Chapter 74
74
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He was a man who seemed too healthy and strong for me to worry about.
Still, I was concerned about Yan.
'He picked up bad habits when he was a baby bird...'
As I was thinking that, Silvia suddenly asked,
"Are you scared and overwhelmed by all of this?"
It seemed she had caught me spacing out.
But I've been preparing for all of this, Teacher...
'But a friend who turns from a bird into a human wasn't part of my plan, so I'm really worried.'
Of course, I couldn't say that.
Well, Silvia was quite fond of Yan.
I decided to confide in her instead.
"That's part of it, but..."
As if I was finally about to share my worries, Silvia's face lit up and she leaned closer.
"Actually, Yan went out a few days ago and hasn't come back."
She was even more surprised than I expected.
"Oh my, that's quite a problem! Does His Highness the Grand Duke know?"
I nodded.
"Yes, Teacher. But Father firmly believes that Yan will return soon."
"Hmm..."
Silvia's almond-colored eyes sparkled as if she was impressed.
"Truly befitting of the Baha High Priest."
Now is not the time to be admiring my father.
'Yan isn't coming back...'
But Silvia seemed to have quickly concluded that my father's belief was the correct answer.
She didn't express any more concern and said,
"Hmm, so you can't concentrate on your lessons because Yan is gone?"
"Something like that..."
When I honestly admitted it, she slammed her book shut.
"Then, shall we talk about the Sun God Shamash today?"
"Shamash?"
Ah, Silvia was even more obsessed with the fact that Yan resembled Shamash's bird than Gray was.
'Yan does look exactly like that bird when he grows up...'
But that doesn't mean Yan is the same bird, does it?
The murals in the Temple of Shamash are at least hundreds of years old.
'What kind of bird lives for hundreds of years?'
I thought, but her story continued.
"You know that my family, the Pavels, have produced many priests for generations, right?Frankly, I've heard about her family's pride, especially about how faithful the Pavels are, more than once or twice.
'How could I not know?'
I nodded listlessly, but her eyes sparkled with pride in her family.
"So, in the Pavel family, there are often stories about the gods that are different from what is known to the world. A kind of night story... but Your Highness has now received the Divination."
Looking at her smiling face, it seemed she really wanted to share her own secret stories, regardless of how I felt.
"What kind of stories?"
I asked, hiding a sigh, and she happily began to tell her story.
"From the beginning of creation, Shamash was the god who loved humans the most. So he gives warmth when it's cold, ripens the grain, and gives us the day to overcome the night."
Yes, yes...
"Then, a long time ago, Shamash fell in love with a human woman..."
It was a cliché like a pulp novel, but somehow it was a story I had never heard in my previous life.
In the end, I became curious and listened to her story.
"After the god came down to meet the woman in human form for a long time, they ended up having a baby."
"And then?"
She shrugged.
"The story passed down in my family ends there. No one knows whether that baby lived as a human or as a god."
Aww...
She smiled at my disappointed face.
"That's how night tales are." But my late grandmother used to say that Shamash began to be with a red bird around that time."
"A red bird?"
"Yes, a bird that looks like Yan. So maybe that bird was the son of the Sun God?"
Oh, Teacher...
'Why would a bird be born between a human and a god...'
I was speechless at that point, but she was serious.
"There is almost no record of that red bird in the Shamash scriptures. But it is always with the god only in paintings, so isn't that strange? Those paintings must have been drawn after seeing the scriptures."
So the conclusion is that our Yan is the son of the Sun God?
'Well...'
But in my current mood, I didn't care if he was the son or daughter of the Sun God.
'Come back, Yan...'
I forgot to answer her and looked out the window.
My little friend... no, is he a big friend now?
Anyway, I hoped he would come back soon.
* * *
Two more days passed.
I didn't know that the 'few days' Yan had mentioned would turn into a week, so I had to spend about half of my day blankly staring out the window.
Beatrice suddenly asked,
"Yan... maybe he went to mate?"
I was taken aback and turned my head.
"What? Mate?"
"Well, otherwise, where would he go in this winter..."
So, Beatrice is also worried about Yan.
Of course, regardless of the season, there's no way Yan would have gone to mate...
I shook my head, trying to shake off the blush that was rising on my face.
'Some strange misunderstanding or accident, where did he go...'
As I was sighing while looking out the window, I saw a red carriage that I hadn't seen before entering the garden.
Beatrice narrowed her eyes and looked down at the flag, then clapped her hands.
"It's a carriage from the Temple of Shamash. It looks like the priest His Highness the Grand Duke mentioned is here!"
Then should I ask that priest if he saw a red bird on the way?
'Yan might be walking around in his big form, so any big or small bird...'
As I was watching with strange thoughts, the carriage arrived near the entrance of the main castle.
The coachman got down and opened the door, and a man with red hair tied high and wearing white Clerical robes got out alone without any attendants.
'Huh...?'
Beatrice exclaimed in admiration.
"That's the priest? Somehow, he feels a bit different from the priests I've seen before? I'm sorry to say this, but he seems like a great beauty. Would it be different if I saw him up close?"
While I was standing there speechless, Beatrice chattered on.
"Wow, how can his hair color be so beautiful? It's like Yan's feather color."
Ah, that's right...
His hair color was quite similar to Yan's feather color.
As I quietly got up from my chair, Beatrice said in an expectant voice,
"Then, shall we go and greet him now?"
* * *
When I slowly prepared and went to the audience chamber, I saw the back of the Priest of Shamash.
He was standing and speaking to my parents.
"I am Kashian Grasiera. It is an honor to meet His Majesty the King and the Baha High Priest."
His attitude was polite, but perhaps because he was so tall, he seemed somewhat imposing.
With all the other nobles dismissed, my father, who was next to my mother, greeted him warmly.
"Why have you arrived so early? You must be tired from the long journey."
The priest, who introduced himself as Kashian, replied humbly.
"Since Princess Ruelle is to perform an important ceremony, I thought it would be best to prepare as early as possible."
"But seeing that you have arrived so early, it seems you have been preparing for the Princess's Divination for some time. I am truly grateful to the Temple of Shamash."
My mother said politely and added,
"The Princess's Divinity may not be lacking for the ceremony, but she is still young, so we will gratefully accept your help."
"Yes, Your Highness."
My father smiled contentedly.
"I entrust the Princess to you. There will be about two months until the Holy Power Revelation Ceremony."
"As you command, Baha High Priest."
My mother then acknowledged me, who was standing at the doorway.
"Our Princess has arrived."
At that voice, Kashian turned towards me.
I made eye contact with him and quickly lowered my gaze.
"I greet Princess Rostel. May the sun of Ruelle shine brilliantly on every step you take."
It was the greatest praise that a Priest of the Sun could give.
"Thank you, Priest."
I barely managed to answer, but he continued without hesitation.
"I am grateful that you have allowed me to be by your side."
No, you're using honorifics so well?
I glared at him sharply, but my father didn't see my expression and said to Kashian,
"It is your first time in the royal castle, so I will assign you a guide. Chamberlain...!"
But before the Chamberlain could appear, Kashian requested again.
"Baha High Priest. If you would allow it, I would like to ask Princess Rostel to give me a tour. I need to get close to Her Highness quickly so that I can provide the necessary assistance."
"Oh, would you?"
My father looked at me as if he was quite pleased with the suggestion.
"Rostel, can you show him around the royal castle?"
"Yes, I can."
I answered and quickly turned around.
"Then, please follow me."
The red-haired priest followed me without making a sound.