Chapter 71
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I'll purchase divine power with money.
Chapter 71
"This is the first time I've nearly cracked a lady's head while mounting her on a horse."
"You've done this to others too?"
He just grabbed people and hoisted them up without warning?
"...No. Now that I think about it, I don't believe I have."
At my bewildered stare, he suddenly changed his tune.
"Shall we depart then?"
Even changing the subject? And of all people, Lute Sheary?
This only made me want to press him further.
"Wait, just a moment!"
But Victoria's sudden interruption cost me the chance to jab Lute in the ribs.
I clicked my tongue in disappointment.
"We must escort the High Priestess—!"
"With me here, what escort do you need?"
Lute let out a scoff. Admittedly, with Lute alone, I felt secure enough.
Even before becoming the final boss's slave, Lute's martial prowess was among the Empire's finest.
"Even if the Holy Knight Commander himself came, he'd struggle to match me in combat. Why would you need an escort?"
"Say it nicely, would you?"
At his irritating tone, I smacked Lute's mouth.
Then I spoke to Victoria.
"It's fine, Your Grace. To the Count, I'm his top priority. He'd protect me even at the cost of his own life, so don't worry."
"How confident of you."
"Isn't it?"
I asked with a smile toward Lute. After regarding me for a moment, he smiled gently and shrugged.
"That's right. You're the most precious to me."
"You heard him? So there's nothing to worry about. It won't take long. I'll be back soon."
"Then we depart."
Before Victoria could even respond, Lute tapped the horse's flank with his heel.
The massive stallion began striding away from the Temple of the Sun God.
I had no time to savor the thrill of riding after so long, nor to feel the warmth of Lute's body against my back.
This was my first time leaving since entering the Temple of the Sun God.
Well, when I came from Count Kiris's estate to the temple, I'd been too nauseated to even see the outside, so this was essentially my first time since the possession.
"It's beautiful."
I entrusted my entire body to Lute as he guided the horse smoothly, taking in the peaceful mountain scenery.
With only the Sun God Grand Temple here and harsh mountain ranges beyond, the area was sparsely populated.
Because of this, the mountains retained their nearly pristine natural state.
Except for the single road where carriages traveled, trees and grass grew wild, filling the mountains abundantly.
That's what made it beautiful. Nature truly shines brightest in its original form.
"It's nice being quiet like this."
It had been a long time since I'd enjoyed such tranquility.
"You speak as though you're seeing this for the first time."
Sharp perception, as always.
"It has been a while since I've been out. Ah, we need to head to a village called Rubar. I brought a map, so we can use that...."
Since the destination was such a small village, a map was essential.
I was about to pull out the map I'd brought when Lute Sheary stopped me.
"You won't need a map. I have the Western Region's geography committed to memory."
"Really?"
You mean you've memorized even a small village like Rubar?
Now that I thought about it, I'd momentarily forgotten because I'd been drinking with this person every night—but he was a count, after all.
I was seeing him in a new light.
"But there won't be much to see in Rubar."
Lute Sheary was right.
Rubar, located not far from the mountain where the Sun God Grand Temple stood, was an extremely impoverished village.
When the Grand Temple was thriving, it had managed to survive thanks to the constant flow of travelers, but once the Grand Temple fell, even putting food on the table became difficult.
Yet there was a definite reason why I was going to that village with none other than Lute Sheary.
"I'll explain once we arrive. Let's go for now."
"I'll increase our pace."
As Lute Sheary spurred the horse forward, my rear end began bouncing wildly.
This pain was familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time. After all, this wasn't my previous life's body with its toned lower body muscles!
"Are you struggling?"
"...My rear end is on fire."
As I gritted my teeth and spoke, Lute Sheary looked at my scrawny, muscular body with pity.
"Well, I can't exactly massage it for you. Just endure it until we arrive."
I nodded and gripped the mane of the steed tightly. I could only pray we'd arrive soon.
* * *
I managed to arrive at Rubar village safely before my rear end split into four pieces.
The thought of the return journey made my heart sink, though. Should I buy a cushion or something from the village for the ride back?
"Is this truly the destination?"
As I dismounted and patted my swollen rear end, Lute Sheary surveyed the surroundings lightly.
It was understandable to be puzzled.
This place, roughly 2 kilometers from Rubar village, had absolutely nothing except for a few low stone hills.
"This land is currently owned by Count Kiris. However, it has no resources, and the residents are so poor that there's not a single coin to be extracted."
Not all nobles possess only useful land.
Sometimes some foolish ancestor gets swindled into purchasing worthless land.
This land was one such place.
"Soon, the Count will give this land to me."
The deal I'd made with him.
Either hand over 10,000 gold or give up 5,000 gold and a piece of land.
The Count would most likely give me this land.
In fact, in the original story, this was the most useless land among all his possessions, and he sold it off first.
Even if this world differed from the original, the Count's greed would be similar, so there was a high probability things would unfold much the same way.
"This useless land?"
"It's useless land, so I'm giving it away. Why would I give something valuable to a stepdaughter who's of no use?"
"But High Priestess, your expression doesn't match someone about to receive useless land."
Lute Sheary asked me what I was thinking.
I smiled wickedly at him.
"I said earlier there wasn't a single corner where money could come from, didn't I? That's right. On the surface, that's true."
At my words, Lute's gaze reflexively turned downward toward the earth beneath us.
"Surely...?"
"Yes. This land actually harbors boundless resources. Because it appears empty on the surface, no one has ever discovered it."
I turned my head and gazed toward where the Sun God Grand Temple stood.
A mountain crowned the landscape at a distance one could reach by riding a horse for just a couple of hours—the mountain where the Grand Temple was built.
"All Grand Temples are erected in places the divine has chosen."
The Grand Temple of Sea God is located in the north where the sea exists.
Death God's Temple is situated in the south where the desert lies.
"Then why is the Sun God Grand Temple in the western region?"
Not in the hottest south, not in the east where sunlight pours abundantly, but why specifically the west?
"Because this land is sacred."
According to mythology, the first Grand Temple ever built was none other than the Sun God's Grand Temple.
In other words, it was the Sun God himself who chose this land first.
There was only one reason.
"This land contains holy stones buried within it. Vast quantities of them."
To forge a sword, one needs iron.
To use magic, one needs mana stones.
Then what is needed for sacred artifacts imbued with divine power?
The answer is holy stones—ore infused with sacred energy.
Beneath Rubar lay an enormous deposit of these holy stones.
"Hahahaha!"
Lute, who had been staring at me blankly, burst into loud laughter, bending at the waist and laughing until his voice grew hoarse.
I had never seen Lute laugh like this before, but I wasn't flustered.
I would have laughed too if I were in his position.
"Ah, ah, High Priestess. My goodness. You truly cannot see even one step ahead, can you?"
Lute wiped away the tears that had gathered at the corners of his eyes.
"So you're saying you'll swindle the Count—who doesn't even dream that holy stones are buried here—and seize this land?"
"Swindle? That makes me sound like a terrible person. I'm simply accepting what the Count is offering to give. How is that swindling?"
"Puhahahaha!"
At my shameless words, he burst into laughter once more.
His face showed he was so delighted he didn't know what to do with himself.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org