Chapter 19

Translator: Nox

<Episode 19>

Two days had passed since then.

The Temple was set to undertake massive relief efforts for the first time in nearly a century. Needless to say, newspapers were plastered with stories of the High Priestess, the Temple, and my name.

Standing beside the High Priestess, I declared that this relief would be 'recorded in history.' I was starting to feel more like a sycophant with each passing day.

And tomorrow, they would send word to Temples across the nation. Supplies for the relief would follow suit.

I needed to see the administrator before those supplies departed.

While the High Priestess decided Temple matters, the administrative department handled the actual operations and execution.

At its center was the First-class Administrator, Leon. He was my target.

It wouldn't be difficult. As always, I had beings who could be called my weakness encyclopedias.

This afternoon, I had to try on the clothes the High Priestess had ordered for me. I needed to handle this quickly first.

"Hello, First-class Administrator."

In the Grand Temple, where rumors swirled that the High Priestess favored me thanks to my saintess privileges, simply asking for the administrative offices led me straight to the First-class Administrator's office.

'Power... tastes sweet.'

It was delicious.

"Who is it during such busy times?! Oh, Saintess."

Opening the door revealed a man with dark circles under his eyes, sitting alone.

It was Leon. He frowned and gave me a perfunctory greeting.

[He's cursing the culprit who made him busy. 'How dare a vulgar beggar commoner like her meddle. Has the High Priestess lost her mind?']

As expected, Leon's gaze was stinging. Twisting his lips, he said,

"This isn't a place for the Saintess. What brings you here?"

The door closed behind me. Now, the office held only First-class Administrator Leon and me.

I could understand his dislike for me.

His days had likely been sweet, spent only falsifying ledgers for embezzlement with nothing else to do at the Temple.

But then a saintess appeared out of nowhere, making him swamped to the point of pulling all-nighters—who else to blame but me?

"Leon. Right?"

"Sigh. Please state your business quickly and simply. The administration is extremely busy. You can fly through the sky, yet you seem clueless about such difficult matters."

I quite liked his arrogance in pouring out hostility without a glance toward the High Priestess who favored me and ruled the Grand Temple like a goddess.

Perfect for exploiting.

He seemed bold enough to act without hesitation for his own gain and safety.

['This stupid vulgar thing knows nothing. The miracles are all faked. The idiots have all fallen for it... If only her identity is revealed. I'll make sure she—' Um, I won't relay the rest.]

I could understand him. Of course, understanding only.

My mood soured separately.

"You seem to think you won't leave me be—what do you plan to do? I'm curious to hear."

Without delay, I recited his inner thoughts. Leon flinched slightly, then frowned again, thinking I'd overreached.

"Leon. You've been deceiving the High Priestess and pocketing kickbacks."

I smiled and struck his biggest weakness. Leon's face paled instantly.

['How does this stupid commoner know? Not even the High Priestess or anyone in the Temple knows. No, calm down. No evidence. She's just guessing.']

"Guessing? If it were a guess, how would I know you've been sneaking to the racetrack without your wife's knowledge, blowing embezzled funds? The horse you picked last time was Louie."

"Wha... how...?"

"The racetrack ledgers will have your name on the betting slips... The amounts bet couldn't be afforded without embezzlement. Who should I tell? The High Priestess?"

Leon gaped, stammering.

"S-Saintess. I'm sorry. I was wrong!"

Spilling words, Leon prostrated himself on the floor.

Mm, blackmailing weaknesses—truly the best.

[He knows the High Priestess's terror well. Thinks he's as good as dead.]

"I'm curious what excuse you'd make if the High Priestess learned a mere administrator embezzled the Grand Temple's sacred funds."

I deliberately stoked Leon's fear further.

"Sob, I'm sorry! Saintess, I have a wife and children. It's fine if I, the wicked one, am punished. But my wife and kids...! Forgive me just once. Please...!"

Leon spun a tearful tale to evoke pity. I wasn't particularly interested.

"If your family is precious, why succumb to gambling addiction? Embezzling devotees' hard-earned sacred funds for bets."

"I... I was blinded, Saintess!"

I looked down at Leon shivering and rubbing his hands for a while, then spoke.

"Do you repent?"

"Yes, yes! I repent."

Still smiling, I issued instructions.

"Now, Leon. There's one way to repent."

"Yes! Yes, Saintess! What is it? Enlighten this fool!"

Leon's ashen face twisted into a fawning smile as he asked.

"Repeat after me."

"Yes!"

I shouted in an exalted voice.

"'From Agatha!'"

"Pardon?"

"Ahem, repeat. 'From Agatha! These supplies are from the gods! The food sent by the gods!'"

Leon slowly echoed my words.

"'Pray thanks right now to Agatha and the eight Guardian Gods!'"

"Right now..."

"'Not just at the Temple! The gods are always with you, anytime, anywhere!'"

Leon obediently repeated to the end.

"When sending supplies, include that message exactly as repeated. Those distributing must repeat it without fail. Understood?"

"Yes, yes...! Is, is that all?"

"Instruct them to mention all eight Guardian Gods once each."

"Yes! Th-then..."

Leon eyed me cautiously.

"That'll do for now. I'll tell you if more's needed. Do well, Leon."

"Understood!"

"Ah, no."

As I turned to leave, I paused.

"Oh, you thought I was stupid and vulgar."

Leon's face blanched more than a corpse.

"I'll let it slide with 100 laps around the Grand Temple on rabbit hops."

I lightly exacted revenge and left the room.

Meanwhile, thanks to the massive crowd at the saintess announcement, the Capital buzzed only with tales of the sky-floating saintess, but provincial cities differed.

Because the High Priestess acted like one. The next day's papers lacked any stories of the 'miracle-working flying saintess' or 'relief-starting saintess.'

Only praise for the benevolent High Priestess who decided relief. Clearly, she'd pulled strings at the newspapers.

Thus, I'd sought Leon to more intensely imprint the gods in people's minds. I had my weakness encyclopedias, after all.

'Anyway, I need a way to buy off newspapers too.'

Constantly losing the舆论 battle meant side methods had limits.

Any weaknesses? I asked Agatha to dig into newspaper info.

It was an utterly peaceful morning.

* * *

The remaining days flew by, and the day of Marchioness Arland's tea party arrived.

Before departing, meeting the High Priestess surprised me slightly.

She usually looked kindly for image management, fitting a priestess, but today especially so.

A gentle yet sharp-eyed face from upturned eyes.

Added to her brown hair neatly pinned up and high-necked habit.

Unwavering, lofty, righteous.

Tall stature, fine build without excess fat—ascetic, well-managed devotee.

Like a 'flawless, resolute saint.' Truly... worlds apart from her real self.

"You shine unusually today, Saintess."

"Pardon? Haha, the stylists did wonderfully... Thank you."

Staring blankly, she tossed ambiguous praise.

"Did they... sprinkle gold dust or something?"

I returned an awkward laugh to her question.

"Haha, of course not."

I didn't need to stand out today but had asked the goddess of beauty for a blessing anyway. Didn't want to cower before nobles.

'Didn't want to cower, but this blessing's too much...'

Hearing 'don't want to cower,' the enthusiastic goddess of beauty, Ephrosyne, delivered this. Everyone I met gasped in awe—I sparkled blindingly.

Totaling reactions, I seemed haloed.

"...Let's go."

The High Priestess boarded the carriage, puzzled expression unchanged. I followed.

My heart pounded.

"Upon arrival, greet as Saintess Dorothy."

The High Priestess briefed precautions for the tea party.

"You vowed to help me."

"Yes, High Priestess."

To her stern warning—after my recent stunt—I lowered my eyes and replied diligently. Planning to obey today.

"Do exactly as I say."

Easy enough.

"Nod and agree unconditionally to my words."

The carriage stopped as she finished. We'd arrived at the Marquis Arland residence. The butler guided us. Walking, I asked Agatha,

[What're the High Priestess's thoughts?]

[Attendees are all prominent figures. Duchesses, countesses... She'll claim an oracle came down to persuade them... 'The Empire's sun shall turn black and waver?']

The sun?

Only one called sun in the Empire.

[About the Emperor.]

The High Priestess planned to gather elites and spread bad rumors about the Emperor.

The oracle, probably.

[She'll say I received it, use that as basis.]

Exploiting me. Newspapers had spread me as 'one receiving oracles without blue flames.'

[Yes. So, Dor...othy... Wha— Huh?]

Suddenly, Agatha's voice cut off ominously.

[Why... can't... Ah...]

Soon, our connection nearly severed.

This... no way?