Chapter 7: An Angel

It’d been two weeks since I visited Johann. Achille had been acting weird ever since this morning, stealing glances at me before quickly looking away and breathing heavy sighs.

Hold up... Has he finally fallen for my womanly charms?

And no, that wasn’t just me overthinking things! In fact, how couldn’t I think that? You’d have to be blind not to notice how suspicious he was acting.

Everyone at the workshop kept praising my cooking, and I understood why they lived the messy lifestyles they did. I was interested in what they were researching, so I’d often glance over their shoulders while they worked, and sometimes even asked questions. I didn’t try and scold them or be hard on them like other girls would probably do. I was probably the ideal wife for broke researchers like them—as long as they could get past that I was flat as a board and the look in my eyes could make children cry inside. Even if they thought I looked to be around twelve, it would only take around three more years until I came into my own as a woman. I didn’t expect I’d get even a centimeter taller than I was now, but I was at least counting on my chest to fill out a tiny bit more. Until then, I’d just keep helping out with whatever they needed as their fiancée. That said, my physical body was fifteen years old. I thought it might be a little too early to actually start looking for a spouse now. I wanted to travel around this world and enjoy seeing what it had to offer. Marriage could come after that.

Though Achille was an aristocrat, there was almost no chance he was going to inherit any sort of title. People like him would usually aim to be a knight or a diplomat or something, but not Achille. I really had thought he was a good guy, but I just didn’t know if he was husband material. When I thought about spending the rest of my life with him, it was like... Well, it didn’t sound bad carving out our own happy niche in the world, setting up our own little workshop and having a bunch of kids, but there was still so much I wanted to do...

“Hey, Kaoru... You got a second?”

“Y-Yes!”

It’s happening!

“There’s actually something I wanted to ask you...”

“Yes...?”

Achille paused, thinking over his next words.

“Kaoru... Would you, um... Would you be my fiancée?”

I knew it!!!

Behind us, Alban and Brian dropped the tools they were holding.

Wait, you guys too? Am I finally at that point in my life where I’m popular with all the boys?!

“F-For just a day!”

Oh, of freakin’ course!

And so, I asked for an explanation, and an apology.

Of course I was going to have him apologize for getting my hopes up then crushing them all in one fell swoop. It wasn’t like I was expecting anything to happen, though! I was totally planning on turning him down! I was just a bit disappointed, that was all!

According to what Achille had to say, in ten days there was going to be a birthday party for Cedric, who was the oldest brother, and also the heir to the family name. However, this wasn’t just a party, but a chance for Cedric to find a potential spouse, as well. He’d apparently had himself a fiancée ever since he was a child, but she’d passed away due to illness two years ago. He’d finally managed to get over that sadness, and was ready to start looking again. Thanks to the sudden boom in girls trying to marry lower-class aristocrats that was sweeping the neighboring country, this party was supposed to be packed full of the daughters of aristocrats, affluent merchants, and even the third and fourth daughters from the families of earls and marquises.

Why is that even a trend in the first place, though...

Anyway, Achille’s dad was thinking that this might be Achille’s lucky break to find a third daughter of some baron to get engaged to, or maybe even the daughter of a merchant, which was why his father was being pretty strict about making sure he came to the party. The second-oldest son had already found a fiancée too.

Achille wouldn’t look half-bad if he cleaned up and wore some fancier clothes, after all, and that wasn’t mentioning the huge implications it would have for any merchant’s daughter coming from a commoner’s background being able to marry into the aristocracy through him. His parents had let him do what he wanted till now, but it seemed like they were beginning to get worried, and therefore he couldn’t go against them and not show up for the party.

Achille was still having a blast with his research, according to the man himself, and wasn’t even thinking about marriage yet. He knew he wouldn’t be able to keep up his current research if he suddenly tied the knot with someone, which was where I came in apparently.

“You only have to pretend to be my fiancée at the party, please! That way I can get past this somehow!”

You kidding me?

“I’m just a commoner, though.”

“And I’m not much different, being the third son of a low-ranking aristocrat. My parents wouldn’t have anything to complain about if I brought you, Kaoru!”

“Psssh...”

“Please, I’m begging you! I won’t complain, even if this all goes horribly wrong! Just think of it as helping a guy out!”

He kept on begging and eventually I gave in. I did turn down his offer to get me a dress, though, and told him I had an idea of where I could find one. Achille seemed a bit doubtful, but was convinced after I swore to the Goddess herself that I wouldn’t stand him up.

I also made sure to add a condition of my own: I wanted him to treat me as a girl he was trying to get close with, rather than his actual fiancée. If word spread that I was engaged to someone, it could affect my prospects down the line when I actually began looking into snagging someone to marry myself. I didn’t want to be known as the girl who broke off an engagement because of something like this. That was super important to me, so there was no way I’d back down on that!

Achille looked a little bummed out when I said as much, but he said he understood. All that was left now was for him to have his family get my invitation ready. This just may have been that chance I’d been waiting for.

All right, I’m gonna get out there and make my move!

I asked Achille to give me the rundown on pretty much everything I could think of: the party we were going to, the Lyodart household (which was the family he belonged to), his brother Cedric, his servants, any encounters he’d had with viscounts; the whole shebang. The first ingredient to any good strategy was information after all.

“Hi there. Is Johann here?”

The employee was thoroughly taken aback when Kaoru asked for the owner of the company by name.

“Do you think you could tell him that Kaoru is here to see him?”

For some reason, the worker felt like they shouldn’t ignore the young girl’s words and went to the back to fetch the owner. If he said to turn her away, then they would just turn her away and that would be that. Still, something inside them was saying they shouldn’t make that decision themselves—and a merchant should always respect their intuitions.

“Glad to have you here, Kaoru! Come on back. Fancy some tea and snacks?”

Good, he’s still talking normally with me. Whew.

The worker who showed me in seemed pretty relieved about something. If I had to guess, it was almost like they were glad their intuition was right on the money.

“I’ve got your dress, shoes, and everything else you’ll need all ready for you. Is it almost time to put ’em to good use?”

Nice one, Johann! You’ve got some good intuition on ya!

“I’ll be attending a viscount’s party nine days from now, so I was hoping you could let me change outfits here before I go. I’d also like to request a carriage, if that would be all right.”

“Just leave it to me! This sounds like it’ll be fun, so I think I’ll tag along as well—but in a different carriage, of course. I’ll be sure to pretend like I don’t know you.”

Seriously?

“But what about an invitation?”

“Just who exactly do you think you’re talking to? I’m the owner of a vast trading corporation who also happens to have a daughter at the perfect age to look for suitors. It’s only a matter of time before they send one our way, and even if they don’t take the initiative, all I have to do is say that we wish to attend and they’ll send one of their stewards rushing our way to get us one. My daughter was completely healed by the angel the Goddess sent, after all. This could be a good chance to get back into mingling with high society. If we’re talking about a party in nine days, it must be that birthday bash at the Lyodart household, am I right?”

Wow, he already knew... That’s the owner of a huge company for you.

“Oh,” Kaoru interjected, “I’ll be getting my own accessories ready, by the way, so no need to worry about that.”

“Huh?”

Achille von Lyodart, the third oldest son of the Lyodart household, seemed restless as he nervously scanned the party venue.

Is she here yet? No, still don’t see her...

It wasn’t like he doubted her, but he was uneasy about whether some sort of unforeseen trouble or accident could keep her from coming.

Cedric, the guest of honor for today’s party, was already present, along with the rest of the Lyodart family. It appeared that most of the guests had already arrived, as well. This wasn’t like parties back in Japan, where the host would give a speech right at the beginning. Carriages and wagons were the de facto method of transportation here, and were also the reason guests would often be late arriving to these soirées. That’s why most people would chat and mingle for a certain amount of time before the hosts got into their speeches and whatnot, which was why it could be said that the party had already begun.

Right as Achille’s nerves were about to reach a breaking point, a small girl showed up at the party.

Viscount Lyodart was suddenly made aware that the conversations he’d been hearing around him had died out, and the party had gone completely silent.

Did something happen...?

Not only was this a party for his oldest son, but a chance for him to find a suitable partner for himself. He couldn’t let someone come in and rain on their parade.

The viscount turned his gaze to look where all the stupefied guests were focused, finding the source of the commotion to be a twelve-year-old girl. She had glossy black hair that came down to her shoulders, and a face that was quite pleasing to the eye. The look in her own eyes was a bit sharp, but that showed how strong her will was as an aristocrat. And that outfit! Words couldn’t describe the beauty of that pure white dress that adorned her figure. It was enough to make anyone think she was a member of the royal family—and that wasn’t even mentioning the jewels on her necklace and hair ornaments. Just how much could something like that be worth?!

No, it wasn’t a simple matter of price here. There were just some things in this world that one couldn’t buy, no matter how much money they managed to save, and that perfectly described the various accessories she wore.

She was still a young girl, not quite of age yet, but that only meant it was a matter of waiting a few years. She had the type of beautiful, graceful figure that would make anyone more than happy to watch her mature from as close as they could get. Her eyes seemed to reveal how intelligent and sadistic...er, strong-willed...she was, and who knew how many hundreds of gold coins her jewelry cost...

What family does she belong to? Or is she a princess from some country attending incognito? Those eyes definitely make her seem like she would let out a high-pitched, derisive laugh, just like someone of that stature would do...

The party stayed dead silent. Everyone watched as the girl walked directly toward where Viscount Lyodart and Cedric were seated...then took a right and headed for the food corner.

The viscount’s head dropped in pure shock. She’d just blown right past them all. Everyone’s heart stopped all at once when they saw her begin happily (and haphazardly) piling food onto her plate.

Her dress is going to get dirty!!!

Several maids practically flew over to her, taking the plate away from the girl and asking what she wanted so they could get it for her. Taking the now full plate back, the girl looked like she was in heaven as she dug into the food.

Sound finally returned to the once quiet party, and a swarm of boys had formed around her, ready to try and talk to the girl. However, it was basic manners not to talk with someone who was holding a plate of food, and none of them were able to approach, as she showed no signs of stopping her personal all-you-can-eat buffet.

And, boy, did the girl just keep on eating. The group of men were restless and fidgeting, each one ready to fight for the chance to talk with her first.

The girl glanced over toward the men, then finally set her plate down on the table.

N-Now’s our chance!!!

Right when the boys scrambled at the chance to be the first one to talk with her—

“Thanks for inviting me, Achille!” the girl announced with a smile, staring straight at the third-oldest son of the Lyodart household.

“K-Kaoru...?” Achille barely managed to reply, his mouth agape.

What’s going on here? That girl knows Achille somehow? But even though I’m curious, I can’t just butt into the conversation... I have to fulfill my duty as host of the party.

Viscount Lyodart suppressed his urge to rush over to his son and begin interrogating the boy for all the details.

Cedric was dying to know what was going on, as well, but he was stuck in the same position as his father and couldn’t leave his seat at the host’s table. He had to stay there so they could both greet the various families and potential wives who came to see them.

Just who is that girl, and how does she know Achille??? the two thought.

“Would you be kind enough to introduce this young lady to us, Lord Achille?” the group of men surrounding Achille asked, urging him along.

It would be a cinch to approach her if she were alone, but if the girl’s family, friends, or acquaintances were in attendance as well, it was an unspoken rule to have them introduce her to the men instead.

“R-Right... This is Kaoru.”

There wasn’t anything else he could say besides that. She couldn’t say her family name, since she was only a commoner, and there wasn’t any way he could tell them she was the housekeeper for his workshop. If he tried introducing her like that, when she was wearing such a dress and such jewelry, they were liable to tell him to quit screwing around.

Achille was at a loss for what to do—which was when Kaoru came to his rescue.

“My name’s Kaoru, and as for my family name... Let’s just keep that a secret for now, please.”

Their suspicions that Kaoru was here incognito were all but confirmed by the fact that she was hiding her name. Judging by the way Achille was acting, they came to the conclusion that the two were no more than acquaintances at best, and the scramble to be the first to talk with her was on once more. They made sure not to ask about where she came from, and no one here was rude enough to ask how old a lady was, of course.

“Do you happen to have a significant other you’re engaged to, Kaoru?”

“No, not yet. It’s a tradition in our family for us to find a gentleman ourselves, you see.”

The excitement of the group was reaching a fever pitch as they saw Kaoru gently smile at them. Their ages ranged from early to late teens, some a little older than that, and some even older. There was definitely a wide variety of men around her.

“How do you happen to know Achille?”

“He’s one of the first friends I made after coming to this country, and I’m indebted to him for what he’s done for me. He even eats my cooking and tells me it’s delicious.”

She wasn’t lying.

Though the gathering hadn’t thought there was anything special between Achille and the girl, they were all on high alert now that they’d heard she’d made home-cooked meals for him. She was even casual enough to address him without using any titles...

“You can cook?”

“I can. I’d say I’m pretty good at it too. When I heard they’d be serving a feast at this party, I asked Achille to let me come as well so I could compare it with my own country’s dishes.”

So that explains why she was digging in earlier... thought the flock around her. In reality, Kaoru just wanted to stuff her face after seeing the spread here. She’d always been raised with the idea of getting her money’s worth out of all-you-can-eat buffets, after all (though it hadn’t cost her a single coin to get into the party).

“W-Well, then you should come to a party at our estate as well! You could try a whole assortment of our best dishes there!”

“Well our head chef used to work at the royal palace, you see...”

“But in our family...”

What followed was an almost endless stream of invitations for Kaoru to try their various households’ cooking and attend their parties.

Achille couldn’t say a word to her. He was shaken after witnessing this new side of Kaoru, a girl who didn’t seem like a commoner in the slightest.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you kindly for coming today!”

Viscount Lyodart’s voice echoed throughout the party venue, signaling that it was time to begin formal introductions. The group surrounding Kaoru couldn’t just ignore this, so they scattered and headed toward the front.

After thanking the guests for taking time out of their schedules to come to the party, the viscount touched upon some of the recent happenings in the kingdom before finally introducing the main focus of the occasion: Cedric. He also made sure to talk about his second and third sons, as well mentioning that Cedric and Achille specifically were still without their own fiancées. When he did, he sent a quick glance toward Achille and the raven-haired girl standing next to his son.

After the introductions and speeches were finished, the conversations from before started up once more, and the same gaggle of guys from before were heading back toward Kaoru. This time, however, there was an entirely new wave of people forming.

“Hey, Achille, what are they all doing?”

A flood of girls were making their way toward the viscount and Cedric, each one of them holding something in their hands.

“O-Oh, right, them. Those girls are heading over to see my brother and give him gifts. It’s sort of a way of telling him to ‘remember my name, please’ by doing that,” Achille answered back, finally able to get a word in with Kaoru. “Anyone who’s already married, going to be married, or in a relationship with someone won’t go though.”

“Huh? You didn’t tell me about that.”

“That’s because it doesn’t have anything to do with you, right?”

Kaoru sank deep in thought after hearing that.

Hmm... All right, change of plans: I’m going up there!

“I’ll just go and say hi as well then!”

“Huh? Wait, what? What are you... Wait, you can’t! Don’t go!”

The color quickly drained from Achille’s face as he desperately tried holding me back, but I nimbly slid my arm from his grip and headed toward the host’s table. I scanned the room as I did, checking to see which of the servants here matched the description of the person Achille was telling me about earlier.

By the time I made it to the front of the room, the line of girls had stretched out pretty far. It looked like everyone had the hots for the oldest son... I wonder why?

“Oh my, are you going to meet with Lord Cedric as well?”

After I took my place in the back of the line, the girl just in front of me spoke up. She had golden blonde pigtails done to look like two spiraling drills that curled down toward the floor, and she really gave off that “rich aristocrat girl” vibe.

“It appears you don’t have anything to present him with though, doesn’t it. Are you planning on greeting him empty-handed?”

It was hard to tell if she was throwing shade my way because I’d been the center of attention for all those guys earlier, or because I’d stumbled into a battlefield where all the girls here were vying for Cedric’s attention.

“Oh, that’s all right. No need to worry about me,” I said with a casual reply.

“Oh, is that so? By the by, I’ve heard girls who have dropped and broken their presents would do things such as kiss the hand of the person they met with, or give them permission to call them by a pet name in lieu of gifts,” the aristocratic girl said before turning back around with a “hmph.”

That was probably her giving me advice, since it looked like I didn’t have anything to give Cedric.

W-Wow... She’s actually a really nice girl.

Each girl in line would hand Cedric their gift and chat with him a little before switching with whoever was next. The amount of them left gradually dwindled, and it finally came to be Kaoru’s turn, since she was waiting at the end of the line.

“Wait, you’re...”

Cedric couldn’t hide his shock at seeing the raven-haired girl from before, especially since he wasn’t expecting her to come to see him.

“So you’re not my little brother’s girlfriend?”

“I’m a friend of Achille’s. He’s a very nice person.”

“A nice person, huh. Haha...”

Cedric gave a feeble chuckle, feeling a bit sorry for his little brother, while Viscount Lyodart let out a strained laugh from beside him.

“Thank you very much for inviting me today. I wanted to take the chance to meet Achille’s father and older brother, so I ended up in line as well.”

“Speaking of my little brother,” Cedric said, glancing at a very pale Achille, “it looks like he’s about to keel over at any second...”

“Anyway, I didn’t want to line up without having anything to give, so, without further ado...”

Though she said that, it didn’t seem like the girl had anything on her, and it wasn’t like she was going to give him any of the jewels laden in the accessories she wore.

“Do you think you could call Calvin here?”

“What...?”

Cedric was rendered speechless after hearing the last words he ever expected to come from the girl’s mouth.

Calvin was one of the guards assigned to protecting Cedric, but also his sparring partner for training in swordplay. Cedric looked to Calvin as an older brother and a friend.

One day, Cedric had managed to break free of the vassal in charge of watching over him, and went off rather recklessly to hunt on his own. He was eventually set upon by a graybear, and Calvin stepped in to protect him, taking on grievous wounds in the process.

Calvin lost the ability to use his left leg during the incident, which meant not only could he no longer fulfill his role of guarding Cedric, but he couldn’t take on work as a soldier or hunter either. In fact, there weren’t really any jobs for a man with a lame leg who only had a talent for wielding a sword. But even if he’d lost his ability to work as a swordsman, there was no way Cedric could just drive him away, especially when it was Cedric’s own foolish actions that caused Calvin to lose his future in the first place. The viscount had no intention of abandoning the man who injured himself protecting a noble’s son either.

Because Calvin wasn’t able to freely use his leg anymore, he was kept on as a servant, instead. He’d considered retiring on his own if he couldn’t be of use to the family employing him. However, he began thinking of ways he might be useful if he stayed on as a servant, like blending in with the other workers to fend off thieves and intruders in the event of a home invasion, or being a shield to protect those he served, should it come down to it. That was how he built up the determination to work as a servant instead.

To Cedric, though, it was a constant reminder of his guilt and self-loathing over what had happened. And now, this girl was telling him to call Calvin here and show everyone just how foolish he’d been.

“So...” Cedric grimaced. “You want me to call Calvin...”

“Yes, please do.”

It was impossible to tell if the girl knew about the suffering Cedric had gone through. She merely stared straight at him, never breaking eye contact.

Silence...

No one was able to make a sound in the dead quiet of the room. Even Viscount Lyodart couldn’t help but hold his tongue.

“Calvin, come here!” Cedric ordered, finally breaking the silence.

A servant slowly approached Cedric, dragging his left leg along as he did.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Kaoru shouted, addressing the partygoers. “Here stands Calvin, a man who stood between Cedric and a graybear to protect his charge.”

Murmurs of admiration filled the room. There weren’t any nobles who hadn’t heard the story of how Prince Roland used his body as a shield to save his little brother, the now current king. Hearing of someone who had done essentially the same thing deserved their respect and commendation.

“But because of his injuries, he was no longer able to fight.”

Cedric’s face twisted in anguish at her words, but Calvin didn’t seem to pay it any mind.

Kaoru then took a wine glass that wasn’t being used from the table.

“Here before you stands a man who was faithful enough to sacrifice his own body to protect the son of the man he serves, and the viscount has kept him in service to show gratitude for that loyalty. Anyone who thinks they are at all worthy enough to receive the blessing of the Goddess, please raise your right hand!”

Everyone present did so; there wasn’t a single person here dense enough not to. Who knew what people would say if they didn’t.

“Next, reach out and face the palms of your hands toward this glass!” Kaoru thrust the wine glass she held in her right hand into the air. “Everyone, pray for the blessing of the Goddess!”

The guests all turned their palms to the glass, going along with the mood in the room. The moment they did, a red mist began forming a few centimeters above the glass Kaoru still held. As they partygoers looked on in astonishment, the mist gradually came together to form red droplets of liquid, eventually turning into a sphere that plopped down into the wine glass with a soft, splashing noise.

“Here, Calvin,” Kaoru proclaimed, her voice ringing out loud and clear throughout the room. The other guests couldn’t make a sound, their ability to speak overpowered by the shock and awe that gripped them.

She held out the glass to him, but Calvin was frozen in place.

“Ah... Ahh...”

Kaoru walked over to him, taking his hand and having him take the glass. “Drink this, please.”

With trembling hands, he brought the glass to his lips and downed the red liquid it held. Then...

“It’s...moving... I-It’s bending just like it could before...”

At first, he only tried gingerly moving it, slowly putting more and more strength into his movements as he kept testing his leg. Eventually, he even began jumping up and down on it.

After trying out moving his leg to his heart’s content, he turned toward Cedric. “Haha... I can move it! Now I can accompany you to the mountains or the fields, and we can train in swordplay again... I... I can protect you, again!”

The rest of his words were overtaken by sobs as he broke down crying. Cedric ran over and embraced him, tears streaming down both their cheeks.

“Calvin! Oh, Calvin!”

Tears welled up in the eyes of those watching, touched by the display. Voices tinged with emotion could be heard throughout the room, spurred on after seeing the powerful bond between master and servant. They praised the benevolent Goddess of this world for the miracle they witnessed today, offering up prayers to her.

They turned their eyes toward the raven-haired girl who acted as the messenger who’d brought about the first miracle from the Goddess in decades—but the girl was nowhere to be found.

Johann Abili was in a corner of the room at the party, wine glass in hand and basking in the emotions overflowing throughout the room.

Well, wasn’t that something...

He’d already seen the effects of the girl’s medicine before, but he was still surprised by the events that had transpired all the same. Not to mention the luxurious gemstones she was wearing, of a kind that not even a big-name merchant like himself was sure he could get together on such short notice.

Just who is that girl, anyway... Wait, what am I saying?! She has to be an angel sent by the Goddess, no doubt about it...

There was a single glass bottle stored inside Kaoru’s Item Box. The jewel-encrusted hair ornament attached to the lid and the necklace laden with gems wrapped around her neck had already been taken away, making it look nothing more than a cheap glass medicine bottle.

“You will have the power to create any medicine with the exact effect you imagine it to have, in any container you are thinking of.”

There wasn’t anyone at the viscount’s party who’d been present for the miracle that had happened months ago in the royal palace. If there were, they’d have noticed right away that this was almost the exact same thing that had happened back then. That said, anyone important enough to be able to sit with the king while they held an audience would be of too high a standing to bother themselves with attending a viscount’s party. They were all getting on in years, as well, and didn’t have any children who were old enough to not have been married already. On top of that, after he’d been blessed with the miraculous “Tears of the Goddess,” Prince Roland had asked the temples and other aristocrats not to pry into the knight Francette and the other members of the Adan family who had spoken with the Goddess. This strict regulation over the information meant that there were very few who knew about the miracle that had taken place.

For something like this, however, it was only a matter of time before word reached the palace, the temples, and, eventually, all the citizens of the country, commoners and aristocrats alike.

Achille was slowly creeping his way to the door, taking care to make sure no one noticed him. Since Kaoru had gone and disappeared somewhere, it was guaranteed people would start barraging him with questions any second now—but he had no answers to give them.

I have to get out of here, and I have to do it now! The door is so close! Just a little bit farther... Almost there...

At the same time, Kaoru had already successfully made her escape from the viscount’s estate, hopping into the carriage waiting for her outside and heading toward the Abili Trade Company. The driver was part of the company as well, and wouldn’t spill the beans about Kaoru to anyone. They took precautions against anyone tailing them back by taking a bit of a detour before they arrived at their destination. If there really was anyone tailing them, there was a group of children on standby, ready to interfere should the need arise. There wasn’t anyone pursuing the carriage, however, so, in the end, their services weren’t needed.

A little while later, Achille successfully escaped from the party, as well. It was easier for him to slip out undetected since everyone still had Kaoru on their minds. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he was going to be interrogated by his father and brother if he stayed at the mansion, and there was a chance the guests would jump in with questions of their own. The only choice left for him now was to flee to the workshop.

Since he’d left on foot, it was late in the evening by the time he made it there, and no one else was awake when he arrived. He crept inside and changed into his work clothes before laying down in a corner of the room.

Kaoru may just stay in hiding after showing off that power of hers in front of so many people, Achille thought to himself. She may never come back here again, all because I forced her to do this for me...

He didn’t have the courage to propose to Kaoru, who was still just a child. Though he said he just needed her to pretend she was his fiancée for a day, it would be a lie to say he wasn’t hoping it would only be a matter of time before it wouldn’t just be an act, after he introduced her to his father. Kaoru had refused the idea in the first place because she didn’t want to make it seem like she broke off an engagement, though... But if he could’ve just had his father meet her at the party, he was sure she wouldn’t have objected to that. He believed his father would have realized it wasn’t just Kaoru’s looks that were amazing, but also how special she truly was, if they could have just talked.

But the truth was that Kaoru had lined up to participate in the courting ceremony instead, and even showed off her powers as a messenger of the Goddess before that huge crowd of people. Kaoru was smart, so there was no way she didn’t know what the consequences were for doing something like that. She’d even kept that a secret up until then exactly because she knew what would happen...

Was she feeling sorry for Calvin after I told her about him? Was it because she liked my brother instead? Kaoru may never come back here now. At this rate, she may just disappear forever...

His mind was clouded with regret, making it all the harder to get any sleep that night.

The next morning—

I’m used to dozing off in the lab, but my body still kind of aches a little after...

As I groggily thought that to himself, a voice called out to me, just like always.

“Oh, you’re awake, Achille. Your body’s gonna make you regret it if you keep sleeping like that.”

Kaoru greeted me with the same thing she said every time I spent the night here at the workshop, but... No, wait, what?!

“K-Kaoru?”

“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something. Come on, I already have breakfast ready. You told me you didn’t need it, since you’d be staying at your place, but then I found you sleeping here, so I had to scramble to make some for you, I’ll have you know!”

There she was, same as always, like nothing had ever happened.

Huh? Huuuh? What was all that regret and despair I felt yesterday for then?

A messenger from home came to the workshop a short while after we finished breakfast. The message:“Return home immediately.”

Yeah, figured as much...

I took Kaoru back to the storage room with me to ask her about what happened at the party yesterday. Alban and Brian were staring daggers at me when I took Kaoru’s hand to lead her there, but I swear I wasn’t doing anything, guys! We were just gonna talk, that was all!

From what she told me, it sounded like she took a carriage back to her friend’s place and got changed there before coming back. Since I’d come back to the workshop on foot, she was already in bed by the time I got back.

But that isn’t what I wanted to ask about!

“Um, Kaoru...about what happened yesterday...”

“Oh, the dress? My friend got that ready for me, too.”

“No, not that! I’m talking about...you know...the thing with you healing Calvin’s wounds, and that power of yours...”

“Oh, that. It’s just something I got from the Goddess.”

Sh-She said it so casually!

I could only fall to my knees...

The story I heard from Kaoru went a little something like this:

She’d actually come from some faraway country, and the Goddess Celestine had taken a liking to her and gave her this strange power. But for some reason, she wasn’t able to stay in her country. In her own words: “I’ll leave it to you to guess why.”

She’d been living a normal life after coming to this particular country, but she was beginning to fret over whether using the gift she received from the Goddess to help those in need was the right thing to do. So eventually, she came to the conclusion that, “If I were to be hunted down after a few people found out about what I can do, then no one should be able to try and take me all for themselves as long as everyone knew about me.” That way, she figured, no one should be able to try and capture her for their own personal use.

“Last night was when I finally had a chance to go through with it with all those nobles there, and I went ahead and took it. Sorry about that.”

“Wait, so does that mean you didn’t line up for the courting ceremony because you were interested in Cedric?”

“‘Courting ceremony’? What’s that?”

“N-no, haha...it’s nothing. Haha... Hah...” A feeble laugh escaped my lips. “B-But that’s not the point here! What are you planning on doing now?! This is going to blow up for sure! How am I going to explain this to my father... No, making sure you’re safe should take priority here...”

As I panicked over what to do, Kaoru answered me with a calm look on her face.

“People will have a hard time believing what happened last night when they first hear about it, so I’m sure nothing is really going to happen today or tomorrow. With that many aristocrats there, though, I’m sure the big wigs should be making their move in the next few days. The rumor should have spread pretty far by then, so that should at least mean other people in power wanting to hog me for themselves shouldn’t be able to do so without anyone knowing about it.”

“Um...big wigs?”

“Right. Like the royal palace, or other people like that.”

“...”

“Oh, you should tell your father that I’m a girl who fled her country after they tried turning me into a political tool, and we just happened to get close. You should also tell him you’re the only aristocrat I trust right now in this country. It’s the truth, after all. I’m sure the big wigs will come to you soon enough to try and get you to call for me, but I don’t mind you telling them about me when that happens. No one would think I’d be a commoner, let alone working as a housekeeper in a place like this, so I’m sure they won’t find me that easily.”

“Wh-What are you getting at, Kaoru...?”

“Um... It sounds like you wanted to see me, Father?”

“Mind your tongue! You’re going to tell me everything you know about that girl, and you’ll do so this very instant!”

When Achille went back to his family’s residence, his father was there to greet him—and was absolutely fuming. They were in his father’s study, with Cedric in the room, as well.

“What do you think happened after what she did last night?! At least there was still some semblance of it being a party, since Cedric’s courting ceremony came toward the end, but do you know what sort of uproar she ended up causing?! Do you know the barrage of questions I had to endure?!”

Achille shrunk back, startled by how furious his usually gentle father was.

“‘What family does she belong to?’ ‘What’s her relationship with Achille?’ ‘She lined up for the courting ceremony, so does that mean she’s interested in Cedric?’ ‘What was that power she used?’ ‘Is she an angel sent from Celestine herself?’ ‘What does the Lyodart household have to do with her?’ I didn’t know a damn thing! There wasn’t a single question I could answer, but do you think that was enough to satisfy those people after they’d worked themselves up into such a fervor? Why did you run away by yourself, Achille?!”

I mean, it’s pretty obvious it was because I didn’t want all those questions being pointed at me, Father...

Achille explained everything to the viscount just the way Kaoru had told him to. The viscount was overjoyed upon hearing that his son was the only person the girl trusted, but that joy was accompanied by other things he had to take into consideration, as well. This girl had earned the affection of the Goddess herself, so they’d want to stay in her good graces. If they could stay close with her, and the relationship between his son and the girl became more intimate, then eventually...

But would something like that be allowed for the family of a mere viscount? Wasn’t there a chance that earls, marquises, and maybe even the royal family would swarm over the girl because they wanted her for themselves? Would the Lyodart household be able to survive as the only ones the girl was close to? It wasn’t just being caught up in the strife over getting the girl he was worried about, but that they could be wiped out entirely to get their family out of the picture. Even if they tried to distance themselves now out of fear, rumors of what had happened last night were probably spreading even this very second: the girl was close with Achille, had lined up to participate in the courting ceremony for Cedric, and had performed a miracle for Cedric and his servant. It was too late to back out now.

“All right, I understand. Achille, do you know where she is right now?”

“I do. No one should be able to find her for the time being.”

“Good. Then if we receive a royal decree, we will follow it and act as mediators for whatever happens next. Ignore all questions and pressure from the other noble families. Until then, I want you to protect her and stay close. Be wary of people shadowing you when you go to meet with her!”

“Understood.”

“Achille, I want you to tell her something from me,” Cedric suddenly spoke up after quietly listening this whole time. “Tell Miss Kaoru that I happily accept her proposal of courtship, if you could.”

Oh, that... You know what, I think it’s time I mess with my brother a bit.

“Kaoru didn’t seem to know that was the courting ceremony line, Cedric. She told me she just wanted to say hello to you and Father and heal Calvin, that’s all. It was just a greeting, so she wasn’t actually interested in that sort of relationship with you. She also said that I’m the only aristocrat in this country that she trusts!”

“Wh-What...?” Cedric stammered, dumbfounded.

It wasn’t like he was a bad person or anything, but he was always so cocksure of himself that Achille wanted to knock him down a peg at least once. It was a little payback for how Cedric was always looking down on Achille as his little brother.

Before Cedric could recover and say anything back, Achille had already made a mad dash to return to the workshop.

It was only a short while later that a royal messenger from the palace came to visit the Lyodart household. Even Kaoru couldn’t have imagined where the three potions she gave to Francette and the others would be used, let alone the effect they’d brought about. When word of what happened last night reached those in the palace who had born witness to the miracle of the Goddess that had taken place months ago, they immediately sprung into action.

Achille made it back to the workshop and told Kaoru what had happened when he talked things over with his father, which came as a relief to her. Not long after, though, another message from the Lyodart house came to the workshop:

“We have received a message from the royal palace. Come back at once.”

That was fast! That was way faster than I thought!

Kaoru was completely taken aback over how wrong her prediction had been. She was expecting someone from the palace to have heard the story, then laughed it off and dismissed it as nothing more than fantasy. It should’ve taken hearing the same reports over and over again, until word of it finally reached the king, which should’ve taken a few days at least. Then she thought there’d be some sort of meeting over what to do about the matter, but she definitely wasn’t expecting them to do anything the same day they heard about it.

“I’ll go if they call for me specifically. Make sure to confirm what day and time they’d want to see me, and tell them they don’t have to send anyone to get me.”

“Right, got it!”

After Achille left, Kaoru sank deep into thought. It’d be a bad idea to show up at the castle with someone from the Lyodart family, since that could be taken as a sign they were trying to keep her for themselves. The Lyodarts were only a point of contact so far, and it made sense for them to act as the mediators in this situation. That way, it would also ensure that no harm should befall them, either.

The main problem here was how this was all happening way too fast. Things might take a turn for the worst if the royal family or anyone else in power closed in on her before the rumors had spread far enough. The safest course of action would be to wait until word of what she had done reached other cliques vying for power, as well as a good portion of the population.

How were they able to react this quickly anyway? Did I just overlook something? I need to find a way to buy more time... It’d be a good idea to come up with a plan, so I don’t find myself forced into being married off to royalty or the son of some other hoity-toity aristocrat family...

Kaoru never would have imagined the knight she’d given those potions to would have used them in the audience chamber of the royal palace. Even though she had a good head on her shoulders, she wasn’t going to come up with the right answer anytime soon unless she had all the necessary information stored away in there beforehand.

“You got a royal summons from His Majesty himself, Kaoru. Sounds like he wants you to have an audience with him tomorrow morning.”

“Got it.”

By the time Achille had come back to the workshop, Kaoru was almost done putting the finishing touches on her plan.

The next morning, at the crack of dawn, by the back gates to the royal palace—

The main gates wouldn’t open until a little while later, but the back entrance would open as soon as the sun came up to let in the workers delivering food, as well as servants who had the early morning shift. Only certain people were allowed in at night.

Kaoru was told that she had a royal audience “in the morning.” This world didn’t have any accurate way of keeping time, and it was simply out of the question to keep the king waiting. That was why it was normal for anyone told to come in the morning to arrive extremely early and spend hours on standby in a waiting room inside the castle. But even for someone who had an audience with the king, it was much too early to come and wait. The servant in charge of cleaning the waiting room wasn’t even awake yet.

“Excuse me, but may I go through?” a young girl wearing what looked to be a servant’s outfit called out to the guard standing watch by the gate.

“Yeah, sure. Do you have your proof of passage?”

“I don’t, no...”

“Hm? Just here for a normal audience, then? You’re still a little early for that. Well, whatever. Let’s see your royal audience papers.”

Even a commoner could request an audience with the king in this country, but only after going through a rigorous pre-screening process and a meticulous background check. Only around one of every dozen or so leaders from various villages were granted an audience, but even then it was only when it was about something important; things like a danger that threatened the continuing existence of their village, for example.

“I don’t have that, either...”

“What, so you want to get inside without any sort of permission? What business do you have at the castle, anyway?”

“Well, I was hoping I could get in to see the king...”

“Without any permission?”

“That’s right. No one gave me anything, after all.”

The guard was dumbfounded; shocked to the core, even.

Did they drop her on her head when she was a baby or something?

But even if the look in her eyes was a little...okay, really harsh, she was still pretty cute.

I might be able to make this work, the guard thought to himself with a sneer on his face.

“I can’t let you into the palace to meet the king if you don’t have the paperwork, missy.”

“B-But I have to get in!”

All right, that’s the way...

“If you’ve got the cash, though, I think I might be able to do something about it for you...”

It should go without saying, but a simple guard didn’t have the authority to do anything of the sort.

“Huh? But I don’t have any money...”

Yeah, anyone could tell from just one look at you.

“All right, guess I can throw you a bone... Think you could listen to a little favor I might have for you? The guy relieving me should be coming soon enough, so all you have to do is spend a little ‘quality time’ with me after my shift’s finished.”

“Huh? W-Wait, do you mean...” The girl placed her hands on her chest, tears forming in her eyes. “N-No, I can’t do that!”

“Oh come on, it’s not that big a deal,” the guard pressed, laying it on thick as he pressured the girl. “All you gotta do is spend a little bit of time with me, and I’ll get you in to meet the king!”

“No, please, forgive me! I’ll never try and get into the castle again! I swear to the Goddess, I won’t do anything the important nobles here say, or even the royal family!” she cried as she ran away.

“Tch. No good, huh... Ah, well, it only works once every few dozen times anyway. Man, and just when I got a cute one too!”

This happened all the time, so the guard failed to realize just how strange the girl’s parting words were as she fled...

Achille had spent the night at his family’s home, and arrived at the workshop later than usual. It was standard fare for people to spend the night there, so no one was too concerned about when they clocked in and started working though.

“Oh, good morning, Achille.”

“Yeah, morning, Kao... Wait, WHY ARE YOU HERE?!” Achille yelped. “D-Didn’t you have an audience with the king this morning?” The color was draining from his face as he stammered.

“Well, I did go to the castle, but the guard wouldn’t let me in unless I paid him money or I went with him for some very dubious reasons. That’s why I swore to the Goddess that I would never go inside the castle or listen to what any noble or the royal family had to say ever again.”

And with that, Achille passed out cold, on the spot. As soon as he regained consciousness, he sprinted back to the Lyodart household, a look of frantic desperation on his face.

After the king and his cabinet ministers had finished their morning conference together, they headed to the audience chamber. They took their seats, waiting anxiously for the girl said to be the messenger of the Goddess to arrive. It had been fifty-three years since the last time the Goddess Celestine had shown herself. There had been several claims of “divine revelations” from the Holy Land of Rueda, but they were only things that were beneficial to the Holy Land and the temple of the Goddess. The Goddess herself hadn’t made these announcements, as she had managed to appear in every country simultaneously in the past, but were made by those working with the temple. No one believed these to be true revelations.

That’s when two incidents had come into the picture: The first was a claim that a goddess from another world had appeared, one who also happened to be a personal friend of the Goddess Celestine. The second had only happened the other day, and was said to be centered around an angel sent down by Celestine herself. Was it really just coincidence both of them happened within the kingdom of Balmore?

Though the friend of the Goddess had appeared in a neighboring country, the incident had only involved citizens of Balmore, and even the latest incident involved a girl who was said to have come from a foreign country who had taken up residence there. Was this an omen that Celestine would descend upon the world once more? Was there going to be a new divine revelation, and could that be a prediction for some sort of great and terrible disaster?

Of course everyone would be on edge about that.

...This is taking too long.

The king had already taken his seat, and it had been several minutes since he had given the word that he was ready to receive his guest. It was unheard of to keep a king waiting like this.

The sounds of burgeoning unrest had already begun in the room by the time they received an unthinkable report:

“The girl isn’t here.”

Inconceivable! She’d ignored a royal summons to have an audience with the king! Even if she were a messenger from the Goddess, this wasn’t something she could easily get away with.

The commotion in the audience chamber was only growing worse when a panicking soldier came rushing into the room.

“Your Majesty, Viscount Lyodart is requesting to meet with you immediately! He says he has urgent news regarding the girl!”

“Let him through!”

The king had a bad feeling about what was coming next...

“So what you’re telling me...is that the guard watching the gate demanded the girl pay money or with her body to be let through, which is why she left without entering the castle...?”

“Yes, it appears so, Your Majesty...”

“And she also swore to the Goddess she would never enter the castle, and wouldn’t listen to anything the royal family or any noble would say...?”

“Yes, Your Majesty...”

An atmosphere of shock and despair fell over the entire room.

“What is the meaning of this, Amoros?” the king pressed the supervisor in charge of handling important guests.

“W-Well, Your Majesty, I made sure to inform the person in charge of the main gates to immediately let any young aristocratic girl from another country through if she were to show up, and I even dispatched someone to guide her when she arrived!”

“Which is when she showed up at the back gates, and early enough that the guard hadn’t been changed yet. And she showed up dressed as a commoner, no less... Why would she do something like this, Viscount Lyodart?”

The viscount relayed what his son had told him earlier.

“It seems that the girl in question, Kaoru, had left her home country long ago, and has been living as a commoner in our country. For that reason, I was told it was only natural for her to think and act as a commoner. That is why she tried entering through the gates meant for the common citizen. It seemed she borrowed a dress from an acquaintance for the party we held at our household, so as not to cause a disturbance...”

“Which is why we didn’t think to give her any proof to get through the gates, since we were expecting an aristocratic girl to come in her own carriage... You still made sure to inform the guards beforehand, and you even had someone ready to lead her in, so the fault does not lie with you,” the king said to the supervisor. It would be cruel to blame him for this incident, and the king made sure to absolve him of any wrongdoing.

It wasn’t going to be the same for whoever was in charge of the guards, though. The king ordered harsh punishment be dealt out, not only the guard responsible for what happened, but for a thorough investigation to be opened into his superiors, the people above those superiors, and anyone else involved with security who’d given or taken bribes or committed other crimes, dealing out the same unforgiving punishment to anyone found guilty of wrongdoing. He also ordered the same strict investigation be performed on those who had influence over whom the king held audiences with.

“But now, we won’t be able to call the Goddess’s messenger to the castle. No one from the royal family or any of the cabinet ministers will be able to order her to do anything, and that includes myself. What do we do now...” the king spoke in agony, clutching his head in his hands.

The temple of Balmore, also more commonly known as “the temple;” there was no need to specify exactly who was being deified in the name, since it was obviously going to be the Goddess Celestine. To make a distinction between the minute differences in the religions found across the other countries, the worshipers would either call themselves Traditional, Orthodox, or Fundamental, though they all worshiped the Goddess just the same.

The highest ranking member of the temple in the kingdom was the archbishop, Saulnier, with a variety of bishops, high priests, priests, and monks working under him. Various clergymen and women who held a lower rank than high priest worked at the local temples scattered throughout the land, with anyone ranked higher than a minister usually going to work at the temple in the royal capital. Gender didn’t matter in any of these ranks, but only women were allowed to fulfill the role of “divine oracles.”

Since the temple worshiped a goddess, it didn’t mean that these oracles became brides of God or anything like that. Celestine took the form of a young maiden, and would sometimes speak with other young girls, which was why it was crucial for shrine maidens to be divine mediums themselves, so that they had something in common with the goddess. Anyone who married or turned twenty had to step down from their role as a medium, and anyone who made it past that point could either become a nun or priestess, or would otherwise return to secular life. However, any divine oracle who made contact with Celestine would keep their title for the rest of their life, no matter how old they became, or if they were to marry.

Only the Cardinal and the Pope held higher positions than the archbishop, who could only reside in the Holy Land of Rueda.

Balmore was on constant alert that Rueda would attempt to issue an order in the name of the Pope should something happen, and did its best to weaken the relationship between the Holy Land and the Balmore temple. Those efforts were futile for the most part, which was why the country took every effort to make the temple rank lower than the king, to keep their influence away from politics.

Once every few years to a few decades, the Goddess Celestine would take the form of a young girl to hand down divine revelations for the people to avoid disaster and other dangers. It had been over fifty years since the last revelation had come, however, and there was no longer anyone in the temple who’d been present the last time the Goddess had descended. The faith of those still present had waned, and the temple became nothing more than a way for them to line their own pockets. The tendrils of depravity spread like a disease throughout the religion as a result.

The Pope of Rueda had made public other divine revelations that the Grand Temple had curated, yet they weren’t faced with divine punishment. Those who were part of the temple took that to mean they wouldn’t face the Goddess’s wrath, so long as they propagated her name.

At present, the masses had deeper faith than the actual clergymen. Bishop Sarrazin was one such person. He’d never seen the Goddess with his own two eyes, and only saw his position in the temple as a way to support his lavish lifestyle. The image of the Goddess, a cheerful, smiling girl, was another one of the reasons Sarrazin didn’t see her as something to be feared, but rather as a compassionate being.

“An angel?” Bishop Sarrazin growled. A scowl grew on his face as he listened to the high priest, who was bringing him the news that the priest had heard from a lower-ranking aristocrat.

“Y-Yes, it appears several nobles claim to have seen her perform a miracle...”

What foolishness. It was stated in the old records that the Goddess would hand down her revelations personally. There wasn’t a single mention of an angel or messenger serving as her intermediary. She would appear in every country at the same time to deliver her message directly to a divine oracle or a priest, something which hadn’t happened in fifty-three years. There must have been some sort of fortunate coincidence or fancy trick that the girl used to put herself in favor with all those nobles.

But wait just a second... It shouldn’t matter if she was a real messenger of the Goddess or not. If all the fat cats believed her when she called herself that, it was only a matter of using that to the bishop’s advantage. Even if she was found out to be an imposter, he would just end up being one of the victims tricked by the girl. He should get off scot-free so long as he said he couldn’t doubt anyone who claimed to be the messenger of the Goddess. Until then, he would use her for all she was worth, to squeeze every last coin out of this fortunate coincidence.

Luckily enough for him, the news hadn’t spread to the archbishop or any of the other bishops. All he had to do was be the first one to contact the girl and “take her under his wing.” The lower-ranking aristocrat had also mentioned that the royal palace was looking into the whereabouts of the girl. Another stroke of luck for Sarrazin, since they had some very pious people inside the castle as well.

“Call Minister Dorn,” Sarrazin ordered, wearing a vulgar sneer that no man of the cloth should ever have.

It was the day after Kaoru had been turned away from the castle gates. She was outside cleaning, right in front of the front door to the workshop, when a gaudy carriage pulled up in front of her.

The window opened, and a voice called out from the inside. “So, this is the Maillart Workshop, then?”

Welp, I’ve already got a bad feeling about this...

Kaoru could feel a sudden sense of déjà vu coming on. She stopped sweeping, hanging her head in exasperation.

“Yes, this is the Maillart Workshop, and I’m Kaoru.” It was such a pain to go through this every time, so she just skipped right to the important part.

A man stepped down from the carriage as soon as he heard Kaoru’s answer. He was overweight and pudgy, and was wearing a luxurious outfit, though it didn’t appear to be anything an aristocrat would wear.

“I am Dorn, a minister of the Grand Temple. The bishop is calling for you, so you will come with me!”

Yeah, that’s what I thought...

Minister Dorn was an accomplice of Sarrazin, and that Sarrazin had ordered Dorn to drag the messenger of the Goddess back with him meant that they were practically on the same wavelength over what to do with her. Dorn was absolutely expecting to get a share of the profits for supporting Sarrazin, of course. He also didn’t believe that Kaoru was actually a messenger of the Goddess, which is why he didn’t hold even an ounce of respect for her. Sarrazin had told him to “drag her back” instead of “lead her” or something kinder, so that should have gone without saying.

“No thanks.”

“What...?”

For an instant, Dorn didn’t seem to comprehend what Kaoru had just said to him. The thought of a mere commoner refusing a minister such as himself had never even crossed his mind.

As he slowly came to understand the words Kaoru had said, his face flushed red.

“Wh-What are you saying?! This is an order from a bishop! A-And you...”

“But I’m not even a citizen of this country. I don’t believe I have any obligation to listen to whatever someone from a different religious sect has to say. Normally, clergymen don’t go around giving people orders anyway, right?”

“Wh... Wha...” Dorn’s increasing rage over what Kaoru just said robbed him of his ability to speak.

People were beginning to gather to see what all the commotion was about, right as Kaoru followed up with another verbal thrashing.

“Who knows what you’ll try to do after dragging a girl like me into the back of your temple. I can imagine it now: ‘And no one ever saw the girl again,’ or, ‘She ended up washed up on the riverbank, completely unrecognizable from how she looked before.’ I don’t want to end up as a tragic news story, thank you very much!”

“Y-You...little...” Face now completely red, Dorn finally managed to squeeze out those words. “Do you not fear divine retribution from angering the Goddess?!”

“Divine retribution? Do you mean...” Kaoru grinned. “Something like this?”

KABOOOM!

The sound of an explosion accompanied the roof of the carriage being blown off, and was caused by something that seemed awfully similar to nitroglycerin falling onto it.

“E-Eeek!”

Dorn collapsed to the ground. The driver who’d been sitting on the coach ran away as fast he could, while the two others who’d accompanied Dorn could only stand dumbfounded behind the minister.

BAM! BAM! BAM!!!

A succession of smaller explosions erupted around Dorn as he stayed motionless on the ground.

“Just who do you think the Goddess is actually angry with? Who do you think will be facing divine retribution here, hmm?”

“E-Eeeeeeeek!!!”

Dorn scrambled to his feet, fleeing as far as his legs would take him as his attendants frantically followed after him.

And so, the rumors spread like wildfire...

“A minister from the temple angered the Goddess by trying to kidnap her messenger, and faced divine punishment for insulting the girl.”

“Your Majesty! The temple attempted to interfere with the messenger of the Goddess, and they were met with divine punishment!”

“Wh-What was that?!” The guard Serge had assigned to watch over Kaoru came back with an urgent report, shocking the young king.

Divine punishment?! A few hundred years ago, an entire country was annihilated when Celestine was angered... Th-This is bad!

“Wh-What do we do, Roland?!”

The king usually had things under control, but still couldn’t get rid of his habit of turning to his brother for help when he felt like he was backed into a corner.

“Calm down, Serge! For now, we have to secure the messenger and put her under our protection! According to what we heard from the gatekeeper and the viscount, she said she would never enter the castle or listen to anything the important nobles of this country had to say, right? That’s why all we have to do is find a place other than the castle, and a noble who isn’t of import, and there shouldn’t be any problems. And even if she says she won’t listen to what they have to say, that doesn’t mean we still can’t talk things over with her!”

“Good one, Roland! I’ll send out someone to search for a noble who isn’t important in the slightest!”

“R-Right...”

You should really watch how you put that, Serge, even if you are the king... Roland thought to himself, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

“...So that’s why you called for me?”

“That’s right. You were the only one who came to mind when we thought about aristocrats who weren’t important in the slightest.”

“Oh...”

Oh? Isn’t that Minister Dorn? Now that is a rare sight to see. He usually doesn’t show much enthusiasm for his work, and was always involving himself with aristocrats and other large merchants. But here he is now, fervently offering prayers to the Goddess.

Archbishop Saulnier nodded to himself contentedly. He’d just happened to stop by the chapel, which was where he found Dorn diligently embracing the duties of a clergyman.

...But taking a closer look, something seemed off about Dorn. It wasn’t like he was praying out of piety, but more like he was terrified of something... The fact that his eyes were completely bloodshot as well only made it obvious something wasn’t right here.

“Is something the matter, Minister Dorn?”

As soon as Dorn was aware of the archbishop’s presence, he clung to Saulnier’s knees. “A-Archbishop! I-I’ve done something terrible!”

As he confessed to what had happened with the Goddess’s messenger, the archbishop turned pale from shock.

“W-We must go to see her at once! Call Bishop Perrier as fast as you can!”

It was around that time that Bishop Sarrazin started wondering why Dorn was taking so long to get back, but assumed it was because the girl was taking her time getting ready to come to the temple, and so didn’t concern himself too much about it...

“I’m looking for the messenger of the Goddess!” a loud voice called from the entrance to the Maillart Workshop.

Kaoru wasn’t exactly a store clerk, and she’d never called herself a messenger or angel of the Goddess or anything, so she ignored the voice as she continued preparing food for everyone in the kitchen. Achille wasn’t paying any attention to the voice either, since his father made very clear that he should ignore any sort of contact besides the messages his father relayed to him from the castle.

Bardot, the head of the workshop, ended up having to greet their guest.

“Well, would you look at that! To what do I owe the pleasure of a temple bishop visiting our workshop, sir?”

“Good day! Is the angel here?”

“Angel...?” Bardot didn’t have the slightest idea what the man was talking about.

“I mean the angel sent by the Goddess, of course!”

“Well, uh...why would anyone like that be here...?”

The two were definitely not on the same page...

Bishop Perrier, the messenger Archbishop Saulnier had sent, finally recalled that he was to find someone called “Kaoru,” which he promptly announced to Bardot.

“Huh? Well, if it’s Kaoru you want, she’s in the back...but what’s with all this ‘angel’ business?”

Right around the time Achille was getting up to intervene before things got worse...

“Achille! Are you here?”

...Viscount Lyodart arrived in his carriage, fresh from the royal palace.

“Miss Kaoru will be coming to the Lyodart household to meet with His Majesty.”

“I should think not. The messenger of the Goddess will go to the temple to meet with the archbishop.”

“Are you saying you would keep His Majesty waiting?!”

“Who do you think is the one who always says religion and politics should have nothing to do with each other?!”

“Hmgh...”

“Mmrgh...”

The tension in the air was palpable. Neither of them could back down now. If they did, it would compromise their chances of bringing Kaoru back with them.

“Geez, you guys are noisy...” Kaoru finally, albeit reluctantly, showed her face.

“Oh, Miss Kaoru!”

“Lady Angel!”

“There’s no problem if I just go ahead and meet them both, right? But I don’t want to hear anything about doing this in either one of your home bases, or in a place where there aren’t any people around. I’m scared to think about what would happen, so those options are definitely out. I want to meet in a place where plenty of people who don’t have anything to do with this can see, and aren’t under the control or influence of either of anyone involved. If you can promise to do exactly as I say on top of that, I would be fine meeting with both of them.”

The central plaza of Grua, the royal capital of Balmore, was in a spot near the main gate of the royal castle. The Grand Temple was just opposite of it, where a statue of the Goddess could be seen by the entrance. Though it was usually a place full of tourists and bustling stalls as people strolled by, a hush had fallen over the plaza. It wasn’t because there wasn’t anyone around; in fact, there were enough people gathered here now to rival the turnouts for festivals and other grand events held only a few times throughout the year. There were even aristocrats there, accompanied by their own personal guards and attendants.

As of now, though, everyone was standing completely still, and a dead silence had fallen over the plaza. In the center of everyone gathered there was a stage, one that could be easily seen by all and was only a few meters high. There were tables and chairs set up on the stage, pushed together to form a triangle. It was set up just like it was going to be a debate between three separate groups.

After a short period of time had passed, about a dozen priests appeared from inside the Grand Temple. As they approached the stage, three of them broke off from the group to take their seats in the chairs provided, while the others waited nearby. After another short wait, an extravagant carriage emerged from the royal palace, surrounded by an escort of guards. As it arrived in front of the stage, its passengers disembarked. Just like the priests from the temple, the three passengers took their seats on the stage while everyone else was on standby not too far away.

There were three people from the temple in attendance: Archbishop Saulnier, Bishop Perrier, and Shaela, a divine oracle. Though she was an oracle, Shaela was quite old, considering she was in her upper sixties. Likewise, there were three people from the royal palace, as well: King Serge, his brother Roland, and Prime Minister Corneau.

Two points of the triangle had gathered, so all that was left was for someone to fill that last corner—and that last person was someone who would even keep the king waiting.

The air was thick with tension.

“Ah, sorry I’m late, guys!”

But that tension was all for naught as a young commoner girl called out from the crowd of people.

Kaoru had requested the following in order to meet with everyone: First, she would speak with the people from the royal palace and the temple all at the same time. Second, they would do so in a place that wasn’t under the control or influence of either party. And third, they would speak in front of a large group of people.

Kaoru’s specified venue of choice to satisfy those conditions was here in the central plaza, where they would hold a Q-and-A session that was open to the public. There were three people each in attendance from the royal palace and the temple, with Kaoru as the only one representing herself.

“Without further ado, let’s get started with this hearing.”

At Kaoru’s signal, the discussion began.

“First and foremost, I’d like to ask everyone why they wanted to meet with a simple commoner like myself.”

“Y-You’re the messenger of the Goddess, so of course we would invite you to the royal palace...” Prime Minister Corneau answered, puzzled over why she would ask something when the answer seemed to be so obvious.

“But that doesn’t really have anything to do with me, right? Even if I did go to the palace, there’s nothing for us to talk about, and I don’t have any business there.”

“Wh...” Prime Minister Corneau was at a loss for words.

“E-Erm... Did the Goddess have any revelations or blessings to give us?” King Serge asked in Corneau’s stead.

“Hm? No, not really.”

“...”

The king stared back in blank amazement, both hands on the table.

Next up was Roland, taking over for his brother to ask a question.

“But from what we’ve heard, there were some citizens here in the capital who were saved after receiving the blessings of the Goddess...”

“Oh, right. That was only to help those who had good hearts and were suffering for no apparent reason. Even if the royal family or any other aristocrat were doing everything they could to fairly govern the country or their other territories, that’s just part of their job, so it doesn’t really make them ‘good-hearted’ or anything. Any soldier or guard injured in battle only ended up like that because they were fulfilling their duty, so it doesn’t really make their suffering irrational, or mean that it happened for no reason. Neither case would call for the Goddess to step in and intervene. That’s why there isn’t any point in me meeting with royalty or aristocrats. I can’t enter the castle, either. I swore to the Goddess I wouldn’t, after I was told I had to pay with my body if I wanted to go inside.”

The bomb Kaoru dropped sent shock waves rippling through the crowd.

“They told the angel to pay with her body?!” “Blasphemy! What are the nobles thinking?!”

Even Roland couldn’t hide his nervousness as the people voiced their outrage.

“I mean, Celes doesn’t even care all that much about what happens to people unless she really takes an interest in them. Unless a huge number of people were going to be killed off, a goddess like her normally wouldn’t go out of her way to intervene in anyone’s lives.”

Roland fell into silence once he heard those words. Everyone present was also completely ignoring the fact that Kaoru was casually calling the almighty and revered Goddess by a cutesy nickname.

On the other hand, the participants from the temple were overjoyed to hear Kaoru say she wouldn’t go to the palace.

“Then please, come to our humble temple!” the archbishop insisted. “As we are so close to the Goddess herself, there is no place more suitable for a messenger of the Goddess to spend their sojourn here!”

“No, I don’t really have any business with the temple either.”

A blank look of shock covered Archbishop Saulnier’s face.

“E-Even though you may be from another country with a slightly different denomination, we all worship Celestine, do we not?! As a messenger of the Goddess, please, join us in helping the people!” Perrier desperately pleaded.

“Huh? I’m not really a follower of Celestine or anything, you know?”

“““WHAAAAAAAAATTT?!”””

Shouts of disbelief erupted from the plaza following the nuke Kaoru had just dropped.

“I come from a country that believes the blessings from the forest, rivers, and ocean come from the gods, and that their divine wills exist in everything. Celestine is just one of those many gods, and one who happens to be nice enough to take on a human form to offer advice directly to the people.”

“Th-Then what is your relationship with the Goddess...?”

“We’re just friends, that’s all.”

Saulnier and Perrier let their jaws drop in unison out of disbelief over what they just heard. Shaela, on the other hand, seemed only mildly surprised by the sudden revelation.

“Oh yeah, and everyone keeps calling me an ‘angel’ or a ‘messenger’ or whatever, but I’m not really working for Celes or anything. We’re equals, and two good friends at that.”

At this point, everyone on the stage looked like the life had been sucked right out of them.

“Even if you try and force me to do something, Celes isn’t going to allow anything like that to happen. Hell hath no fury like an angered Goddess, and it may not stop at who started it,” Kaoru warned, facing the aristocrats and other clergymen who weren’t on stage. “It could end up including their families, their followers, the faction they belong to, the royal capital, all other territories in Balmore, or even all the temples across the entire country. Celes isn’t very detail-oriented, if you catch my drift.”

The color instantly drained from all their faces when they heard that.

“If you come to me and demand that I do something for you, I can guarantee whatever you tried to ask of me is never going to happen. The gods should be respected, but you shouldn’t rely on them for everything. While it’s all fine and dandy to show your faith and devotion to them, you shouldn’t expect them to help you, and you should never demand anything of them.”

Everyone on the stage except for the oracle looked like their souls had just left their bodies through their mouths.

It didn’t look like they had any more questions for me after that, so I was thinking it was just about time for me to hit the road when the oracle suddenly asked me something.

“Excuse me, but how is Lady Celestine doing?”

Is she testing me to see if I’m really friends with Celes? Judging by how old she looks, there’s a chance she was an oracle the last time Celes handed down one of her revelations...

“Like she had her head in the clouds.”

“Hehe, I see...”

I wonder if she’s talked with Celes before too? Actually, I wonder if I can just go ahead and leave now... Oh yeah, before that, there’s still one other thing that’s bothering me...

“Pardon me, Miss Oracle, but can I ask you something?”

“Of course. Please, ask anything on your mind.”

“Um...why are Celes’s boobs so big on that statue of her?”

And so, that was how the last person standing on the stage finally collapsed... Collapsed laughing, that is.

Kaoru was feeling pretty good about herself. Not only had she managed to figure out a way to keep both the temple and everyone at the castle off her back, she had so much more freedom to do whatever she wanted now. Even if she slipped up a little here and there, no one should be giving her any trouble about it from now on. She would be able to help so many more people now, and, just as importantly, she could get money for doing it. Just thinking about a peaceful life where she didn’t have to worry about money had her grinning ear to ear.

The news of what happened spread outside of Balmore in almost no time at all, and that was without Kaoru knowing these countries wouldn’t just sit idly by once they found out about her...

There was the Kingdom of Brancott, the country Kaoru had made her escape from. There was also the Holy Land of Rueda, whose influence had weakened in the fifty-three years since the Goddess last descended. Then there was the militaristic Aligot Empire, surrounded by nothing but ocean and mountains, who were ready to take drastic action to revitalize their steadily failing economy.

The gears of discord were creaking to life throughout this once peaceful world. Even if Kaoru weren’t here, this was an outcome that would have come eventually.

But there was one thing for certain: Kaoru’s existence here was only hastening the process...