.jpg)
‘Iris, have you seen our Karl by any chance?’
‘Pardon?’
‘Well, my boy went out drinking with his friends a few days ago and hasn't come home.’
Karl's mother had been asking around when her son failed to return home for several days.
After hearing from the innkeeper that he had left the inn after drinking with Robbie's group, she went to the village chief's house, but the chief's wife snapped, "The boy's been vomiting in his room for days, probably because he got sick from drinking too much."
"And?"
"I told her that he... did come to our house for a moment with Robbie to say hello, but that he went back with Robbie shortly after."
Iris answered, her eyes rolling.
"Robbie did cause a scene at our house that day, but I didn't think it was the right time to mention that."
"...You did well. It's not a lie."
Rahan, who had unconsciously tensed up, relaxed his shoulders and smiled at Iris. Iris smiled back. And this time, Rahan made up his mind.
He was going to crush that lizard.
"I'm going to go look for the lizard."
"Will you? Please pick some greens from the garden for me too!"
Potatoes were out of the question, but there were still various crops left in the garden.
I'll make stew today! Iris happily thudded down the iron pot she had bought at the market today. The one in the cabin was borrowed from the monastery, so she had spent a fair amount of money to buy a new one.
"And if you could draw some water from the well..."
Iris followed Rahan as he headed to the backyard with the pot. Drawing water from the well was the task she found most difficult, so she tried to get it done while Rahan was out.
However, Iris couldn't even take a few steps before she bumped into Rahan's back. The man had suddenly stopped in front of the garden.
"Rahan?"
"...Iris. Was it like this a few days ago too?"
The man's voice sounded bewildered. Iris grabbed Rahan's arm and peeked over at the garden.
And then, she was simply shocked.
Because a sight she had never imagined was unfolding there.
* * *
"Priest Marid! Abbot Wilbert!"
Seeing Iris run into the monastery screaming, Priest Marid decided he would have to give her a lecture on the mature and dignified posture expected of an adult. However, that resolve did not last long.
"Aaaah! Abbot Wilbert!"
Seeing Priest Marid rush into the Abbot's office, Priest Vera clicked his tongue. But he, too, was flustered after hearing Priest Marid's words.
As a side note, he didn't believe Priest Marid's words at first and had to travel all the way to the cabin below the monastery.
"...Priest Marid was right. The withered potatoes have returned!"
And Priest Vera, upon returning, also listed what he had seen to Abbot Wilbert in an excited tone.
The story was as follows. The garden behind the cabin where Iris and Rahan were staying. The potato leaves, which had been withering due to the Potato Blight until a few days ago, had suddenly turned lush green.
But that greenness was strange. As if someone had intentionally drawn a circle, only the potatoes within a certain area had turned green.
The words Iris confessed while glancing tentatively were these:
‘A few days ago... I happened to declare a Sanctuary.’
According to Iris, she had gone to the garden with Rahan Norwich this afternoon and saw that the potatoes had come back to life, forming a circular area.
She had clearly confirmed a few days ago that they were shriveled due to the Potato Blight, yet they had come back to life.
Surprised, they examined the reason why the potatoes had survived. They soon discovered that only the potatoes in the area where the Sanctuary had been declared were lush and green.
‘You said it was a few days ago. Did they only come back to life today?’
‘I'm not sure.’
‘Why?’
‘Well...’
Iris hesitated. The reason was that she had spent several days inside the house enjoying a happy and harmonious time as a couple, and hadn't even thought to look at the garden.
But she couldn't tell the priests that.
‘I was just... busy.’
Normally, Priest Vera would have scolded her, saying, "You said you declared a Sanctuary 'by chance,' and you just left the garden alone for days without tending to it?!"
Not only that, but since Iris Achen was no longer a priest, the fact that she had declared a Sanctuary on her own left much room for criticism.
However, Priest Vera was a man who kept a good distinction between public and private matters. He pulled out a potato that was still withered in the garden. Then, he poured divine power into it.
‘!’
And everyone present saw it. The shriveled potato slowly recovered and returned to its original shape.
Rahan Norwich, who had tried to stop Iris by saying it might be a coincidence, could say nothing in the face of this. It was certainly a joyful thing. However...
"...This is a problem."
Abbot Wilbert muttered gloomily.
Divine power cannot cure diseases. What divine power can cure are wounds caused by external factors, and one more thing.
Curses caused by demons, or by mages who use the power of demons.
Unable to believe it, the priests even brought hot water from the Sanctuary and poured it on the potatoes. There was no mistake. The shriveled potatoes were also recovered by the Holy Water.
"This is likely... the work of mages, isn't it?"
"It must be. Eridrahan does not cure diseases..."
"Hooo."
Riet, who was called in late, also poured Holy Water after hearing the story from Rahan, and let out a sound that could have been either an exclamation or a sigh.
"I thought Iris was talking nonsense, but it would have been a hundred times better if it were nonsense. Mages."
Priest Vera pressed his hand to his forehead.
"It wasn't that I had no suspicions. The magical beasts that appeared recently, and..."
Abbot Wilbert spoke with a devastated face.
"Originally, plagues and droughts belong to demons. Isn't the entire Foldenbach Empire suffering from a premature plague?"
Only then did the people remember the plague that had suddenly become rampant even before midsummer.
Rahan, who had his arms crossed, sighed and looked at Riet.
"Riet."
"Ah, I don't want to."
Riet pouted.
"It hasn't been long since I ran a million cubits to get here... I thought I could finally have a vacation."
Of course, she was just talking. There was no way she could refuse. Now that they knew the Potato Blight was a prank by mages, Riet had to rush to the Grand Duchy immediately.
"As soon as the sun rises tomorrow... no, I will leave right now."
"Good. Abbot Wilbert, I'm sorry, but could I receive some Holy Water? There will be faithful priests in the Grand Duchy, but I believe Riet needs to report to the Grand Duke quickly."
"I shall prepare it immediately."
The Abbot nodded and expressed his gratitude to Rahan.
"Sir Norwich, thank you. Thank you, Iris, as well."
"...Are you not going to scold me?"
The hesitating Iris asked cautiously. She seemed worried about being reprimanded for declaring a Sanctuary despite not being a priest.
Abbot Wilbert gave a bitter smile and looked at Priest Vera. Priest Vera frowned but answered stiffly.
"It is for the sake of Arnsberg, no, the Foldenbach Empire, so it would be illogical to scold you."
Since these were words they never imagined Priest Vera would say, Priest Marid teased, "My goodness. What's gotten into Priest Vera?" Priest Vera glared terrifyingly at Priest Marid.
"I am only doing this for the monastery."
"Thank you, Priest Vera... and Abbot."
Iris replied with a choked expression. However, Rahan shook his head.
"...There is no particular reason to thank me. The Grand Duke has entrusted me with Arnsberg for the time being."
"Arnsberg?"
The priests present, including Iris, looked at Rahan in surprise. Only Riet, who already knew, was not surprised. Rahan scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"The Grand Duke has prepared various alternatives to prepare for any unforeseen events. Acting authority over Arnsberg is one of them."
The fact that the Grand Duke had exiled him was merely a surface reason.
However, in case the situation prolonged in various ways, the Grand Duke had prepared other countermeasures. This was to ensure that Rahan could move in Arnsberg without difficulty.
Abbot Wilbert marveled.
"In that case..."
"Yes. As the acting lord of Arnsberg, I will officially request the relief of the Potato Blight in the Arnsberg region from Wind Rock Monastery. And I will do the same for other temples of the Church of Eridrahan."
That was what Abbot Wilbert had been most worried about. Even if they found out the Potato Blight was the work of mages, informing the lords, including those of Arnsberg, and taking action was a different matter entirely.
When the clergy witnessed the Potato Blight being cured in an instant, they had no choice but to believe in the reappearance of mages.
However, peace had been maintained in the Empire for a hundred years. Who would suddenly want to prepare for another great war in this situation?
Now that the influence of the Church of Eridrahan had weakened, some might prefer to turn a blind eye to such occurrences. Thanks to Rahan, the task of persuading the lords and seeking cooperation from other monasteries had become easier.
“Wind Rock Monastery will also do its utmost to assist Arnsberg.”
Abbot Wilbert carefully traced the emblem of Eridrahan over his heart.
“Iris, and I hate to say this, but…”
“Yes, Abbot! I may not have much power, but I’ll help in any way I can!”
There were very few priests capable of performing a Sanctuary Declaration. With Iris there, it was certain she would be of great help.
Rahan smiled faintly and said, “Please continue your conversation. I’ll excuse myself for a moment,” before leaving the Abbot's office.
He headed straight back to the hut.
“You damn brat, this was your doing, wasn't it!”
.jpg)