I was surprised to find out a guard station had recently been built right next to the inn by complete coincidence. And this was their first deployment too. It was no wonder they’d been so gung-ho about it.
The priests were taken aback by the guards’ unprecedentedly forceful attitudes, but they’d barged into a room where an underage-looking girl was changing. Even though they were priests, that was far beyond the limits of what could be swept under the rug. Celes’s followers worshipped Celes, not the priests. In fact, any priest who committed evil in her name was considered a heretic and enemy of Celes. Just as police officers who’d committed crimes were held to a higher standard than normal, priests also deserved a good bashing for cases like this. The Temple would normally cover up such scandals, but this incident had far too much public attention for that now.
Besides, although the Temple wasn’t on good terms with free priestesses, barging into the room of a young girl who was supposed to be a fellow worshipper of the same goddess was definitely not a good look. To top it all off, it was common knowledge that I was well-off because of the high-end inn I’d been staying at and the clothes and accessories I’d been wearing when I’d exchanged my jewels for money. So, it could be inferred that the men had been after my body or my money.
Regardless, there was no reasonable way to refute the claim that they had nefarious intentions in barging into the room of a girl they didn’t know. There were plenty of witnesses who could verify that I’d refused visitors due to being tired from my travels, that the men had forcibly pushed their way through when the staff had tried to stop them, and that they’d entered my room without permission. Now, even if the Temple sent more priests or other officials, all I had to do was scream, “Aaaaaahhh! The Temple sent people to silence meeeeee!” and anyone who was familiar with this case wouldn’t question my statement.
I mean, there was a real chance they really would try to silence me. The folks from the Temple would gladly sacrifice a stray priestess’s life if it meant they could cover up a scandal of their own.
Anyway, it was pretty reassuring to know there was a guard station right next door. It seemed I’d picked a very good inn by complete coincidence.
Good job, me from a few days ago!
“Wh-Wh-Whaaat?! The girl who may be the Angel, who the royal palace was desperately trying to win over, mistakenly thought the priests were trying to force themselves upon her, and the ones who’d been sent to escort her back were all arrested by the guards?! How did this happen?! More importantly, I must do something about this! I must do something now!!!”
“The Temple attacked the Angel—I mean, the free priestess?! Those absolute imbeciles! Do they want to sink this continent?! S-Send someone to check on her at once! If the priestess is injured, flustered, or scared, send bodyguards to escort her to the royal palace immediately! However, prioritize her desires above all else! Do not try and force her to do anything she doesn’t want to! Understood?! Send your most trusted— No, you go investigate personally! I must send the one I trust above all others or else I may regret it later. Don’t forget that countless lives depend on the decisions you make. Now go!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” the Minister of Finance’s face had turned pale from the colossal weight upon his shoulders, but he’d given the most reassuring answer he could muster before leaving to fulfill his duty.
“Send a messenger to the Temple! Tell them the king said, ‘If you don’t wish to die, bring someone who knows and can explain everything about this incident right away, along with someone who has the authority to make decisions on behalf of the Temple. If you don’t all want to be slaughtered because of your representative’s stupidity, you’d better choose someone with some wit and sense—this is one decision you don’t want to regret.’ Go at once!”
“Right away, Your Majesty!”
The Minister of War, who had been standing beside the king, bowed his head. He would likely carry out the order personally rather than send someone, as would anyone with half a brain, considering he had been listening to the conversation between the king and the Minister of Finance. If he sent a subordinate and that man relayed the message to an intermediary from the Temple, and then the message continued to get handed off akin to the Telephone game, the slightest difference in nuance in the king’s words could lead to catastrophic results. With this in mind, no one would possibly have the guts to leave such a critical task to another.
And so, the Minister of War ran off, his face, too, pale from the monumental pressure and fear, but the mission to save his country and continent fueled his heart with purpose.
“So, that’s what happened,” I explained.
“You can’t be serious...” Reiko shook her head.
“Ha ha ha ha!” Kyoko burst into laughter.
“I mean, it’ll be a pain if the Temple develops a fixation and keeps bugging us, right?” I asked.
“Says the very person who did something that would draw all of the Temple’s attention and hate to her,” Reiko said.
Kyoko just kept laughing.
Now that the incident had been settled, I’d gone back to my room at the inn, contacted the two of them, and explained everything that had happened. Kyoko was laughing so much that she couldn’t even participate in the conversation.