Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: The Ball (5)
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The heart of the Heavenly God Church, the city of Bitkana.
A small nation where the sacred and the secular intertwined, directly governed by the church as its territory, encompassing the city and its surroundings.
At the very center of the city, where pilgrims, travelers, and priests from around the world gathered every year, stood the glorious church built atop the tomb of the first apostle.
And in one room inside it, clergy of all ages and genders had crowded in.
"Ooh..."
"F-Finally...?"
The Saintess Stone Tablet.
One of the indirect ways the Heavenly God communicated, a miracle where the moment each saintess awakened was automatically engraved upon the tablet.
For instance, Saintess Marcel's image showed her praying alone by the riverbank.
Saintess Emilia's depicted her sharing food with orphans.
Yet the miracle of the Saintess Stone Tablet wasn't something you could crowd around and wait for, wondering, "When will it happen? Now!?"
Only the Heavenly God knew when a saintess would be chosen. You might stumble upon it by chance, but deliberately waiting was impossible.
However.
The next Saintess Stone Tablet had teased appearing several times over the past few years, only to fade away again.
Most recently, it had nearly shown the saintess saving a woman under attack by something, before vanishing. Similar incidents had happened multiple times before.
Naturally, this drew the church's attention to that particular saintess—or more precisely, the woman on the verge of becoming one.
"Finally!?"
"No way it's paying out here!?"
"Rise... Rise!!"
...And with attention came the inevitable side effects of excessive hype.
A new saintess's image began engraving itself slowly onto the tablet.
It was a truly magnificent scene. Amid a crowd ensnared by vile black magic, she wielded divine power to save them all!!
"This time for sure...!"
"Gozuaaaah!!!"
"Unknown Saintess, please!!!"
The tablet's form grew even clearer.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Armored-Arthur has defeated 'Demon Worshipper 1'! 'Demon Worshipper 2' casts Black Magic: Darkness Dark! The effect was negligible! Armored-Arthur has defeated 'Demon Worshipper 2' and 'Outer God's Apostle 2'! 'Outer God's Apostle 3' attacks with a sword! The effect was negligible! "Die!!"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 'Leader of the Demon Worshippers' casts Black Magic: Death's Death! The effect was negligible! "No."
Weeeeeeng...!!!
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Armored-Arthur casts Mana Blade: Supreme Overarc! "What the actual fuck."
Splash! Fwoosh!! Pssshhhhhh!!!
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The effect was ridiculously amazing! "Yup~ Dead is dead~"
⚔ STATUS ⚔ Outer God's Apostles and Demon Worshippers: Annihilated! Acquired 20 EXP and 10 GOLD! Acquired a portion of 'Grimoire: Getia' (1/5)! Acquired a copy of 'Grimoire: Book of the Golden Bough'! *
The tablet's form blurred again... then flattened completely.
"Ah!"
"Aaaah!?"
Joy and despair split the crowd.
"Nooooooo!!! Saintesssss!!!!"
"Urgh...! M-My allowance this month...!!"
On the other side.
"Wooohoooo!!!"
"Jackpot!!!"
"Sucker bets cut!!! Reverse bets win!!!"
"Kihyaaaaah!!!"
"Come on, brothers and sisters, pay up!!"
As a side note, the Heavenly God Church ordained female priests.
But there were also women present who weren't in priestly robes—yet played even more vital roles inside and outside the church than the priests.
"Lord, no! Give me a break already!? I explained the backlog during last prayer!!"
Saintess Munabidya. Her Saintess Stone Tablet showed her saving orphans.
"Kuhuhu...! Life's all about that one big hit!"
Saintess Liliad. Her tablet captured her praying for the persecuted in the pleasure district.
"Ugh... Couldn't escape being the baby... Hng...."
Saintess Luka. Her image was her weeping in prayer at the heart of a church defiled by demon worship.
Win or lose, with the bets settled, the excited male and female priests and saintesses poured out of the room.
"I'm hungry."
"Sister, late-night delivery?"
"Any places open now?"
"Get delivery?"
"Eh... Delivery joints are sketchy on hygiene inside..."
"Then don't eat."
"Sister, when did I say that? 'Accusing someone of words unspoken is grave sin, be it self or other' (Cl 14:12)."
"Scripture out of nowhere? Coward—"
'Gluttony excessive invites calamity; practice restraint and prosper' (Hi 1:21).
"..."
"..."
"Go to bed."
"..."
"...Run!"
"Sister!!!"
**
A lot had happened early on, but the latter half of the ball proceeded quite ordinarily. Noble men and women chatted moderately and paired off for dances.
Some slightly less ordinary things occurred too.
"Arthur! The food is delish~!"
Tiona devouring an entire platter of mini-sandwiches meant to be eaten one at a time.
"Your name is... Arthur, was it? You're currently the home tutor for the young lady of House Krishantimaiu. Might I invite you formally next time?"
Returning the mechanical device while briefing him on the unpleasant incident, the prince inquired about me.
"That male servant's name is Arthur."
"Arthur x Morgan...?"
"M-Mommy..."
"I'm Morgan x Arthur..."
"Pardon?"
"What?"
Overhearing a conversation that sent inexplicable chills down my spine for some reason.
Such minor happenings aside, compared to the early chaos, they were utterly mundane.
As time grew late, the ball attendees began dividing into two camps.
Those who wanted to keep partying, and those ready to head home.
Among the latter, the first to declare her intent was Tiona, who always turned in early.
"Yawwwwwn... Arthur... Sleepy..."
"Let's go, then."
"Carry me..."
"Walk yourse—"
Tiona leaned into me, entrusting her weight.
"Zzz..."
"No..."
Tiona wasn't joking; she was genuinely dozing off, head bobbing.
"Haa..."
No choice but to piggyback her, drawing every eye in the vicinity as expected.
I worried rumors might spread.
Our brief dance floor monopoly had already drawn enough attention.
"Cynthia, let's go."
"Yep."
"Thank you, Miss Lira, Miss Beatrice, for keeping our young lady company tonight. Lea, Dian, until next time."
Now it was time to slip away before more eyes turned our way.
"Guess we should head out too."
"Yeah."
Lea and Diana followed.
"?"
So the five of us exited quietly together.
The night air in the palace gardens felt refreshingly cool on the skin.
Cynthia eyed the guards bustling about in one direction, puzzled.
"Did something happen?"
"Who knows?"
Lea asked.
"How're you getting back?"
"Our home's nearby, so we'll walk."
Leaving the palace gardens put us straight in District A, and the duke's residence wasn't far from there.
Taking a carriage would mean getting off too soon, like a 5-meter moving walkway.
"I see?"
Lea and Diana exchanged a brief glance.
"Then, a favor: let us crash for the night."
"...What's this sudden?"
Hosting two guests was no issue.
Even for a modestly sized duke's manor, it was tall and spacious enough, with proper guest rooms.
Isabelle and Croa cleaned them regularly, so no dust problems.
But their tone... felt oddly reluctant.
"Well, actually..."
Diana lowered her voice to a whisper.
"Both Lea and I pushed to come tonight. Like, I had to rent eveningwear, Lea a dress..."
"...Meaning?"
"No carriage fare back to District B."
"..."
"D-Don't look at me like that. It hurts..."
"You could stand a little."
"Hng, meanie."
"..."
"You despised me just now, right? Admit it!"
"Miss Dian has quite the unique personality..."
"Wow, I really hate you."
Tiona's drool soaked through my shirt to my skin.
"Uhhe..."
Laundry time.
**
Be it a cathedral, palace, or mansion, grand homes place their owners' private quarters deepest inside.
In the innermost bedroom of the imperial palace, the emperor of the human empire sat lost in thought.
"Hmm..."
"What's wrong?"
His wife, the empress, asked.
"This ball... feels like we gained nothing in the end."
The emperor rubbed his face.
"That Morgan fellow... Sigh..."
As the emperor mulled his long-standing worry anew, the empress placed a hand on his back.
"Uther, don't worry too much. The future's unpredictable, right? For me, you, or anyone."
"...You're right."
The empress smiled, then whispered in his ear.
"Dear, put out the lights and come to bed."
Her sultry smile set the emperor's heart racing pleasantly.
And as the empress suggested, lights out, under the covers.
"Ta-da, glow-in-the-dark dragon."
"...Ooh."
The emperor was thrilled.