Chapter 69

Chapter 69

Saintess Bernice

“Since this is our first meeting, it would be best to introduce ourselves first. I am the Saintess, Bernice. This is Ines, captain of the Silver Wings Knights.”

Bernice was sitting on the reception sofa, drinking tea, while Ines stood quietly beside her and kept her place.

“...I am Antony.”

It was information they both already knew, but they had not been personally acquainted.

Bernice examined Antony carefully, then opened her mouth first.

“Aron Crevil... has been executed.”

“Aron... the high priest, you mean...?!”

Antony wanted to grit his teeth at that name, which disgusted him just to hear, but because the Saintess was before him, he maintained as much courtesy as possible and endured his anger.

Aron was the very person who had falsely accused Antony and driven him out of the Holy Kingdom.

“It is not a name worthy of being elevated. Before he died, he was stripped of both his position as a priest and his title as a noble. Curiously... there was not one person in the Crevil family whose hands were clean. The Crevil family no longer exists in this world.”

Bernice gently set down her teacup and said something rather brutal.

Antony, listening to her story, seemed to instantly realize what had happened.

However, something important remained.

Antony did not reveal his emotions on his face and continued asking questions in a calm voice.

“...So that is how it turned out. What is the reason you have come to find me at such a late hour...? It would only be proper for me to express gratitude that you personally came all this way to visit a worthless merchant like me... but I am no longer a person of the Holy Kingdom.”

“While investigating Aron, I learned of what happened between him and you, Antony. I wish I had noticed even a little earlier... It was something that happened before I became Saintess, so it took far too long for me to learn the circumstances. I am sorry.”

“No... I firmly believed that the Chief God’s hammer would fall upon Aron one day.”

“...It is nothing else. I heard that Antony’s daughter had fallen gravely ill, and that Aron was interfering with her treatment. As soon as I heard this news, I hurried here from the Holy Kingdom... but fortunately, Emilia seems healthy.”

“...It is true Emilia fell ill. It is also true that receiving treatment was difficult. As I prayed to the Chief God and endured each day, one day, I met a noble benefactor.”

Antony began with that and recited the story of the mysterious figure who covered his eyes with bandages and handled needles—the blind Acupuncturist.

The rare illness called mana depletion, and the blind Acupuncturist who treated it without divine power.

However, Antony did not mention that he had felt something like a “Saint” from him. He was before the Saintess, and in any case, it was close to only a feeling.

“A blind Acupuncturist... He did not mention a name...”

After Antony’s story came to an end, Bernice muttered.

As Bernice tilted her head slightly, her silver hair swayed.

When Saintesses became Saintesses, they gained many abilities.

Though the power each Saintess obtained differed, a nearly infinite amount of divine power was always included.

The power Bernice obtained as Saintess was the ability to distinguish lies when conversing with people.

The Saintess had not found a single lie in what Antony had just said.

This was not because she suspected Antony, but because it was a power the Saintess herself could not control, so it could not be helped.

“He seemed not to particularly like revealing himself. I remember that he even tried to accept only a small amount of money, and I somehow forced him to take more.”

“How interesting. If it would not be discourteous, may I examine Emilia’s condition? I think I will feel a little more at ease if I confirm it myself.”

“...If the Saintess will examine her, then it would be my honor. She should be sleeping in her room around now. Please follow me.”

The Saintess followed Antony’s guidance and moved to the room where his daughter Emilia would be sleeping.

As they approached Emilia’s room, a loud clattering sound came from behind the door.

At this, Antony immediately opened the door.

“...Emilia?”

The room’s lights were off, but perhaps Emilia had hurriedly lain on the bed, because she was lying there without even covering herself with a blanket, eyes shut.

“You were eavesdropping, weren’t you? Even after I told you to sleep...”

When Antony asked in a gentle voice, Emilia, who had been squeezing her eyes shut, suddenly raised herself and shouted in a ringing voice.

“The Acupuncturist did nothing wrong!!”

“E-Emilia?”

Antony was flustered by Emilia’s sudden shout.

Bernice did not pay much mind to it.

Instead, she carefully approached the huffing Emilia and patted her.

“I did not come to capture the Acupuncturist. I was merely curious what sort of person treated Emilia. I wanted to express my gratitude.”

The Saintess said that and checked Emilia’s condition.

Mana depletion was an illness she knew as well.

She could not easily tell how it had been treated so cleanly without using divine power.

Even Bernice did not have any particular knowledge of acupuncture.

“Then... why did you bring the knight with you...? You really didn’t come to catch the Acupuncturist...? That older brother was really kind...”

Emilia glanced at Ines standing behind Bernice and asked.

“Hoho... so that is why. The knight came to protect me, not to go around catching bad people.”

“Ahem.”

At Bernice’s words, Ines cleared her throat.

Because she herself had cut off Aron’s head under Saintess Bernice’s orders.

Bernice did not dislike conversing with children.

The innocent purity of untainted children put her heart at ease.

Only after hearing Bernice’s explanation did Emilia’s expression brighten fully.

“What a relief...”

“Emilia, what kind of person was the Acupuncturist that you liked him so much? Could you tell me?”

“Mm... The Acupuncturist was... um... Sai... what was it... Right! A Saint, he was like a Saint! Like the Saint in this fairy tale!”

Emilia seemed to have trouble remembering the word, so she rubbed her eyebrow and thought. At last, she grabbed the book beside her pillow with both hands, held it up to Bernice, and spoke in a bright voice.

The book Emilia held up was titled “The Saint and the Princess.”

Bernice had at least heard the title. It was a fairly famous fairy tale about the love between a Saint and a princess.

For reference, its sale was prohibited in the Holy Kingdom, so she had never read it either.

At last, Antony hurriedly opened his mouth while watching Bernice’s reaction.

“It is just... Emilia is still young, so she does not know much...”

However, unlike Antony’s worry, there was no displeasure in Bernice’s pink eyes.

Rather, she gave a gentle smile to Antony, whose expression was serious.

“I know. Since that person treated Emilia, perhaps he is a Saint to Emilia.”

“The book... She begged me so much to buy it for her...”

“It is all right. This is not the Holy Kingdom, after all. Was the book interesting, Emilia?”

“Yes!”

Emilia answered cheerfully, and Bernice stroked her head.

Light seeped from the Saintess’s hand as she stroked Emilia’s head.

A golden radiance fell over Emilia’s head.

“Wow...”

Emilia, mesmerized by the radiance, let out an exclamation.

The Saintess had bestowed a “blessing” upon Emilia.

“Saintess...?”

“Emilia is in a very healthy state. This is all I can do for her now. Though it is late... Would you accept it as my apology?”

After answering Antony’s question, the Saintess immediately looked kindly at Emilia and opened her mouth.

“Shall I read you the fairy tale?”

“Really? I’d love that!”

Antony did not know what to do at Bernice’s smoothly flowing actions, but because she volunteered to put Emilia to sleep, he had no choice but to leave the room.

In the room lit by only one candle, the Saintess began reading the book to Emilia in a beautiful voice.

Before she knew it, the book was nearing its end.

“...In the end, the Saint sacrificed himself to save her. The princess cried for days and days, praying that he would return... but the Saint did not come back.”

“...”

Emilia had fallen sound asleep.

Now Bernice should have quietly left the room and spoken with Antony, but...

“Can a fairy tale read by children end in such a sad tragedy?”

...Bernice, unlike herself, became curious about the rest of the book.

The Saintess continued reading to the very end with Emilia sleeping softly beside her.

Fortunately, it was not a tragic ending.

It said that Chief God Heneris, pitying them, revived the Saint, and they lived happily for a long time.

“I think I know why its sale is prohibited in the Holy Kingdom.”

It was not taboo for a Saint or Saintess, who could be called Apostles of the Chief God, to share love, such as romance or marriage, so that was likely not the problem. It was probably to prevent the rise of futile belief.

The Saintess placed the book beside Emilia’s pillow and quietly left the room.

Then she went to the living room, where Antony and the captain were waiting.

“How far did you discuss?”

“I informed him that all false accusations placed upon him by Aron have been resolved, and that the Holy Kingdom will provide proper compensation.”

Ines rose from her seat and answered Bernice.

Soon, Antony, who wore a reluctant expression, opened his mouth.

“I hardly know what to do with myself, but...”

“Antony, the Holy Kingdom does not wish to lose someone as faithful as you. We also value your ability as a merchant highly. Would you please return to the Holy Kingdom?”

“...”

At Bernice’s proposal, Antony could not easily answer.

Returning Antony to the Holy Kingdom was part of Bernice’s plan. He was too valuable a person to leave in another nation.

After a pause, Antony drank a sip of tea and opened his mouth.

“I felt many things after leaving the Holy Kingdom... Though it is my homeland, and my daughter’s homeland as well, I do not feel any desire to return there.”

“Is that so...”

“However, I have been watching your actions closely, Saintess. Though I will not return to the Holy Kingdom, I would like to fulfill my duty by helping you. Well, even if I help, it would only be through material things such as money...”

“Does that mean...”

“Though my strength is meager, I would like to sponsor you, Saintess.”

Antony’s voice rang softly inside the room.

“A sponsor.”

Now that Aron, who had been obstructing Antony’s business, had disappeared, if he made full use of his talent, he would be able to obtain wealth worthy of being called a great merchant at any time.

If he provided financial support, it would be a great help to Bernice’s future activities as Saintess.

In the end, the conversation with Antony was concluded.

The Holy Kingdom promised fair compensation to him after all the injustice he had suffered, and Antony decided to become the Saintess’s sponsor.

The source of the money was also trustworthy, and above all, Antony’s background was guaranteed in many ways, so there was no problem.

As they left Antony’s house, Ines whispered to Bernice.

“Sponsorship from someone on Antony’s level... It seems it will be a great help when subjugating demons from now on.”

“That is fortunate.”

Subjugating demons living while hiding their identities across the continent.

That was the mission given to the Saintess, and what the Chief God desired.

Bernice called Ines before climbing into the carriage.

“Ines, could you gather information on the blind Acupuncturist?”

“Have you become interested in him?”

“I am curious because Antony, who must have met countless people, evaluated him as mysterious.”

Bernice thought she would like to speak with him at least once.

***

Before getting off the airship, I returned the key to the ultra-luxury cabin given to me by Chairman Hubert Graham to the manager.

Once the field trip ended completely, I had to “organize” things.

The various items obtained this time and the unused skill points were waiting for me.

There was no room for rest.

On the night I returned to the academy, I had no choice but to immediately take a carriage.

It was because of the most urgent matter, the “Tear of the Dead.”

When I cooperated with Mikhail or the Allied Forces’ investigation, no mention of the jewel had been made, which was fortunate, but it was dangerous to carry this around as it was.

And so, I was on my way to find Daidros, the gold dragon and blacksmith.

Just then, Daidros’s mansion came into view.

I approached Daidros’s mansion while chewing on the “Dius” horn shell I had received from Mikhail.

The Dius horn shell had a bitter taste.

It was not a disgusting taste, but the downside was that it was hard to chew.

Perhaps I should have ground it into powder.

The barrier surrounding his mansion touched my body.

Sierra seemed to sense the barrier too, because her voice rang in my head.

[ Judging by the barrier, it seems he is still here. ]

“...Seems so.”

If he had stopped his amusement or left and transformed into someone else, the nature of polymorph magic would have made him extremely difficult to find.

Everything else was the same, but there was one difference from last time: the mansion door opened before I even opened it.

—Creeeak.

Daidros appeared after opening the door and stared quietly at me.

“...Let me ask this first. Is it good news, or bad news?”

“For now, it is good news.”

At my answer, Daidros’s face brightened, and he smiled broadly as he opened the door wide.

“For me, that is...?”

I added one sentence as I entered the mansion.

At my meaningful words, Daidros, who had been smiling, tilted his head.

I calmly closed the open door.

Then I took the jewel from inside my clothes and handed it to Daidros, who was still tilting his head.

“What is this...”

Daidros received the jewel and examined it carefully.

“I did not make it... I obtained it after killing a lich in the North this time.”

Before Daidros could confirm the jewel’s identity and killing intent could bloom from him, I quickly continued the explanation.

“A jewel containing an enormous amount of life force... It is the Tear of the Dead. First vampiric iron, then the Tear of the Dead... Somehow, you keep picking up dangerous objects hard to even see in life.”

Daidros said that as he handed the jewel back to me.

“Could you explain what effect it has?”

“One gains tremendous regenerative ability. However, only when one has already died. If a dragon uses it, it can extend their life span by several dozen years, and if a human uses it... As far as I know, it can avoid death once.”

Daidros said this while opening the bottle of liquor on the table.

After pouring the liquor, he noticed my intention.

“Do not tell me... Zeto, you intend to use that...”

“...Just in case. If it is a dangerous item, an accessory would be difficult, so I was wondering whether it could be implanted into my body... Is it possible?”

“To implant the Tear of the Dead into your body... Huu... You have more extraordinary thoughts than I, who have lived for centuries. Unfortunately, though I have embedded jewels into weapons and armor, I have never embedded one into a body.”

“Hmm...”

In the game, Daidros could be asked to perform all kinds of work.

I did not know whether it was possible because he was a dragon or because he had done various jobs before... but I believed he should surely be able to implant a jewel into a body.

As I was only letting out a hum, Daidros drank a glass of liquor, set the glass down on the table with a tap, and opened his mouth.

“...I think it can be done. However... it will be insanely painful.”

At Daidros’s readily given answer, I smiled and opened my mouth.

“I expected that much.”