Chapter 26: the Disappearance of Saint Meldiana [Side: Meldiana]│Read translated stories and daily updates at: Awebstories.com
Upon her return to the royal capital, Saint Meldiana forced her way back to her family residence, the Marquise of Claudis, as she was not feeling well.
She locked herself in her room, allowing only a few of her servants to enter and not revealing herself to anyone.
Church officials visited Meldiana several times and urged her to stay in the church to recover, but she never complied and never showed herself. Even the next duke, her fiancé.
“Meldiana, Meldiana, my sweet Meldiana.”
Her father, the Acting Marquis, called out to Meldiana once more today, in front of his daughter’s room.
“What’s the problem? You’ve spent the entire day in your room. Everyone is concerned. The priests are expecting you. Prove to them the miracle.”
“…Oto-sama.”
The Acting Marquis was glad to hear his beloved daughter’s voice coming from inside the room.
The Acting Marquis entered joyfully, slowly opening the door from the inside.
“What gives, Meldiana, in such a dark room… and the way you look…”
The room is dark with no curtains.
Meldiana stood at the center, her entire body shrouded in a veil.
Her hair was barely visible through the veil, and her skin and face were completely hidden.
“…Is Oto-sama on my side?”
“Of course. I’ll always be on your side. Meldiana, my dear.”
“…Really?”
“Yes, I will protect you.”
“…Even if I look like this?!”
Meldiana carefully removes the veil. With thin, gloved fingers.
“Ugh… Oh, my God!”
The acting Marquise collapses to the floor, as if he has seen the devil.
“That figure… Me-Me-Meldiana…”
“… It’s Oneesama’s fault!”
“Is it because of Lysette?”
“Yes! Absolutely everything! It’s all on Oneesama! And that damn Dark Elf!”
Meldiana snarls at the trembling Marquess, who is shaking from the waist down.
The dark elf said to Meldiana.
[I’ve made it possible for the life force of nearby humans to be converted into Saint power. You can now bless them…]
Meldiana interpreted this as utilizing the life force of another human being nearby. Everyone would be delighted to devote their lives to Saint Meldiana.
Keeping this in mind, she continued to fortify the barrier.
All the way back to the capital.
Meldiana had no doubt that the ceremony would go off without a hitch, that the suspicion against her would be lifted, and that she would be a saint for many years to come.
The future looked bright, and there was nothing but joy.
—And yet!
Meldiana finally realized her mistake when she noticed the changes in her body.
Instead of depriving the lifeforce of humans near Meldiana, the Dark Elf deprived the lifeforce of those closest to the sacred mark. In other words, Meldiana herself, the host of the sacred mark.
When Meldiana got back to the Royal Capital, she quickly covered herself and ran back to the Marquis’ house.
Nobody else could possibly be aware of these physical changes. She was unable to use her power any longer.
She regretted using her power to strengthen the barrier.
—I’d go back in time if I could!
“Unforgivable… Unforgivable… That Dark Elf. Lysette… I’m not going to forgive them; I’ll never forgive them!”
She bit the veil. Meldiana’s rage will not subside until she has slashed the Dark Elf in half, murdered Lysette, and reverted to her original form.
“Oto-sama, take out the carriage!”
“W-What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to Norun! I’ll be the perfect Saint if I kill Oneesama! I’ll place a bounty on her head and ensure that those filthy adventurers kill her! I’m not going to stop until I see it with my own eyes!”
If a large bounty is placed on Lysette’s head in Norun Dungeon territory.
Adventurers will flock in droves to Lysette’s head.
Lysette has no way out, either inside or outside the dungeon.
Meldiana is dead set on seeing her die.
“Oto-sama—you won’t leave me—right? If you do, I’m sure I’ll bring up Oto-sama and Dark Elf as well.”
“…”
Black magic is prohibited. The Church punishes anyone who is involved in it.
If it is discovered that the forbidden art was used to rip the sacred mark from the original saint, Lysette, and transfer it to another person, the perpetrator, the Acting Marquise, and Meldiana will be held accountable.
There is only one way out of this situation for the Acting Marquise.
Lysette’s existence should be erased from the world.
To make Meldiana into the perfect Saint.
“For both the house and Oto-sama. Oneesama will undoubtedly understand… Fufufu, let’s go kill her, Oto-sama.”
On that day, the church messengers were on their way to the Marquise’s house when they came across a black carriage driving in the opposite direction at high speed.
And the saint vanished from the royal capital that day.