Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Church (2)
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“Haha, greetings, brothers and sisters. I’m Daniel, Director of External Affairs for the Goddess Church.”
He possessed a soft, gentle voice that perfectly matched the image of a priest.
Had it not been for those half-closed eyes of his, one might have unwittingly let their guard down around him.
“Nice to meet you.”
Laura, who had spent long years with us and somehow picked up the tiniest speck of social grace, broke her habit of speaking bluntly to everyone and greeted him politely.
It was certainly an impressive show of growth that deserved admiration, but right now, I had no room to spare for it.
I heightened all five senses and probed the half-eyed priest.
As I subtly released mana to scan his aura, Daniel tilted his head and flashed me a grin.
“Oh, brother. It’s only natural to be cautious. Please, scan away.”
His words sent chills creeping down my spine.
‘How the hell did this guy sense my mana?’
My mana control had already reached its peak, making it impossible for all but the most exceptional experts to detect.
Yet this man had picked up on it without even seeming to pay particular attention.
Judging him a foe on par with one of the Four Heavenly Kings, I swallowed hard, tensed up, and nodded.
“My apologies.”
I dipped my head in a bow, and he accepted it with his usual benevolent smile.
“No need. You’re just faithfully performing your duty as Lady Laura’s guard, after all. Think nothing of it.”
He let out a hearty, good-natured laugh and led us inside the hotel.
Evidently, even the Church couldn’t lightly dismiss the influence of the Mastain Ducal House, as they had assigned us a suite on the hotel’s top floor.
Every piece of furniture in the room screamed luxury, and a few of the pricier-looking ones struck me as worth about as much as our barony’s annual budget.
The moment we entered, Laura familiarly flung herself onto the bed and grinned while savoring the fluffy comforter’s texture.
“I’ve heard the Church is rotten to the core, but these folks seem nicer than I thought.”
“…The problem is that a church which preaches frugality as a virtue has a building this extravagant.”
No matter how cordial the Church had been, ever since confirming Daniel the half-eyed priest, I had accepted that conflict with them was inevitable.
Half-closed eyes were bound to hide something sinister.
While Laura leisurely enjoyed the bed and Yumi seemed to relax a bit as she sipped her tea at leisure.
I paced the room anxiously before speaking up.
“Sorry, Laura. I think I need to go check on Rainy.”
I had firmly etched the name Daniel into my mind.
Asking Rainy and Nania if they knew it might yield some information.
Laura, hugging a pillow atop the bed, shot me a slightly disappointed look.
But she nodded, seemingly understanding my urgency.
“Got it. You go ahead, Raden.”
“Thanks.”
“But come back quick? I’ll get bored.”
“Yeah.”
I made a pinky promise with Laura, who still harbored a touch of childlike innocence, then swiftly slipped out of the hotel without delay.
As I exited, I looped around a bit to check for tails, but fortunately, there were none.
Makes sense—getting caught tailing a high noble’s daughter and her entourage would bring backlash even the Church couldn’t easily weather.
Slightly relieved, I hurried through the interior.
The citizens within the Church’s towering walls, forming a vast city unto itself, bustled about their daily labors as ever.
I wove swiftly past the busy crowds in search of Rainy’s group.
Rainy, brimming with intent to upend the Church, was surely dashing about right now, preparing to convince me.
“Fresh apples for sale!”
“Gadaran fish jerky that even the Archangels love~!”
I politely declined the lively merchants’ calls and pressed on, when my eyes flashed.
“The House of Grapes! Daven Territory grapes for sale~ Sweet as can be! Daven Territory wine too!”
A fairly large shop in the street specialized in Daven Territory grapes and wine.
“Ooh, is this the divine nectar they call Daven wine?!”
“Give me one crate! No, make it two!”
“Oh my, these grapes are so fresh—how are they still perfect after coming all this way?”
“They didn’t drug ’em, did they?”
“Nah, couldn’t be… Even the Church bigwigs love ’em. You think they’d eat something bad for them?”
I’d never imagined our territory’s grapes showing up here, so I naturally suspected counterfeiting.
Our grapes were objectively delicious, and merchants bought plenty, but distance made spoilage inevitable en route to the Church.
Yet the grapes on display were plump, glossy, and bursting—like they’d just been picked.
‘Have our territory’s grapes gotten this famous already?’
I couldn’t fathom why anyone would counterfeit Daven grapes, but curiosity led me to join the line anyway.
Counterfeit or not, if they tasted awful, it’d tarnish our territory’s grape brand.
If they were no good, I planned to reveal myself as Baron Daven and shut down this foolish scam.
“Here’s your number ticket.”
“Yes…”
[Waiting Number 53.
Estimated Wait Time: 1 Hour]
“…”
Not some Michelin three-star joint, but a fruit stand with a waitlist…
Absurd as it was, my curiosity about the grapes’ taste won out, so I patiently killed time.
At last, my turn came, and the cheerful merchant approached, rubbing his hands gleefully amid the booming sales.
“Yes, sir. How much would you like? Bulk orders of ten crates or more aren’t available on the spot—you’d need to reserve.”
‘People are reserving these…?’
I twitched an eyebrow and said,
“Could I try one first? I’m not convinced it’s worth all the fuss.”
The merchant nodded nonchalantly, clearly used to such questions.
“Of course! Haha, one bite and you’ll never look at other grapes again.”
The merchant plucked a large, glossy grape and handed it over.
Having managed a territory famed for grapes, I was something of an expert on their taste and wine.
I closed my eyes, channeling a strict inspector, and swallowed the grape whole.
Then I froze in shock.
‘This… Shine Muscat?’
It looked like any ordinary grape, but the sweetness rivaled the Shine Muscat that once dominated Korea’s grape market in my past life.
Tasting it, I finally understood the endless line.
In this era where sweets were scarce, these grapes were total game-changers.
Unable to hide my astonishment, I asked him,
“Daven Territory is quite a distance from here, isn’t it? How do you get them here so fresh?”
The merchant answered casually, as if he’d heard it a hundred times.
“Ah~ You haven’t heard? You know the Elf Empire?”
“Well… yeah…”
“Well, they migrated toward Daven Territory, and the elves started tending the grapes there. Thanks to their magic, the grapes got even sweeter and last way longer now.”
“…”
Now it all made sense.
The scheming succubus had been managing the territory well in my absence.
I pondered briefly, then asked,
“Do you deliver?”
“Oh, absolutely. Church delivery gets it to you by dawn tomorrow.”
“Then ten crates of grapes and five bottles of wine to the hotel’s top floor, please.”
The merchant, who’d been grinning obsequiously, jolted in surprise.
“A person of high standing, I see! Sorry for the wait!”
He knew only VIPs stayed at the hotel, so at my mention of the top floor, he bowed deeply.
“Haha, much obliged.”
“Yes, sir! We’ll handle it promptly!”
Satisfied that the territory was thriving without my intervention, I left the shop.
That instant.
Shhh.
Someone concealing their presence lunged at me.
I moved to subdue them at once.
‘A beauty?’
Confirming the attacker was a beautiful girl showing no killing intent, I didn’t resist.
My intuition screamed that meekly following this beauty would provide a crucial hint to resolving the Church issue.
Absolutely not because she was a beauty.