Volume 8, Chapter 8 – Tears of God

After seeing Duke Wozwahl off, Cynthia immediately began to lead Yisi on a tour of the city, just as she had said she would. Laxy, accompanying them, held an umbrella for Yisi.

Fortunately, it was only a light drizzle. The streets were not too flooded or crowded with pedestrians. Coupled with the quaint architecture, Yisi felt as if she were strolling through a water town. Of course, it was still very different from the Eastern District back on Earth. Though the streets were similarly deserted and rainy, there was an added sense of oppressive desolation here.

“Is this the noble district right outside the temple? The streets feel overly wide, and there are very few people.”

Not only that, but there were also flowerbeds, street lamps, and wooden benches on both sides. Even the noble district of Alvier, the Blood Clan capital, didn’t have so many decorations. The buildings on either side of the street were arranged in an orderly fashion. The predominantly gray architecture gave off an old, somber feeling, but the lights shining from the windows broke through that deathly stillness, adding a touch of life.

Unlike the smile she wore when Duke Wozwahl was present, Cynthia, holding the sides of her skirt as she walked, seemed to have something on her mind.

“Mm… yes, this is the noble district. The temple is built at the intersection of the noble district and the central avenue. A little further west is the royal castle.”

Cynthia pointed to a castle in the west. Even amidst the tightly packed buildings of the noble district, the towering royal castle could be seen in the distance. Unlike the luxurious palace of the Blood Clan capital, the royal castle of the Hels Kingdom lacked a sense of complexity and refinement. Its exterior was devoid of much color or carving. The gray brick castle prioritized practicality, looking like a war fortress that could be activated at any moment.

It must be very depressing to live in a place like this.

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Yisi silently made her judgment. She would never want to live there.

“It lacks vitality… There’s an unsettling air stirring.”

Laxy concluded with a serious expression.

Laxy felt it too?

Yisi was slightly surprised. She had previously thought it was just a difference in personal perception, that the city was unnaturally quiet, like a city about to be ravaged by a storm. But now it seemed she wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

The nobles probably all know the king is bedridden, and their anxiety has spread to the public. Many things don’t need to be said aloud for people to sense that some change is about to occur. Then comes the hoarding of grain and the selling of property in case of emergency. The unsettling air Laxy mentioned is probably the cause.

“It’s been raining nonstop recently. Not only are there many refugees in the villages around the capital, but the autumn harvest will also be poor, so everyone is desperately stockpiling grain. The merchants have followed suit and raised the prices. Well, it’s much better now than when it was a complete mess.” Cynthia gave a helpless, bitter smile, then turned her head to look at Laxy behind her. “Speaking of which, this young lady here is an angel, right?”

“Yes.”

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“…To be accompanied by an angel, she must not be a cardinal just for show.”

Cynthia’s quiet murmur made Yisi tilt her head. Cynthia probably thought that only she could hear what she had just said, but Yisi’s hearing was much better than an ordinary person’s. As long as it wasn’t too noisy, she could hear such whispers. Yisi took the initiative to ask.

“Is something on your mind, Miss Cynthia?”

“Er…” The sudden question made Cynthia snap back to her senses. After a moment’s hesitation, as if she had made some sort of decision, her turquoise eyes filled with an unshakable will, and she said, word by word, “Your Eminence, I hope that you can give me a bottle of the Tears of God that have been circulating in the Church recently.”

Tears of God? What is that?

Not noticing Yisi’s confusion, Cynthia bowed her head deeply, her movements filled with sincerity.

“I know it is something so precious that it cannot be measured in gold coins. Otherwise, the Church would not have limited it to the Ymir Territory and only supplied it to followers who have made contributions to the Church. But I still make this presumptuous request. I hope you will state your conditions, and I will do my utmost to fulfill your requirements—as long as you can give me a bottle of the Tears of God.”

Wait, wait, what exactly are the Tears of God? I’ve never heard Evelyn mention them.

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Although asking Cynthia directly here would make her seem uninitiated in the Church’s affairs, if she let Cynthia continue to plead like this, the awkwardness would only grow with time, and she would eventually have to ask. Yisi decided to just state directly that she didn’t understand what Cynthia was referring to.

“Miss Cynthia, please wait a moment. What are the Tears of God? It might sound like I’m lying, but I truly do not know about the Tears of God. Is that a name that only appears in the kingdom? Or is it something that appeared after I left the Ymir Territory?”

To avoid any surprises, Yisi also used the [Omniscient Map] to search for “Tears of God,” but the result was that no such item existed in the entire capital.

Her red lips pressed tightly together, Cynthia’s gentle face showed a hint of unwillingness. After a few seconds, the unwillingness turned into even more helplessness and sorrow.

“Is that so? As I thought… My deepest apologies for making such a rude request of you. This… must be a difficult thing to accomplish, isn’t it? I suppose I can only ask Father…”

By the time she reached the latter half of her sentence, Cynthia was already muttering to herself, her voice so soft that even Yisi couldn’t hear it clearly.

Cynthia had likely misunderstood her. What she had wanted to express was that she didn’t know what the Tears of God were, but Cynthia had interpreted it as the “Tears of God” being so rare that she didn’t want to give them to her.

What a troublesome misunderstanding.

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But without knowing what the Tears of God were, continuing to ask would only make her look like someone who knew but was pretending not to in Cynthia’s eyes. Compared to someone who was unwilling to give it up, the former would leave a much worse impression, so Yisi chose to remain silent. This sort of thing could be cleared up with a proper explanation later. After giving the item to the other party, the two of them would even form a close bond of helper and helped, with a clear hierarchy. If she needed a favor from Cynthia in the future, Cynthia would definitely not refuse. Therefore, Yisi planned to investigate on her own later. If she could obtain it without troubling Evelyn, she would help Cynthia out a little.

That being said, Yisi already had a theory in mind. Through the [Omniscient Map], she knew Alice’s true situation. What was it that only the Ymir Church possessed? And back at the refugee camp, how had Alice been able to sense her observation with lightning speed? Combining these questions, it was easy to arrive at a conclusion.

But this was, after all, just a guess. Yisi couldn’t be certain that it was the truth, so it wasn’t convenient for her to speak up at the moment.

Duke Wozwahl insisted that I visit his home. Could it be that he also wants to ask for the Tears of God?

This guy may seem strict with his daughter, but he actually loves her very much.

Cynthia patted her cheeks, quickly composing herself from her disappointment.

“Ah, I’ve said a bit too much. Next, let me take you to the Capital’s Blacksmiths’ Association. If we’re lucky, we might find Master Avis today.”