20.
Lancel quickly penned a short note.
[Lancel Dante, killed by the pilgrimage group. Declare him a martyr.]
This would be the final piece he needed in this iteration. Fortunately, the person who could understand these words had come to him of their own accord.
It was a time when Lancel’s name echoed throughout the Imperial Capital of Rodnis. News of his death would undoubtedly come as a shock. There couldn’t be a better moment for this.
Lancel opened the second page of his will. This time, the recipient was different.
‘Mary.’
* * *
“So beautiful! You’re absolutely stunning, Mary!”
“How can your skin be so…”
Marigold scratched her cheek lightly, flustered by the maids’ voices surrounding her.
They had been sitting her down and dressing her up for over an hour now.
The reason was simple. Marigold had been thinking about Lancel, who was likely still bedridden, when she murmured to herself, “He promised we’d go on a picnic… I wonder when he’ll recover.”
The sharp-eared maids had immediately seized upon her words. They grabbed Marigold and declared they needed to prepare a “picnic-appropriate makeover” in advance, causing a commotion.
Of course, this was just an excuse.
The maids were simply desperate for any legitimate reason to dress Marigold up, their hands itching with anticipation.
“If Young Master Lancel suggested going on a picnic, then he must have feelings for you too, Miss Mary.”
“Uh-um…”
“Exactly! Why else would he have said that? Have some confidence! Why not just… make it happen while you’re there?”
“M-make what happen…?”
“Oh, you know…”
Marigold flinched at the maid’s sly whisper and covered her face with both hands.
“B-but… are you sure that’s why he suggested the trip? I’m a little worried…”
“Young Master is a man, after all. Of course he’s thinking about it! He might even be thinking of nothing else.”
“E-excuse me?”
“That’s just how men are.”
Marigold quietly smoothed the hem of her dress.
“After the tournament, how about we go on a trip somewhere? Somewhere a bit far, it’ll be like a proper vacation.”
Lancel’s voice replayed clearly in her mind. She had decided not to get her hopes up too much about what it meant, to avoid disappointment if she was mistaken.
Regardless, the mere thought of traveling together with Lancel filled Marigold with excitement.
“Miss Mary, you know, right? It’s a done deal.”
“……!”
Marigold felt her heart pounding and needlessly smoothed her hair.
‘A trip to the sea. Just the two of us.’
A smile crept onto her face involuntarily. She couldn’t stop her expression from softening.
It was then that it happened.
Thud!
“O-oh, Miss Mary! M-Miss Mary!”
Hesti, who would have typically insisted on proper knocking no matter who was entering, burst through the door, breathless.
Her next words sent a shockwave through the room.
“Young Master Lancel…!”
Marigold’s face froze.
* * *
An unexpected brawl was taking place at the Holy Maiden Church in the capital.
As news of the Holy Maiden Churches collapsing elsewhere spread, the faithful believers had begun building a human barricade to protect the church in the capital.
They were desperately trying to hold the entrance against the pilgrimage group’s violent attempts to push their way in.
“How dare you! Do you even know where you are? Who do you think you are, deciding whether to destroy our church?”
“This is an order from the Imperial Family! Move aside immediately, or you’ll be branded as traitors!”
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
An order from the Imperial Family carried terrifying weight for these people. Treason, in this Empire, was the gravest crime imaginable.
“Get out of the way! Don’t block the path!”
The crowd slowly dispersed.
Even the most faithful of the Holy Maiden Church followers lacked the audacity to defy an imperial edict.
All they could do was make themselves as obstructive as possible, a futile gesture. With a series of thuds, they were effortlessly pushed aside one by one.
Just as the path to the Holy Maiden Church was about to be completely cleared, a voice called out.
“All members of the pilgrimage group, halt!”
“Who the hell…!”
The knights of the pilgrimage group turned their heads irritably, only to have their expressions freeze.
“Y-Your Highness…?”
Before them stood the Imperial Family’s Court Knights Brigade, clad in resplendent armor.
At their center rode the Fourth Prince Serild.
“The decision of the Martyr’s Church to revoke the approval of the Holy Maiden Church has been overturned. This is the Imperial Family’s decree, and from this moment forward, any act of harm against the Holy Maiden Church will be treated as an act of rebellion.”
“……!”
The hall buzzed with commotion as the situation had been completely reversed in an instant.
“Furthermore…”
The Fourth Prince’s gaze turned icy.
“From this moment forward, clergy of the religious order are to recognize the Holy Knight of the Holy Maiden Church, Lancel Dante.”
His voice, low and resonant, filled the hall.
“……Prepare for the ceremony of martyrdom.”
21.
Fourth Prince Serild stood before the curtain.
The Emperor’s silhouette was projected onto it.
“I heard he was dead?” A woman’s voice drifted from behind the curtain.
“He’s still alive.”
“So, he almost died.”
“They say he won’t make it through the night.”
“Is that so?”
The Fourth Prince tilted his head, peering beyond the curtain.
“After pushing the pilgrimage group so hard, you’re in quite the predicament, Elder Sister. Didn’t I tell you? The power of the priestess, Mary, is real.”
“Do not misunderstand. I never doubted your words. In fact, it is precisely because I believed them to be true that I’ve been desperately trying to stop her all this time.”
“Then why not just make the Holy Maiden Church our own?”
“That would only help to create an idol. The Martyr’s Church—with its incompetence, stupidity, and utter lack of authenticity—is far easier to manipulate.”
The Fourth Prince chuckled softly.
It was practically blasphemy.
He was not only denying a religious order recognized by the Imperial Family but also casually disparaging it with vulgar words.
“Haah, this world is so annoyingly troublesome. Nothing ever goes smoothly. Who exactly is this Lancel fellow anyway?”
“The son of Viscount Dante. The Empire’s First Swordsman. Winner of the Imperial Knights’ Tournament. The Holy Knight of Saintess Mary. And… the man destined to become a pitiful saint, martyred by that senseless and immoral pilgrimage group.”
The Fourth Prince spoke again. “By tomorrow, the rumors will have spread throughout the Empire. What will you do?”
A faint chuckle drifted from behind the curtain.
Whether they liked it or not, the conclusion had already been reached. The person behind the curtain wasn’t foolish enough to deny that reality.
“Declare the Holy Maiden Church as an officially recognized religious order of the Imperial Palace and hold a ceremony of martyrdom for Holy Knight Lancel Dante.”
A smile crept onto the Fourth Prince’s lips.
“The Imperial Palace being the first to extend its hand to a religious order… The Empire’s future looks bleak.”
“Indeed. And all thanks to whom?”
The figure behind the curtain paused momentarily, as if remembering something they’d forgotten, before turning back to the Fourth Prince.
“Duke Meryll Dunn… He’s made a grave mistake this time. Incompetence is a more grievous sin than immorality. I suppose we should tell him to pack his bags and leave for the countryside immediately?”
“…The eight great ducal houses of the Empire of Rodnis are falling.”
“Even stars must fade beneath the rising sun.”
The figure behind the curtain recited the verse and gestured dismissively—a clear order to leave, a banishment born of irritation.
* * *
The Fourth Prince quietly fiddled with the letter in his pocket.
He had offered help, but all he received in return was a suicide note.
“Lancel Dante, killed by the pilgrimage group. Declare him a martyr.”
The message was brief, yet its meaning was crystal clear.
Lancel Dante had been found collapsed at the mouth of an alley, stabbed nearly to death.
The Fourth Prince briefly removed the rosary from the Holy Maiden Church rosary that had been hanging around his neck and gazed at it.
“Lancel Dante… I wish I had known the man better.”
In the distant square, lanterns began to rise one by one, dotting the night sky.
It was the moment when clerics from every religious order ceased their duties and converged upon the Holy Maiden Church.
The crowd gathering to honor the dying Holy Knight Lancel Dante threatened to swell beyond measure.
This ceremony of martyrdom, more extravagant than even the death of a high-ranking noble, was stirring the Imperial Capital of Rodnis to its core.
This festival would not end until Lancel Dante finally met his martyrdom.
22.
Tough.
Lancel felt his own tenacity. He was still alive. He felt death closing in, yet his life force refused to yield.
‘I don’t mind dying, but I really hate the process.’
Lancel Dante’s breath faded slowly.
He lay on the church’s platform, gazed upon by countless devotees.
“Oh, Priestess Mary, you might fall!”
Moments later, a figure stumbled onto the platform. Despite her sudden appearance, no one stopped her. Instead, hands reached out to steady her, guiding the blind woman forward.
“Lancel…!”
Marigold.
“Lancel!”
She ran into the arms of the dying Lancel, and screamed out in a broken voice.
As if she could feel his presence in the air, on her skin, in every fiber of her being, Marigold immediately pulled Lancel, who had been lying down, into a tight embrace.
==========
—Fame Event: All of Marigold’s dismantled churches have been fully restored.
※The current total number of churches is 199, including 180 existing churches plus 19 newly established.
==========
“Lancel, Lancel…….”
Marigold’s shoulders trembled as she felt Lancel’s body growing colder. He was dying in her arms.
With his last ounce of strength, Lancel wrapped his arm around Marigold’s back one last time.
Already straddling the border between life and death, even this simple gesture required him to muster every last bit of his fading strength.
“I… I won’t act so spoiled anymore. Don’t leave me, Lancel…!”
Amidst her stifled sobs, Marigold’s body began to emit a radiant light.
Swaaaah!
“Th-that’s…”
The clergymen awaiting the ceremony of the martyr were utterly mesmerized.
A brilliant glow emanated from Marigold’s center.
At first, the light was as soft as a bonfire, but it swiftly intensified into a dazzling pure white light that enveloped the entire space.
The light was so intense that it illuminated the dark church as brightly as if it were midday.
This was no mere visual spectacle.
As the spreading web of light touched people, their bodies began to tingle. It was the sensation of wounds on their bodies, both large and small, being healed instantaneously.
From minor scratches to ancient scars, every imperfection vanished without a trace.
Awe washed over everyone witnessing this miracle.
“…Saintess.”
She was the reincarnated Saintess.
Marigold.
The tangible presence of an idol made flesh.
A reality transcending every religious order and ideology.
One by one, the clerics knelt before her, bowing their heads in reverence. Mary was real—the incarnation of a saintess, a divine presence descended upon this era. Now, no one could deny this truth.
==========
—Fame Event: The two hundredth church has been built!
※ Marigold’s Karma has decreased by 1 point. Karma has reached 0. The fog shrouding Marigold’s world has cleared, and she can finally face the light!
==========
Marigold’s once murky eyes gradually regained their color.
A brilliant emerald hue slowly filled her irises, completely enveloping her pupils.
‘Yes. That was their color.’
Lancel, through his fading consciousness, met her newly brightened gaze.
Perhaps it was because he hadn’t seen them in so long, but today, Lancel especially welcomed the sight of her unique green eyes.
“Ah…”
Marigold stared wide-eyed at Lancel, clearly feeling as if she had been reborn.
“Told you I’d open your eyes.”
Lancel murmured the words in a faint voice, barely audible. A satisfied smile crept across his face.
‘Ah, I’m going to die.
Is this the end?’
No matter how much Marigold’s white magic had advanced, it wasn’t enough to heal such grievous wounds.
The wounds had been inflicted by a knight from the pilgrimage group. Of course, Lancel had been the one to initiate the fight.
But now, no one would ever know that.
‘I left a letter, so surely this won’t be another bad ending, right?’
Lancel felt his consciousness fading. The tear-streaked face of Marigold was his last memory.
‘Marigold.’
Three lifetimes had gone by since the day she lost her sight.
Twenty-three years had gone by.
It was the eight thousandth night.
Lancel finally opened her eyes.
Ten years passed.
.
.
.
[Playtime: 10 years, 0 days]
—Marigold turned 25.
—No marriage partner.
—Several achievements.
▶White Magic Awakening: +30 points.
▷Black Magic Awakening: +20 points.
▶Title of the Reincarnated Saintess: +50 points.
▷Title of the Evil God: +50 points
—Total score: 150 points (500/1500 points remaining until the “Succession of Memories” may be unlocked)
[Bad Ending 9: Evil God Marigold’s Skeleton Soldier]
—This ending was added to the “Album of Memories.”
—Album opening.
.
.
.
“We will meet again.”
Hope and happiness swelled within Marigold’s heart as she confirmed the final sentence of Lancel Dante’s will.
She was finally certain that had made all the right decisions.
‘Yes, we will meet again.’
Marigold walked down into the church’s basement.
She passed through the dark cavern and stood before the altar.
‘Today!’
Clatter.
Clatter.
The two hundred bones she had carefully preserved vibrated on the altar before coalescing into a single form. The skeleton soldier stood upright with a powerful stance.
At last, Marigold has finally mastered the basics of Black Magic!
Marigold sensed a familiar scent emanating from the skeleton soldier.
“Lancel.”
The man who had been everything to her.
“It’s time we finally go on that picnic together now, Lancel.”
The man who had opened her eyes to the world.
“The day this Empire—from its rooftops to its walls, pillars, floors, and foundations—is reduced to ashes and vanishes… the day you were killed…”
Marigold gathered all two hundred bone fragments that walked without flesh or skin into her arms.
An old memory surfaced. It was of a cozy afternoon riding horses through fallow fields.
She felt happiness swelling within her.
“Let’s go on a picnic… together.”
[Bad Ending 9: Evil God Marigold’s Skeleton Soldiers – FIN.]
—Would you like to restart the game?
.
.
.
“That’s terrifying.”
Lancel couldn’t hide his shock at the unimaginable ending of his most recent playthrough.
‘Huh… how did it come to this?’
He had naturally assumed that Marigold would be hailed as the Reincarnated Saintess and live out her days in luxury. It seemed like the most logical outcome, given the circumstances.
But this unpredictable woman had pulled another one of her bizarre stunts.
“More importantly, why did you turn me into an undead creature?”
Lancel, who had suddenly become a skeleton soldier, wiped the cold sweat from his brow.
‘Isn’t this just a posthumous desecration of my corpse?’
She truly had a knack for bewildering him in countless ways.
‘Marigold, when are you ever going to find happiness?’
Lancel wondered at what he should do.
‘What on earth should I do?’
“Hmm.”
After much deliberation, Lancel came to a conclusion.
“Can I take some time off?”
Yes, it had been decided.
This time, he would simply focus on rest and recuperation.
‘Honestly, I’ve been through too much hardship, haven’t I?’
Even Lancel, who had all the time in the world, occasionally felt the need for a break.
And the right time for a break was now.
‘So that’s that. This time, I’ll indulge in seafood and live a life of culinary delight. I’ll take a sabbatical in a place with clean water and fresh air! Goodbye, Marigold. See you again later, Marigold.’
With that, Lancel boarded the train.
“Everyone, listen up! Mary’s back with her money-for-money game! She’s here again today!”
The train had stopped in a village street.
Lancel perked up his ears at the familiar name.
‘…No way. It must be my imagination.
That had to be it.
Or maybe it was just someone with the same name?
Mary isn’t exactly an uncommon name.’
“You bitch! Are you trying to scam me right now?”
“W-what kind of nonsense is that! What scam? What scam did I pull?”
“Hah! I saw you switch the dice just now! Don’t try to deny it!”
Lancel glanced over, then immediately regretted it.
“Sour grapes all because you lost! Tsk, tsk!”
“Y-you… you…!”
Marigold.
She was cheating at some dice game.
‘What is she doing now?’
[End of Saintess Marigold.]
[Next – Marigold the Wealthy.]
lol
It’s lowkey funny the way she immediately crashes out when he dies, standard yandere activities.
why did she even destroy the empire😭 can she just revive him and go somewhere else far away