"Am I going to participate in the Chief Saint selection meeting?" (Fia)
Eh, what does this mean?
Before I knew it, had people discovered that I was a saint?
I was worried, but there was nothing of that nature in the conversation.
I didn't mean to be spacing out, but maybe I missed something important.
As I stood frozen, completely unable to comprehend the sudden turn of events, the queen dowager stared at me searchingly.
"That's not a funny joke. That girl is a knight, not a saint."
Hearing this, I thought to myself, "Oh, thank goodness, it looks like my status as a saint hasn't been discovered yet," and patted my chest in relief.
Cerulean, on the other hand, crossed his arms haughtily.
"Hmph, what makes you define a saint?! It was the only time in my life that I truly wished to borrow the power of a saint. However, you were there and left Colette to die without using that power. If you don't use your power when it's necessary, then it's the same as having no power at all. Someone like that is no saint or anything!!" (Cerulean)
Upon hearing Cerulean's argument, the queen dowager looked as if she was confronted with a poor child.
"That's a situation that you need to be in."
Then, as if to convince him, she spoke each word slowly.
"A saint has her own convenience and thoughts. She can't always do what her partner wants. And even if she acts against the other person's wishes, anyone with special powers is a saint."
Cerulean couldn't stand it any longer and got up from the couch.
"Ah, I see, so you're saying that the saint has all the decision-making power! But can we really say that the saint is always able to make the best choices? Can we say that it was right to leave Colette to die?" (Cerulean)
As Cerulean desperately retorted, the queen dowager pursed her lip.
"Laurence, you only see things from your perspective. You never put yourself in my shoes, so you'll never understand my point of view. And it's the privilege of those who have power to decide how to use it."
Then the queen dowager continued her admonishing words.
"Besides, if you're going to say that, then Colette herself was a saint. In fact, to use your words, she was the 'Future queen and one day to become the Chief Saint'. That's why it was necessary for her to make the extent of her power known to everyone, and she should have healed herself. There's no way someone who can't even do that could become the king's queen."
Cerulean didn't seem to have anything to say in response to this statement.
Having been defeated, Cerulean distorted his face in frustration and hanged his head.
The dueen dowager watched the scene for a while, then turned her attention to Commander Savis.
"Laurence is always making crazy jokes, but it's impossible for a non-saint to participate in the selection council. If that were to happen, it would be a shameful event that would be passed down to future generations."
As the queen dowager shook her head in amazement, Commander Savis, who had remained silent up until then, began to speak.
"I don't think that's a joke. And, since he hasn't retracted his previous statement, my subordinates Fia Ruud's participation in the selection committee remains valid." (Savis)
The queen dowager raised her eyebrows suspiciously.
"Savis, stop kidding. You're not going to go along with Laurence's pranks, are you?"
Commander Savis directly contradicted the queen dowager's words.
"You have no respect for my brother, but he is the king of this country. And it is my duty to obey the king's words." (Savis)
As the queen dowager's eyes widened in shock, Commander continued speaking.
"To begin with, the term saint is too difficult for me to understand. I still don't understand what it means to be called a saint, so if he declares that my knight is a saint, then I will accept it." (Savis)
"Don't say such ridiculous things! The Chief Saint selection committee is not a game! We cannot allow non-saints to participate and tarnish the authority of the selection committee!"
For the queen dowager, protecting her position and authority as a saint was probably more important than anything else.
For the first time, the queen dowager showed her emotions.
However, Commander Savis, who was facing her, although he maintained a calm demeanor, shows no signs of backing down.
"The queen dowager is right. The Chief Saint selection committee is not a game, it is a prestigious committee. If the selection is made responsibly by responsible people, fairness will surely be maintained." (Savis)
As soon as Commander Savis spoke the last word, the queen dowager shut her mouth.
That's why I suddenly remembered what Captain Cyril had said before: "My mother was apparently the most powerful saint, but because she was not old enough to be the king at the time, she had to be content with the position of second-in-command."
It was too indirect to make much sense, but Commander Savis might have been making a satirical remark about the time when the Queen Mother was selected as Chief Saint.
Those suspicions only grew when Captain Cyril, who usually just played the role of guard, spoke up, going beyond his duties as a guard.
"No one would think that the selection committee's decision was wrong. My mother was the second-ranked saint, but she was still a very powerful Saint, so the saints would be selected in order of their power. Although we lived in Sutherland, far from the royal capital, people from the royal capital would often come to us, hoping to borrow my mother's power." (Cyril)
It was clear that these words were an allusion to the fact that the powers of the saints living in the royal capital, including the queen dowager, were inferior, which was why people had traveled all the way to Sutherland.
Therefore, I was surprised that even Captain Cyril, who revered the saints, would take such a sarcastic attitude towards the leader of the saints.
It's true that Captain Cyril had said just a moment ago that he understood that Cerulean and Commander Savis felt aversion to the saints, but even so, this was quite different from Captain's usual attitude.
Cerulean also seemed more stern than ever, so I wondered if there was something going on between him and the queen dowager in the past.
"I don't know why His Majesty the King wants my subordinate to participate in the Chief Saint selection committee, but Fia's hair is an unusual red, isn't it? I've always thought that her vibrant hair reminded me of the legendary Great Saint." (Cyril)
That should not be.
Apart from our visit to Sutherland, Captain Cyril never paid any attention to my hair in the course of our day-to-day work, so this must be just a lie.
Or rather, the story had been progressing on its own, but to begin with, I was not a saint but a knight (or that's how it's set up).
"Captain Cyril, I'm a knight." (Fia)
I whispered to Captain Cyril who was standing next to me and he nodded in agreement.
"I understand. This is a negotiation. I'm very sorry, but could you please go along with it for a bit?" (Cyril)
Well, when I had to pretend to be the reincarnation of the great saint in Sutherland, he was worried and troubled, but now that we're in a similar situation, he didn't seem to be troubled at all.
Alas, it seems that the upstanding Captain Cyril has become accustomed to mischief!
Just as I was thinking sadly that this was how people grew up, there was a knock on the door and a maid ushered a woman in.
"Oh, sorry. It seems I arrived too early for our appointment. I'll be waiting for you in the hallway."
The one who opened her eyes wide in shock when she saw us was the saint Estelle, who I had treated at Count Peiz's request the other day.