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The man in black spoke in a cold and blunt tone.

“I’ll give you one chance. Explain why I shouldn’t throw you to those rude guests.”

“Huff, ha. First… let me… catch my breath…”

“…….”

“Haaah, phew. I came to make a deal.”

The fundamental rule of negotiation is to never show intimidation, regardless of the opponent.

However, it seemed I had misjudged the starting line.

The man stared at me intently.

My face felt hot, but I decided not to lose my composure.

Fortunately, the man seemed disinterested in pointing out my physical state.

“A deal? You, who can’t even take care of yourself, think you have something to offer me?”

“Don’t worry about that. I can give you something much bigger than you think. Rather, let me ask you this—why did you save Razen back then?”

It was a crucial question.

Why had this man saved Razen?

Despite saving our lives, why did he maintain such an indifferent attitude?

Without knowing the answer, I couldn’t move forward.

“Could it be that you are mistaken about that? I didn’t particularly have any sympathy for you. As I said, I didn’t care whether you lived or died.”

“So, why did you save us despite being so indifferent?”

“Hmm.”

“It wasn’t your decision, was it? Someone else told you to keep us alive, right?”

The man fell silent. He seemed to be contemplating whether to speak or not.

“I don’t particularly want to talk about it.”

“Just say it. Killing me wouldn’t be hard for you, right? Even if you just leave, I’ll die.”

“Well, you’re not wrong. Fine. Your guess is correct. I received a few requests. One of them was to help you in a critical moment, just once.”

“Let me meet that person.”

“Impossible.”

His response was firm, drawing a clear line.

He didn’t seem like someone who would make a cheap deal.

Despite everything, I was the one being dragged without any leverage.

If the conversation dragged on, this man would leave immediately. I needed to reveal my hand first.

“Then you don’t have to say it. There must be reasons within the Hibras Church too, right?”

“Hmmm.”

“I don’t know much about the Hibras deity. All I learned outside was that Hibras is the god of rest. The priests usually oversaw funerals, and naturally, the Church lost its power and disappeared.”

“Uninvited guests are nearby. They are wary of me now, but it would be better for you to get to the point quickly. I don’t intend to get involved in troublesome matters.”

“You’ll have to get involved now. I can solve the reason why your Church had to disappear.”

No Answer Came Back,

But neither did a denial.

That meant it was as good as an affirmation.

If what I said was just an absurd fantasy, that heartless man would have disappeared without listening to the whole thing.

The mere fact that he was listening meant he was quite interested in my words.

This was not just any topic, but one concerning the deity he served.

A baptized priest or paladin couldn’t ignore this subject.

“You didn’t have a saintess to receive the power of your god. Forget a saintess, you didn’t even have a proper priest to handle the power. It’s only natural. How could a tainted mortal fully accept ‘death’?”

Theology teaches that mortals who receive stigmata are influenced by the divine.

A ruthless mercenary becomes a benevolent priest, and a war priest becomes a fine soldier.

However, Hibras’ divinity is death.

It was inherently difficult to find a priest compatible with it.

Even if they did find one, they often died young.

In the end, the Hibras Church remained a textbook example of “how a Church that cannot show miracles collapses and disappears.”

The god bestows mercy on this land, and the believers offer their faith, becoming the foundation for the god. It was the fundamental teaching of all faiths.

Conversely, a god who does not bestow miracles and does not receive faith is bound to be forgotten.

“A vessel that can receive the divinity of rest is rare. If you can’t receive the divinity without resistance, you’ll be consumed by death. I can solve that problem.”

“It’s an interesting proposal, but it doesn’t seem like something you can do.”

“The way you’re talking, you haven’t heard who I am, have you?”

I felt his gaze travel from my head to my toes, assessing me.

There was a hint of mockery in his eyes. As if to say, someone like me was nothing.

“Indeed. I don’t know you. Just as I don’t ask for the names of corpses.”

“You’re cold. If I become a corpse, it’ll be troublesome for you too.”

I proudly puffed out my chest.

Though I wore tattered clothes and looked wretched, it didn’t matter. I believed that dignity didn’t come from appearance.

“You don’t know me, so let me introduce myself.”

Expensive jewels are priced based on their rarity rather than their beauty.

People talk about the beauty of jewels, but in reality, they’re intoxicated by their value.

And I was the only one of my kind in this world.

“My name is Sirien Eilencia.”

Look at me.

This mud-covered girl will become your jewel.

“The Sword of the Empire—the legitimate daughter and rightful heir of Duke Eilencia.”

Though useless in this forest, my status hadn’t vanished.

My name alone had the power to sway the western dominion of the Empire.

If I sat on the throne and poured in strong support, I could forcibly revive your Church.

“The sole heir of the highest and purest blood.”

Is that all?

If a member of House Eilencia received divinity, they would at least become a bishop, and in some cases, even a saintess or saint.

The imperial family interferes with our baptism ceremony, fearing that the grand ducal house will become too powerful with the church’s help.

That’s how unparalleled Eilencia’s suitability for divinity is.

Divinity corrupts mortals because the vessel isn’t pure. The natural blemish of mana—like a winding river eroded by water currents, the flow of divinity erodes and changes humans.

Hibras’ divinity also drove priests to death in this process of corruption, but it wasn’t because the god harbored malice. However, I had no such blemish.

“...A pureblood, you say. Are you confident you can fully accept divinity?”

“In theory, it’s possible. From a divine perspective, I’m the cleanest vessel in this world. I can receive the baptism of any god and accept all divinities perfectly.”

“It’s just a theory.”

“I haven’t done it yet. But I assure you, if I can’t do it, no one can. And I’m the only direct descendant of Eilencia left.”

The Man in Black Fell Silent

In the meantime, I felt movement in the bushes.

Those who had been pressuring me with time were now the ones running against the clock.

The man’s eyes wrinkled as if the noise annoyed him. I feigned composure, watching his reaction.

Yes. Try killing me.

If I die, Razen will be in danger too, and if Razen dies, I have no intention of living either.

Though I couldn’t follow Hena immediately... after offering Count Roxen’s head to everyone, I could rest peacefully.

The man snapped at me.

“If you cannot accept the divinity, the price will be death. A death without even a final word.”

“That’s right. But neither of us has a choice, do we?”

I didn’t know what the Hibras Church was doing, holed up in this forest. But I knew they wouldn’t be pleased with the situation.

The reason Hibras became a ‘textbook example of Church extinction’ in theology was because they tried every effort to revive the Church.

They were quite passionate about expanding their influence.

Even now, if they could, they would want to go out and spread their faith.

So, this man didn’t really have a choice. If he was associated with the Hibras Church, he could never ignore my proposal.

Of course, I didn’t have a choice either.

I needed their help. This man’s strength and the divine power or healing that could save Razen were crucial.

Especially if saving Razen meant becoming this wretched Church’s saintess, I would do it as many times as needed.

“It’s not up to you to decide whether to accept my deal. It’s up to the god you serve. From this moment on, you are obligated to guide me to the altar.”

“Do not command me. You are not yet the saintess of this Church.”

“But I will be. I will become your saintess.”

The man slowly drew his sword.

His gaze had shifted beyond me, likely towards my enemies.

I pulled a dagger from my bosom and held it to my neck.

He told me not to, but I had no choice but to command him.

“If you understand, kill all those chasing me. If not, I’ll take my own life right here.”

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