Volume 8, Chapter 6 – Awkwardness and Bad News

Hearing Alice’s shout, the High Priest’s recently relaxed expression instantly turned perilous. For his superior to be called out by her full name so loudly on his own turf—even if it wouldn’t get him dismissed on the spot, if she were to say something to the Pope upon her return, he could very well be recalled by a papal edict just like his predecessor. At this thought, the High Priest couldn’t help but shudder. He and the Captain of the Holy Knights—the Chief Inquisitor, who was the most heavily bribed, had already fainted on the sofa—stood up, feigning courage.

“Who is it?!”

No one could answer the High Priest. The people in the room just looked at each other. After a moment of silence, the High Priest and the Captain of the Holy Knights scrambled toward the door as if competing to curry favor. However, Yisi, having already identified the newcomer on the [Omniscient Map], waved her hand to stop them.

“Wait. Pay it no mind. Let’s continue what we were just talking about.”

“Your Eminence, this is disrespectful to you. We cannot let her go!”

“If we pretend not to hear, these unruly commoners will only become more arrogant.”

Faced with their flushed and agitated statements, Yisi felt a touch of helplessness. Alice had the status of a duke’s daughter to back her up. Even if she shouted the cardinal’s name in a temple, the most that would happen is that she would be scolded by the duke, who would then send some gifts to Yisi as compensation. They couldn’t really do anything to Alice, unless Duke Wozwahl was a cold man who placed great importance on etiquette. If that were the case, Alice’s return home tonight might involve more than just a scolding.

In any case, neither outcome was a loss for someone like her who didn’t care about reputation. If anything, the only thing she regretted was that the favor she had worked hard to sell had been wasted for nothing.

“Miss Alice, you can’t enter this room!”

“Why not? You’re not trying to protect Yisi Enya, are you?”

“Alice, you’re going a bit too far.”

“I know, big sister, but that person not only threatened me but also had her companion shove a staff in my face. If word of this gets out, it will damage the reputation of our Wozwahl family.”

“It’s precisely because I heard what happened that I let you out. Father’s task for me was to watch you and not let you run off. You’re not allowed to tell Father I brought you to the temple when we get back today.”

“Ehehe, sister Cynthia is the best.”

Is there someone else besides Alice?

The female voice from outside the door surprised Yisi slightly. Although she had noticed this person’s presence on the [Omniscient Map] long ago, she had never imagined she would be so young—the map indicated the person was level 37, yet from the voice just now, her age was only around twenty-five. Even among geniuses, she would definitely be considered exceptionally outstanding.

Before Yisi could gather more information, the room’s door was violently pushed open from the outside. The bang made the High Priest and the Captain of the Holy Knights feel as if the door had not hit the wall, but had been slapped across their faces. However, when they saw the person who entered, their faces, which had been flushing red and pale, instantly turned dark.

The High Priest’s stern expression gradually softened, but the softened look could not be called good. It was as if he had eaten something he shouldn’t have. His gaze first fell on Alice, then lingered on the chest of the young woman named Cynthia.

“The… the Flower of the Kingdom… Miss Cynthia…”

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As for Alice, she stared blankly at the High Priest, the Captain of the Holy Knights, and the fainted Chief Inquisitor on the sofa. Anyone could see that the current situation was extremely serious. Alice, who had been so arrogant just moments before, now looked as if she had caused a disaster, and couldn’t help but swallow nervously.

“Uncle Bude, Uncle Bowen… why are you all here?”

As the daughter of a high-ranking noble in the capital, Alice had often seen these three at various occasions. Whenever she was sick or injured, it was the High Priest who personally treated her. The names of these three were on the list of people Duke Wozwahl had instructed her to “absolutely not have a bad relationship with.”

What Alice didn’t know was that it was the same in the High Priest’s eyes. They frequently received gifts from the Wozwahl family. Nominally, those gifts were in gratitude for their daily care of Alice, but anyone who had seen the precious gems and pearls from the far north would no longer consider them mere thank-you gifts. Their value clearly implied something more. If these gifts were to be made public, Evelyn’s edict would soon be in their hands.

In other words, both parties were in an extremely awkward situation.

The scene was deathly silent.

Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and Alice subconsciously leaned closer to her sister behind her, forcing a smile.

“Ha, ahaha… I’m sorry, Uncle Bude, Uncle Bowen. I seem to have come to the wrong place…”

“Ah, ah, I thought so. Little Alice must have taken a wrong turn,” the High Priest went along with it, then turned a reproachful gaze to Cynthia behind Alice. “Cynthia, you too, running around with Alice. If Duke Wozwahl finds out, Alice will surely get another spanking.”

“N-no, it’s not like that! I’m the one who insisted on running out, it has nothing to do with sister Cynthia,” as the portly bodies of the High Priest and the Captain of the Holy Knights were blocking the doorway, Alice hadn’t noticed the other people in the room. “Uncle Bude, do you know if a person named Yisi Enya has come to the temple?”

“Er, Alice, why do you ask?”

“A person named Yisi Enya threatened and intimidated me just now, and she said she would come to your temple. I’m going to have sister Cynthia teach her a good lesson—Uncle Bude, why do you keep winking?”

If the atmosphere in the room had merely been silent before, now it was so awkward you could wring water from it. The High Priest and the Captain of the Holy Knights only wished they could instantly become idiots. That way, they could at least use the excuse of “being possessed by a demon at the time” to escape punishment from the Ymir diocese.

“Hoho, we kindly helped you out, and now you come back to bite us. Humans are always so fickle,” Edith said with a sneer, not bothering to get up from the sofa as she sipped her tea. “Yisi Enya is right in front of you. Well? How does it feel?”

“A Blood Clan member?” The young woman named Cynthia frowned. “Why is a member of the Blood Clan in the temple?”

“Ah, big sister! That’s the person I’m looking for! It was her and that blonde human woman next to her who threatened me.”

I’m done for if I endure this any longer.

With this thought, the High Priest closed his eyes in agony and slowly announced.

“That is our newly appointed Cardinal, Lady Yisi Enya…”

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“My deepest apologies, Lady Yisi Enya. Alice has caused you trouble.”

With a flawlessly perfect movement, the young woman named Cynthia bowed respectfully to Yisi. After the High Priest had explained Yisi’s identity to Alice and Cynthia, Duke Wozwahl had also arrived. In front of Yisi, the Duke forced the story out of Alice’s mouth, gave her a merciless scolding, and left her with the harsh words “I’ll deal with you when we get home,” apologizing on Alice’s behalf.

“It is due to my own failure to discipline her. I never expected Alice would dare to trouble a Cardinal. I will be sure to educate her properly when we return so that she does not re-offend. Please, Your Eminence, do not take it to heart. If you would not mind, please be sure to visit our home when you have the time. My wife and I will host you properly to express our family’s apologies.”

He looks like a man who would dote on his family, yet he’s surprisingly well-mannered?

Yisi couldn’t help but feel a little surprised. When she saw Duke Wozwahl arrive with his armor laden with medals, she had thought he would believe Alice’s words and immediately question her. She hadn’t expected the opposite, that he would give Alice a slap. The force, which left five red finger marks on Alice’s cute face, was clearly not held back.

He really doesn’t know how to cherish a beautiful girl. If I had such a cute daughter, I’d dote on her so much I’d want to pluck the moon from the sky for her.

With a smile, Yisi replied magnanimously.

“It’s alright. Alice is at a mischievous age. It’s only natural for her to be playful. She’s very cute.”

“But she is my daughter, and I will not allow my daughter to be ignorant of etiquette and shame. Thank you for your tolerance, Your Eminence,” Wozwahl turned to Alice, his apologetic smile switching to a fierce expression that looked as if he could strike her at any moment. “Aren’t you going to apologize to the Cardinal? Not only did you sneak out of the city to mix with refugees, but you also twisted the Cardinal’s kindness in giving you a ride into a threat. If you weren’t my daughter, I’d have you thrown in prison right now.”

“Uu… uwuu… I-I’m sorry…”

Covering her reddened face with both hands, Alice, hiding in Cynthia’s embrace, apologized to Yisi in a tearful voice. Her cute cheeks were stained with tears, and the side of her face that had been hit was swollen.

Good grief… I should have stopped Duke Wozwahl when he was about to slap Alice. Treating it as a family matter and standing by as an observer was a poor choice.

“And you too, Cynthia. I told you to watch Alice, and you go and cause trouble with her. Are you still worthy of the title ‘Flower of the Kingdom’?”

“That’s a name outsiders gave me, not one I wanted for myself.”

Although her appearance is that of a gentle older sister, is she actually quite rebellious?

Yisi sized up Cynthia. Compared to the lively Alice, Cynthia, in her white dress, gave more of a gentle, girl-next-door impression. Of course, that was just her appearance. In reality, Cynthia had a strong sense of self. Yisi felt that combat attire would suit Cynthia better than a long dress; her current appearance felt somewhat out of place.

Duke Wozwahl seemed to want to say more but held back.

“You—Never mind. I’ll find you a husband in a few days. After you’re married, you won’t be so willful.”

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“I’ll only marry a man who can defeat me.”

“Have you already forgotten about breaking His Majesty the King’s bones?!”

“That guy just followed me around like a dog afterward. So annoying.”

Yisi, listening on the side, quietly wiped away some sweat.

It seems this Flower of the Kingdom is much more difficult to deal with than I imagined. It would be best not to get involved with her if possible.

Letting this father-daughter pair continue would be endless. Yisi took the initiative to change the subject.

“Duke Wozwahl, may we speak for a moment?”

Duke Wozwahl stopped his lecture to Cynthia, turned around, cleared his throat, and asked.

“Hm? What does Your Eminence wish to discuss?”

“It is a matter that I would prefer not too many people know about. High Priest, please take your men and leave.”

“Onee-sama, I’ll take Mary and the others to sort out the rooms as well. A month of rain will have made the guest rooms damp. If we don’t air them out beforehand, the smell will be terrible.”

“Mhm, I’ll leave it to you, Camilla.”

Camilla probably sensed that the Duke would have trouble speaking if too many people were present for the upcoming topic. What a thoughtful little sister.

When only Yisi, Laxy, and the three members of the Wozwahl family remained in the room, the frozen atmosphere began to flow again.

Wozwahl, sitting face to face with Yisi, wore a smile, his resolute face full of approbation.

“Even before meeting you, I had heard rumors that the new Cardinal of the Ymir Church was not only young but also very friendly. Seeing you today, it is indeed so. Your Eminence appears even younger than my fourth daughter, Cynthia, yet you have already become a Cardinal. The Ymir territory is truly a land of abundant talent.”

With an appraising gaze, Duke Wozwahl sat up straight and studied Yisi.

“I can sense a power from Your Eminence that cannot be ignored. This may be presumptuous, but may I ask about Your Eminence’s current strength…”

“Even I cannot see through my lord’s strength.”

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“Well, my strength is probably about the same as Laxy’s. In terms of combat skill and swordsmanship, I’m not as good as her.”

Of course, I can’t just tell Wozwahl that I’m level 427. It’s not that I’m unwilling to disclose it, but he wouldn’t believe me if I told him. It’s better to just give a random number and save a lot of trouble.

“This one here is… an angel?”

For some reason, upon seeing the wings behind Laxy, Wozwahl’s expression became extremely complex, as if he were caught in a dilemma.

“God-Forged Angel Trino Type 10043, Laxyphinia.”

“So it is a genuine angel.”

Wozwahl’s expression gradually grew bitter. Originally, the kingdom’s nobles had thought it unlikely for an angel to appear within their borders, which is why they had agreed to the deal with the Divine Religion. But now, right after concluding his meeting with them, he was seeing an angel. It was as if it were fated, that God intended to place the angel into the hands of the Divine Religion.

And of all people, she’s in the hands of the Ymir Church.

Just as the kingdom and the empire were at odds, the Ymir Church and the Divine Religion were like fire and water, their conflict even more intense. If the kingdom were to openly snatch an angel from a Cardinal of the Ymir Church, it would be tantamount to siding with the Divine Religion. With the kingdom’s current strength, it would be suicidal.

I must report this matter to His Majesty when I return.

“Duke Wozwahl, Duke Wozwahl?”

“Ah,” Yisi’s voice pulled Duke Wozwahl back to reality. “My apologies, my mind wandered. What was Your Eminence saying?”

“When I entered the city, I saw many refugees gathered near the walls. At that scale, once their dissatisfaction reaches a certain point, something the kingdom does not wish to see will happen, will it not? I have no intention of interfering in internal affairs, but I merely wish to inform the Duke beforehand that the Church wishes to provide aid to these refugees. Of course, it is also fine for the Church to provide the funds and have the kingdom distribute the relief. As long as those in need are helped—but the price is to tell me why His Majesty the King does not use the power of the King’s Tower to stop the rain.”

Has someone who isn’t a noble of the kingdom finally raised this question?

The bitterness in Duke Wozwahl’s heart deepened. As long as the conditions were right, he wasn’t against telling Yisi the reason, but for the words to come from his mouth felt like airing his family’s dirty laundry. In other words, it was embarrassing.

“Hah… This matter has already spread among the nobles. Your Eminence can find out with a little inquiry. However, I ask that you do not spread this matter further.”

“Of course.”

Taking a deep breath, Duke Wozwahl said gravely.

“Due to an unknown illness, His Majesty has been bedridden and unconscious for the better part of a month. It has been nearly half a month since His Majesty was last lucid.”