Chapter 4
“What does that mean! Why would you say you’re going into the temple!”
My father, Raymond Danier, threw both arms skyward in dramatic despair. “O gods, hear my lament!”
His theatrical tone was overdone, yet I understood. The people here believed such drama was proper manners.
“My beautiful daughter, why on earth would you need to enter the filthy lands of Hamilcar?”
I shivered. I had only said I would study at the temple of Gerka to become a good wife. The look on his face said he had heard nothing. Moreover, Father had no such intention, yet his words struck straight to the heart. I was heading into Hamilcar’s lands. Gerka was no concern of mine.
At dinner, Bertrand, my eldest brother, crossed his arms in displeasure. Rubbing his thumb against his other arm, he clearly disapproved. His grip on his own neck betrayed how deeply offended he was. David, the second, rose and shouted. “I won’t send you to the barbaric country of the savages!”
Hamilcar Territory held near-autonomous rights, almost like a kingdom of its own. Its people called themselves Hamilcar residents, not Morihan subjects. It was not entirely wrong. They possessed the right to wage war, after all. Most simply referred to it as the Count’s Domain. If it had been Korea, David would have answered me with “Who do you think you are to decide?” We were only three years apart. Here, however, the privilege belonged to me as the youngest daughter of the Danier family. I was part of their wealth; my brothers ran the family. How had I fallen so far?
I stared at my father, the ultimate highest authority. He had already shifted his gaze to Bertrand, nearly syncing with my eldest brother. They were trying to reverse the situation? Our eyes met. Bertrand deliberately averted his gaze, choosing not to support me. Only one remained. I turned my head. Mother was watching me calmly. “Arian, why must it be that distant temple? The Gerka Temple exists within our own domain.”
Unlike the roaring males, Mother pointed out the flaw in my logic first, lightly.
“Anyway, a famous temple would be beneficial. Moreover, the Gerka Temple in Hamilcar has her within it.”
A priestess named Pithia who received Gerka’s direct revelation never left the Grand Hall. After her connection to the gods was confirmed, she remained there for her entire life. Her noble status as the king’s sister and the late king’s eldest daughter meant nothing before the name “God’s Revelation.” Perhaps that was why Hamilcar dared such arrogance—holding her as a hostage. The king must have loathed his sister being held captive in Hamilcar, yet for me it was fortunate. Studying beside the continent’s single Holy Saint Pithia and receiving her patronage would elevate my value in the marriage market to nearly princess level. Of course, if the princess herself went to the Gerka Temple and received support from her aunt, I would not reach that height no matter what I did. But the princess would never go to Hamilcar, a barbaric domain. The royal palace in Lid or its seasonal palaces were too distant and terrifying for her. Besides, the king, already irritated daily by his sister’s captivity, would never risk his daughter as well. I had merely mentioned “her,” yet Mother already knew the entire story. Not only Mother; my brothers and Father had all understood. “Why would you go to the temple for no reason?!”
People going to the temple raised their value. In other words, those in desperate straits went to temples to elevate their standing. A high noble like me, with a mother connected to ruling families above, was not the type. Usually it was a second daughter who had fallen, or one with rumors of scandal, low character, distant bloodline, or hatred from the stepmother… Those were the kinds of lives that went there. And even they avoided Hamilcar. They went to the nearest, most comfortable temple in their own domain. That was why Father screamed. He was behaving like a child with a problem. Of course, if I truly went to the temple, Father would use his political power to spread the rumor that I was a pious girl and not the one with the problem. (But honestly, even girls my age would see that I lacked nothing in body or status—only in head, given how distant and barbaric Hamilcar was. It did not matter. The ones deciding my marriage were not my peers, but middle-aged gentlemen like Father and the Count of Hamilcar, and aunts like Mother.)
Mother pierced Father with her gaze, then rapped her knuckles on the table. Finally she smiled gently. “You really are my daughter. I am proud of you.”
“Husband!”
Father called out to her reproachfully. “As in Rome, the man governs the world. The woman rules from above within the home.”
There were many houses where it was not so, yet Mother matched the saying. “Yes. I will firmly uphold your path and actively support you.”
“Mother!”
Little Brother tried to protest, shocked. Mother ignored him. My pilgrimage to the temple had been decided. When I boarded the carriage after ten days of preparation, Mother took my hand. “With such firm resolve and traveling a long distance, I will not worry. I believe you will surely receive Pithia-nim’s patronage.”
…What? When did I ever say I would receive Pithia-nim’s patronage? She must think the Holy Saint is joking. The continent has only one. Of course, if I were a princess, support would be possible. She was my aunt. But I was Father’s daughter, not the king’s. How could I receive support from the Holy Saint? Mother hid her amused smile and smiled faintly. “Surely you did not speak carelessly from a desire to escape parental and sibling interference, did you? Do well and return.”
Her unspoken “Just do not return” was written on her face. “No, Mother,”
I started to say, “Mother, of course I will do my best, but—” only for Mother to release my hand and slam the carriage door the moment she said “Mothe—”
The carriage departed. Wait, I never said I was leaving!
The coachman always obeyed the highest authority at that spot. Even when Father, far away, cried out “Arian!” it seemed his order was not enough. Carrying Mother’s command more terrifying than the revelation, the carriage left. It took twenty-three days to reach Hamilcar Territory by carriage. I had heard medieval roads were unpaved, but much of the route to Hamilcar Territory was paved with flat stones. Not asphalt, of course, but far more comfortable than unpaved roads. And unlike my world, magic users existed here. The carriage had no suspension, yet shock-absorbing magic cast by a mage made the journey surprisingly pleasant. Lodgings at roadside inns posed no problem. The real issue arose upon arrival in Hamilcar Territory. I knew the Grand Hall rose atop the mountain, but seeing it in person was overwhelming. Looking at the peak piercing the sky, I could not even estimate its height. It was high enough that the gods descending here made sense. The mountain was likely closer to the divine realm than the human one. And the snow… sunlight reflected off the white, making the peaks sparkle. Ah, that was why it was called the Mount of Light. It looked miraculous. Yet I was not sure I could climb it. Especially in the summer dress I wore; there was no chance. On the first day, my escort knights and I exchanged glances and immediately turned away. Below the Mount of Light lay several villages. The atmosphere in the one we entered showed it was not poor despite its small size. The children’s clothing and houses made that clear. This village must have found some additional income. Such places were usually easy to trade with. Before entering the temple, I would meet the village supervisor. Preferably someone who spoke the common tongue.