“Wine?”
“Isn’t it something that disappeared when the Demon Archduke Belled was there?”
It seemed like something that even the demons knew. I wondered why it was in Yubar and not Vine, but there seemed to be a reason.
“It’s something I couldn’t find even when I tried. But you found it?”
And in the temple? Naberus looked incredulous.
I nodded.
“Yes.”
To be exact, the buried Wine was exposed when the riverbed was exposed due to the recent drought in Yubar.
“You can bring it. As far as I know, the Wine is an object that emits magic. It should be able to solve the magic shortage problem a little.”
“It’ll be much better. If that’s true.”
Naberus nodded. His expression was light as if it couldn’t be true.
“I don’t bet on losing.”
I said calmly at that.
“I don’t want to lose anything I have.”
Was this also my desire? Suddenly, she thought of Belled and said.
Naberus smiled with his teeth at that.
If he could make those who were sure they would win despair and drink the emotions flowing from such a person, he would become strong in an instant.
Moreover, if she was someone who had grown up with expectations as a Saintess, it would be even more so.
“Good.”
Many were dissatisfied with the fact that the Saintess had become the consort of the demon archduke.
Since it was Belled’s order, few showed their discontent outwardly, but no one welcomed the archduke who was of human origin.
How could they respect a weak and useless human?
However, if the magic spirit really existed, if he could just bring it, the respect he had lacked would rise again.
It was only recently that Kilatia was turned into a monster due to lack of magic power, and soon the remaining demons would also return to their places.
He would be the savior of the demons’ lives.
Really, if only he could bring the magic spirit.
“Prepare to go to Yubar.”
Naberus said. At that, I immediately raised my hand to stop him.
“This is not going on a campaign, this is infiltration. There is no need to confront Yubar head-on.”
At this time, Yubar was diligently ignoring the request for support from the village near the river where the God of magic was buried.
He said that he didn’t have the energy to care about the monsters coming or going.
“...You heard? Prepare to infiltrate.”
Naberus kept his eyes on me with an interesting expression.
A bet with a Saintess?
Even the Saintess, who knew the ways of the devil, found it funny.
Is she really a Saintess? A Saintess proposing a bet with a devil?
But a Saintess who lives a boring life wouldn’t fit in this land.
There’s no way a human could see the future, and even if Naberus and a few of his subordinates were absent for infiltration, they wouldn’t be defeated by a few priests.
Naberus smiled, thinking about going quickly and enjoying the ‘results of the bet’.
***
Meanwhile, in the Orobas Duchy.
Duke Talun von Orobas of Orobas had been in a very uncomfortable mood recently.
“Why are the temple guys who were fine suddenly demanding so much? Have you tried contacting the temple?”
Originally, the temple that governed Orobas was a place that was generous to Orobas.
They didn’t go crazy over a few monsters being let go, and while they shouted that the civilians should be spared, they were more satisfied with money going into their own pockets instead of the civilians.
In short, they were people who got along very well with Orobas.
But recently, they have changed. To be exact, they had started to change since the Saintess had finished designating the demons.
No, the one who was designated as a demon was Vine, so why!
[There were complaints from the residents that the monsters in the southwestern region had not been dealt with properly.]
[The monsters in the southeastern region are causing suffering to the residents.]
[In the southern region... ]
Crackle!
The Duke of Orobas crumpled up the useless reports that kept coming in and threw them into the brazier.
“Have you suddenly received the grace of God, huh?”
Anyway, the southern part of the territory was a useless area with a lot of robbers, and strangely enough, farming was not going well, so Duke Orobas didn't need to worry about it.
If he just left the monsters in the south alone, they would migrate to another area, so he left them alone.
He didn't care about the 'small sacrifices' that would occur in the meantime.
'Isn't the sacrifice of cattle for the sake of the generation inevitable?'
And that was the same as the temple’s thoughts. Just a few weeks ago.
“But why are these guys...!”
They suddenly demanded that they kill the monsters that they were supposed to leave alone, and demanded that they return the offerings they gave them two months ago as if they hadn’t received them.
Duke Orobas, who knew that the offerings would end up in the priests’ pockets anyway, was dumbfounded.
“How much money have we spent on those guys so far!”
Was he asking for money instead of designating them as demons?
Just as Duke Orobas was slamming his desk in his office with a displeased expression, a sudden report arrived for him.
“What? The priest in charge of Orobas has changed?”
“Yes, I looked into it because his recent requests were suspicious, and I heard that the chief priest leading the Orobas Temple has changed.”
Duke Orobas’ face turned red at those words.
“Then that’s right...!”
Duke Orobas, who knew that the offerings would end up in the priests’ pockets anyway, was dumbfounded.
“How much money have we spent on those guys so far!”
Was he asking for money instead of designating them as demons?
Just as Duke Orobas was slamming his desk in his office with a displeased expression, a sudden report arrived for him.
“What? The priest in charge of Orobas has changed?”
“Yes, I looked into it because his recent requests were suspicious, and I heard that the chief priest leading the Orobas Temple has changed.”
Duke Orobas’ face turned red at those words.
“Then that’s right...!”
When he asked why this sanctification, he was told that it was to bring in a new 'sincerity'.
[Please provide evidence that Orobas is not a demon as soon as possible.]
The content of the letter that had arrived just a little while ago was even coercive.
“Why on earth did this happen!”
[Also, the people of the territory have been suffering due to Orobas’ negligence recently, and God is angry. So they are offering gold at the altar... ]
It was really incomprehensible why God would be angry with gold.
“This is what they come out with...”
The Duke of Orobas ground his teeth.
It seemed like Vine would have a hard time being labeled a demon, but he was quieter than he thought.
Everyone was going to push her towards the demon family, so why, did the Saintess say anything?
The amount of gold they were demanding was no joke. It seemed like they wanted to take away Orobas’ entire gold mine.
The Duke of Orobas frowned.
“If I had known that I would be okay even if I was labeled a demon, I would have preferred that Orobas had been labeled.”
At least, since the Saintess was inspecting the inside herself, Vine wouldn’t be told to hand over gold to prove that he wasn’t a demon.
Plus, if he was proven not to be a demon, he could pay off his debt to the temple, and most of all...
‘...’
Duke Orobas recalled the appearance of Saintess Beryl whom he had briefly passed by in the temple.
With a white veil covering her eyes and her fresh, dark green hair hanging down.
The way she stroked the hem of her dress with her slender fingertips was enough to stimulate Duke Orobas’ lust.
How would it feel to defile such a pure-looking woman?
He licked his lips. Since Duke Vine had already taken her, her purity was gone. He couldn’t help but regret that.
To be robbed of the joy of taking the purest virgin in the world?
He clicked his tongue.
“Show proper courtesy to the temple.”
What could he do when the person in charge had changed?
Thinking so, he ordered that the amount of gold offered by the temple be offered to the altar, which was slightly less than the amount offered by the temple. Even that alone would have been considered polite enough by the previous priest.
However, a few days later.
[The God is still angry. If you show sincerity, then God will think that you are repenting your past sins.]
A reply came that sincerity was insufficient.
Not only that.
[The temple has not yet provided evidence that Orobas is not a demon.]
The pressure began to intensify.
[First, make clothes with silk from the Salcra region that has been touched by three or fewer people...]
The God seemed to have an incredible talent for recognizing the finest silk.
“Huh.”
Duke Orobas clicked his tongue as he watched the temple’s increasingly bold demands.
It was clear that he was not asking for an apology from God, but to show courtesy to the temple.
There was morality in taking.
“If you start like this, they’ll eventually ask you to pull out Orobas’ pillar.”
It seemed like he had been caught in the wrong hands.
It seemed impossible to coexist with this priest.
“I guess he’s planning to make a killing.”
He was dumbfounded.
Rumors that he was a good payer had spread among the priests, as even the priests in the neighboring villages began to secretly send letters to Orobas.
[The monsters that leaked out from Orobas are attacking the houses under our jurisdiction...]
Isn’t that something for you paladins or the nobles of that territory to handle, huh?
If things continue this way, he’ll be branded as fools throughout the continent in an instant.
Bang!
Duke Orobas, who had come to that conclusion, finally kicked the desk in his office and stood up.
“Butler!”
“Yes!”
The butler was startled by the nervous voice of his master and ran over.
“Going down to the underground storage.”
“Yes?”
The butler, who knew what was in Orobas’ underground storage, opened his eyes wide.
“That is....”
“Don’t bother making a fuss, the temple is enough, so don’t be so noisy.”
The Duke of Orobas waved his hand.
“Prove that I’m not a devil? I’ll prove it to you.”
Very clearly.
In the basement of the Duke of Orobas’ residence, there was a vision of Orobas that had been passed down through generations in the ducal family.
“Just drink the holy water, won’t that be enough, huh?”
He grinned.
Holy water was a precious item that had become difficult to obtain even in the temple, but Orobas’ vision contained a method for making holy water.
It was a vision left by the first Duke who was faithful, unlike the current Duke of Orobas.
Of course, he said he would demand a fatal price, but as long as he didn’t die, wouldn’t that be enough? What would you do if you lived a long time without money anyway?
If the price isn’t money, then it would be better to pay the price and protect the money. Yes?
“Understood.”
In the end, the butler bowed his head deeply. Duke Orobas snickered as he watched him.
“I wondered why our ancestors believed in Gods, but they are useful.”
Duke Orobas, who had been thinking like that, left the office.
If he drank the holy water, the priests would no longer be able to talk about proof.
“Master.”
At that moment, the butler who had left hurriedly approached him again.
In his hand, he was holding a letter with an unpleasant temple design.
“What is it now?”
The butler lowered his head as if he was troubled by the master who was expressing his displeasure without holding back.
“The temple’s waiting schedule has been brought forward.”
“These guys can do whatever they want!”
In the end, unable to control his anger, he turned around nervously.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment