Chapter 168
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: A Visitor from the Holy Kingdom
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Of course, I figured it would be tough to see any effects in such a short time.
As I slipped out of the room to avoid disturbing Arsha, who was reciting prayers at her side, Luna tugged at my sleeve from behind once more.
"Why?"
She fell silent for a long moment before finally speaking.
"Something just feels..."
"Feels?"
"Bad."
From the way she said it, this wasn't just her throwing a tantrum.
She wants something.
After some agonizing thought, I slowly—almost tensely—took her hand in mine.
Then I drew in a short breath and pulled her into my arms.
"Feeling better now?"
My tone was the same as always, but with her head bowed deeply, she seemed a little satisfied.
She slept just like normal, but put her in this kind of mood, and she completely lost her head.
"Leon... embarrassed?"
"No, well..."
I wasn't in any position to talk.
"Grains are pouring out, pouring like crazy. You gonna speed things up too fast? If it starts feeling off, just say so. I'll prep the wedding first."
And that's when I belatedly noticed Melissa had been watching the whole thing.
My response to her peeping was simple.
Ting!!
"Y-You... maniac?!"
I immediately activated a flash artifact and chucked it right in front of her eyes.
Paang!!!
The intense burst of light and sound made Melissa clap her hands over her eyes.
"Agh! My eyes! Ahh... my eyes! What kind of flash artifact hits this hard?!"
Watching her roll around on the floor, it was hard to believe she was some refined noble lady.
Despite all the commotion, there was no reaction from the room where the saintess was. She must have been deeply focused on her prayers.
I slowly approached the groaning Melissa and squatted down in front of her.
"Remember anything, miss patient?"
"Like I'd forget, you lunatic?!"
Tears streaking her damp eyes, she slowly pried them open and glared at me.
In response, I dangled another pin-pulled flash artifact right in front of her.
"Oh... you psycho."
Paang!!
"Kyaaack?!"
Melissa's scream echoed out once more.
Worried about Saintess Nadia staying cooped up in her room for so long, Melissa had gone inside—only to emerge carrying the completely passed-out Nadia on her back.
"What the hell did they feed her growing up...?"
Grumbling under her breath, Melissa nonetheless eased the sleeping saintess into the guest quarters.
"She was totally wiped out. Conked out right in the middle of treatment."
"Makes sense. She's been on the run nonstop."
In truth, even though some time had passed, it hadn't been long since she'd suddenly been branded a heretic and forced to flee.
Without that spatial transfer, she'd probably still be en route to Cascadia territory even now.
Setting aside her vast divine power and her status as saintess, Nadia wasn't all that old.
I'd heard rumors not long ago that her 19th birthday was coming up soon.
She wouldn't have much experience with this kind of grueling ordeal, so collapsing from exhaustion wasn't surprising.
"Alright, then. Looks like we need a meeting about what comes next."
In the study, Melissa struck a serious pose and opened gravely.
At her suggestion, Luna and I settled onto the straight sofa across the table from her.
"First, let's sum up the situation... Saintess Nadia prepared something for reconciliation with the Hael tribe, but some faction inside the Holy Kingdom didn't like it and is trying to oust her."
I had no idea how big that faction was, but if they could actually pull it off, it couldn't be small.
That name Varil was nagging at me too.
"The whole 'heretic' label is pretty vague to begin with. One wrong move, and they could drag us into it—or worse, paint us as the saintess's kidnappers and murderers."
Melissa continued.
"If they hold a grudge against you from that Prince Dorn business, it might even be possible."
Of course, it was probably overthinking things.
In the end, there wasn't much we could do right now.
"Sucks that watching and waiting is all we've got... We don't have any connections in the Holy Kingdom anyway."
Our one and only connection—the saintess herself—was holed up here in Cascadia. It was almost comical.
That was when it happened.
"Um... Family Head. We have a guest."
"This late? What rude bastard—"
It'd have to be someone either incredibly rude or in a real hurry to show up at this hour.
"He's from the Holy Kingdom side."
Her words wiped the sound from the room, leaving me, Luna, and Melissa in dead silence.
I slowly drew my spirit sword. Luna wordlessly slipped on her Hand of Fury.
"He alone?"
"Yes."
"Let him in for now."
If the Holy Kingdom had really figured it out, he wouldn't have come alone.
Soon the study door opened, and a man in pristine white robes strode in.
A golden cross brooch gleamed on his chest.
White robes paired with a spotless white bowler hat. It was an oddly mismatched getup.
The burly man removed his hat as he spoke.
"Is the saintess here?"
"...No idea what you're talking about."
Melissa replied with a smiling face.
There was no upside to giving away her presence.
He gave a faint smile in return.
"The letter with the location and time? I sent it."
Ah. So that's the guy.
Of course, we weren't buying it just yet, so we stayed quiet.
"For starters, I'm not one of the ones trying to oust the saintess... Hm?"
His eyes went wide.
His gaze wasn't on Melissa or me—it was fixed on Luna.
"How are you here...?"
That was when it happened.
Luna shot up from her seat and rocketed forward like a flash, smashing her fist straight into the man's face.
Kwaaaang!!!!
Her sudden move made Melissa and me jump, eyes bulging in shock.
"Hey! What the hell?!"
Even as Melissa yelled, Luna knocked him flat and mounted him, raining down punch after punch.
"I've wanted to beat you into paste for ages."
"Guh... guh!!"
He reeled in agony. After a few more blows, I figured she'd actually kill him if I let it go on, so I grabbed her from behind and hauled her off.
"Hey, calm down. What's this? You two know each other?"
How could Luna know anyone? She'd been sealed away for an insanely long time.
Unless they were from the same era...
Or maybe the same kind of angel.
Though whether she even knew any other angels was questionable.
"This guy's a devil."
Her blunt follow-up left shock written across Melissa's and my faces.
Melissa stammered.
"A devil? That high priest?"
Only the most devout could ascend to high priest.
And among them, only the truly vetted could wear that golden cross brooch on their chest.
They were exceedingly rare, even in the Holy Kingdom.
And... what?
Luna's bombshell left Melissa's brain frozen for a second, head tilting.
"Huh?"
Still held back by me, Luna squirmed again.
"Leon, just let me hit him once."
"No way."
"Just once..."
Her eyes sparkled with plea, weakening my resolve.
But his face was already a total bloody mess on the floor. No way I could let go now.
"Got someone you wanna kill? No. Why are you always so rough?"
Even so, beating someone this bad?
I still didn't get why she'd snapped like that in the first place.
"Anything else, maybe. But this guy needs a beating."
Her struggles grew fiercer until she finally slipped free and lunged at him again.
"Cough... It's fine. Let her do what she wants. Ra... guk!"
Her fist flew in instantly, smashing his mouth.
Melissa and I watched the scene in stunned silence for a good while.
After she'd pummeled him thoroughly...
The priest—now a bloody pulp—spoke up.
"Has that eased your anger a bit?"
"..."
Luna stared down at him coldly before finally standing.
She eyed him intently, then delivered one more kick.
"Think it'd?"
"I know. No excuses."
Luna, still unsatisfied, plopped back onto the sofa, crossed her arms, and shut her eyes.
"What in the world is going on..."
"That's what I want to know. How is she out in the world?"
He'd been a bloody wreck just moments ago, but now he looked perfectly fine, like nothing had happened.
No divine power used or anything.
Watching his inhuman recovery, the "devil" label suddenly seemed spot-on.
"From what I knew, she was supposed to be sealed."
He pondered for a long moment, then nodded at me.
"I see. So you released her."
"That obvious?"
"It is. Causality works in funny ways. Good. Please take good care of her."
"You're a devil, but something's off about you. Worshiping a god and all."
"Can't a devil serve a god? Ah, introductions are late. My name is Dibel. Just call me Dibel."
"Melissa Cascadia. This is my big brother, Leon Cascadia."
Angels weren't what people imagined—just like devils, apparently.
"You're a devil?"
"Yes. An old one, at that. Got some standing among devils, even."
"That your real form?"
"Got any other?"
He looked no different from a kindly smiling priest. Nothing like the stereotypical horned, red-skinned, tail-wagging demons everyone knew.
"Rest assured. I'm not with the ones trying to oust the saintess."
"Then why the letter?"
"If I left her be, she'd die a miserable death. Had to do the bare minimum."
"You came all this way just to say that?"
He nodded at Melissa's question.
"Hoped it would keep any needless suspicion from the letter. Oh, and no one knows I came here, so don't worry."
In other words, he had no intention of stepping up actively.
"Is there anyone in the Holy Kingdom right now who can help her?"