~Chapter 56~
The High Priest addressed Sestia in a subtle, coaxing tone.
“Saintess, shall we now proceed to the Grand Temple? The high-ranking priests await your arrival. They will all follow your lead. You will, in essence, savor the very pinnacle of authority.”
Sestia’s expression hardened as she answered resolutely.
“High Priest, I intend to reside in the North, not at the Grand Temple.”
“The North?”
“Yes. I wish to repay the grace I have received from Lady Delphina.”
The High Priest looked at her in shock, for never before had any priest volunteered to go to the North.
“The North is perilous, Saintess. You have only recently awakened to your power…”
Sestia simply gazed at him in silence, her unwavering eyes fixed upon his face.
Sweat trickled down the High Priest’s brow.
“Until now, the priests have lived far too comfortably, entrusting the entirety of the North’s defense to the Grand Duke’s family. The land borders the Forest of Demons, which makes it the very place where priests are needed most. Yet there is no temple in the North.”
The High Priest slowly nodded.
“That is true.”
“I plan to relocate several high-ranking priests to the North. Please see to it that a temple is built there.”
“Then, as the High Priest, perhaps I too should move the Grand Temple to the North—”
Before he could finish, Sestia silenced him.
“Do not speak nonsense. Here, eat this instead.”
She stuffed a dried persimmon into his mouth. At first, his eyes widened in surprise, but soon he began chewing eagerly, entirely absorbed by the taste.
“What is this?”
His jaw moved faster. Forgetting his words to Sestia, the High Priest savored the food with growing delight.
When he finished, his eyes widened even further.
“What manner of delicacy is this? Soft, chewy, and sweet—it is truly a taste of paradise!”
Sestia nodded with satisfaction.
“It’s a confection Lady Delphina made for me. Dried fruit, from the East. It’s called a dried persimmon.”
“Oh! Eating this fills me with strength. Strangely, I feel as though I can sense Lord Frad’s power within it.”
“I now believe my quality of life will plummet without Lady Delphina’s cooking,” Sestia said gravely.
“So please hasten the construction of a temple in the North.”
“Ah, though I am loath to part with you so soon after meeting, you are still young and must eat well,” the High Priest said, his eyes flashing with new determination.
Watching him, Delphina marveled inwardly. He was already dancing in the palm of Sestia’s hand.
“Lady Delphina, I entrust the Saintess to your care. The temple shall repay this favor in full, I swear it upon my name.”
“No, I should be the one to ask for your support,” Delphina replied.
“Many high-ranking priests will accompany you to the North. I will personally select only the finest. Truthfully, they should have been dispatched long ago…”
He trailed off, suddenly struck by an unsettling realization.
It was as though a spell had been lifted; only now did he comprehend how neglectful they had been of the North.
Why have I never considered its importance before? It is as if a veil has clouded my mind all this time.
The revelation struck him like a blow to the head. He was not, by nature, a man of such apathy, yet Hardin’s words had always seemed so persuasive… almost as though he had been manipulated.
After the High Priest concluded, Delphina’s gaze shifted to the system window materializing before her.
<The Saintess Heads North>
Your efforts have caused the Saintess to set her sights on the North.
If you return with her, you may be able to cure the Grand Lady’s illness.
Your name will resound throughout the North!
“They say the Saintess will soon arrive in the North!”
“I heard Lady Delphina appeared when vile men tried to harm the Saintess!”
“They say many priests will be sent to the North as well!”
“Ever since Lady Delphina came, life in the North has improved!”
The North’s influence increases.
Causality is reinforced, and Lord Frad begins to awaken.
The chances of curing the Grand Lady’s illness rise. <Save Aris> quest success rate improves!
A mighty ally has joined your side: the SSS-rank Saintess Sestia.
Delphina’s face brightened. Since the banquet, Lord Frad had been unable to send her any system messages.
Now things will be all right.
Though she had once found the system window irksome, its absence had left an unexpected emptiness.
And as if in answer to her thoughts, a new message appeared.
<Lord Frad shyly greets you, confessing that the inability to converse, however brief, has been frustrating.>
Delphina smiled warmly.
I have missed you, Lord Frad.
<Lord Frad, too, is overjoyed to see you again.>
But before she could converse further, the High Priest—his face now grave despite the dried persimmon he had just devoured—spoke up.
“Ah, have you heard the news?”
“What news?”
“Sir Kassen Fuat has suffered a grave injury.”
“Injury? What do you mean?”
“I’m not sure of the details, but I hear he will need considerable time to recover.”
Delphina tilted her head, puzzled, as he continued.
“Apparently, a masked man appeared and challenged him to a duel. They say the man even threw a glove at his left cheek.”
“The right cheek was the one Elcayan struck at the banquet…”
“Yes. Now he bears red marks on both sides of his face.”
“But Kassen is a formidable knight. Well, although he couldn’t respond at all to Elcayan at the banquet…”
“They say the man who attacked him was an exceptionally skilled knight. It was called a duel, but in truth, it must have been one-sided. Sir Kassen likely didn’t land a single blow.”
Delphina was momentarily speechless. Her gaze drifted toward Calix, who was devouring dried persimmons in the corner of the reception room.
Could it have been Sir Calix?
Catching her glance, Calix shook his head vigorously, his cheeks puffed with dried persimmons, unable to speak in his own defense.
Sir Calix is terrible at lying.
Given his genuinely indignant expression, it seemed unlikely he had been the one to assault Kassen.
Her eyes then moved to Elcayan, who was calmly eating the persimmons she had prepared, his expression unreadable.
“Do you know anything about this…?” she asked.
Elcayan shook his head.
“Who can say? Perhaps it was divine punishment. Lord Frad may have grown angry. After all, Kassen was a man of endless falsehoods; he deserved whatever befell him.”
“Divine punishment…”
“It may even have been the same man who attacked Baron Orman. Sword Masters are not so easily found, after all.”
Delphina narrowed her eyes.
Calix, still chewing furiously, pointed a finger at Elcayan as if to declare his innocence, but his full mouth left him unable to speak.
He knows Elcayan was the one who ambushed Baron Orman.
Unbeknownst to him, Elcayan’s talent for sly humor was slowly sharpening.
Delphina turned her thoughts to Lord Frad.
Was this truly divine punishment?
<Lord Frad protests his innocence, insisting he had nothing to do with it. He clicks his tongue in Elcayan’s direction.>
Delphina understood at once.
Elcayan was the one who fought Kassen.
At the banquet, he had indeed looked furious with him.
He must have been angered by something Kassen said…
She could guess what it was. Kassen had likely spoken ill of her again.
And neither Elcayan nor Calix, whose physical abilities had become extraordinary of late, would have let such insults pass.
He was angry for my sake.
Delphina’s heart began to race.
The God is so goofy 😭 I LOVE IT!