He knocked urgently.

The door opened, revealing a middle-aged man peering out.

"What is it? I am in the middle of morning prayers."

High Priest Julius frowned just enough to avoid offending the gods.

Morning prayer was an important ritual for the priests of the Holy Office, and as the High Priest, Julius was certainly no exception.

"I-I’m sorry! But!"

The man caught his breath, quickly glancing around.

Only after confirming no one else was nearby did he hold out the paper he’d been clutching.

"It’s the telegram you asked to be notified about, High Priest."

"Thank you for bringing it, but by running here like that, I’m sure everyone noticed. Why bother checking your surroundings now?"

"S-sorry!"

"Never mind. Come inside for now."

High Priest Julius couldn’t help but sound irritable. No matter how urgent the matter, to barge into the Holy Office like this was not a good look for a priest. Having external connections was frowned upon in this place, and this man had made no effort to be discreet.

The fact that an outsider had openly rushed into the Holy Office was bound to attract unwanted attention.

Most of the priests under his supervision might let it slide, but a few would undoubtedly harbour suspicion, especially in a time when so much scheming was taking place.

But spilled water couldn’t be gathered back.

Smoothing his expression, Julius guided the man to a guest table.

"So, what’s this about?"

"W-well..."

The man anxiously glanced around again.

Julius sighed and calmed him down.

"Relax. No one would dare eavesdrop in the High Priest’s chamber, second only to the Holy Emperor himself."

"The Seven Kill Squad has been annihilated. Look at this..."

The man handed the paper to Julius.

It wasn’t written in the common language of the continent.

The message was encrypted so thoroughly that an ordinary person wouldn’t have been able to make sense of it.

But Julius didn’t even try to decode it.

"What did you say? The Seven Kill Squad has been wiped out? Then... does that mean Ilsal is dead?"

Thud.

Julius slammed his hand on the table.

Such a reaction was unbecoming of someone of his rank.

"How? Their strength is on par with the Holy Knights! No, Ilsal’s abilities rival those of the Inquisitors! That’s why I trusted them. What happened?"

"I don’t know the full details..."

"Tell me everything you do know."

"It seems they were defeated by a boy, a woman, and an older man."

"What nonsense... Is the older man supposed to be a Grand Mage or a master body cultivator with the title of Varian?"

Julius asked incredulously.

The man could only shake his head.

"I... I couldn’t believe it either, but it’s said that the boy played the most significant role."

"How absurd... Who’s the source of this information?"

"It came from a contact we placed in the Count Concorde’s house. He saw everything with his own eyes through a recording device... He said the boy’s presence and aura were unusual."

"Is the recording device still intact?"

"It was destroyed. The battle was too intense, so that was the best we could manage."

"Damn it! Can’t anyone do their job properly?"

"At least we managed to get the boy’s name."

"Show me."

The man hurriedly pulled out a pile of documents he had prepared.

"This is him."

"Lloyd... Lloyd..."

Julius frowned deeply.

He tapped the table with his fingers, the document in one hand.

After a few minutes, the man hesitantly asked,

"Does the name ring a bell?"

"There’s nothing that stands out."

"Yes, he doesn’t come from any notable family. I’ve already assigned a more detailed investigation, and we should have more information soon."

"You’ve done well. And what about the older man... Isn’t he a knight who was once hailed as a prodigy? To think he ended up as the chief of some rural village."

"Yes."

"And the woman?"

"Th-that... I’m afraid the source couldn’t provide information on her. He said it would cost him his life if he did, and he begged for forgiveness this time."

"The man’s lost his mind."

"He’s not usually like that. There must be something..."

"Tell him we’re cutting his pay by a third."

"...Understood."

Julius leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes.

His mind was racing.

The Seven Kill Squad had been one of his most useful pawns.

"...I trust none of our information has leaked?"

"O-of course not! We handled everything as discreetly as possible."

"Good work."

Julius sighed.

As long as there were no loose ends, it would be fine.

No loose ends.

Julius, the High Priest.

In truth, he was the second-most powerful person in the Holy Office.

As the High Priest who managed the entire Holy Office, he was second only to the Holy Emperor himself.

But then Saintess Aria had appeared, and everything had changed.

Julius clenched his fist.

He had to find what needed to be found.

Whatever it took.

"We’ve effectively lost Eastan now, haven’t we?"

"It seems unlikely we’ll be able to reclaim the interests Ilsal once held. After all, the Holy Office can’t directly intervene in Imperial matters... Should we look for another organisation?"

"...No. There aren’t many who can handle things as neatly as Ilsal did."

"Eastan is a key city."

"That boy Lloyd, or whatever his name is, knows that too, which is why he swallowed it whole. He’s no ordinary boy. But for now, we need more information."

"Understood."

"And..."

Julius beckoned the man closer.

He leaned in and whispered quietly into his ear.

"Find something we can use to bring down Saintess Aria. Anything. And quickly."

"...Yes, understood."

Nodding, the man received his dismissal.

Eastan was lost.

Julius muttered a small curse to himself as he began dressing in his formal robes.

There was a regular meeting scheduled for the afternoon.

And now, he had yet another reason to bring Saintess Aria down.

?

The Hero Party had defeated the Demon King.

And one of the candidates from the party had been chosen as the new Saintess.

It was the first time in a hundred years that a new Saintess had been born.

Her name, Aria, was the same as the most brilliant Saintess in history.

People love mythic stories.

That’s why so much attention had turned to the Church of Deus.

The Holy Office of Holy Constantine, where the Saintess resided, had become a pilgrimage site.

The entire continent, which had been filled with distrust toward the gods for their failure to stop the Demon King, was now swept up in a revival of faith.

The number of believers had surpassed half the continent.

Donations poured in to the point where they had to build additional storage rooms to hold them.

The Church of Deus was experiencing an unprecedented golden age.

And it was all thanks to Saintess Aria.

The girl who had defeated the Demon King.

The things she touched became relics.

The water she drank became holy water. No, even the wells from which that water had been drawn were considered holy.

Even the Saintess’ Guard, a force dedicated solely to protecting her, had become the largest organisation within the Holy Office.

Aria stood above even the Holy Emperor.

But…

"What on earth is going on? For months, the number of believers has been dropping sharply. Donations are no longer coming in as they used to!"

Bang —!

In the Holy Office’s conference room.

As the Archbishop slammed the table, Aria flinched. High Priest Julius, who was in charge of the Holy Office, was old but still imposing, with a towering figure.

Aria was terrified of him.

In fact, she was scared of everyone in this room. Even though she had been elevated to the position of Saintess, she still felt small when facing such powerful people, especially when they were men.

And in moments like these, she couldn’t help but think of him.

The one man who had been kind to her, unlike the others.

'...Lee Han.'

As his name crossed her mind, Aria hurriedly shook her head.

She couldn’t think of him.

They said Lee Han was a bad man. That his kindness had only been a ploy to claim her for himself. That she mustn’t fall for his words.

But...

But on the execution platform, he had—

"Say something, Saintess! Don’t just sit there with your mouth shut!"

"Hic... I-I..."

"Isn’t it because of you that the Holy Office has grown so large?"

But the organisation was now faltering.

And it was your fault.

The High Priest’s words were as sharp as ever.

The organisation had expanded too quickly, and now they were facing a crisis.

That crisis was money.

There was no longer enough money to sustain the bloated organisation.

They couldn’t just dismiss the clergy.

The Holy Office of Holy Constantine’s conference room was filled with tension for this very reason.

"You must take responsibility!"

Aria froze at the archbishop’s rebuke, her face paling.

Silence hung heavy in the room.

The silence and the accusing stares pierced Aria like daggers.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]