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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: A Bold Proposal
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"This is a business that can't fail. The Sun God's healing power is second to none, so even if it takes some time, it's bound to succeed. The duke would know this better than anyone."
Lute was a duke who ran his own merchant guild rather than entrusting it to someone else.
A man that sharp would surely invest without hesitation.
"...As you say, Saintess, if the duke joins us, it might just be possible."
At last, Airic nodded.
Hope began to dawn once more in eyes that had been filled with nothing but resignation.
It was a beautiful color, like lush green leaves basking in the sun after a rain.
It suited Airic far better than the dark, dreary shade of despair.
"Then we'll start as soon as the duke agrees. I'll write the letter to him, so, High Priest, please select the priests who will be in charge of making the potions."
"What about me?"
Seth asked tentatively as everyone was assigned their roles. His sparkling blue eyes were just as beautiful as Airic's.
"The Captain of the Holy Knights will..."
"Yes, I will!"
I beamed at him.
"Diligently guard the Grand Temple."
My firm words made Seth's face fall.
But his offensive power was much stronger than his healing, so he couldn't help with potion making at all.
Leaving the hurt Seth to be comforted by Airic, I shot up from my seat to write the letter.
My heart was already pounding with anticipation over what to write.
* * *
*Clang.*
Having finished his swordsmanship training, Lute sheathed his sword with a single, disciplined motion.
His opponent, Simon Traver, the commander of the ducal knights, collapsed to the ground, panting.
"My lord, your skills seem to have improved dramatically as of late."
Indeed, Simon's legs were trembling so much he could barely stand, while Lute was merely sweating, not a tremor in sight.
The duke had always been the stronger of the two, but the gap had never been this wide. What on earth had happened in the last few days?
"I have been training more often lately."
Wiping his brow with a cloth brought by a servant, Lute grinned at Simon, who was still on the ground.
"Or perhaps the commander is the one slacking on his training?"
"...I will increase my training regimen, starting today."
Never one to back down from a challenge, Simon swore through gritted teeth.
"It won't make a difference. But by all means, give it your best shot."
*Good heavens. Does he train that terrifying tongue of his as well as his swordsmanship?*
Simon marveled at his master's infuriatingly sharp wit, which made him want to land a punch.
"My lord!"
Just then, Lute's aide, Yuri Polten, came running toward them. The sight made Lute's brow furrow in annoyance.
"What's so urgent that you have to run so gracelessly?"
Struck by that terrifying tongue the moment he arrived, Yuri looked aghast.
"Gracelessly? I was so surprised by this letter from the Sun God's Grand Temple that I rushed right over!"
"From the Grand Temple?"
Lute, who had been eyeing Yuri with displeasure, snatched the letter from his hand.
Then he tossed his scabbard to him.
"Whoa!" Ignoring Yuri's startled yelp as he fumbled to catch the sword, Lute glanced at the name in the corner of the letter.
Ordel.
Just the name, serving as the sender's signature.
*Had she perhaps sent him a bill for the next time he needed his blessing recharged?*
The saintess, with her bizarre and very specific greed for money, seemed more than capable of such a thing.
Thanks to the absence of pain, he could train more freely and comfortably than ever, growing stronger in the process. He was more than willing to pay any outrageous sum she demanded.
But Lute was beginning to realize he didn't understand the woman named Ordel at all.
"...?"
He was dumbfounded by the first line, which jumped straight to business without so much as a greeting.
*We're starting a potion business, and we've decided to include your merchant guild.*
*He hadn't even agreed to anything. What was this audacious demand?*
"My lord? What is it? What does the letter say...?"
"Follow me."
Lute grabbed the bewildered Yuri by the scruff of his neck and dragged him to his office.
This was not a conversation to be had out in the open.
"Here. Read it."
The moment they reached the office, Lute shoved the letter into Yuri's hands and began gulping down cold water to cool off from his training.
Even then, a hollow laugh escaped him at the sheer absurdity of it all.
*We're starting a potion business, and we've decided to include your merchant guild.*
*As for the business plan, the Grand Temple isn't in the best situation right now.*
*It's difficult to run a business with priests alone, so we've decided to bring in alchemists.*
*A collaboration between divine power and alchemy. Sounds pretty great, doesn't it? So, I'll be counting on you.*
"...Is the Saintess of the Sun God's Grand Temple always like this?"
Yuri, who had been dragged in and forced to read the letter, looked up at Lute, his expression even more bewildered than before.
Lute had been the only one to speak with the saintess during their last visit to the Grand Temple, so Yuri knew nothing about her.
That was why he'd been puzzled when Lute had ordered him to investigate the Kiris family right after they left the temple...
Now, reading the letter, he understood. She was clearly no ordinary person.
He had never in his life seen anyone so brazenly inform Lute, of all people, that they would be "making use" of his merchant guild.
"Well, to be honest, it's not a bad proposal."
Awkward as the delivery was, he couldn't deny the potential for profit.
The incredible healing power of the Sun God's divinity had already been proven by its ability to soothe Lute's pain.
And now they were adding alchemy to the mix.
This would make their products accessible even to those unfamiliar with the Sun God, who might otherwise be hesitant.
Temple folk usually disdained cooperation with other professions. For her to come up with such an idea...
While it would be difficult to immediately overcome the Grand Temple of the Great Sea God, which held the nobility in its thrall, an investment from the Ciel duchy would certainly allow them to surpass it within a decade.
But most importantly...
"...the Grand Temple of the Great Sea God is going to be royally screwed."
They had visited the Grand Temple of the Great Sea God seeking a cure for Lute's affliction.
But not only had they failed to cure him, they couldn't even lessen his pain, yet they'd had the audacity to act high and mighty while demanding his money.
The saintess and saint's greed for the ducal family's fortune had been so transparent it was disgusting.
But if the Grand Temple of the Sun God were to start a potion business? Who would suffer the most?
Honestly, he was tempted.
"I think it would be wise to accept... Ahem, if you agree, my lord."
But would Lute be pleased with a saintess who sent not a proposal, but a declaration?
They couldn't completely turn their backs on the Sun God's Grand Temple, not with the Holy Relic of Light in play, but business was another matter. Yuri stole a glance at his master.
"...How is the investigation into the Kiris family coming along?"
Lute asked after a long moment spent staring silently out the window.
His face, still flushed from training, looked unusually bleak, prompting Yuri to report quickly.
"Yes, my lord. According to a maid we bribed, Lady Ordel Kiris is the daughter of a collateral branch of the family. When the count discovered she possessed the qualities of a saintess, he immediately adopted her. The mere fact that a saintess chosen by a god came from their family was enough to elevate their status."
In fact, the Kiris family had originally been a quiet house that simply managed its territory on the frontier.
But when Joseph Kiris became the current head, he slowly began to expand his influence, and about two years ago, he accomplished the impressive feat of joining the central aristocracy.
That was right around the time Ordel became the saintess.
"However, her treatment within the family was reportedly not very good. The count's family despised her, and influenced by their attitude, the servants openly ignored her as well. The family apparently encouraged this behavior."
That wasn't all.
"Whenever Lady Ordel returned home, the count would fly into a rage, locking her in her room, starving her, or even throwing her out. It was said to be tantamount to abuse."
"Breaking her spirit."
Lute let out a dry laugh as he listened. Yuri understood immediately.
"Ah, so they could ensure the saintess would never get any ideas of her own—they wanted her to grovel before the family for the rest of her life? How despicable."
Yuri snorted, then his eyes suddenly fell on the letter he'd just read.
"...But her spirit doesn't seem the least bit broken, does it?"
Far from broken, she had the spirit of someone who, if dropped on a battlefield, would return with the enemy general's head.
"Indeed. Her spirit is quite vigorous. More than enough to crush me."
Lute turned from the window and approached with a grin.
*Huh. He seemed to be in a foul mood just a moment ago, but now he looks cheerful.*
Even though he had known Lute his entire life, it was still impossible to read his moods.
"So, get ready."
"...Pardon? For what?"
"To go to the Grand Temple, of course. She sent such an earnest letter saying she wants to meet me. It would be rude to ignore it, wouldn't it?"
*Rude? This from the man who mercilessly turned away countless people who begged for just one meeting...*
*Besides, where in this letter was there even a hint of earnestness?*
*If anything, the saintess didn't seem to care one bit about Lute's opinion.*
"Besides, if the Sun God's Grand Temple were to collapse, it would be a problem for me, so I had to find a way to keep it afloat. It's a relief they've taken the initiative to start a business."
Whatever Yuri was thinking, Lute clutched the letter written in the saintess's hand.
The rough, distinctive script suited her personality perfectly.
Lute touched the holy relic hidden inside his clothes and smiled, pleased.
He was already looking forward to what side of herself Ordel would reveal next.
