The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 36

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

A mischievous smile soon appeared on Crescens’s face, which had been seriously contemplating.

“Anyway, I got the result I wanted. Well, it didn’t go as planned, but this isn’t bad in its own way.”

Crescens looked down at the rope wrapped around his body and shrugged his shoulders.

“I said I wouldn’t untie it in front of the Manager, but I never said I’d stay put when she left.”

I was a bit nervous she might spray me, but fortunately that passed.

If I had to manifest my hidden holy power, my identity as someone unaffected by the spray would have been exposed.

The fact that the temple was conducting relic recovery operations was a secret.

And the fact that I, a cardinal, was doing it personally was also secret.

‘Of course there’s the reason of disguising my identity, but… I find the current situation rather amusing.’

“I might be the first cardinal to be treated like a thief.”

Crescens smiled broadly and closed his eyes.

Then, he manifested the holy power he had been hiding.

Snap—

Crescens looked down at the magical tool that had come undone so easily and stood up.

“Should I follow and watch over her?”

I should also give her a reward for appraising twice.

***

“Wow…”

Seeing the Temple of the World Tree, I couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

‘It’s much bigger than I imagined, isn’t it?’

This was my first time coming to the temple.

I had never particularly heard stories about the temple either.

Because Grandfather didn’t believe in the World Tree Faith.

“Grandfather, don’t you go to places like temples?”

“I’m not the type to believe in things I can’t see. You should believe in what you can see. Don’t you think so?”

That was such a Grandfather-like answer.

‘He’s always the type to firmly say no to things he doesn’t agree with.’

The temple located at the mountain peak had many stairs.

My legs were trembling by the time I finally reached the entrance.

Taking a quick look, I saw people crowded together. They must be believers wanting to receive baptism or blessings.

I decided to wait until it became quieter and looked around.

Something caught my eye.

‘Oh, they’re having a special exhibition. Should I take a look?’

There were surprisingly many children in the exhibition hall. It seemed like young believers had come on a group field trip.

I was watching the chattering children because they were cute when I heard the voice of the young priestess leading them.

“The painting you see now is a sacred painting. It’s a painting based on a dream that His Holiness the 1st Pope had.”

I also quietly looked at the sacred painting from behind the children.

“Here, can you see the many fruits of the World Tree?”

“Yes!”

“The fruits are symbols of blessing. The World Tree has bestowed so many blessings upon us. So we must always live with gratitude for the World Tree’s blessings. Do you understand?”

“Yes!”

“Now, shall we move on to the next one?”

‘I vaguely thought the World Tree would be an old tree, but it has fruits.’

Looking at the brilliantly glowing red fruits, I tilted my head.

A painting that the priestess had skipped over without mentioning caught my eye.

‘Hmm, this is a painting based on the 15th Pope’s dream… but somehow the fruits seem to have decreased.’

Unlike the 1st Pope’s sacred painting which had countless fruits, this one seemed to have fewer.

Maybe it’s because of the different artistic style? Or it could have been intentionally omitted to emphasize the World Tree itself.

Next was the Relic Area.

While listening to the priestess’s explanation, I glanced down at the snow globe in my bag.

‘By the way, that Crescens guy is staying put, right?’

The reason I came to the temple first instead of taking Crescens straight to the Guild Hall was because of what Helena said.

The story about merchants gathering together, all deep in worry.

They must already be upset, so I didn’t want to add another worry, and more importantly…

‘Since everyone’s in a bad mood, he might receive punishment that’s too harsh compared to his crime. Let’s take him late at night when there are fewer people.’

I wonder if he knows about this consideration of mine.

I was grumbling while recalling the nonsense about not knowing whether my consideration was nice or creepy, when I heard the priestess speak.

“And lastly, this is a relic that was recently verified and is being publicly displayed for the first time today. It’s a crystal craft modeled after a bird that the World Tree cherished.”

“It’s so pretty, Priestess!”

“That’s right, it’s truly beautiful.”

‘…Hmm?’

Something’s strange.

‘That doesn’t look like a relic to me?’

No, that can’t be.

Surely the temple wouldn’t make such a mistake, I must be seeing it wrong.

But as I got closer, I became more certain.

‘Relics have a distinctive coloring…’

If you look at relics very carefully, you can see something peculiar.

Light sparkles in the core part.

The color of the light varied each time, but it had a distinctive warm and clear energy that made it recognizable.

But that crystal craft was just sparkling with light.

No color, and no unique energy.

‘What’s going on here? They said it was verified?’

Bewildered, I examined the relic several times, then caught the priestess who was returning after seeing off the children.

“Excuse me, Priestess. I have something I’d like to ask.”

“Please feel free to ask anything, sister.”

There was only one conclusion I could reach.

‘Oh no, I think you’ve been scammed…!’

The person who appraised it must be a novice. Or a shameless person trying to deceive the temple.

But I couldn’t just outright say that you’ve been scammed.

The temple has its dignity, doesn’t it?

I whispered quietly.

“Looking at this crystal bird relic made me curious, how do you distinguish between relics and non-relics?”

“Haha, yes. So that’s what you were curious about. I’m also ignorant about institutional matters, but I’ll tell you what I’ve heard.”

No, I was asking about those institutional things…

I was expecting answers like they outsource it, or handle it through an internal committee.

But the priestess continued her explanation so kindly that I missed my timing.

“Sometimes there are those who impiously forge relics. Unlike relics that the World Tree directly blesses, they use a method of imbuing holy power using concentrated holy water. Of course, that could also be considered sacred, but…”

“It should still be distinguished from relics.”

So that crystal sculpture must have been made using holy water.

It was the moment I understood why it lacked that distinctive coloring.

“That’s right, sister. Therefore, I’ve heard that they conduct lengthy appraisals to distinguish between the two. Beyond that, I’m afraid it would be difficult for me to tell you more.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

“Yes. May blessings be upon you, sister.”

Well, it would be ridiculous for them to tell an outsider like me about the temple’s internal affairs in detail.

After bowing to her, I fell deep in thought.

‘They must mean they verify it through other methods besides just the visible color, right?’

Well, I can appraise various things and I’m sensitive to colors, so I know intuitively.

Still, they’re a temple after all, so they can’t exactly write ‘I just had a feeling about it’ as their appraisal basis.

‘I wonder if they’d even listen if I told them. It’s already a sacred artifact on display—would they really want to admit their mistake?’

But having a fake sacred artifact sitting there prominently is even worse.

After pondering, I first looked outside.

Night had fallen, people had disappeared, and the temple had become quiet.

“Hello.”

“Yes, welcome, sister. What brings you here?”

“Could you guide me through the sacred artifact lending procedures?”

Cough.

The priestess coughed at the topic I brought up so suddenly.

She answered with a very flustered expression.

“Are you perhaps an envoy sent by a bishop from another regional diocese?”

“No. That’s not it.”

“Then are you perhaps a child of a canonized saint?”

“That… probably not?”

Grandfather doesn’t even believe in the World Tree to begin with.

Besides, if they canonized someone like my grandfather, there’d be problems with this religion too.

A saint who used to swing around a mace in his youth and was nicknamed Hell’s Hound would be a bit much.

‘How would they handle that image makeover…’

As I thought about Grandfather, the priestess’s expression became subtle.

“In that case, sacred artifact lending is not possible.”

“Oh, but I heard there’s one more qualifying condition.”

I rummaged through my bag.

“The case of rendering great service to the Temple of the World Tree.”

Taking out the snow globe, I shrugged my shoulders.

“Would returning a stolen sacred artifact not be enough?”

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