Saint Seiya Cloth Forger - 149/150 (Patreon)

Chapter 149: Saori’s Speech

The Sanctuary.

The Coliseum.

Today, the place was packed, a vast sea of people. Everyone living within the Sanctuary or on its outskirts, under the Sanctuary’s jurisdiction, had set aside their work for the day and gathered at the Coliseum.

For this was the day Goddess Athena, born in the Sanctuary sixteen years ago, would publicly address them.

It was also the first time in the modern age that they would see a living Goddess, Athena herself.

News of what had happened at the Twelve Temples had already spread throughout the Sanctuary.

In particular, people could not stop talking about the exploits of Ryosho and the Bronze Saints. They had broken through the Twelve Temples, something no one had accomplished since the Mythological Age, and brought down the treacherous false Grand Pope.

Over the past few days, the names of Ryosho, Seiya, and the others had become renowned throughout the Sanctuary.

At that moment, on the Coliseum's grandstand, the surviving Gold Saints stood in a semicircle according to the order of the Twelve Temples, awaiting Saori Kido's arrival.

Each wore a Gold Cloth, their powerful auras radiating outward.

The sight of the Gold Saints on the grandstand drew wave after wave of cheers from the people of the Sanctuary.

The Gold Saints held tremendous prestige and authority within the Sanctuary. Under normal circumstances, people would already consider themselves fortunate just to see one. Seeing eight of them gathered together today was something that had not happened in centuries.

In the front rows closest to the grandstand stood the Silver Saints and Bronze Saints.

Marin, who had been missing for several days, was there, along with Seiya, Shun, Hyoga, Shiryu, and the five secondary Bronze Saints.

Only Ikki was absent!

Just then, without anyone needing to maintain order, the crowd fell silent on its own.

A young girl in a long white dress stepped onto the grandstand, her cascading purple hair flowing behind her and a golden scepter in her hand. Beside her walked a man dressed in the robes of the Grand Pope.

Everyone held their breath.

Partly because of the girl's beauty, partly because of the sacred aura surrounding her, and partly because of the Acting Grand Pope standing beside Athena, Ryosho.

After plenty of discussion and back-and-forth, Ryosho had finally agreed to carry out the duties of the Grand Pope as Acting Grand Pope.

The reason for the "Acting" title was simple. The Saga Uprising had only just ended, and people's trust in the position of Grand Pope had fallen sharply. Appointing a new Grand Pope immediately would have been inappropriate.

There was another reason as well. They did not want Ryosho to overshadow Athena and diminish her authority.

Ryosho wore the white robes of the Grand Pope and a golden papal tiara, the same attire Saga had worn while presiding over the selection for the Pegasus Cloth.

Although he wore no mask, everything above his nose was concealed by the shadow cast beneath the golden tiara. From a distance, he looked both mysterious and imposing.

"It's my brother..."

Cynthia clung to Manos's arm and happily pointed toward Ryosho standing beside Athena.

Although most of Ryosho's face was hidden in shadow, Cynthia knew him far too well not to recognize him at once.

The day after the Battle of the Twelve Temples ended, Ryosho had brought Cynthia and Manos back to the Sanctuary.

After all, living under someone else's roof was never truly convenient.

Manos nodded with satisfaction.

This was probably a sight he had never even imagined in his dreams.

When the people around them heard Cynthia's words, they looked toward her with reverence. More than a few of those gazes also carried envy.

"Ryosho really looks the part!"

Seiya rubbed his nose and grinned as he looked at the figure standing slightly behind Saori Kido.

Shun nodded in wholehearted agreement. Dressed like that and standing there, Ryosho gave off such a commanding presence that only Athena surpassed him. Even the Gold Saints seemed somewhat overshadowed by comparison.

Of course, much of that presence came from the Grand Pope's robes and tiara, but Ryosho was able to wear them without looking the slightest bit out of place or nervous. That was only possible because he possessed the strength and confidence to match them.

"We can't fall behind either. We have to become stronger. Only then can we protect Athena and this Earth!" Hyoga looked at Saori, Ryosho, and Aquarius Camus standing nearby, then clenched his fists.

"Yeah!"

Shiryu nodded. They had only survived this crisis because of Ryosho.

They had grown alongside him. They could not afford to fall too far behind.

Still wearing her mask, Marin looked up at Ryosho standing behind Saori Kido, her eyes filled with surprise. She truly had not expected this. Ryosho had actually been chosen as Acting Grand Pope.

"Marin, where have you been these past few days? You didn't even show up when Seiya and the others fought their way through the Twelve Temples." Shaina walked over in her Ophiuchus Silver Cloth and questioned Marin, who had been missing for several days.

Marin turned toward her. Seeing that it was Shaina, she hesitated briefly before answering, "I went to Valhalla Palace in Northern Europe."

"Valhalla Palace?"

Surprise flashed through Shaina's eyes. "What did you go there for?"

Marin was just about to answer when Saori Kido's speech began. She paused, then said, "I'll tell you about it later."

Standing on the grandstand, Saori Kido looked out over the packed Coliseum. She took a deep breath before slowly beginning to speak.

"I know that for some time now, all of you have been living in fear and uncertainty under the Grand Pope's brutal rule. You didn't know what was happening in the Sanctuary, what the future held for you, or what direction the Sanctuary would take..."

Standing beside Saori, Ryosho listened to her gentle, clear voice and nodded slightly.

The Sanctuary truly had been living under oppressive rule for some time.

Evil Saga had assumed the position of Grand Pope under the name of Arles and begun implementing reforms.

Although Evil Saga had focused most of his attention on Saori Kido and the Bronze Saints, leaving him little time to personally manage the Sanctuary, he had delegated much of its administration to the new Chief of Staff, Gigas.

Under Gigas's management, the Sanctuary had entered what could only be called its darkest period.

Just as in the anime, both the intensity of training for the rank-and-file soldiers and their casualty rate had reached unprecedented levels.

Even ordinary civilians had lived in constant fear, each day feeling unbearably long.

That was also why the people were so enthusiastic after Saga's downfall.

Ryosho glanced across the crowd, now stirred by Saori Kido's speech, and nodded in satisfaction.

Saori Kido was the focus today. He was only here to show his face.

"...When faced with immense power and the temptation of authority, even a good person can sometimes be led astray, drawn toward overwhelming evil and pushed onto the wrong path..."

"Because of this, many people have begun to fear the power of the Saints, believing that power itself is the source of evil."

"But when confronted with true evil, the reason I am able to stand before all of you today is because there have always been people protecting me. Their Cosmo is gentle, yet filled with courage..."

"They taught me that power itself is not something to fear."

"What matters is how that power is used!"

"If that power is used to protect people's peace and tranquility, then that power is just."

"Whether it is the Saints or Athena, we exist to protect peace and justice on Earth."

"If all of you believe that you need me... that you need Athena, then from this day forward, I will stand as Athena and protect you, protect your lives, and protect the peace of this Earth."

"And I ask all of you to believe in this power once again. Believe in the Sanctuary, believe in the Grand Pope... and believe that through all of our efforts together, we can make this Sanctuary and this world a better place."

Applause thundered through the Coliseum and showed no sign of stopping.

Ryosho looked at Saori Kido in mild surprise.

For a moment, he could not tell whether the one speaking had been Saori, Athena, or perhaps both.

He joined in the applause.

Whatever the case, this was a good beginning. Only a stable Sanctuary could serve as a stronghold for protecting the Earth and resisting the gods who coveted it.

His gaze swept across the crowd before finally settling on Marin.

A flicker of surprise appeared in his eyes. Marin, who had been missing for days, had actually returned. He wondered where she had gone during all that time.

Hmm. He would ask her about it when he had the chance.

...

Chapter 150: Hilda Has Disappeared

Ryosho finally understood why Dohko and Mū had been in such a hurry to appoint a Grand Pope.

Just look at the table piled high with documents, and all the damn problems waiting for him to deal with. He wanted nothing more than to set the whole pile on fire.

There were investigation reports on cults spreading their influence and causing harm around the world, reports of atrocities committed by Black Saints, requests for assistance with all kinds of supernatural incidents...

Then there were assessments of the damage to the Twelve Temples and applications for repair funds, personnel appointments and transfers within the Sanctuary, logistical resupply, and all sorts of requisition forms from the Twelve Temples...

On top of that, the finance department had submitted a huge stack of deficits that needed to be covered...

Ryosho's mood could hardly have been worse.

How was he supposed to know there would be so much crap waiting for him to handle as Grand Pope?

He really wanted to know who had been dealing with all this after Saga's death, especially with the Sanctuary so desperately short on capable personnel.

And then there was Saga...

Just how much money had that bastard squandered? He had somehow managed to burn through all the "protection money" the Sanctuary collected from countries around the world.

Ryosho immediately remembered a scene from the anime. Evil Saga reclining on a luxurious couch, beautiful women on either side of him, drinking red wine while surrounded by carefully tended and meticulously trimmed flower beds...

He put a hand to his forehead.

All right...

Evil Saga certainly knew how to enjoy himself.

Knock, knock, knock!

Someone knocked on the door.

Ryosho looked up. "Come in!"

The door opened, and two graceful, alluring figures walked inside.

"We pay our respects to the Grand Pope!"

Ryosho rolled his eyes. "You two can stop with that. I've already got enough headaches as it is!"

Marin and Shaina rose from their bows. Seeing Ryosho looking so utterly troubled, both of them had to suppress their amusement.

Come to think of it, Ryosho was only sixteen years old, and he had already become Grand Pope...

Then again, Gemini Saga had only been around fifteen when he killed the previous Grand Pope and took his place.

"What do you two need? And Marin, where have you been lately?" Ryosho stood up from his chair and walked over to them, removing the Grand Pope's crown as he did.

Marin and Shaina exchanged a glance before Marin answered solemnly, "I went to Valhalla Palace."

"Valhalla Palace?"

Ryosho froze for a moment, then asked in confusion, "What were you doing there?"

Valhalla Palace in Northern Europe was, of course, Hilda's territory. Under normal circumstances, Saints from the Sanctuary were not permitted to enter Valhalla Palace unless there was some exceptional reason. That place was neither under the Sanctuary's jurisdiction nor under Athena's authority.

The Sanctuary and Valhalla Palace had very little contact with each other.

Or rather, practically none at all.

Each side simply kept to itself.

Marin replied, "It started after I returned to the Sanctuary from Japan..."

After listening to Marin's account, Ryosho finally understood why she had gone to Valhalla Palace without authorization.

Not long after Marin returned to the Sanctuary, she encountered a warrior who had come from Valhalla Palace.

The warrior had been sent by Queen Hilda of Asgard to request aid from the Sanctuary.

Unfortunately, he had been gravely wounded. By the time he found Marin, he was already on the verge of death.

He only had enough time to tell Marin why he had come to the Sanctuary before passing away.

At the time, however, Saga was still ruling the Sanctuary, and the decisive battle against Athena in distant Japan was about to begin. Marin had already betrayed the Sanctuary, so there was naturally no way for her to report the matter.

Even if she had, it probably would not have made any difference at such a critical moment.

So after burying the warrior from Valhalla Palace, Marin immediately hurried north to find out why Hilda had sought the Sanctuary's help.

Ryosho frowned.

Hilda asking the Sanctuary for help had never happened in the original storyline.

Could Loki already have started making his move?

"So, when you went to Valhalla Palace, did you meet Queen Hilda?"

Marin shook her head. "No. Queen Hilda has disappeared."

"What? She's missing?"

Well, that settled it.

Loki was definitely behind this.

Ryosho did not even need to hear the rest to know that the Norse storyline had already gone off course.

"A physician named Andreas has taken Hilda's place as Odin's Representative on Earth. He has also summoned the legendary God Warriors of Valhalla Palace and now rules the entire realm."

Ryosho frowned.

He had not expected the Norse arc to transition directly into Soul of Gold. He had originally planned to beat Poseidon to the punch, but instead Loki had beaten him to it.

What Ryosho could not understand was how Hilda, with all her prestige and her status as Odin's Representative on Earth, could simply disappear without warning. Nor could he understand how Andreas, Loki's earthly vessel, had managed to seize power.

In Soul of Gold, Andreas had been able to take control of Valhalla Palace partly because the Norse arc had nearly wiped out Hilda's closest followers, and partly because Hilda herself had fallen ill.

On top of that, Lyfia, the new Odin's Representative on Earth, had yet to awaken. That was what gave Andreas, or rather Loki, the opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

But Ryosho could not understand how Loki had managed to seize control of Valhalla Palace while Hilda was still at the height of her power.

Could Poseidon have helped him?

But with Poseidon's personality, would he really join forces with a mere evil god like Loki?

Hmm...

Then again, maybe it was possible.

The Emperor of the Seas had not truly awakened yet. The one actually controlling everything from behind the scenes was Gemini Kanon.

Given Kanon's personality, it was not entirely impossible for him to get mixed up with the evil god Loki.

Still, something did not add up.

If Loki and Kanon really were working together, they could simply have used the Nibelungen Ring to control Hilda. In that case, Hilda would never have disappeared.

Her disappearance could only mean one thing.

Hilda had escaped Andreas's persecution.

What a mess...

Ryosho rubbed his temples. "So what's the situation in Northern Europe right now?"

"Andreas has revived Yggdrasil, something Valhalla Palace considers taboo. He used smooth words to win the trust of the people of the Arctic Valhalla Palace, telling them that once Yggdrasil bears fruit, Valhalla Palace in Northern Europe will become a land filled with sunlight."

"Valhalla Palace is now completely under Andreas's control."

"Under Andreas's influence, the people of Northern Europe have come to regard Hilda as a puppet of an evil god."

"Hilda has completely lost her standing in the eyes of the people of Northern Europe."

"There are all kinds of rumors. Some say Hilda is dead, while others say she's gone into hiding under the protection of a few loyal followers."

"In short, no one knows the truth, and no one knows whether Hilda is safe."

Ryosho nodded.

This was more or less what he had expected. After all, this was exactly how Loki had operated in Soul of Gold.

However, in Soul of Gold, Loki had used the deceased Gold Saints in order to make Yggdrasil bear fruit and obtain the legendary Eternal Spear Gungnir.

But now...

Nowhere near that many Gold Saints had died.

Which meant Loki must have found another way to obtain the Eternal Spear.

Troublesome!

This could not be left alone. It had to be dealt with as soon as possible.

Ryosho looked at Marin. "Did you feel anything unusual while you were in Valhalla Palace?"

Marin thought for a moment before answering, "I felt as though the Saints' power was being weakened. I also sensed something absorbing my Cosmo."

"I see. You've worked hard, Marin. I'll send someone specifically to investigate what's happening at Valhalla Palace."

"Oh, right. That warrior from Valhalla Palace who died. Did he tell you his name?"

"Thor!"