WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Arsène
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Romance Fantasy’s Pushover Crown Prince Is No More ◈
Chapter 40: Saint Candidate (5)
──────
The first time Valerian saw the Crown Prince drenched in blood at the banquet hall, he thought it was merely an act.
Even if it had been real blood, he honestly felt he could have pulled off that much himself.
Arriving deliberately late to a banquet, covered in blood to intimidate everyone around him?
Politically speaking, it was entirely possible.
Even when they confronted each other in the garden afterward, Valerian believed there was not much difference in their actual strength. Someone had merely lowered their head to save face.
Then he saw the red bundle, and his thoughts changed.
‘If Father reacted like that... it must have been the Crown Prince’s doing.’
If it had not been, he would have reacted completely differently.
The way he carried the bundle away helplessly without much reaction.
It was impossible to explain unless the Crown Prince was responsible.
‘...He can kill knights that easily.’
The knights sent to eliminate Saint Candidate Rowena’s followers.
They were not their strongest force, but Valerian had never even considered that they might fail.
Yet they had returned as nothing but heads. That showed just how powerful the Crown Prince was.
Not much time had passed since they had been dispatched, either.
At most, they could not have gone beyond the pilgrimage road.
‘But he came from the Empire’s southern region to the pilgrimage road... and did all that?’
Could Valerian have done the same?
He thought about it briefly, then shook his head.
The conclusion came quickly.
It was impossible.
Getting there in the first place would have been a problem.
‘Did he use magic?’
Divine Power was spread everywhere, so it would have been impossible to set the coordinates properly.
That meant he had traveled there on foot.
Could a human really be that fast?
Amid his confusion, Valerian contacted Mirne to settle his troubled heart.
“...Mirne, something very difficult happened today.”
“What happened?”
Whenever he spoke with Mirne, all his worries melted away.
How sweet and beautiful first love was.
“I cannot tell you the details... but just having you ask makes me feel much better. Thank you.”
“You can always talk to me whenever you need to. I will always listen.”
“I am feeling better now, so I would like to hear about you. Has anything happened lately?”
“Me? It is always the same. But there are rumors that a lot of Dark Mages have been appearing lately.”
“In the Macelin Kingdom?”
“No, in general... Just in case, please be careful too, Saint.”
Even her heart was beautiful.
Valerian smiled warmly and continued.
“If... if I were to face the Crown Prince, do you think I could win?”
“The two of you? I hope you do not fight.”
“...What if we really do end up fighting?”
“Then I will support you, Saint.”
The fear lodged in his heart vanished the moment he heard those words.
What was there that he could not overcome with the support of the woman he loved?
Of course.
‘It does not mean we will fight right away. It is just... if we happen to clash someday, I will take it seriously too... Yes, that is all I mean.’
That did not mean he intended to make a big issue of this incident.
Still, that was the moment a fear that would never leave Valerian’s subconscious carved itself into his mind.
++++++
“Are you telling me to abandon my faith?”
Rowena stared at me as soon as she heard my words.
Her expression made it clear that she had heard something she had never imagined.
“Abandon your faith... If that is how it sounded, I apologize. That was not what I meant.”
“Then becoming the Empire’s Saintess means...?”
“The Romper Holy Kingdom abandoned you, so are you not free now?”
“....”
“You said you were originally a Saint Candidate. I am simply saying that becoming the Empire’s Saintess would not be a bad thing.”
As soon as Rowena arrived in the Empire’s southern region, I summoned her to the imperial center and immediately offered her the position of the Empire’s Saintess.
“You do not have to tell me why you were expelled. It seems to have been because of a factional dispute.”
“...Yes.”
“Then can you not pursue your own convictions here?”
“But I understand that the Empire does not designate an official religion.”
Perhaps she had never considered my offer before. Rowena kept staring at me with wide eyes.
Then, realizing how intently she had been looking at me, she hurriedly lowered her head.
[ The villainess is before your eyes. ]
The Villainess Ring’s message suddenly appeared at that moment.
I laughed to myself the instant I saw it.
‘This woman is the villainess?’
Was the role of the true villainess given to a woman who stood opposed to Mirne?
By the standards of the original novel, I supposed she could certainly be seen as a villainess.
Mirne was supposed to become the Saintess.
Yet anyone could see that the title suited Rowena better.
“I am not saying I will designate it as the official religion. I am only saying that I will recognize you as the Saintess.”
“If Your Highness personally appoints me as Saintess, would that not itself become a problem?”
“I will not make a direct declaration. You will simply occupy that position.”
“Even so...”
“Who would dare raise an issue if I say it will be so?”
She had been kicked out of the Romper Holy Kingdom? Then we could just create another Romper Church in the Empire.
Their factions were different, so it would not be strange at all.
“The Empire has countless religions. As long as they do not overstep, the Empire embraces them all.”
“But before...”
“That was because they crossed the line. No matter what, should a temple be more splendid than a ducal estate?”
“I understand.”
“They must not surpass the Empire’s authority while standing beneath its shade.”
One god, two churches.
There was nothing strange about that.
‘I hope they use this as an excuse to provoke us instead.’
It would be a good opportunity to erase the Romper Holy Kingdom.
But they must have been thoroughly frightened by the red bundle Pirande delivered.
It was difficult to expect such a bold move from them.
‘Still, it does not matter. I can develop the Empire in the meantime.’
Given time, I could make the Empire even stronger.
Railways were being laid from the North even now, and the recruitment of talented people for the Academy was underway as well.
Mages were traveling all over the place.
The imperial treasury was also recovering to some extent after swallowing the Mage Tower whole.
The only matter worth personally handling now was taking a stroll through the Empire’s western region.
‘And the Executioners.’
Thinking of the Executioners, I spoke again.
“Come to think of it, Rowena.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Do you know much about curses?”
“...To some extent.”
“Can you perform Purification?”
I finally voiced the fundamental reason I had wanted to contact Rowena from the start.
“I can, but... I am not as skilled at it as you might think.”
“Is that so?”
I had thought a Saint Candidate would surely be capable of it.
Did the Executioners truly have to be resolved through Mirne?
As I was thinking that, Rowena added, “...But I believe that if I become the Saintess, I will become more proficient.”
“Why?”
Rowena continued with something I had not expected.
“Because that is the Saintess’s role. I cannot explain it in detail, but that is simply how I feel.”
“....”
If she became Saintess, she would naturally become skilled at Purification?
Just because she held that position?
And it was not even a god choosing her.
Could such power emerge when one human made another into a Saintess?
“Rowena, I suppose I should make you the Empire’s Saintess as soon as possible.”
“...But.”
“Do not think of refusing. The people who followed you here... Did they not come because they wanted you to become Saintess in the first place?”
They did not believe in the Romper Church the current Pope believed in.
They believed in the Romper Church of Saint Candidate Rowena.
If she had been expelled because of differences in opinion from the start, all I had to do was actively support those views in the Empire.
‘I need to make her Saintess right away.’
If Mirne became Saintess, her proficiency in Purification would suddenly improve.
If that happened, a future where Mirne lifted Lumynix’s curse might unfold.
‘No, did Mirne lift it in the original novel?’
Then, after destroying the Empire, the Executioners would really head to Macelin.
Naturally, that would be the only place capable of resolving the Executioners’ Covenant.
“Ha.”
But you are not the only one who can become Saintess, Mirne.
All we have to do is make one Saintess on our side too.
++++++
“What in the world are you talking about!”
“As you heard, a new Saintess of the Romper Church will soon appear in the Empire. I was told to ask that you attend and honor the occasion.”
“How can a Saintess appear in the Empire? How?”
“The Crown Prince said that since a Saint Candidate has come to the Empire, she too can become Saintess if she has the will.”
Valerian could no longer contain himself and rose from his seat at the news delivered by the imperial envoy.
It was already outrageous that an envoy dared enter the Grand Temple wearing a sword.
And now what? The Empire was going to announce a Saintess? A Saintess of the Romper Church, no less?
While the Romper Holy Kingdom stood with its eyes wide open.
How could they possibly think of announcing a Saintess there?
“By what right!”
“Has the Romper Holy Kingdom not already given many gifts to the Empire’s southern region? Upon looking into it, you also donated to temples, which seemed to mean you intended to establish another Romper Church there.”
“...!”
Yet the envoy calmly insisted that they had more than enough right.
The envoy stood in armor and carried a sword, maintaining an icy presence.
It was unbearably arrogant, but there was nothing Valerian could do.
“Whether you wish to offer congratulations or complaints, the Crown Prince said you should come and do so in person.”
With those final words, the envoy turned and left the Grand Temple without waiting for a reply.
‘...He wants me to come to the Empire?’
Why did those words make his heart tremble so much?
Regardless of Valerian’s feelings, the Empire would hold the ceremony as soon as next week.
“...Father, what should we do?”
“We cannot refuse the Empire’s invitation.”
Together with a new Romper Church, they planned to make Rowena Saintess right under their noses.
Footnotes:
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
