The Saintess (4)
Why had the Saintess chased after me like some stalker?
And for what possible reason was she heading to Richmond?
There were far too many suspicious points. Suspicion and questions chained endlessly one after another until my head throbbed.
It's not as if the Saintess would lie…
Having climbed back into the carriage for departure, I propped my chin on my hand and sank into thought.
Even if the Saintess had followed me purely because of her godawful personality, the fact that both of us were headed for Richmond felt too convenient to dismiss as coincidence. This didn't seem like something I could just shrug off and move past.
Something must have happened in Richmond.
It was uncommon for the Saintess to travel with holy knights and priests in tow. And cases where she picked out one specific region to visit—rather than touring an entire area—were extremely rare.
Yet of all times, the Saintess was heading to Richmond at the exact moment the Imperial Court had sent me there over the Fief Tax?
Something was definitely going on.
Hmm. Is it because of Count Richmond's daughter?
Suddenly, the fact that the Count's daughter was ill came to mind. If his daughter had contracted some disease even the Imperial healing mages couldn't cure—if that was why no solution had been found and she still lay bedridden—could Count Richmond have donated a vast sum to the Temple and requested the Saintess treat her?
They say the Saintess's blessing prayer can save even those on the brink of death, so it seems entirely possible.
As I sat alone, deep in thought, the carriage door suddenly flew open. At the same time, a golden wave shimmering in the rising morning sunlight rippled before my eyes.
It was the Saintess.
"Good morning, isn't it?"
"……"
Had this woman eaten something wrong first thing in the morning? For a moment I was confused whether I'd boarded the wrong carriage.
"You don't mind if I ride with you, do you? We're headed to the same destination anyway."
But when she brazenly sat down across from me with a bright smile, I squeezed my eyes shut and hung my head. A sigh heavy enough to sink the earth came free of charge.
Hoo. Asura Balbalta. Endure. Blessings come to those who endure.
My counterpart was the Saintess. The Saintess. I summoned superhuman patience and reluctantly nodded.
But what was this?
"Ahem! Pardon the intrusion."
Rendering my patience utterly meaningless, the next batter up was Holy Knight Phai-ton, climbing in fully armed.
—Creeeak!
At his entrance the carriage lurched as if it might collapse on the spot.
Ah. These Temple bastards really had a talent for driving people insane. How could they be so shameless? Well, you needed that kind of ironclad face to run a cult. Ugh. Just hurry up and go to the Goddess's side already.
Ptooey!
"Hmm. So your position is Special Duty Tax Collector…"
In the awkward atmosphere filling the carriage, the first to speak was the Saintess. But the moment her words ended, I pretended not to hear and immediately unleashed a barrage of questions at Rhea as if I'd been waiting for it.
"4th Grade Senior Secretariat Rhea. Explain the definition of performing official duties."
"Yes? S-suddenly?"
"I'm asking because you don't seem to have the basics down as a civil servant. Why? You don't want to?"
"Ah, no, sir!"
"Also add the contents regarding confidentiality as stated in Article 4 of the Service Regulations. Ah. And additionally, regarding official travel as stated in Article 6."
Part of it was wanting to avoid exchanging words with the Saintess somehow. But it wasn't as if I'd thrown these questions at Rhea for no reason, just to pick a pointless fight.
"Ah. Yes, sir! For a civil servant, performing official duties means handling the administrative work assigned according to one's post."
"And?"
"Furthermore, according to Article 4 of the Service Regulations, a civil servant must not disclose to others any matters designated by law, policy formulation and projects, or information concerning an individual's personal affairs or property, nor use such information for private gain!"
The Saintess and Holy Knight Phai-ton drew sharp breaths, looking back and forth between Rhea and me as if wondering what the hell this nonsense was. But whether they did or not, I didn't spare them so much as a glance, glaring only at Rhea as if I meant to kill her.
At that, Rhea poured cold sweat and continued her answer.
"Lastly, the contents of Article 6 of the Service Regulations regarding official travel! A civil servant sent on official travel by a superior's order must devote their full strength to performing official duties and must not spend time on private matters! As for the detailed items…"
"That's enough. I'm extremely disappointed in you."
"Sir?! W-what do you mean…"
"I thought you'd made this mistake out of ignorance, but you made it knowing full well. That doesn't make it a mistake, does it?"
"Sir? M-me?!"
Rhea's eyes went wide and she stammered. She seemed to have no idea what she'd done wrong. It was frustrating enough to drive me mad, but what could I do? If anything, the competent face she'd shown until now had been the strange part—rookies were normally like this.
I forced down my frustration and decided to calmly explain what she'd done wrong.
"Why did you disclose to these people the fact that I am a Special Duty Tax Collector?"
"Ah…!"
"You even revealed our destination. And despite being an aide who ought to assist me, you spent time making private conversation with Temple people."
"……"
"This assignment is completely different from the work we've done until now—extremely important, urgent, and dangerous. How could you run your mouth so carelessly?"
At my continued words, Rhea hung her head with her face flushed bright red. In the atmosphere that had turned ice-cold in an instant, the Saintess and Holy Knight Phai-ton glanced about, at a loss.
"I-I'm sorry."
But when Rhea soon began sniffling in a trembling voice, the Saintess hurriedly waved her hands and spoke up.
"Sister Rhea has done nothing wrong. It's all because of me. I couldn't contain my curiosity…"
"To the Saintess this may not seem like something worth scolding so harshly. But an Imperial civil servant must never run their mouth carelessly even if a blade is at their throat."
"Don't you know what flexibility is?"
"Flexibility. By that, do you mean changing principles depending on the situation and the person?"
"That isn't what I meant."
"It isn't different from what you said."
The Saintess drew a breath as if she couldn't believe it, but whether she did or not, I looked back at Rhea and continued the reprimand.
"What would have become of us if these people had been agents of the Kingdom Union in disguise? Or if they'd been sent by nobles of a faction that disapproved of our official duties and held different political views?"
Rhea became mute as if she'd swallowed honey, unable to answer at all, only shedding fat tears.
"Even ordinary people with no stakes involved meet with misfortune walking mountain roads like these all the time—and a 4th Grade Senior Secretariat, who can be called a high-ranking civil servant, carelessly discloses her own and her superior's positions?"
When all was said and done, a tax collector was a hated existence who took money from people. Even when collecting taxes from ordinary commoners one always had to be careful—yet to act so thoughtlessly on a tax collection assignment targeting nobles like this. Rhea seemed to have no idea how terrifying nobles could be.
Blabbing every last detail to someone you've known less than twenty-four hours in the middle of these remote mountains—what were you thinking?
That was exactly why, when I first met the Saintess, I'd only revealed my affiliation and identity in the briefest, clearest terms. And it was for the same reason that when the affiliated agency issued civil servant IDs, they didn't record what position the holder occupied.
As I was scolding Rhea like that, a cold wind began seeping into the carriage. We had properly entered the North. Was it just my imagination? Thanks to that, the air inside the carriage grew colder still—cold enough to freeze.
"I must ask you. We were careless. Please leave it at this."
But then the Saintess bit her lip hard and faced me.
"As an apology, we will also tell you everything about why we were heading to Richmond."
"Saintess!"
At the Saintess's sudden declaration, Holy Knight Phai-ton startled in shock—but she firmly shook her head and would not yield her opinion.
"This way it's fair for both sides. And since you happen to be a tax collector, you might even be of help to us."
"B-but…"
"I fully understand the Commander's concerns. As this brother just said, even the smallest piece of information can circle back as a threat, and it can also damage the Temple's honor and standing."
"Indeed."
"But Sister Rhea trusted us and spoke even while taking on such risks. Of course we should provide information commensurate with that trust."
What wind had gotten into this woman to make her act like this? I sat with my arms crossed, narrowing my brow as I carefully observed her.
What help could a tax collector possibly give?
Even if she didn't lie, she was a woman who could freely change her expression and hide her emotions well. Letting my guard down was forbidden. So I didn't loosen the string of tension and waited for her words.
"I'd like you to listen without misunderstanding. We don't know exactly what's going on either, but recently we haven't been able to properly establish contact with the branch in the Richmond fief."
"Contact, you say…?"
"Haa. It's thoroughly embarrassing, but to be frank, the Richmond branch serves as something of a northern hub where the offerings collected from the northern region gather before coming to the main order."
Huh? Wait a second. So the money pipeline had been cut off, and the Saintess had come out on official travel like me to check on it? Just as I was wondering if that made any sense—as if answering my question, the Saintess continued with a deep sigh.
"But while we were fretting that it wouldn't look good to send people over the offerings, Count Richmond happened to send me a letter asking if I could look at his daughter's condition. That's why I came north."
I clutched my forehead at the headache surging in.
Ah. So that was it. That was it. So they were also heading north because of money.
This doesn't feel good.
Fitting the puzzle pieces together one by one in my head, I tilted my head at an inexplicable sense of unease. Chaos or not, it seemed I needed to stay tense for now.
"It seems we'll have to cooperate."
After some deliberation, though I didn't like it, I decided to join hands with the Temple. A kind of insurance against the worst case, you could say. Because it didn't seem like all these problems had arisen for separate reasons.