I Have No Intention Of Training The Male Leads - Chapter 12 Part 7

12. The Rough Emperor, the Anxious Grand Duke, and the Nobles Who Are Watching Them (7)

Translated by: ???

“That’s right. In ancient language, it means ‘priest.’ Quite an intuitive naming, isn’t it?”

“Then the name ‘Manus Regina’ must also have a separate meaning.”

In response to Eve’s question, Edward nodded. His voice continued like a gentle melody, flowing like water.

“The Great Goddess. Though her name has been forgotten, she is simply referred to as the Goddess. However, she is the only trace of a god that has been passed down since the age of myths.”

“So, what is the one true god, Deus, that people believe in now? It doesn’t make sense that a god who is so powerful that he can allow people to use magic has been completely forgotten by people.”

“The sole god believed in by the Church… Well, to put it plainly, that is a fabrication. It’s an imaginary existence created by humans.”

In that moment, Eve doubted her own hearing. She had maintained the identity of a young girl since becoming Eve in the orphanage and spent over thirteen years growing up in the Church. During the seemingly short yet significant ten years, she had been indoctrinated with the sanctity of the only god and had been forcibly immersed in faith that now seemed to be irreversibly shaken.

“It was a time before my ancestors ruled these lands. The priests of the ancient god were so powerful that they seemed to be omnipotent. All the people followed the priests of the gods. Those who believed in the god eventually began to blindly believe in the priests who conveyed the voice of God.”

“Ah… that was dangerous.”

With just a brief explanation, Eve could roughly guess how things unfolded. In a country where an absolute ruler, the king, existed, the presence of another force gaining the people’s trust would inevitably lead to the collapse of the royal authority.

“That’s right. The ruling class, who were loyal to the king, became anxious. Their fear turned into anger, and they decided to expel the temples. It took a very long time, they say. They patched together various local myths and legends to create new gods and scriptures for them, investing enormous amounts of money, time, and people to make it all seem real.”

“Hmm…”

“Not only that, they undermined the divine status of the creator god. They demonized the priests of the god, branding them as followers of evil spirits. They oppressed and killed them, plundering the treasures of the temples.”

“Even with such great power, they didn’t go down without a fight, I suppose.”

“Do you know when the mana restraints used to suppress magicians and sorcerers came into existence?”

Suddenly, an unexpected question popped out from the man. Taken aback by the question-that-was-not-a-question, Eve let out a brief sigh.

“The discovery of mana freezing stones, which play a core role in the mana restraints, was the starting point of the plan to kill the evil god. They named these stones ‘Spirit Stones’ blessed by the god, using them to suppress the priests. The moment they come into contact with the Spirit Stones, they are unable to wield the mana that serves as the foundation of divine power, so it was perfect for branding the priests as devilish and deceitful individuals. That way, the priests of the god sank into oblivion, and the name of the goddess vanished into the mists of history.”

“That’s tremendous.”

‘It’s similar to the witch hunts on Earth. Accused of crimes, then robbed of their possessions.’

Eve grimaced, unable to hide her disgust. It was a blatant oppression based on greed and self-interest. Eve, who was fed up with the evil of humanity, sighed deeply. Ignoring Eve’s discomfort, Edward continued his story.

“Nevertheless, not all the priests were completely exterminated. There were those who hid themselves and survived. Some secretly passed down their magic by taking on disciples, concealing the name of the god.”

“With such large-scale oppression, there must have been priests attached to the royal family or nobility.”

“Of course. There were those who betrayed the god and swore allegiance to the king. The king intentionally erased the name of the god and only borrowed the divine power to use magic. Their potent abilities were too valuable to be wasted. They turned magic into an academic discipline and established educational institutions, which became the origin of the Magic Tower. As centuries passed, those who remembered the name of the god disappeared.”

Although his narration was in a tone of matter-of-fact, Eve easily sensed the strong smell of blood in the man’s words. Countless people had died due to the beliefs and interests of individuals. Her mouth felt dry.

“Even all the records must have been erased, then how did you happen to obtain the book you gave me?”

“Most of the records were undoubtedly destroyed.”

“Most, you say.”

“The descendants will continue to be vigilant only if they accurately recognize what they have erased with their own hands and what beings should be excluded. There are several forbidden books that only the imperial successor is allowed to access throughout generations. The ancient scripture of the god you received is one of them.”

“It’s a forbidden book. Is it alright for you to just give it away like this?”

“Haha. It’s the age when a train made of iron runs on tracks made of iron. Even if the name of the god were to come back, it would no longer be a threat to the aristocrats. Rather, if anything, they should be wary of the power of wealth, not God.”

Judging by the man’s reaction, it seemed that he took advantage of the recent negligence in management and secretly took a book. Worried that sparks might fly, Eve quickly made up her mind to return the scripture or even burn it to eliminate any evidence.

“By the way, you mentioned something about a Holy Maiden before. The scripture you gave me only briefly mentioned that part and moved on.”

“Hmm.”

“I understand that it’s a divine being sent to the mortal world once a century, but why did you mention that in the first place?”

In response to Eve’s question, Edward lowered his gaze and seemed to be thinking about something for a moment. However, soon his long eyelashes lifted, and his blue eyes turned towards Eve.

“A saintess is believed to be the most humble of beings, born with a destiny to live the noblest life through generations. At the time when the name of the god was glorified, priests who received revelations about the incarnation of the divine beings would seek out the saintess as evidence that the god was watching over humanity. They said that the saintess possessed abilities beyond human comprehension, even surpassing the extraordinary powers demonstrated by those priests.”

“Abilities beyond human comprehension?”

“They say she could turn back time and foresee the future, heal wounds, bless contaminated humans and land to purify them. Furthermore, due to divine blessings, she was said to have exceptional magical power and talents passed down through generations.”

As Edward whispered softly, almost as if speaking to himself, his emotionless face transformed into a faint smile.

“I will send you another book soon, through your brother. It contains records about the saintess.”

“Oh, there’s no need to go through such trouble… I would be grateful if you could simply explain it to me.”

“Don’t you think reading it would make you look forward to our next encounter?”

“Regardless, if Your Highness summons me, I must come without hesitation.”

As Eve finished her response with a curt expression, Edward leaned in close to her. Edward smiled in satisfaction as he watched Eve sit meekly beside him, not hiding her displeasure, but without a hint of defiance.

The man who sat right next to her leaned in closely and gently brushed the remaining strands near her ear with his fingers, tucking them behind her ear.

“Does that guy William bother you that much?”

“What do you mean?”

“I could tell that you deliberately approached him, even though you tried to hide it.”

With an affectionate touch, Edward gently brushed aside her hair and then moved his fingers to softly caress her tender earlobe and the area around it. He sweetly whispered.

“Moreover, did you manage to captivate my knight?”

His blue eyes sparkled and shone with a glimmer. In an instant, fueled by the intoxication, memories of that passionate night rushed through her mind, causing a chaotic upheaval in her mind as they floated to the surface of her consciousness. Eve seemed taken aback, as if she hadn’t expected this topic to be brought up at this particular moment.

The man’s voice stuck to Eve’s ear like sticky syrup.

“I heard he kneeled at your feet and devoted himself without reserve.”

“That man, what on earth… Does he have no concept of privacy? Everything is exposed, my my.”

“If we exclude the word ‘loyalty’ to Sir Castel, there’s nothing left, so it can’t be helped.”

Ah, fuck. Eve, embarrassed, let out a small curse. Edward, who moved a bit closer to her, laughed. Even without seeing it, it seemed vividly clear before her eyes. His lord, grinning happily and urging the knight to answer, and the knight, with a very awkward expression, confessing his shame in detail with a very awkward expression.

“And he mentioned that he slipped his fingers between your legs and let them taste the sweet nectar.”

“Why, do you also want to crawl on all fours and lick my crotch?”

“And not just Sir Castel.”

“Ha.”

“Is Callisto Langrada’s ?hole? good enough to use? What about Alberic Vermell’s buttocks? He’s so skinny that there might not be many places worth hitting.”

Eve’s scowl instantly relaxed, and she looked back at Edward with an indifferent gaze. The man, who had suddenly come up close to her, skillfully wiped the desire from his face and smiled innocently, like a pure white magnolia flower.

“Are there more besides those three?”

“Who knows. Curious?”

“Let me see… Did you do it with the Archduke too? Or do you have plans to do so? What did you talk about with that man? Did you make plans for a rendezvous at night?”