After my encounter with Claire, I returned to the Cliff residence feeling utterly dejected.
And there, before my eyes, was an unbelievable sight.
Cliff was embracing a woman I'd never seen before — right there inside the house.
She had a plain, simple look about her.
Short chestnut hair, a smattering of freckles, a short stature.
Overall she was thin, but something about her gave off a soft, rounded impression.
Nothing at all like Elinalise.
If Elinalise was a cat in heat, then this woman was a neutered dog.
Of course, I had no memory of her.
No way.
Cliff, senpai.
The same guy who lectured me so hard...
So the reason you didn't bring Elinalise along was to meet this woman?
Was Elinalise just a plaything?
She was just a convenient outlet, and you went and got her pregnant... but your real interest was someone else?
Tell me it's not true, Cliff, senpai.
If even the Latreia family and you turn out to be like this, I won't be able to believe in anything anymore.
Ugh.
Damn it, where the hell is love?
Sylphie, Roxy, Eris.
Anyone, I don't care. Hug me and whisper that you love me.
Then I could keep going for just a little bit longer.
"Oh, Rudeus, perfect timing. Could you grab that box on top of the shelf over there? Even on a stepladder, we can't quite reach it with our height."
"Ah, sure."
While I was mentally previewing my next existential crisis, Cliff had separated from the girl.
He didn't look particularly flushed or anything like that.
It seemed like he'd simply caught her when she was about to fall off the stepladder.
"Wendy, did you twist your ankle?"
"Nope, I'm fine. Thanks."
Listening to their conversation, I pulled the box down from the shelf.
I blew off the dust that hadn't been cleaned the other day and handed it to Cliff.
"Sorry about this... I think this should be it... yes, this is it. Good, this should get us through tomorrow."
Cliff pulled something resembling a patch out of the box.
It was the emblem of the Milis Church.
Work-related, I suppose?
"So, Rudeus, what's going on? Weren't you supposed to stay at the Latreia estate tonight?"
At his question, I leaned in eagerly.
Today's story was something I really needed to tell Cliff about.
"Well, that's the thing — please, just listen—"
Seething with indignation, I laid out every detail for Cliff.
How I'd gone to the Latreia estate.
What Claire had said and done there.
How I'd lost control and stormed out of the manor.
How I'd calmed down a bit since, but was still far from done being angry.
Just thinking about it made my blood boil.
"...Hmm."
Hearing my story, Cliff's face twisted as well.
Even Cliff — that living saint who couldn't say boo to a goose — would understand after hearing this.
"It's true that among the Milis nobility, there's a custom of parents deciding marriages, and some people still hold to the idea that a woman's worth lies in bearing children... but forcing a marriage on someone who can't even hold a conversation? That's going too far, even by those standards."
"Right?!"
She's a monster. A demon.
Even I can't defend that.
I can't believe that woman is Zenith's mother.
"Of course, Lady Claire might be somewhat confused too. Her daughter suddenly ended up like that, after all. Try imagining it with your own child... you'd understand, right?"
Cliff said this to me in a conciliatory tone.
I wanted him to be angry alongside me.
But from Cliff's position, this was only one side of the story — mine.
He was probably trying to see it from their perspective too.
I supposed I could try that as well.
My own child...
Lucy... that's still hard to imagine.
Let's use Norn instead.
Norn goes off on a journey right after her coming-of-age ceremony, and just when she finally comes back, she's a broken shell of a person.
And she's brought along a child by some man I've never met, plus another child by a mistress with no blood relation to our family.
Sure, I'd be confused.
I'd want to do something about it...
"But how does confusion lead to the conclusion that she should get married off?"
"...It might actually be more calculated than you think. Setting the children aside, if she's married off to a noble, at least she'll be taken care of."
I didn't see it that way.
To me, it felt more like: "Well, the parts still work, and it'd be a waste to throw her out, so let's recycle her instead."
Talking about someone's parent like that.
About her own daughter, no less.
What the hell was that?
Damn it.
I could picture Claire's face from when I'd caused the scene at the manor.
Even as I sent guards flying with rock cannonballs and shockwaves, her expression had remained icy.
As if she'd done nothing wrong at all, and was looking at me like, "What are you going crazy for?"
Then again, my perception was probably filtered right now.
Claire might have simply been frozen in fear, her face rigid.
Even so, the words that had come out of her mouth didn't change.
"In any case, I understand the situation now. You're welcome to use my home freely."
"Thank you."
"This is the Pope's property. Even if the Latreia family wanted to cause trouble, they wouldn't dare make a move here."
Hearing that, I suddenly realized I hadn't even considered the possibility of the Latreia family doing something.
I'd parted ways with Claire.
We'd probably never meet again.
At least, that was what I thought. But they might not see it the same way.
To get Zenith back, they might try something.
In that case, maybe I should send Zenith back to Sharia.
"It'd be sad for your mother to come all the way back to her homeland only to be sent right back, wouldn't it?"
"Mm."
Millis was Zenith's homeland.
Now that he mentioned it, she probably did want to look around a bit more.
Part of me wanted to find the time to take her to various places.
"But still..."
"While you're out and about, you can leave her in Wendy's care. She's a bit clumsy, but she's trustworthy."
With that, Cliff glanced over at the unfamiliar woman.
"...Cliff, senpai, who is she?"
"Ah, sorry. I should have introduced her sooner. This is Wendy. You could say... hmm, it's like the relationship between you and Sylphie."
"I see. Noted."
My relationship with Sylphie...
Ah, so that's how it is.
All the mysteries are solved now.
The old man's name is always one thing.
"I won't tell Elinalise about this."
"Wait, hold on — stop jumping to conclusions, that's not what this—"
Cliff hastily explained the situation.
Today, he'd gone to the Church headquarters to handle some paperwork and also to procure things they'd need going forward.
One of those things was hiring a helper.
So Cliff had gone back to the orphanage he'd lived in as a child.
The orphanage taught housework and cooking as part of the children's vocational training.
He'd recruited helpers from among those orphans at a bargain rate.
"Wendy was the oldest there, and she's almost at the age where she can't stay at the orphanage anymore.
So — not exactly because of that — but I decided to have her come help out at the place on a commute basis.
Having housework experience at my residence will count as good work experience for her."
In short, he'd hired her through something like a teaching internship program.
Having worked for the Pope's grandson would surely count as a credible reference.
It would help with future employment.
"I'm Wendy. I can handle housework and similar tasks. Pleasure to meet you."
She was like a female version of Sylphie.
I'd worried they might be in some kind of complicated relationship, but...
It turned out they were just childhood friends who used to play together.
Still, I didn't know how old Wendy was. Wouldn't things go wrong, living with such a young woman?
No — if it was Cliff, he'd be fine.
He wasn't me, so he'd be fine.
"..."
Regardless, the moment I'd fled the Latreia estate, my plans had fallen apart.
Given how things stood, I thought the best move was to bring Zenith home for now, and then take action from there.
But considering I'd been outraged at Claire for treating Zenith like an object, the bare minimum I wanted was to let Zenith see the town.
But... was that thought too naive?
Should I wait until Cliff had matured and I'd helped him, and then crush the Latreia family properly?
That kind of future wasn't guaranteed, either.
"Aisha, what do you think?"
"...Huh?"
When in doubt, consult.
I'd ask Aisha's opinion.
"Do you think I should send my mother back home right away?
Or would it be better to let her stay here for a while, and take her sightseeing around the town when I get the chance?"
At my question, Aisha crossed her arms, thinking.
But she quickly looked up and turned toward Cliff.
"Is this place really safe?"
"Yes. It's a modest house, but the Latreia family wouldn't dare make an easy move here — it would become a major incident."
"If they'd do it despite knowing it would become a major incident?"
"That's nearly impossible. That family has its own standing to consider."
Their standing.
If that old hag was the type to prioritize family prestige, then she'd factor that in.
She was stubborn and unpleasant, but she hadn't seemed stupid.
"I think it'll be fine."
Aisha said this without uncrossing her arms.
"From what I can tell, that family... that person... probably doesn't see much value in Mother Zenith now that she's ended up like this."
That was true.
For the Latreia family, Zenith's usefulness was probably low.
As Cliff had said, even by this country's standards, the idea of marrying someone off to a person they couldn't even converse with would raise eyebrows.
A marriage bond forced on someone like that would be weak at best.
They might be hoping to reclaim the investment they'd made in supporting the Fittoa Region search party...
In which case, if they put in a claim, I'd pay whatever they asked.
There was no bond of goodwill to speak of.
If there were, they wouldn't have treated her like that.
"Plus, after this incident, they've seen how dangerous big brother is, and they didn't try to chase after you just now... I don't think they're that obsessed with Mother Zenith."
Yeah, that was right.
After leaving the Latreia estate, I'd walked home at a leisurely pace, and no one had come after me.
They could have reported me and sent soldiers in pursuit.
Whether it was fear of me or simply giving up, I couldn't say.
But Claire had known that Cliff and I were close.
I didn't know where she'd gotten that information, but... regardless, once things had gone the way they had, she should have realized I'd flee here, and yet she'd done nothing.
"If she were somewhere I could reach her immediately, it'd be one thing. But if she's being protected by a hostile faction, I think it'll be fine."
"I see."
The potential gains were low, and the risks were high.
So it was unlikely they'd try to forcefully take her back.
Aisha really had thought this through.
"If that's the case, then Rudeus—"
Cliff cut in there.
"Tomorrow, I'm going to meet my grandfather. Would you like to come along? If you've caused trouble with the Latreia family, it's going to be hard to operate in this country going forward... you'll want connections, right?"
"You'd do that for me?"
"Of course, whether my grandfather becomes your backer or not depends entirely on you. I'll make the introduction, but I won't put in a word."
"Of course, that goes without saying."
Cliff had been reluctant about my involvement before.
I had no intention of actively inserting myself into Cliff's affairs either.
But whether or not my existence was widely known, if he could say he'd introduced someone and brought them into his camp, that would count as his achievement.
Even so, he was willing to endure that and introduce me to the Pope.
I needed to move forward not just with Zenith, but with the mercenary group situation as well.
The Pope's backing would be effective on both fronts.
I didn't necessarily need the Pope to protect Zenith.
Just having a connection would make the other side less likely to make a move.
"...I'd appreciate that."
Thinking pragmatically, I bowed my head to Cliff.
Well, there was still work to be done.
Let's reset and keep going.
---
The next day.
After breakfast, I headed for the Church headquarters.
Aisha and Zenith stayed behind to watch the house.
The Church headquarters was a conspicuous golden building, topped with an onion dome.
The Holy Millis Nation, whose motto was tranquility, was overflowing with white and silver.
In such a country, this building stood out with its gaudy gold, and the exterior looked like something a clown would wear.
The onion on top was tasteless — frankly, it stuck out like a sore thumb.
From a distance, it was passable.
The solitary gold amid all that white and silver actually served as an accent.
But up close, it was just... no.
It belonged to another world entirely.
Still, the tastelessness of the building had nothing to do with the people inside.
After all, this was the headquarters of the Milis Church.
A place teeming with people who made Cliff look like a beginner.
It might look gaudy, but only Saints lived there, obviously...
Obviously not, and I knew that perfectly well.
Even in my previous life, politicians and clergymen had the reputation of being corrupt.
It was probably about the same in this world.
People with enough power that they no longer needed to maintain appearances eventually stopped paying lip service to propriety.
Well, even with people like that, you could get by just dealing with the surface.
I'd set my jaw and sell myself.
I'd emphasize my deep connections with Orsted and Ariel, and make myself look important.
I didn't think I'd handled that well at the Latreia estate.
That might be why Claire had looked down on me, and things had gone the way they had.
I was a big, big man — and I didn't mean shochu.
That was why I'd come in a robe today.
This was my formal attire.
Rudeus Greyrat, the "Dragon God's Right Arm."
That was the mood I was going for, at least.
"I'm sorry, but we cannot admit anyone without a permit."
I was stopped at the entrance of one of the buildings.
"Huh? My passage permit isn't enough? I thought it covered companions last time..."
"The rule has always been that it's for one person only."
"I see. Hmm... maybe they let it slide before because I was a kid...?"
Cliff looked troubled as he examined the patch I'd found yesterday.
Apparently, that thing was the permit.
Incidentally, today he was dressed in the formal vestments of a Milis Church priest.
He'd apparently sewn the patch onto his chest the night before.
"If Father Cliff has his permit, you could ask someone inside to issue a temporary one for him. It would take a bit of time, though."
"...Ah, right. Sorry about this, Rudeus. Let me go get permission — wait here for a bit, will you?"
Cliff said this apologetically.
"No problem. I'm not in any rush. Take your time."
I quietly watched as Cliff disappeared inside.
My momentum was killed right out of the gate.
But it wasn't like I'd been turned away entirely.
I'd spend some time exploring the grounds for now.
---
The grounds were vast, and the buildings were enormous.
They had to be at least four times the size of the Latreia estate.
The main building was four stories tall, and from above it would look like a square and a diamond overlapping.
A diamond inside a square.
Not an eight-pointed star, but a square within a square.
The outer square was the Church headquarters' administrative offices.
Clerks and ordinary priests handling Church-related paperwork worked here.
They also processed applications for conversion, arranged funerals,
and apparently sold religious symbols as well.
As expected of headquarters — everything related to the Milis Church could be done here.
The inner diamond contained the Church leadership's residences, offices, the Sacred Object, and the Treasury.
Generally, only important people were allowed inside.
Even the clerks weren't told what went on in there.
In other words, this was the inner sanctum of the Milis Church.
That was why a permit was required.
As I continued looking around, the sun climbed high in the sky.
I was getting a bit hungry.
Still, I might have made a mistake.
Cliff probably hadn't even finished filing his return report yet.
He'd likely made an appointment with the Pope yesterday, and the Pope would make accommodations since he was family.
But I was an outsider.
If his grandson had just come back and, barely pausing to report in, asked to introduce some strange guy, wouldn't that raise suspicions?
I'd had an unpleasant experience with Zenith, but I hadn't forgotten Elinalise's request either.
I wanted to avoid doing anything that would drag Cliff down.
"Maybe I should have waited a few more days and made the appointment myself..."
Reflecting on this, I found myself in a courtyard.
The Milis Church headquarters had four courtyards.
They were the triangular spaces at the four corners created by the overlapping square and diamond.
Each was planted with trees suited to one of the four seasons.
I'd arrived during spring, and by coincidence, had reached the spring garden.
In the spring garden, flowers of every color bloomed in wild profusion.
Especially bright yellows, whites, and pinks.
I strolled along, admiring them.
I used to carry around a Plant Encyclopedia and look up flower names, but I had no idea about the plants in this area.
Wait — this pink-flowering tree looked familiar.
It had a cherry blossom–like name, which was why it stuck in my memory.
Someone had told me about it recently — what was it?
"Look, the Salarak is in full bloom!"
Right, the Salarak.
A tree native to the mountains in the northern part of the Asura Kingdom.
It was one of the first plants to bloom with pink flowers come spring, and in the Asura Kingdom it was known as "the tree that heralds spring."
The wood had a distinctive fragrance, making it popular among nobles.
But since it grew in mountainous regions, the price was steep.
The Asura royal family managed Salarak cultivation forests, and exported them abroad.
Ariel had told me about it during my recent visit to the Asura Kingdom.
"Yes, it's so beautiful!"
"The Miko looks wonderful with Salarak!"
"Did you know? These Salarak were a gift from the Asura Kingdom when the current Pope took office..."
"Oh my, the Miko is always so innocent."
I heard a sickeningly sweet voice.
Curious, I looked toward the source.
"Look, look, look! It's like we're in a rain of Salarak petals!"
"The Miko, standing amid the Salarak blossoms... she's like a fairy."
"She's beautiful!"
There she was — the otaku circle's princess.
In a shower of fluttering petals, a woman dressed in a flowing, princess-like gown was spinning with her palms turned upward, catching the blossoms.
She could have been called a girl, though she was probably in her early twenties.
Her features were on the pretty side, but she was a little plump.
Wendy had looked soft but had slender arms and legs, whereas this woman's upper arms and thighs were a bit thick.
Both gave off an unhealthy vibe, but Wendy's was from too few calories and this one's from too little exercise.
Surrounding her was a cluster of men.
Seven of them.
Lucky number.
Every time the woman said something, they agreed and heaped praise upon her.
All with a fawning, ingratiating air.
You could just as well call them her entourage.
The only reason they gave off more of an otaku circle vibe than a real noble court was the absence of good-looking guys.
They all had plain, approachable faces.
All of them wearing blue
chest armor
— which was decidedly un-otaku.
"...Huh?"
But while they were relatable, they gave me absolutely no sense of security.
I felt a prickling tension at the nape of my neck.
Killing intent?
Well, of course.
Think about it rationally: that princess was either a real princess or someone of comparable status.
And her guards were certainly not mere fanboys.
From their bearing and their muscle mass alone, I could tell they were formidable.
At least Advanced-rank in swordsmanship, probably Saint-rank.
And they'd probably noticed me too.
I'd come prepared today, wearing my robe over the Magic Armor "Type-2 Modified" underneath.
I wasn't carrying a staff, so I shouldn't have looked armed, but my getup was still pretty intimidating.
They were probably on their guard.
But there was something else.
This feeling.
Something more than just unease — a buzzing, electric tension.
I couldn't quite put it into words.
A sense of foreboding.
...Could it be that one of them was an apostle of the Human God?
Should I look into it?
No, wait — think.
Think about my "accident rate when the words 'Human God' leave my mouth."
I would not say "Human God" out loud.
On that premise, let's bluff...
"Oh my? You're a new face. Have you come to convert?"
While I was still wavering, she spoke to me first.
"Ah..."
The girl looked up at me with an innocent smile.
Hands clasped behind her lower back, leaning forward, gazing up at me from below.
If Sylphie pulled that pose, my reason would crumble.
Roxy wouldn't do something like that.
If Eris did it, I'd be like a frog hypnotized by a snake — frozen in place. I'd need to be prepared to die.
"Is something wrong?"
Ah, what to do — I didn't have time to be thinking about this.
Um, um.
Not a conversion... um.
Bluffing about the Human God... um.
"Do... do you believe in God?"
It happened in an instant.
In a heartbeat, three of the otaku had drawn their swords and were pointed at me.
The remaining four pulled the princess back and hid her behind them.
No more otaku vibe.
What remained was the atmosphere of battlefield mercenaries.
Gleaming eyes, with murky pupils swimming within them.
Scary.
These guys were dangerous.
I shouldn't have said anything.
No wait, I didn't initiate this—
"God exists."
"Millis is God."
"Why would you ask something so obvious?"
"Could it be that you don't believe in Millis?"
"You don't believe in God?"
"A heretic...?"
"An apostate!"
The otaku muttered among themselves, their eyes growing more and more clouded.
I was going to get turned into a witch at this rate.
"I-I'm sorry... I was lost in thought and let something stupid slip... please forgive me."
Best to just apologize honestly.
Right.
This was the Milis Church headquarters.
A place where only believers in Millis, the one true god, should exist.
I'd asked something I shouldn't have here.
I was the suspicious one.
I'd managed somehow — just forgive me.
"Greave, what do we do?"
"Dust, it's your call."
"Let's kill him. He's probably an apostate. He's weirdly calm... and even if he weren't, he's guilty of planting strange ideas in the Miko's head."
"Got it, let's kill him. Good plan."
Wow, they made that decision fast.
That was practically a virtue.
I'd have hesitated.
"No, no, wait — calm down, just hear me out..."
If I caused a scene here, it would bring trouble to Cliff, and this beautiful garden would be destroyed.
Nobody wanted to see a Salarak tree blown to splinters.
There was nothing to gain from fighting — we could sort this out with words.
Even as I thought this, my consciousness had already switched gears.
The moment swords were pointed at me, my Foresight Eye was already open.
Mana was flowing into the Magic Armor.
I wanted to avoid a fight, but if apologizing wouldn't get me off the hook, I wouldn't hesitate.
I'd been in a bad mood since yesterday.
"...Are you actually going to do this?"
My words made them shudder and their eyes snap wide open.
In my Foresight Eye, I could see their muscles tense and power flooding into their limbs.
They were coming.
"Stop!"
A sharp, commanding voice rang out.
It was faintly familiar.
The voice carried authority — and just like that, the tension drained from their bodies.
"What are you doing?!"
Approaching us was a woman knight.
She looked to be in her mid-thirties.
Her outfit was the same as the otaku's — blue chest armor.
Her face was stern but composed, with a hardness to it.
But I knew that face.
"Captain. An apostate was attempting to harm the Miko."
One of the otaku said it with a straight face.
You liar.
"This is a misunderstanding. I was just admiring the Salarak, and—"
"Shut up."
One of the men pointing a sword at me spoke in a low voice.
As if I'd just shut up.
"An apostate...?"
Only then did the woman knight look at my face.
"Oh!"
And finally, she recognized me.
Her face broke into a smile.
"Rudeus! Rudeus, is that you? Wow, it's been so long!"
Then, noticing that I had swords pointed at me, she raised her voice.
"Put your swords away! He's my nephew!"
I watched in relief as the otaku withdrew their swords with startled expressions, and I closed my Foresight Eye.
---
Therese Latreia.
Zenith's younger sister — my aunt.
She was the person who'd helped me when I'd sailed from the Millis Continent to the Central Continent.
Therese appeared to be the leader of that group.
At her command, the otaku immediately pulled back their swords.
They even offered a half-hearted apology — reluctantly, at that.
I also apologized for my inappropriate remark, but they still glared at me with undisguised hostility and dissatisfaction.
Even now they kept their distance, surrounding the princess and remaining on alert.
"Do you remember me? We only met once, so maybe you've forgotten?"
"Of course I remember. You were a tremendous help with the voyage."
I set those guys aside for the moment and focused on talking with Therese.
What a nostalgic reunion.
"I heard you'd come to visit the main family, but I didn't expect to see you here at Church headquarters. Ah — did you come to see me specifically?"
"No, an acquaintance offered to introduce me to a Church executive... So you've come back here, Therese?"
Last I'd heard, she'd been reassigned to a western port town.
It had been ten years, though.
It wasn't unusual for her to have returned.
"Yeah, well... various things happened."
Therese gave a wry smile and shrugged.
There was probably something she found difficult to talk about.
I wouldn't pry.
But I did have something I wanted to ask.
"So, you heard about me showing up at the main family?"
"Yeah. You had a fight with Mother, apparently."
"A fight... I suppose that's one word for what happened."
"Mother upset you, I heard. Knowing her, she was probably ordering you around — do this, do that."
"That's exactly it! Listen to this!"
Seeing my aunt for the first time in ages.
I'd briefly wondered whether she'd be on my side, but once I started talking, I couldn't stop.
Before I knew it, I'd spilled everything about yesterday's events.
Maybe I still had more resentment bottled up than I'd realized.
Or maybe it was because she had Zenith's face and was smiling so openly — she put me at ease.
"Is this kind of thing really acceptable in this country?"
"No, even this is going too far... even for Mother, that's... it must be some kind of misunderstanding... but, hmm... maybe you said something to provoke her, Rudeus? She does sometimes lash out with whatever comes to mind when she's angry..."
"...Maybe. I tried to be patient and speak without angering her."
"Hmm."
Therese crossed her arms and frowned, looking stern.
It hadn't felt like a mere exchange of heated words.
It had felt predetermined from the start.
"Well, I'll ask about it in detail next time I visit the main family. Mother is stubborn, but she's not a bad person. It was probably just a misunderstanding."
"..."
Therese said it so matter-of-factly.
Even if it truly was a misunderstanding, my anger was real.
I didn't want to ask her to smooth things over.
For the first time in a long while, I didn't want even a surface-level relationship with someone.
Well, if it really was a misunderstanding and she offered a sincere apology, I'd apologize for the outburst too.
"Anyway, Rudeus, you've gotten so big! Ah — well, you shouldn't really say that to a grown man, I suppose... how old are you now? Around twenty?"
Therese smoothly changed the subject, perhaps deliberately.
I didn't want to keep talking about Claire either.
"I'm almost twenty-two now."
"Already! It's been nearly ten years... Oh, right — how is Lady Eris? Is she doing well? She was so energetic!"
Therese was giddy like a child.
Where had her stern bearing gone?
When she'd looked serious, she'd reminded me of that old hag Claire...
No — enough of that. Stop.
"Eris is doing great. She had her first child last year."
"A child...? Ah, right — you got married! Congratulations!"
"Thank you."
"Is she here too?"
"No, she's back in Sharia looking after the house. And the baby, of course."
"I see, I see. I'm sure it's tough, but work together as a team, okay?"
Together...
Oh. Right — this woman was a Milis follower too.
Should I mention that I'd married three women?
I'll keep that to myself for now.
No need to pour cold water on a happy moment.
"So, married... little Rudeus and Lady Eris getting married... wow..."
But it seemed the topic of marriage had already deflated Therese.
That word had apparently been a trigger.
Judging from her reaction, she was probably still single.
Or maybe divorced.
Let me see — how old was she?
If Zenith was around thirty-eight and Therese was younger... maybe thirty-five?
Considering the coming-of-age age was fifteen in this world, and most people married within the next twenty years or so...
Um...
"How's work going?"
Better to drop the marriage topic.
"Hm? Oh! It's been eventful, but I've been reassigned as the Divine Maiden's bodyguard. I'm leading the squad, more or less."
Therese glanced at the group.
Of the seven, two were still watching me warily, while the rest had devolved into the princess's entourage again.
Looking at them now, they seemed harmless enough.
"They seem like a scary bunch."
"Yeah... after an assassination attempt a while back, we started assigning only the highest-combat-ability members from the Temple Knights as her escort, and a few too many... intense types ended up in the mix..."
Previously, Therese had told me that the Temple Knights were a gathering of fanatics.
In that sense, she meant "intense" literally.
It had taken them all of two seconds to go from my slip of the tongue to "let's kill him."
They were on par with old Orsted-level danger.
"Well, they're just a bit rigid about doctrine. They're not bad people... and they all really love the Divine Maiden."
Scary.
I understood the devotion to God, but you couldn't let it blind you to everything else.
Even your own God would be more lenient than that.
"Um, Therese? Could I join the conversation too?"
Suddenly, a voice came from behind me.
The princess from the otaku circle was peeking at me.
Her entourage stood behind her, looking like they might draw their swords at any moment.
"A moment ago, I heard the name Eris. Could it be that you're acquainted with Lady Eris — the redhead? The swordswoman?"
So she was the Miko.
She was called Miko-sama, but what was her real name?
Should I ask? No, I'd introduce myself first.
Claire had told me that introducing yourself first was cheap, but it was also the warrior's way.
"I apologize for the late introduction. I'm Rudeus Greyrat.
I have the honor of serving under Orsted, the Dragon God, and Sword King Eris Greyrat is my wife."
Dragon God and Sword King.
The two titles instantly ratcheted up the tension among the entourage.
The fact that they reacted to "Dragon God" meant there really was an apostle among them.
Or it could be that all seven reacted, and it was unrelated.
"My goodness! So that's how it is! Lady Eris saved my life ten years ago!"
Ten years ago — that would have been when I came to Millis.
I'd actually heard that story before.
Eris had gone out to deal with some goblins and had ended up defeating an assassin before coming back.
"Is Lady Eris here?"
"No, unfortunately. She's looking after the child, so she's back at the house."
"What a shame."
The princess's face fell, and the whole group's brows drooped in sympathy.
That was almost endearing.
They really did love their princess.
Oh, and I'd given my name but she hadn't returned hers.
Should I call her Miko-sama or something?
"Then that means... it was the Dragon God, Orsted, who saved me, doesn't it?"
"Huh?"
That was a leap.
Neither Eris nor I had even known Orsted's name at the time.
But now I served Orsted, and Eris had acknowledged that and was helping out.
Barely, you could say Eris also fell under Orsted's umbrella.
So would that mean Orsted had saved her?
...No, no.
I shouldn't lie about something that would be found out immediately.
"No, at the time, neither Eris nor I knew Orsted personally.
However, if the Divine Maiden feels indebted, then I would be grateful if you could refrain from bearing any hostility toward Orsted in the future."
"...? Would I harbor hostility toward someone I've never met?"
"That is the nature of the curse that Orsted carries."
As I said this, the Miko stared intently into my eyes.
Within her round face, her eyes were large and earnest.
Neither eye was a different color.
They probably weren't magical eyes.
And yet, I had a gut feeling.
Something was being done to me.
I didn't know what.
I wasn't paralyzed, nor was I struggling to breathe.
I just had the sense that something was happening.
"...It appears to be true."
After a moment, the princess nodded with a serious expression.
"You can tell?"
"Yes, I can."
Judging from the reactions of Therese and the entourage, they didn't seem surprised.
So this was her ability as a "Miko."
Something comparable to Zanoba's "superhuman strength and defense"...
An ability to see through lies with a single glance...
Or could she read minds?
Or perhaps something else entirely.
"...Is that your power?"
"Yes. It is."
I wanted to ask for details, but the entourage was still on edge.
Better not to push it.
What should I do?
Orsted hadn't told me anything about this Miko.
"Hmm..."
This was bad.
I'd noticed something had been done to me, and I was giving off a hostile vibe myself.
No matter what I asked, the entourage might attack.
But it felt wasteful not to ask.
I might not get another chance.
There were things I needed to know.
I took a deep breath.
"Divine Maiden. Forgive the intrusion, but may I ask one question?"
Getting permission before asking.
That kind of pacing mattered.
And on top of that, to avoid looking like I was prying, I'd limit myself to one question.
"Yes, of course."
"In recent times, has a person claiming to be God appeared in your dreams and left you with some kind of prophecy?"
"No. Not recently — not ever. And I'm certain it won't happen in the future either."
The princess answered firmly and without hesitation.
She looked at me, listened to me, and declared with conviction that it had never happened and never would.
She seemed absolutely certain about that.
If so, this, too, must relate to her ability.
Perhaps the Human God couldn't meet her — or she had some ability that kept him away.
Could she actually read minds?
The Human God would have even more reason than me to dread being read.
"Thank you."
I relaxed my shoulders.
As long as she wasn't an enemy, that was enough for now.
Even if what she'd just said was a lie from the Miko, I'd believe it for the time being.
"Now then, it's my turn to ask!"
"...Hm? Yes, go ahead."
What else was she going to ask?
If she could read minds, there'd be no need to ask anything.
For now, her ability didn't seem to be active all the time.
She needed to make eye contact and do something for it to activate.
I just needed to avoid looking into her eyes... right?
"Tell me about Lady Eris!"
"...Sure."
Oh, just that?
Fine.
Anyway, as long as she was neither an enemy nor connected to the Human God, I'd trust her.
And on that basis, I'd spread the good word about President Orsted's services.
Our company's insurance plans
cover even those with pre-existing conditions.
With our eighty-year coverage guarantee, even when an accident occurs, our excellent staff will be there to help.
Additionally, our company is always recruiting excellent staff...
No wait — I shouldn't antagonize the Miko when I was about to ask the Pope to be my backer.
"Rudeus! Rudeus, are you not here?!"
Just as I was thinking this, I heard a voice calling me from a distance.
It was Cliff.
It seemed he'd finally gotten the go-ahead.
"Ah... I'm sorry, Divine Maiden. I believe my time is up."
"Oh no...!"
The princess's brows drooped, and so did her entourage's, ratcheting up the hostility toward me.
Amusing.
And fascinating.
She was someone I wanted to talk with more.
But keeping the Pope waiting took priority.
"I'll be staying in this town for a while, so I'll tell you about Eris then..."
"You'd better keep your promise!"
I bowed to the princess, then asked Therese to pass along a message.
"And Therese, if you go to the main family, please tell Claire this: 'I'll take responsibility for Mother's care myself, so stay out of it.' And if the family wants compensation for the support they gave the Fittoa Region search party, have them name a price — I'll pay in cash."
"...Got it. I'll pass that along."
"Thank you."
I bowed to Therese, gave a nod to the entourage, and left.
The Miko, huh.
On the surface, she seemed like a sheltered daddy's girl.
Or maybe just the otaku circle's princess, but I'd sensed something unfathomable beneath.
She'd clearly stated that she wasn't my enemy.
But she seemed to know about the Human God.
I'd keep my guard up.
Ah — I forgot to ask her name.
Oh well.
With that thought, I made my way to where Cliff, permit in hand, was waiting for me.