The Saintess Candidate's Bribe
We had traveled without rest for several days, so we decided to take a short break in a village called Tamia, which belonged to the Ibi Parish. From my perspective, where half of this was basically a vacation, I wanted to take my time sightseeing through all three parishes we'd passed on the way here. But the real purpose of this trip was to remove the Seed of Sin planted in Benika, so changing the plan just because of my personal desires wasn't an option.
Still, it was a shame. The automatic carriage had come straight down through the border regions without any delays thanks to Cardinal Dominic's special privileges, so I didn't even get a proper chance to see what the other parishes looked like. Maybe I should ask Grandpa Carlo if we could take it easy and look around on the way back?
Our final destination was a city called Ravendi in the Ugris Parish. If we rested here for a day before leaving, we'd arrive in about three to four days. Distance-wise, we'd already covered a little more than half the journey.
According to Cardinal Dominic, we were originally supposed to rest once we entered the Ugris Parish, but for some reason the mana engine of the automatic carriage overheated, forcing us to stop here... I had a pretty good guess about the cause of the overheating, but I kept my mouth shut. I didn't want to trigger another round of Cardinal Dominic bragging about his tuning—no, his modification of magical tools.
What kind of whatever-he-did still only resulted in overheating, blah blah blah~ The way he seized every opportunity to boast made my ears feel like they were growing calluses just from imagining it. No wonder Cheska had looked so disgusted.
Anyway, since we'd be staying here for a day, I told Cardinal Dominic and Grandpa Carlo that I wanted to look around the village. Fortunately, they gave me permission. There were two conditions, though.
First, return before evening. Second, stay with Cheska and Jacob.
They were reasonable conditions, so I accepted them gladly. After that, Cardinal Dominic, Grandpa Carlo, and Dominic's escorts (who were basically just drivers) finished refueling—no, recharging—the mana engine of the automatic carriage, secured lodging, and decided to wait there.
Once I confirmed where the lodging was, Cheska, Jacob, and I started exploring the village.
If I had to describe my first impression of walking around a village in another world, I'd say it felt real. Not like a movie set or theme park from a fantasy film, but like watching actual residents living their daily lives. It hit me then.
Ah. I really have been reincarnated in another world.
I was lost in those sentimental thoughts when Jacob spoke to me in a small voice that wouldn't reach others.
“By the way, Lady Levia. About that Seed of Sin... none of the members of our Holy Front Knight Order had one planted in them, right?”
Jacob had learned about the Seed of Sin inside the carriage. Normally he was constantly bickering with the other holy knights, but as vice-captain, it seemed he'd been worried. Asking now so cautiously was probably because he didn't want it to sound like he was suspecting his comrades.
Having roughly read his feelings, I answered with enough certainty to put Jacob at ease.
“If there had been, I would've removed it. There wasn't a single one.”
Honestly, those people's unique brand of madness probably would've overpowered the seed anyway.
“That's a relief. Are you alright, Lady Levia? After experiencing something so... terrifying.”
Jacob glanced at Cheska beside us before asking again. Well, it would be awkward to ask directly in front of the victim who had been forcibly turned into a perpetrator.
Cheska gave Jacob a gesture meaning he didn't need to worry about her, and I spoke in a tone that said I wasn't particularly bothered either.
“It worked out well, and it's all in the past now.”
Though I will get my revenge later. I'm going to work Cheska to the bone. And tease her mercilessly too. Last time her reactions were absolutely perfect.
“I felt it during the previous subjugation of the Eighth Legion as well, but even though you're young, you seem remarkably bold, Lady Levia. As expected of someone destined to become a saintess—the caliber is different from the start.”
“Don't say such horrible things.”
“I'm being sincere?”
“Then it's even more horrible.”
I have zero intention of becoming a saintess. Now that I know what it actually means, I want to do it even less. Benedict said he'd explain it to me later, but that secretive man would probably hide something even while explaining, so I asked other people instead. No matter how you look at it, he's not my real father, yet his credibility is this low. Reflect on yourself, Dad!
“Stop talking nonsense and don't forget what we promised.”
That's right—before we departed, Jacob and I had made one promise. To be precise, it was closer to a deal.
“Of course.”
I silently held out my hand, and Jacob took out a coin from his pocket and handed it to me. Not just any coin—a golden one! That's right. Money. One gold coin!
“Vice-captain. Why are you giving money to Lady Levia?”
Cheska, who had witnessed our transaction, expressed her confusion.
“Ah, this. Since you're Lady Levia's escort knight, Lady Cheska, it's natural you'd come along. But within our Holy Front Knight Order, the competition was fierce.”
“Pardon?”
“So we let Lady Levia choose who would accompany her to the Ugris Parish... and I simply promoted myself a little.”
“I still don't quite understand what you're saying.”
“I'll explain it to you.”
Right before departing for the Ugris Parish, we had to select the members who would go with me from the Entat Parish. The total number of people was four, including myself. Since the only task was to meet Benika and remove the seed, Benedict decided to stay behind in the Entat Parish to handle the work that had piled up during his absence. Instead, it was decided that Grandpa Carlo would accompany me.
Cheska was naturally selected as my escort knight. That left only one spot. Apparently, a fierce competition had broken out among the Holy Front Knight Order to claim that position. The three who survived that competition were Jacob, Hasad, and Chunbong.
Bowt had told me to choose, and the situation at the time had felt exactly like this:
'The outside world is dangerous, my child. Take one holy knight with you.'
“At that moment, Jacob approached me and said if I took him along, he'd give me allowance money.”
When I asked how much, he offered one gold. That was a full year's earnings for an ordinary commoner and a quarter of a vice-captain's salary. It was more than enough to buy my favor.
“...So what you're saying is that you bribed Lady Levia to join the journey, Sir Jacob?”
“Hey! Cheska, you can't say it like that! Bribe? It's allowance money! Allowance!”
“Exactly! How could it be a bribe! It was a perfectly legitimate transaction, Lady Cheska.”
“...”
Cheska, momentarily at a loss for words, soon made a determined expression and began speaking in a strict voice.
“I have sworn to protect and serve Lady Levia with my life.”
“That oath also includes advising her so that she does not walk the wrong path.”
“A holy knight accepting a bribe? Lady Levia, that is not righteous money. It is also bad for your education.”
“Therefore...”
“Cheska. Cheska.”
I cut off the increasingly long lecture midway and called out to her.
“Come here for a second. Your ear.”
“Yes? Why my ear...?”
“One hour of free scalp-sniffing privileges.”
“...”
“If you don't report this to Benedict, I'll add another hour.”
Upon hearing the terms of the deal I offered, Cheska...
“...Then this will be the only time. You must not do this again in the future!”
She surrendered to her desires.
“...”
In a space where darkness seemed to writhe, the Prophet was receiving the Clown's report from the only altar emitting light.
“This is truly, reeeally~ something I didn't expect at all.”
“What is it?”
“The thirteenth saintess candidate is heading to the Ugris Parish. Together with the inquisitor.”
The Prophet expressed doubt at the Clown's report. What reason could there be for traveling from the Entat Parish at the northernmost edge of Eliac all the way to the distant Ugris Parish?
“For what purpose?”
“Officially, it's said to be a visit for fellowship between saintess candidates... Puhaha! Does that even make sense?”
The Prophet nodded at the Clown's answer and began speculating about the true reason why the thirteenth saintess candidate, Levia Leviathan, was heading to the Ugris Parish.
Levia Leviathan, the saintess candidate who had accomplished the compression and overlapping of divine power—something that was only supposed to be possible for the first saintess candidate.
The inquisitor Dominic, who had been gathering the humans the Designer had worked on for the past ten years.
Cardinal Benedict, who claimed to be Levia's father, was particularly close with Dominic.
The Clown's recent failed assassination attempt on Levia.
In the Prophet's mind, all the information he possessed began to fit together.
“I see. So that's it. They've finally found it?”
“Huh? I don't know what it is, but please tell me too!”
“Clown. I will send the Divine Stone through the believers. Make use of it.”
“Eh? Sudden support? Come on, this is frustrating—what exactly did you find out?!”
“The inquisitor has found a way to prevent his daughter's destruction.”
“That shouldn't be possible, though?”
“No. The inquisitor has definitely found it. He is not a man who moves without certainty.”
“Hmm...”
“Let me say it again—do not let your guard down. There must be something about the thirteenth saintess candidate that made even the inquisitor take action.”