I sat by the window in the quiet dawn and talked for a long time.
The dream I had last night about the Crown Prince was surprisingly similar.
This is not 'maybe'. This is definitely a precognitive dream.
As the assumption that I had been skeptical about turned into certainty, my heart became even more anxious.
I once again appealed to the need to secure the relic, and this time, perhaps due to the influence of the dream, the Crown Prince agreed.
However, his face was dark and dead as he nodded heavily as if he was really reluctant, but I ignored it.
If the content of the dream was true, we were destined to die anyway.
It was not the time to hesitate and worry about the side effects of the holy relic.
After reaching an agreement, we went to see the Marquis of Bayen as soon as dawn broke.
As I waited in the reception room under the butler's guidance, the Marquis appeared before long. He was wearing a nightgown again today, but unlike last time, he didn't look like he had just woken up.
“You always come at the crack of dawn without notice. This time, you even added a wart to the mix.”
“I’m sorry. I know it’s rude, but this is a very time-sensitive matter.”
He snorted slightly at my polite apology and sat down on the sofa opposite me.
“It’s a matter of every second. Are you perhaps here to check the day’s homework?”
“Homework? Oh.”
I tilted my head at the sudden comment, then realized its meaning and let out a short exclamation.
It seems that he was talking about finding out about the materials that make up the heretical relics and the whereabouts of the goddess.
“I was planning on coming to see you today since I just finished my homework. I didn’t know you would be so impatient that you’d come running like this.”
“Does that mean you’ve met your brothers?”
"Yes."
“How did you find out anything?”
When I asked impatiently, the Marquis opened his mouth with a sigh.
“First of all, I haven’t been able to find out the ingredients of the holy relic that the heretic goddess made. I asked all four of my brothers, but they all said they didn’t know.”
"Ah..."
I couldn't hide my discouragement.
If even the children of the goddess did not know the identity of the raw material, then the future was bleak as to who to ask.
I let out a deep sigh, then remembered something and asked again.
“But four people? If they are the children of the goddess Hethel, then there must be six including the noble.”
“Oh, Elysia doesn’t interact with us very much. She’s a recluse.”
“Oh, I see.”
Somehow, I thought that, unlike other brothers who were active on the front lines, not much was known about her.
I nodded roughly and continued with the next question.
“Then what about the goddess’s safety? Have you found out about that too?”
“Yes, there is no problem with the goddess’s safety. However, according to Beth, she has left for a while.”
“She's left? Where? Why?”
When I asked urgently, he shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, I don’t know. Maybe she had a change of heart, or maybe she was just heckling for a while. There have been cases like this before.”
"Ah..."
I rubbed my throbbing forehead.
How dare you leave your post in such an urgent situation.
As I was sighing with my head in a complicated state, the Marquis spoke to me in a comforting tone.
The dream I had last night about the Crown Prince was surprisingly similar.
This is not 'maybe'. This is definitely a precognitive dream.
As the assumption that I had been skeptical about turned into certainty, my heart became even more anxious.
I once again appealed to the need to secure the relic, and this time, perhaps due to the influence of the dream, the Crown Prince agreed.
However, his face was dark and dead as he nodded heavily as if he was really reluctant, but I ignored it.
If the content of the dream was true, we were destined to die anyway.
It was not the time to hesitate and worry about the side effects of the holy relic.
After reaching an agreement, we went to see the Marquis of Bayen as soon as dawn broke.
As I waited in the reception room under the butler's guidance, the Marquis appeared before long. He was wearing a nightgown again today, but unlike last time, he didn't look like he had just woken up.
“You always come at the crack of dawn without notice. This time, you even added a wart to the mix.”
“I’m sorry. I know it’s rude, but this is a very time-sensitive matter.”
He snorted slightly at my polite apology and sat down on the sofa opposite me.
“It’s a matter of every second. Are you perhaps here to check the day’s homework?”
“Homework? Oh.”
I tilted my head at the sudden comment, then realized its meaning and let out a short exclamation.
It seems that he was talking about finding out about the materials that make up the heretical relics and the whereabouts of the goddess.
“I was planning on coming to see you today since I just finished my homework. I didn’t know you would be so impatient that you’d come running like this.”
“Does that mean you’ve met your brothers?”
"Yes."
“How did you find out anything?”
When I asked impatiently, the Marquis opened his mouth with a sigh.
“First of all, I haven’t been able to find out the ingredients of the holy relic that the heretic goddess made. I asked all four of my brothers, but they all said they didn’t know.”
"Ah..."
I couldn't hide my discouragement.
If even the children of the goddess did not know the identity of the raw material, then the future was bleak as to who to ask.
I let out a deep sigh, then remembered something and asked again.
“But four people? If they are the children of the goddess Hethel, then there must be six including the noble.”
“Oh, Elysia doesn’t interact with us very much. She’s a recluse.”
“Oh, I see.”
Somehow, I thought that, unlike other brothers who were active on the front lines, not much was known about her.
I nodded roughly and continued with the next question.
“Then what about the goddess’s safety? Have you found out about that too?”
“Yes, there is no problem with the goddess’s safety. However, according to Beth, she has left for a while.”
“She's left? Where? Why?”
When I asked urgently, he shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, I don’t know. Maybe she had a change of heart, or maybe she was just heckling for a while. There have been cases like this before.”
"Ah..."
I rubbed my throbbing forehead.
How dare you leave your post in such an urgent situation.
As I was sighing with my head in a complicated state, the Marquis spoke to me in a comforting tone.
"But don’t worry. It’s not like you’re worried about something happening to you. If it was, Beth wouldn’t have known. She’s the one who supports her mother the most.”
“...Yes. That’s good.”
Actually, there was nothing fortunate, but I couldn't say, 'That's not important right now! If I make a mistake, the position that the goddess has protected for thousands of years will be passed on to others! I have to bring her in at all costs!', so I had no choice but to say this.
It was a time when I was frowning due to the headache that kept coming on.
“So, what brings you here to see me? What homework do you want to give me?”
Oh, right.
Now is not the time for me to be discouraged.
Only then did I remember why I had come to see the Marquis, and as I was about to hurriedly open my mouth, the Crown Prince standing next to me interrupted me.
“We have come to ask you to hand over the remaining relics to us.”
“Holy relic?”
“Yes. The remaining three of the four sacred relics arranged by the goddess.”
The Marquis looked puzzled.
“Why are you looking for them? I don’t think there’s anything urgent enough to risk your life like last time.”
“That’s... because of the dream we had yesterday.”
"Dream?"
The Crown Prince nodded heavily. Then he began to tell the Marquis in detail about the dream we had yesterday.
As the Crown Prince's speech grew longer, his expression gradually hardened, and by the time he finished speaking, he was almost frozen like a stone statue.
He was silent for a moment, as if he had lost his words, and then after a long while he finally opened his mouth.
“You both had that dream? On the same day, on the same night?”
“Yes.”
He closed his eyes with a gloomy look at the Crown Prince's nod.
He looked very shocked, perhaps because of the content of the dream.
The Crown Prince opened his mouth again as if trying to persuade him who had kept his mouth shut.
“The heretic goddess in my dream said that the sacred object was something the goddess had polished for hundreds of years for us humans. I think that perhaps there is a deeper meaning to the goddess’s absence during these times.”
“Deep meaning?”
“It means that we must save the world we will live in with our own strength. And the reason the two of us had the same dream is...”
“Do you want to tell me that the goddess’s will is upon you?”
The Crown Prince did not answer. Instead, he simply met the Marquis' gaze.
The Marquis closed his eyes again as if he had realized the meaning. A deep sense of distress colored his face in a complex manner.
How much time has passed like that?
The Marquis raised his eyelids. He looked at us from one to the other for a moment, then slowly nodded.
“Okay, I’ll help you.”
But why is that?
The emotion in his eyes was not determination or resolve.
That was... resignation.
At least that's what it looked like to my eyes.
Although we felt a little uneasy, we were relieved to have obtained the Marquis' cooperation.
We didn't know the enemy's movements, their plans, or even their identity.
I thought how fortunate it was to have such strong support now that we need to build a defensive wall as soon as possible.
But...
'Yeah, if everything unravels like a thread, it won't be Shayne Veloce's life.'
I rubbed my throbbing forehead at the Marquis' words that the remaining three relics were not in his possession and were scattered throughout the empire.
Somehow I had a feeling that the future would not be easy.
Fortunately, the Marquis said he knew the location, so we decided to pack our bags without delay.
“Are you saying you’re going on a nationwide tour? Now that all the disasters have subsided, why bother doing something so troublesome...?”
The Pope could not hide his bewilderment at the words I had rashly blurted out after urgently requesting an audience.
“Of course, that is true, but since the period of disaster was so long, I think there are many imperial citizens who are suffering inconveniences. I would like to meet them in person and hear about their difficulties.”
“Wow, the Saintess is indeed different. This old man is ashamed of his complacency, thinking that all his problems have been solved since the disaster has stopped.”
The Pope, truly moved by my natural and virtuous lie, immediately gave me permission to travel.
Although he was a bit skeptical about the idea that the Marquis of Bayen would accompany me, he nodded happily when I told him that the Marquis wanted to help those in need.
So we set out on a journey to find the holy relic.
To avoid any possible danger, I disguised myself as an official inspecting the entire empire by order of the imperial family.
By the time the chariot, which had been escorted by numerous people including the Emperor and the Pope, had completely left the temple, I placed Delton, who had transformed into a cat, on my lap and instinctively stroked his head, and asked the Marquis.
“But what is the holy relic we are looking for now?”
Since the Marquis only gave us the destination, we still didn't know what we were going to find.
The Marquis, who had been quietly closing his eyes, lifted his eyelids.
"Chihara."
“...Yes. That’s good.”
Actually, there was nothing fortunate, but I couldn't say, 'That's not important right now! If I make a mistake, the position that the goddess has protected for thousands of years will be passed on to others! I have to bring her in at all costs!', so I had no choice but to say this.
It was a time when I was frowning due to the headache that kept coming on.
“So, what brings you here to see me? What homework do you want to give me?”
Oh, right.
Now is not the time for me to be discouraged.
Only then did I remember why I had come to see the Marquis, and as I was about to hurriedly open my mouth, the Crown Prince standing next to me interrupted me.
“We have come to ask you to hand over the remaining relics to us.”
“Holy relic?”
“Yes. The remaining three of the four sacred relics arranged by the goddess.”
The Marquis looked puzzled.
“Why are you looking for them? I don’t think there’s anything urgent enough to risk your life like last time.”
“That’s... because of the dream we had yesterday.”
"Dream?"
The Crown Prince nodded heavily. Then he began to tell the Marquis in detail about the dream we had yesterday.
As the Crown Prince's speech grew longer, his expression gradually hardened, and by the time he finished speaking, he was almost frozen like a stone statue.
He was silent for a moment, as if he had lost his words, and then after a long while he finally opened his mouth.
“You both had that dream? On the same day, on the same night?”
“Yes.”
He closed his eyes with a gloomy look at the Crown Prince's nod.
He looked very shocked, perhaps because of the content of the dream.
The Crown Prince opened his mouth again as if trying to persuade him who had kept his mouth shut.
“The heretic goddess in my dream said that the sacred object was something the goddess had polished for hundreds of years for us humans. I think that perhaps there is a deeper meaning to the goddess’s absence during these times.”
“Deep meaning?”
“It means that we must save the world we will live in with our own strength. And the reason the two of us had the same dream is...”
“Do you want to tell me that the goddess’s will is upon you?”
The Crown Prince did not answer. Instead, he simply met the Marquis' gaze.
The Marquis closed his eyes again as if he had realized the meaning. A deep sense of distress colored his face in a complex manner.
How much time has passed like that?
The Marquis raised his eyelids. He looked at us from one to the other for a moment, then slowly nodded.
“Okay, I’ll help you.”
But why is that?
The emotion in his eyes was not determination or resolve.
That was... resignation.
At least that's what it looked like to my eyes.
***
Although we felt a little uneasy, we were relieved to have obtained the Marquis' cooperation.
We didn't know the enemy's movements, their plans, or even their identity.
I thought how fortunate it was to have such strong support now that we need to build a defensive wall as soon as possible.
But...
'Yeah, if everything unravels like a thread, it won't be Shayne Veloce's life.'
I rubbed my throbbing forehead at the Marquis' words that the remaining three relics were not in his possession and were scattered throughout the empire.
Somehow I had a feeling that the future would not be easy.
Fortunately, the Marquis said he knew the location, so we decided to pack our bags without delay.
“Are you saying you’re going on a nationwide tour? Now that all the disasters have subsided, why bother doing something so troublesome...?”
The Pope could not hide his bewilderment at the words I had rashly blurted out after urgently requesting an audience.
“Of course, that is true, but since the period of disaster was so long, I think there are many imperial citizens who are suffering inconveniences. I would like to meet them in person and hear about their difficulties.”
“Wow, the Saintess is indeed different. This old man is ashamed of his complacency, thinking that all his problems have been solved since the disaster has stopped.”
The Pope, truly moved by my natural and virtuous lie, immediately gave me permission to travel.
Although he was a bit skeptical about the idea that the Marquis of Bayen would accompany me, he nodded happily when I told him that the Marquis wanted to help those in need.
So we set out on a journey to find the holy relic.
To avoid any possible danger, I disguised myself as an official inspecting the entire empire by order of the imperial family.
By the time the chariot, which had been escorted by numerous people including the Emperor and the Pope, had completely left the temple, I placed Delton, who had transformed into a cat, on my lap and instinctively stroked his head, and asked the Marquis.
“But what is the holy relic we are looking for now?”
Since the Marquis only gave us the destination, we still didn't know what we were going to find.
The Marquis, who had been quietly closing his eyes, lifted his eyelids.
"Chihara."
"Chihara?"
It was a name I was hearing for the first time, unlike the Adam I had read about in the Bible.
As I tilted my head, the Marquis opened his mouth again.
“He is the confidant who served the goddess most closely. He is also the one who received the greatest favor.”
“I see. Chihara...”
I tried to recite the name softly.
With no other way, I went out to find the holy relic, crying and sobbing, but when I recalled the time when I received Adam's judgment, my vision became dizzy.
I have to feel that horrible pain three more times.
Besides, I couldn't be sure that the three holy relics would accept me even if I was judged.
The Marquis noticed my anxiety and turned his gaze to the window.
“My mother said that she was a very compassionate person. She never let anyone in need pass her by. She said that she was a very weak-hearted person, so if you sincerely appeal to her, she will accept it. Besides, you are now a Saintess chosen by the goddess.”
It was a name I was hearing for the first time, unlike the Adam I had read about in the Bible.
As I tilted my head, the Marquis opened his mouth again.
“He is the confidant who served the goddess most closely. He is also the one who received the greatest favor.”
“I see. Chihara...”
I tried to recite the name softly.
With no other way, I went out to find the holy relic, crying and sobbing, but when I recalled the time when I received Adam's judgment, my vision became dizzy.
I have to feel that horrible pain three more times.
Besides, I couldn't be sure that the three holy relics would accept me even if I was judged.
The Marquis noticed my anxiety and turned his gaze to the window.
“My mother said that she was a very compassionate person. She never let anyone in need pass her by. She said that she was a very weak-hearted person, so if you sincerely appeal to her, she will accept it. Besides, you are now a Saintess chosen by the goddess.”
“...What? Me?”
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