Chapter 229: Sticky Fingers
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 229: Sticky Fingers
The resignation in his voice was so bitter that I came to a sudden halt.
“What do you mean, ‘lowly birth’? Where did you even hear such a thing? Aren’t we all children born from the Goddess’s embrace?”
At my indignant tone, Miel hurriedly waved his hands. He looked worried that the Holy Knights walking some distance ahead might overhear.
“Besides, the Pogen Temple was a place most priests avoided. It won’t be easy to find a successor, which only makes it harder for them.”
“They don’t know what they’re missing. The Pogen Temple is wonderful!”
The lady of the manor there is a very decent person, after all. Plus, there’s a hot spring village just a stone’s throw away. And now that a Gate has been opened, transportation is actually quite convenient.
“Of course. I wouldn’t return to the Grand Temple even if I were offered a fortune. Above all, it was thanks to being in the North that I was able to serve the true Saintess by her side.”
At those words, Constine flinched.
“While everyone else is busy serving a fake Saintess…!”
Miel, who had been speaking thoughtlessly, clamped his mouth shut. He seemed to have realized belatedly that Constine was listening.
“I—I mean, that was a slip of the tongue…! I didn’t mean to criticize the Saintess.”
Miel’s neck turned beet red as he stammered. Constine, looking equally awkward, moved ahead with stiff, mechanical steps.
I grabbed the sleeve of Miel, who was about to follow her with a pale face.
“Miel.”
“When we return to the North, I’ll build you a much bigger and more magnificent temple in Pogen. So grand that the priests of the Grand Temple will die of envy.”
So don’t you dare lose heart.
“To me, Miel, you are the most noble priest in the world.”
I spoke softly, patting Miel on the shoulder.
“Your Highness…!”
Miel’s Adam’s apple bobbed heavily, as if he were stunned by my words. A brief silence followed. Finally, the priest took a sharp breath and spoke in a trembling voice.
“There will never be another priest in the Empire as lucky as I am.”
Clenching his fists, Miel suddenly dropped to his knees before me as if making a solemn resolve.
“Miel? Wait, what are you doing? Get up!”
First Constine, and now him—why did everyone from the Temple drop to their knees the moment anything happened?
“I am not a knight, so I cannot swear a knight’s oath, but instead, I shall offer my vow as a priest.”
Miel clasped his hands neatly and spoke with fierce determination.
“I, Priest Miel, will believe and follow your words above all else, no matter what you do. I will always uphold your will as immutable truth and execute your commands as if they were the Goddess’s own revelations.”
Just then, the sunlight streaming into the hallway dyed Miel’s ash-gray hair silver, creating a holy aura.
“…I offer my body and mind entirely to you, so I shall not shrink from any hardship or trial. If it be your will, I shall even welcome death.”
Having finished his speech, Miel reverently crossed himself.
“…What is this heavy-duty vow?”
“It is the oath offered to the Goddess during ordination.”
Miel looked up at me with a serious face.
“Since I am serving Your Highness, the representative of the Goddess, I felt it was only right to offer my vow to you.”
“Fine, I get it, so just stand up now.”
“I cannot rise until you accept my vow.”
“I accept it!”
At the end of the hallway, the Holy Knights and Constine were already looking back at us with puzzled expressions.
“I said I accept! Now get up. If you don’t stand up by the time I count to three, I’m leaving without you. One, two…!”
Only then did Miel scramble to his feet. Honestly, Miel hadn’t even made a vow like this when he found out I was the Saintess.
Was the promise of a bigger temple really that moving?
And so, through an unexpected turn of events, I had promised a temple and gained a priest.
* * *
The library of the Grand Temple was much larger and more complex than I had anticipated.
It would have been a disaster without Constine.
Constine led me to a massive bookshelf.
“Are all of these books written by Priest Venemus?”
My jaw dropped involuntarily at the sight of the books filling a shelf that was much taller than I was.
“Priest Venemus spent a long time collecting and organizing ancient records,” Miel added from the side. “His books likely contain historical materials from almost every era.”
Constine and Miel consulted the titles and pulled out several volumes. Among them, I saw a book titled Considerations on Mysterious Beings at the very top.
“The books on this shelf are restricted. They aren’t available for loan.”
“Then we have no choice but to read them here.”
Fortunately, the Holy Knights guarding us couldn’t enter the library, but they would eventually send someone to find us if we took too long. To avoid wasting time, I immediately sat at a desk in front of the shelf and opened the book.
Considerations on Mysterious Beings.
After flipping past entries on several transcendental beings, I found a subheading labeled ‘Dragon.’ I began to read. The book listed various facts about dragons, much like an encyclopedia.
Appearance, temperament, diet… Oh, there’s even something about Elfberries!
The information I had seen at the Pogen Temple was recorded here exactly. It seemed he had gathered facts bit by bit and compiled them. As I skimmed through the pages, I finally found a section that caught my eye.
「What is commonly known as a Dragon’s Heart actually refers to the Dragon’s Magic Core.」
This was the information Loik had been searching for all this time in the North. I hurriedly lifted the book to read more closely.
「A dragon’s greatest fear is its own death. Though it defies common human logic, a dragon can transfer and store its Magic Core within a living host to prepare for death. According to one theory, the more fundamental purpose for a dragon storing its Magic Core in a host is…」
The text cut off there. Below it, dark red bloodstains were splattered across the page as if someone had coughed up blood, making several sentences illegible. Moving further down, the paragraph resumed.
「…Even in an emergency, as long as the Magic Core remains intact, the dragon can eventually recover its life force over time. However, this is only possible if the dragon’s physical body is powerful. Should the dragon ultimately meet its death, the Magic Core within the host’s body will be contaminated by demonic energy, and the host will inevitably meet death as well.」
What does this mean? Did I understand that correctly?
A chill ran down my spine, and a cold sweat broke out. The book referred to Loik, who had formed a contract with the dragon, as a ‘host.’
The host inevitably meets death? Does that mean if the dragon dies, Loik dies too?
I reread the paragraph until I had practically memorized it. But no matter how many times I looked, the meaning was clear. The dragon and Loik shared a single fate.
“Your Highness, are you feeling unwell?”
When I showed the book to Miel, who had approached me in alarm, he also covered his mouth in shock.
“The destructive power of the contract is much greater than I thought.”
Destructive power? We were on the verge of a catastrophe! If Loik had actually managed to kill the dragon during their encounters…!
My breathing grew ragged, and my head spun. Seeing my bloodless face, Miel tried his best to calm me down.
“We will find a way, somehow.”
“…Do you think so?”
“Above all, a dragon is not a being that can be easily killed, is it?”
Even if you try your hardest, it’s not easy.
I tried to soothe my racing heart. Even though I knew no immediate disaster would strike, a corner of my mind remained uneasy.
“I need to see if there’s anything else.”
I was anxious that I might leave without discovering an even more important fact. I turned my attention to the stack of books Constine and Miel had gathered. I scanned through several volumes with a frantic heart, but no information as vital as the first piece stood out.
I was anxiously flipping through yet another book when I accidentally dropped it. Constine approached cautiously and covered my trembling fingertips with her hand.
“Your Highness, I will come to the library every day from now on to look through the books.”
Constine soothed me, promising to tell me immediately if she found even the slightest bit of meaningful information.
“I’m always here at the Temple, after all. So please, don’t be so anxious.”
Hearing those words, my racing heart settled slightly. Right. I had a reliable ally here in the Grand Temple now.
“Still, I have to take this book with me.”
I clutched Considerations on Mysterious Beings to my chest. For some reason, leaving this book here felt dangerous. Constine looked troubled.
“But that book cannot be checked out…”
There’s no such thing as ‘cannot.’
Loik’s life was on the line.
“I’m going to take it secretly.”
Constine and Miel blinked, speechless at my bold declaration.
* * *
“Are you saying you want to borrow all of these?”
The recording priest of the library pushed up his glasses, looking disgruntled as he stared at Miel.
— “Is it okay to borrow this many?”
— “Why not? Take everything you’ve wanted to read.”
The Grand Duchess had given her permission as boldly as if she owned the library herself. Consequently, Miel had arrived at the checkout counter with a cart full of books.
“The High Priest has granted permission for all desired volumes to be loaned out,” Constine added in an elegant voice.
Standing a short distance away, the Grand Duchess looked bored, as if she had no interest in the proceedings. After a moment of suspicion, the priest finally began to write down the titles in the ledger one by one. Once finished, he called a young assistant and ordered the books to be moved.
“The books will be loaded into the carriage. The procedure is complete, so you may leave.”
The priest gave a short bow toward the Grand Duchess, but she was already walking toward the library doors. Miel bowed back to the priest on her behalf and quickly followed her. Despite the cool air inside the library, sweat was trickling down Miel’s forehead.
Please…! Let us get through this!
The library doors were right in front of them. Barely catching up to the Grand Duchess, Miel grabbed the handle and opened the door for her. The Holy Knights waiting outside straightened their posture as the doors swung open.
Because of the Grand Duchess’s brisk pace, she and Miel crossed the threshold almost simultaneously.
Clang! Clang!
A piercing alarm, loud enough to split one’s ears, rang out.