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The birth of a new saint is just around the corner.

Having two saints existing in a single era is an unprecedented event in history.

With the pope’s inauguration ceremony scheduled, the canonization ceremony transcended the mere notion of a mainstream religious event.

Throughout history, religious power has always clashed with state power.

Religious leaders have perceived secularism and materialism as pollutants of the human spirit, while political leaders have argued for a separation of politics from the sanctity of religion.

The same holds true in this region.

Conservative clerics and the religious leaders who support them. A rigid social structure shaped by doctrine and law. A solid base of support under the name of faith. Saints, by virtue of their existence, occupy an inviolable realm.

Within the religion, winds of change and reform struggle to arise, and anything resembling a revolution is utterly impossible.

Thus, the majority anticipated that even with a new pope, significant changes—whether religious or political—would not occur within the cult.

However, there was a variable even renowned politicians and scholars had not anticipated.

That was the birth of a new saint.

In other words,

The emergence of a new saint, which breaks the axiom that “only one saint can exist,” signifies the rise of new religious power.

While slight, it hinted at the potential for a generational shift within the cult.

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Episode 14 – One Religion, One Faith, Two Saints

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Two days.

Exactly 48 hours remain until the canonization ceremony.

A lot has transpired over the past few days. Or rather, it was inevitable.

First, the diplomatic delegations arrived at Lateran.

“How many have arrived?”

“I counted up to 117, but gave up after that. It seems all the major players have finally shown up.”

From the Mauritania continent to the southern nations, distant eastern lands, and island nations, most of the delegations invited to the canonization ceremony have set foot in the holy land of Lateran.

As grand as the scale of the canonization ceremony, the attendees were equally impressive.

The crown prince and king of a historic dynasty, a powerful president with over 30 years of political experience, a prime minister who has successfully been reelected and maintained a cabinet for nearly a decade, and the leader of a dictatorship elected with a vote count that rivals Russian elections…

Combined with the cult believers flocking from around the globe, the once tranquil atmosphere of the holy site transformed into a melting pot of races in an instant.

I peered out the window at the bustling streets, sticking out my tongue.

Police controlling traffic and crowds, tourists huddled together following guides holding flags.

Photographers clicking away and reporters fiddling with their hair in front of magic imaging equipment. Politicians accompanied by bureaucrats and interpreters running around, sweating profusely.

This wasn’t a canonization ceremony; it resembled an expo!

“Wow, I thought it was a UN assembly.”

“Wh-what?”

“Just talking to myself.”

Heads of state and officials from various countries didn’t arrive early out of boredom. International events inherently serve as platforms for unity, and government events are akin to a high-end job market.

The heads of state and policymakers attending the canonization ceremony had a frantic schedule.

Even casual greetings and fleeting gestures carried laden meanings, while interpreters scrambled to keep up with the rapid-fire foreign languages.

When such international events unfold, the first place to bear the brunt is always the embassies set up locally, which is why diplomats stationed at the cult dashed around frantically.

I was no exception.

“You look quite worn out.”

“I lost sleep working through the night.”

The social club favored by diplomats, exhibitions attended by the ambassador’s wives, meetings with security officials responsible for the safety of the canonization ceremony, a forum featuring a professor of international relations with an extensive background in diplomacy and security, and receptions hosted by the embassy, among others.

As I roamed the event sites, stifling yawns, I suddenly turned my head at the prickly sensation on my skin.

At the end of that gaze was a power figure of the cult, frowning at me with a scowl.

“…What’s the matter?”

Veronica gazed at me with arms crossed and eyes brimming with discontent.

“What?”

“I heard you were partying all night at the embassy’s celebration, Colonel. It seems that drinking isn’t even considered leisure for us?”

Veronica’s fierce demeanor was something to behold.

Her disheveled hair, dark circles under her eyes. Despite employing her alluring looks and the magic of makeup, there was no hiding the fatigue etched on her face.

Half a living corpse, Veronica clenched a fountain pen in her fist and muttered, “Some of us are stuck dealing with the old geezers while others are out drinking and living it up…”

“Hey! I didn’t go there just to drink, you know?”

“I already know you requested to join from the diplomats, even though you weren’t on the list.”

“Caught me.”

“Geez, really. I don’t understand why you take on work that’s not even yours…”

Indeed.

Veronica was drowning in hefty responsibilities. As someone who has experienced a canonization ceremony firsthand, she endeavored to advise her successor, Lucia, ensuring that her beloved sister’s ceremony concludes successfully.

Of course, Veronica’s tasks weren’t limited to the canonization ceremony. She had to prepare for the pope’s inauguration ceremony afterward too.

With four power figures within the cult and three of them currently absent, what do you think happens when foreign leaders and officials flood in?

Regardless of the matter, someone with the least workload, suitable for interactions with visiting dignitaries, should step forward.

And from the so-called dignitaries and those ‘of rank’ who fit that criterion, the most obvious choice was none other than—

“Why do I have to do this?!”

Veronica exclaimed.

—

People adapt without a doubt.

Yet because environments can shift like a reed bending in the wind, circumstances may change rapidly before an individual can accurately adjust.

When faced with such rapid changes that seem hard to accept, people generally exhibit one of two behaviors.

Either they grit their teeth and stubbornly endure to adapt to change, or they fail to adapt and express their anger.

Veronica chose the latter.

“Ugh!”

Veronica abruptly stood up, throwing objects around her.

A fountain pen went flying and bounced on impact! Given the force and the ink splattering everywhere, it seemed to be broken beyond repair.

I gazed at the expensive fountain pen now rolling at my feet.

Roughly worth several million won, it was a dream pen coveted by anyone who’s ever laid hands on a fountain pen in this town, now shattered thanks to its owner’s violent outburst.

Should I mourn for the destruction of such a luxurious pen? Should I envy the wealth of a cleric who can destroy it out of spite?

I’m not sure, but one fact was unmistakable: she was clearly not done venting her rage.

The cleric of the cult, Veronica let out a stream of fire, “Even if I usually slack off, throwing out work during busy times—this is unacceptable!”

“Who exactly passed this work onto you?”

“Who else could it be? It’s obviously those old geezers!”

Veronica claimed that the upper-tier clerics, the bishops and cardinals, had offloaded their work onto her. She recounted the scenario:

“When I said I’d help Lucia prepare for the canonization, at first, everyone acted like something strange was happening.”

“And then?”

“But once I started working, those geezers started dumping more tasks on me! It began with canonization-related stuff, but slowly they kept pushing more responsibilities onto me, right up to the preparations for the inauguration ceremony and beyond!”

“Responsibilities?”

“Budget planning for the inauguration, managing the venue’s landscaping, coordinating festival schedules, receiving heads of state, and all that.”

“……”

That’s not small fry work, you lunatic.

Words rose to my throat, but I swallowed them down to calm my burning insides.

“Why were such critical matters being handled by bishops or cardinals? You should naturally be responsible for them, and isn’t that really your duty …?”

“It was originally, but I’d been slacking for years, so they begged to be assigned to them.”

Staring at Veronica, who proclaimed this so confidently, I found myself blinking repeatedly.

She showed up out of the blue, sobbing about how tough things are while displaying her irritation,

While criticizing the priests and throwing her fountain pen in a fit of rage, it all stemmed from her own doing.

Was this the thing?

“…….”

Feeling the warm heat rise to my scalp, I took a deep breath and unleashed my roar.

“Hey, you crazy brat!”

Veronica, who had been pouting and grumbling, was taken aback.

“W-What’s wrong…?”

“That was supposed to be your job! But you’re passing it off on someone else and complaining about it?”

She flinched. For a moment, her body trembled.

“W-What did I do wrong? Do you think I want to do things no one asks for, like Colonel?”

With both hands clenched tightly to her chest, Veronica shouted back.

“The Colonel goes to events, parties, and writes documents without anyone telling him! I don’t even want to do what others order me to do!”

“Is that supposed to be a brag?”

“No, whether it’s a brag or not! I’m a Saint, not a slave to work day and night!”

“Then am I a slave to the government?”

“Oh? Aren’t civil servants supposed to be slaves…?”

“This isn’t going to work by talking. Come here. Just one hit, let’s say.”

I was just about to catch Veronica, who was trying to run away from the light slap on the head.

Knock-knock. Someone was urgently knocking on the hotel room door. As soon as the knocking stopped, the voice of a hotel staff member came through the door.

“Colonel. I apologize for disturbing your rest, but….”

“What’s the matter?”

“I just got a call from the Cardinal of the National Affairs Council. He asked if you know anything about Saint Veronica’s whereabouts. I couldn’t get the details, but it seems urgent.”

“Yikes…!”

Veronica’s face turned pale at the news that the Holy See was looking for her. Just seconds ago, she had been dodging me here and there, and now she quickly grabbed my hand and pleaded.

“Please don’t say I’m here….”

“…….”

“If they come to check inside, don’t let them in at all. No, just don’t open the door!”

Veronica said this and hid herself under the bed. Not just hiding, but she completely crawled under, making sure to be well concealed.

I couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh as I watched her struggling to avoid capture.

“Sigh….”

*

After luring Veronica out with the promise that I wouldn’t inform the National Affairs Council, I handed her over to the clergy who had come to meet me.

“How could you do this to me! Huh!?”

“Saint! This is inappropriate!”

“Ah! Let go! Where are you touching me!?”

I waved a passionate goodbye as Veronica was surrounded by nuns and getting into the vehicle.

With that, my long and arduous time with Veronica came to an end.

When I returned to my hotel room, worn out,

“Yo!”

Camila, sprawled on the bed and reading a book, raised her hand in greeting.

“What is it? Why are you in my room, Camila?”

“I came to hang out.”

Camila grinned and made a joke.

“I heard you went to check on your grave and returned alive.”

“I didn’t like the spot, okay? That said, it’s already been a few days since that was brought up, and you’re still talking about it?”

“It’s interesting! You said it in such a serious tone, and then came back in less than three hours.”

Just moments ago, the bed that Veronica had hid under was now occupied by her, happily munching on snacks.

While I was organizing the documents on the table, Camila rolled around on the bed, turning her head sideways and resting her cheek on the pillow.

“You seem really busy these days?”

“Were there ever times I wasn’t busy?”

“That’s not it.”

Camila continued with a mischievous look.

“Since you got here, you’ve only been working. But in a way, this is tourism too.”

We participated in the canonization ceremony as Lucia’s companions, but unlike the busy Lucia preparing for the ceremony, we didn’t really need to do anything.

The oracle had specified companions to ensure that the northern conflict concluded smoothly and to celebrate the achievements of demon extermination. The Empire and the cult highly valued these contributions, inviting us first and foremost as VIP guests to the ceremony.

So, we essentially came to Lateran as guests.

“Stop working and take a break. Or let’s have some fun together. There’s way more to do here than you’d think. Lots to see.”

Camila rolled around on the bed, chattering about everything that had happened.

She shared how diplomats had recently come to her bearing precious gifts and how a mountain of gifts had piled up at the Ivory Tower addressed to Francesca. She described the beauty of the historical heritage of the streets and how awe-inspiring the centuries-old cathedral was.

“The food’s decent too, and there’s plenty to enjoy. Yesterday, Francesca and I went to a restaurant that’s supposed to have amazing pasta, but the spaghetti tasted like pasta tossed in ketchup, and Francesca got mad.”

“Sounds entertaining.”

“Then come out with me. If you keep working like this, you’ll wear yourself out. I once didn’t sleep while volunteering in Iraq and it took a toll on me, so I know.”

Thanks to the care from the cult, I could safely send my clothes for laundry. Even after thoroughly checking my suit and accessories, no listening devices were detected.

I glanced at my cleaned suit and replied.

“I prefer working to resting.”

“Is that why you go to parties every day? Because you love enjoying yourself?”

“Ugh, not this again… I’m not going for the sake of enjoyment.”

“Really?”

“…Well, I might enjoy a little.”

Camila laughed heartily at my half-hearted response.

“Stop lying. I know you went to work even after saying that. You should take it easy for a while. Honestly, you deserve a break, right?”

“I’m busy organizing traffic because so many people want to meet you. I’ll probably need to shortlist a few soon, can you help me review that if you have free time?”

“If I review it, will I get to take a break?”

“Break? What break? I have to prepare for the next deployment.”

“Deployment?”

Camila, who had been sprawled on the bed, shot up with sparkling eyes at the mention of deployment.

“When? Where to?”

“It’s not confirmed yet, but the Mauritania Continent is a strong candidate.”

“Oh, like the one that’s similar to the Middle East…?”

“More like a blend of the Middle East and Africa. Essentially, it’s a complete mess.”

Rebels are crouching in the highlands, hordes of monsters run across the plains, and every now and then, a coup d’état erupts.

It’s a chaotic place, but there’s something important.

“I believe the next companion specified by the oracle is over there.”

On the day Camila was summoned, another figure appeared in the oracle, and that figure was in the Mauritania Continent.

“Are you sure?”

“It seems likely.”

“What’s the basis for that ‘likelihood’?”

“I have relatively sure evidence. It’s complicated to explain, but it’s a conclusion put together by the cult and various companies from that region.”

“Hmm… Finding one person in a continent that’s much larger than Africa….”

Camila, who had just murmured, lay back on the bed, seeming troubled.

“Finding a needle in a haystack, huh?”

“That’s how this job usually is. You’ll get used to it the more you face it.”

“I know that, but… First, let’s address the reality in front of us before thinking about the future.”

After saying something that sounded insightful, she stood up again with a playful tone.

“So are we resting or not? The canonization ceremony is only three days away, and the outside is buzzing with festivals.”

Then she added jokingly.

“If you say no again, I’ll set something on fire.”

“Just a joke, right?”

“…….”

“…It’s a joke, right…?”

Ultimately, I reluctantly accepted Camila’s suggestion.

It wasn’t just an ordinary joke.

 

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