Chapter 187 - 2-69
The next day, Prince Isaac invited me to a temple tucked away behind the trees facing the Second Palace. The ivory stone structure had a surprisingly high ceiling, with stained glass stretching from the upper walls to the roof, shimmering in the sunlight.
The sound of footsteps approaching from the front made me turn. Madam Banks and Prince Ricardo stood side by side.
"That was quite an ordeal," Madam Banks said. "I was worried about my nephews, but I never imagined Faust would cause such an incident..."
"I am truly sorry," Prince Ricardo added.
It seemed Prince Isaac had invited me here today to report on yesterday's events and offer an apology. Despite the investigation into Prince Faust not being fully settled, Prince Ricardo had made time for me.
"No, thank you for taking the time to explain the situation while you are all so busy. I appreciate it."
Prince Isaac waved his hands dismissively at my words of gratitude. "Not at all. After everything that happened, the castle has been quite hectic since yesterday. You probably haven't been able to rest, have you, Lady Rachel? I don't know where the rumors started, but there's been a constant stream of nobles coming and going since this morning."
"About that..."
"You mean my sister, don't you?" Madam Banks said, her eyes downcast as she bowed her head. "She was quite invested in Faust, so there's no telling what she might do. I'll tell His Majesty to keep an eye on her. I'm sorry for involving you in our country's mess. I'm not one to talk, but this country... it's already rotten to the core. I used to believe Orta was the true successor to the Saint legend, but..."
I tilted my head at her mention of the Saint legend.
"The Saint legend in this country is the same as the one in Dutoit, isn't it?"
In the Kingdom of Dutoit, the Saint legend is the most popular among many myths. It primarily tells the story of the founding king and the first Saint, and it is still passed down through history books, novels, picture books, and plays. Since Orta and Dutoit were originally one country, it wouldn't be strange for the same story to exist in Orta. However, Madam Banks shook her head.
"No, the Saint legend in Orta is slightly different from the one in Dutoit."
"Is that so? Does it have something to do with the Spirit of Darkness?"
"Exactly. Long ago, when Dutoit and Orta were one, the Spirit of Darkness and the Spirit of Light were equal deities. Two Saints appeared at the same time—one of Light and one of Darkness."
The Saint of Light and the Saint of Darkness... both at once?
As I stood there in confusion, Prince Ricardo placed a hand on his chin with a solemn expression. After a moment of thought, he simply said, "Please follow me," and held his hand over a spot deep within the temple, chanting a spell. A hidden door appeared where there had been none before.
I hesitated at the sight of the small, frosted-glass-paneled wooden door, but Prince Ricardo gestured for me to enter. Inside, the space was as vast as the temple we had just left, contrasting sharply with the door's simplicity. The walls were lined with countless paintings, and a red carpet led straight to a marble altar. On the sides were large glass cases displaying various items like brooches, hair ornaments, and books.
"What is this place?"
"A hidden space known only to the royal family... you could call it that. The layout is the same as the temple outside. Think of it as another temple reserved for royalty."
Prince Ricardo pointed to the paintings on the wall. "Look at these. These are the Saints from the time the country was divided. The Saint of Light is the one with her back turned, but this black-haired woman here... she is the founding queen of Orta, the Dark Saint."
A woman with a tiara and a navy dress smiled from the canvas—the previous Dark Saint. Her straight black hair reached her chest and had a beautiful sheen, and her determined brown eyes looked straight ahead.
"...She looks like you, doesn't she?"
I looked beside me to see Prince Isaac gazing at the painting with eyes like a young boy's. "This person..."
"Isaac has loved this painting since he was a child," Madam Banks said with a chuckle. "Apparently, he fell in love at first sight the day he first entered this room. Whenever something bad happened, he would always come here."
"Auntie! That was ten years ago!" Prince Isaac pouted, looking embarrassed.
"Perhaps because of that, he's terrible at his studies but knows everything about the Saint legend. He even finds old books and artifacts left in the provinces."
"I did my studies well enough. But yes... to me, the Dark Saint, who possessed both strength and kindness, is someone I admire." Prince Isaac's voice trailed off as he scratched his head, his cheeks slightly flushed. Prince Ricardo watched him with a gentle smile.
"Isaac isn't the only one. The first queen of Orta is particularly popular in this country. Because of that, you, the Dark Saint who resembles her, are a topic of conversation even among the commoners. I hear portraits of you are already circulating."
"Is that so? How embarrassing."
"By the way, what is said to be the cause of the country's division in Dutoit?"
At Prince Ricardo's question, I recalled the many history books I had read while researching the Spirit of Darkness. Dutoit has many records of that conflict, but none mentioned the existence of two Saints.
"In my country, the existence of the Spirit of Darkness was erased. The story is that the elder brother, the son of a concubine, rebelled against the younger brother, the legitimate heir. The conflict was massive, and while the Saint of Light managed to minimize casualties, the country ultimately split."
Prince Isaac's brow furrowed in irritation. "It's different here. Or rather, it's more accurate to say that isn't the correct history."
"Not the correct history? Prince Isaac, what do you mean?"
"The history passed down in Dutoit is a fabricated one."
I had felt a sense of wrongness about the history since the Spirit of Darkness had been hidden, but hearing it so bluntly made my heart skip a beat.
"Originally, the legitimate throne belonged to the elder brother. The younger brother not only stole it but also tried to take the elder brother's wife, the Dark Saint, using cowardly means."
"So the younger king was the villain?"
"According to the history we know, yes. In fact, the elder brother was neglected from a young age and spent his childhood in the borderlands—what is now a region of Orta. However, as he showed his talent, many wished for him to take the throne. Furthermore, the woman who would later become the Dark Saint was originally the younger brother's fiancée."
"The first queen of Orta was the younger king's fiancée?"
"Yes. But as soon as the Saint of Light appeared, the younger brother immediately married her and cast his fiancée aside. Not only that, but when she later received the blessing of the Dark Spirit King, he changed his tune and said he would make her his concubine."
If that legend were true, it was a headache-inducing story. It meant the man we revered as a wise king was actually a scoundrel.
Even if the perspectives differ between countries, if this is the truth, I don't understand why the Saint of Light chose the younger king. Above all, the pure love between the younger king and the Saint of Light remains a popular legend in our country.
"...How can you be so sure that history is the correct one? Don't you think the history passed down in Orta might be the one that was fabricated?"
"Unfortunately, that's impossible." Prince Isaac flatly denied my question. "You felt it, didn't you? The strange way the Spirit of Darkness was hidden in Dutoit's history."
"...Well, yes."
That was the biggest issue. Why erase all traces of the Spirit of Darkness? Who did it, and for what purpose? I didn't even know if such a thing was possible. It would almost be more believable to say the Spirit of Darkness never existed in Dutoit at all.
As I pondered, Prince Ricardo pointed to a particularly large painting. "Do you know the name of the founding king?"
The painting showed the first Saint and the founding king. Statues of them are common in Dutoit's palace and the Great Church. "Of course. King Alexandre."
Prince Ricardo gave a meaningful smile. "His formal name... is Alexandre Orta."
Alexandre Orta? In Dutoit, he isn't given the name Orta. I've never heard of him having a formal name like that.
"No way..."
Prince Isaac spoke up as I stood there stunned. "It's a story from the past. Besides, the Spirit King of Light chose Dutoit."
"As Isaac says, it's in the past. But in this country, it's a bit troublesome because we can't just ignore it as a mere legend. There are still hardliners who firmly believe Orta is the legitimate successor."
"But the founding king's crown is in Dutoit. Is that a fake too?"
"No, the crown is likely real." I felt a wave of relief at Prince Ricardo's words. If everything I had believed in was a lie, I felt like the ground would crumble beneath me. "What we must remember is that both Orta and Dutoit were originally the same country, and both royal families are undoubtedly the legitimate bloodline of the founding king and the first Saint. It's just that in Orta, there are still voices that view Dutoit with hostility for stealing the formal succession."
If Orta's history was as they described, it made sense why the two countries had such a strained relationship with no trade or interaction until the recent alliance.
"This is just my speculation, but I believe the Dark Spirit King and the Spirit King of Light were also involved in the country's division. Light went with Dutoit, and Darkness with Orta."
"Given the patron spirits of both countries, that seems likely."
"Until now, it was believed that the Dark Spirit King was with Orta. But now it's different. The fact that the Dark Saint was chosen from Dutoit is seen as the Spirit King's disappointment in this country."
I couldn't exactly say that the Dark Spirit King, Nel-sama, didn't choose me because he was disappointed in Orta, but rather because giving me his blessing was just a way to kill time. But I was deeply interested in Orta's Saint legends. By learning them, I might discover Dutoit's lost history.
"I wonder where the key to that lost history lies. If possible, I want to find it."
Prince Isaac nodded in agreement. "I understand. Once I started looking into it, I fell right into the rabbit hole. But as for when Dutoit and Orta were one country, I'm at a loss. Perhaps the Spirit King would know."
The Spirit King... if I ask Nel-sama, he might tell me. But he said he was a young Spirit King. Even if he can control time, would he know about the era of a Spirit King from many generations ago? I felt like he might tell me easily, or he might just dismiss it because he wasn't interested. "I'd like to ask if I get the chance. But I won't get my hopes up."
"True. Revealing every mystery isn't always the right thing to do. Still, I can't help but hope that you might be the one to get close to the true history that no one else knows."
"Prince Ricardo..."
"After all, you are the one chosen by the Spirit King."
I nodded back at his gentle smile. Then, Madam Banks, who had stepped away from our circle, stood before a painting of the Dark Spirit King. "The Saint chosen by the Dark Spirit King is his will... isn't it?"
She whispered something to herself, and I turned to her. "Madam Banks? Is something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing." She had looked deep in thought, but at my question, she immediately put on her usual smile and shook her head.