~Chapter 52~
Hardin spoke in a firm voice.
“If you want to take a rest, High Priest, I’m ready anytime to step in.”
“That might… actually be the right choice…”
The High Priest’s eyes never left the statue of the god Frad. His gaze was hazy, as if he was under a spell. That was when Delphina appeared.
“High Priest.”
Hardin jumped in shock and stared at her. He had thought he was alone with the High Priest—he didn’t expect anyone to suddenly appear.
“Delphina?”
“Hardin, it’s been a while.”
“Why are you here?”
“I have business with the High Priest.”
“The High Priest is a busy man. He doesn’t have time for just anyone.”
“Well, I’m not just anyone.”
“What?”
“Sorry, but I’m the Grand Duke’s fiancée. That means I’m not ‘just anyone.’ I’m qualified to talk to the High Priest. And by the way, this isn’t the Academy anymore.”
“Hah?”
“That means watch your manners, Senior Priest Hardin. Where did you lose your honorifics?”
Delphina smiled sweetly as she said it, which made Hardin even more dizzy.
‘Did she really change this much just because she went to the North?’
The last time he saw Delphina was at the Academy graduation party. He still remembered the shocked look on her face when he spilled wine on her.
‘Back then she couldn’t even defend herself, and now she’s completely different…’
Delphina was now using her status to her full advantage.
“Please step aside. I need to speak with the High Priest.”
“W-what insolence—”
“You’re the one being insolent right now.”
Hardin couldn’t argue. She was right, and he felt a flash of humiliation. Back at the Academy, he could speak to her informally, but now that she was the Grand Duke’s fiancée, he had no right.
Hardin gritted his teeth in frustration.
‘Once I become High Priest, that arrogant Delphina won’t dare speak like this.’
“High Priest, may I speak with you?”
Delphina stepped forward, pulling the boy and girl behind her to the front.
Hardin’s eyes widened. He knew these two. They were children with strong holy power—children he had purposely left behind and not brought to the capital.
Delphina looked at the High Priest.
“I’d like you to measure their holy power.”
But the High Priest still didn’t turn around. His eyes were fixed on the statue of Frad. Delphina immediately realized something was wrong.
Hardin quickly raised his voice.
“Delphina—no, Lady Delphina! The High Priest is very tired right now. He just finished measuring holy power. You can’t expect him to do it again.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but the High Priest is in a weak state. He can’t talk to strangers now.”
The High Priest looked lifeless, showing no reaction even as Delphina and Hardin argued.
Hardin smirked.
‘Even if she asks, the High Priest won’t do it. He has no will left.’
Indeed, the High Priest finally spoke without even looking at Delphina or Sestia.
“Sorry, but I have no energy left…”
Delphina glanced at the angry system window.
<The god Frad is furious at the incompetence and weakness of his own High Priest.>
‘Why is he like this?’
<The god says he can’t explain and feels frustrated.>
That was when Sestia stepped forward.
“If you don’t do anything, nothing will change.”
The High Priest didn’t even turn to look. Hardin yelled at Sestia.
“Sestia! How dare you speak like that to the High Priest!”
Sestia ignored him and continued.
“When I was about to be sold to a nobleman thirty years older than me, I felt hopeless too. If someone beside me hadn’t helped, I would have been sold away.”
“You rude brat—!”
Hardin tried to grab her, but Delphina stopped him. She sharply kicked Hardin’s shin with her heel and covered his mouth before he could scream.
She hadn’t expected the self-defense lessons she learned from Kalix on the trip to the capital would be used like this.
Thanks to Delphina, Sestia could keep speaking.
“High Priest, you actually don’t want to give up, do you? You want to stay by the god Frad’s side and serve him, right?”
At the mention of Frad, the High Priest’s eyes regained a little focus.
“When that’s the case, you can’t give up. If you want something, you have to cling to it no matter what. You have to chase it to the ends of the earth if you must.”
“…”
“And if you can’t? Then you have to find a way to make it possible!”
“But… do I even deserve it?”
“Of course you do. Even though you’re so weak and pitiful right now, your holy power is still strong. If the god had abandoned you, you wouldn’t even be able to use a low-level priest’s holy power.”
The High Priest’s face twisted strangely. He couldn’t tell if Sestia’s words were praise or an insult—but she was right.
Just then, a system window appeared in front of Delphina.
<The god Frad argues that he wanted to throw out the High Priest long ago, but the others were even worse, so he couldn’t.>
Delphina was glad the High Priest couldn’t hear the god.
<The god says he’s going to sleep for a while.>
Right after that, light began to shine from the statue.
‘God Frad?’
There was no answer, but Delphina knew the god was doing something.
As the light shone, the High Priest’s eyes regained even more clarity. He finally turned to Sestia.
“You’re a very clever child. You look like someone who will listen well to god Frad’s words.”
“I am pretty clever,” Sestia replied confidently.
The High Priest walked toward Sestia.
“You must be a temple child if you’re asking to measure your holy power.”
“Yes, I grew up in the orphanage at the temple.”
“Then why didn’t you come for the test? I can tell you have the qualities to be a high-ranking priest just by looking at you.”
Priests with strong holy power often felt drawn to each other. That was part of the reason the temple had been so tightly knit for so long.
‘That’s also why Ahin and Sestia felt drawn to me…’
Delphina tilted her head.
‘But Hardin? Why was he like that?’
Aside from being a jerk, she just didn’t like him.
The High Priest placed his hand on Sestia’s head. Hardin struggled desperately to escape Delphina’s hold.
Delphina pressed harder with her foot.
“Ugh!”
Even then, Hardin shouted toward Sestia. He knew.
‘Once Sestia’s holy power is measured, it’s over…’
“High Priest, measuring holy power is tiring! I already filtered out everyone at the temple!”
“Hmm…”
The High Priest shrugged at Hardin’s words.
“Well, it’s not that hard to do it one more time…”
