Chapter: 248
Isabel Artea.
Born into the Artea Count family, she didn’t really have much love for gods.
Having been raised with a solid upbringing, she viewed faith merely as a tool for reputation and trade.
She couldn’t grasp the concept of belief that didn’t expect something in return.
However, her life—previously distant from faith—changed entirely due to a single dungeon.
Back when Isabel hadn’t yet inherited the family, a dungeon appeared over the sea.
This dungeon was massive enough that even the average person wouldn’t dare attempt to conquer it.
The head of the Artea family at that time, her father, summoned several famous adventurers and mercenaries to tackle the dungeon, but they all failed.
Even the family knights weren’t of much help. After countless failures, the dungeon only grew in power over time.
Desperate, the Count sought help from neighboring nobles, but they all flatly refused.
Eventually, having exhausted all options, Count Artea took it upon himself to enter the dungeon, declaring he would come back for sure.
However, even after a day, two days, and a week, he hadn’t returned.
People started saying that Count Artea had failed to conquer the dungeon.
Then, something truly bizarre happened. Once the likelihood of Count Artea’s death was half-confirmed, the nearby nobles began offering support.
Those who had claimed they were too busy to help suddenly reached out the moment the chief decision-maker vanished. Their intentions were obvious, even to Isabel, who was still quite naive.
The surrounding nobles were eyeing what the Artea family possessed.
Isabel, aware of this, worked frantically with her mother to protect the family, but there were limits to what they could do.
The repeated failures to conquer the dungeon had put the Artea family on shaky ground.
The nearby nobles were relentless in their pressure on Count Artea, and it was clear their objectives wouldn’t take long to achieve.
That fateful day, when she was told, “If there’s no suitable outcome, we can’t help you,” Isabel prayed for the first time before the deity with genuine sincerity.
She wished for her father to safely conquer the dungeon and for the family to regain peace.
Maybe her desperate voice reached the heavens, for a miracle occurred the very next day.
The dungeon vanished, and Count Artea returned.
Despite countless wounds, seeing her father smile brightly at that moment led Isabel to believe in divine miracles.
It was when she started obsessing over items related to the gods, for holding them made her feel everything would miraculously turn out alright.
Whether it was the effectiveness of Isabel’s faith or just luck from the various items she gathered, her endeavors were met with consecutive successes.
Eventually, she brought the Artea family to a level of prosperity unimaginable before.
Even after inheriting the family, the now-successful Isabel Artea is the head of one of the continent’s largest merchant companies and one of the church’s greatest benefactors—a noble family that no one could afford to overlook.
Despite her power and authority, Isabel showed little interest in revenge.
The reason was simple. The deity instructed her to embrace those around her with love rather than hatred, and she followed that path.
However, occasionally—very rarely—there appeared someone she simply couldn’t forgive, someone she hated.
For Isabel, that person was Lucy Alrn.
No matter how young and immature she was, insulting various congregants and priests at the church, pouring water on a bishop’s stature while questioning whether it was even holy water.
It was Lucy Alrn who shattered the idol.
If it weren’t for the presence of Benedict Alrn, she would have been arrested for heresy long ago, and that brat would have faced appropriate punishment.
Even by hearsay alone, there were enough reasons to despise Lucy, yet Isabel’s feelings towards her were more profound.
When Isabel had purchased a necklace imbued with divinity at an auction, Lucy Alrn had come to her, causing a ruckus.
“Give it back. That necklace would be happier being with a cutie like me rather than some zealot stuck in a corner with a pen and cross.”
Isabel outright refused to follow such ridiculous orders—there was no reason for that.
But Lucy did not stop her antics until the guards at the auction house arrived.
If that had marked the end, it would’ve been a mere incident; however, Lucy Alrn relentlessly bothered Isabel in various ways afterwards.
There was even the time she came over to Isabel’s home and caused a ruckus until Benedict Alrn stepped in to sort things out.
With such experiences, Isabel simply couldn’t view Lucy in a favorable light.
So, when she heard that Lucy Alrn had come to visit the mansion, she refused to meet with her.
There was no reason for someone so unrelated to suddenly appear here; it could only be to stir up trouble.
Rumors held true. While the Alrn family’s heir had honed her abilities, her personality remained unchanged.
Though the saint seemed to take a liking to her, that was just thanks to the saint’s divine grace.
Having heard Frete go on about her useless prattle for some time, Isabel couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread.
Really, humans devoted to the gods of beauty and art—does everything revolve around looks?
She hoped that while on the way to the Burrow family, Lucy might accidentally bump her head and find some sanity.
“Lady of the House!”
Without knocking, her secretary barged in; Isabel furrowed her brows.
“What’s going on?”
“There’s a commotion outside.”
“Is it the Young Lady of the Alrn family?”
“Yes!”
Sigh…
Does that brat, Lucy Alrn, realize how burdensome it is to apologize while being a hero of the nation and capable of shattering a mediocre army all on her own?
With a heavy sigh, Isabel sensed her secretary had caught on to something, and he added hurriedly.
“The guards protecting the mansion attacked the Alrn Young Lady.”
“…What?!”
Crazy. Insane. Out of control?!
Isabel tossed the pen she was holding and quickly rushed outside the mansion.
She wasn’t concerned about her noble decorum. If what her secretary said was true, this was a grave matter.
If Lucy Alrn got hurt, and Benedict Alrn became enraged with his sword pointed this way… just the thought of it sent chills down her spine.
Please, let nothing have happened.
I’m begging!
“…What on earth?”
After desperately running, Isabel finally arrived at the front of the mansion, only to freeze at the sight of the guards lying sprawled out around her.
While they weren’t as strong as proper knights, that had only been a matter of individual weakness.
Having trained consistently and learned to fight in groups, they were clearly a formidable force. Isabel wouldn’t have left their protection to anyone lacking even basic skills.
Yet here they lay, shattered.
Not just broken, but it was clear they’d shown enough restraint that no lives had been lost or serious injuries incurred; they merely hadn’t fought to the extent of inflicting harm.
“Hey, zealot trader lady. You know you’re lagging behind, right?”
The obnoxious, clear voice pierced her ears.
As she looked up, Isabel stiffened for an entirely different reason.
“Get some exercise. Sitting around all day, your clothes must be screaming for help.”
There stood Lucy Alrn, but she was not the Lucy Alrn Isabel once knew.
The past Lucy had been nothing more than a rude, arrogant little brat. Good-looking, sure, but that was it—she held no other value.
But now? Witness that precious and powerful divinity she cradled.
Witness that rare, strong divinity!
Having purchased numerous items related to the deity and learned how to gauge their worth, Isabel could immediately see Lucy’s value upon meeting her gaze.
She was loved by the gods.
“Hey, zealot lady? You realize your face looks super pervy, right? It’s kinda creepy.”
Ah, so that’s why Frete had said such things.
It finally clicked.
There was a reason that kid sang praises all day!
“Uh, excuse me?”
Whatever had happened in the last few years was none of her business.
What mattered was this: Lucy Alrn was shining with a divinity brighter than any artifact out there.
“Can you even hear me?”
As she swallowed hard, Isabel put on her merchant’s mask.
“I apologize, Lady Alrn. The situation just…”
And thought to herself,
I really want that dazzling thing.
*
Following Isabel’s arrival, the situation calmed down.
Walking smoothly into the mansion’s reception room, I couldn’t shake the sense of foreboding.
Had things worked out better than I expected? Normally, I’d be thrilled, but Isabel’s indescribable gaze sent shivers down my spine.
That glare was strikingly similar to when the Clumsy Fox had eyed me in a bunny girl outfit.
Odd? Aside from her obsession with items tied to deities, she should be a reasonable, intelligent person!
There shouldn’t be any backstory involving sick perversion?!
[Young Lady, didn’t you say she’s obsessed with items related to the gods?]
‘…So what?’
[As an apostle of the gods, aren’t you the most desirable object for her obsession?]
…Huh?
Wait, what?!
[Ha ha ha. Don’t be too surprised. There’s no way she could have a means of figuring out you’re an apostle of the gods. It must have been a misunderstanding.]
Gramps laughed it off, but I couldn’t bring myself to relax.
No way she had a means of realizing I was an apostle of the gods.
But she’s got an artifact that can gauge the divinity within people and things.
That means she could sense the divine presence residing inside me.
Not the old, faded holy relics but the divine gift bestowed by the pathetic god six months ago.
…Is it going to be alright?
Even if Isabel is obsessed with divine items, surely she won’t resort to kidnapping or confinement.
Yeah, it’s probably just my overthinking.
Anyway, she wouldn’t be someone I’d need to meet again after collecting the tablet.
Bang!
“Yikes?!”
Were my ominous thoughts to blame?
Startled by the opening door, I cautiously turned my head.
“I’m sorry, Young Lady. I should have knocked first.”
Isabel stood there, wearing a soft smile.
…Whether it was just my imagination, that smile felt downright chilling.
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
