Chapter 91
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Chapter 91
"Ah...."
The High Priest's expression turned pale with shock—he clearly hadn't anticipated this. He hastily retrieved the paper that had been placed near Shay, then bowed deeply.
"My sincerest apologies, Saint. I have been disrespectful."
"Oh, no, that's not it."
Shay shook her head in startled surprise, and the High Priest responded with an intensely serious expression.
"I have come to serve you, Saint. Elgiosa is evidence of the mercy and love that the Divine has bestowed upon humanity, and you, as the Owner of Elgiosa, are the embodiment of divine compassion chosen by the Divine. I am but a humble servant of the Divine, prepared to witness the love that the Divine has testified to. Please regard me as your instrument and command me freely in all things."
A grown man considerably taller than herself was pouring forth words of utmost formality and eloquence that were difficult to comprehend. Shay's face turned ashen, and she clutched at the hem of Echinacea's dress. Echinacea sighed softly and translated the High Priest's words for Shay.
"Shay, this is the High Priest who has come to help you as the Saint. If there's anything you don't understand or need, you can always ask him."
"Am I... really truly a Saint?"
"Elgiosa—that dagger you have—it accepted you as its master, didn't it? You can wield it. That's what it means to be a Saint."
Shay's eyes widened. The High Priest's expression shifted to one of subtle relief, and he gazed at Echinacea with earnest intensity.
"Echinacea, I am inadequate and have not been properly guiding the Saint. I wish to ask for your assistance."
"...Aaron, wouldn't it be better if you spoke a bit more simply?"
"Forgive me. I am ignorant and uncertain of what to do...."
The High Priest's face had gone pale. Shay, sitting across from him, was equally pale. Echinacea, observing them both in turn, gave up and pulled the paper he had drawn toward himself back toward her.
"It's fine. I'll help."
"Thank you so much, Echinacea!"
She spent the entire morning assisting the High Priest in explaining various matters to Shay. The explanations primarily concerned how Shay would live going forward.
Fundamentally, Shay would reside at the Cathedral. Although the Saint is the Owner of Giosa, she is not a Knight Instructor. Now that the Saint's existence had been announced, pilgrims and visitors would arrive without end. Shay, as the Saint, would need to receive them.
However, she was not yet prepared for any of this. Not only did she need to practice wielding Elgiosa, but there was an enormous amount she would need to learn and master as a Saint. Yet they could not continue to conceal her existence until Shay was ready.
So it appeared the Cathedral had decided to formally debut the Saint on the final day of the upcoming Sun Festival. On that day, the Saint would perform a sacred rite before the general populace at noon, and in the evening, she would attend a banquet to present herself before envoys visiting from various nations.
Aaron recited the plans and schedule in meticulous detail, but Shay barely grasped through Echinacea's translation that there was much to learn and she would be busy. It seemed the girl would need some time to grow accustomed to her status as Saint.
As the explanations drew to a close, one of the Changcheon Knights who had stepped away returned.
"The Commander has already departed for Jedo. We are scheduled to return to Agenka by the afternoon train. I will purchase the tickets now, so please have your meal."
"Ah, I will travel separately and return on my own. There is somewhere I need to visit."
Echinacea interjected hastily. The Knight seemed puzzled but made no particular objection. A Squire, being directly under the Lord, enjoyed freedom of movement as long as the Lord had not issued separate orders.
"Understood, Squire Echinacea. Then I will not purchase a ticket for you."
As the Knight departed, Shay grasped the hem of her skirt with an expression of deep anxiety.
"Sister... where are you going? Weren't we supposed to go together?"
"I just need to visit somewhere briefly. It's fine—the High Priest and the Knights will take good care of you."
Shay glanced back at the High Priest. He was obliviously absorbed in reviewing the schedule with a serious expression. The girl's face began to crumple.
Not long ago, she had been a child nearly strangled and burned to death by the entire village. Even if she harbored no hatred toward those people, the fear would inevitably remain deep within her. The mud giants wielding nooses within the Nodule had surely been manifestations of Shay's terror.
Echinacea inwardly clicked her tongue. The Cathedral should have sent a gentler, kinder High Priest if they had heard about the Saint's age and circumstances. She lowered her voice and whispered.
"It's alright, Shay. They're not scary people. They're all good people who came to protect you, so you can trust them."
"So we're parting ways now? We won't see each other again?"
This was the person who had saved her, promised to protect her, and had kept that promise by coming to rescue her even when she was being strangled by the giant in that strange space. She had no choice but to depend on her. Shay clung to Echinacea like a chick. Echinacea gently stroked the girl's hair.
"No. We'll see each other again very soon. You'll be living very close by."
"Really?"
"Of course. It's practically like living next door. I'll visit often. So don't worry and wait for me there."
"Yes!"
Shay's face brightened. She finally seemed relieved.
After that, we shared a meal together, traveled to the station under the escort of knights, and I saw them off as their train departed. Echinacea watched the train carrying them disappear from the platform.
"Well then, I suppose I should head out too."
[But what about your body? She was worried about you earlier.]
"I rested well all day yesterday. That's enough."
I purchased a ticket to Ollabart. Though the direction was slightly different, Ollabart lay along the way to Agenka, so the detour wouldn't cost me much time.
The train I had booked departed late in the afternoon, and I arrived in the port city of Ollabart in the dead of night. I immediately secured lodgings at an inn and changed into my travel leather coat. It proved fortunate that I had packed a spare set in my enchanted bag just in case.
Once the night had deepened completely, I slipped into the shadows and made my way to a secret location I had discovered in my erased past. Since I already knew the place and its guardians were not knights, infiltration proved effortless.
There, I stole away items of critical importance—seals, ledgers, lists of organization members, keys, and other documents that could determine the organization's fate. With these in hand, I returned to the inn and surrendered to sleep. I awoke in broad daylight, the sun high in the sky.
After a leisurely meal, I donned a hooded robe over my leather coat and left the inn. I entered a tavern in the back alleys, ordered two mugs of beer and roasted potatoes, and produced a wedge-shaped dagger sheath. Then I called for the server.
"The head chef wishes to apologize in person. Would you follow me for a moment?"
Everything unfolded exactly as I had learned it in my erased past. I was soon led to a desolate warehouse. It was one of Wedge's contact points for meeting clients.
"A job request?"
A man with a large scar running across his mouth asked flatly. I knew him—he was one of those I had left alive after nearly annihilating the entire organization in my previous life, forcing him to provide answers. I spoke without hesitation.
"Investigate the white lion."
"What?"
"The place that uses the white lion as their emblem. You know what I mean, don't you?"
The white lion was the symbol of the Imperial Family, and investigating the Imperial Family was an extraordinarily dangerous undertaking. No matter how much Wedge operated in the shadows, they would never willingly accept such a request.
"You're insane. Drag her out."
The Organization Leader frowned and jerked his chin. In an instant, rough-looking men emerged from every corner, surrounding me. Beneath my lowered hood, the corners of my mouth curved upward.
"If you refuse my request, you'll come to regret it."
"Has this girl lost her mind?"
The man closest to me reached out his hand. I seized his wrist and threw him with fluid grace. The motion was like water flowing downhill. He lost consciousness instantly. The faces of the men who had been snickering changed in an instant. I ignored their newfound caution and fixed my gaze directly on the Organization Leader.
"What do you think happened to the items that were beneath the thirty-second brick?"
"What nonsense is this..."
"Wait."
The Organization Leader raised his hand, silencing the growling men. His scar twitched ominously.
"Who are you, girl? Which organization do you belong to?"
"I'm just a client. If you faithfully carry out my request, I'll give you something you desperately want in return."
"Something we desperately want?"
"Those items beneath the brick. My goodness, you still haven't noticed they're gone? You're sloppier than I thought."
The Organization Leader closed his mouth and gestured to the man beside him. As the man bowed his head, he issued a command in a lowered voice.
"Go report to the boss. Tell him to check beneath the brick."
It was a whisper, but I could hear every word. I crossed my legs and rested my elbow on my knee, propping my chin in my hand.
When I discovered how the Demonic Sword had been sent to Loaz, I resolved to determine whether it was the Crown Prince or the 2nd Prince who had placed it there. I needed to know who it was so I could protect Loaz from further exploitation and plan my revenge accordingly.
But investigating the Imperial Palace was too dangerous to entrust to Nicole. So I had decided to employ other means. That was when Wedge came to mind.
Wedge was an organization that didn't care whether their investigations of the Imperial Palace became dangerous, and since I had learned much from my erased past, they were ideal to manipulate. I had ways to make Wedge move with the organization's very survival at stake. The seal and ledger I had stolen at dawn were merely part of my leverage.
The Organization Leader regarded me with an expression of disbelief at my composure.
"You have no fear."
"There's no reason to be afraid."
"...I saw earlier that you've trained in martial arts, but if you rely on such meager skills, you won't leave here with your body intact. Well, women have their uses, so I won't cripple you."
The Organization Leader's eyes swept across her form wrapped in the hood. Echinacea Loaz simply smiled without responding. The Demonic Sword grumbled inside her mind.
[I can't stand this. Master, let me kill them, yeah? If we kill them, they'll all shut up and behave! Why are you holding back? They're just as bad as that bastard we killed in the Nodule!]
"They deserve a chance to live. If I'm going to use them, I need to keep them alive."
She answered casually aloud. The Organization Leader's eyebrows rose at her words.
"A chance to live? Use them? Keep them alive?"
"Oh, you heard that?"
Though she'd meant for him to hear, Echinacea Loaz tilted her head as if she hadn't. Then she spoke in a light tone.
"Honestly, you're the kind of people I wouldn't hesitate to kill, but I'd prefer to avoid murder if possible. Besides, I have things I need to request from you, and it'd be awkward to start by killing you outright."
"What kind of insane woman is this...!"
The Organization Leader erupted in anger and began to rise, but Echinacea Loaz vanished.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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