The Baby Fairy Is A Villain [EN]: Chapter 140

Amidst a series of significant events, the Minor Saint Prayer Assembly was drawing to a close.

As its final day approached, the victor remained uncertain.

The influential Count Vasillian had declared his absence, effectively removing himself as a contender.

Though Vasillian hadn’t left the Holy Empire, he no longer participated in the prayer assembly.

Prince Remil of Hebaton, another promising candidate, was still present, but for some reason, he hadn’t demonstrated any remarkable abilities.

Despite Cardinal Milliard’s constant boasting about Remil’s immense divine power, the prince failed to display it even once during the Minor Saint Prayer Assembly.

Without his divine power, he was just an ordinary young boy.

While the cardinal and holy priests fervently supported Remil, their support wasn’t enough to sway the holy knights.

Instead, the holy knights seemed more interested in the princess of the Kingdom of Skaya, who possessed a cheerful and engaging personality.

With votes scattered among various candidates, hushed speculation arose that an unexpected individual might seize the crown.

The final prayer was held in the Great Temple, just as it had been on the first day.

However, the Holy King was absent.

He was scheduled to appear only to commend the winner and personally bestow the crown.

Cardinal Milliard presided over the final prayer.

All participants gathered in the Great Temple for the final prayer.

The final task was for each person to prepare individual prayers to offer to God.

However, few were preparing prayers with genuine reverence.

Everyone was eager to share any scrap of information they had, wondering how the chaotic Minor Saint Prayer Assembly would conclude.

Whether Count Vasillian would truly step down so easily.

What would become of Chesha Vasillian in the future.

The commotion didn’t subside even after the cardinal and holy priests appeared.

“Ahem.”

Cardinal Milliard cleared his throat, displeased with the disorderly participants.

However, his attempt to regain order was unsuccessful.

He frowned as he looked around at the crowd that refused to be controlled.

The rumor that Cardinal Milliard had rushed to Kiern after Count Vasillian’s declaration of absence had already spread throughout the Holy Empire.

People in Hildred were mocking him, saying he imprisoned Kiern as a heretic but now missed his ability to purify demonic energy, and wondering what they would do without the fairy’s flower rain.

Milliard was well aware of the situation.

The authority of the Holy Empire was steadily declining, so a clever move was needed to reverse the trend.

Licking his parched lips, Milliard began to speak.

“…Today, I have something to show those gathered here.”

Speaking in an unusually polite tone, he extended his hand to one side.

Then, two holy priests, each holding a large velvet pedestal, carefully approached him.

In a glass case on the pedestal was a flower crown.

It was the Fairy Queen’s crown.

White chains were tangled around the crown.

The chains, tightly intertwined among the flowers, seemed impossible to unravel.

Despite being bound by chains, the crown did not lose its ethereal beauty.

Its appearance, scattering a subtle light, created a mystical atmosphere as if it did not belong to this world.

As the participants immediately focused and stared blankly at the crown, Cardinal Milliard wore a satisfied smile.

He was pleased with how easily they forgot about Vasillian with just a bit of entertainment, like the fools they were.

The goal was to divert the participants’ attention as much as possible.

“As you can see from looking at the crown directly, this is all from God…”

He was about to begin the prayer assembly with a simple sermon praising God when—

Bang!

The firmly closed doors of the Great Temple burst open with a violent sound.

The doors of the Great Temple, reinforced with massive marble slabs, were surprisingly heavy.

It would take a strong adult man exerting all his strength just to slightly push one side of the door.

Yet, the doors were thrown open on both sides as easily as if they were made of old woven straw.

The one who appeared beyond the doors was an uninvited guest.

Everyone froze, their mouths agape in surprise.

One of those staring blankly muttered.

“Vasillian…?”

It was a name everyone now knew.

Count Vasillian, Kiern, was holding Chesha Vasillian in his arms.

The small baby fairy wore a white flower as a hair ornament, along with a light pink ribbon.

The small, white flower naturally evoked memories of the flower rain the baby fairy had created that night.

The viscount and twin brothers stood alongside the count.

Although it was customary to be unarmed when entering the Great Temple, the three brothers boldly wore real swords at their waists.

Everyone was bewildered, unsure of the intentions of Count Vasillian, who had suddenly appeared with his entire family.

At the same time, they gleamed with anticipation, wondering what other interesting gossip would arise.

“…”

Unlike his dramatic entrance, as if staging a rebellion,

Kiern said nothing.

His gaze had been fixed on one place since he first entered the Great Temple.

It was the Fairy Queen’s crown.

His sunken red eyes stared intently at the crown.

Though his eyes seemed calm at first glance,

Beneath the smooth surface, dark emotions swirled.

Kiern slowly inhaled and exhaled.

The man who least belonged in the sacred Great Temple did his best to conceal his darkness.

“…Count Vasillian.”

Cardinal Milliard shouted, his eyes bloodshot.

“What are you doing? In the middle of a sacred prayer assembly…!”

He ordered the holy knights guarding the Great Temple.

“Drag the count out immediately!”

It was a thunderous roar.

But no one moved.

“…”

In the ominous silence, Cardinal Milliard’s eyelids twitched briefly.

Kiern slowly walked forward.

He still said nothing.

He simply walked right up to the cardinal.

Kiern asked.

“Why did you do it?”

His voice suppressed with sorrow.

Cardinal Milliard was startled by the cunning count’s deceitful behavior.

He would expect him to sneer and ridicule, but this was the first time he had heard a voice filled with such gloomy emotion.

However, it was impossible for that man to truly feel sorrow.

The moment he saw him skillfully imitating emotions, he instinctively knew.

He had fallen into Count Vasillian’s trap.

“Did you want to drive the Vasillian family out of the Minor Saint Prayer Assembly that badly?”

Kiern asked, holding the child in his arms preciously.

“Enough to borrow the power of black magic?”

Cardinal Milliard was about to open his mouth, his face contorted in anger, when—

Regular marching sounds were heard.

The sound of dozens of people walking in unison was surprisingly uniform.

Following Count Vasillian, those who appeared were holy knights wearing pure white uniforms.

No, it wasn’t just the holy knights who appeared….

At the very front of the knights.

There stood those wearing the uniforms of inquisitors [officials of the Holy Empire responsible for combating heresy].

The inquisitors of Hildred, who always concealed their identities, with their true identities unknown to even some of the highest-ranking officials within the Holy Empire.

There were three inquisitors wearing black masks that covered their entire faces.

Three incredibly rare inquisitors had gathered in one place.

From the moment he identified the inquisitors, Cardinal Milliard literally began to tremble.

“Why, why, why…”

“Cardinal Milliard.”

Clatter!

A white chain shot out and bound Cardinal Milliard’s limbs.

It was the chain that had extended from the inquisitor at the very front.

He slowly removed his black mask.

The participants in the Great Temple all gasped at the face revealed beneath the mask.

Hailon announced in a calm voice.

“Having confirmed the crime of worshiping a heretic, we hereby strip you of your position as cardinal and place you under arrest, effective today.”