Chapter 84: Mistaken for a Saint (2) |
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The night two saints were decided upon in the Apostle Palace of the Holy Kingdom.
In the Imperial Castle, the heart of Sanctum Hill in the Imperial Capital, lay the Board of Inspection.
A department that always maintained Neutrality in the Political World of the Empire, where various Factions existed, a department that protected the Empire from the shadows by inspecting and mediating all sorts of disputes and unsavory incidents.
To put it more simply, it was the Intelligence Department that policed the Empire's interior.
The lights in the Office of the Head of the Board of Inspection, Intelligence Department, Division 3, remained on late into the night.
Clatter.
In that silent Office, a Fountain pen tipped over and rolled across the Table.
"..."
Michael Hausen.
In his 30s. Single.
A man whose abilities were acknowledged at a young age, earning him the Title of Nobility of Marquis and the position of Head of the Inspection Department.
A Lazy Elite who handled his work flawlessly but lacked motivation in all things, with a social life that was practically nonexistent.
This was the extent of his reputation among the nobles.
And now, he was half-buried in an Armchair, rolling a Peppermint candy in his mouth.
'How troublesome...'
Michael slumped into the Sofa and ran a hand through his hair.
As he lowered his gaze, he saw three sets of documents laid out on his desk.
His weary gaze swept over the documents.
Soon, he picked up the letter on the far right side.
In the top left corner of the letter was the Seal of the Holy King.
In the top right side corner was the Seal of the Heresy Inquisition.
===========================
Cooperation Request from the Heresy Inquisition
Prior to the Canonization of the two individuals described below,
we request a final inspection for any Flaws in their past Deeds that might tarnish the Honor of the Order,
and furthermore, request cooperation in conducting a Large-scale Perception Alteration Ritual to erase the Worldly Traces of these two individuals from the public’s perceived Record.
— Canonization Candidate.
One. Doctor Schnabel — Canonization Name: The Black Saint.
Two. Ayla — Canonization Name: The Saintess of the Lamp.
===========================
Michael, who had been staring at the Document for a long while, let out a deep sigh.
This Document had arrived late this Afternoon.
It was because of what was written on it.
'A request for an inspection and Perception Alteration...'
The inspection itself wasn't very difficult.
After all, conducting inspections was what he normally did.
It was an extension of his usual work: sitting at his Desk, piecing together Evidence sent from the Scene in his head to derive meaningful Information.
The content of the inspection wasn't difficult either.
Just to check if the two people being canonized this time had any serious personality Flaws.
He just needed to confirm that.
As long as the Saintess or Saint wasn't some kind of psychotic serial killer, there was usually no problem,
so the request for an inspection was little more than a formality.
But Perception Alteration was different.
'I've had to do this a lot lately.'
Perception Alteration, along with inspections and dispute mediation, was a primary duty of the Board of Inspection.
It was a process to protect valuable talent for the Empire, or to erase the traces of affairs the Empire had handled covertly.
The problem was that this Perception Alteration could shatter the moment a critical Contradiction was discovered.
That's why what was important in a large-scale Perception Alteration was to delicately adjust memories and traces for each case to avoid any contradictions.
The person at the Board of Inspection who handled this best was Michael.
He was a member of the Imperial Family, but being a Bureaucrat suited his Aptitude, so he had moderately polished his skills to whitewash his Social status as a Bureaucrat,
and before he knew it, he had become a world-class Authority on Perception Alteration.
This was also why he had been able to receive the Title of Nobility of Marquis at such a young age.
The problem was, the Individual Concerned himself hated this Perception Alteration work the most.
The process of collecting all the testimonies, Eyewitness Accounts, and Traces, then naturally altering or adjusting memories without Contradiction, was quite a troublesome task even for him.
Michael washed away his annoyance by Rubbing face with his hands and got up.
Once again, his gaze swept over the Official Request for Cooperation.
'Creating mystique by altering Information...'
The Official Request for Cooperation was a procedure to avoid creating contradictions by clashing with the Board of Inspection during the Perception Alteration process.
It was also to seek the advice of Michael, who was an Expert in this field.
Besides, snooping around in another country without Permission was also a diplomatic Discourtesy.
'Are they trying to create another Saintess like the Saintess of Victory?'
Looking at the official document, the case of a historical Saintess suddenly came to Michael's mind.
The Saintess of Victory.
A Saintess said to have appeared simultaneously on numerous battlefields, spreading hope to Humanity.
The fact that the Saintess had performed great on the battlefield was certain.
This was cross-verified through numerous historical Records.
However, it was likely that the Heresy Inquisition had intervened in her Tales of Heroism and her appearances in places that didn't match the timeline.
The Heresy Inquisition's method was this:
Based on facts, add a few lies to maximize the Miracle.
It seemed they would do the same this time.
Divinity comes from Ambiguity, after all.
They were probably trying to maximize the Great Performance of the Saint and Saintess.
'Have they already started? They say he saved a Patient whose heart had stopped and another who was struck by Lightning.'
From Michael's perspective, it seemed the work had already begun.
A Patient whose entire body was burnt by Lightning. A Patient whose heart had stopped for five minutes.
They said he made them get up and walk.
Of course, it must have been the Heresy Inquisition's intervention.
'I suppose there's no reason to oppose it.'
Michael didn't view the Order's actions in such a negative light.
The Current Situation of Humanity was just too desperate.
People needed hope, and he understood the need to sometimes keep that hope alive with the lie of religious Miracles.
Of course, Michael, who could see the truth of the Miracles so clearly, couldn't have hope.
Nor did he need it.
'I can't stay like this forever. Shall I start sorting the Information then.'
Michael got up and began to check the Information the Board of Inspection had on the Saintess.
The Saintess of the Lamp, Ayla.
A young girl known for her great performance in the recent Tragedy at the North Gate.
According to the Eyewitness Accounts of those around her, she had never once been sick in her life.
During the recent Incident, the number of times she cast Refresh reached into the thousands.
A number that far surpassed what a High-rank Healer could do in a day.
She has never been seen using the Highest grade Divine Magic recorded in the Scripture.
But she performed Miracles equivalent to it.
In the Surgeries she participated in, those with destroyed heads, pierced abdomens, and even one whose heart briefly stopped, all came back to life.
And as she shows the Potential to use the Highest grade Divine Magic in the distant Future, this Condition is also considered met.
Finally, despite never being seen praying, her Divine Power never ran out.
'She meets the Five Principles of a Saintess.'
Michael had this thought as he turned to the next page.
— The girl always carried a Magic Stone Lamp. She passed through every corner of the dark Hospital Ward, illuminating them with its light. The Patients in the Hospital beds visited by that Lamp generally rose from their beds the next day.
— Some of the Patients, after waking from their Hospital beds, testified that an Angel had visited them in their dreams.
"So this is why she is the Saintess of the Lamp."
A truly fitting Sobriquet.
With that brief thought, Michael organized the Information about Ayla.
Michael's Fountain pen began to move.
[Deletable. Deletable. Preservation Class 1. Deletable. Downgrade to Preservation Class 2 then Transfer to the Heresy Inquisition.]
The Document to be sent to the Heresy Inquisition was quickly completed.
Once this was sent, they would use it as a basis to make the Perception Alteration and the Saintess's past Traces much more mysterious.
That she was born from an egg, or that she had won debates on Theology with theologians since childhood.
They would embellish her upbringing with things like that.
'The Virgin Conception setting... won't work.'
Since she has an older sister, they probably can't do that.
Instead, it seemed highly likely they would use the weather records or astronomical records from the day she was born.
Like saying the clouds parted and Sunlight shone only on her house that day, or that the constellations were unusually bright.
— Three Holy Knights dispatched from the Order are scheduled to arrive for the family soon, and after the girl's official Canonization, the remaining family members are scheduled to be relocated to a Residence under the Order's protection.
This information was also attached to the Document.
But it wasn't particularly meaningful Information to Michael.
And so, the matter concerning Ayla was dealt with in an instant.
The problem was what came next.
'...Yulian Schnabel.'
The Black Saint.
Doctor Schnabel.
Known to the public as Director Schun, Michael's Brother-in-law.
His Real Name was Yulian Schnabel.
But even that Real Name was publicly perceived as Yulian Nihilrit.
This was because back when Director Schun created the Vaccine, the name Yulian Schnabel had disappeared from the world as part of his Protective Surveillance.
Instead, the figures of Yulian Nihilrit and Doctor Schnabel newly appeared in the world.
Michael remembered it clearly, as he had been in charge of that task.
It had been such a large-scale Perception Alteration that he had worked overtime for months.
Among them, the Heresy Inquisition was requesting Information about Director Schun.
This wasn't a problem.
Director Schun was a figure who originally wore a mask and only appeared at work, a person with as little social activity as Michael.
If he only handed over the Information on Director Schun, no major Contradiction would arise in the Perception Alteration.
The problem lay elsewhere.
Michael turned his head to the left.
To the far left of the three Documents lined up on his Desk.
There lay an unsealed Official document from the Imperial Military.
=========================
Personnel Department of the Imperial Military Official Document No. 47
To: Marquis Hausen, Head of the Internal Inspection Department, Board of Inspection
From: Edmund, Chief of Personnel, Imperial Military
Subject: Request for a Background Check on Young Master Yulian Nihilrit of the Baronial Family.
———
This military, keenly aware of the void in our counter-Black magic forces in the Imperial Calendar Year 1049,
has hereby decided to establish a 「Regular Course on Counter-Black Magic Tactics」 for the Elite Hero Corps as a fundamental countermeasure,
and we hereby first announce that we are considering the following individual for the Inaugural Professorship of this Course.
— Candidate: Young Master of the Nihilrit Baronial Family, Yulian Nihilrit.
.
.
.
———
Imperial Calendar Year 1049, March 12. Edmund, Chief of Personnel, Imperial Military — Personal Seal
=========================
Michael's brow furrowed deeply.
To summarize the military's official document, it was about wanting to officially appoint Yulian Nihilrit as the Professor of Defense Against Black Magic.
'Did that punk finally succeed in persuading them?'
Michael thought of his Half-brother.
Imperial Prince Edmund.
A man who stood at the opposite pole from him.
A Musclehead who hated sitting at a Desk even though he was supposed to.
According to Michael's memory, Imperial Prince Edmund had been pushing for the establishment of a Black magic Course as part of his Military Reform for the past year.
In the process, he had faced opposition from the House of Nobles, the Magic Towers, and the Order.
But whatever trick he pulled, Edmund succeeded in gaining the support of the Great Sage.
And with that support behind him, he had finally managed to establish the Course.
And the official document was a common-as-dirt request to check for any personality Flaws before appointing Yulian Nihilrit as the professor for that Course.
There was no problem with this official document itself.
However, when placed side-by-side with the official document for The Black Saint's Canonization, a headache-inducing synergy occurred.
'One side is trying to make Yulian Nihilrit a noble, and the other is trying to make Schnabel a Saint.'
The Imperial Military was currently trying to make Yulian Nihilrit a noble.
If his Course was judged to meet the requirements for nobility, the military wouldn't hesitate to grant him a Title of Nobility.
The problem was that he was already scheduled to be canonized as a Saint.
'Nobility and Priesthood...'
Normally, it is impossible to hold both of these Concurrent positions.
Therefore, Michael needed to reject one of the two official documents.
Considering his position as a Bureaucrat of the Empire, he should reject the Holy See's official document for the sake of the National Interest.
But what made him agonize over this so was the document placed in the middle of the three.
"...Father. What in the world is the Future you saw?"
The Emperor's Secret Order, placed in the center.
— I have finished speaking with the Holy King. Approve them both.
There was no Context, but its meaning was clear.
Since he was Charlotte's and his own Biological Father, there was no need to ask how he had foreseen this.
The only doubt was,
'Is that boy such a Great person that you would take such an Interest in him?'
Michael still couldn't fathom his Biological Father's Intention.
It was true that Yulian Schnabel was a great person.
But was he valuable enough to create an Exception that hadn't occurred in a thousand years?
Michael couldn't understand.
The reason why they had to go this far.
But that thought didn't last long.
Michael had never properly understood the Emperor.
Even his Younger Sister, Charlotte, couldn't read their father's inner thoughts.
So, even if he knew the Emperor was interested in Yulian, he had no way of knowing his Intention.
Nor did he need to.
He picked the fountain pen back up from where it had rolled on the table.
Head of the Inspection Department, Michael Hausen. — Pre-Canonization inspection complete. No grounds for disqualification. Perception Alteration Ritual application approved.
Head of the Inspection Department, Michael Hausen. — Pre-title conferment inspection complete. No grounds for disqualification. Approval to Recommend for Conferment.
As the two Signatures were finished, a Peppermint candy finished melting and completely disappeared from his mouth.
Finally, he put the Emperor's Secret Order into the Incinerator.
Michael sank back deep into his Chair.
Today's work was finally over.
The task of sorting and selecting the Information to send to both sides had been quite arduous even for him.
"Adjutant."
Ding dong.
Michael calling for his Adjutant.
"Send these Documents to their respective parties, and close the Drawer for me."
Michael's Adjutant shot him a glare that was practically a curse.
Sending the Documents was one thing, but couldn't he close the Drawer himself?
But Michael, having finished his exercise quota for the day, seemed to have no intention of moving.
In the end, his Adjutant pushed the Drawer right in front of Michael closed and left the Office holding two document Envelopes.
For a while, Michael watched his Adjutant's departing back with a languid gaze, then muttered to himself.
"...That Charlotte. She's going to have a hard time because of her Fiancé."
Or maybe not?
Would she actually enjoy the trouble that arises because of her Fiancé more?
Perhaps she would.
Unlike when she used to live alone in the Annex Palace like a dead Doll with dead eyes.
Lately, she seems to have found a new Thrill in life, taking on the incidents her Prospective Father-in-law keeps bringing her.
His only Younger Sister regaining her Vigor wasn't bad News for Michael either.
'A woman who loves incidents and a man who attracts them... Perhaps... a match made in... heav...'
Michael's thought was left unfinished.
He surrendered his body to the sleep he had been putting off and closed his eyes.
A Fountain pen once again rolled with a clatter at the edge of the Desk.
