When Captain Cyril tilted his head, not understanding what he was trying to say, the captain twisted his lip.
"The Queen Dowager has great pride as a saint. However, I just can't agree with the image of a saint that she holds up. Perhaps Saint Rose, who lives with the Queen Dowager, has inherited the Queen Dowager's ideas." (Cyril)
Captain Cyril paused, then narrowed his eyes as if thinking.
"First-ranked Saint is the pinnacle of all the saints. Therefore, her ideas influence all the saints, but I do not want the saints to follow the example of the Empress Dowager." (Cyril)
When Cerulean talked about his feud with the Queen Dowager, Captain Cyril came up several times in his flashbacks. In other words, they both were likely close from a young age, so Captain Cyril might have had the opportunity to meet the Queen Dowager in person.
Also, Captain Cyril's mother was the younger sister of the Queen Dowager, and although she held the most power at the time, the Queen Dowager became First-ranked Saint due to issues of age. Therefore, there might be hidden stories that only Captain Cyril knew.
Since Captain Cyril was a fair and just person, the reason was probably that he "Cannot agree with the image of a saint that the Queen Dowager holds up." However, just as I was thinking that the fact that the captain wasn't saying anything meant that he didn't want to say anything, Captain Cyril stared intently at my hair.
"If asked who the most outstanding saint of all time was, everyone would name the Great Saint from 300 years ago. For that reason, among the saints, having the same color as the Great Saint is an indication of one's excellence. That's why all the saints yearn for red hair, but FIIA, I've never seen hair as bright red as yours." (Cyril)
Maybe so, but I doubted the saints would care what color my hair was.
"I know I'm being polite, but the other day Saint Priscilla said that she didn't care whether my hair was red or black." (Fia)
Hearing what I said, Captain Cyril nodded as if in agreement.
"That's right, the only thing the saints care about is themselves. Therefore, they probably have no interest in you, a knight, but if you, a red-haired girl, were to claim to be a saint, it would send a huge shock through the saints." (Cyril)
"Huh, y-yes, that may be true, but I'm a knight!" (Fia)
Not understanding what Captain Cyril wanted to say, I decided to say something everyone already knew as a precaution.
Because I was truly a saint, and I was hiding that fact, so declaring "I am a saint!" would carry the risk of revealing my identity. In Sutherland, I was described as the "Reincarnation of the great saint," so it felt a bit late to say this now, but...
No no, that's that, but this is this. Obviously, it's better to have fewer risks, I told myself, but then I remembered that Cerulean had boldly declared in front of the Queen Dowager that I was a saint. I didn't know if the Queen Dowager believed what her son said, but she at least gritted her teeth.
"Does Cerulean want the Queen Dowager to believe that I'm a saint? If so, will I have to pretend to be a saint at the selection meeting? ...No, of course I have no intention of participating." (Fia)
Captain Curtis looked at me with a worried expression, so I added one last thing.
Not knowing what everyone wanted from me, I tilted my head and looked around, when Captain Cyril took a step forward.
"Fia, I'm sorry for dragging you into our situation without your consent. I regret that." (Cyril)
Saying this and hanging his head, maybe Captain Cyril was truly remorseful. Normally, as a captain of a knight order with strict hierarchical relationships, he would simply give orders from the top down, but Captain Cyril was always considerate of others' feelings.
"No, I understand that Captain Cyril was just taking advantage of the situation and didn't have time to get my consent." (Fia)
Yes, Captain Cyril just jumped on the bandwagon of Cerulean's selling point, and it's unlikely he had any real plan from the start. When the captain heard what I said, his eyebrows drooped and looked troubled.
"When you say something so understandable, it makes me feel even more sorry. ... If you don't mind, could you please listen to me for a moment? I would like to explain about the First-ranked Saint Selection Committee and my wishes." (Cyril)
It's not like once you hear about it you have to participate or anything.
"Of course. Will many saints be participating in the selection meeting?" (Fia)
When I asked him about my doubts, Captain Cyril shook his head.
"No, that's not the case. All the saints living in this country are registered with the church, and their abilities are known. Therefore, the participants in the selection meeting are basically decided by the church. To be more specific, 10 people will be recommended by the church, and a few more will be recommended by people with special recommendations such as the King and First-ranked Saint, for a total of about 15 saints to participate." (Cyril)
There were fewer participants than expected, but that probably meant the saints who would be participating in the selection meeting had already been chosen. It's possible that among the saints belonging to local churches, there were some whose abilities weren't properly understood, but this might be overlooked as something that was inevitable.
"The selection committee will have three rounds of examinations. The first is an examination to cure a sick person, the second is an examination to test knowledge of medicinal herbs, and the third is an examination to heal injured knights accompanying monster subjugation. After taking all the results of these rounds into consideration, the First-ranked Saint will be decided." (Cyril)
Hmm, so in the third audition we will be accompanying the monster extermination. Usually, the saints who accompany the knights do not take part in battles, but I wonder if they will join in the battle during the selection meeting.
"The judges will be people who have been selected in advance as selection committee members, such as current First-ranked Saint and church officials. The selection meeting will be held in secret, but the names of the participants and the results of each will be widely announced to the public from time to time, and the final results will be made public in the form of the selection of First-ranked Saint and the ranking of the participating saints." (Cyril)
"Huh? So, if the selection meeting is closed to the public, I can't see the saints' abilities unless I participate in the selection meeting?" (Fia)
When I asked a question without thinking, Captain Curtis called my name as if to warn me.
"Lady Fi!" (Curtis)
I know, Curtis. I'm not planning on going to the selection meeting, just asking a question. Don't worry.
With this thought in mind, I nodded vigorously towards Captain Curtis.
…But if I attended the selection meeting, I'd be able to see the current highest level of saints. I was thinking, "Oh, I see," when Captain Curtis looked at me with a worried expression, so I nodded again and said it was okay.
On the other hand, Captain Cyril had a beautiful, inviting smile.
"You're right, Fia. If you don't participate in the selection meeting, you won't know the extent of the saints' abilities. Conversely, even if Fia participates, you abilities won't leak out." (Cyril)
"Oh really?" (Fia)
I was surprised and asked him again, and Captain Cyril nodded firmly.
"By the way, regarding this selection meeting, I thought that Saint Priscilla, who the church recognized as the most powerful, would be chosen as the First-ranked Saint." (Cyril)
That must be true, right? That's why Priscilla was adopted by Duke of Alcott.
"However, the Queen Dowager has brought out a hidden card. Therefore, the selection meeting will likely be a one-on-one battle between Saint Rose and Saint Priscilla. However, as I said before, I believe that a saint who follows in the Queen Dowager's footsteps should not be chosen as a First-ranked Saint." (Cyril)
Seeing Captain Cyril stated this so decisively, Cerulean showed a dissatisfied look.
"Cyril, I understand why you feel that way. But there's nothing you can do about it. When I wanted to make Colette my bride, I tried many things, but the Queen Dowager and the church both had strong opinions, and they were not the ones I could easily appease. So, in the end, it seems that the strongest person is the one who will be chosen." (Cerulean)
Then Cerulean glanced at me.
"Besides, even if Fia were to participate in the selection tournament, there would be no way she could pass the second round of the auditions. There's no way she would have as much knowledge of medicinal herbs as the saints. And no matter how many holy stones she uses, there's no guarantee she'll be able to cure illnesses and injuries in the same way as the saints, so it's impossible for her to win." (Cerulean)
"Exactly, right?" (Cyril)
Captain Cyril nodded obediently, causing Cerulean to look at the captain with a suspicious look.
Author's Note (Pre)
Thank you for always reading!
The Queen Dowager's Saint: Friscia (フリジア)
Alcott Duke's adopted daughter: Priscilla (プリシラ)
Because the names were similar, I changed it from Friscia to Rose.
Author's Note (POST)
Thank you for always reading!
We would like to inform you that volume 3 of Daiseijo ZERO will be released on Friday, August 18th.
...
〇First edition bonus SS (※First edition only, a paper that is inserted separately)
"Serafina and the Ideal Shop"
When her family was planning to open a new store, the knight came to her for advice. Serafina replied, "If it were me, I would open a strawberry shop!" but...
*There are no special bookstore bonuses, so please purchase the book at your favorite bookstore.
It's packed with content, including the story of the day Sirius joined the Knights, Serafina training in kidnapping with the knights, and Seven's feelings for Serafina!
It turned out to be a really fun product, so I hope you'll purchase it (❁ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)⁾⁾⁾