The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 188

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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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A long while later.

The place we arrived at after leaving the cafe was the temple.

In the end, Crescens had agreed to share information about the divine-grade relics.

‘Of course, there was a bloody war of words.’

To be precise, Tesagh and Crescens were the ones fighting.

They didn’t even give me a chance to intervene.

“I understand why our sister is curious, but why are you, brother? Don’t you just need to get Rougenote back?”

“I don’t know why you think my goal is only Rougenote. Of course catching Eivor and beating him to a pulp is also my objective. Did I look like someone who would happily return to the duchy once I got my sword back?”

“Well, does that become a reason to know information about other divine-grade relics? Anyone watching would think you’re doing this because you want the other relics too. The temple will handle it, so stop interfering…”

“Handle it? That’s quite amusing. Does that temple that ‘handles things’ even know there’s a collaborator of Eivor’s inside?”

“From your tone, it seems you think I might be that collaborator, but how can I believe that you’re not the collaborator?”

“Since you’re a liar yourself, everyone else must look like liars to you. Is this habit of projecting something you picked up as a cleric, or is it your personal lack of conscience?”

The combination of Crescens smiling while scratching at one’s insides and Tesagh sharply stabbing away was, well.

‘It was a good show to watch.’

It was almost too good for me to watch alone.

I pretended to stop them a few times out of courtesy, then just ate cookies.

I knew how it would conclude anyway.

‘Crescens is the only one who can provide information about divine-grade relics, and Tesagh and I are the only ones who’ve been running around trying to retrieve them.’

Even if they didn’t trust each other, they had no choice but to join hands since there were no alternatives.

As soon as the two who had been fighting reached a brief lull, I glanced at my watch and casually threw out a comment.

“But you know. Isn’t doing nothing and letting time slip away because of vague distrust exactly what Eivor would want?”

Both of them hesitated.

And rightfully so, since it was too accurate a point.

My words hit home properly, and as a result.

“Here we are.”

We arrived at the deepest part of the temple.

It had been a long journey through several layers of doors and several flights of stairs. I could see a door so large it felt intimidating.

When Crescens placed his hand on the door, the chains and locks that had been tightly wound around it fell away with a thud.

The moment the door opened, I couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.

“Wow…”

There was a vast meadow so wide it was hard to believe this was the deepest basement of the temple.

Purple lilacs that glowed softly even in the darkness bloomed abundantly, with a small path winding through them.

The path led to a hill, and at its end stood a large tree bearing red fruits.

I suddenly felt like I had seen this scene somewhere before.

“Is that tree the World Tree?”

At my question, Crescens burst into laughter.

“Really, sister, aren’t you a bit too uninterested in the World Tree? Even though it’s supposedly the state religion and you’re an appraiser of temple relics.”

“You’re laughing too much.”

“Oh my, I can’t help it when something’s funny. It’s cute that you thought the World Tree would be in a mere temple basement.”

Whether Tesagh grimaced at that last comment or not, Crescens continued with an amused expression.

“This is the World Tree’s sanctuary, recreated based on dreams where past Popes met the World Tree.”

“If it’s a place recreated based on dreams…”

“Then it’s an imitation.”

At Tesagh’s blunt words, Crescens glanced back and shrugged his shoulders.

“So unromantic. Anyway, think of this entire space as one large sacred painting. Dedicated to the World Tree.”

The mention of a sacred painting brought back a memory.

‘The painting I saw when I first came to the temple looked exactly like this.’

Was that why it looked familiar?

‘But in the next painting I saw, the red fruits on the World Tree had decreased considerably.’

As I narrowed my eyes to examine the distant tree, Tesagh seemed to have run out of patience.

“So what’s the reason for bringing us here? This flower garden isn’t a relic, is it?”

Crescens spun around to face us.

After clearing his throat, he closed his eyes.

Then a round orb of light appeared at his fingertips.

‘Is that divine power? Can only I see it?’

But judging from Tesagh’s reaction, he could see it too.

‘It’s divine power, but it looks just like magic.’

The orb that had been hovering at Crescens’s fingertips split into four while remaining connected to him, then rose into the air in unison.

With his eyes still closed, Crescens spoke.

“There are four ‘divine-grade relics’ in total that the World Tree created when making this world.”

One orb of light slowly transformed into the shape of a sword.

I knew the name of that sword with intricate carvings and embedded pearls.

“One is the holy sword Rougenote.”

Next to it, a ruby tablet appeared.

“One is the holy inscription, the Ruby Tablet.”

Crescens, with his eyes closed and brow slightly furrowed, sighed briefly before continuing.

“One is the holy flame that can burn everything.”

As I looked up at the orb of light that had become a flame, I turned to Crescens at his final words.

“And the last one is… the sap of the World Tree, which is divinity itself.”

His voice was trembling slightly.

Whether it was from using divine power or because even speaking of the World Tree’s divinity was forbidden, I couldn’t tell.

As I looked again at the last orb of light rippling like waves, the four orbs connected faintly.

“I don’t know why these four were created. Well, the very idea that we could understand what the World Tree does is arrogant.”

“…”

“However, according to what’s been passed down, these four represent the World Tree’s will itself, so whoever possesses them…”

What was formed was a ring.

An eternal ring of circulation with no beginning or end.

[…Within the church, it’s called the ‘Ring of Circulation’…]

“Can hold the World Tree’s divine authority in their hands.”

Frozen for a moment, I stammered out a question.

“Then what Eivor wants is…”

“Perhaps he’s decided to become a god himself, having moved beyond just resenting god?”

“…”

“This is probably why the first Pope hid the existence of the divine-grade relics and kept them far apart from each other.”

Unlike Crescens, who seemed to have regained his composure and spoke with cold detachment, my mind was in turmoil.

He was already someone who used magic to control people at will.

But if such a person gained divine authority as well?

‘I can understand why Crescens was reluctant to tell us this.’

Tesagh seemed to be thinking along similar lines. Biting his lip, he asked.

“What exactly is the World Tree’s authority?”

“Well, the authority of life and creation.”

Looking up distantly at the ring shape, I muttered.

“It would also be the power of death and destruction.”

At that moment, the cluster of light shattered and scattered.

When I lowered my head, Crescens was looking at me with a surprised expression.

“Why did you think that, Sister?”

I found it more puzzling that Crescens was asking such a question.

“Well, those two things are connected, aren’t they?”

Like day and night.

“What has no death is not life, and what cannot be destroyed is not something that was created, right?”

“Wow… I should apologize for saying you weren’t interested. Even priests find it difficult to understand that deeply in their hearts.”

Crescens was genuinely impressed.

“The deeper one’s faith, the harder it becomes to accept that the God of mercy and love might sometimes cause me pain. Usually.”

“This might sound irreverent, but I don’t have faith, you know?”

“Oh, is this why they say extremes meet? I’m learning another thing from you, Sister.”

I expected Tesagh to be displeased, but surprisingly he was narrowing his brow as if thinking deeply.

Tesagh, who had been muttering about the cycle of circulation, raised his head.

“So where are the flame and the sap?”

“Those two are safe.”

“Then were the Duke’s Residence and the Imperial Palace dangerous places? What grounds do you have to guarantee that?”

“Since you’re asking so persistently, I feel like I should change my words to say I can’t guarantee it… but they really are safe.”

Crescens readily continued.

“But since you seem unable to trust my words, I’ll tell you. The flame is sealed in the Sacred Snowy Mountains where no magic can be used. Special conditions are required to unseal it.”

“What kind of special conditions?”

“They say only the most noble person can break the seal. I’ve never seen it directly myself, so that’s all I can tell you.”

Eivor wouldn’t be the most noble person, right?

Crescens raised one eyebrow as if saying that.

But his words bothered me.

It wasn’t simply because Eivor had a history of breaking through the barrier of the Duke’s Residence treasury.

If nobility refers to high status, then the most noble person in this country would be…

‘The Emperor.’

And that noble Emperor happened to be away from his position for a long time.

Without even telling his destination to his daughter and the Captain of the Royal Knights.

Could it be.

‘What if the Emperor is being manipulated by Eivor?’

Crescens, who didn’t yet know that Eivor could manipulate people, continued speaking slowly, unaware of my thoughts.

“And the sap is in a very close place.”

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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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