Chapter 94: Worldly Desires “Damn it… this is frustrating. I’ll go do a little…” — PAAN! …THUD
The dance time ended, and as the closing of the Night Soiree, it was time for His Majesty the King to bestow rewards upon Lecty and Rosalie. The nobles who had participated in the Night Soiree watched from a distance, their eyes fixed on the two girls facing the throne.
“Rosalie, the Holy Maiden of the Church, state the reward you desire.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I wish to receive support for the Church.”
“Hmm… Very well.”
“I am deeply grateful for your benevolence, Your Majesty.”
Rosalie expressed her gratitude and bowed gracefully.
Rosalie’s request was within the scope that Prince Lucas and Lily had anticipated. It seems that donations to the Church have been decreasing year by year, and their financial situation is not very good. It’s only natural that they would seek financial assistance.
However, it wasn’t very well received by the nobles.
“We’ve been making large donations from the national treasury every year.”
“It seems faith can be bought with money.”
“How shameless…”
My enhanced hearing picked up the complaints of some of the nobles. Even if they believe in the Divine Blessing Church, not everyone is positive about the Church.
“Next is Lecty, the maiden with the «Holy Maiden» Skill. What reward do you seek?”
“Y-yes. I…”
Lecty’s face turned pale, and she moved her mouth as if she couldn’t speak. We had discussed the reward beforehand, but she must be too nervous to get the words out. However, I can’t help her out like I usually do. Do your best, Lecty…!
“I, I, I want to live quietly. I’m not good at standing out. For now, if I can continue living at the academy as before, that’s enough…”
“Hmm. So, you seek peace as a reward. That’s quite selfless. I had even considered making you the next King’s consort if you had asked.”
“W-what…!?”
“Well, fine. Then, by Royal Decree, I shall prohibit any excessive interference with you. From now on, any act of wielding power to force Lecty to obey orders is completely forbidden. Those who violate this will be punished in the name of the King. Is that acceptable?”
“Y-yes! Thank you very much!”
Lecty bowed her head repeatedly.
We had gotten His Majesty the King to agree beforehand through Prince Lucas. The talk about her becoming a consort gave me a scare, but with this, Lecty’s safety is secured for the time being. From now on, even the Prince cannot use his power to control Lecty.
After that, the Night Soiree ended without incident, and we returned to the academy in Alissa-san’s carriage.
The next day, when the Royal Decree was officially issued and posted on the academy’s bulletin board, the number of noble children approaching Lecty decreased significantly.
Although she was still being watched from a distance, almost no students she didn’t know would talk to her. The timing, just before the mid-term exams, also helped, and the area around Lecty became quite calm.
For me, an environment where I could finally concentrate on my studies was established, and I was able to face the mid-term exams with a good, though not perfect, feeling.
The mid-term exams, like the entrance exams, consisted of two parts: a practical skill test and a written test. I easily cleared the practical skill test by switching to the Ignition Skill, and I was confident that I had earned significantly more points on the written test than I had during the entrance exam. It was all thanks to Rouge, who had studied with me every day.
After the two-day test period, I returned to my room and collapsed onto the bed.
“It’s over~”
How many decades has it been since I last felt this sense of liberation from tests? I buried my face in the sheets, enveloped in a sweet scent similar to osmanthus. …This is completely Rouge’s bed now.
“Mmm~! It’s over, isn’t it?”
Rouge, who had sat down next to me with a thump, stretched. She then flopped onto her back, turning only her face towards me.
“Do you have any plans for tomorrow’s day off?”
“No. Is there somewhere you want to go?”
“Yeah. I’m a little worried about Rosalie… You know, we didn’t get to talk much at the last Night Soiree, or when she treated the… His Majesty the King.”
“Ah… That’s true.”
I hadn’t been able to talk to Rosalie since I turned down the dance invitation to look for Rouge. I’m also curious about the state of the Church, so it might be a good idea to go to the Grand Cathedral.
“Okay, I’ll go with you.”
“Thanks, Hugh!”
Rouge jumped up and leaped onto my back.
“Oof…!”
“Ahaha! Hugh, that was a weird sound!”
“It’s because you jumped on me! And get off me.”
“Ehh~. Am I heavy…?”
“No, you’re not heavy, but…”
“Then I won’t get off~”
“You…”
Was it after we danced at the Night Soiree? Rouge has become even more clingy than before, or rather, she’s been more physically affectionate… I don’t dislike it, but it makes me flustered and my reason is about to fly away, so I wish she’d stop. Seriously, I really mean it…
The next day, Rouge and I finished breakfast and left the academy. We were heading towards the white spire that towered over the Royal Capital. The Reese Cathedral of the Divine Blessing Church.
We bought croissants at a bakery along the way as a gift for Rosalie, and when we got close to the Grand Cathedral…
“Huh…?”
Rouge stopped and tilted her head. At the end of her gaze, the entrance door that was open to visitors of the Grand Cathedral was closed.
“Did we come too early…?”
“No, it should have been open at this time the other day.”
Is today a day when it’s not open to the public? Perhaps there’s some kind of religious ceremony… No, but there are people gathered in front of the door.
Moreover, it doesn’t seem like they’re tourists.
“Open the door! My son is about to die!”
“Holy Maiden-sama, please help my mother!”
“Holy Maiden-sama!”
“Holy Maiden-samaaa!”
The people gathered in front of the door were residents of the Royal Capital. They all seemed to be people who had family members suffering from illness, or who were themselves afflicted with disease.
…My bad premonition came true.
People suffering from illness have gathered, seeking the power of the Holy Maiden who healed His Majesty the King. There are only about a dozen people now, but if the rumor spreads throughout the Kingdom of Reese, many more people will come here.
“It’s become a big problem… It might be difficult to meet Rosalie.”
“That’s right…”
The fact that the door is closed probably means that Rosalie is away or taking a break. Even if we waited here, there’s no guarantee we’d be able to meet her, and even if we did, it doesn’t seem like we’d have the time to talk leisurely.
I was about to suggest turning back to Rouge when I suddenly felt a gaze from somewhere. I was able to notice it because I had switched to my «Ninja» Skill just in case. When I looked up, I could see pink hair in the window of the spire.
Rosalie’s eyes widened as if she had noticed us. When I held up the bakery’s paper bag, she turned around and started talking to someone.
Shortly after, a young woman with an impressive navy blue bob cut came running towards us from the back of the Grand Cathedral.
“Rouge-sama and Hugh-sama, it’s been a while.”
“You’re Rosalie’s…”
“I’m Cicely, her bodyguard.”
Cicely-san placed her hand on her chest and bowed. Today, she wasn’t wearing the Holy Knight’s breastplate or sword that she had worn when we met before. She was dressed in ordinary clothes. It must be because if it was known that she was a member of the Church, the people gathered at the door would swarm her.
Cicely-san looked around and lowered her voice as she spoke to us.
“Rosalie-sama has said that she wants to meet with you two. Would you please follow me?”
Rouge and I looked at each other and nodded in response to Cicely-san.
It seems like there’s some complicated situation going on…