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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“That was a moving speech.”
“As expected of the Saintess! Amazing!”
“Uh, yeah? R-right?”
“You were staring at her face the whole time. Did you fall for her?”
“…I know my place.”
Of course he did.
Who did he think he was, trying to steal Karina?
I glared at the student, who quickly averted his gaze.
“Hey, hey, don’t scare him.”
“That’s right. You shouldn’t intimidate people.”
“I was just looking.”
“Just looking at people is intimidating coming from you.”
“How touching.”
While the girls might find me intimidating, the boys shouldn’t be scared. I had a decent face, if I do say so myself. A rugged, battle-hardened look, perhaps, but still… I wasn’t that barbaric.
“…Johann, don’t be too discouraged. I like your face.”
“Thank you.”
It sounded like a confession, but it was probably just meant as consolation.
I relaxed my expression, sensing Renny’s disapproving glare.
Karina had told me to behave, and I intended to obey. I was an obedient knight escort.
We quietly descended from the stage and moved to a corner. We didn’t need to rush to the next venue, so we decided to take a short break.
“That was a wonderful speech, Karina. Very inspiring.”
“You flatter me.”
“Hee hee. Just being honest.”
Martina approached us as we returned to our seats, offering words of praise and placing the two-spouted teapot on the table.
“Do you prefer hot tea or cold tea?”
“Cold tea?”
Ah, so that’s how it worked.
I examined the peculiar teapot.
“Rue, is there magic on this teapot?”
[Yes. A simple enchantment, but still.]
“This teapot has two compartments. The bottom compartment keeps the tea cold, and the top compartment keeps it hot. You can enjoy your tea either way.”
“Could I try the cold tea?”
“Of course.”
Martina opened the lid of the bottom spout, and a stream of chilled tea flowed into a pristine white teacup.
It even had ice chips.
“Could I have a cup as well?”
“Certainly.”
Martina filled my cup after Karina’s, the cool, crimson liquid swirling within.
“I’ll have a cold one too, please.”
We each held a teacup filled with iced tea. It felt like holding a chilled glass of beer. I wanted one of these teapots.
“It’s cold…”
“Try it while it’s cold. It’s very refreshing.”
We followed Martina’s suggestion and took a sip of the iced tea.
Ah, so refreshing.
In a world where lukewarm beverages were the norm, the coldness of the iced tea was a welcome sensation.
“Where can I purchase one of these?”
“Unfortunately, it’s a newly developed item. Not for sale.”
“Who developed it?”
“A senior named Johnny, I believe.”
…I wanted to meet this Johnny.
With this teapot, I could enjoy cold beer every day. And chilled wine.
“Could you perhaps put me in contact with him?”
“I’m not acquainted with him, but…I’ll try.”
“Thank you.”
“Johann, are you conducting business here?”
“I like this teapot. Imagine being able to enjoy cold drinks without the need for magic…”
“…A cold beer would be amazing.”
As expected of a fellow connoisseur of alcoholic beverages. She understood my intentions perfectly.
Even Karina seemed intrigued by the prospect of chilled wine and nodded in agreement.
“I heard he’s been struggling to find investors. This is perfect. We can market it as ‘approved by the Saintess!’”
“Are there any other interesting items?”
“The magic demonstration is a showcase of innovative ideas. There are many fascinating inventions. I encourage you to take a look.”
“Unfortunately, I won’t have much time to browse.”
“That’s a shame. But perhaps you could take a quick look? There are many intriguing things to see.”
“Hee hee. Perhaps.”
…Well, it wouldn’t hurt to be a little late.
We settled into our seats and watched the magic demonstration with interest.
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“Oh, Karina…and you’re here too?”
“I’m her knight escort.”
“…Ah, right. You don’t really give off a…knight escort vibe.”
That was understandable, coming from Viola.
She had seen me working in my workshop more often than performing my escort duties. Anyway, the Alchemy department’s setup was much simpler than the previous venue.
Just a wooden sign with “Alchemy Experience Zone” written in a stylized script. That was it.
“Quite a crowd.”
“Alchemy is perfect for children.”
Indeed.
Children enjoyed playing with dirt, so they would naturally be drawn to the hands-on experience of mixing alchemical ingredients.
“I hope my speech doesn’t interrupt their fun.”
“Oh, I’m sure they’ll stop and stare when they see you.”
Even the children here were awestruck by the Saintess? It was understandable, but considering the reactions of the adults, I felt a twinge of…unease.
“Alright, follow me.”
We followed Viola into the Alchemy Experience Zone. Unlike the Magic Demonstration Hall, this area was bustling with activity, mostly children, as she had said.
The children were either busy mixing ingredients at the alchemy tables or gleefully feeding their concoctions to goblins.
“…That goblin is dead.”
“Ah…I’ll have someone clean that up.”
Viola clicked her tongue and called another student to remove the deceased goblin.
A young boy, holding an empty potion vial, shouted,
“I made an awesome potion! The goblin died instantly!”
“Really?”
“Whoa, what did you mix?!”
Was this the average child here?
I knew monsters weren’t considered equal to other living beings in this world, but hearing such a casual declaration from a seven-year-old was… unsettling.
“…Powdered daffodil root, screaming grass, and nepentula poison leaves.”
“You seem knowledgeable.”
“It’s on the list of forbidden combinations. He must have gotten lucky.”
“Is it wise to give children access to such dangerous ingredients…?”
“Well, this is the only place they can experiment. As long as they don’t use them on people, it’s fine. And we have safety personnel.”
…Well, it wasn’t my place to interfere.
I turned my attention from the children to the students clearing the stage. The speech would be delivered from there.
“Shall we proceed?”
“One moment. I need to check something.”
I thoroughly inspected the stage area, even using my skill to examine the floor. Finding nothing amiss, I called Karina over.
“Let’s begin.”
Karina delivered her speech, only slightly different from the ones she had given at the other departments.
This time, the response was much more enthusiastic, as most of the audience consisted of children.
Some children even tried to approach Karina, forcing Renny and me to intervene.
“I want to talk to the Saintess!”
“Me too!”
“Me three!”
“Children, you can’t just approach the Saintess like that. She’ll be overwhelmed.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Are you her knight escort?”
“What’s a knight escort?”
“They protect important people!”
“Cool!”
“Saintess, look! My dress is red!”
…This was chaotic.
“Hee hee, let’s hear from everyone one at a time.”
Karina, who had been watching the scene unfold with a slightly concerned expression, stepped in with a gentle smile, instantly calming the excited children.
“What does the Saintess eat? Dew? My mom said you only drink morning dew!”
“That’s not true. I eat the same things you do.”
“You’re pretty!”
“Thank you. You’re pretty too.”
“Right? Mommy dressed me up for this special day!”
“Saintess, Saintess! What about me?”
That ceremonial robe was expensive. Renny and I exchanged glances, debating whether to intervene as a child tugged at Karina’s robe.
We decided to let it go. I could repair any damage, and the robe was sturdy enough to withstand a child’s tugging.
It was the Saintess’s ceremonial robe, after all. The material was far superior to ordinary fabric.
“…I’ll scan the area. You stay with Karina.”
“Are you running away?”
I wasn’t good with children.
“Hey, hey!”
Using the excuse of checking the surroundings, I escaped from the throng of children surrounding Renny and Karina.
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“Good work.”
“You too, Karina.”
“…I didn’t realize prayer could be so exhausting.”
“If you can’t handle it, tell us and take a break. Everyone knows about your condition.”
“I couldn’t do that. It’s my duty.”
Two hours of continuous prayer.
Even a healthy person would struggle to endure such an ordeal. Karina, having somehow managed to complete the task, looked utterly drained, practically melting into her wheelchair.
“Here. Put this on.”
“What…?”
“You don’t want people to see you like this, do you?”
“Thank you… My arms are a bit weak… Would you mind…?”
“Of course.”
I carefully placed the veil over Karina’s head.
The simple act transformed her back into the enigmatic Saintess.
“Go home and rest. You have another busy day tomorrow.”
“I hope tomorrow is less eventful.”
One day down.
Two to go.
What tricks would the assassins pull next?
Thinking about the suspiciously quiet assassins, I opened the door to Yeomyeong-gwan.
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