Chapter 2
In her previous life, Liriette had used her divine power to save Noel’s life.
But after that day…
She never saw Noel again.
The High Priest locked Liriette away in a room and forbade anyone from seeing her.
Whenever Liriette lost the will to live and refused to eat, the High Priest would threaten her with Noel’s name.
“If you don’t eat, Noel won’t eat either. And if you die… I’ll kill Noel as well.”
No…
Please don’t.
Liriette forced herself to swallow every meal and resisted the urge to wound herself.
Then, many years later…
She learned the truth.
Noel had discovered that she herself had become the chain binding Liriette.
Unable to bear it any longer, Noel had taken her own life long ago.
When Liriette heard the news…
She completely fell apart.
“Liri? What’s wrong?”
Noel approached with a worried expression.
“Does something hurt? Did you have a scary dream?”
Jet-black eyes, as bright and innocent as a puppy’s.
Thin white fingers moving restlessly.
It really was Noel.
Liriette threw herself into Noel’s arms.
Startled at first, Noel stared at her before gently stroking her fluffy silver hair.
It’s okay… It’s okay, Liri.
Liriette had missed this clumsy yet warm comfort more than anything.
“Waaahhh!”
She buried her face against Noel’s chest and cried like a little child.
Having no idea what was wrong, Noel began sniffling too.
Even so, she never stopped patting Liriette’s tiny head.
* * *
After crying for an entire hour, both girls’ eyes were swollen.
Blinking through her puffy eyelids, Noel asked once more,
“You’re really okay?”
“I am.”
Liriette had no intention of telling Noel the truth.
Even if my story sounds unbelievable, Noel would believe every word.
That was exactly why she couldn’t tell her.
It would only fill Noel with fear and confusion.
She didn’t want Noel to suffer over events that hadn’t even happened yet.
More importantly…
No matter what, I’m never going to let the horrors of my previous life happen again.
To do that…
The first thing she needed to do was escape the High Priest’s grasp.
But how?
Within the temple, the High Priest was absolute.
Every priest and priestess obeyed him.
Escaping under those circumstances was impossible.
Then… what if I borrow power from outside?
No matter how influential the High Priest was…
His authority only extended within the temple.
Outside it, there were many people powerful enough to challenge him.
If I can get one of them to help me, I’ll be able to leave this place.
In her previous life, Liriette had healed countless influential nobles under the High Priest’s orders.
They were all wealthy and powerful.
Remembering them wasn’t difficult.
A moment later, her sky-blue eyes lit up.
“…The Duke of Windsorice.”
The man known as the Empire’s Ice Shield…
Or the Monster Slayer.
The Duchy of Windsorice lay in the frozen northern frontier.
There, the duke endlessly exterminated monsters pouring over the mountain ranges, protecting the empire’s borders.
Without question…
He was the strongest man in the empire.
But he had a secret.
“The duke suffered a terrible injury around this time of year.”
Monster venom had damaged his eyes.
Surprisingly, almost no one knew about it.
Because the duke had hidden the injury perfectly.
He managed to keep it secret for more than ten years.
It was only possible because he remained secluded in his northern castle.
Around the time rumors spread that Liriette could cure any illness with divine power…
The duke had personally come to see her.
He had offered to pay any price if she could heal his eyes.
He still hadn’t found a cure by then…
Which means he’ll need my help this time too.
Liriette reached a conclusion.
I’ll meet the duke… and make a deal with him.
Unfortunately…
There was one enormous obstacle.
The Duke of Windsorice lived far away in the distant north.
Worse still…
Liriette couldn’t even step outside the temple grounds.
Under these circumstances…
Only one person could help her.
* * *
Noel’s eyes widened.
“You want me to send a letter?”
“Yes.”
“To the Duke of Windsorice… in the north?”
“Yes.”
Liriette was a child under the High Priest’s care.
Every priest and priestess had a duty to report anything involving her.
“Then I’ll ask the High Priest for permission before sending it.”
“No.”
“He’ll never allow it.”
“But if I send it secretly and he finds out…”
“The High Priest will be furious.”
It wasn’t simply that Noel feared disobeying him.
She was terrified thinking about the punishment waiting for Liriette, who was already beaten so often.
Liriette understood exactly how Noel felt.
Even so, she pleaded once more.
“Please, Noel.”
The desperation in her voice made Noel’s dark eyes waver.
After a long silence…
She nodded.
“…All right.”
“I’ll do it.”
“Thank you, Noel.”
“No…”
“I’m just happy there’s something I can do for you.”
Noel smiled softly.
Despite being older, her smile was even more childlike than ten-year-old Liriette’s.
She tucked the letter safely into her robes.
Although Noel also belonged to the temple and couldn’t leave freely…
She was occasionally sent outside on errands.
She used one of those opportunities to mail the letter.
Far…
Far away to the northern frontier.
From that day on, Liriette prayed every single day with her hands clasped together.
Please let the letter arrive safely.
Please… let the Duke of Windsorice read it.
Then…
Exactly one month after sending the letter…
Something unbelievable happened.
A knight from the House of Windsorice arrived at the temple.
* * *
The once-peaceful temple erupted into chaos.
A company of knights clad in gleaming silver armor had appeared.
The enormous man standing at their head bowed respectfully.
“My greetings to the High Priest.”
“My name is Vilaim, a knight serving His Grace, the Duke of Windsorice.”
The High Priest was taken aback.
It was an extremely rare occasion for someone from the distant northern duchy to visit a temple in the imperial capital.
“You must have had a difficult journey.”
“But what brings you all the way here?”
“We’ve come to meet the Goddess’s child.”
The High Priest immediately relaxed.
Smiling benevolently, he replied,
“Ah, you’ve come to see our Liriette.”
“Please wait just a moment.”
Before long…
Liriette entered the room.
“Hello.”
“My name is Liriette.”
A small girl with fluffy silver hair cascading down her back and dressed in a shabby gray dress.
Looking down at the tiny child before him, Vilaim asked,
“So it’s true?”
“You possess divine power?”
Although the question had been directed at Liriette…
It was the High Priest who answered.
“Indeed.”
“Not only I, but every priest capable of sensing divine power has confirmed it.”
Then he added with practiced ease,
“Unfortunately, her divine power has not yet awakened.”
“But with a little more time, she will display extraordinary abilities.”
“She’ll be able to heal any illness or injury.”
“When that day comes, we intend to devote her gifts entirely to those generous people who believed in and supported her.”
The meaning was obvious.
Donate now…
And later, you would receive Liriette’s healing.
Vilaim’s thick eyebrows twitched.
“I understand your intentions, High Priest.”
“In that case…”
“On behalf of the House of Windsorice, we will donate one billion gold to the temple.”
One billion gold.
The High Priest’s eyes widened.
He could barely suppress the grin spreading across his face.
Then Vilaim continued.
“However…”
“We have one request.”
“Please, ask anything.”
The High Priest answered eagerly, as though he’d gladly offer up one of his own organs.
“His Grace, the Duke of Windsorice, wishes to meet the Goddess’s child in person.”
“Would you permit us to bring the girl to Windsorice Castle for a visit?”
“…!”
The proposal was so unexpected that the High Priest could only blink.
Then his expression hardened.
“Liriette is a precious child.”
“We treasure and protect her here in the temple.”
“If anything were to happen to her outside…”
“That would be unacceptable.”
“If that’s your concern, there’s no need to worry.”
“The House of Windsorice possesses the greatest military strength in the empire.”
“Even if an enraged dragon appeared before the child…”
“We would ensure she suffered not even the slightest scratch.”
Vilaim flexed an arm as thick as the High Priest’s head.
Looking at those enormous muscles…
It certainly seemed believable.
Even so…
The High Priest shook his head again.
“If His Grace wishes to see Liriette so badly…”
“Why doesn’t the duke simply come to the temple himself?”
“As you already know…”
“His Grace guards the empire’s northern frontier.”
“He cannot abandon his post when monsters may invade at any moment.”
Before the High Priest could object again…
Vilaim spoke first.
“If you allow the child to accompany us…”
“The House of Windsorice will donate another one billion gold in gratitude.”
A total of…
Two billion gold.
An unimaginable sum.
Even if all the donations the temple had received over the past year were combined…
They still wouldn’t equal that amount.
