Chapter 24 Under the Firmament (Part 1)1
If I can’t even make a decision on something like this, then what’s the point of me being the Saintess?
In any case, that’s how it is. I’ve said all I needed to say. I stood up and left my seat, leaving them to their condemnations.
After I closed the door, I leaned back against it and heard voices from inside: “Bahr, the Saintess is still just a child!”
Followed by Bahr’s voice—“But she is a child of God. Do not measure the Saintess by mortal standards, Cardinal Terestic.”
Bahr… if this incident hadn’t happened, I never would have known he was on my side.
I returned to the cathedral’s main hall. Lian Qi was still waiting for me.
When she saw me return, she immediately asked with concern, “How did it go? Those old men didn’t give you a hard time, did they?”
“I was just giving them a heads-up, not asking for their approval,” I said, shaking my head with a smile. I raised my hand and pointed at her.
“Starting today, I need you to protect me.”
“…Haven’t I always wanted to protect you?”
Thank goodness Lian Qi didn’t retort at this moment that I don’t need protection at all. That would have ruined the atmosphere.
“From now on, just like Tristina, I’m going to have my own personal guard, like her ‘Valkyries,’ under my direct command. But…”
I pressed a fingertip to my lips, pretending to think.
“I just… haven’t thought of a name for the position yet.”
“Ha? The Jinyiwei?”2
“What’s that?”
“It’s nothing. But speaking of, with a new position like this in the Church… the bishops must be feeling uneasy.”
She said it was nothing, but I feel like Lian Qi once again made a comment I didn’t understand.
“This way, no one will dare bully Qifeng anymore. Because she won’t be under anyone’s control, and will report directly to me, the Saintess.”
I had just mentioned Qifeng, and that silly girl appeared.
“What’s wrong? You look like you’re in a huge hurry,” I asked.
“Fei’er, this is bad! Overnight, the water of the Lucerne River has turned pink!”
I froze for a moment. I found that hard to believe. “What did you say? The river water turned pink?”
“Yes! You should go take a look, quickly!”
Even without looking at Qifeng’s expression, I knew this was a very serious matter. The Lucerne River is our “Mother River.” For it to turn pink… how could this happen?
We hurried to the bank of the Lucerne River. The smog was too thick. We had to get closer to vaguely see some onlookers gathered, pointing and murmuring at the river’s surface. Lian Qi pulled my hand and squeezed into the crowd. I saw the pink river water foaming, with many dead fish floating belly-up.
Forget drinking it, I wouldn’t even dare to touch it. Just looking at it, I could tell it was toxic.
“How did it turn into this?” I covered my mouth in shock.
“It looks like it’s been contaminated,” Lian Qi said, her expression grave.
Just as I was sinking into worry, I heard someone in the crowd say—“First the miasma, now the river pollution. We can’t stay in the Royal Capital anymore.”
“It’s all magic’s fault,” another person chimed in.
“Magic?”
“Don’t you know? The magic factory that produces Fire Mana Crystals is built on the upper reaches of the Lucerne River. The rumor all over the Royal Capital right now is that the factory discharged toxic substances, polluting the river’s upper reaches, which is what caused the lower reaches to turn pink.”
The magic factory that produces Fire Mana Crystals? His words caught my attention.
Just then, Lian Qi asked me, “Fei’er, I remember you said Fire Mana Crystals were invented by the Demon King, and then improved by Teacher Mei Lin?”
“Yeah. In that case, the person in charge of the factory that produces Fire Mana Crystals… should also be Teacher Mei Lin.”
“First the Mana Furnace, now the Mana Crystal factory. She’s been the person in charge for both accidents.”
Hearing Lian Qi put it that way, it really did seem to be the case.
“Fei’er, what should we do now?” Qifeng asked, gently taking my hand.
I stared at the bubbly pink water, thinking and thinking.
“Come with me to the royal palace first, you two. Tristina has surely heard about this by now. She will definitely summon Teacher Mei Lin to get a clear explanation.”
On our way to the palace, as we passed by Turin Square, Qifeng told me that the “anti-smog, anti-Mana Furnace” protestors, the “Mask Party,” had already occupied the area. Their numbers had shockingly grown to several thousand. Among them were students from the Magic Academy, as well as environmentalists from all walks of life. Shrouded in the smog, holding banners, they looked like thousands of ghosts.
It seems it’s not just Sister Aijieliya.
Tristina must be getting a headache, too. As the Saintess… is there something I can do?
After brushing past the several thousand “Mask Party” members in Turin Square, we arrived at the royal palace. I hadn’t even pushed open the doors to the throne room when I heard Tristina’s voice. I’m so familiar with her, just from her voice I could imagine that at this very moment, she must be elegantly pressing a hand to her forehead—“Mage Mei Lin, a project you’re responsible for has had another accident…”
“Your Majesty, that was an accident with less than a one-in-ten-thousand chance of happening!” Teacher Mei Lin defended herself.
Next, I heard the voice of Tristina’s direct subordinate, the Valkyrie, Sylvia: “That’s what you said last time when the Mana Furnace leaked. For a project you are in charge of to have a problem twice… isn’t that a bit too much of a coincidence?”
I was just about to push the half-open door, but Lian Qi stopped me.
“Wait, Fei’er. Are they suspecting Teacher Mei Lin?”
My hand on the door, I hesitated. Just then, Teacher Mei Lin’s voice came from inside: “Your Majesty, although the enchantment process for Fire Mana Crystals does require water for cooling in the final step, it is theoretically impossible for it to cause water pollution. It must be that someone is trying to frame me!”
“Who would want to frame you? No matter how you look at it, this is your own problem, isn’t it?” Sylvia said coldly.
“The previous Mana Furnace leak, plus this river pollution… as the person in charge, I’m afraid you can’t escape the blame.”
“W-Wait, Your Majesty! I’m being wronged—”
At this point, I decided to push the door and go in.
Teacher Mei Lin suddenly turned her head to look at me, her eyes like she was looking at a savior. It made me feel very awkward.
“Sister Fei’er—no, Lady Saintess! Save me, I’m really innocent!”
I’m only fifteen, yet I’m being begged for help by an adult like this. I felt a bit at a loss.
But that doesn’t mean I really don’t know what to do.
I nodded at her firmly.
“Leave it to me. I will get to the bottom of this.”
This was said to her, and also to everyone else present.
I believe Teacher Mei Lin. And not just because she is someone Sister Aijieliya trusts.
Because Teacher Mei Lin is one of the few people who knows Lian Qi is a transmigrator. If she were really related to the Demon King, she would have sold out Lian Qi’s existence to the Demon King long ago, right?