Chapter 197: A Really Nice Gift
Max spoke with a tone of grievance. “We didn’t intentionally neglect the request. And in a situation like this, it’s usually considered that the client’s objective has been achieved, so it’s common to let it slide.”
They hadn’t actually procrastinated. They had run as fast as possible to be prepared for any potential accidents.
Still, since it was a Siege War, they thought there would be plenty of time.
But upon arrival, the war was over much faster than they had anticipated. In fact, everyone was busy cleaning up the battlefield.
In this situation, there was nothing they could do. They were just relieved that Baron Penris was alive as the client wished.
However, Ghislaine relentlessly pressed the issue. “I was surrounded at the Castle Gate, and almost died! Did you rescue me when it was dangerous? Or not?”
“Uh, no, we didn’t.”
They might not have known how dangerous it truly was. But since Ghislaine claimed it was risky, they couldn’t argue back.
“Then did you properly fulfill the request? Or not?”
“Uh, it seems we didn’t. But we really didn’t expect the war to end this quickly…”
“Then you should at least compensate me for that! Huh? Are you trying to scam my partners right now? Huh?”
At Ghislaine’s outburst, Max and the Resolvers had no words to say. They felt wronged but had nothing to counter with.
Furthermore, the client was none other than Rosalyn, the daughter of Marquis Branford, and Meriel, a powerful noblewoman.
If this madman started spouting nonsense and got them on her bad side, they might have to give up on trade entirely.
With the situation as it was, running away was not an option. They had to soothe the opponent as much as possible to escape.
“I-I’ll give you a discount on the next request and do better next time.”
“Next? Where’s the next? You want me to be in danger again? And act like it’s a big-hearted gesture to give me a discount? Half off is the least you should do!”
They had never actually said “half off.”
‘This guy… totally doesn’t understand. Might as well just ask what he wants.’
“W-What should we do, then?”
Max cautiously asked, and Ghislaine finally replied in a softer tone. “First, help tidy up the battlefield here, and then help out with some work in our Territory. We need some extra hands.”
That didn’t seem too difficult. It was better to spend some time than to fight with a crazy noble.
“Ugh, understood. Then I’ll help out for a few days and go back.”
Max and the Resolvers started helping the soldiers with long faces.
They genuinely planned to just help out a little and leave in a few days. But Ghislaine had other thoughts.
‘They all look like they’ll be useful, so I’ll make good use of them for a long time. I can just count their wages as laborers!’
The money they had received from Rosalyn and Meriel could amount to several thousand golds at the very least. It was that dangerous of a matter.
If they calculated that as laborers’ wages, they would be busy for several years even with generous payment.
As the Resolvers moved to find work, only the youthful-looking Priest was left standing alone.
As the Resolvers moved to find work, only the young-looking Priest remained awkwardly behind.
The Priest observed the situation and spoke with a tense expression.
“Uh, then I suppose I’ll be leaving now…”
Ghislaine pretended not to hear and continued digging in her ear. However, since the person’s status was notable, she was a bit more polite than she was with the Resolvers.
“Our Priest looks very young. What is your name?”
“My, my name is Piote. I serve the Goddess Juana of Beauty and Abundance.”
“The Goddess of Beauty, Juana? Don’t you folks despise battlefields and filthy places?”
At Ghislaine’s question, Piote hesitated slightly before replying.
“Um… Count Ailzbur’s Lady has made many donations to our church and is quite friendly, so she specially asked me…”
Upon hearing that name, Ghislaine nodded in understanding.
If there’s one thing she knew, it’s that Meriel was a true master of ‘beauty.’ After all, wasn’t she the first to recognize the true value of cosmetics?
Given Meriel’s influence, wealth, and connections, sending just one Priest to the battlefield would be no big deal.
“I see. I fully understand. Anyway, you must have had quite the journey to come to such a rough place.”
“Y-yes… then I will be on my way…”
“Where do you think you’re going? You must have received some money, right? Just like those guys earlier, you need to earn your keep!”
At this, Piote made a slightly wronged expression.
“I didn’t receive any money.”
“Eh? No way a Priest would lie outright like that!”
“I swear to the Goddess, I absolutely did not take any money! I’m not that kind of person!”
Even the most corrupt Priest usually doesn’t sell lies in the name of the Goddess.
Ghislaine looked at the Priest before her with a puzzled expression.
Did he really not receive any money? Is there a Priest who comes to help without accepting money in this day and age? If so, then how can they get caught?
‘That doesn’t make sense, does it? There’s no way there could be a Priest like that.’
Only then did Ghislaine narrow her eyes and scrutinize Piote closely.
With his light pink hair and diminutive stature, he looked more delicate than sturdy, and under her staring gaze, he timidly lowered his head, appearing completely innocent.
His skin was pale and smooth, suggesting he had never experienced hardship; he seemed like someone who had only grown up delicately in the temple.
‘It doesn’t fit for someone like him to accept money and come to a dangerous battlefield, but…’
Her suspicion grew since he didn’t seem like someone picked by Meriel’s refined taste.
‘But he doesn’t look like someone willing to sacrifice himself to convey the Goddess’s will either… Priests usually operate based on conventions where they take money before they move.’
After pondering for a moment, Ghislaine’s face brightened with realization.
‘Wow! This is amazing! I’m finally getting a real Priest!’
Most northern territories don’t have any Priests capable of using Divine Power. Usually, only a few evangelists roam around to spread doctrine.
The very few Priests capable of using Divine Power are not easy to find, especially outside the land of a Grand Lord or major cities.
Gillian hadn’t left Raybold to cure his daughter for precisely this reason.
But if her assumption was correct, she could keep this Priest in her territory for quite a while.
“Be honest with me. Didn’t someone else receive money? A very high-ranking person collected it on your behalf, and you just came along out of necessity, right? I didn’t think of this simple thing due to the customs of the Priests.”
“Uh…”
Piote couldn’t respond. He had unwittingly exposed the truth while trying to act all pure.
Naturally, the Temple of Cardenia had the Archbishop as well as High Priests residing in it.
He’s doing it.
No matter how much they were Meriel and Rosalyn, they couldn’t easily send High Priests to dangerous territories on the border.
Even now, the High Priest who had presumably received money from them sent a low-ranking priest from the temple instead.
After all, he had to be dispatched to another territory later, so they used the excuse to gather experience in advance.
The naive Piote, feeling wronged, spoke up.
“That… That’s true, but I can’t stay here. I have to return to the temple.”
He didn’t want to be stuck here like the Resolvers.
From a young age, he had only seen good things, worn good things, and eaten good things. But the world he was seeing for the first time was so different from what he expected.
“The world outside the temple is hell. I need to get back quickly.”
As he traveled here, he passed by many villages. Seeing the poor people living there, Piote had those thoughts.
But that was nothing but arrogance. The battlefield was the real hell. It was on a completely different level from the territories he had passed through before.
Everywhere he looked, there were corpses, and the moans of injured soldiers echoed around. Every time he saw knights and soldiers covered in blood, it felt like he was staring at demons.
He was forcing himself to suppress his nausea, yet the lord right in front of him was smiling, drenched in blood.
“Ugh… How can he even smile in this situation? The world outside the temple is truly terrifying. It’s filled with incomprehensible folks.”
They all looked like demons. This was definitely the lair of devils.
Seeing the naive priest fidgeting to get back, Ghislaine chuckled.
“Sure, then go ahead and leave. We can’t keep you here if a precious person wants to go back.”
“Really? I-I will leave right away then.”
“But I wonder if you can make it back safely on your own. Safe travels.”
“Huh, wait?”
It was only then that Piote realized reality and panicked greatly.
This world was full of monsters and bandits roaming around regularly. Cities and villages had to be surrounded by fortifications and barriers.
In that world, could he, lacking experience and not even being a combat priest, make it back to the capital alone?
The moment he stepped outside the castle, the chances of dying or being kidnapped somewhere were 100%. Especially for a pretty boy like him (?), it was even more dangerous.
“Oh no. N-No, I absolutely can’t go back alone.”
He had come this far with the reliable Resolvers, so he hadn’t worried much.
He had actually encountered monsters a few times and met bandits, but they had dealt with them easily.
Ultimately, Piote made a face of despair and bowed his head to Ghislaine.
“L-Lord. Please assign someone to escort me.”
“How much will you pay?”
“W-What? Y-You want money? I’m a priest!”
“There’s no such thing as a free ride in this world. You also sent a priest after getting paid, right? I’m not a sucker.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
Piote was flustered yet again. He had seen many nobles donate to the temple, but this was the first time he had met someone trying to extort money.
Usually, due to the temple’s prestige and authority, they would strive to appear favorable and give generously.
Reluctantly, Piote bowed his head once more.
“Please, I beg you. I will surely repay your kindness when I return.”
‘I won’t even look back at this place when I do!’
But Ghislaine was not one to be swayed by empty words. He shook his head resolutely.
“I wish I could, but we’re also short on manpower. If you really can’t get back alone, maybe you can go with those friends from earlier.”
“Ugh…”
In short, it meant he didn’t want to let him go easily; he was suggesting that he work a bit before leaving.
If he went back alone, his life would be at risk. Reluctantly, Piote nodded with tears in his eyes.
Unsure of how long his Resolver friends might still be held captive.
But Ghislaine thought that wasn’t enough, so he added a slight threat.
“Oh, if you try to escape via another route or don’t work hard, I’m going to spread some really juicy rumors.”
“If you don’t start working, I’ll spread a huge rumor.”
“A, a rumor? What kind of rumor?”
“That you ran off with money from the Juana Church. That would definitely put everyone in trouble, right? You know very well who’s behind me.”
Piote’s face turned pale.
The hierarchy in the temple is stricter than that of the Mage Tower.
If the High Priest gets blamed because of a lowly priest like him, there’s no way that would be overlooked.
Living locked up in a monastery for a lifetime would be lucky; he could have been chased off to a place even worse and more dangerous than this.
“Uh, umm… wait a second…”
Looking at his face to plead, the other was grinning wickedly.
This guy was definitely the devil incarnate. And he was sure that he was now being tested by the goddess.
Faith must be proven by passing such trials.
“I will do my best…”
“Great. I look forward to working well together from now on. And let’s just speak casually like friends, okay? It would seem too cold if we talk formally all the time since we’ll be together for a while.”
“Y, yes… just address me casually, Lord… I’m comfortable this way…”
“Oh come on, you can just speak casually. Anyway, let’s get along well. First, treat the injured soldiers. We’re short on doctors in our territory.”
He immediately gave an order. I’ve never seen such a reckless noble in my life.
Being treated like this was a first for Piote, who felt tears welling up.
Yet, there was nothing he could do. It felt like he could lose his head for going against this guy, who was as nasty as an evil spirit.
“Y, yes…”
Piote staggered and approached the injured soldiers.
If there’s anything else that’s useless, divine power is the best for treating wounds and enhancing vigor. A priest is practically a high-grade potion.
Plus, just resting would automatically recharge it.
An automatic recharging potion, it was as if a pile of money had rolled in. And it’s pink, which is quite pretty.
Being a lowly priest might mean his divine power was a bit lacking, but he was still much more valuable than a mage.
‘Wow, I didn’t expect such a gain. I need to hold onto this as long as possible. They seem innocent enough to follow orders well. They sent me such a nice gift. How lucky.’
He secured ten sturdy laborers and a top-tier priest personnel.
How could he not express his gratitude to Meriel and Rosalyn?
“Now, shall we deal with the rest?”
Ghislaine, after a hearty laugh, headed towards the Lord’s Castle with a few knights.
The Lord’s Castle already had a white flag raised, and all the high retainers and stewards from Count Cabaldy’s territory were gathered.
They bowed their heads, faces filled with fear.
“Greetings to the new Lord.”
“We merely followed Count Cabaldy’s orders.”
“The warehouse is wide open. Everything now belongs to the Baron.”
“We will assist you with all our hearts from now on.”
Ghislaine scanned them.
These were the ones who benefited alongside Count Cabaldy but latched onto Count Desmond instead.
It was the same in his previous life as it was now.
They must have been so confident when the war began. They probably hoped to conquer Penris and seize the food supply.
Now, however, those once arrogant were looking at him with desperate eyes, clearly wanting to survive.
“Hmm.”
Nodding his head a few times with an indifferent look, Ghislaine spoke to Gillian beside him.
“Throw all the low-level officials into prison. We will decide their treatment after assessing their crimes.”
“Understood.”
“And the retainers who held important positions in the territory…”
Pausing to survey them, Ghislaine continued with a chilling gaze.
“Kill them all.”
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