CH 75

That night, the lord held a reception. In the meantime, it seemed that he was losing his mind and couldn’t hold the welcome ceremony.

The lord is an elderly man who has managed the territory of this province for generations.

The size of the banquet was small compared to that of the Imperial Palace, but it was still full of delicious food and alcohol.

However, I didn’t touch alcohol other than food as I was tired.

[The God of Art, Mond, sees the alcohol and licks his lips.]

I looked at the status window in front of my eyes and smiled.

After the dancers with unique skin colors danced out, the atmosphere at the banquet increased.

“If it wasn’t for the Saintess, something really serious would have happened.”

The lord, who was sitting across from me, raised a glass and thanked me.

I responded with a light smile.

“Even though it’s not due to a good thing, it’s an honor to meet the Saintess while I’m still alive.”

“It’s an honor.”

I was praised by the officials who seemed to be vassals of the lord.

It was uncomfortable because I only saw them for the first time. Still, I wanted to treat guests, so I sat down and ate my food in moderation.

“Excuse me, Saintess…”

The music stopped for a moment when the lord spoke to me.

‘What is he trying to say?’

I looked at him with a puzzled look

The lord opened his mouth with a dark expression on his face as if it was difficult to get his words out.

“If the Saintess gives me the honor of being able to stay for seven days after the gate is restored and treat you…”

“Thank you, but I have a lot of work at the temple.”

I cut off his offer at once.

The vacation wasn’t bad, but I didn’t want to stay too long.

Seeing my tired face, he nodded his head.

“It’s a pity, but I can’t help it.”

“I will just accept your feelings.”

The exciting music started playing again. In a matter of minutes, the dancers who came out changed their clothes and danced.

By the way… I thought Cass would obviously come too, but why didn’t he?

After waking up, I hadn’t seen Cass again, thus I was curious about his whereabouts.

I looked around and asked the lord.

“I have a question, but the priests keep quiet and won’t answer.”

“What is it?”

“After I collapsed while repairing the gate at first, when I looked for the gate again, it was the same size.”

“Ah… The priests would have done their best to keep it.”

“To say that, I understand that the priests dispatched here have already run out of divine power. The second dispatched priests haven’t even arrived yet.”

I could see him break out in a cold sweat at my words.

“Besides, during the days I was down, there weren’t even any priests guarding the mine. The lord’s castle delivers the priest’s shift schedule, yet no priest has ever been to the mine. There are only eyewitness accounts of the lord’s soldiers guarding the mine.”

“That… That is…”

The lord’s expression was somehow awkward.

Is there a secret temple belonging to Ares?

Normally, a middle-ranking priest has the power of ten lower-ranking priests, and a senior priest has the power of ten middle-ranking priests.

The high-ranking priests have greater divine power than senior priests, but there are less than ten of them in the Empire.

A total of four high-ranking priests came to Ares and Reihausd was one of them, yet all four, including him, were now immobile. It was because they were all injured just like Reihausd.

In order to maintain the gate for a few days in a state where all the priests’ spiritual strength is exhausted, it would require the divine power of a high-ranking priest, or perhaps a senior priest comparable to that of a high-ranking priest…

I couldn’t find such a priest on the list.

“I can’t help it if it’s hard to answer.”

I ate some more food and got up.

Naturally, the music stopped and all eyes were on me.

“I really enjoyed the food you served. But I think I should get going now. I don’t think I’ll be able to digest it.”

At my words, the lord and his retainers jumped to their feet.

“S-… Saintess!”

“I have no intention of asking difficult questions. However, from Elium, I risked my life to come to Ares’ aid, and I feel very bad at the thought that the lord is hiding an important secret.”

The faces of the vassals and the lord were stained with bewilderment.

Soon after, the lord got up from his seat, approached me, and knelt down on his knees.

“What the Saintess thinks… It’s absolutely not that Ares has saved the power of a temple.”

“Hmm…”

“If I speak out, the people of Ares may suffer great damage, so as a lord, please be considerate of what I can’t bear to tell you.”

There was a sense of urgency in his trembling voice.

Because of this, I was able to deduce that some high-ranking priest came to help, and he had threatened the lord not to reveal what he had done.

I was curious about who it might be, yet I decided to quit.

‘Perhaps, similar to me before, there may be other people who have circumstances in which they have to hide their powers.’

“Alright.”

I nodded.

Then I turned around and went to my accommodation, but the lord caught me again.

“S-Saintess.”

“…?”

“I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince will arrive here in about five days. I’m planning to hold a grand banquet in time for His Highness’s arrival, but I wonder if the Saintess can come too…”

Kyle?

I tilted my head and thought.

If it takes five days, it means that he started ten days before.

‘It would be hectic just cleaning up the Imperial Palace now.’

As it was a bit difficult to refuse him twice, I finally accepted the lord’s offer.

I felt countless eyes on me as I returned to the accommodation. Anyway, living as a saintess is very tiring.

‘Anyway, why is he saying Kyle’s coming to me?’

At that moment, the lord’s words of wanting to treat me seven more times came to my mind.

I paused.

‘Wait. Could it be that the damned rumor has spread all the way here?’

It was a rumor that had nothing to do with me now, that the Saintess liked the Crown Prince.

That’s why treated the Crown Prince and me to this extent… Did they come up with a plan to let us spend time together to express their appreciation for me?

I was overcome with the desire to turn around and deny it.

However, if I overreact here, rumors that a strong negative means a strong positive may circulate again.

Eventually, I walked out of the banquet hall.

“Saintess. Are you going back?”

The Paladins ran straight to meet me.

I shook my head lightly at them and said my destination.

“Let’s go to Lloyd’s Merchant.”

“Pardon?”

At my words, the Paladins showed puzzled looks on their faces.

“Well, I was curious and a little worried.”

It was because the face of Cass, whom I hadn’t seen throughout the banquet, came to my mind.

***

As I entered Cass’ living quarters, I felt a strange commotion.

“The Marquis…”

I grabbed a Cass’ henchman among them, whom I was familiar with, and I asked what was going on. He bowed his head at me with a puzzled expression.

“I don’t know if I can say this, but he has been in bed for the past two days.”

The subordinate opened his mouth again with difficulty.

“He’s in bed? Is he sleeping?”

“Yes. He used up a lot of energy… It seems difficult for you to meet him.”

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, is worried about Cass.]

“Still, since I’ve come all the way here, I’d like to see his face.”

I walked past them and stood in front of Cass’ door.

Seeing me, the maids hurriedly withdrew from the door.

Upon entering his room, a subtle scent pervaded the room. It was like a healing scent that calms one’s mind and body.

In his large room, a large bed was all over the place and there was a faint groaning sound.

I slowly walked towards Cass.

He was lying there with a face in pain.

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, grabs his chest.]

Cass’ hard, firm upper body was exposed as if he was during treatment.

“…Cass?”

I heard he was in bed, was he sick?

Bewildered, I moved closer to him.

There was a drip of sweat on his stiff arms. And his eyebrows, which hadn’t changed in emotion, were greatly frowned.

I reached out and took his hand. Then it wrapped around me. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of his suffering.

“…Since when did this happen?”

Cass’ subordinate answered my question from behind.

“He’s a little more stable than the first time. Two days ago…”

His words faded.

“It was worse.”

It looks painful enough now, yet it must have been harder than this.

I held Cass’ hand and placed my forehead on his. Then the holy power began to flow.

A warm and cozy feeling in my hand.

This will ease his suffering.

But that was only for a moment.

My holy power couldn’t flow to Cass and was blocked.

There are only a few cases where the holy power doesn’t work.

A disease caused by a wound in the heart, or a case in which a priest exhausted all the holy power within their body.

And in the case of a powerful curse from a high-ranking demon.

‘Which of the three is it?’

They said his condition was better than two days ago, so it mustn’t have been caused by a curse.

‘There’s no way this man who doesn’t believe in the Gods has holy power.’

Heartache doesn’t suit Lloyd either.

“I will be by his side tonight.”

Finally, I sighed and said. I couldn’t leave Cass like this.

The Paladins who shouted in surprise followed my words.

“Saintess! It’s not possible!”

“Saintess, you need to rest today as your holy power is consumed too much!”

I resolutely opened my mouth.

“That’s okay. I will stay here today.”

I can’t heal Cas directly, but letting go of divine power into the air will help stabilize his mind and body a little. It was one of the priests’ indirect healing methods.

For me who couldn’t get on the warp magic circle, Cass stayed with me for one night.

‘So let’s say I’m paying off the debt at that time with this.’

I turned my gaze to him. His rather long eyelashes cast a dark shade.