The Fortune-Teller Saintess - Chapter 84

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The place the statue guided us to was a dilapidated tavern on the edge of town. The thread of magical power extending from the statue was cut off right there.

“That sculptor must be inside there.”

“Are you going in right away?”

“Of course.”

I put on a determined expression and boldly pushed open the tavern door.

However, my momentum quickly deflated. As soon as I entered, the noisy tavern fell silent all at once.

Intimidated by the menacing gazes piercing me from all directions, I immediately hid behind Nein.

“Come on! Let’s go, Nein!”

“Coward.”

Nein chuckled and walked toward the back of the tavern. I stuck close to Nein’s side and surveyed the inside of the tavern.

‘Moriel definitely said he was a large man.’

There were several notable figures. I memorized them while following Nein closely.

Then Nein stopped walking. He leaned over and casually asked the tavern owner across the counter.

“I’m looking for a man named Moriel.”

“I don’t know anyone by that name.”

The tavern owner answered curtly.

But I saw it. The tavern owner’s gaze momentarily glanced toward one spot.

Nein must have seen it too, as his purple eyes sharpened and curved into a thin line.

“I don’t like lies.”

“Hmph. So what are you going to do about it? Cause a scene?”

At that moment, the people sitting around stood up as if they had been waiting for this.

The atmosphere turned menacing in an instant, and my expression hardened involuntarily.

‘This flow is… not good!’

I hurriedly grabbed Nein’s arm.

But it was too late.

Thud!

“Huh?”

“Ugh…!”

The knees of the men approaching with fierce faces buckled, and pained groans erupted from here and there.

Nein had used magic to force them to their knees.

The tavern owner, the only one still standing, looked at Nein with a pale face.

“I don’t avoid fights that come to me. If you want, I can do more here.”

Nein smiled coldly at the tavern owner.

“How about it? Want me to do more?”

“Do more what, you crazy bastard!”

I shook Nein’s arm vigorously. Then Nein frowned and turned to look at me.

“What?”

“We barely have enough support from the villagers as it is, and now you’re threatening them? Stop it right now!”

“Holy Lady, you don’t have to persuade everyone to make them your ally. Ruling through force isn’t bad either…”

Smack-

Nein blinked in confusion and rubbed his forehead.

I showed him the fist I had used to flick his forehead and said sternly.

“If you keep doing this, I won’t play with you anymore.”

“…!”

It was something I said in the heat of the moment, but it seemed to have quite an impact as Nein’s eyes wavered.

After a moment, Nein eventually clicked his tongue and released the magic. The men who could move again glanced around nervously before hurriedly fleeing the tavern.

Only a few people remained in the tavern, including me, Nein, and the tavern owner.

I let out a deep sigh and emerged from behind Nein to speak to the tavern owner.

“I’m sorry. My companion caused trouble. Even though his personality is like that, he’s a good kid. Really.”

“Holy Lady, somehow that comment feels insulting?”

Nein grumbled from behind, but when I glared at him, he immediately shut his mouth.

Meanwhile, the tavern owner, who had caught his breath, spoke up.

“N-no. Thank you for stopping him.”

The fact that he, who had been hostile until just now, was expressing gratitude showed how frightened he had been.

I smiled awkwardly and carefully brought up the topic.

“As my companion said earlier, we’re looking for a sculptor named Moriel. We have no intention of causing harm. We just want to ask him one question and then leave.”

The tavern owner hesitated, then eventually glanced somewhere. It was a clearer gesture than before.

Following his gaze, I spotted a man slumped over a table.

We approached him and asked carefully.

“Excuse me… are you by any chance the sculptor Moriel?”

“Mmm?”

The man who had been lying face down slowly lifted his head.

The strong smell of alcohol hit me, making me unconsciously scrunch up my face.

‘Just how much did he drink?’

“What? Who are you guys?”

The man asked sharply in slurred speech. He seemed to still be quite drunk.

I maintained my smile with effort and spoke to him.

“We came because we have something to ask you. You are the sculptor Moriel, right? If it’s alright, may we ask you one question?”

“A question? My answers are valuable.”

Moriel chuckled and patted the seat next to him.

“If you become my drinking buddy, maybe I can give you an answer?”

“Oh.”

An exclamation escaped me involuntarily. How could he be so predictable?

‘But I absolutely don’t want to sit next to him.’

There was no choice. There was only one way.

“Nein.”

I smiled sweetly and spoke to Nein, who was emanating murderous magical energy beside me.

“Please help this gentleman sober up.”

“That’s my specialty.”

Nein grinned wickedly and immediately used magic.

“Aaaahhh!”

I covered my ears and turned away from the man. Then I made eye contact with the tavern owner who was watching us.

“Ah, sorry! It’s noisy, isn’t it? We’ll move to another location.”

When I spoke with an apologetic smile, the tavern owner shook his head vigorously, saying it was fine.

‘Somehow his face seems to have turned pale, but that must be my imagination, right?’

I smiled awkwardly and asked Nein to help move the man to another location.

***

“…Excuse me.”

“Yes.”

“Could you put me down now… urgh!”

The man hastily covered his mouth.

Since I didn’t want to see a grown adult vomit on the street, I asked Nein to put the man, who had been hanging upside down, down on the ground.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

…Though the method looked quite painful.

‘Well, he brought it on himself.’

I clicked my tongue inwardly and approached the man. The man, who had been sitting on the ground rubbing his bumped head, looked up at me with an annoyed expression.

“Would it kill you to put me down gently?”

“I’m not the one who did it. Why don’t you ask that handsome man over there again?”

“…So, why did I come here anyway.”

The man subtly changed the subject.

I smiled slightly and threw a question at him, now completely sober.

“You’re the sculptor Moriel, right? Quite famous in the sculpting industry.”

“Sorry, but I don’t take commissions.”

The man crossed his arms and spoke curtly. From the way he spoke, this was definitely Moriel.

‘But this is unexpected.’

According to the Temple Restoration Department sculptor, Moriel had a large build. But the actual Moriel I saw looked rather small, far from having a large build.

‘What happened after he disappeared from the industry?’

I was curious, but that wasn’t what was important right now.

I shook my head, denying his words.

“I didn’t come to commission anything. I have something to ask you.”

“Something to ask?”

I took out Rowen’s sculpture and placed it in front of him.

Moriel’s eyes shook violently when he saw the sculpture.

“This is….”

“You made this sculpture, didn’t you?”

Moriel, who had been silent, nodded slightly.

With his acknowledgment, I immediately threw out a question.

“Do you happen to know about someone called the Seer?”

“…!”

Moriel’s face instantly turned white.

I quietly watched Moriel trembling. From his reaction, it was certain he knew something about the Seer.

After a moment, Moriel backed away from the sculpture and shouted frantically.

As if he had encountered something terrifying.

“I, I don’t know anything! I just sculpted as I was told!”

“Who told you to make this sculpture?”

“Th, that’s….”

Moriel, who had been trailing off, shook his head vigorously. It meant he couldn’t say.

When he refused to answer, Nein, who had been watching from behind, approached.

“If you won’t talk….”

“Stop it, Nein.”

“Holy Lady.”

“If he was going to talk under threats, he would have talked already.”

Nein furrowed his brow but didn’t deny my words.

I looked at Moriel, who was still terrified, and fell into thought.

‘Just who is the other party to cause this kind of reaction?’

Whoever it was, they were clearly a powerful figure. Then they must be at least a nobleman.

‘A Second Prince Faction nobleman? Among them, someone with power and faith in god….’

“Surprising. I never expected you all to be in a place like this.”

Startled by the sudden interrupting voice, I quickly turned my head.

A familiar hood. It was the outsider who had been asking the villagers about something earlier.

‘More than that, that voice just now….’

When I stared at him intently, a chuckling sound came from inside the hood. After a moment, he removed his hood to reveal his face.

Golden eyes sparkled beside a mask covering one eye, staring right through me.

“Why on earth would a Holy Lady come to a village that doesn’t believe in god?”

The one asking this question as if he couldn’t understand was none other than Jacad.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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