Chapter 156
Chapter 156
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 156
Chapter Title: The Wish-Granting Saint Statue
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“What do you think, Nanny?”
Ceria gazed at her with an expectant smile, and her nanny placed a magically sealed box on the table.
“Your Highness. You’re saying that wastrel Adelian really gave you this?”
“That’s right. He slipped it to me on the sly, saying he wanted to get in my good graces.”
It was a shame she couldn’t get her hands on Adelian right away to manipulate House Kruger at will, but as Ceria grumbled, the nanny swallowed hard.
“And he called it just the fang of a drake thick with dragon blood?”
Ceria slowly shifted her gaze to the box at the sight of her nanny’s strangely stiffened expression.
A box covered in layers of security magic.
Had there really been any need to protect and bring the statue of the saintess—which she’d handed over with a light heart, asking her to check if it had any curses or the like—like this?
Ceria opened her mouth, her face growing a touch colder.
“What is it? Was it cursed after all? Or some trap magic? To put it in a box wrapped so thoroughly in spells, it must have been pretty vicious.”
For a moment, she’d considered granting him a favor out of pity for defying Duke Cayman and trying to cozy up to her.
But the thought that he’d dared to toy with her made Ceria’s eyes narrow.
“Ho ho. No, Your Highness. Quite the opposite. This artifact...”
It’s far more impressive than that wastrel realized.
At the whisper carefully murmured into her ear, Ceria’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked back and forth between her nanny and the box.
“This statue of the saintess?”
“That wastrel Adelian will cry bloody tears when he finds out later.”
Ceria smiled like blooming petals, her mood lifting to match the crescent-moon curve of her nanny’s delighted eyes.
“My goodness. What is it, Nanny? I’m dying of curiosity here.”
Her nanny gazed warmly at Ceria, who was clutching her sleeve and shaking it like an innocent child begging, then gently pulled her into an embrace.
“Don’t be too shocked, Your Highness.”
She hugged her precious charge tightly once, then released her and carefully touched the box’s outer security spells in the precise order to release them before opening the lid.
A statue of the saintess in peach hues rested on red, glossy cloth.
Gazing at the sculpture with half-closed eyes and hands clasped in prayer, the nanny began to speak sweetly into her ear, her voice as pleasant as a lullaby for a fledgling in the nest.
“It’s a saintess statue that grants wishes, Your Highness.”
One imbued with magic so potent it was rare even on the continent.
“I had it appraised secretly by an appraiser. It could kill or save someone. In a war, it could decide the victor. Any wish, as long as it’s not too outlandish.”
Everything Your Highness desires will be possible.
Ceria’s eyes widened fully at the honeyed words that sank sweetly into her ears.
And then, a wish slipped out unbidden.
“...What if I asked for a Trait?”
The Sealing Trait was extraordinarily powerful and rare, capable of overwhelming might depending on how it was used.
It wasn’t just that it wasn’t the emperor’s Trait.
It was a Trait fit for the emperor’s mount.
That was why Ceria had always strived. Even for something as common as swordsmanship, mana, or affinity.
‘But nothing had awakened until now.’
People said Traits were a person’s essence. Their value, their proof, their very self.
If the most powerful Trait, Sealing, defined her essence, what did that mean?
And what did it say that arrogance and cruelty came next?
‘In the end, I’m just like everyone else, craving a Trait.’
Even if it meant cruelly ruining others. Wanting to shine the brightest was something anyone could feel.
And if one had the power to make it happen, who wouldn’t?
“Of course. Even that should be possible. Congratulations, my Crown Princess. My little Majesty.”
Her nanny caressed Ceria’s cheek with eyes kinder and gentler than anyone’s, eyes that beheld nothing more lovely or beautiful, and Ceria smiled radiantly, like a fully bloomed rose, like the moon at its highest peak.
“That blockhead Adelian would die if he knew.”
The continent’s most incompetent wastrel. A man with nothing but his bloodline, not even possessing the power of his innate heritage.
Yet he’d handed over an artifact that could grant a Trait with his own hands.
How utterly ridiculous.
Ceria burst into loud laughter, unable to hold back.
“I want to call him here right now and tell him. What face would he make? Despair? Rage?”
Her own longing for a Trait was probably nothing compared to Adelian’s desperation.
Imagining his face crumpling in ruin, Ceria laughed even harder.
* * *
“The drinks are definitely better in the imperial capital. I still can’t forget that naughty, sweet, lovely Chu Cherry Soda Kane got me.”
As I sliced into the anglerfish steak, Kane glared at me for a moment before silently shoving a chunk of horned whale steak into his mouth without a word.
“Pfft... kuh! Puahaha!”
But Rachel couldn’t hold it in.
She pounded the table with her fist at even that split-second reaction from Kane, trembling with laughter before erupting into guffaws.
Good thing I’d quietly put up a mana barrier, or everyone in the restaurant would’ve stared at us.
“Rachel. Don’t laugh too hard.”
Luna’s words hit harder, though: “But that cherry soda was delicious.”
“What, this is tasty too. Was it called Sea with Pearl Foam?”
“Yes. That’s right, Adelian. It’s the most famous around here, and from the aroma, they use fresh ingredients, so I recommended it, and it’s good.”
I nodded once at Zero’s words.
On the table were abalone lightly seared over flames for flavor and crab perfectly steamed at just the right timing, all prepped for easy eating.
In the midst of it, I noticed Leaf’s hand falling just short of the crab, so I grabbed some and put it on his plate before shifting my gaze to Luna.
“The inn’s nearby, right?”
―It seems this area is the central street.
“There are high-quality inns and restaurants all around. We booked the largest one.”
Well, yeah. We didn’t take separate rooms but rented out an entire floor.
‘And the reason? It’s because of me.’
Those overprotective bunch. I could just share with Kane or Zero.
I shrugged once and gave a slow smile.
“You’ve gotten a good eye for inns while traveling, so I trust you.”
―I heard the administrator had some success too.
Leaf finished a whole crab leg, then scooped a bit of the spicy stir-fried shrimp into his mouth.
That shrimp was springy, and when chewed, there wasn’t a hint of fishiness—just spicy-sweet sauce that made it delicious.
“Yeah. Now that we’re here, I should explain in detail, right? It’s something I saw with Foresight.”
The moment I mentioned Foresight, everyone pulled back their gazes and started eating.
These guys. Were they doting on me or roasting me? I couldn’t tell.
“Wow! This wine’s no joke!”
“Local siren... no, turn off the local siren. Listen to me.”
I took a sip of wine and opened my mouth.
“We’ll resupply here and then head into the merfolk’s territory.”
At my words, only Rachel went “Huh?” and looked at me quizzically.
Ah... well, our party had almost no normal people, did it?
‘I miss Pie suddenly.’
If Pie were here, he’d chatter excitedly and rattle off info.
“The merfolk don’t like humans much. Do we have to?”
“Honestly, are there any non-human races that like humans to begin with?”
Rachel pondered seriously for a moment before shaking her head.
Wherever you go, it’s the bad people who are the problem.
Because they deceive, exploit, and torment others, society fills with distrust and resentment toward humans.
“There’s someone there desperately hoping for our help.”
I joked, “We should start helping others too,” and Kane spoke flatly.
“So you’ll contract with that person too.”
“The healer, right?”
“Another junior on the way.”
―A healer means a merfolk priest, Administrator? Data’s scarce—intriguing.
“Is she strong?”
...Sheesh. Anyone would think I just recruit whoever I point at.
Not that they’re wrong, but hey, they could say no?
“No. They might not want to, might refuse to contract with me.”
At my words, everyone grabbed a crab leg like it was no big deal, handed one to me, and clinked them together.
Rachel led that one.
“If it’s you, you’ll get what you want somehow.”
She thrust up a thumbs-up, and I let out an exasperated laugh.
Well, sure, I’d snag our healer if I could.
But they showed no sign of discussing what help I’d offer or what to do.
They just brimmed with faith that I’d handle everything smoothly.
Too complacent.
‘At some point, they’re trusting me way too much?’
Come to think of it, the shock therapy in the labyrinth was only with Kane and Luna?
Soon... but our party’s level is too high now—how to shock them?
“Don’t think nonsense.”
As I rubbed my chin, lost in thought, Kane tossed out the line, and I grinned.
“What’re you thinking?”
“Anything.”
Did he catch me? Nah, seemed like my behavior just irked him oddly.
“What would I be up to?”
What, other than helping you guys succeed?
My statement was so bold, so solidly grounded, that even Rachel’s Truth Eye wouldn’t flag it as a lie. Kane seemed to buy it for now and went back to eating.
“Originally, I planned to borrow a boat from Armand, who just joined Innocence, and sneak in.”
Quick and clean.
Grab what we want and bail. Find our sobbing healer, soothe and lure her out fast.
But the kids wanted a big ship, so what could I do? Plans are flexible—as long as we reach the goal.
“Instead, we’ll go flashy on a cruise liner.”
It’ll be fun, right? I smiled, and Luna spoke up.
“We don’t need to move stealthily?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
Sneakily snatching just our healer hurts the merfolk.
Flashily taking her helps them.
That’s the difference.
“Then I vote cruise liner!”
Rachel shouted with red sauce smeared around her mouth from all the shrimp, and Leaf started wiping it with a napkin.
“By the way, you guys can swim, right?”
I paused mid-bite of ceviche and tossed out the question. Everyone except Kane and Leaf averted their eyes.
“Luna?”
“Um... my homeland’s a desert nation...”
Yeah, oasis baths maybe, but not leisurely swimming.
“Zero?”
“There’s not that much water in labyrinths.”
True. Prisons basically—just trickles for hydration.
“Rachel?”
“Ah, whatever. Can’t swim, so what.”
Did this playboy persona include bad swimmer too?
Kane, being from a mountain tribesman background, probably played in streams and valleys as a kid.
Leaf, as a golem, had basic knowledge for physical activities.
“Once we unpack at the inn. We’re at the beach—let’s go swimming together.”
You never know. I might drag us to a kraken nest or a dungeon testing mental fortitude.
Better safe—swimming’s useful anywhere, even as a hobby. A great workout.