Chapter 28
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
I'll purchase divine power with money.
Chapter 28
"This is a venture that cannot fail. The Sun God's healing power is unparalleled, so even if it takes time, success is assured. As a Duke, you understand this well."
Lute, a Duke who personally manages his trading company rather than entrusting it to others.
Being an intelligent man, he would surely invest willingly.
"...If the Saint's words hold true and the Duke joins us, then there seems to be genuine possibility."
In the end, Airic Dert also nodded in agreement.
Hope began to bloom anew in eyes that had been filled only with resignation.
It was a beautiful hue, like verdant leaves glistening with sunlight after rain.
This suited Airic Dert far better than the dark, dreary color stained by despair.
"Then once the Duke accepts, we'll begin immediately. I'll write the letter to send to the Duke, so High Priest, please select the priests who will assist in potion creation."
"What shall I do?"
Once everyone's tasks were assigned, Seth Noel asked hesitantly. His sparkling blue eyes were as beautiful as Airic Dert's.
"Holy Knight Commander..."
"Yes, me!"
I smiled brightly at Seth Noel.
"Guard the Temple of the Sun God diligently."
At my firm words, Seth Noel's expression grew dejected.
But his offensive power far exceeded his healing ability, so he couldn't create potions at all.
Leaving Seth Noel hurt by my words and Airic Dert comforting him behind, I stood up abruptly to write the letter.
My heart was already racing at the thought of what words to fill the letter with.
* * *
The blade sang as it slid into the scabbard.
Lute, having finished his sword training, sheathed his blade with precise, deliberate movements.
Simon Traber, the knight commander of the Duchy who had been sparring with him, collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.
"My Lord, your skill seems to have improved dramatically in recent days."
Indeed, Simon's legs trembled so badly he couldn't stand, yet Lute merely glistened with sweat, showing no sign of fatigue.
The Duke had always been stronger, but the gap had never been this severe. What on earth had happened in just these past few days?
"I've simply been training more frequently of late."
Lute wiped his brow with the cloth his attendant brought, smiling as he looked at Simon still seated on the ground.
"Or perhaps the Commander lacks sufficient training?"
"...I shall increase my training regimen starting today."
Simon, whose competitive spirit never wavered, gritted his teeth and swore the oath.
"It won't help against me anyway. But by all means, give it a try."
Good heavens. Does he train that terrifying wit of his as much as his swordsmanship?
Simon couldn't help but marvel at how infuriatingly charming his lord could be.
"My Lord!"
Just then, Yuri Polton, Lute's adjutant, came running from across the courtyard. At the sight, Lute's brow furrowed sharply.
"What's so urgent that you come rushing about so carelessly?"
Yuri Polton's expression turned startled as he was met with that terrifying wit the moment he arrived.
"Flighty? I rushed over the moment I saw the letter from the Sun God's Temple!"
"From the Temple?"
Lute, who had been eyeing Yuri Polton with displeasure, snatched the letter from his hands like a thief.
Then he hurled the scabbard he'd been holding at him.
Ignoring the startled Yuri Polton's flustered scramble to catch the blade, Lute's eyes found the name written in the corner of the letter.
Ordel Kiris.
Just the name alone, the sender's signature.
Could she have written down the amount needed for the next blessing recharge?
A Saint who coveted money with such peculiar intensity—and only money itself—would certainly be capable of such a thing.
With the pain gone, I could train my body more freely and comfortably than before, growing stronger in proportion. I would have been willing to pay any absurd sum she demanded.
Yet Lute realized he still hadn't grasped even the slightest accurate understanding of this person called Ordel Kiris.
"...?"
The first line, which launched straight into business without so much as a greeting, was utterly exasperating.
We're starting a potion business, and I've decided to include the Duke's merchant company in it.
I never agreed to anything, so what is this presumptuous demand?
"My lord? What's wrong? What did the letter say...?"
"Come with me."
Lute grabbed Yuri Polton by the scruff of his neck and dragged him toward the study.
This wasn't a conversation for here.
"Here, read it."
Upon arriving at the study, Lute thrust the letter into Yuri Polton's hands, then gulped down cold water to cool the heat from his training.
Even so, the absurdity of it all made him laugh despite himself.
We're starting a potion business, and I've decided to include the Duke's merchant company in it.
As for explaining the business plan, the Temple's situation isn't particularly favorable at the moment.
It's difficult to conduct business with just the priests, so we've decided to recruit an alchemist.
A collaboration between divine power and alchemy. Quite promising, wouldn't you say? So I'm counting on your cooperation going forward.
"...Is the Saint of the Sun God's Temple always like this?"
Yuri Polton, dragged here with a bewildered expression and forced to read the letter, now looked even more bewildered as he stared at Lute.
Since only Lute had conversed with the Saint during the last visit to the Temple, he knew nothing about her.
That's why he'd been puzzled when Lute ordered him to investigate Ordel Kiris immediately after leaving the Temple....
Now, seeing the letter, he understood—she truly was no ordinary person.
He'd never seen anyone brazenly notify Lute himself that she would make use of his merchant company.
"Well, honestly, it's not a bad proposal."
His reluctance was reluctance, but that didn't mean there was no profit in it.
Hadn't the Sun God's divine power's superior healing ability already proven itself by alleviating Lute's pain?
And now, on top of that, alchemy as well.
With that combination, even those unfamiliar with the Sun God would accept it without much resistance.
Usually, Temple people dislike collaborating with other professions, yet she came up with such an idea.
Though it would be difficult to immediately surpass the Sea God Temple, which has the nobility firmly in its grasp, with the Sheary Duchy's capital invested, we'd certainly overtake them within ten years.
Above all.
"The Grand Temple of Sea God is really going to get a taste of their own medicine."
The Grand Temple of Sea God—the place I had visited to cure Lute's illness.
Yet despite failing to treat his condition, let alone alleviate his suffering, they had the audacity to demand payment with such arrogance.
The way the Saint and the Holy Knight Commander so blatantly revealed their greed for the Duchy's wealth was truly repugnant.
But what if the Sun God's Temple were to launch a potion business? Who would be the one getting a taste of their own medicine then?
I'll admit, I was tempted.
"I do think accepting the proposal seems reasonable... though, of course, only if my lord agrees."
Would the Saint, who had issued this as a decree rather than a mere suggestion, appeal to Lute?
Since we possessed the Sacred Relic of Light, we couldn't completely turn our backs on the Sun God's Temple, but the business venture was a separate matter entirely. So Yuri Polton kept stealing glances at his expression.
"...How did the investigation into House of Count Kiris proceed?"
After staring silently out the window for a long while, Lute finally asked.
His face, still flushed from the earlier training, looked unusually gaunt, so Yuri Polton quickly delivered his report.
"Yes, sir. According to the maid we bribed, Miss Ordel Kiris is a daughter from a cadet branch of the House of Count Kiris. When the Count discovered she possessed the qualities of a Saint, he immediately adopted her as his legitimate daughter. Apparently, the mere fact that a Saint chosen by God emerged from the family has elevated the Count's status somewhat."
Indeed, House of Count Kiris had originally been a quiet family, content to manage their remote territories.
But once Joseph Kiris became the current head of the household, they gradually expanded their influence, and about two years ago, they even made the remarkable achievement of advancing into the central nobility.
That was precisely around the time Ordel Kiris became a Saint.
"However, it seems her treatment within the family has not been favorable. The Count's relatives held her in great contempt, and the servants, influenced by that atmosphere, openly disrespected her. The Count's family even subtly encouraged such behavior."
But that wasn't all.
"Whenever Miss Ordel Kiris returned to the family, the Count would fly into a rage, locking her in her room, starving her, or casting her out. It was practically abuse."
"They were breaking her spirit."
Lute let out a quiet laugh as he listened to Yuri Polton's account. Yuri Polton understood immediately.
"Ah, so the Count was keeping the Saint perpetually subdued, ensuring she would never harbor independent thoughts? That's truly despicable."
Yuri Polton, who had just scoffed loudly, suddenly turned his attention to the letter he had been reading moments before.
"...But it doesn't seem like her spirit has been broken at all?"
Rather than broken, her spirit felt so formidable that she seemed capable of beheading enemy commanders even if dropped onto a battlefield.
"You're right. Her vigor is quite remarkable—enough to overwhelm even me."
Lute, who had been standing by the window, approached with a bright smile.
Odd. He had seemed displeased just moments ago, yet now he appeared cheerful.
Even having watched Lute since birth, discerning his moods remained remarkably difficult.
"So prepare yourself."
"...Prepare for what, sir?"
"Obviously, to visit the Temple. She went to such lengths as to send a letter expressing her desperate desire to meet me. It would be discourteous to ignore it."
Discourteous? This was the same man who had mercilessly turned away countless people begging for just one meeting...
Besides, where in this letter was there any sign of desperation?
If anything, the Saint seemed utterly indifferent to Lute's opinions.
"Besides, if the Sun God's Temple were to collapse, it would become troublesome for me. Since she's taking the initiative to launch a business, it's fortunate."
Regardless of what Yuri Polton might be thinking, Lute held the letter written in the Saint's handwriting.
The rather rough and distinctive script suited her character perfectly.
Lute smiled contentedly as he touched the Sacred Relic hidden within his clothes.
He was already eager to see what other facets Ordel Kiris would reveal.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org