"Impossible… Isn''t Saintess Elisa the real saintess?"


    "What is going on? But the pope is the one who said it…"


    "Who is she? Has anyone seen her before?"


    Whispers and spections filled the room. The same pious believers who just a few moments ago knelt down and prayed to a merciful and benevolent God were now baring their fangs.


    Confusion, disbelief and maliciousness…


    These emotions were directed towards the frail figure sitting down in the front row.


    Saintess Elisa opened her eyes and stared at the woman standing on the raised tform.


    Her face was expressionless, but ire could see her fingers slowly curl up into a tight fist.


    White hot anger bubbled up in ire''s chest and she subconsciously dropped her right hand near the hilt of her sword.


    How dare the pope do this… how dare he… HOW DARE HE!


    ire had to take several deep breaths in order to calm herself down. Now was not the time to let her emotions go out of control.


    She needed to keep a clear head and n out her next moves carefully. What she was about to do next would have significant consequences for both herself and Saintess Elisa.


    Pope Emmanuel''s words had thrown the congregation into disorder as no one knew what was going to happen next.


    Saintess Elisa had been treated as the next sessor of the Varion Church for five years and now the pope imed that the true saintess was the woman behind him.


    Pope Emmanuel raised his hand once more in the air and the noisy hall quieted down as the congregation waited for the pope''s next words.


    "My faithful flock… I know that this may be difficult to understand but I have received a sign from our God," Pope Emmanuel spoke solemnly.


    "Five years ago, in my arrogance I wrongly believed that a duke''s daughter with slightly above average holy power was the saintess."


    "I can only pray to Lord Varion that he may forgive me for my hubris. For how can a flickering candlepare to a roaring me?"


    The pope cleared his throat and gestured towards the back of the hall. The wooden doors swung open, and a procession slowly entered the room.


    Dozens of heavily wounded civilians and soldiers with missing limbs were carried into the room on stretchers.


    The pdins that escorted them inside walked silently with no regard for the cries of pain and moans of agonying from the injured.


    The scent of death and blood filled the Hall of Light and several of the believers almost threw up in disgust.


    A worried expression shed across Saintess Elisa''s face, and she got up to treat the injured.


    ire gently held her hand and stopped her from going.


    Saintess Elisa looked down in confusion, but ire tightened her grip on her palm and refused to let go.


    This was all part of their n. A demonstration of the gap between Saintess Elisa and her recement.


    In the original ire''s memories Saintess Elisa had rushed towards the injured in order to heal them but was stopped.


    Then the mysterious woman on the raised tform would demonstrate her strength and make Elisa aughingstock.


    Saintess Elisa struggled for a moment but something in ire''s eyes made her sit back down with an uneasy expression on her face.


    ire kept holding her hand in fear that the kind-hearted saintess would escape when she wasn''t paying attention.


    She took a casual nce at the raised tform and saw a brief expression of disappointment sh across the silver-haired woman''s face.


    ire narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and burned that image in her mind.


    "Please Saintess Marie… channel the light of the Lord to heal the injured and the sick," Pope Emmanuel loudly cried.


    The silver haired woman slowly walked towards the edge of the raised tform. Her lips curved into a graceful smile and her breathtaking beauty made the hearts of the believers skip a beat.


    Even the cries of the injured seemed to fade away into the background.


    A holy beam of light shone down on the new saintess, and her eyes were filled with purity and righteousness.


    Saintess Marie raised both hands in the air and whispered a few words of grace. Strange runes and symbols floated in the air above her body.


    A wave of bright yellow light washed over the congregation. ire could feel the holy power inside her mana heart tremble in ecstasy as it quickly absorbed the pure energy.


    She was clearly not the only one to feel this way as expressions of surprise and joy shed across the faces of the holy knights and high priests.


    Only Saintess Elisa furrowed her brows in pain as the holy light dug into her body.


    ire opened her mouth to ask her what was wrong but got interrupted by the cries of joy that filled the hall.


    "My arm… it grew back! Bless you Saintess Marie!"


    "I can feel my legs! I can feel my legs!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "My face… is it healed? Oh, thank you Lord… thank you for your grace!"


    The wave of bright yellow light instantly healed the injured men and women who were lying down on the stretchers.


    Their illnesses were healed, their missing limbs regenerated before their very eyes, and they were grateful to the one who had provided this miracle.


    One of the men rose up from the stretcher and knelt down on the floor. He ced his forehead against the ground and shouted loudly.


    "Thank you Saintess Marie!"


    He was soon joined by the others who also got up from their stretchers and knelt down facing the direction of the saintess.


    "Thank you Saintess Marie!"


    "Thank you Saintess Marie!"


    "Thank you Saintess Marie!"


    Their thunderous cries echoed through the hall. The silver haired woman lowered her hands and stepped back with a kind smile on her face.


    She epted the thanks as if it were natural and there were no extra emotions in her eyes.


    Pope Emmanuel allowed the cheering to go on uninterrupted for several minutes and the other members of the congregation could not help but get affected by the mood.


    Those who were initially distrustful of this new saintess were nowpletely convinced from the bottom of their hearts.


    And for good reason.


    Saintess Elisa was also able to heal the injured and the sick but needed to touch them in order to channel her holy power.


    She could only heal them slowly one at a time.


    In fact, never in the history of the Varion Church had there ever been an individual capable of doing what Saintess Marie had just done.


    It was this fact that made this grand assembly all the more iprehensible to ire. She could not understand why it was even necessary in the first ce.


    Saintess Marie possessed unmatched holy power and a deep connection to the God of Light.


    There was no need topete with Elisa because truthfully, they were not on the same level.


    So why in the original ire''s memories was the pope willing topare the two and drag Elisa''s reputation in the mud?


    Something was wrong here…


    There was a dark conspiracy hidden behind this disy of holiness that ire was determined to unravel.


    "Saintess Elisa… no … Elisa Berierse please approach me," Pope Emmanuel suddenly ordered.


    Elisa got up from her seat and walked towards the raised tform while sping her hands together.


    The hall waspletely silent.


    On one side was the saintess who had loyally served the church for five years but…


    She was not the real saintess.


    Gazes of pity fell on the Elisa with every step that she took. ire took a few deep breaths and gently exhaled.


    Do not get angry… do not get angry… remain calm…


    Elisa reached the bottom of the raised tform and stood there with her head held high and a steely glint in her eyes.


    "Elisa Berierse, you have been blessed to enjoy the position of the saintess for five years now," Pope Emmanuel sternly dered.


    "It has been an honour that you did not deserve but in recognition for your service to the church I am prepared to forgive you."


    He paused for a moment, and you could hear a pin drop in the silent hall. ire briefly imagined mming her fist into the face of this disgusting old man.


    The way Pope Emmanuel was speaking implied that it was Elisa''s fault, and she was the sinner for enjoying Saintess Marie''s rightful position.


    But who was the one that brought her to the temple to be the saintess in the first ce?


    Pope Emmanuel coughed twice, and his hands trembled for a moment. Saintess Marie ced her slender palm on his back and his body was engulfed in holy light.


    The pope let out a light sigh of relief and turned around to smile gratefully at the silver haired woman.


    The brief feeling of hesitation in his heart faded away as he stared at the beautiful woman who would lead their church into the new era.


    Pope Emmanuel faced Elisa once more and the grateful smile on his face was reced by a serious look.


    "From hence forth you will no longer be referred to as the saintess and your position as the next sessor will be stripped away," Pope Emmanuelmanded.


    "You will be required to vacate the inner sanctum immediately and your personal guards will transfer over to Saintess Marie''s side."