Chapter 147: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (11)
Chapter 147: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (11)
The Great Temple had stood alongside the Academy for over a thousand years.
Unable to withstand the ravages of time, the once-pure white marble had faded into a somber gray, and chips were missing here and there, yet the interior remained magnificent.
An ancient, historical structure carries a solemn atmosphere all its own. The Academy’s Great Temple was no different.
Before this grand house of the Heavenly God, which compelled silence and humility from all its visitors, I walked forward to the echoes of a chanting choir.
It seemed a service was in progress. I wondered if the Saintess was participating, and the thought made my stride feel uncharacteristically awkward.
I hoped I wasn't coming here for nothing. Fortunately, someone appeared to ease my worries before long.
It was Yuren, a man of androgynous beauty with jade-colored hair.
Our eyes met as he stood guard in front of one of the prayer rooms. Yuren immediately offered a bright smile and raised a hand in greeting.
"It’s been a while, Ian."
"…Yuren."
I let out a deep sigh the moment I saw him.
Yuren was the Saintess’s bodyguard. His presence at the door meant she was inside.
And since the room he was guarding was a 'prayer room,' the natural conclusion was that the Saintess was currently in prayer.
It was poor etiquette to disturb a believer during prayer—even more so when that person wasn't just a commoner, but a priestess.
I scratched my head awkwardly. It looked like I’d have to wait for a while.
Yuren seemed to guess my situation by watching my shifting expression. He let out a soft chuckle.
"Do you have business with my sister again today?"
"Well, yes, for now."
Since it wasn't exactly a secret, I nodded honestly. Yuren hummed thoughtfully for a moment before stepping aside to clear the path.
I looked at him, puzzled. But Yuren only shrugged, acting mysterious.
"She’s been praying a lot lately… Who do you think she’s praying for?"
Naturally, that wasn't the kind of question I could answer.
I still didn't fully understand the heart of Celine, whom I’d grown up with since childhood; there was no way I could peer into the mind of the Saintess, a master of pretense.
It seemed Yuren hadn't expected an answer anyway. He pointed toward the handle again, encouraging me to enter.
After a moment’s hesitation, I finally took a long stride forward and gripped the handle.
This was Yuren’s endorsement, after all.
Since they were practically like siblings, he surely knew the Saintess’s heart better than I did.
Even so, I couldn't shake a lingering sense of unease. Carefully, making as little noise as possible, I slipped into the room.
The room was generally dark, lacking any artificial lighting.
The space was large enough for several people to pray at once. A single small window allowed a sliver of light to leak in, creating the room's only light source.
The beam of light slanted across the room. Beneath that golden baptism, I saw a woman kneeling with her hands clasped together.
Sunlight flowed down her silver hair. Though her eyes were closed, I knew that behind those lids lay jewel-like, pale pink irises.
From her flawless, porcelain skin to the feminine curves visible even through her priestess robes—every part of her was beautiful. It was almost more believable to think of her as a work of art crafted in heaven by the Heavenly God himself to prove his own existence.
She was a lovely woman, no matter when I saw her. As long as she kept her mouth shut, her beauty was enough to make even me catch my breath.
Yes, as long as she kept her mouth shut.
Prayers were being murmured from her lips.
"Lord, please save this little lamb… My heart is troubled by thoughts of a man who is violent, ill-tempered, and even arrogant. Is this also a trial you have set before me? O-of course, he is a bit handsome. And seeing how he cherishes orphans, he is kind, knows how to love the weak, and is a rare, honest, and uncalculating man, so he’s n-not a bad person…."
Listening to the words pouring out of her, I wore a look of utter disbelief.
Setting aside the latter half, the first part was undeniably about me. Yet the Saintess remained unaware of my presence.
After mumbling in an inaudible voice for a long while, she spoke with a determined gaze, as if she were the tragic heroine of a play.
"If this is also the Will of God, I shall obey. I-if it is fate, it cannot be helped, yes. R-right? Since I am the Saintess, I must follow the Lord’s will…."
"…What are you doing?"
I threw out a blunt question toward her as she continued her internal monologue.
The Saintess’s reaction was instantaneous.
She jolted as if struck by lightning, her body trembling violently, before she scrambled to her feet and spun around to face me. Her pale pink eyes were wide with panic.
"H-hyat?! W-who… I-Ian? H-h-how…!"
As she spoke, her gaze surreptitiously drifted toward my waist.
Knowing exactly what she was thinking, I let out a heavy sigh and stated firmly, "I didn't break in with an axe. Yuren opened the door for me."
The Saintess’s eyes darted between me and the door behind me. Only then did she let out a sigh of relief, clutching her chest.
"Phew, thank goodness. I thought there was about to be a serious violation of school rules."
"Just what do you take me for…?"
There was no answer to my hollow question. The Saintess smoothed her hair, straightened her posture, and cleared her throat with a few dry coughs.
Then, stealing a glance at me, she asked, "So, why are you here? Surely you didn't disturb the Saintess’s prayer just to say you have no business with me?"
Hearing those haughty words, I felt a surge of playfulness in my chest. I let out a smirk and asked, "What if I don't have any business?"
The Saintess’s brow furrowed slightly at my counter-question. She opened her mouth as if she couldn't believe it.
"What kind of non—"
However, her voice, which started out as if to scold me, trailed off toward the end. Silence followed as she stared blankly at me.
She fidgeted for a moment before averting her gaze.
"W-well, what… are you trying to say you just wanted to see me? H-how absurd…."
A faint blush rose to the Saintess’s fair cheeks. Her pale pink eyes flickered toward me, checking my reaction. I could only manage a bitter smile.
My answer was plain.
"Of course not. I came because I have business today."
The light of subtle expectation in the Saintess’s eyes turned cold. Before she could say anything with that disgruntled expression, I decided to get straight to the point.
"You met me recently, didn't you?"
Now it was the Saintess’s turn to give me a puzzled look.
She let out a curious hum, her eyes narrowing. It was a gaze full of suspicion, asking what my intention was.
I had to provide a follow-up explanation immediately.
"I just need you to tell me roughly what happened then. Actually, the 'me' from that time was a personality from the future…."
"Are you still pushing that bit? That the 'me' of the organization and the 'me' who is an Academy student are different beings?"
Calling it a 'bit,' when I’d finally opened up and told her the truth.
My expression soured instantly, but the Saintess only burst into giggles.
Well, it made sense. A personality from the future suddenly possessing someone and then leaving, all while committing various eccentricities?
It sounded like nonsense. The Saintess looked as if she’d just heard a funny joke.
"Well, you’ve put a bit more effort into it, haven't you? A personality from the future… Hmm, come to think of it, you did feel a bit different. You didn't seem as happy as you do now…."
"Happy?"
The Saintess, who had been talking to herself, froze the moment she heard my word and practically jumped in place.
"W-w-what are you talking about! I-I am the Saintess, so naturally, I feel the greatest joy when I am in the embrace of God Arus. A-and yet, to suggest that I am enjoying being a-alone with a strange man… Ah, Lord! Are you testing this little lamb again today…!"
The storm of words pouring out of her made me feel dizzy. I had no choice but to stop her quickly.
"Uh… I get it. I get it, so please, just calm down."
Only then did she seem to snap out of it, her words coming to a halt. She cleared her throat with a cute little cough and composed herself.
Though a faint blush still lingered on her cheeks, I decided not to point it out.
"…A-anyway, you want to know what happened then? Nothing much. You just showed up out of the blue, asked for one thing, and left."
Asked for what?
A glint appeared in my eyes as I finally found a clue. I immediately asked her back.
"What did I ask for?"
"Yes, 'Holy Water.'"
'Holy Water'—literally, sacred water.
Holy Water, which was concentrated Divine Power, was colorless, odorless, and tasteless, making it difficult to distinguish from regular water. However, its effects were worlds apart.
I’d heard that drinking it could grant a long life; at the very least, it was an item worth thousands of gold.
The doubt in my eyes deepened. Seeing this, the Saintess began to boast about the effects of Holy Water with a triumphant look.
"Honestly, do you have any idea how expensive that stuff is? Holy Water is basically effective for healing wounds, but it also has the effect of washing away all sorts of curses or magical abnormalities. For instance, the Emperor of the Empire orders an enormous amount of Holy Water from the Holy Kingdom every year, and rumor has it he even bathes in it…."
As she spoke, she glanced at me meaningfully, as if she wanted to remind me that she’d given me something truly incredible. To put it bluntly, she was rubbing it in.
But my interest lay elsewhere. I suddenly asked about a part of her explanation that caught my attention.
"…It washes away curses or magical abnormalities?"
The Saintess stared at me blankly for a moment, as if she didn't understand the intent behind my question. Her hesitation didn't last long.
With a face that suggested she thought I was simply interested in that particular detail, she said nonchalantly, "Yes. In fact, high-ranking nobles value that effect of Holy Water the most. Its effectiveness is guaranteed. It could probably even wash away a curse from the Dark Cult. But you shouldn't drink it for that; you have to sprinkle it on your body."
My gaze grew even more vacant as I listened.
A thought suddenly occurred to me, and I fumbled around my waist. Feeling a heavy weight, I gripped it.
It was my canteen. An item that had been with me for a long time.
The moment she saw the canteen, the Saintess let out a surprised exclamation.
"That’s right, that canteen! I gave it to you in a perfectly good bottle, and you poured it into that crude thing! What, so you do remember…."
The Saintess’s grumbling voice tickled my ears. But my attention had already moved elsewhere.
The male student I’d beaten up in the alleyway had said I splashed water from my canteen onto the Princess.
Of course, that was just a secondhand account of the facts. There could have been minor errors. But when the pieces fit together this perfectly, I had no choice but to lean toward a new deduction.
The future 'me' splashed Holy Water. On the Princess.
But why?
If she were cursed, there would have been more subtle ways to alert the Princess’s side to the danger. Someone of the Princess’s status could have a curse broken, no matter how clever it was.
The skills of the mages dispatched from the Imperial Household were that reliable.
I couldn't understand why I would provoke the Princess in the first place, so I pressed my temples, trying to soothe my throbbing headache.
No matter how I looked at it, it was a bad move. Because of it, my range of movement had become even more restricted.
It was because I could no longer obtain the cooperation of the Imperial nobility.
As I agonized over the problem, the Saintess watched me with a slightly surprised look. Her pale pink eyes were filled with concern.
"Are you okay? Is it… because of that Princess?"
It was obvious, but it seemed the Saintess had already heard about my clash with the Princess.
Though the underlying truth was different, the Saintess’s words were technically correct. So, with a complicated heart, I nodded.
"…Yes, well."
Despite my admission, the Saintess just continued to stare at me blankly.
She looked as if she didn't understand. In return, I gave her a questioning look.
It was only much later that the Saintess spoke.
"So, what are they thinking?"
Another question with an unclear intent.
As I stared into her eyes, the Saintess began to thump her chest as if she were frustrated.
The prominent curves of her bust rippled, their elasticity becoming visually apparent. It was a rare treat for the eyes.
Regardless, the Saintess asked me again with an air of annoyance.
"I mean that Princess! With what kind of confidence did she dare touch you?"
What nonsense is she talking about? I looked at the Saintess with that sentiment in my eyes.
I was merely the second son of a rural viscount. Even if I had connections with powerful people like the Saintess, Senior Delphine, or Senior Elsie, even all of them combined couldn't stand against the Imperial Household. I was the one who absolutely had to bow down.
But the Saintess looked truly frustrated, so I could only tilt my head in confusion.
What, do I have some secret of birth that even I don't know about?
Finally, her frustration reaching its peak, the Saintess shouted out.
"You have the 'Dragon Blood Runes'! So what kind of confidence does the Princess have to dare touch you!"
At those words, a bolt of lightning struck my hazy mind.
That’s right. I had the 'Dragon Blood Runes.'