Episode 197: You sent me a very nice gift. (2)
Max spoke as if he was being unfairly treated.
“We did not intentionally neglect the request. And, as is customary, in such cases, the client’s purpose has been achieved, so it is usually overlooked.”
They weren’t running late. They were running really hard to prepare for any accidents that might happen.
Still, since it was a siege, I thought there would be plenty of time.
But when I arrived, the war had ended much sooner than I had expected. Everyone was even cleaning up the battlefield.
In this situation, there was nothing they could do. All they could do was feel relieved that Baron Fenris was alive, just as the client had wished.
But Giselle was persistent in asking that question.
“I was surrounded alone at the gate and almost died. Did you rescue me when I was in danger? Or didn’t you?”
“Oh, I didn’t do it.”
It may have been dangerous, but it is also true that I have nothing to say because I said I was in danger.
“So did you carry out the request properly? Or did you not?”
“Oh, I don’t think so. But I really didn’t know the war would end this quickly… … .”
“Then shouldn’t I pay you back with something else? Huh? Are you just scamming my business partners? Huh?”
Max and the troubleshooters were speechless at Giselle’s scolding. Something felt wronged, but they had no words to refute what the other person said.
Moreover, the clients happened to be Rosaline, the daughter of the Marquis of Branford, and Meriel, the real power holder among the noble ladies.
If this crazy guy starts talking nonsense and gets on their bad side, he might have to close up shop.
Since we were surrounded, running away was out of the question. We had to do our best to appease the enemy before we could return.
“Okay, next time you order, I’ll give you a discount and do a better job.”
“Next? Where’s the next? You want me to be in danger again? And you’re saying you’re giving me a big discount as a favor? Half-price is a given!”
I never said it was half price.
‘This kid… … I can’t understand you at all… … . I’d rather just ask for what I want.’
“Then what should we do?”
When Max asked cautiously, Giselle finally answered in a soft tone.
“First, help us clear up the battlefield here, and then help us with the work on our territory. We need someone who can help us out.”
That didn’t seem like it would be that difficult. It would be better to spend some time fighting a crazy noble.
“Okay, I understand. Then I’ll help you for a few days and then go back.”
The troubleshooters, including Max, began to help the soldiers with dead faces.
They really intended to help out for a few days and then go back. But Jiselle had other thoughts.
‘They all seem to be using a lot of strength, so I guess I’ll have to use them for a long time. I guess I can calculate it as the laborers’ daily wages?’
The money I received from Rosalind and Meriel would probably be at least a few thousand gold. It was that dangerous of a job.
If you were to calculate that as the daily wages of laborers, it would take several years even if you paid them handsomely.
As the troubleshooters moved to find work, the young-looking priest was left alone.
The priest watched the situation and spoke with a tense expression.
“Well, then I guess I’ll be going now… … .”
Jiselle answered, pretending not to hear and covering her ears. Still, since the other person was of a certain status, she was a little more polite than when she was dealing with the troubleshooters.
“Our priest looks very young. What is his name?”
“Phi, my name is Piote. I worship Joanna, the goddess of beauty and abundance.”
“Goddess of Beauty Juana? Don’t you people really hate battlefields and dirty places?”
To Giselle’s question, Piote hesitated for a moment before answering.
“That… … Countess Ailsburgh donates a lot to our church and is friendly with us, so she asked me for a special favor… … .”
Hearing that name, Jiselle nodded in understanding.
If nothing else, the only person who has reached the level of a master in ‘beauty’ is none other than Meriel. Wasn’t she the first to recognize the true value of cosmetics?
If that’s the case, she would be quite friendly with the sect of Juana, which worships beauty.
With Meriel’s authority, money, and connections, sending one priest to the battlefield was no easy task.
“I see. I completely understand. Anyway, thank you for your hard work in coming to such a dangerous place.”
“Yes, yes… … . Then I’ll take my leave… … .”
“Where are you going? You must have received money, priest. You must pay for it like those guys did before.”
Then, Piote looked as if he had been wronged.
“I didn’t receive any money.”
“Yes? Even so, would a priest lie so blatantly?”
“I, I swear to God I never took money! I’m not that kind of person!”
Even the most corrupt priests rarely use the name of the goddess when telling lies.
Jiselle looked at the priest in front of her with a puzzled expression.
You didn’t take the money? In this day and age, there are priests who come to help without taking money? Then you can’t catch them, right?
‘That doesn’t make sense. There can’t be such a priest.’
Only then did Giselle narrow her eyes and look closely at Piote.
He has light pink hair, a small build, and a man with such fine lines that the word pretty suits him better than sturdy. When I stared at him, he timidly lowered his head, and he looked completely shameless.
Her skin was white and smooth, and she looked like someone who had grown up beautifully in a temple without any hardships.
‘It’s completely unbecoming of a person like this to take money and come to a dangerous battlefield… … .’
I was suspicious because he was definitely not someone that Meriel would choose with such discernment.
‘But it doesn’t seem like he’d sacrifice himself to convey the will of the goddess… … It’s customary for priests to be those who received money directly.’
After thinking for a moment, Jiselle came to a realization and smiled brightly.
‘Wow! This is awesome! I’m finally getting a proper priest!’
Most of the northern territories do not have priests who can use divine powers. At best, there are only preachers who travel around spreading doctrines.
To begin with, because there were very few priests who could use divine power, it was difficult to even see a priest unless it was a great lord’s territory or a large city of the capital level.
That was also the reason why Gillian did not leave Leipold to cure her daughter.
But if his thinking was right, he could keep this priest in the estate for quite some time.
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“Be honest. Someone else took the money, right? Someone very high up took it on your behalf, and you had no choice but to come, right? Because of the customs of priests, I couldn’t think of such a simple thing.”
“Ugh… … .”
Fiote couldn’t answer. He had been pretending to be clean for no reason, but he ended up telling the truth.
The temple of Cardenia naturally houses high-ranking priests, including the archbishop.
Even if they were Meriel and Rosaline, it was not easy to send high priests to the dangerous territory on the border.
Even now, it is natural that high-ranking priests who received money from them would send low-ranking priests raised in the temple in their place.
The excuse was that since I would have to be dispatched to another territory later anyway, I should gain some experience in advance.
The innocent Piote said with great resentment.
“That’s true, but I can’t be here. I have to go back to the temple.”
He didn’t want to be caught here like the troubleshooters.
Since I was young, I grew up seeing only good things, wearing only good things, and eating only good things. But the world I saw for the first time was so different from what I had thought.
‘There is hell outside the temple. We must go back quickly.’
On his way here, he passed through many villages. Looking at the poor people living there, Piote had this thought.
But even that was arrogance. The battlefield was a real hell. It was on a different level from the territories I had passed through before.
Everywhere, there were corpses and the groans of the wounded. Whenever I saw knights and soldiers walking around covered in blood, it felt like I was seeing the devil.
While he was holding back his nausea, the author in front of him, Yeongju, was laughing while covered in blood.
‘Ugh… How can you be laughing in a situation like this? The outside of the temple is scary. It’s full of people I don’t understand.’
They all looked like demons. This was definitely a den of demons.
Jiselle snickered as she watched the innocent priest fidgeting and wanting to go back quickly.
“Okay, then you can go back. If your Majesty wants to go back, I can’t stop you.”
“Really? Well, I’ll go right away then.”
“But I don’t know if you’ll be able to return safely alone. I hope you have a safe journey.”
“Oh, huh?”
Only then did Piote realize the reality and he was greatly embarrassed.
It is a world where monsters and bandits roam freely. Even cities and villages have to be surrounded by castles or fences.
In such a world, would someone like me, inexperienced and not even a combat priest, return to the capital all by himself?
As soon as you step out of the castle, there is a 100% chance that you will die or be kidnapped somewhere. This is especially dangerous for a man as pretty as you.
‘Oh, no. Oh, you can never go back alone.’
I had no worries when I came here because I was with reliable problem solvers.
In fact, I encountered monsters and bandits a few times, but they were easily dealt with.
Finally, Piote bowed his head to Giselle with a tearful face.
“Yes, my lord. Please give me some escort.”
“How much will you give me?”
“Yes? Money? You want money? I’m a priest?”
“Where in the world is there anything free? You also received money and sent the priest. I’m not a fool.”
“Well, that’s true, but… … .”
Fiote was embarrassed this time too. He had seen many nobles donating to the temple, but this was the first time in his life he had seen one trying to extort money.
Usually, because of the prestige and authority of the temple, people try to look good and spread it diligently.
Fiote had no choice but to bow his head once again.
“Please, I beg you. I will go back and repay your kindness.”
‘When I go back, I won’t even look at this side!’
But Giselle wasn’t one to fall for such empty talk. He shook his head firmly.
“I’d like to, but we’re short on people. If it’s hard for you to go back alone, why don’t you go back with those friends?”
“eww…….”
In short, he meant to tell me to do some work and go because he didn’t want to just send me away.
If I go back alone, my life will be in danger. Fiote had no choice but to hold back tears and nod.
Not knowing how many of our troubleshooter friends might be caught.
But Jiselle thought that wasn’t enough and added a little threat.
“Oh, if you run away by another route or don’t work hard, I’ll spread a lot of rumors.”
“Oh, a rumor? What rumor?”
“You said you ran away after stealing money from the Juana Church. Then everyone would be in a lot of trouble. You probably know who’s behind me.”
Fiote’s face became thoughtful.
The hierarchy of the temple is stricter than that of the pagoda.
If a high-ranking priest is cursed because of him, the lowest priest, he will not just let it go.
It would be fortunate to be locked up in a monastery for the rest of your life, or you could be banished to a place even more serious and dangerous.
“Uh, uh… … Wait a minute… … .”
When I looked at the other person’s face to explain the situation, he was smiling very evilly.
It was clear that this kid was a true demon leader. And it was clear that he had now passed the test given to him by the goddess.
Since ancient times, faith… … has been something that can only be proven by passing such tests.
“… … I will try hard.”
“Okay. I’ll be counting on you in the future. And let’s just be friends and talk comfortably, okay? We’re going to be together for a long time, so if you always speak stiffly, it’ll seem too cold.”
“Yes… … . Just make yourself comfortable, my lord… … . I am comfortable like this… … .”
“Hey, you can stop talking. Okay, let’s get along anyway. First, treat the wounded soldiers. We’re short on doctors in our territory.”
He goes straight into commanding tone. Seriously, I’ve never seen such a bastard of a nobleman in my life.
It was the first time in his life that he had been treated like this, and Piote’s eyes were filled with tears.
But there was nothing I could do. I felt like my head would be blown off if I offended that blood-soaked demon.
“yes…….”
Fiote staggered towards the wounded soldiers.
I don’t know about anything else, but the best thing about healing trauma and increasing vitality is the divine power. The priest was like a top-class potion barrel.
If you rest there for a while, it will automatically charge.
An auto-refill potion, it was like a wad of money had rolled in. The color was also pretty, pink.
Although he was a low-level priest, he lacked some divine power, but he was still a much more valuable manpower than a magician.
‘Wow, this is really an unexpected gain. I should hold on to it as long as possible. I think it’ll listen well because it’s so innocent. Those two people sent me such nice gifts. I’m lucky.’
He hired ten workers who looked quite strong, and even hired a priest, who was the highest-level manpower.
So I couldn’t help but express my gratitude to Meriel and Rosalind.
“Okay, now let’s clean up the rest of them.”
Jiselle, who had laughed heartily, headed to the castle with several knights.
The news had already reached the castle, for a white flag had been raised, and all the high-ranking vassals and officials of the County of Cavaldi had come out.
They lowered their heads with terrified faces.
“Meet the new lord.”
“We were simply following Count Cavaldi’s orders.”
“The warehouse is also wide open. All of this now belongs to you, Baron.”
“I will continue to assist you with all my heart.”
Jiselle glanced around at them.
They are the ones who took all the benefits from Count Cavaldi and still stuck with Count Desmond.
It was like that in my past life and it is like that now.
When the war started, they must have been confident. They might have even expected that they could occupy Fenris and seize its food supply.
Those who had been like that were now looking at him with longing eyes, wanting to live.
“hmm.”
Giselle nodded her head several times with indifferent eyes and spoke to Gillian next to her.
“Put all the lower-level officials in prison. We will determine their punishment after separately confirming their crimes.”
“All right.”
“And the vassals who held important positions in the territory… … .”
Jiselle looked around at them for a moment and continued speaking with a gloomy look in her eyes.
“Kill them all.”
