Chapter 138: Elfberry
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 138: Elfberry
The villagers exchanged bewildered glances.
"Does Her Highness the Consort possess holy power?"
"But Her Highness is… the fake saintess!"
Miel’s lips trembled at the low whispers rippling through the crowd. Just then, an old man standing at the front raised his voice.
"Mind your tongues! Do you not know that only one who has inherited the Goddess’s will can lift a holy relic?"
The old man’s eyes were exceptionally clear, giving him the slight air of a madman. He was the first to drop to his knees, crying out, "A humble servant of Pogen greets the Saintess!"
Overwhelmed by the old man’s fervor, the villagers followed suit and prostrated themselves all at once.
"W-we greet the Saintess!"
It’s—it’s fine.
These people lived deep in the mountains; where would they even go to spread rumors? I was just thinking that this might still be manageable when a new voice broke through.
"What is the meaning of this?"
The knights, who had been outside the temple, rushed in after hearing the commotion. Their eyes widened at the unexpected sight.
"The Saintess? Are you referring to Her Highness the Consort right now?"
I swallowed a dry laugh as I looked at Leon, whose voice had jumped an octave.
I didn't even know anymore.
*
Priest Miel was different from the typical priests who chased honor or power. To begin with, he came from a humble background that would have never allowed him to set foot in the Grand Temple, but more importantly, he held his faith as the greatest guiding principle of his life.
That was why, while everyone else was striving to get even a step closer to the High Priest, he had volunteered to care for an aging priest who was retiring.
Miel’s faith had not been misplaced. He had assisted Venemus for several years and gained much enlightenment through him.
The problem arose after Venemus passed away.
Miel became little more than a gatekeeper for the temple. He had nothing to do except occasionally listen to the villagers' confessions.
‘Is this how my life ends?’
He was spending his days in a haze of futility and lethargy when a hunter from the neighboring village, feeling sorry for him, secretly brought him some fruit wine.
— "I cannot. How can a servant of the Goddess drink alcohol?"
— "Priest, fruit wine isn't alcohol. It’s just fruit."
Despite his adamant refusals, the hunter stubbornly left a bottle behind and departed.
‘Should I try just one glass?’
After staring at it for days, he finally poured a glass in secret late one night.
— "Do priests drink like fish these days?"
Miel was caught red-handed by the Grand Duke, who had stormed in for the first time in years.
He had lived his life in a way that brought no shame to the title of priest, yet in an instant, he was branded a fallen cleric. Furthermore, the Grand Duke, using confession as a pretext to reveal the Dragon’s Curse and mana overload, had dragged him back to the Grand Duke’s Castle.
‘Where exactly is the Goddess leading me?’
He had been confused, but he finally found the answer.
He had sensed an unprecedentedly powerful holy force emanating from the Grand Duchess.
The current Saintess had never once displayed any significant power in a public setting. Considering all the circumstances, it was clear that the fake and the real had been swapped.
‘The Goddess sent me here to lead the Saintess toward the light.’
He felt a sense of urgency. He had to inform the Grand Temple immediately and help the Saintess reclaim her rightful place.
However, that was no easy task. After being banned from approaching Her Highness for a long time, he had only recently been allowed to accompany her under the pretext of visiting the Pogen Temple.
— "Priest, let’s get one thing straight before we go. The Grand Duchess is not the Saintess."
— "Pardon? But as I told you last time, she clearly…!"
— "What does this look like to you?"
The Grand Duke asked, pointing to the teacup in front of him.
— "Is that not herbal tea?"
— "No, this is tomato stew. I’ll ask again. What does this look like to you?"
— "…It is tomato stew."
— "You’re not a total fool, then."
The Grand Duke’s meaning was clear. If he said the Grand Duchess wasn't the Saintess, then she wasn't.
— "Do not come within ten paces of the Grand Duchess. Especially if you spout nonsense about the Empire or the Saintess in front of her, I won't let it slide."
And so, suppressed by the Grand Duke’s aura, he had been forced to watch Her Highness from a distance… until now.
— "We greet the Saintess!"
In that moment, even Miel’s faint doubts and fears vanished in a single stroke. He had finally found the master he would serve forever.
‘So, I must speak up right here.’
The Grand Duke and his wife, the priest, the mage, and the knights were all gathered in one place. Miel gathered his courage to speak, but unfortunately, Tiern beat him to the punch.
"So… you’re saying Her Highness the Consort is the Empire’s true Saintess?"
Tiern’s voice wavered at the end.
"Of course! Does this mean our Consort has been taking all that shi—… all those insults for no reason until now?"
Demich, who had been about to let out a string of curses, hurriedly refined his speech.
"I’ve told the residents to keep quiet, but I don't know if the secret will be kept properly," Norton said.
Miel finally managed to squeeze out a word. "S-since I told them it was the Saintess’s will, no one will speak of it recklessly."
"Why on earth do we have to hide the fact that Her Highness is the Saintess?" Demich asked, roughly scratching his red beard. "Let’s show those bastards who insulted Her Highness by calling her a fake! Let’s crush everyone who ran their mouths!"
"I agree. We should just post a grand public notice. That the Grand Duchess of Blenheim is the true Saintess."
Enolius sneered as he adjusted his robes. "If the word gets out, the wine business will be a success too. Who wouldn't buy wine made from holy water from a Saintess, especially when it comes from divine land?"
"Oh! That’s a great idea! We’ll make money and rub the Empire’s noses in it…!"
Demich, who was excitedly agreeing, raised an eyebrow when he saw Norton give a small shake of his head. "What is it, mage? Were you being sarcastic just now?"
"I’m glad you’re at least capable of noticing that."
"You little…!"
The Grand Duke intervened as if he were used to their bickering. "The Grand Temple has their own Saintess to promote, so they will try to tarnish the Grand Duchess’s reputation by any means necessary."
"Furthermore, if all attention is focused on Blenheim, the Imperial family will become more wary," Perel added.
Demich’s face flushed as he shouted, "Since when did we care about the Imperial family or the Grand Temple! The Blenheim Knights can just block all of that!"
‘Y-yes! This isn't something that should be hidden!’
Miel was cheering for Demich in his heart when the Grand Duke spoke.
"The Grand Duchess does not wish for it."
The Grand Duke cut him off sharply.
"Ah, I see."
At those words, Demich’s excitement cooled instantly.
"The Knights are to remain silent about this matter as well."
The Grand Duke looked around the room with an arrogant expression. "I will not tolerate any rumors spreading to the outside."
At his resolute tone, the knights all fell silent, their arguments seemingly finished.
‘To have the true Saintess before our eyes and have to hide it.’
Miel swallowed his words as if performing an act of penance.
*
Since the incident this morning, the villagers' attitude had turned beyond favorable—it was now borderline blind devotion.
— "To make wine with a spring blessed by the Saintess! It will be the most sacred holy water in the world!"
— "We were foolish, not realizing the Saintess intended to bestow her grace through worldly means."
The old man who had shown signs of being a fanatic turned out to be the village elder.
— "I will show you the village winery right this instant!"
As he stepped forward, all the villagers moved in perfect unison.
Keep quiet, my foot…
I could bet my entire fortune that the elder had already whispered the fact that I was the Saintess to every other resident in the village.
Thanks to that, I had to inspect everything from the Goddess’s Spring—the source of the groundwater—to the village’s communal winery, and even taste the fruit wines that the villagers had made slightly differently in their own homes.
— "My family’s fruit wine tastes different because we aged it for a long time! The Saintess must taste it!"
Everyone seemed to think that as long as they whispered the word "Saintess," they were keeping the secret. They lowered their voices but didn't hesitate to address me by the title.
To think I could gain such overwhelming favor without any effort…
When I realized that the real Annette had been unfairly deprived of all this, I felt a bit hollow.
However, between the trip to the Goddess’s Spring with my poor stamina and the slight buzz from the fruit wine, that bitter feeling didn't last long.
"Magic isn't actually what you need for fatigue recovery. A good night's sleep is the best medicine."
That evening, Enolius grumbled as he cast recovery magic on me. "My mana isn't meant to be used for things like this."
He seemed particularly cranky today.
"You should have asked the priest to use his healing powers instead. He looked like he’d give his life if Her Highness asked."
"Be quiet."
Loik, who was beside him, sent him a chilling look and gently took my hand. "You’ll feel the fatigue fade in a moment."
His touch as he massaged my hand with just the right amount of pressure was incredibly soothing.
"I’m not that tired, though…"
I spoke softly out of embarrassment, but both Loik and Enolius ignored me and focused on what they were doing.
I watched Loik’s long eyelashes tremble beneath his black hair. If there was one silver lining to the morning’s incident, it was that Loik and I hadn't had time to feel awkward around each other.
"Your Highness, they say the Elfberries have bloomed," Perel said as he entered the room.
We had looked around most other places, but since the Elfberries—the main ingredient for the wine—only bloomed at night, we had been waiting until evening.
At those words, the corners of Loik’s eyes drooped. He looked exactly like a puppy saddened to see its owner going out.
While I had been touring the village during the day, Loik had been stuck in the temple the whole time. It was unavoidable since there were many women and children around, but still…
‘This probably isn't the kind of trip Loik had in mind.’
"Have a safe trip," Loik said with a faint smile. "I’ll be waiting."
After a moment of hesitation, I reached out and grabbed the sleeve of the dejected Loik.
"Loik, shall the two of us go see the Elfberries together?"