Chapter 120: Two Conditions

I was wondering what Arthur was scheming, and now it was clear—he intended to openly discredit me and pull me down.

If Rosetta had been the Saintess, he would have shielded her instead.

“If the Saintess were part of the Imperial family, all the nobles gathered here would have been saved by my efforts. But now, thanks to a selfish Duke, nothing can be accomplished.”

“Crown Prince, your words are harsh.”

The Emperor, who had remained silent until now, finally rebuked Arthur.

“Your Majesty, what I’m saying is not wrong. While the ignorant commoners outside the castle may not understand, at the very least, the pure-blooded nobles gathered here should be saved. Yet the Saintess is utterly useless, making this situation all the more frustrating.”

“Your Highness, are you intending to draw swords with me?”

Xavier’s voice, calm but brimming with suppressed anger, echoed through the air.

“Of course not. But isn’t it true, Duke Xavier?”

Arthur deliberately twisted his lips, provoking Xavier.

“That’s…”

“It would have been different if the Saintess Yuria and I had been married.”

I tugged on Xavier’s sleeve.

‘Just this once, let it go.’

Xavier glanced down at me and reluctantly closed his mouth. Smart as he was, he didn’t fall for Arthur’s provocation.

But someone else did. The nobles, who had been listening intently, began to stir.

The reception hall turned into chaos, filled with voices both criticizing and expecting things from the Saintess. Eventually, high-ranking nobles with titles similar to Xavier’s began to openly criticize him.

“We must retrieve the Saintess from this selfish Duke!”

“The Saintess exists for the Empire, and her marriage to the Duke itself is the problem.”

“Why does the Duke refuse to let the Saintess go in such a dire situation?”

As the atmosphere grew more hostile, the Emperor stepped in to mediate.

“Arthur, enough. Even if what you say is true, until a cure is found, the Saintess remains the Empire’s only hope. Do not be disrespectful any further. We shall take a short recess.”

Meanwhile, Arthur’s smile toward me deepened.

＊

A brief break was given to refresh the tense atmosphere of the meeting. The nobles, casting glances in my direction, whispered among themselves.

“How can the Saintess be so useless?”

“What if the Beast Kingdom invades during this time?”

“Wouldn’t they also get infected by the plague?”

“This must be the curse of Goddess Maha. Those creatures might already be cursed and unaffected.”

“Just as the Crown Prince suggested, we should have wiped out the Beast Kingdom long ago.”

“Indeed. The Duke is monopolizing the Saintess, and that’s why the country is in this state!”

“Shh!”

Xavier’s piercing glare silenced them, and they slinked behind the pillars. Beside me, I could hear the sound of his teeth grinding.

“I held back because you asked me to, but one day I’ll have to teach them a lesson about their tongues. But why didn’t you mention the preservation elixir?”

“It’s not too late to reveal it after understanding Crown Prince Arthur’s intentions.”

“I know, but it’s infuriating to see him deliberately belittling you. And to talk about marriage, no less!”

“Why are you acting so unlike yourself after holding back so well? Isn’t the Commander usually calm and composed?”

“When it comes to you, I end up like this.”

At that moment, the Crown Prince approached me. I gestured to Xavier to stay calm and moved to a quieter spot with fewer people.

As expected, Arthur followed me. The way he slithered closer, like a snake, sent chills down my spine.

“Your Eminence.”

“Your Highness.”

Taking a deep breath, I turned with a smile to face him. He was still smiling with his eyes.

“I was too harsh earlier. Did I offend you?”

“Of course you did. You humiliated me so thoroughly.”

“Oh dear. You’re quite upset. But it’s all because I care for you. Let me help you.”

“…Ah, just a moment.”

“Your Eminence?”

I turned my head slightly, pretending to wipe away tears, then faced him again.

“Yes. At first, I was very angry. But now, I admit it. I’m so incompetent. People must criticize me for it, right? Seeing the situation as it is, I regret not listening to Your Highness earlier.”

“I’m glad you’ve finally understood my intentions.”

Arthur took a step closer.

From afar, I saw Xavier flinch, but I signaled him with a blink to stay put.

“Your Eminence, just say the word, and I’ll help you escape this situation.”

“Can I trust you? But… the ways to use the Saintess’s holy power are so limited.”

“Don’t worry. I have a way. All it takes is one word from you, saying you’ll come to me.”

“Really?”

Arthur’s gaze grew more intense. The emotions emanating from him were overwhelming, but I endured them with effort.

Finally, Arthur spoke.

“I know of an herb that can serve as a cure.”

“What?”

As expected!

The Crown Prince was a regressor!

I didn’t know why he had returned to this twisted version of the original story.

That bastard. He knew and yet, instead of preparing for it, all he wanted was to use the Saintess for his own gain?

Arthur, misunderstanding the fury in my eyes, smiled brightly, baring his teeth.

“At last, you’re looking at me.”

“Yes. I can finally see clearly. Your Highness, what is this herb?”

“You haven’t said you’ll come to me yet.”

“Ah.”

“I need to keep my final card. If you’re serious, declare in front of everyone during the meeting that you’ll come to me.”

“But I’m a married woman.”

“In such extraordinary times, no one will blame us. Even Xavier won’t be able to stop me.”

Arthur smiled and turned to return to the throne as the Emperor prepared to reconvene the meeting, staff in hand.

“Your Highness! At least give me a hint so I can be sure.”

“Goddess Maha surely knows. She must always have her eyes on that herb.”

“What do you mean?”

I pretended to grasp at the air in desperation as Arthur walked away, smiling with satisfaction.

‘As I thought, Lonicera is the cure.’

I barely managed to suppress my rage at his selfishness as I watched him. After Arthur whispered something to the Emperor, the latter’s surprise was evident.

“Is it done?”

“Yes. Xavier, I’m sorry.”

“This won’t happen again. I almost drew my sword on the Crown Prince.”

“You did well holding back.”

I held Xavier’s hand tightly in reassurance. His large hand gripped mine even more firmly.

The Emperor, his expression composed, raised his staff and struck it against the marble floor.

“The meeting will now resume. The Saintess has something to say about this matter.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. As the Crown Prince mentioned, the Saintess’s abilities are limited. Despite their excellence, they lack efficiency. Therefore…”

Arthur leaned forward, clearly expecting me to announce my separation from Xavier.

Instead, I deliberately tightened my grip on Xavier’s hand and raised my voice, addressing everyone.

“I have developed a holy power preservation elixir that can provide holy power to everyone and have donated it to the temple.”

“What!”

Arthur’s loud voice reverberated through the reception hall. He shot up from his seat, trembling with rage, his venomous expression shocking everyone present.

“Of course, the supply must have run out by now. Until I resupply, even if you visit the temple, you won’t be able to receive it. However, I take this opportunity to announce that if His Majesty agrees to a contract with me, the elixir will be provided free of charge to the poor and distributed to nobles under the condition of a donation to the temple.”

“Is this true? But this is the first I’ve heard of it…”

Even the Emperor, startled, rose from his seat. He glanced sideways at his son, who was trembling like a leaf.

“Were you expecting me to say something else?”

“N-no.”

“Or did I need the Imperial family’s permission to create the elixir with my abilities? In such ‘extraordinary’ circumstances?”

I threw Arthur’s own words back at him.

His golden eyes twisted in fury as he glared at me.

“Hmm, if it’s a donation, that’s acceptable.”

Though the Emperor’s expression was displeased, he couldn’t refute my words and agreed.

“The Imperial family will proceed with a contract with Saintess Yuria. If it can save the people from the plague, it must be done.”

Unlike Arthur, the Emperor was pragmatic and cared for the Empire. Whether it was out of love for his people or for the nobles who constituted the Empire, I couldn’t say.

“And may I propose two conditions for the contract?”

“Two conditions?”

“Yes. But first, please dismiss everyone except His Majesty, Duke Xavier, and myself.”

“Understood. Everyone, leave.”

At the Emperor’s command, Arthur clenched his teeth and exited behind the curtain of the throne. The nobles also left the grand reception hall, and the attendants closed the doors behind them.

Now, only Xavier, the Emperor, and I remained in the vast hall.

“Now, tell me. What are these two conditions?”

“First, I request a lifetime portal pass.”

“A portal?”

“The distance limitations on using holy power are too restrictive. Alternatively, could you assign me the palace magitech engineer?”

“That’s… an excellent idea.”

The Emperor shot Xavier a disapproving look for his agreement, but Xavier didn’t flinch.

Given the weather, traveling to the temple or treating the plague was difficult, and long journeys by carriage were exhausting. This condition was born out of necessity.

“That’s not difficult. I’ll provide you with a portable portal device for regular use.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t use it too often. It’s costly.”

“Yes, I’ll only use it when absolutely necessary.”

I was both advancing the public good and satisfying my own needs—a win-win situation.

The Emperor, quite decisive, summoned the chief chamberlain and handed me a portable portal device.

Looking as though he’d aged five years, the Emperor asked me again.

“What is the second condition?”

“Grant me exclusive distribution rights for the holy power preservation elixir.”

“Exclusive rights? Does that include the Beast Kingdom?”

“Yes. That way, the Empire can also receive the preservation elixir.”

“……”

The Emperor hesitated. Earlier, he had been startled, but now he seemed angry.

Honestly, I wanted to push for a peace treaty with the Beast Kingdom, but that was too ambitious a condition. Even securing exclusive rights wouldn’t be easy.

In that case, I had to play my trump card.

“If not, I won’t distribute the elixir to the Imperial family…”