The Genius Perfumer of the Fallen Cult - Chapter 28

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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 Genius Perfumer of the Fallen Religious Order Episode 28

One had grown up as a noble and had at least wielded a sword as part of his education. He was even an adult. In this world, the difference in physical build was more significant than anything else.

Yet the boy had endured. It wasn’t just thanks to the blessing. That blessing was only praying for the boy’s ‘safety.’ In other words, everything else was purely the boy’s own strength.

The broken rod clearly bore traces of how the boy had faced Baron Corvus.

Traces of how he had somehow reduced the impact against the real sword the Baron wielded, restricted his opponent’s path to guide him toward directions he could block, and endlessly attempted to make him drop his sword.

Those traces gradually became more sophisticated. At first they were clumsy and reckless, but later they clearly overwhelmed Baron Corvus.

If only what the boy had been holding was an iron rod of similar quality to what the Baron wielded, perhaps the boy wouldn’t have needed to look at himself with such eyes.

That vacant expression when witnessing power he himself didn’t possess, when facing someone who accomplished what he himself couldn’t achieve.

Yulberon hadn’t called them ‘the little perfumer and young knight’ for nothing.

“What… exactly do you mean by that…?”

The Marseria Priest barely managed to speak. It was to avoid daring to reveal any expectation or hope.

How many resources were needed to create a single knight?

Someone to teach swordsmanship and all kinds of knowledge, horses and weapons and armor, healers to constantly treat the injuries that inevitably followed, and the divinely blessed fragrances to pour into those weapons and armor.

It was impossible with Marseria’s own power. All she had in her hands was a single Perfumer Qualification Exam Recommendation Letter.

Even that was running out, and by next year she’d have to worry about the children’s bedding first.

Because every year she had sold that recommendation letter to feed and clothe the children, but this year she would use that recommendation letter for Prim.

A wealthy religious order might be able to select talented children to make them knight candidates, teach and raise them to expand their influence again and become wealthier to raise new knights, but for Priest Marseria, who had to struggle just to buy a single seed potato, it was an unthinkable story.

“If Priest Marseria permits it, and if that child wants it.”

Sebardo dared to fathom the god’s will. The god wanted that little perfumer.

And that little perfumer wanted the boy…

“Would you allow us to raise him as a knight in our Temple of Yulberon…?”

“Oh, Varin, oh Yulberon, oh Sir Sebardo! Of course! Of course! This is something to be so grateful for!”

Priest Marseria looked as if she might shed tears. Sebardo spoke carefully.

“However, Priest Marseria, if that child grows up with Yulberon’s knights, even if we have no such intention, that child will probably become Yulberon’s…”

No one doubted the existence of the gods. Their power worked on earth visibly, and that power both protected and killed humans.

Now humans simply pondered and chose ‘which god to follow.’

Would the boy who learned from Yulberon’s knights become a knight of Yulberon?

Or would he still become a knight of Varin despite that?

One could maintain faith even if lightning struck and the earth split, but there weren’t many humans who could overcome what seeped in like drizzling rain.

And in the world, there were those who, if a flower wouldn’t bloom in their hands, would rather see it wither than bloom elsewhere. Even gods weren’t without such feelings.

However, Marseria smiled with a face free of any regret.

“That too would be what Varin desires. Varin doesn’t want us to stop before crossroads. He wants us to choose any path and move forward.”

* * *

— No, no, no! Not at all!

Prim shrank her shoulders as her ears rang from hearing Varin’s voice.

— Naturally he should become this Varin’s knight, shouldn’t he? My lily of the valley! Hmm? What do you think?

As soon as Prim had some leisure, she set up a makeshift temple in the second-best room of the villa she’d been given and lit incense.

She picked up dry silver aspen branches, coated them with the fragrant oil she’d used to bless Rozien’s broomstick, and lightly burned them, producing an even softer and warmer fragrance.

And Varin, who had been waiting just to connect with Prim, came rushing like the wind and shouted. Without even time for the usual mumbling of prayers.

Prim spoke with her hands clasped together.

“Varin, Rozien won’t become anyone’s Holy Knight.”

— What?

The smoke trembled.

“He’ll start as a knight and become a secular lord, you know?”

— What!

“Of course, among the gods, he follows Varin the most. When I said Varin had two believers, he said no, three.”

The fragrant oil vapor rising from the altar trembled and then gradually subsided.

— …Well, if he’s not becoming Yulberon’s knight, I suppose I could bless his path.

It was a voice tinged with jealousy at not getting the knight.

Prim tilted her head in puzzlement.

“He couldn’t become a knight here anyway, could he?”

With just one villa attached to such a remote territory, it was impossible to raise even something resembling a knight. The incense smoke paused briefly then moved again.

— That… that’s true… But still…

“But still?”

— Do you know how much that Yulberon coveted you and that child? He must have given wicked orders to his Holy Knights! To bring you to his temple! He’s probably fully prepared to sweet-talk you!

Prim recalled Sebardo, who had been very kind for some reason, and nodded in understanding. Then the vapor shook urgently.

— You’re not actually going, are you? Oh, my lily of the valley! You and I are connected in soul, aren’t we? He has so, so, tremendously many believers that he won’t care for you alone like I do now!

Varin cried out restlessly. While listening to the god’s voice, Prim somehow thought the god was like a child.

“Someday… until Varin can’t care only for me, and even after that, I’ll follow Varin.”

No other god had taken her fragrance and brought her to where she truly wanted to be.

Only Varin had led her here.

— …

Varin was silent for a moment, then made a sound only after Prim added another branch soaked in fragrant oil, as if there had simply been insufficient fragrance.

— Of, of course!

Prim tilted her head then brought up the remaining business.

“More importantly… I’ll be taking the perfumer exam soon, but there’s something I need to do before that.”

The curse gripping her legs.

She had to break this curse.

— Ah…

Varin let vapor rise for a moment, then soon spoke in a triumphant and magnanimous voice.

— Of course I know, my lily of the valley. I looked into it for you.

“Into what?”

— Hehe, you were going to go to Alendia, weren’t you?

Alendia, who governed purification and disease, was also excellent at breaking curses. She had the power to purify even curses.

— But when I looked into it, Curresen was very confident. If you offer fragrance to him, he should be able to break your curse. There’s a temple in this Lord’s Manor, so you can go there and pray!

Along with that, Varin made a long addendum about ‘how can the lord of a territory that raises this Varin’s lily of the valley have only Curresen’s temple in the Lord’s Manor, this is very unfair but I’ll magnanimously forgive it.’

After all those words ended, Prim spoke carefully.

“Um, I was… going to offer it to Varin?”

— What?

The water bowl trembled and water droplets splashed up.

— To, to me? What to me? Of course, of course I’ve gained power too…! I can break such curses too…!

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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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