Game Opportunities Become Reality Episode 182
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Game Opportunities Become Reality Episode 182
43. Development of the Duchy of Lawrence (3)
"Is His Highness the King coming alone?"
The female priest who had delivered the news of Adrian's visit shook her head at her colleague's question.
"It seems Her Highness the Queen will be accompanying him as well."
"Hmph, there's no way to stop this."
In his heart, he wanted to prevent Adrian from meeting Ibril.
But he was the leader of a nation and the spiritual pillar of the rising Rhinehearts Empire, and above all, he was Ibril's Sponsor.
The priests of the Saintess's Palace were in a position where they had to welcome his visit gladly.
"What's all this noise about?"
Just as the female priests were huddling together with troubled expressions.
A voice familiar to everyone's ears rang out.
"S-Sainthess Your Holiness!"
The person who appeared before them was the current Saintess, Sharon Sylvester, who would hand over all authority to Ibril in two months and conclude her fifty years of priestly service.
A Saintess receives the goddess's blessing and gains a body that does not age.
Because of this, the 68-year-old Saintess Sylvester still possessed beauty as if she were twenty.
However, perhaps because the goddess's blessing had nearly faded with her term as Saintess drawing to a close, her youthful appearance that once radiated freshness had grown more mature and alluring, as if she had aged a little, and her brilliant blonde hair had lightened to a lemon hue.
Of course, it wasn't as if she would instantly become a wrinkled old woman the moment the goddess's blessing disappeared.
Her body had already exceeded normal limits, so even if she aged now, she would only wear down very slowly.
Even when she reached a hundred years old, her appearance would not surpass her thirties.
This could be described as a reward for a loyal servant who followed the goddess.
"What's wrong with all of you?"
Perhaps because her time in office was nearly over, much of her characteristic sharp aura had faded, and Saintess Sylvester even radiated a sense of familiarity.
But countless people knew her true nature behind the fearsome title of "Demon Slayer."
Because of that, the female priests had frozen stiff.
"I-It's because His Highness the King of Lawrence has submitted a request for visitation."
Only then did Sylvester, realizing why they had been huddling together like that, rest her chin on her hand.
She too was well aware that Ibril had a one-sided crush on the King.
Indeed, Adrian possessed a talent for enchanting women.
She even thought that if she had been a little younger, she might have made a move on him herself.
"Guide the King to me. I'll meet him."
At that, the female priests' expressions brightened.
The master of this palace was still Saintess Sylvester, so her word was law.
But at what she said next, the female priests could only force awkward smiles.
"Been a while since I've had a feast for the eyes."
"Haha..."
* * *
I followed the priests of the Saintess's Palace, who seemed more tense than usual today, down the corridor.
But we weren't heading to Ibril's familiar office, but somewhere else, and I had to wonder inwardly about it.
Of course, I stayed quiet, thinking that the priests wouldn't do anything strange.
And where we arrived was a lavish reception room.
I wondered if the Saintess's Palace even had a place like this, but then I spotted a woman seated at the center and understood why this place felt unfamiliar to me.
"I greet Saintess Sylvester, Your Holiness."
"Welcome. Your Highness the King of Lawrence, Your Highness the Queen of Lawrence."
Since Arcia currently had two titles, people often struggled with what to call her.
That was because Arcia was both Duke Klein of the Rhinehearts Empire and the Queen of the Duchy of Lawrence.
But perhaps because I was by her side, the Saintess called Arcia the Queen without any hesitation.
"You're not disappointed that it was me who called you, are you?"
At Saintess Sylvester's question, I waved my hand as if to say, how could that be.
If anything, when it came to talking business, speaking with her was more reliable than with Ibril.
The only problem was that it was harder to speak casually with her compared to Ibril.
"I would welcome you anytime, Saintess Sylvester. If you wish to settle in another country after retirement, please do consider our Duchy of Lawrence or the Rhinehearts Empire as candidates."
This was not idle talk it was sincere.
After all, just because she lost the position of Saintess didn't mean her Divine power would vanish overnight.
In fact, many nations had their eyes wide open, eager to invite the current Holy Son and Saintess to their lands after their retirement.
"If the conditions are good, there's no reason to refuse. I hold a fairly favorable impression of the Rhinehearts Empire and the Duchy of Lawrence."
"Haha, thank you. Then I will have a proposal drawn up."
Even if not a Title, at least a Marquis or Duke.
The domain offered would be the choicest cut.
As one who wields 8th Circle divine magic, she displays 9th-circle-level power against the demon race alone.
Her individual ability was one thing, but her renown and connections were equally extraordinary, so such treatment was only natural.
"Then, may I ask what brings you to request a visit today?"
I thought it might be good to call Ibril as well, but her demeanor was firm.
I had a fair idea of why she reacted that way, so I gave an awkward smile and took out an object from my subspace to hand to her.
Upon seeing the object, the Saintess widened both eyes in surprise.
"Is this not a Holy Relic?"
As a Saintess, recognizing it at a glance was only natural.
"This time, with the help of an acquaintance, I was able to explore a ruin in the Dragonlands. This is a treasure I obtained then."
"The aura emanating from it is far from ordinary. This can be considered top-grade. Moreover, it appears to be a Holy Relic that has been very well maintained."
I pushed the Holy Relic toward her.
She tilted her head, and I answered calmly.
"I will donate it to the church."
Not all Holy Relics necessarily belong to the church.
The church has a doctrine against coveting others' property, and since personal ownership of Holy Relics is recognized, from their perspective my possession was nothing more than a pie in the sky.
"You're donating it?"
So when I suddenly offered to give her the sacred object, she wore a shocked expression.
Naturally.
Not only did every Holy Relic hold tremendous value, but even by modern standards, they were concentrated clusters of over-technology.
"That Holy Relic is called the 'Compass That Chases Black Mana.'"
And as the name of the Holy Relic left my lips, her reaction grew even more dramatic.
Because the name itself expressed its function.
"Does this mean that with this, we can find demon worshipers?"
"Perhaps so."
I don't know what happened in the past, but given that she bears the title 'Demon Slayer,' a sharp gleam swirled in her eyes.
Clerics themselves were no different from black mana detectors, but their search range was very narrow.
But if it were a dedicated artifact from the Mythic Era, the story would be entirely different.
I hadn't been able to conduct detailed experiments, but for all I knew, the range would be considerable.
In fact, the compass was even now pointing in a certain direction.
"And the search range?"
"I don't know exactly myself. If you accept this, you'll likely need to verify its performance first."
Naturally, from her perspective, there was no reason to refuse.
After all, this was the finest Holy Relic that could serve as a deterrent against unforeseen circumstances.
"This is hard to understand. Giving away something this extraordinary so freely."
As expected, fifty years of Saintess experience was no joke.
Rather than simply delighting in the favor, she sought to discern the intent wrapped within the favor.
I answered simply.
"The compass is pointing somewhere right now, isn't it? Even before I came here, it kept pointing here and there."
"Did you not consider going in the direction the compass pointed?"
"I did. But I soon gave up."
"Why?"
"Because there's no need to step into danger voluntarily."
"So you're handing this over to us?"
"Aren't you the specialists in that field? I judged that you would use it more meaningfully and better than I could."
An answer that could sound like passing the buck.
But with her, answering honestly was better than dressing it up with all sorts of reasons.
Indeed, upon hearing my answer, she broke into a sly smile.
"A wise judgment. Everyone has their own area of expertise. Especially for Mages, it's best not to approach demons."
I am the king of a nation.
And also a Grand Mage of the 8th Circle, while my wife is a Grandmaster.
Under my command, I hold unknown Aura Masters, a top-tier Spirit Master, a 7th Circle Grand Mage, and numerous other transcendent beings and with the Rhinehearts Empire backing me from behind, I can confidently claim that my highest-tier combat power does not lag behind the Holy Land's.
But if I ever had to face demons and their worshipers, my forces could never match the church.
It wasn't for nothing that the woman before me bore the title of Demon Slayer.
I spoke to Saintess Sylvester with a serious expression.
"If I'm not mistaken, something is clearly happening in Rondel. And at the center of it all, demons and demon worshipers seem to be involved."
Ibril told me that the Black Mage I killed was no ordinary one.
Saintess Sylvester must have been quite wary as well.
I deliberately added words that would stoke her wariness.
She nodded and picked up the Holy Relic I had handed her.
"If Grand Duke Lawrence says so, then surely this is no trivial matter. And the appearance of such a Holy Relic at this time must have a clear reason behind it."
The church stepping forward actively around that Holy Relic was exactly the scenario I had hoped for.
Even if things didn't go as planned, I could always just nudge Ibril.
In the end, the church had no choice but to move as I intended.
"It seems I've found something I need to do before stepping down from my position."
And at Saintess Sylvester's utterly reassuring words, I smiled, thinking of the unknown group trying to destroy the Hollywood System.
* * *
"What is this?"
Having come to the Lord's estate of the Marquisate of Lawrence, I held out a fruit to my Mother, who was nearing childbirth.
It was a tiny fruit that looked like a cherry, but it gleamed gold plainly not ordinary at a glance.
Naturally, Mother and Father tilted their heads in confusion, and I held out the same fruit to Father as well.
However, Father's was smaller in size compared to Mother's.
"It's a miraculous elixir harvested from an ancient ruin in the Dragonlands. They say eating it keeps you young for a long time and extends your lifespan. Above all, it greatly increases physical ability."
Father and Mother, having never seen such an elixir before, wore startled expressions.
But Mother hesitated to reach for it.
She was clearly worried it might adversely affect the child in her womb.
"Don't worry. I wouldn't recommend it without reason. If a pregnant woman eats it, the fetus will be born with a strong body free of ailments. Moreover, the child will be clever and have a constitution specialized in Mana."
At my words, my parents' eyes went wide.
"S-Such a precious thing, how could we..."
According to Blake, that fruit was the safest among the elixirs obtainable from ruins, one that showed immediate effects.
Unlike other elixirs, it only changed one's constitution without the option of accumulating energy, so it seemed fitting for my parents.
Especially, the effect on the fetus was too good to pass up.
So I judged it perfect.
"Mother needs to nourish the fetus as well, so I prepared the better one. The effects the two of you will enjoy will be similar. You wouldn't hold a grudge just because Father's is smaller, would you?"
"How could I hold a grudge? Can we really consume something so precious?"
The elixir I gave to Father and Mother is called Lute Cherry.
I obtained a total of 7 Lute Cherries from the ruins Mother's is first-grade, while Father's is second-grade.
I received 2 first-grade and 5 second-grade ones, and the reason I didn't give Father a first-grade was because I was saving it for Arcia.
In case she conceives a child someday, I wanted to have it ready for her.
"Go on, eat it. You deserve to reap the benefits of having a good son."
"We already reap plenty of benefits."
I shoved the Lute Cherries into my hesitant parents' mouths without giving them a choice.
Taken by surprise, the two flinched, but soon the Lute Cherries melted away in their mouths, releasing a fragrant scent, and they let out great admiration.
At the same time, light radiated from both their bodies as if time were reversing, wrinkles faded and their graying hair regained its original color.
When the light settled, they looked at least ten years younger than their actual age.
Father looked younger still, but Mother, who had always maintained her youth well, appeared no older than her contemporaries.
"Oh, my goodness."
That was the maid attending to Mother.
A natural reaction, having witnessed a miracle right before her eyes.