Chapter 46: An Unexpected Alliance

“Oh… this…”

By this point, Allyrose was completely baffled, unable to fathom what His Majesty the King truly intended.

She had previously assumed he was here to demand an explanation, perhaps even mete out punishment. But the young woman never imagined such a scene would unfold before her. After a moment’s brief deliberation, the black-haired girl decided it best to feign weakness and observe.

“Ah, Your Majesty, what good would it do to dwell on such thoughts? After all, the Holy See has already declared Miss Vivian the Saintess. All I can do is quietly accept it. Moreover, I am not as formidable as Your Majesty suggests. Perhaps the reason for my Level 100 Holy Light is because I was once a Saintess, and I may not truly be able to unleash its full power…”

Her words were sufficiently humble, leaving herself ample room to retreat. She spoke as if resigned to her fate, yet subtly hinted at a flicker of unwillingness deep within her heart.

And that very unwillingness was precisely what the King desired! Upon hearing her speak, he chuckled softly and shook his head. He then patted Allyrose’s shoulder and spoke again:

“Even so, Miss Allyrose, for you to single-handedly defeat a Cyclops at such a young age is proof enough of your immense potential… no, your *extraordinary* potential! I can also hear the disappointment in your voice. You served as Saintess for over a decade; I watched you grow up. How could I not understand such feelings? If one day someone were to suddenly drag me from this throne, I fear… even if I lived, deprived of the royal life I’ve grown accustomed to, I would surely wither away in sorrow.”

Leo glanced at the Queen beside him. Ufna offered a faint smile, then whispered softly into Allyrose’s ear:

“What a wonderful child, Allyrose. Since the Holy See was blind enough to abandon a genius Saintess like you, then… *we* want you.”

“Ah… ah?”

Allyrose blinked, momentarily failing to grasp what they meant.

So, could it be that… His Majesty the King was trying to… win her over?

The instant this possibility surfaced in Allyrose’s mind, an indescribable thrill surged through her. She widened her eyes, barely daring to believe it. ‘Don’t… don’t joke around.’

If she could truly gain the King’s support, then setting aside the matter of whether she could walk freely through the capital, simply in terms of her revenge plot, she would at least be on equal footing with the Holy See in terms of backing!

For Allyrose, who would likely be clashing with Vivian repeatedly, this was an incredibly fortunate development!

But…

Why?

After the initial excitement, a calm Allyrose frowned, her vigilance heightened as she looked at King Leo II before her.

Why would His Majesty the King help her?

Allyrose truly couldn’t comprehend this. According to the original novel’s plot—at least the first half—while the King, or rather, the central authority of the entire kingdom, didn’t have many appearances, Allyrose always felt they were in cahoots with the Holy See.

Evidently, under Vivian and Bishop Kitav’s leadership, no matter what heinous acts the Holy See committed, the kingdom’s side never intervened—not once. In fact, the Holy See seemed to disregard royal law entirely, acting with impunity. Yet, this old emperor had never held them accountable for any wrongdoing. It looked every bit like a grand alliance of rulers cooperating to oppress the lower classes.

But now…

Allyrose reflected. Had her transmigration altered some condition, thereby changing the timeline?

But…

As it turned out, Allyrose was overthinking things. A moment later, Leo, seeing the confusion in her heart, sighed. He then shook his head with a helpless smile before slowly speaking again:

“I know you must be very curious right now as to why I wish to win you over. Well… on one hand, Allyrose, I value talent. I am willing to gather all talented individuals with potential under my banner! On the other hand…”

The King paused for a few seconds. After a moment, he sighed again, then shook his head and continued:

“I truly have run out of options against your former employer, the Holy Central Church of the Kingdom—which pays no taxes and constantly annexes land—and… those various nobles, large and small, who collude with the Holy See to oppose me.”

“Oh~?”

Upon hearing this, Allyrose instantly nodded in profound understanding. So… that was the truth of the matter?

Indeed, after her transmigration, combining it with the original host’s memories, she had vaguely heard about the current political turmoil within the kingdom. It seemed… the noble lords, possessing various fiefdoms, were constantly banding together, forming a faction commonly known among the populace as the “Anti-Royal Faction.”

To these lords, the King, well… he should ideally be nothing more than a figurehead. He shouldn’t collect a single tax or extend any power into their fiefs, allowing each of them to be their own little king within their domains. That was the outcome they desired.

Thus, they chose to align with the Holy See, jointly opposing royal authority.

As for the Holy See, they should, in theory, have been allies with the King. After all, generally, royal authority granted religion space to exist, and religion, in turn, helped royal authority maintain its rule. But…

The current Holy See was simply too greedy. Although they had already gained privileges like tax exemption and land annexation, they were still nominally subservient to royal authority. This was like a blade hanging over the Holy See’s head; they might never find peace until royal authority was completely crippled.

Considering this, with so many vassal nobles and the Holy See combined, the Anti-Royal Faction’s power was indeed considerable. It sounded… quite frightening. Allyrose imagined that if she were king, she might not even be able to sleep soundly.

Therefore…

“Then, Your Majesty, you mean… I don’t think you merely want to recruit me as a bodyguard, do you? Perhaps… you wish to leverage my former identity as a Saintess?”

Allyrose spoke the truth of the matter, causing Leo to blush slightly and lower his head, coughing twice. A moment later, he looked up again, giving the black-haired girl a solemn nod, and then said to her:

“Allyrose, you are correct. One reason I summoned you here is to invite you into my faction and secure your loyalty to the kingdom, lest the Anti-Royal Faction gain the upper hand and snatch you away first. The other reason… I also thought… perhaps, compared to the Holy See, you could start anew?”