IFGO 06

Chapter 06

The man frowned at the voice interrupting him and turned around.

Since I had come wearing a dress that was convenient for moving around rather than the usual clothes of a saintess, he didn’t seem to recognize who I was. However, after seeing the two temple maids standing behind me, he seemed to wonder if I was a high-ranking priestess.

I spoke again.

“Are you not hearing what I’m saying?”

“……”

He still didn’t move.

Looking at him, I spoke once more.

“If you want to meet a woman, go outside the temple.”

At that, a young girl who looked much younger than him suddenly appeared and spoke arrogantly. The man seemed reluctant to scold her outright, perhaps because something felt off about the situation, and he narrowed his eyes before opening his mouth.

“I was only talking here because I wanted to have a conversation with an apprentice priestess. Who do you think you are to—”

Apparently, he wasn’t someone who was suitable to be treated kindly.

“It looks like this apprentice priestess doesn’t want to have a conversation with you.”

At my words, the apprentice priestess’s eyes trembled. She hurriedly opened her lips.

“Saintess! This nobleman has been harassing me unilaterally.”

She also seemed not to recognize that I was the Saintess and urgently asked me for help.

At those words, the man’s eyebrows hardened.

“Harassing you? It seems like Elium has been carelessly choosing its apprentice priestesses these days. To think she would lie just because I had a simple conversation with her.”

He seemed to gain confidence when I remained silent while looking over the book covers beside him. Even if I was a high-ranking priestess, he probably thought he could smooth things over because he knew several priests.

‘Oh, this one would be useful too. Etiquette for Imperial Banquets.’

Of course, I was only scanning the books I needed.

“It’s ridiculous that you would falsely accuse an innocent person of such an insult.”

At the man’s mocking tone, the apprentice priestess Daisy glared at him with rising anger.

“You just asked me to go outside and drink with you!”

But he simply crossed his arms and pretended not to know what she was talking about.

After roughly selecting the books I needed with my eyes, I looked at him with a faint smile and asked:

“Excuse me, but which family are you the heir of?”

“I am Hans of the Baron Rayleighfield family.”

‘Hmm. The Rayleighfield family.’

I didn’t remember reading about them in the book, which meant they weren’t a particularly famous family in central politics. I had never heard of Hans either.

He raised his chin proudly and said:

“I have revealed my name, so Saintess, you should reveal yours as well. I will formally submit a complaint to the temple under my family’s name regarding the humiliation I suffered today, as well as the names of both you and this apprentice priestess.”

At that, the maids standing behind me interrupted with angry voices.

“How insolent!”

“Do you even know who this person is?!”

I raised one hand and silenced them.

Then I looked directly at the apprentice priestess who was nervously fidgeting, worried that she might suffer consequences because I had interfered.

“Since you are an apprentice priestess, I will give you a question.”

At my words, Hans seemed to think I was deliberately ignoring him and his face reddened.

But I continued without caring.

“Tell me the three people who have the authority to expel a believer from Elium Temple.”

At the word “expel,” I saw Hans’s expression stiffen.

He had threatened to file a complaint through his family, but the truth was that the Baron Rayleighfield family did not have that kind of influence.

And expulsion—

It meant never being allowed to enter that temple again.

Being expelled from Elium Temple was practically the same as being removed from the mainstream of the capital’s aristocratic society.

Especially since the three people with the authority to do so were…

Daisy looked confused, but soon answered in a calm voice.

“Yes, Saintess. The people with the authority of expulsion are the Chief Priest, the High Priest, and… the Saintess.”

At the top of Elium Temple’s triangular hierarchy stood the Saintess.

‘In the book, Ariel didn’t leave the temple voluntarily. After committing terrible acts, she was eventually expelled directly by the true Saintess, Camilla.’

Remembering what Camilla had said in the original story, I spoke.

“That’s right. The Saintess can directly order an expulsion.”

The man let out a scoff and glared at me in disbelief.

“What strange nonsense are you saying to mock me? What, are you saying you’ll report me to the Saintess and have me expelled? She is not someone with so much free time that she would bother with something like this— Ha! You people don’t seem to understand, but I will absolutely not let this matter go!”

He didn’t seem to consider even for a moment that the Saintess could be standing right in front of him.

Well, even I understood why.

The simple dress I was wearing now was far too casual for a Saintess.

‘She probably spent all her time confined in the temple because of her weak health, so he’s never properly seen her face.’

But his grating voice was becoming unbearable.

I walked toward him step by step and spoke with a twisted smile.

“I have no intention of letting this matter go either, Sir Hans Rayleighfield.”

The moment I spoke in a cold voice, the atmosphere around us froze.

“Because I am that Saintess.”

I stared at him and pronounced each word clearly.

“……”

A few seconds later, when he finally understood what I had said, Hans’s face completely hardened.

As if unable to believe his ears, he looked toward the maids behind me.

But the maids only glared at him with satisfied expressions.

‘She really is our Saintess, you know?’

Meanwhile, Daisy’s eyes widened so much that they could not possibly grow any larger.

The appearance of the Saintess must have been an enormous shock to her.

Their gazes moved from my golden hair to my eyes.

And then they flinched again.

Hmm.

In a hierarchical society, using your status really is the best weapon!

I rather enjoyed the distorted expression on his face.

“Y-You’re…?”

Hans’s voice trembled with disbelief.

If the empire had two great mountains, one would be the Imperial Palace and the other would be Elium Temple.

And the Saintess was the equivalent of the emperor within Elium.

Although she rarely appeared publicly because of her poor health, the Saintess was still the daughter of the great god.

“I will have the temple knights formally submit a complaint to your family.”

At those words, Hans finally came to his senses and immediately bowed his head.

“I-I apologize! I had no idea you were the Saintess! I have committed a grave offense!”

I have to admit, wearing authority had its own charm.

I looked down at him leisurely, as if saying, Go ahead, keep talking.

“I’m sorry! I’m truly sorry! I failed to recognize you, Saintess. I have committed an unforgivable sin.”

The word “expulsion” must have been floating around in his head right now.

Being expelled from Elium meant being practically banished from noble society.

If his family had even one son who could replace him, they might very well throw him out of the family.

“Please! Please forgive me, Saintess!”

He begged before me, forgetting even his pride.

“There is something you need to receive before my forgiveness.”

At my cold words, he hurriedly lifted his head.

“What is that?”

I pointed my finger toward Daisy.

“An apology from the victim comes first.”

At my words, he inhaled sharply.

The Saintess stood above not only him but even his entire family.

However, most priestesses were daughters of commoners.

Even among noble families, only daughters of insignificant viscount-level families or lower usually volunteered to become priestesses.

From his perspective, being forced to apologize to the apprentice priestess he had intended to casually lure out for a drink that night must have seemed absurd.

“I-I wasn’t harassing her…”

Just as his lost pride began to rise again along with his sense of injustice, I narrowed my eyes and asked:

“Are you saying that my eyes and ears, which are accompanied by the nine gods, are mistaken?”

“……!”

Only then did he hurriedly bow his head toward Daisy.

“I-I’m sorry!”

Daisy’s black eyes shimmered, as if she had never expected to receive an apology.

It seemed the situation was settled.

I glanced back at the maids and ordered:

“Bring me the books behind that man. Collection of Imperial Banquets and Etiquette for Imperial Banquets.”

I had come to the library to get some fresh air instead of simply ordering the maids to bring them, and I thought it was rather annoying that I had ended up dealing with this troublesome incident.

And at that moment, the blue dialogue window appeared before my eyes again.

[The Primordial Beings who were bored have developed a deep curiosity toward your sense of justice.]

[The Primordial Beings who were bored have developed a deep curiosity toward your will.]

[‘Divine Oracle’ has been unlocked. You can now receive divine revelations.]

[You have become the first person capable of receiving divine revelations through acquired means.]

[The Primordial Beings have developed a deep curiosity toward your existence.]

‘Divine Oracle’ has been unlocked?

‘What… exactly is this?’

I stared blankly at the messages.

For a moment, it seemed like the messages had stopped.

Then, like an explosion, countless messages began pouring out.

[Divine Oracle Lv.1]