The Power of the Saint is All Around (LN) - Volume 8 - Chapter 3.1

Behind the Scenes I

EVEN AFTER SEI returned from Hawke’s Domain, the members of the Special Service continued to search the lands for black swamps and monsters. The king finished reading one of their regular reports in his office and sighed like he had just completed a difficult task.

“So that was the last, then,” the king murmured as if to himself.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the prime minister replied. He had been the one to deliver the report. “I believe we can say with confidence that monsters are spawning at normal rates across the kingdom.”

They hadn’t found anything new since the discovery of the black swamps in Hawke’s Domain. They had also received reports from every territory that the monster population had fallen to a manageable level for the local soldiers. The king had just read a letter attesting to that from the final territory on his list.

From the assembled reports, the king and prime minister concluded that the miasma crisis had been resolved.

“It felt long, but it was short, wasn’t it?” the king said, full of emotion.

“All thanks to Lady Sei,” the prime minister said, naming the one to whom they owed it all.

“Indeed.”

They both thought of Sei at that moment: the woman from another world whom they had been forced to ­summon using the Saint Summoning Ritual when the Saint failed to appear, despite the density of the miasma. Even though the crown prince had slighted Sei immediately after her summoning, she had accepted the king’s request to travel the country and dispel the miasma against which they were helpless without her.

Moreover, Sei’s abilities went far beyond purifying the miasma, the gift which had been written of in books. She was developing potions even more effective than the ones the kingdom had previously possessed, had discovered the effects the Cooking skill could bestow, devised powerful enchantments, and healed patients in critical ­condition. In addition to the powers of the Saint, which had been hidden since time immemorial, she had displayed powers beyond their wildest dreams in a variety of fields, as well as used the knowledge she had brought from her original world to promote their kingdom’s development.

“We have many things we must consider, but first, we must reward her.”

The prime minister furrowed his brow. “That problem will be difficult to resolve.” 

The king smiled tiredly. “Indeed. She hardly has any wants to speak of.”

Sei had saved their kingdom. They had rewarded her for slaying monsters as well as given her a salary for her work at the institute, but it wasn’t nearly enough, considering all she had achieved. They had to keep up appearances in front of the nobility, so as the king, he had a duty to reward her even further. However, Sei was free of avarice, which presented a riddle.

As the king, he wanted to grant the brilliant Sei a title and land to bind her to their kingdom, and he would have done so even if she weren’t the Saint. But Sei wasn’t enticed by such rewards, whereas generally people would have been delighted. In fact, she abhorred the very idea.

The only things Sei had desired thus far were intangible, such as the classes from teachers at the palace and the right to browse the Forbidden Depository. The bedrooms and dining hall built at the Research Institute of Medicinal Flora at Sei’s request were part of a national facility and thus couldn’t be counted as personal favors. The only other thing she’d received was the money she needed to live.

They certainly didn’t want to offer anything that Sei disliked, but they were utterly stumped, as they also had to consider the interests of the nation—they couldn’t just do nothing. Ultimately, they decided to interrogate someone who knew Sei much better than they did: Johan, the head researcher at the institute, who had cooperated with them previously.

Johan readily stopped their offer in its tracks before they could even really ask—as expected. They started by bringing up the topic of rewarding Sei for purifying the kingdom, at which Johan sank into thought. They hoped they could ask him what kind of reward she would like after that, but they stumbled at the very first step.

“That is a difficult question,” he said.

The prime minister didn’t miss a beat as he said, “Is it? We were thinking of granting her the title of duchess.”

Sei might have been a commoner in the world she came from, but she was of a rank on par with the king in this one. They had thus been preparing to give her the rank of duchess, which was only offered to those of the royal bloodline.

Johan hesitated before he said, “While I find that to be an offer of unprecedented magnanimity, I believe she would not accept.”

Johan’s cheek also twitched. Surely he could sense the king and prime minister’s hopefulness. However, he respected Sei’s wishes and managed to reject the suggestion, even though it came from the two most powerful people in Salutania.

“What about a domain?” Though the prime minister knew it was a long shot, he had to try. 

Johan did not nod. “That goes for a domain too.”

There was an awkward silence in the room before the king said, resigned, “So she truly desires neither.”

“Indeed she doesn’t. I’ve tried to indirectly ask her if she would accept, but she always responds with disinterest.”

“I see.”

They had all known this day would come, a day when the kingdom had been near-completely purified and they would have to discuss a reward. Johan had taken it upon himself to test Sei’s feelings before they even summoned him.

Johan often hid in his older brother Lorant’s shadow, but he was a highly competent fellow. While he had distanced himself from political machinations, he had the talent to be named head of an institute and worked to maintain a political balance from his position. It could have been said that he was discerning when it came to subtleties. He was good at staying one step ahead of a situation and focused on even the finest details. This time, he had put that special skill on full display.

The palace couldn’t offer other people rewards when they hadn’t properly done so for the person who had played the largest role in a great work. As things stood, the crown couldn’t rightly recognize the knights and the mages who had played a part until they acknowledged the Saint.

What was the consequence of this? In short, they had to get Sei to accept a reward, even if she didn’t particularly care to have one.

Just as the prime minister was on the verge of trying to persuade Johan, Johan beat him to the punch. “Your Excellency.”

“Yes?”

“I hate to make a request at this juncture, but there’s something with which I would like to beg your assistance.”

The prime minister gave him a tight smile and urged Johan to continue with a look.

That was when Johan brought up the expansion of the institute’s herb garden. “I made this request once before, but at the time, it could not be granted. We’ve been getting by as best we can, but the number of herbs grown by the institute has increased, and we’re just about at our limit.”

“So you wish to make your request again.”

“Yes.”

The prime minister put a hand to his chin as he pondered. At face value, it sounded like Johan was begging the prime minister for support for a request that had been denied once before. However, both he and the king inferred that there was more to Johan’s choice to bring the topic back up. Johan made it sound like he it was an incidental subject change, but he had his reasons. They suspected, based on how the conversation had been proceeding, that Johan was alluding to a solution to the riddle of Sei’s reward.

“What was our reason for rejecting the proposal last time?” the prime minister asked Johan as he thought this over.

“You said there was a lack of available land.”

“Hmm…”

Upon hearing this, the king said, “What if we assigned you a place outside the palace grounds?”

“For a garden?”

“Yes. Landerrouet is close to the capital. It would be a good spot.”

Landerrouet was one of the holdings owned by the royal family. It was close to the capital, had a mild climate, and was generally a good place to live. It was also a region that primarily produced grain due to relatively fertile soil, which was why the king proposed it as the site for a new herb garden.

Johan likely knew all this from the name alone, due to his line of work. He covered his mouth with his fist as he nodded. “That’s a superb location.”

The king glanced at the prime minister, who nodded and said, “That sounds like a splendid idea to me. The local magistrate’s estate already has a spacious garden. I believe it could be possible to appropriate part of the estate for an annex.”

“Indeed. Outsiders frequently visit the palace. If we establish an annex there, we could also transfer classified projects to those grounds.”

Johan understood what the king was implying, and he looked up from his lap. He met the gaze of the king, then the prime minister, and sensed that they were waiting for him to speak. “Are you referring to the herbs Sei is growing?”

These herbs were the ones that required a field blessed by the Saint’s magic in order to thrive. Johan had instantly inferred what the king was getting at because knowledge of the Saint’s additional powers was kept as much of a secret as possible, so they always spoke around it.

“Yes.” The king nodded with satisfaction before voicing his own thoughts, “To tell the truth, I’ve been considering raising security measures for the institute for some time now.”

The way he said it told Johan everything he needed to know. “Does that include the garden as well?”

“Naturally.”

The king had indeed been mulling over an increase to the security of the Research Institute of Medicinal Flora for a good long while. They had already taken numerous measures to ensure Sei’s safety once she joined the institute, but he had begun to feel like they needed even more protections for the things that Sei did and created. Essentially, she had a tendency to fully display her abilities as the Saint, and many of the things she created had unthinkable—and obvious—effects.

It would have been best if they could get Sei to stop using all her abilities, except the ones related to purification, so that the full breadth of her power didn’t become public knowledge. However, Sei enjoyed her research, so they were hesitant to put such restrictions on her. Not to mention the things she devised were extremely profitable, so the king couldn’t help thinking it would be a true loss to make her stop.

Now this talk of the garden made him remember these issues that he had put in the back of his mind to handle at a later point. In the king’s eyes, Johan’s request to expand the garden was a perfect opportunity.

“We recently received seeds from Zaidera. There are also other plants being grown using the Saint’s power, correct? I would like to take this chance to transfer all the most valuable projects, as well as those that must be kept a secret, to the annex’s management.”

“Even the plants we’re currently cultivating?”

“If possible.”

“Very well. However, I believe the apple tree would be difficult to move. Could that remain in the greenhouse?”

“I suppose there’s no helping the tree. We shall look after it, then.”

“Thank you.”

“While this would put you in the position of holding two posts, I would like to place you in charge of the ­annex as well.”

Johan stared at the king in amazement. Normally a single person couldn’t simultaneously hold two such positions. He asked, looking puzzled, “Are you sure?”

“Yes. You are the one most qualified candidate,” the king responded. “Furthermore, if she so desires it, I would like to make this annex a research facility for Sei’s exclusive use.”

“Oh?”

The king had come up with this idea in hopes of ­decreasing the risk of revealing the Saint’s abilities while allowing Sei to continue with her research. However, Sei tended to like working with others. It was plain to see in the way she regularly engaged with the other researchers and their projects. Discussing things with her peers helped her to develop her own ideas, and she enjoyed pursuing her work alongside her fellow investigators.

The king had put this idea on hold because it was unclear whether Sei would like an independent research facility for her own work. The king believed he could use this annex as an avenue to propose the venture. If Sei so desired it, the annex would become hers. If she didn’t, then they would continue to use it as merely an annex. Either way, they could strengthen security while allowing Sei to continue her work unimpeded, and they could be more flexible in indulging her future impulses.

The king’s other aim was to use the annex as a cushion that would soften the blow when they did eventually offer Sei a research facility for her private use. It might lower the mental hurdles between her and accepting such a gift.

“In other words, this might not be a permanent position,” he said to Johan. “If we awarded it to someone new, she might refuse the position when we tried to offer it to her.”

“That is highly possible.”

“But if we assign the position to you, I don’t foresee a need to worry. Besides, you know the job well, and you also understand her. Therefore I must ask for your ­cooperation. If you agree to hold both positions, then we will prepare additional recompense for your new position as head of the annex.”

The king’s eloquent praise made Johan nervous. He understood that the king was saying these things to convince him to take the position, but he couldn’t help the vague discomfort that came with hearing lavish praise from the most powerful man in the land.

Johan cleared his throat to master his feelings and bowed reverently to the king. “Very well. I shall accept your offer and assume the role of annex supervisor.”

“My thanks. We’ll return to the matter with further details at a later date.”

With that, Johan had accepted the position, just as the king had hoped. They saw Johan off, and after the door to the office was shut, the king and prime minister quietly continued their conversation.

“An annex in Landerrouet,” the prime minster said thoughtfully.

“I thought it was a good idea.”

“I do as well, especially since everyone there is well equipped to keep a secret.”

“And now we have one less thing to worry about.”

“I don’t think this settles the problem of Sei’s reward, however.”

“Those in the know will understand that the annex is a necessary step before the next reward. As for those less savvy to such things, we’ll also award her a monetary bonus so they can have the evidence they’re looking for.”

“Very well. I shall make the arrangements.”

Landerrouet, known for the secret-keeping skill of its people, was a special holding that only a select few knew about.

***

While Landerrouet, the place where they were going to establish the Research Institute of Medicinal Flora’s annex, was a holding owned by the royal family, it wasn’t large enough to be called “vast.” The royal family’s estate there was on the same scale as the magistrate’s. It was smaller than their other holdings and staffed by few servants. However, it was a special holding, and an important one. Testament to that fact lay in that terribly few people in the Kingdom of Salutania knew the role Landerrouet actually played.

For generations now, the magistrate’s estate had employed retirees of a very specific profession. That had not changed. Starting with the magistrate and going on down the staff list, every single person employed at the magistrate’s hall was a former spy who had worked directly for the royal family. Although they had stepped down from active duty, everyone at the estate was tight-lipped and was trained in self-defense. It was far easier to prevent information leaks at a place like that than at the palace.

If they added a few active duty personnel as well as some additional security measures in the building, then it would instantly become a suitable place for Sei to freely pursue her research.

Having come to that conclusion, the king decided to turn part of the magistrate’s hall into the new annex.

Zara, who was employed as the magistrate’s secretary, was one of the spies who had been hired when the annex was opened. She had been deployed all across the kingdom before this posting and had gathered information from every location. Now she played the role of magistrate’s assistant and the Saint’s confidante.

As a girl who had been raised in an orphanage, she was filled with awe when she was selected to serve as confidante for the Saint—a woman who was of the same standing as the king. But Sei was very much unlike how Zara had imagined she would be when she first accepted the job. In manner, Sei was somewhere between a noble and a commoner, and she was exceptionally easy to get along with.

Thanks to Sei’s personality, they became acquaintances in practically no time at all and managed to build an amiable relationship. That was probably why Sei had given her that cosmetic cream as a present during one of their tea parties.

Zara already habitually used the cosmetics that Sei’s company sold, so she was familiar with both the appearance and benefits of the products. The cream Sei had given her looked just like the kind she was already using. Therefore, she assumed it was exactly the same.

Right after Zara said goodbye to Sei that day, she went to the kitchen of the magistrate’s hall.

“May,” she called from the door.

A woman sitting in a chair near the backdoor turned to her. “Yes, Sister?”

May was a maid who worked in the kitchen. Her hair went past her shoulders and was tied back, and the bangs on the left side of her face went past her chin. Although she called Zara her sister, they weren’t related by blood. The two women had come from the same orphanage. The moment May had arrived there, Zara had told her to call her “sister” because they had the same eye color. May had done so ever since. Having grown up in this way, the women were extremely close.

May held a knife in her right hand and the potato she was in the middle of peeling in her left. At her feet were two buckets full of more potatoes. She was in the middle of preparing dinner.

“Here, why don’t you use this?” Zara asked.

“Cosmetics? Why are you giving this to me?”

“The Lady Saint offered it to me today.”

“The Lady Saint? Oh, so she came by again.”

May pictured the black-haired woman in her mind. Sei came to the estate frequently these days to stop by the annex of the Research Institute of Medicinal Flora. Unlike Zara, May never had the opportunity to speak with her, in large part due to the difference in their social rank. Thus, May had only ever seen her from afar.

“No need,” May said to Zara. “That sort of thing is wasted on me.”

“Weren’t you just saying how stiff and itchy your face feels because it’s been so dry? The cream might alleviate the irritation a bit.”

May was a woman as well; it wasn’t like she had no interest in beauty products. The reason she declared the cream was better off in Zara’s hands was the left half of her face, which was splotched with burn scars.

The orphanage where Zara and May had grown up had close ties with the royal family. Its more talented children were selected to work for the palace. Both women had been determined to develop their potential and had begun training to be spies when they were seven years old.

They had started with reading, writing, and basic arithmetic and had gone on to learn all manner of things, from martial arts and swordsmanship, to ways of eking information out of people through idle conversation, and more. Then, when they became adults at age fifteen, they had taken up formal spywork for the Special Service.

Several years later, they were coincidentally assigned to the same mission. Their task was to ascertain where monsters were spawning in a certain region. They were searching a forest when it happened: a type of monster that had never before spawned in that area suddenly manifested.

It resembled a lizard the size of a small dog. A toxic membrane covered the surface of its body; touching it burned the skin raw. It snuck up on them quietly and dropped down from above to attack Zara. May barely managed to notice in time. She immediately threw herself onto Zara to protect her, but the toxins on the monster’s body splashed her face.

After the women defeated the monster, they used a potion right away, but unfortunately, the burn scars remained.

The monster’s toxins were powerful, and to this day, Zara regretted how her incompetence had led to May’s scars. Zara apologized time after time, but May merely laughed and brushed it off. Then, one day, May grew frustrated and told Zara to cut it out with the apologies; it took her some time to realize that Zara had stopped mentioning the incident or her scars. It was nevertheless apparent that Zara was merely holding her tongue. May was always first in her thoughts. As such, when Sei gave Zara the cream, Zara had immediately thought of how May had mentioned her dry skin and decided to give it to her.

“But this is a present for you. I can’t take it,” May refused. It would be rude for someone else to use a gift from a noble.

But Zara was insistent. “Then how about we split it? Is that all right with you?”

May frowned. Although Zara didn’t say it out loud, May had known Zara for a long time, and she knew the depths of Zara’s remorse. Even if May continued to ­object, Zara wouldn’t give up. Even if Zara did yield, that wouldn’t erase her regrets.

Perhaps accepting half the cream will lessen her sense of guilt? I’ve heard that the Saint is an openhearted woman. She likely won’t rebuke Zara if I use it as well. With those thoughts, May gave up on refusing and accepted the cream with an awkward smile.

Zara was the first to notice the effects of Sei’s cream. The morning after May first used it, Zara happened to catch a glimpse of May’s cheek through her hair—the burn scars looked like they had faded. Zara assumed this was wishful thinking, but she continued to stare at May’s face without realizing what she was doing.

“Good morning,” May greeted her, though she sensed something amiss. “Sister?”

“Sorry, do you mind?” Zara’s expression remained odd as she reached for May’s bangs. Brushing back the hair, she revealed May’s face. 

It was no longer marred by scars. Instead, beneath May’s hair there lay a stretch of smooth, perfect skin.

“They’re gone,” Zara murmured as she stared in wonder.

“What are?”

“Your scars… They’re gone…”

“What?” May knew instantly that Zara was talking about her face, but she couldn’t believe it. She blinked at Zara. Once she let Zara’s words sink in, she ran to the mirror to check her reflection. “This can’t be.”

Now it was May’s turn to stare in astonishment at her appearance. She ran her fingers along the skin where the scars should have been, unable to accept what she saw in the mirror. Just as her reflection suggested, she felt none of the bumps she had grown accustomed to.

As May stood fixated on her reflection, Zara asked with surprise, “You didn’t notice?”

“I haven’t looked in a mirror in a while.”

Ever since her face had been burned, May had hardly ever looked at her own reflection. Although she had put on a brave front for Zara, her appearance had upset her. Her hands had remembered what to do, though, so she had been able to take care of her everyday grooming needs without a mirror. As such, she’d tried to never look into one unless it was absolutely necessary. Consequently, she hadn’t realized the scars were gone until Zara pointed it out.

“I’m so happy for you,” Zara said quietly, her words coming from the bottom of her heart. Teardrops welled up along with them.

May began to cry translucent tears as well.

Zara hugged May from behind, and May put her hand on Zara’s arm. The women smiled as they wept in front of the mirror.