'What, is it possible to manifest?'
I opened my mouth wide as I saw the man approaching me with a straight gait.
Curly white hair, clear skin, dazzling golden eyes, and a graceful jawline.
As soon as I saw the man whose appearance alone was oozing with holiness, I knew instinctively that he was Chihara.
'I didn't know that something like this was possible because I just quietly let it pass when Adam happened.'
As I was blankly staring at him, Chihara, who had come up close to me, smiled at the Marquis.
“This is the first time I’ve seen you in person, Bayen.”
Huh. This is your first time meeting?
As I looked back and forth between the two with a puzzled expression, the Marquis, who had been staring at Chihara indifferently, opened his mouth.
“Yes. When I was born, you had already been transformed into a holy relic. This is the first time I’ve seen your true form.”
“Yes. It’s refreshing to see you grown up like this.”
“You look like you’re looking at your own child.”
“How could I dare harbor such feelings toward the child of a goddess? Well, I guess it’s not entirely wrong. After all, I was the one who assisted Hethel most closely when she conceived Bayen.”
He smiled quietly and slowly raised his eyebrows.
“Yes, my lord, why have you come to see me?”
“You should already know since you’ve been here for several years. The situation is not normal.”
The Marquis stared at Chihara silently.
“There is one who seeks the position of the goddess.”
"Yes."
“I need your help to take her down.”
“Yes, I guess so.”
Chihara responded to the Marquis's words without fail. However, his voice was so dry that it was obvious that he had little interest in the matter.
The Marquis also seemed to have noticed this fact, and his expression hardened for a moment.
“I have brought you someone who wishes to borrow your power. Although she is not a true Saintess, she is a Saintess who has received the will of the goddess.”
The Marquis lightly nodded his chin at me. I quickly got up, realizing what he meant.
“Nice to meet you, My Lord. My name is Shayne Veloce. As the Marquis mentioned earlier, the Empire is in an unstable state due to those with evil desires, and I have come to seek My Lord’s help.”
Chihara's gaze, which had been fixed on the Marquis the whole time, turned to me.
There was still a smile on his lips, but his eyes, which scanned me from head to toe, were shining sharply.
I watched his reaction with a nervous expression.
I thought that hanging on to him from the beginning would not give a good impression, so I left politely, but if by any chance I was rejected, I was determined to provoke his sympathy.
'I lost my mother in an unfortunate accident when I was six, and after my grandfather, who had been my pillar of support, passed away, I lived an unhappy life, tormented by an indifferent father, a vicious government, and a wicked illegitimate child, until I was almost killed as a sacrifice...'
It was while I was quickly thinking about how to organize my appeal.
“Yes. There is definitely a trace of the goddess’s touch on her. She is a very kind-hearted woman.”
A kind-hearted? Me?
'Hey, that's a bit...'
I pretended to be a Saintess to get revenge on my father, but when that fact was discovered android I was dragged around by the Crown prince, I boldly demanded compensation. How can you call me a kind-hearted?
It felt like a tiny bit of conscience hidden somewhere inside my body was being pricked.
But for me, who had to somehow win Chihara's favor, it wasn't a bad reaction at all.
'Then will you accept it?'
I looked at him with hopeful eyes. But...
“But apart from that, I cannot join that journey.”
“Can’t we be together?”
Bayen's eyebrows rose menacingly.
“I must have said it clearly. There is someone who threatens the Goddess’s position. If you refuse to join us, does that mean you will betray the Goddess?”
In an instant, the air became cold.
The agent who had served the goddess close by all his life was neither surprised nor interested when he learned that the goddess was in danger, and now he would not even join her on this journey.
There was definitely something off.
'Could it possibly have something to do with someone called Ibis?'
Chihara snickered as I looked at him with suspicious eyes.
“Betrayal? I was born with the goddess and have served her for thousands of years. I have no reason to be insulted like that in my lifetime.”
“Then why can’t we be together? Give me a convincing reason.”
“Don’t I already have a child?”
“I, that’s...!”
Max, who finally saw the cards the man had turned over, froze like a stone statue, just as he had been giggling.
I opened my mouth wide as I saw the man approaching me with a straight gait.
Curly white hair, clear skin, dazzling golden eyes, and a graceful jawline.
As soon as I saw the man whose appearance alone was oozing with holiness, I knew instinctively that he was Chihara.
'I didn't know that something like this was possible because I just quietly let it pass when Adam happened.'
As I was blankly staring at him, Chihara, who had come up close to me, smiled at the Marquis.
“This is the first time I’ve seen you in person, Bayen.”
Huh. This is your first time meeting?
As I looked back and forth between the two with a puzzled expression, the Marquis, who had been staring at Chihara indifferently, opened his mouth.
“Yes. When I was born, you had already been transformed into a holy relic. This is the first time I’ve seen your true form.”
“Yes. It’s refreshing to see you grown up like this.”
“You look like you’re looking at your own child.”
“How could I dare harbor such feelings toward the child of a goddess? Well, I guess it’s not entirely wrong. After all, I was the one who assisted Hethel most closely when she conceived Bayen.”
He smiled quietly and slowly raised his eyebrows.
“Yes, my lord, why have you come to see me?”
“You should already know since you’ve been here for several years. The situation is not normal.”
The Marquis stared at Chihara silently.
“There is one who seeks the position of the goddess.”
"Yes."
“I need your help to take her down.”
“Yes, I guess so.”
Chihara responded to the Marquis's words without fail. However, his voice was so dry that it was obvious that he had little interest in the matter.
The Marquis also seemed to have noticed this fact, and his expression hardened for a moment.
“I have brought you someone who wishes to borrow your power. Although she is not a true Saintess, she is a Saintess who has received the will of the goddess.”
The Marquis lightly nodded his chin at me. I quickly got up, realizing what he meant.
“Nice to meet you, My Lord. My name is Shayne Veloce. As the Marquis mentioned earlier, the Empire is in an unstable state due to those with evil desires, and I have come to seek My Lord’s help.”
Chihara's gaze, which had been fixed on the Marquis the whole time, turned to me.
There was still a smile on his lips, but his eyes, which scanned me from head to toe, were shining sharply.
I watched his reaction with a nervous expression.
I thought that hanging on to him from the beginning would not give a good impression, so I left politely, but if by any chance I was rejected, I was determined to provoke his sympathy.
'I lost my mother in an unfortunate accident when I was six, and after my grandfather, who had been my pillar of support, passed away, I lived an unhappy life, tormented by an indifferent father, a vicious government, and a wicked illegitimate child, until I was almost killed as a sacrifice...'
It was while I was quickly thinking about how to organize my appeal.
“Yes. There is definitely a trace of the goddess’s touch on her. She is a very kind-hearted woman.”
A kind-hearted? Me?
'Hey, that's a bit...'
I pretended to be a Saintess to get revenge on my father, but when that fact was discovered android I was dragged around by the Crown prince, I boldly demanded compensation. How can you call me a kind-hearted?
It felt like a tiny bit of conscience hidden somewhere inside my body was being pricked.
But for me, who had to somehow win Chihara's favor, it wasn't a bad reaction at all.
'Then will you accept it?'
I looked at him with hopeful eyes. But...
“But apart from that, I cannot join that journey.”
“Can’t we be together?”
Bayen's eyebrows rose menacingly.
“I must have said it clearly. There is someone who threatens the Goddess’s position. If you refuse to join us, does that mean you will betray the Goddess?”
In an instant, the air became cold.
The agent who had served the goddess close by all his life was neither surprised nor interested when he learned that the goddess was in danger, and now he would not even join her on this journey.
There was definitely something off.
'Could it possibly have something to do with someone called Ibis?'
Chihara snickered as I looked at him with suspicious eyes.
“Betrayal? I was born with the goddess and have served her for thousands of years. I have no reason to be insulted like that in my lifetime.”
“Then why can’t we be together? Give me a convincing reason.”
“Don’t I already have a child?”
Chihara shrugged his shoulders slightly and gently stroked Reese's cheek, who was leaning back in the chair and sleeping.
It was a very careful and affectionate touch as if it might break.
Bayen, who had been staring blankly at the sight, burst into laughter.
“Are you going to ignore the danger the Goddess faces just because of a child like this? Shouldn’t you know that the reason the Goddess made your soul a sacred object is for moments like this?”
“Of course, I know. But the goddess always said that if you can’t help your neighbor in his small misfortune, you won’t be able to do anything else.”
“...”
“I promised to protect this child’s poor life. How can I call myself a servant of the goddess if I don’t keep that promise?”
Chihara shrugged his shoulders with a determined expression as if it were his mission to protect this child.
I stared blankly at the sight, then swallowed a sigh and appealed.
“I understand your kind heart, Chihara. But right now, it’s time to dwell on that small promise...”
“Don’t belittle me. No promise carries the same weight to me.”
I touched my forehead at Chihara's words which flowed out stubbornly, cutting me off.
'Yeah, it's good to take any promise seriously.'
But even so, in a situation like this, shouldn't he be able to figure out the priorities?
I was so shocked that I shook my head, even though I knew it was rude.
At that moment, the Crown Prince, who had been quietly observing the situation, spoke up.
“How about we fulfill that promise? Would you like to come with us?”
Chihara's gaze slowly moved to the Crown Prince. Chihara looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes and asked.
“Who are you?”
“Forgive me for the late greeting. My name is Declan Garnazzo, Crown Prince of Catalonia.”
“The Crown Prince... Even his body still bears traces of the goddess.”
“I am so touched that I once received a revelation from the goddess with this woman.”
Chihara, who had been quietly staring at the Crown Prince who was bowing respectfully, slowly nodded his head.
“Very well. If you solve this child’s misfortune, I will help you too. However, this child must not be unhappy after I leave this place.”
“It won’t be difficult.”
Yes, yes.
That's enough to just lie down and eat bread.
I nodded my head, following the confident smile of the Crown Prince.
“Hey, bring me a beer!”
“Eight, shit! I lost again.”
“Master, I’m running out of money, so I’ll put this ring up as collateral and give you some pocket money! Huh?”
The small bar, located in a back alley with few people, was packed with people who were drunk and gambling.
A group of hopeless trash who sleep around aimlessly during the time when everyone is working diligently, and gather here to party during the quiet night when everyone is asleep.
One of them was Max Spence, the father of the genius potter Reese Spence.
'Ugh, look at this pattern.'
Max smirked as he looked at the five cards he had collected one by one.
He knew that facial expressions were essential in poker, but he just couldn't control the corners of his lips from splitting.
That's understandable because the card he was holding was a straight flush.
'Haha, I've been getting a lot of shitty calls today, but things are finally starting to clear up.'
Max chuckled and glanced at the man sitting across from him.
The man's face was not visible because his hood was pulled down too low, but he was clearly a man with expensive clothes on his hands.
He was the one who had been taking all of Max's money all day long.
'Where on earth did that guy come from?'
He was known around here for his poker skills, but he was clearly a very good player since he didn't win a single game.
'But that's over now.'
Max didn't know if the goddess of victory was on his side all this time, but this time she was definitely on his side.
He looked at the pile of gold coins on the table, smacking his lips, and confidently turned over the cards first.
“Wow, what’s that? A straight flush?”
“Hey. Max, he really got lucky. He lost all day and then he got that in a thirty-piece table.”
“The park is open, the park is open.”
Naturally, envious voices could be heard here and there. Everyone was confident of his victory.
Max, who felt very proud thanks to this, provoked the man without hesitation.
“Yes, you too, hurry up. Well, of course, I’ll win anyway.”
Winning big money was great, but the fact that he was stripping the man who had been standing on top of his head all day made him even happier.
But.
It was a very careful and affectionate touch as if it might break.
Bayen, who had been staring blankly at the sight, burst into laughter.
“Are you going to ignore the danger the Goddess faces just because of a child like this? Shouldn’t you know that the reason the Goddess made your soul a sacred object is for moments like this?”
“Of course, I know. But the goddess always said that if you can’t help your neighbor in his small misfortune, you won’t be able to do anything else.”
“...”
“I promised to protect this child’s poor life. How can I call myself a servant of the goddess if I don’t keep that promise?”
Chihara shrugged his shoulders with a determined expression as if it were his mission to protect this child.
I stared blankly at the sight, then swallowed a sigh and appealed.
“I understand your kind heart, Chihara. But right now, it’s time to dwell on that small promise...”
“Don’t belittle me. No promise carries the same weight to me.”
I touched my forehead at Chihara's words which flowed out stubbornly, cutting me off.
'Yeah, it's good to take any promise seriously.'
But even so, in a situation like this, shouldn't he be able to figure out the priorities?
I was so shocked that I shook my head, even though I knew it was rude.
At that moment, the Crown Prince, who had been quietly observing the situation, spoke up.
“How about we fulfill that promise? Would you like to come with us?”
Chihara's gaze slowly moved to the Crown Prince. Chihara looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes and asked.
“Who are you?”
“Forgive me for the late greeting. My name is Declan Garnazzo, Crown Prince of Catalonia.”
“The Crown Prince... Even his body still bears traces of the goddess.”
“I am so touched that I once received a revelation from the goddess with this woman.”
Chihara, who had been quietly staring at the Crown Prince who was bowing respectfully, slowly nodded his head.
“Very well. If you solve this child’s misfortune, I will help you too. However, this child must not be unhappy after I leave this place.”
“It won’t be difficult.”
Yes, yes.
That's enough to just lie down and eat bread.
I nodded my head, following the confident smile of the Crown Prince.
***
“Hey, bring me a beer!”
“Eight, shit! I lost again.”
“Master, I’m running out of money, so I’ll put this ring up as collateral and give you some pocket money! Huh?”
The small bar, located in a back alley with few people, was packed with people who were drunk and gambling.
A group of hopeless trash who sleep around aimlessly during the time when everyone is working diligently, and gather here to party during the quiet night when everyone is asleep.
One of them was Max Spence, the father of the genius potter Reese Spence.
'Ugh, look at this pattern.'
Max smirked as he looked at the five cards he had collected one by one.
He knew that facial expressions were essential in poker, but he just couldn't control the corners of his lips from splitting.
That's understandable because the card he was holding was a straight flush.
'Haha, I've been getting a lot of shitty calls today, but things are finally starting to clear up.'
Max chuckled and glanced at the man sitting across from him.
The man's face was not visible because his hood was pulled down too low, but he was clearly a man with expensive clothes on his hands.
He was the one who had been taking all of Max's money all day long.
'Where on earth did that guy come from?'
He was known around here for his poker skills, but he was clearly a very good player since he didn't win a single game.
'But that's over now.'
Max didn't know if the goddess of victory was on his side all this time, but this time she was definitely on his side.
He looked at the pile of gold coins on the table, smacking his lips, and confidently turned over the cards first.
“Wow, what’s that? A straight flush?”
“Hey. Max, he really got lucky. He lost all day and then he got that in a thirty-piece table.”
“The park is open, the park is open.”
Naturally, envious voices could be heard here and there. Everyone was confident of his victory.
Max, who felt very proud thanks to this, provoked the man without hesitation.
“Yes, you too, hurry up. Well, of course, I’ll win anyway.”
Winning big money was great, but the fact that he was stripping the man who had been standing on top of his head all day made him even happier.
But.
“I, that’s...!”
Max, who finally saw the cards the man had turned over, froze like a stone statue, just as he had been giggling.
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