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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
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Chapter 92
As she smiled faintly and exaggerated her gestures, a particular part of her body once again drew attention.
If that was intentional, it might be an incredibly high-level tactic—so much so that the thought sent a chill down my spine.
“I need your help. With your power and knowledge, thousands of lives can be saved.”
She spoke with a serious expression.
“You’re neither affiliated with the Empire nor the Holy Kingdom, and you have extensive knowledge of teleportation gates. You also maintain political neutrality between nations as a margrave of the Kingdom of Bata. In my opinion… um… well, I believe you’re the only one who meets all these conditions.”
Her slight stuttering made it feel like she was reciting memorized lines.
Was it natural since a saintess wouldn’t be accustomed to political negotiations?
But from the perspective of a high-ranking priest, this was a failure.
Did she even intend to hide her identity at all?
I hesitated.
If I listened to what she had to say next, I had a strong feeling I would get involved.
But the weight of thousands of lives was not something to take lightly.
“Hah… Fine. I’ll hear you out for now.”
“There is a small tribe on the outskirts of the Holy Kingdom.”
A tribe?
Ah.
I had heard about the nomadic tribes.
The Hael Tribe, also known as barbarians, was famous.
They were larger and physically stronger than most humans—so much so that if one considered biological differences, they were practically a different race altogether.
However, since they looked like tall humans, distinguishing them based on appearance alone was no easy task.
I had heard that there had long been debates about whether barbarians should be classified as humans or not.
“Are you referring to the Hael Tribe?”
“Yes. There’s a possibility that a war may break out between the Holy Kingdom and the Hael Tribe.”
That was quite the grand statement.
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”
There was nothing good about getting involved in a war.
Just as I was about to cut her off without hesitation—
She spoke urgently.
“I’m not asking you to help with the war. With your technology, a war between the Hael Tribe and the Holy Kingdom can be prevented.”
Hearing her words, I stopped myself from standing up and nodded.
“I’ll listen, for now.”
Piecing together her explanation, it seemed that tensions between the Hael Tribe and the Holy Kingdom had been growing, and now, even some within the Holy Kingdom were beginning to advocate for war.
“They are an honest people. They may not be the most intelligent, but they are straightforward and do not lie. If they are given the opportunity to interact with the Holy Kingdom, they can coexist peacefully.”
“Would the Holy Kingdom be willing to accept the Hael Tribe, given their shamanistic beliefs?”
“I will make sure they do.”
Her eyes held unwavering determination.
Seeing that, I asked:
“So, what exactly do you need from me?”
“The teleportation gate. I heard that you created one. I even saw it on my way here. Can you… create them at will?”
“If you’re just asking whether it’s possible, then yes. Though the materials are expensive.”
Upon hearing my response, her eyes lit up.
“The Holy Kingdom will provide the materials. Under my name. So please, help me. If we can link them with a teleportation gate, foster interactions, and formally negotiate, we can resolve the misunderstandings that have accumulated—without bloodshed.”
The idea that mutual understanding was possible—
If she truly believed that, she was a fool.
If she knew it was impossible but still wanted to try, then she was an optimist.
I didn’t dislike that sort of thing.
Of course, that didn’t mean I had anything to gain by agreeing to her request.
“This is not a minor issue. Even as a high-ranking priest, Lady Nabel, this seems beyond what you can handle alone.”
“Th-that’s…”
As expected.
This was something only a saintess could overstep authority to accomplish.
She was trying hard to hide her identity.
And I was willing to respect that.
But I had forgotten about the presence of Luna, who was sitting beside me, licking her ice cream.
“Since when do high-ranking priests possess such an abundance of divine power?”
“Huh? What do you—?”
“Even just the divine power you’re emitting on the surface is dozens of times greater than that of an ordinary priest.”
At those words, her expression stiffened.
“And since when do priests engrave the symbol of God on their chest?”
“Ah!”
She instinctively covered her chest.
Oh, so the saintess’ stigma—the divine mark that serves as the source of her power—is located there?
Her attire was modest, covering her fully in an elegant and refined priestly robe.
But now, realizing she had been tricked, she furrowed her delicate brows.
“H-how rude.”
“I merely stated what I saw. I apologize.”
Luna’s attitude was unusual.
She was acting with an odd sense of wariness, hostility, or some other complicated feeling toward the saintess.
Considering that Luna rarely picked fights with others, this was unusual.
“Leon, I’m going to rest.”
She abruptly stood up, dragged open the refrigerator with a loud screech, and left the room.
“…I apologize. It seems Luna is in a bad mood.”
“That person….”
“She’s Luna Basilin Raphaelia. She’s both my household’s guest and my personal healer. But, more than anything, she’s family.”
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HELHEIM SCANS
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Hearing that, the saintess tilted her head.
“Luna Basilin Raphaelia?”
“Is something wrong?”
Now that I thought about it, Luna was an angel.
And the Holy Kingdom was a nation that worshiped God.
That meant there might be a connection between them.
Could she possibly know something about Luna?
Given that Luna rarely spoke about herself, I felt a flicker of curiosity.
“Raphaelia… Raphaelia… That name sounds familiar somehow….”
Thinking back, my first encounter with Luna had been anything but ordinary.
A rift in a blue box, and inside it—the fallen angel who had been sealed away.
“Do you recognize the name?”
“Oh… N-no. I must be mistaken. Anyway, let’s get back to the main topic….”
“All right.”
When I readily agreed, she flinched.
“Huh?”
“I’ll help you. You said countless lives are at stake.”
At my words, she looked at me with hesitation, but soon her expression brightened.
“Thank you so mu—”
“But the Holy Kingdom will pay an appropriate price, right?”
She shuddered at my cold smile, unable to completely hide her wary expression.
“But countless lives…”
Was this woman a seasoned manipulator, or just an empty shell?
“Lady Nabel, I clearly said I would help. But do you realize this is like eating a poisoned apple? One that could very well kill me?”
She tilted her head at my question.
“What do you mean?”
“The teleportation gate hasn’t even passed safety inspections. No one knows what could happen. There’s a high chance of casualties. To be honest, I wasn’t planning on using it for at least a month. And if things go wrong with this mission, it could escalate into a war.”
“That’s…”
Her face darkened.
“Even so, I said I would help. But I’m not some saint who preaches selflessness. If you offer proper compensation, I’ll consider it favorably.”
She seemed too inexperienced to counter my reasoning.
No, if she had any real purpose, she would’ve come prepared with an offer.
“You’re right. Morally, that would be fair.”
“And this outcome benefits you as well. Isn’t it better to trust someone who asks for an appropriate price rather than someone who helps without revealing their true motives?”
At my words, she stared at me blankly before letting out a faint chuckle.
“Heh, you’re quite wise, my lord. So, what is it that you want?”
Got her.
Letting out a short sigh, I licked my lips.
I needed to ensure she cooperated as much as possible.
“You’ve probably heard, but the previous Count Cascadia and his wife—my parents—and my youngest sibling were killed at sea by a kraken.”
“That’s…”
“We still haven’t even found their bodies.”
We had a rough idea of where they were lost.
But the problem was the location itself.
“The sea where my parents and youngest sibling disappeared is impossible to explore.”
“What do you mean by impossible?”
I handed her a letter as she focused on my words.
Having a lot of money meant I had a wider range of requests I could make.
In the meantime, Melissa had even hired mermaids to assist in the search.
This maritime species, neither particularly hostile nor friendly toward humans, was small in number but maintained some level of interaction with us.
Standing at an average height of 50 centimeters, these small creatures resembled humans but had fins for their lower bodies.
They were generally mild-mannered.
We had described my parents’ and Arsha’s features and belongings to them, and they immediately combed through the sea where the kraken had disappeared.
The result was bad news.
[The bodies of the three were not found anywhere in the area. Even if they had been eaten, there should have been remains. The lack of any trace suggests they drifted into the Forbidden Zone. According to the treaty with the Holy Kingdom and due to its extreme danger, entry into the Forbidden Zone is not permitted.]
Not far from the site of the accident lay a perilous part of the sea.
A location designated as a Forbidden Zone by the Holy Kingdom.
A place where one could not enter without the ancient divine artifact possessed by the Holy Kingdom.
“You’re asking to borrow the divine artifact…?”
“Only for the duration of the search.”
At my words, she teared up.
“Alright. I’ll help you. No, please let me help. If it’s for such a reason, I’ll do whatever I can to find them.”
Did she even realize?
That an ordinary high priestess had no authority over the Forbidden Zone?
A saintess might, but for a mere high priestess, it was beyond her reach.
Yet, she had just declared she would provide it.
I smirked and extended my hand.
“Then let’s give it a try, Lady Nabel.”
“Ah… May the Archangel’s blessing be with us… I’ll be in your care, my lord.”
My house’s resident guest really hated that archangel.
* * *
Saintess—no, High Priestess Nabel—left, saying she would return once everything was arranged.
“I’m relieved that my lord has agreed to help.”
“I haven’t given a definite answer yet.”
“Yes, I know. That’s why I will ensure you receive the divine artifact. In the meantime, please focus on the safety inspections. If you need anything, I will personally cover the costs.”
I wasn’t so desperate as to milk her dry.
Besides, this wasn’t about money.
If someone got involved just because I accepted her support, it would only be annoying.
Watching her take off on a griffon alongside her holy knights, I sank into the chair in my room.
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HELHEIM SCANS
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