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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Blessing of Luck
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“Have you ever been told you look like a rabbit?”
“…No.”
“What about a squirrel?”
“…Nuh-uh?”
“I bet you’ve never been told you look like a chick, either?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Hmm. I see.”
After asking a few questions, Leonid nodded in satisfaction and turned to face forward again.
They were questions I couldn't make any sense of.
Just as I tilted my head in confusion and opened my book, something fluttered to the floor.
It was a four-leaf clover.
*I'm not the one who put it there.*
One of the three flower-named maids must have seen the basket full of four-leaf clovers and tucked one in as a bookmark.
I reached down and picked up the four-leaf clover from the floor.
As someone who doesn't believe in superstitions, the idea of a four-leaf clover symbolizing good luck didn't really resonate with me.
To me, whether it had four leaves or three, it was just a weed.
*But if I give this to someone else, that's a different story.*
Because there's a quest reward!
“Leonid.”
I discreetly placed the four-leaf clover I'd picked up from the floor onto Leonid's desk.
“This is for you.”
Leonid stared at the four-leaf clover I offered before gently tucking it between the pages of his book.
“The probability of finding a four-leaf clover in nature is one in ten thousand.”
“Oh. I see…”
He was still saying things I didn't understand, but since he'd accepted the clover, the quest was a success.
[Heaven Transmission]
(Notification) Quest (Repeatable) Complete!
Congratulations. You have been awarded 100 Heaven Coins. Would you like to claim them now?
[Yes/No]
It was a message I'd seen so often I could recite it from memory.
But this time, it wasn't just one message.
[Heaven Transmission]
(Notification) Blessing of Luck
By repeating the 'A Four-Leaf Clover is a Symbol of Luck!' quest 10,000 times, your affinity with Platus, the God of Luck, has reached 10,000.
As a reward for reaching this affinity level, the 'Blessing of Luck' has been activated.
*Huh?*
The Blessing of Luck!
The very blessing from a god I had been wondering how to obtain had just been activated.
***
The Ivory Tower's invitation committee had gathered.
They were there to finalize the decision on the special invitation for 'Eugene Kroiche' to the Ivory Tower, a matter they had been unable to conclude.
“We will decide this with a vote.”
At the declaration from the chairman, Duke Elpinade, the scholars began to murmur.
It was rare to force a vote without first reaching a unanimous decision through discussion.
This just went to show how fiercely debated the issue had been.
“The vote will be by a show of hands.”
The Ivory Tower does not use anonymous ballots, as its members must always be able to logically defend their choices.
Instead, the chairman, whose authority could influence the outcome, does not participate. The remaining seven members vote, a method that guarantees a conclusion.
Abstention is not an option.
Even if one believes both choices are flawed, they must choose the lesser of two evils and commit to a direction.
“First, the members who oppose the special invitation.”
Two people raised their hands.
“And the members in favor of the special invitation?”
The remaining five raised their hands.
It was a situation where more people believed the Saintess was real and trusted her revelation.
Among those who voted in favor was Lucas, who had personally witnessed Lesia's test.
He had been a staunch supporter from the very beginning.
“Then it is decided. We will acknowledge the Saintess's revelation and extend a special invitation to 'Eugene Kroiche' to the Ivory Tower.”
Duke Elpinade announced calmly.
For an issue that had been debated so intensely for days, the conclusion was reached rather quickly.
However, the scholars serving as committee members did not look relieved.
They were all people who buried themselves in research within the Ivory Tower, but even they knew how the world worked.
“Will Duke Kroiche willingly accept our invitation?”
The fact that the Saintess's revelation pointed to the illegitimate son of Duke Kroiche, who could be called Elpinade's rival, made it a politically complex issue.
From Duke Kroiche's perspective, he might see it as his son being taken hostage by the Elpinades.
But Duke Elpinade seemed completely unconcerned about that problem.
“An invitation from the Ivory Tower is considered an imperial decree. And to refuse an imperial decree is treason, is it not?”
It was a fact everyone knew.
But laws and rules didn't always apply to those in power.
Of course, the Ivory Tower's authority was also at stake, so they wouldn't back down easily.
“I will deliver the invitation myself. Then Duke Kroiche won't dare to object.”
At the duke's words, the scholars' eyes widened.
They hadn't expected the great Duke Elpinade to step in personally, but if he was delivering the invitation himself, there was no need to worry.
“And there is another matter on which I would like your opinions.”
Duke Elpinade spoke with a serious tone, causing the scholars who had just begun to relax to tense up again.
Was there something else to discuss besides the special invitation?
It was a matter they knew nothing about, but if the duke himself was bringing it up, it couldn't be anything ordinary.
Everyone was hanging on Duke Elpinade's every word.
“A birthday present.”
“…Pardon?”
A birthday present?
As the scholars exchanged glances, doubting their own ears, Duke Elpinade spoke again.
“What do you think would be a good birthday present for a girl who is about to turn five?”
***
“Young Lady, is there anything you're fond of?”
Lily asked as she washed my face with warm water.
Lily was the one who asked, but for some reason, Rose and Daisy were also subtly listening in.
When I tilted my head, wondering why, Lily gave an awkward laugh and added an excuse.
“It's a handmaiden's duty to understand her master's preferences, you see.”
“That's right. It's our duty.”
“Of course!”
Rose and Daisy quickly chimed in to support Lily.
Now that I thought about it, they weren't wrong.
I'd heard that handmaidens in noble families were expected to know every single one of their master's preferences.
*But…*
Things I like?
Nothing came to mind immediately.
Of course, there are things I like.
*They're just not very childlike.*
For someone from the slums, money was always important.
You needed money to survive, so if someone asked what I liked, my immediate answer would have been money.
It was a very practical and worldly preference.
So, what would a pure, four-year-old Saintess say when asked what she liked?
*Chocolate? Candy?*
Only such clichés came to mind.
It was impossible to revert a mind once stained by worldly desires back to the level of a pure child.
Once even a little black mixes in to make gray, you can't turn it back to pure white, can you?
As I hesitated, unable to answer, a long shadow fell over the faces of the three flower-named maids.
“You haven't had much time to think about what you like until now, have you?”
The three exchanged glances, their expressions growing even darker.
“Don't you worry. You can start figuring it out one by one from now on. It's not too late.”
Lily clenched her fists, her eyes burning with determination, and Rose and Daisy chimed in.
“That's right. It's never too late. First, let's find your favorite flavors. You eat every day, after all!”
“And then you can think about your favorite color. And what kind of music you like. You can broaden your tastes little by little like that.”
I blinked at their words.
Mentioning flavors, colors, and music first when thinking of things one likes felt incredibly sophisticated.
***
Axel tossed the thick pile of letters from his desk into the trash can without even reading them.
They were all from the Magic Tower.
