She Professed Herself The Pupil Of The Wiseman (LN) - Volume 14 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

THE DAWN SKY OVER HAXTHAUSEN was so clear that it looked crystalline.

Having spent the night at the Baron Hotel, Mira sat up, got out of bed, and went about her morning activities. She woke herself up with a nice bath before enjoying a sumptuous breakfast in her room.

“Hrmm, it’s a shame, but I suppose I’ll have to go…”

Turning her gaze toward the window and looking up into the clear blue sky, Mira thought back on the events of the previous day. Specifically, the ones that involved teaming up with Lastrada, one of the Nine Wise Men, who’d been masquerading as Fuzzy Dice.

In the end, the two of them managed to bring down the heinous guild known as Gillian Rock. After that, she still had things she needed to do, so she’d parted with Lastrada and made her way back to Haxthausen. But as she passed by the cathedral on her way back to the Baron Hotel, something had happened…

She caught a glimpse of people preparing for another solemn yet lavish ceremony.

The date of Fuzzy Dice’s big heist had been the all-important seasonal liturgy, and yet, here they were, already getting ready for the next big ceremony a day later. It certainly didn’t seem like there should be another big event only days after the previous one.

That could only mean one thing: They were preparing for Mira to donate Eurus of the Silver Sky. There was no doubt about it—they were getting ready for the donation ceremony.

“Well, it’s not like there’s anything I can do about it…”

It was a serious pain, but she had to go. Her decision made, Mira decided to get up and check on things at the cathedral.

Sweet potato cakes, huh…? Probably not a bad idea to grab some on the way back.

Going down the main street, Mira spotted the dessert shop that she remembered hearing about from Chief Detective Wolf. What he’d said the day before was that it was on his list of the best in the city, and she was very interested in giving it a try.

They’ve got something that looks like Mont Blanc-flavored Japanese-style sweet-bean pancakes, too. It’s been a while since I’ve had anything like that. I could go for some…

The chief detective had mentioned that Japanese-style desserts had really begun taking off. There were also Japanese-inspired desserts…but from what she’d heard, they still seemed to be fairly Western.

As she strolled down the street, with thoughts of sweets filling her head, she realized something. It’d been two days since Fuzzy Dice’s heist, and his fan club had all but disappeared. Just the day before, she’d been to a swap meet for Fuzzy Dice goods, but now there wasn’t a fan to be seen. This was likely because there was no need to dress up like fans now that the heist was over. Even so, she couldn’t help thinking that the streets really had emptied out.

Knowing the fan information network they had, Mira knew that it was probably already public knowledge that she’d recovered Eurus of the Silver Sky. However, upon casually asking a nearby guard, she was informed that they’d all caught the first ride out of the city.

Relieved to hear this, Mira continued on, arriving at the cathedral after ten or so minutes—much to her dismay.

“It sure would be nice if I could just hand it to them and be done with it…” she muttered.

From what she could tell, preparations for the ceremony were complete. It looked as if things were ready to get started at any moment. Mira, not ready to admit defeat, began looking around the cathedral to find some way to just hand it over and go home. Surely, there had to be someone who would just take it from her.

As she was doing this, someone called out, “Um, can I help you with something?”

Turning around, she saw a nun clothed in a habit. She happened to be a young girl and had the air of an apprentice.

This was Mira’s shot. If she pulled this off, she could talk the girl into taking Eurus of the Silver Sky off her hands. While she was plotting, the nun got a good look at Mira and broke into a big smile.

“Ah! You must be Lady Mira! The Spirit Queen! I heard that you’d be coming! Come right this way!”

Mira was an A-rank adventurer who’d promised to donate a treasure worth five billion ducats to children in orphanages. To an apprentice nun, this had to make her an illustrious figure worthy of the utmost respect. The dazzling smile on the girl’s face bordered on hero worship.

“Hrmm… I-I see,” Mira said, unable to resist the radiance of the innocent girl’s smile. Now she couldn’t run away.

Accepting her fate, Mira followed the nun through the staff entrance and into the cathedral.

“Welcome. We’re delighted you came.”

They made their way to the archbishop’s chambers.

While the archbishop was older, he was in good shape and had a dignified air which befitted his title. He wore a serene expression and despite Mira’s childish appearance, he was very courteous toward her.

“Thank you for having me. It’s an honor to meet you,” Mira said, addressing the archbishop as if he were some great paragon of virtue. Seizing the moment, she held out Eurus of the Silver Sky in a last-ditch attempt to get it off her hands.

Her hopes were in vain.

“Thank you for your support. I take it that that’s what you will be donating. When it comes time for the ceremony, I’ll swear an oath and accept it from you.”

With those words, the archbishop gently shut down the idea of a hasty exit.

And with that, Mira’s meeting with the archbishop was adjourned. Next, she was taken to a church parlor.

“You must use some pretty good tea leaves,” Mira said, taking a seat on a very comfortable sofa with a cup of tea. The fresh brew was incredibly fragrant. Even an untrained palate would recognize it as high quality.

The parlor looked very much like a room in a hotel. Perhaps this was how they received patrons who donated large sums. She was certainly being treated like a VIP.

After waiting a bit in the parlor, a senior nun came by to explain how exactly the donation ceremony would go. Mira found it was a relief to get the details on how the ceremony would progress and when she would bequeath the donation. It didn’t seem as if she really had to do or say anything special.

The donor (a.k.a. Mira) just had to stand nicely and hand the archbishop the donation once she heard the code word. There was no mention of any of the annoying formal stuff that Mira had been dreading.

Well, if that’s all I have to do, then it should be fine.

Now informed, Mira let go of the tension in her shoulders and waited for the ceremony to begin while enjoying the high-quality tea.

After about half an hour, the apprentice nun came to let her know that preparations for the ceremony were complete.

“Hrmm, all right then.” Unperturbed, Mira rose and headed toward the chapel where the donation ceremony was being held.

The long hallway wasn’t just extravagant—it felt sacred. It was adorned with the kinds of pots and other furnishings that one might find in a nice mansion, and they all featured religious imagery.

Linkslott was part of Grimdart—one of the Three Great Kingdoms—and was profoundly influenced by the god of justice, one of the three pillars of the Divine Trinity. It was not surprising that she saw the symbols of swords and shields just about everywhere. This religious imagery was most pronounced in the chapel to which Mira had just been shown. She saw a line of massive knight statues against the wall. It was an imposing space filled with an air of grandiosity.

Maybe it’s just because the moment is finally here, but the air feels a lot heavier than it did before.

With that on her mind, Mira made her way up to the altar just as instructed, bowing to the archbishop and taking a seat in the chair that’d been set for her. She took another look around the cathedral and smiled bitterly to herself, seeing that far too many people had shown up.

From what she could tell, there were definitely some believers who’d shown up to worship and, seeing that the donation ceremony was getting ready to start, simply decided to stay and watch. She was able to gather as much from how they were dressed. Worship was a part of daily life, and they were dressed in their normal, everyday attire.

But there was one group that was clearly distinct from the rest. Mira had heard about them in advance from the more senior nun. These people were neatly dressed in formal clothing and radiated an exceptionally dignified air. They were the nobility who had volunteered to bear witness to the event.

There seemed to be a fair number of people watching just because they’d heard about Mira’s exploits, around which speculation still swirled. But others had a simpler motivation: to get a really good look at Mira.

These gentlemen happened to be single. They might’ve been thinking they had a chance to snag a catch.

Mira also noticed how many of those in the crowd worked for the church. In fact, more than half of those in the chapel were employees. They each seemed to be assigned some sort of role, and they were all holding some kind of ritualistic tool.

I bet some of them had to come in and work on their day off…

As Mira’s mind wandered, the ceremony continued on. Presently, the archbishop was speaking about the current situation at the orphanages and how the children there were faring.

There were not enough funds to completely cover operating expenses, and orphanages only had access to the bare minimum when it came to food and clothing. He also said that there were orphanages that were struggling to keep up with repairing and maintaining living spaces.

Things at the orphanages were grim, even if the archbishop was exaggerating how grave the situation was. Then he lifted his voice…

“However, a ray of light shines upon us on this wonderful day!”

Light. That was the code word.

Mira slowly stood up and took her place at the archbishop’s side, just as planned.

The archbishop then addressed the chapel, “On this day, the Spirit Queen—the esteemed adventurer Lady Mira—has decided to extend a helping hand, being anguished at the plight of the orphanages.”

As he said this, music started playing from somewhere. Feeling like this was quite an overwrought performance, Mira held up Eurus of the Silver Sky and handed it to the archbishop, just like had been planned.

A light breeze blew upon them, and a look of surprise briefly passed over the archbishop’s face. It was only there for an instant. He immediately returned to his serene state, and when he bowed with Eurus of the Silver Sky in hand, the choir began to sing along with the music.

The nuns waiting on the periphery began moving about as well. Light emanated from the objects they held, radiating all throughout the chapel. It was quite an elaborate performance.

While this was going on, the archbishop began explaining the nature of Eurus of the Silver Sky and just how valuable it was. “I do hereby swear that the Church of the Trinity, to which Lady Mira has bequeathed this treasure, shall use it to bring happiness to the children,” he then proclaimed.

At that moment, not just the worshippers but also the nobility began to murmur. To the Church of the Trinity, this was also an oath to the gods…which made it absolute. The senior nun said it was very rare for the archbishop to swear an oath like this. No wonder those in attendance were so surprised.

And since the money was specifically going to the orphanages, it certainly seemed like he was deeply pleased by Mira’s proposal. The oath was an expression of his sincerity.

Once the archbishop’s rare oath was followed by a seemingly endless round of applause, the donation ceremony came to an end. Back in the parlor afterward, the archbishop asked Mira how she’d come by the treasure. From the moment he laid his hands on it, he knew it was the genuine item…and he wasn’t just referring to the gems but the blessing of the god of trade that imbued it. This was a real sacred treasure, and it was likely to go for no less than ten billion ducats at auction.

“Oh wow, that’s even more than I’d heard.” While Mira had been astonished when she first heard that it was worth five billion, she was utterly awestruck to hear it was worth twice that. She smiled ruefully to herself at the current state of inflation.

“But I don’t plan on putting this up for auction. Rather, I’m thinking of letting it go for a lower price to a reliable business proprietor.”

It was said that Eurus of the Silver Sky protected merchants. The legend surrounding it had endured for years, even if it was nothing more than a superstition… At least until the archbishop confirmed that it was very real and very blessed. It would now undoubtedly become a precious treasure to merchants and command an absurd price.

However, the archbishop stated that he wasn’t comfortable merely auctioning it away to the highest bidder. He wanted to make sure it stayed out of the wrong hands. He detailed his plans to Mira, hoping to put her at ease. The person he proposed entrusting Eurus of the Silver Sky to was none other than the president of Dinoire Trading. The archbishop had crossed paths with him several times and decided that he was the kind of person who could be trusted.

And when he did sell him the bargain-priced treasure, he would include a stipulation that Dinoire Trading would indefinitely sell goods to the orphanages for wholesale prices.

Dinoire Trading was famed for its adventuring goods. Being an adventurer was a demanding and rigorous profession, and Dinoire Trading provided all the essentials: gear, food, and even shelter. They also had branches across the continent. For this reason, the archbishop believed that they’d be able to help a great many orphanages.

“Hrmm, I see.”

If they sold it for ten billion ducats, they’d be able to cover both the orphans’ food and repairs to the orphanages in one fell swoop. But Mira thought that would be a temporary measure. Once the money they got from the auction was used up, things would slowly return to how they had been before. However, if they had the trading company’s support for an indefinite amount of time, then things would slowly improve as time went on. With the blessed necklace, the future of Dinoire Trading would remain secure. As would their support for the orphanages…

The archbishop’s proposal certainly seemed future-proof. And Mira was no stranger to Dinoire Trading.

“Hrmm, I understand. I fully support your proposal.”

The archbishop smiled with relief and said, “Thank you very much.” Having decided what would be done with Eurus of the Silver Sky, he then said, “Take this as well. It’s a token of the Church of the Trinity’s appreciation.” He then held out a small, thin wooden box.

“Hmm, what’s this?”

She’d donated the treasure simply because she’d wanted to. She never considered it something that she ought to be rewarded for…but she wasn’t one to turn down a gift.

The front of the palm-sized box was engraved with the symbol of the Church of the Trinity.

Wow… A box this small and engraved with the seal of the Trinity must be…

The moment she saw it, Mira began getting anxious. Special gifts from the church were normally engraved with the symbol of just one of the gods of the Trinity. The wooden box the archbishop was holding was engraved with the seal of all three. The symbol of the full Trinity was considered sacrosanct and was very rarely used.

Having had dealings with the Church of the Trinity in the past, Mira knew this well. And so she opened the box gingerly, curious to see what could be inside.

“Wow… Is this…?”

Inside the box was a silver medal that was smaller than her palm. Surprisingly, it was also engraved with the symbol of the full Trinity and looked to be custom made.

Still, she wasn’t quite sure what the medal was for… Was it something to commemorate her donation? She asked the archbishop, who confirmed that it was a commemorative medal.

“It is a token of the Church of the Trinity’s appreciation for your substantial contribution, Miss Mira. Please accept it,” the archbishop said cheerfully. The medal was something akin to proof that she was a VIP. If she was ever in trouble, she could bring it to any nearby church and they would spare no effort in assisting her. It meant that she had the full backing of the church.

The Church of the Trinity was the largest entity on the continent. If this guaranteed her their support, then the medal would grant her quite a bit of power.

“I wonder if you should really be giving this to someone like me…”

Mira felt rather reluctant to accept the medal, which promised more power than she’d imagined. It was a dangerous object that could be abused in many different ways. Such a thing carried a great responsibility.

And yet, here the archbishop was, just handing it to her.

“It is my belief that you can be trusted with it. And if I didn’t properly reward your show of goodwill, then I would need to be punished,” the archbishop said, letting out a laugh.

He then lowered his voice and quietly confessed, “And now, this is to be kept secret but…” He whispered that it was the Church of the Trinity’s desire to be on good terms with Mira, who had ties to the Spirit King. “And so, please hold onto it. We won’t interfere unnecessarily in your affairs just because you have it.”

Was that the truth of it, or was the archbishop simply trying to assuage Mira’s concerns?

She wasn’t quite sure. Regardless, he had made his appreciation known.

“In that case, I’ll take good care of it.”

Nodding in acknowledgment, Mira accepted the gift. The Spirit Queen was not only an ally of the Trinity but an important person to the church.