"You think I'd spend 3,000 gold on something that doesn't even work? I wouldn't do that even if I were drowning in money."
Lute leaned back into a chair that was far more luxurious than those in other carriages, eyes curved into a smile.
At the sight of a flower finally blooming in the midst of despair, Yuri choked up and covered his mouth with a trembling hand.
"So the contents of that old book were real! Ughh... It feels like all our hardships have been washed away. I was so worried it'd be another dead end... Wait, 3,000 gold? I only gave them 1,000."
"I added another 2,000."
"When?!"
"Technically, I was swindled out of it."
Lute chuckled as he said this.
The Saint Ordell had looked him square in the eye and confidently demanded an extra 2,000 gold.
And that wasn't even the end. He now had to visit that remote place every month and continue paying.
Donations and recharge fees—separately, at that.
When she said the recharge fee could be less than the donation, he was so moved he almost teared up.
Had he ever been extorted out of thousands of gold before in his life?
He swore—never. Not once in the long history of House Sieri had any duke been so thoroughly fleeced.
And by a saint, no less.
"Pfft!"
Ah, just thinking about it keeps making him laugh.
"…Our lord, the man with the foulest temper in the Empire, actually lost 2,000 gold and is laughing? Is the relic malfunctioning? Are you alright? Let me check, just in case!"
Yuri was panicking at Lute's giggles.
He wasn't mocking someone—he was genuinely laughing out of joy, which made it even more shocking.
"No. I'm not showing it to anyone. The saint told me that if anything happens to this relic, I'll really die."
"What do you mean by…"
"She figured it all out—that I'm sick, that I've been living with constant pain."
"What?! But even the Saint and the Apostle of the Great Sea God didn't notice—how could she…?"
The Sea God, one of the Three Great Deities of the continent, was currently the most revered.
Lute had once visited the temple of the Sea God in hopes of a cure.
The results had been incredibly disappointing.
Rather than recognizing his illness, they simply assumed he had finally submitted to the Sea God's power and proudly lifted their chins.
Even the saint had examined him with divine power and failed to detect anything wrong.
What was it she said again? "You're in excellent health and will live a long life"?
That was absolute nonsense.
That very night, Lute had returned home only to suffer through such unbearable pain that he vomited blood.
After that day, he never looked in the Sea God's direction again.
Yuri knew all of this.
"The Saint said the Sun God's divine power is especially strong in healing, which is probably why she could see it."
Lute recalled the moment he first met Ordell at the temple gates.
A young woman dressed in the calm robes of a saint, with soft, fluffy pink hair.
But unlike the gentle color of her hair, her eyes—glowing gold in the sunlight—were anything but soft.
She looked barely twenty, yet her presence felt deeper and wiser than even the saint and apostle of the Sea God.
And he had definitely seen it.
Her golden eyes scanning the empty space around him.
Even during their meeting in the reception room, her gaze occasionally seemed to drift—and now he knew why.
There had been a reason.
"If the relic hadn't worked, I might've doubted her. But the effect? It's too good."
The excruciating pain had started one day, out of nowhere.
No doctor could diagnose it, and nothing could relieve it.
Over nearly twenty years, he'd grown somewhat used to the milder aches, but the searing agony—like nails driving into his heart or skull—never became bearable.
But the moment he grasped the relic Ordell had brought, a pain unlike anything he'd ever felt coursed through him.
It was as if searing flames engulfed his head, heart, and entire body.
Had he not lived with pain his whole life, he would have screamed, maybe even clawed at himself in agony.
After what felt like an eternity, when the pain gradually faded, he felt it.
A light drizzle after a long drought. A single flower blooming in barren soil. A breeze sweeping in on a scorching summer day.
Small, seemingly insignificant things—but each one marked the beginning of change.
And soon, a downpour drenched him from head to toe, thousands of soft blossoms wrapped around him, and a gentle wind brought the purest, most refreshing air imaginable.
For the first time in twenty years, his body felt free of pain—so sweet, so addictive.
"…Enough to believe anything that woman says. No, to believe her unconditionally."
Ordell had more than earned what she was paid. She kept her word. She was, all in all, a remarkably trustworthy person.
And yet, despite all that, Lute still held some doubts about her.
He'd met enough people who seemed reliable—until the day they turned on him without warning.
She could still use this situation to make unreasonable demands someday.
To avoid losing himself in the bliss of being pain-free, Lute clenched his fists tightly.
"The Saint of the Temple of the Sun—she's from the Kiris family, right?"
"We'd have to investigate to be sure. I know the faces of all of Count Kiris's legitimate children, but the saint is adopted and has never appeared in society. No known appearance, not even a proper name."
"That's strange. Why boast about your daughter being a saint if you never let her show her face? Is it because the temple is too poor?"
It wasn't just any provincial temple under the main branch—it was the central temple, supposedly the closest to the Sun God. And yet, its condition looked pretty shabby.
Maybe they're hiding something precisely because it's not a place of renown.
"Well, we'll find out soon enough."
"So I'm supposed to dig all that up, right?"
"Who else but you? Now that my pain is gone, don't worry about this side. Just dig deep and learn everything there is to know about the saint."
"Yes, understood."
Just as Lute said, since his illness had eased, Yuri had fewer things to worry about—and so he gladly agreed.
What a miraculous relic. Thanks to it, my workload just got lighter. Maybe I should register as a believer myself, out of gratitude.
"Oh, but to really investigate the saint, shouldn't we also look into the temple itself?"
"Leave that alone."
"Why not?"
"You're getting awfully chatty today. I've been lenient, haven't I?"
Lute looked directly at Yuri and smiled sweetly.
Only his mouth smiled—his eyes didn't. It was the kind of smile Yuri feared more than anything in the world.
"Ahem! I'll focus solely on the Kiris family!"
Yuri answered with exaggerated enthusiasm, and Lute turned his gaze to the window.
Through the trees, the temple's shrinking rooftop was barely visible now.
There was only one reason he didn't assign Yuri to investigate the temple.
Because I want to find out for myself.
If the high priest and paladin commander are truly the saint's most trusted people, then why is she keeping her dealings with him secret from them? What kind of relationship is at play here?
Ah, he was already looking forward to the next month.
"Count, it's William Gale."
Gale knocked on the massive door before him and took a slow, deep breath.
The intricate carving of two dahlia flowers on the door made his chest tighten already.
They were elegant, beloved flowers admired by many—but to him, they evoked only fear.
"Come in."
At the cold voice from within, Gale swallowed hard and opened the door.
Seated behind a solid wood desk was his master—and the one who claimed ownership of those beautiful dahlias—Count Joseph Kiris.
His sharp green eyes and stern face only intensified Gale's fear.
Unable to bear the pressure, Gale bent at the waist and bowed deeply.
"Upon inspecting the temple, I found that all eight spies, including Kento, have been imprisoned."
Count Kiris's hand, which had been signing documents, froze mid-motion.
He didn't need to look up—Gale could feel the count's piercing gaze on the crown of his head.
"…And?"
"Uh, I don't think we'll be able to get them all out."
"I didn't send you all that way just to hear that, did I?"
The count's voice was colder than Gale had expected, and he swallowed again.
"B-but, I have some good news as well!"
"Good news?"
"Yes! The one who reported the spies was none other than Ordell Kiris. Apparently, she did it to gain the High Priest's trust and get close enough to become your personal informant."
"She said that, did she?"
The count's voice dripped with scorn.
It was clear he didn't believe Ordell's words for a second.
Ordinarily, Gale wouldn't have either. He would have laughed in her face and taken it upon himself to reeducate her thoroughly on the count's behalf.
But that day, Ordell had been… different. Strangely, he couldn't bring himself to strike her like usual.
There was a power in her words—something that made people believe.
"That foolish girl has never managed to do anything right, no matter how hard she tries to scheme. And yet you come running to me with that nonsense?"
"I'll explain everything that happened at the temple in detail. Please, listen and judge for yourself."
Gale hastily spoke.
Count Kiris was silent for a long while, then finally clicked his tongue in annoyance and gave a slight nod.
Relieved, Gale began recounting everything that had happened—clearly and in full, from the very beginning.