“Have you heard about the floating rumors?”

Oh, she changed the topic. Fufufu~ 

Cute~

“What rumors?” I cooperated, “I have not been to the capital lately because as you know, I am banned…”

Ugh, I hate being reminded of this heartbreak. How can I, as someone who loves visiting the capital, be happy? I can’t go to my favorite shops anymore and walk around, enjoying things. I have not been to the bookshop for a long time either. 

I wonder how Nine and Estelle? Nine was planning on leaving the last time we saw each other. Did she already go on her way?

“Well, according to the things I have heard. A saint had appeared,” she disclosed.

“A what? Saint?” I parroted.

Bea nodded, “Yes. No one knows where this rumor originated but my maids heard them from the merchants. Apparently, it’s a popular topic among the common people,” she continued.

I paused for a considerable amount of time to process the bomb she just dropped.

“There really is a saint?” I was still in disbelief, as you can see.

I mean, who was the first one to be regarded as a saint but failed to commit to it? Me.

So of course, hearing a piece of news about saints would pique my interest. 

“It’s just a rumor…” Bea murmured while drinking.

I know! A controversial one!

“Does it also say where this rumored saint hailed from?” I pressed on.

“That, I do not know.”

A saint… 

“Hey, ladies!” A cheerful voice that could disturb the dead resonated behind me.

I don’t have to look to know who it is…

“Eon,” Bea squinted.

Yep. I knew it.

“‘Sup!” He then unceremoniously occupied the empty seat beside me and pouted cheekily, “Nads… Didn’t I tell you to wait for me? You really don’t stick to your promise,” he accused.

One of my brows raised, “Wasn’t my promise not to tell my brother that you’re slacking off?”

“What do you mean by slacking off? I’m on break,” he immediately defended himself.

He saw the pastries on the table and popped one in his mouth, and not long after, started wolfing them down. I have forgotten that this guy is a glutton.

Erin took the initiative and poured the newcomer a cup of tea before retreating to the side again.

“Oh, really,” I replied in a bland tone.

On-break, my toes… Who would believe such a bald-faced lie? I’m sure he left his job to one of his subordinates and boldly fluttered here because Nathan is not around to monitor his movements.

“So what were you two gossiping about?” He looked at us interchangeably with a blinding question mark atop his head.

I snorted, “We’re not gossiping— Yeah, we are.”

“Heh. I knew it,” Eon beamed.

Bea stared at him squarely in the eyes.

“Have you also heard about the saint?”

Eon swallowed the food in his mouth first and muttered.

“Ohh, that. Have you heard of it too? It’s rumored that a saint had appeared from the kingdom outside the empire.”

“So it’s true?” I reconfirmed.

There truly is a saint?!

Eon neither confirmed nor denied it.

“Eh, Who knows? It’s a rumor.”

“But if that’s true, isn’t that a big event? Saints only appear once every thousand of years, after all. And from the record, it will be the first saint to appear in Terra,” I recounted what I read from the history of magic.

“We won’t know until the holy church validates that news themselves,” Eon replied.

Oh, right. The holy church. Honestly, this is the first time I heard about the existence of the Holy Church. I didn’t know something like that existed.

But I guess it should be obvious. I mean, there are Gods and Goddesses, there is also the magic tower that is dedicated to magic. 

“So far, even the Arcane Tower has not released a statement yet so we should not take this rumor seriously,” Eon added.

Hmm…

“But what do you two think about it?” 

I want to hear their opinion on this matter.

Eon looked at me and scratched his head.

“I just know that the topic regarding the saint is a serious offense so either these people are lying or…” he trailed off.

“It’s real…” Bea finished it on his behalf.

Eon shrugged his shoulders and did not make comments.

“There could be a saint…” I marveled.

Bea played with her teacup and murmured silently.

“The church is not getting mad about it, even though they are the devout believers of Gods and all that is holy.”

“Oh my…” I then hid my mouth behind my fan, gasping in awe of this discovery.

“You still should not say anything about it, though. Not until it is confirmed,” Eon reminded us before stuffing another scone in his mouth.

A tacit understanding passed between the three of us.

There was a short moment of silence, and then Bea broke it herself.

“A lot of rumors had been circulating lately including the church. Do you know that, Eon?” 

Eon’s eyes narrowed suspiciously in her direction.

“Hey, Bea. I am starting to doubt whether you are still the same person we know. When have you started being this nosy?” He snickered.

“Just answer my question,” she deadpanned.

Eon glanced at me in shock, like an aggrieved child that got scolded.

“See that, Nads? This must be a fake!” and pointed his index finger to Bea.

A smile bloomed on my lips, “I am also curious about it. What about the church?”

Eon let out a snort through his nose and shook his head.

“… women…”

“Eon.” Bea’s firm voice pressed him.

“Alright. Alright. Geez…” The former raised both his hands in an act of surrender and started grumbling to himself. 

“I don’t know much about that but I heard something about an illegal organization disguised as a church. I believe it involved a cult or something,” he divulged.

My eyes widened.

“Truly? A cult?”

“That’s what I heard. It was a ridiculous rumor but it did tie to the topic of the saint. They said that the saint exposed this cult and got rid of it,” he added.

“Ohh… Interesting,” I commented.

My thoughts are then filled with my own understanding of cults. In my head, it involved a lot of voodoo shit, some demonic chanting, a sacrificial ritual, and some more macabre stuff I could think of.

The only thing now is whether my assumptions are correct or not.. Although, I do know that a cult getting destroyed by the saint means it’s an evil one so yeah, I might not be far off the mark.