Chapter 10: In the Great Temple of the Absence of the Saints

“You’re dead you,you!”

“….. .Aah!”

Alex was scared out of his mind.

“You, you, good good!”

A bent old man spat at him with bloodshot eyes.

The priests restrained his body and tried to calm him down, but… While they were doing so, he could feel the anger coming from them too strongly.

Alex was also aware that it was clearly directed at him.

(What are these people so angry about?).

Alex couldn’t have been more confused.

Because he thought he had given them some good news.

—I kicked the aging Saint Evelyn out of the Great Temple because her power had weakened. I also told her to get out of the country, so she’s probably in a neighboring country by now.

—But there is no need to worry about the future. Evelyn’s sister, Mary, has the makings of a saint.

So I have no idea why I’m being treated so badly.

Anger rising in him, Alex stood up and said something back.

“What do you want me to die for, you filthy old man! I am the first prince of this country, a position more precious than any other.”

“Die! !”

“Hii! !”

Seriously, Alex jumped back against the wall. That was how strong the Chief Priest was.

The old man’s saliva splashed on his face and Alex shivered slightly. His brothers, who were also gathered in the Great Temple (the second prince, Igna, and the third prince, Oz), let out a sigh.

Oz, with his extravagant good looks, said dismissively.

“‘…… Alex nii-san. As you know, we can’t protect you.”

Iguna, a beautiful figure with a Buddha’s face who nodded, added.

“Oh, you might be happier if you were killed by the priest here.”

“What the hell are you talking about! ?”

Oz’s shoulders slumped at Alex’s outburst.

Then he said clearly.

“Because Nii-san banished someone more important than the king, right?”

“….. .Eh?”

“The king can be replaced at will. But that’s not the case with the Saints. The Holy Land of Snazil is built on Saints, you know.”

“……”

As if to discourage Alex from becoming silent, Oz continued with a grim face.

“just out of curiosity, who’s in charge of keeping the miasma from spewing out of the ground? Who’s in charge of protecting the people by praying for them every day?”

“…It is.”

“No one remembers Nii-san’s face, but everyone praises and respects Saint Evelyn. The only people who dislike her in this country are you and Evelyn-sama’s family.”

Alex was shocked.

“Nii-san fell in love with a woman named Mary or something like that, and decided to give her the title of saint at will, and deliberately kicked out the true saint.”

“Haha,” Oz laughed wryly.

“‘Without the saints, this country would surely be destroyed by the noxious miasma. What do you think, Nii-san? How does it feel to have your country destroyed by love?”

“….. .Don’t take it any further, Oz.”

(You’re covering for me, Igna…!)

Alex was thrilled, though.

“It’s best not to talk too much to a deadly sinner.”

He was stunned when his brother just mumbled coldly.

“Nasty little worms: I can’t believe they built a statue of a bitch in Evelyn-sama’s name… Kill…… I’ll boil you in a pot and let you suffer and die……”

And while being restrained by the priests, the chief priest continues to spout out disturbing words that one would not expect from a priest.

The situation was so different from what he expected that Alex was filled with disbelief, but he couldn’t keep quiet.

“Y-You say that, but when I broke off my engagement to Evelyn, no one stopped me!”

Oz thought it was a nice shot, but he looked at Alex with disdain.

“We didn’t stop you, but Nii-san was foolish enough to show Evelyn-sama the scene of his evil deed. If you’re engaged to someone like that, I think you should let her cancel it.”

“You’ve given Evelyn-sama a broken heart!”

“I didn’t want to leave it, either…”

Oz holds his temples as if to say, “My head hurts.”

“You might not understand this, flower garden nii-san who plays with girls every day. Since the first prince’s broke off his engagement with Evelyn-sama, the only ones who are in a position to ask her to marry are me and Igna Nii-san.”

“Please don’t be foolish. I know that much.”

“Then let me ask you again. If the brother of your fiancé, the man who cruelly abandoned her, suddenly asked you to marry him, which woman would accept?”

“Evelyn-sama is a very crybaby girl!”

The chief priest broke into tears as the place fell silent.

“It must have been a shock for her to be treated by a piece of trash like you……. For a while, she wet her pillow every night: …… We all cried and sniffled as we listened to her stifled cries and prayed for her peace of mind.”

At the Chief Priest’s words, the priests who had been holding him down involuntarily let go, and the priests lined up around him all moistened their eyes at the same time.

Some of them could not hold back their sobs and were crying. The scene was so tragic that Alex almost held his breath.

—I’m not sure what to say, but I can’t allow it.

Although they blamed only Alex, their attitude must have been problematic as well.

“Even the priests kept their distance from that woman, didn’t they?”

“We’ve been watching over her for twenty-three years!”

The chief priest looks at him in anguish. He was so upset that he looked like he was about to pass away.

“Such a pretty girl, staggering down the corridor towards me. [Grandpa……]  I’ve been watching since she was blushing shyly when I spoke to her, tugging at my sleeve in exhaustion, or leaning against me and laughing in her lovely sleep! She’s my granddaughter!” .

“She is a daughter to me!”

“To me, she is my wife!”

“To me, she is…….”

Shut up! Evelyn-sama is my grandchild first!”

After mercilessly threatening to silence the priest who agreed with him, the chief priest announced.

“Thus we have come to a conclusion after a bloody struggle: …… [Saint Non-Aggression Pact]”

…… Alex, Igna, and Oz swallowed their saliva.

“What the hell is this?”

“That’s what it says. Anyone who tries to secretly talk to Evelyn-sama, bring her gifts, or give her letters will be punished.”

“What?”

“It means he will be hanged and killed.”

Alex broke off.

So, in the Great Temple of Men, Evelyn was too important to handle, so they kept their distance: ……. So that’s what it was.

Alex snorted.

“I don’t think she is of an age to be called a girl in the first place. She turned 28 this year— An old ha—”

At that moment, a tremendous shock hit Alex’s brain.

The world around him creaked as if it was about to crack, and then his head went cold.

The head priest was standing in front of him, breathing on his shoulder.

Sluggishly, something red drifted between Alex’s eyes.

(……Blood?)

It took him a moment to realize that he had been struck by the Chief Priest’s staff.

Alex had never been hit by anyone before in his life.

“Y-you……! You hit the first prince of this country in the head!”

“Alex, the scum prince! I’m going to smash your stupid head in again!”

“How dare you insult the name of a prince! How dare you disrespect me!”

“I’ll say it again! Alex! Scum Prince!”

Alex was angry, but everyone around him, including his brothers, was gasping.

Alex, who had more pride than any mountain top, clenched his fists in anger.

All the while, blood continued to drip onto the floor of the temple.

It was then.

Alex-sama……!”

“Mary! ?”

“They’re terrible, you know. These people!”

Mary approached from the hallway, crying.

The priests were all around her. Alex shouted as loud as he could at them.

“What the hell did you do to Mary?”

“Whatever…… (laughs) As a saint, I had her go through the pachyderm prayer ritual, but she couldn’t finish it, so I had her leave.”

“Pachyderm, what are you talking about! Mary is a real saint!” .

Alex approached Mary, holding his cracked forehead and whimpering.

“Ohhhhh Mary, I wish you could heal my wounds…”

“……Wah?

“I just got hit by the chief priest with his cane! Look, I’m even bleeding! That’s a terrible wound!”

Mary was going to have to do something about it with her magic soon.

“No, no. I’m not very good at healing wounds…….. Ah! I can heal splinters, though.”

She tilted her head like that, and Alex was stunned.

“….. .Mary, didn’t you say something about being able to do advanced healing magic?”

“Isn’t it amazing that you can heal blisters on your fingers? It can be quite painful if left untreated.”

“…..Take this woman home.”

The priests nodded in agreement.

“He-Hey, Alex-sama!”

Mary was still shouting something, but now was not the time to be worrying about her.

If she stayed, she would be in a bad position. That much Alex understood.

“I have to ask, Alex, what do you want to do?”

It was uncomfortable to be called that, but Alex asked Oz back maturely.

“What?”

“I was wondering if you were ready to make an honest announcement about kicking Evelyn-sama out of the Great Temple……. I’m sure the people will stage a coup and execute you after torturing you.”

“……What do you suggest we do?”

“The quickest way is to die.”

“I see. Dying is…… No, is there anything else I can do? Please tell me.”

Lowering his head, Oz let out a thoughtful sigh.

“I don’t mind that kind of frankness and stupidity……”

Then Oz throws in.

“Anyway, you can’t go public so ask the priests to find Evelyn-sama and make full apologies to her. And then, somehow, She’ll be able to return to the Great Temple— isn’t this the only way?”

However, to Alex, who had cooled down a bit, it seemed terribly difficult.