Chapter 132: “Anti-Davison” Coalition.

“‘Princess Hestia,’ ‘Lady Hestia,’ or would you prefer ‘Champion of Goddess Aurena, Hestia?’” Theodore asked me as everybody sat down on the sofa inside his office. The door was closed and the only ones inside the room were privy to my party’s secrets.

“…Just ‘Hestia’ is fine,” I replied, still feeling a bit befuddled to have learned the High Bishop from the temple was the brother of the Lord of Firwood.

Looking like he understood, he nodded. “‘Lady Hestia’ it is, then. How interesting that somebody of your prestigious status would be this casual, but I suppose the differences between our worlds is something I cannot fathom. I give thanks to Goddess Aurena and God Istari for granting me this chance today.”

“Uhm, would it be inappropriate if I asked you a question, High Bishop Theodore?” meekly, Saori raised her hand like a student.

“Of course. Also, you do not need to care for etiquette, Madam Saori. The moment I joined the clergy, I lost most of my privileges as the ‘Son of a Marquess.’ Technically, if we were to follow the hierarchy rules strictly, Lady Ellaine would outrank me also,” Theodore responded, sipping tea made by Tasianna and Manuela.

Saori bowed slightly in thanks. “Thank you, High Bishop. My question will be blunt, so please excuse me if it is considered rude. As the brother of Lord Marquess Sirius, it seems you were made aware of our presence and identities, correct? That is why you gave Lady Hestia her current amulet. So, why did you not mention this when we first met? It would have certainly dampened this surprise.”

“Fair question, I shall answer it,” Theodore agreed. “The answer is simply because I was ‘High Bishop Theodore’ when we first met, and that the discussion would be inside the temple. It would go against good judgment to risk leaking Lady Hestia’s identity as an otherworlder and champion. I do have a safe room with sound-proof runes inside the temple, but I felt any discussion should be held here when I am acting as Lord Marquess Sirius’ aide and brother. There should be a separation between work and private life, no?”

Theodore explained that, despite being the High Bishop, he also frequents his family’s castle a lot due to his work as his brother’s aide. Thanks to this role, he was made aware of my party’s profiles and my role as Aurena’s champion, which prompted him to give me an amulet made for white-robed priests, priestesses, and shrine maidens instead of the amulet meant for laity like Tasianna.

“Lady Hestia, this does not have anything to do with the discussion for today, but, although I act as my brother’s aide today, I do wish to invite you to the temple as the High Bishop. How is your knowledge of the Church of Aurena?” he asked me.

“Oh, is that so? Well, funnily enough, Goddess Aurena has asked me to learn more about her Church to fulfill my role as her champion, so I would appreciate it if you could show me around a bit,” I told him, believing this might be a good chance to get some more information on the Church of Aurena. Until now, I’ve only had an outsider’s view on them or received second-hand information from their believers.

“Wonderful. We shall share knowledge then, yours from your world, and I shall offer you a most extensive schedule on how the church functions. Madam Saori, I have heard much from Lady Ellaine about how you were an educator in your previous life? Perhaps we can exchange notes? My brother has two sons and I wish to provide a proper education for them,” Theodore responded with a charismatic smile.

Honestly, was it just me, or was the High Bishop in “networking mode?” Not only did he manage to rope me in to visit the church with him, but he also piqued Saori’s interest. I guess this was the experience and capability of a high-ranking noble. How frightening.

“However, let us delay these commitments for later. I currently do not have the time to spare, since my duties as the High Bishop and my brother’s aide requires me to work through a mountain of papers. WinterMoon is upon us, which means the temple must prepare for spring prayer and Spring’s Blessing, not to mention that nobles will be returning to their Firwood demesnes from the capital,” Theodore stated at the end of it. “In any case, it wouldn’t be good for Lady Hestia to visit the temple before spring’s blessing.”

“Why?” I tilted my head.

“Well,” he frowned, pausing for a moment before continuing with a sighing. “The temple has recently heard from three commoner white-robed priests that a shrine maiden created a commotion in the hunter’s guild. According to their testament, the shrine maiden had an outfit befitting of a noble lady’s or a rich merchant’s daughter, a red-scaled tail, horns on the side of her head, and blazing crimson hair. She was a talented singer and also displayed the ability to cast [Sacred Field] without a chant…Does that sound familiar, My Lady?”

“…Oh.”

Well, that is kinda bad. What am I supposed to do with this black orb in my inventory then? Argh, please don’t do anything until I can give it to Aurena.

“When questioned, a few grey-robed priests and priestesses have testified that they have seen you in the church, as did I. They were displeased and complained I should have introduced you to them. They even ordered the three commoner priests to search for you and made the grey-priests inform them the moment you came to the temple.”

After sipping his tea again, Theodore surprisingly showed a smug face, “Well, it certainly was fun to silence them. ‘She has prayed to the Goddess’ shrine and given her respect to me, the High Bishop. The wandering priestess showed proper etiquette,’ was enough to shut most of them up. Still, a few loud voices make it impossible for me to enjoy a simple book during my breaks. Clergymen or not, complaining is in a noble’s blood.”

…You’re complaining, right here, right now. You’re complaining about people complaining to you ‘cause I…complained…to a rude guy who complained about me…This is some next level complainception here.

Theodore explained that the priests weren’t able to find me in the last two weeks, so they’ve begun to think I left the town, but the High Bishop still believes I should stay away from the church for now. Coincidentally, doesn’t this coincide with the time I stayed in Ellaine’s mansion to train her and with the Quest in Rashan Village? I met those priests in the hunter’s guild on the 17th and today was the 30th of WinterSun. It has been nearly two weeks, huh?

“I think this is enough small talk. When I said I didn’t have much time, I meant it. Let us begin, shall we, Lady Ellaine, Lady Hestia?”

First things first, we gave Theodore all the details about what happened in Rashana Village and also my current promise to Kiiro to bring Davison to justice for what he did to all those faefolk. Or find the truth of who controlled him to do it.

“I will be honest, House Helvas would benefit from the fall of House Chezaic, as we can take control of their enterprises and businesses. However, that would be the main motivator for my brother and father. I am here as a favor for Lady Hestia,” Ellaine admitted. “I apologize if this disappoints you, Lord Theodore.”

Nobles are supposed to act as the elite leaders and protectors of the Kingdom of Artorias; however, since House Helvas was motivated by private matters, their motives clashed with this ideology, especially since Davison was committing such a huge diplomatic scandal. A noble should do their best to stop him purely for patriotic reasons.

“Don’t worry, I do not mind it. Results over intentions. Not everybody can be motivated by patriotism alone. What matters is that we deal with this problem immediately. The King and the Dukes are currently in the process of mending their relationship with the dwarves and elves, so having this information leak would be disastrous,” Theodore said.

“Please, hold on,” holding her hand up, Tasianna interjected herself. “You h- Uhm, the Kingdom of Artorias is attempting friendly relationships? I, admittedly, haven’t heard about this.” There was visible skepticism in her eyes as she asked.

Theodore nodded. “Yes, Lady Fairy. The north and east are lands owned by non-humans, so the wisest choice for this kingdom’s future is to work on what our founders fought for - to mend the mistakes of the past and to reform our bonds with the dwarves and elves. Dwarven artisans and traders have begun coming to Artorias again, so our efforts are slowly being rewarded.”

Honestly, the only dwarves I’ve seen inside Firwood had been Kraftja and Ogni, the two owners of the small blacksmith we visited. Then again, Firwood was far away from where the Dwarven Kingdom was, so it was understandable that not many can be found here.

“That is why this commoner, Davison, and the support House Chezaic has given him are a threat. However, as you mentioned, my brother and I cannot openly go against Arcanuess Chezaic due to a lack of evidence, and even I am, admittedly, a bit skeptical. Scandals like these can ruin an entire noble house, so I must be prudent with which side I support. They are messy to deal with,” shaking his head, Theodore gave his dislike of the situation.

“I understand, Lord Theodore, but this warrants an investigation at least, no? If Lady Hestia’s words are true, then House Helvas will expect House Sirius’ aid in subduing Davison and to deal appropriate judgment to those involved,” Ellaine stated firmly. “Regardless of your support, I’ve already decided on uncovering the truth. Still, I will wholeheartedly accept any aid with gratitude.”

Theodore looked in Ellaine’s eyes for a moment before picking up his teacup. He closed his eyes and smelled its warm fragrance, probably using this time to think before speaking, “From my own investigations, supporters of House Chezaic and the alchemy guild can be found inside the temple. House Sirius cannot help you with the investigation; however, I, the High Bishop, can help you weaken their faction to lure them out, creating opportunities for them to slip up and expose themselves.”

According to Theodore, the priests and priestesses supporting House Chezaic and Davison are being provided with quality potions and elixirs for them to use during leveling sessions, or other projects that their families or relatives are doing. Not every noble house has access to talented alchemists, and most of the people inside the temple were weaker nobles from low-tier houses. All they needed to do was to grant a few religious favors.

They were allowed to become stronger and help their families, so it was obvious they would take it in exchange for a few IOUs. If I was in their shoes, I would probably agree too.

“I see, so that is why the alchemy guild pushed the mage’s guild outside Firwood. Once they obtained the privilege to gather all the materials from the Belzac forest, they would be able to create not only high-quality Health and Mana potions, but also distill them into massive quantities of low-tier ones for mass production. This amount can train up multiple garrisons and small armies from the viscounts and schwertnobles,” Manuela commented “Lady Hestia, herbs like your fulinoe leaves and Belzac herbs are potent ingredients for potion-making. I am not an alchemist myself, but I believe you should be able to distill a major Health potion made with Belzac herbs into ten or 15 minor ones. Perfect for a soldier-in-training.”

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“There is also the benefit of having the favor of a white-robed priest. The spring’s blessing is an annual event where the church blesses the land of farming villages with mana to increase soil quality. We nobles can do the same, but something about the mana the church grants is more special. It makes the church invaluable and hard to antagonize,” Ellaine added.

“It is because of the vessels we hold the mana in. Mana from us white-robed clergymen are donated into grails and catalysts all year round, and we then use this mana to bless the land. Unfortunately, even I do not know how they were made, as its secrets are held securely in the Holy Capital, Aureolis, where the pope is seated. I almost broke one when I tinkered with it in the past. Such a shame,” he said with what looked like a pout, mumbling that “the goddess probably blessed them” at the end.

Holy Mana, maybe? Interesting.

“So, how am I supposed to do that? You told me to stay away from the temple, so how am I supposed to weaken or even outright kick out those clergymen?” I asked Theodore.

“Simple, draw the attention of the temple’s visitors and white grace recipients,” he replied. “The temple finances itself in two ways, through donations and granting the white grace. We technically also sell grey-robes as attendants, but we record it under donations in the book.”

It sounded a bit like slavery to me, but Theodore assured me it wasn’t the case. Slavery was banned in Artorias, and the grey-robed priest and priestesses are allowed to reject these offers, even from nobles. The rules state that requests to buy a grey-robed could only be fulfilled if they were approved by the High Bishop himself, and Theodore has only made this exchange with noble houses he could trust.

Still, selling and exchanging ownership is so similar to what I consider slavery. I don’t know. I guess if those people are still treated humanely and given the freedom to do stuff in moderation, I shouldn’t be complaining. Touchy topic, really.

“You cannot influence donations, as it is shared fairly amongst the clergy and is usually used to maintain or improve the temple. This money comes from noble houses and the Marquess, so you won’t be able to influence it,” he told me. “However, the money given to a clergyman through a white grace treatment belongs to that person alone. In other words, if you were a talented white mage, you will be asked for your service by more wealthy individuals. The base price of a white grace is simply a minimum for our service, but most merchants or nobles asking for healing pay more to promote our growth and develop a relationship.”

The money gained from a white grace was either used to improve a clergyman’s life in the temple or used for combat enhancements. Other possibilities included mana potions to increase magic training session time, equipment like runes for their robes or catalysts, and even to hire adventurers to help them level up. Peolynca was Peolynca, at the end of the day. It was similar to Earth, but everybody in this world would strive for improvements in their stats if given the option.

“Bottom feeders” would treat poor and middle-income commoners only, while talented individuals would treat Counts and Arcanuesses. The High Bishop held the role as the personal healer of the Sirius household, not ‘cause of nepotism, but ‘cause of his skill.

“I lost against my brother for the right to become Marquess Sirius, but I am a greifnoble still. If I didn’t have the ability, my brother’s first wife, Lady Marquess Sirius, would have forbidden me from coming to the castle outside of special events. That woman despises me and is only enduring my presence in her home simply because I am capable. Capable enough that my brother’s efficiency as a fief lord would decrease if I left.”

I agreed. The small glimpse I felt during the Binding Festival, where he invoked [Prayer] was proof enough for me. There was a single person who provided most of the mana and they stood in the center, right where the High Bishop was.

“Most of the clergymen who support House Chezaic and Davison belong to the weaker faction. They treat the residents of the town and a few merchants Davison introduced them to. With your capabilities, you should be able to outperform them, Lady Hestia. This will attract the attention of Davison without question. However, I have heard reports that you aren’t taking white grace money, so I would ask you to do so in the future.”

Healing for free; for most people, getting something for free was far more desirable than having to pay. It was the same thing for the white grace.

“While I bow to you for your generosity, with your ability to heal people, you could heal the entire town for free if you wanted. However, what will the temple do then? While I can survive by offering free white graces of any tier, those below me cannot. They will rely on donations and the money their family sends to them, slowing down their growth.”

“Besides, Lady Hestia, we need the money. You’ve seen how much we spent on our equipment and potions. Think of it as a source of side-income — you do not have to overcharge them even,” Saori agreed.

Urgh, this doesn’t feel like the right thing, but if everybody in this world is doing it, then shouldn’t I adapt? If I tell everybody I’m using [Minor Heal], I can set the price to 500 Davi only. That’s enough, I guess.

Giving up, I agreed. It wasn’t philanthropic, but it wouldn’t be right for me to destabilize other people’s income.

“Thank you. You do not have to fulfill it, but it would help you nonetheless,” Theodore said.

“Then it is my time to speak,” with the High Bishop’s idea done, Ellaine spoke up. “Lady Hestia, in a few days, nobles without further business at the capital will slowly return to their demesnes to prepare for spring, which includes nobles like my brother and myself. Most of these nobles will be students of the royal academy, as the school year begins on the first day of SpringSun. Two of those students will be Lord Arcanuess Chezaic’s daughters.”

“Lady Ellaine, you aren’t intending to attend their tea party?!” Manuela burst out, anxiousness and panic seeping from her voice.

“Manuela, we are before Lord Theodore,” Ellaine reprimanded Manuela before continuing. “Yes, Manuela, I am. Lady Hestia, the tea party is annually hosted by the Chezaic twins for all noble daughters still attending the academy in Firwood. I used to attend the tea party before I relinquished my right to become my house’s heir. I want you to accept their invitation and bring Miss Saori as your attendant in order to allow her to search House Chezaic’s mansion for evidence. I shall accompany you, as you lack experience in this setting.”

Having nothing to disagree with, I accepted her proposal. I was a bit worried why Manuela raised her voice, but Ellaine herself didn’t want to say,so I let it go for now. Although, I had a bad feeling.

“Lord Theodore-” Ellaine wanted to say but she was interrupted by the High Bishop who read her mind.

“I understand, I can support you with that. Rumors must align, so send your spymaster over to me once he is free. I will make sure the entire noble district will learn of Lady Hestia’s presence.”

Since I will reveal my identity anyway with Theodore’s task, making my name known amongst the nobles won’t be a detriment. And, honestly, I will inevitably make mine and my party’s name known once we begin Saori’s restaurant and begin taking more Quests. An idol shouldn’t shy away from making her name known.

As we all took some time to finalize the plan and what my party will be doing, Theodore said something surprising, “Good, once you have the evidence, send them to me. Not only will my brother support your decision, but also Lord Duke Greenveil. House Chezaic, no matter how many supporters they have, will be unable to defend themselves once the Duke himself orders for their detainment.”

“Duke Greenveil? Jeez, Marquess family or not, but is House Sirius that influential that you can bring the Lord of this Dukedom into action that easily? Shouldn’t he be busy with his fief or his discussion with the royal family?” I said, flabbergasted at how casually he said it. I mean, a duke was like a king inside his dukedom, so calling him for something House Sirius can handle by themselves was just weird. I mean, it wasn’t a war or something.

“Of course, we can. The first wife of Lord Duke Greenveil is the second child of my parents. She’s my older sister.” Theodore dropped that bomb with such a perfect poker face, I actually thought he was joking for a moment.

“…What?”

“We have a blood bond with House Greenveil; as well, there is the fact that we are considered one of House Greenveil’s arms. Marquess houses often have deep ties to the ducal houses, similar to how the royal family has deep ties with ducal houses. Nothing is surprising about it, Lady Hestia. It is a result of our father’s efforts to improve our house’s prestige.”

This guy is just a bundle of surprises, huh? What the hell is this day?

And so, the “Anti-Davison” alliance was formed.

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