The Baby Fairy Is A Villain [EN]: Chapter 100

The incident occurred as soon as the carriage entered the Holy Empire.

They hadn’t even gone far on the wide, smoothly paved entrance road when suddenly, the Holy Knights seized control of the area.

Including the Basilian family’s carriage, all the other carriages ahead were stopped on the road.

Just as I was furrowing my brow, wondering what was happening this time, Daren, who was riding his horse alongside the carriage, suddenly turned pale.

“…!”

His face, drained of blood and as white as his uniform, quickly dismounted.

The commotion outside instantly quieted down.

It was an unnatural silence, as if someone had poured ice water over everything.

Sensing that something was amiss, Belzeon, with quick reflexes, picked up Chesha and was about to get out of the carriage when the carriage door opened first.

A Holy Knight commanded in a stiff voice.

“Get out and show your respects.”

As I got out of the carriage with Belzeon, I saw that everyone had already gotten off their horses and carriages, kneeling on one knee on the ground.

There was only one person in Hilderred [the continent where the story takes place] to whom such extreme respect would be shown.

The one who sits above all others and serves only God.

The Holy Emperor who rules the Holy Empire, Sianor Hilderred.

The old man, wearing a clean white cassock [a close-fitting ankle-length garment worn by clerics or members of religious orders] and a blue cloak embroidered with gold and silver threads, wore a benevolent smile.

“I startled you, didn’t I?”

The fact that the Holy Emperor himself had appeared was surprising, but Chesha was most surprised by something else.

‘He’s an old man?’

Since he possessed the strongest divine power on the continent, I naturally assumed he would maintain his youth like Duke Ivroyel.

While I was blinking in surprise at the unexpected situation, Belzeon placed Chesha next to him and knelt on one knee.

“Belzeon of the Basilian Earldom, from the Palen Empire. In the name of God, I greet His Holiness the Holy Emperor.”

It was a flawless greeting, perfectly adhering to etiquette.

Sianor raised his eyebrows slightly, as if surprised, but soon wore a satisfied smile.

Chesha also followed Belzeon and greeted him.

“Basilian… Chesha, here.”

I pretended to pay my respects with dignity, but I didn’t kneel.

I didn’t want to kneel before the Holy Emperor.

‘They’ll excuse me because I’m a baby!’

Chesha acted confidently.

But suddenly, the Holy Emperor bent down and picked me up.

The strength with which he lifted me was considerable.

Sianor, who lifted Chesha as easily as if he were not an old man, burst into a hearty laugh.

“So, you’re Chesha.”

He acted as casually as an elderly neighbor living in the same neighborhood.

“Hylon has told me so much about you. He’s usually not like that.”

He laughed, saying he was too curious to wait and had come out without proper decorum.

The Holy Emperor himself came to greet us.

It was an absurdly exceptional treatment.

Others would have been moved to tears, trembling with emotion, and praising the Holy Emperor.

However, the men of the Basilian family showed no signs of being overwhelmed, maintaining indifferent expressions.

In fact, their indifferent faces were meant to hide their annoyance.

Unlike its noble purpose, the Minor Saint Prayer Meeting was essentially a war among those trying to seize the holy relics.

Even before the Prayer Meeting began, they were already busy keeping each other in check.

In this situation, the Holy Emperor directly singled out a child and showed favoritism.

This was as good as announcing to those participating in the Minor Saint Prayer Meeting who should be made the common enemy.

Moreover, it wasn’t as if the Holy Emperor genuinely cared for Chesha.

As he said, it was just curiosity.

Attention without protection was poison.

‘And I don’t like this guy’s attitude either.’

He’s none other than Hylon, the head of the Inquisition [an organization within the Holy Empire responsible for combating heresy].

He didn’t refer to Hylon as ‘Lord’ and even called him ‘child’ as if he were a kid.

‘How unpleasant.’

Hylon had never mentioned the Holy Emperor to Richessia.

However, Chesha had made various inferences based on what they had experienced together so far.

I thought he was just an old man who was being worked to the bone, but I never imagined he would be such a sly old fox.

‘This is really unpleasant, isn’t it?’

I had decided to stay quiet during the Minor Saint Prayer Meeting, but I already wanted to cause trouble.

Chesha hid her true feelings and smiled brightly.

‘Should I secretly mark him as prey?’

He didn’t seem to have much divine power.

If I used a little bit of power, I could probably mark him secretly without him noticing.

The moment Chesha, who was smiling at the Holy Emperor, subtly raised her power.

“……!”

Startled, Chesha quickly withdrew her power.

It wasn’t just Chesha who was surprised.

Everyone was startled and looked around, forgetting the etiquette they should maintain before the Holy Emperor.

A song could be heard.

The song, sung faintly by someone, was strange.

It seemed to be coming from a very distant place, and yet it felt like it was whispering right in my ear.

It was sung in an unknown language, but the meaning of the song was clear.

Even though I couldn’t understand the lyrics, the meaning touched my heart directly.

The joy and delight of life being born, the beauty of pulsating creation, a hymn to the verdant nature.

The dreamlike and ethereal song fluttered in all directions like flower petals in spring.

At first, people were just bewildered and looking around, but then smiles began to appear on their faces.

It was an involuntary smile, born from the rising sense of happiness.

Everyone was immersed in overflowing joy, but not the Holy Emperor.

Sianor’s face, which had been benevolent and generous until just now, hardened terribly.

He seemed to have forgotten that Chesha was watching him right in front of his eyes.

Sianor’s dry cheeks trembled.

“…Hylon.”

He muttered in a voice barely suppressing his anger.

“Summon Hylon.”

The Holy Knight guarding him closely was startled back to his senses.

He had been smiling pleasantly, but when he noticed the Holy Emperor’s anger, he became tense and replied.

“But Lord Hylon is……”

“Immediately!”

The low, urgent shout sharply cut off the Holy Knight’s words.

The Holy Knight immediately obeyed.

He quickly mounted his horse and galloped away.

The sound of hooves striking the stone echoed loudly.

The people who had been happily smiling, soaked in the song, snapped out of it at the loud noise.

Chesha glanced in the direction the knight was running.

It was towards the center of the Holy Empire, where the Great Temple was located.

“……”

Sianor slowly took a deep breath.

He quickly erased his agitated expression and smiled.

Sianor, who had regained his benevolence, spoke kindly and gently.

“Something urgent has come up, so I must go. It was nice meeting you. Let’s meet again at the Prayer Meeting.”

Then, he placed Chesha in front of Belzeon.

Sianor looked around at the people who were still not fully awakened from the song, with a faint smile on his face.

“Everyone, please rise.”

The Holy Priest standing next to the Holy Emperor shouted loudly to the people.

It was as if he was trying to cover up the singing that was still going on, with his loud voice.

“This is the new hymn of Hilderred. It is a song sung with divine power, created so that everyone within the Holy Empire can hear it, even from afar.”

At the Holy Priest’s words, exclamations of admiration flowed from here and there.

The Holy Priest raised both hands to the sky and said.

“It is also a celebratory song to welcome those who have come to the Empire of God for the Minor Saint Prayer Meeting. May everyone listen with joy.”

Then, cheers and applause erupted.

The people, moved by the mysterious hymn sung with divine power, reacted enthusiastically.

However, the faces of some Holy Knights and Holy Priests were dark.

They were trying to smile calmly, but they couldn’t completely hide the anxious look in their eyes.

This strange song did not seem to be flowing out intentionally by the Holy Empire.

Even without their reaction, Chesha was already convinced.

Because…….

‘It’s calling me.’

This was a song calling for Chesha.

There was only one thing that would be singing such a strange song while looking for Chesha in the Holy Empire.

The Fairy Queen’s Crown.