Grand Duke's Beloved Granddaughter

“Fleon struggled to admit his own failure and wore a dark expression as he uttered the words, burdening others with his obligation.

‘I wish you didn’t have to suffer like this, Fleon.’

Vivre expressed her sympathy, but the words did not reach Fleon, the one who should have heard them.

‘Father Fleon.’

‘Yes?’

Fleon raised his head at my call.

‘Vivre wants you to not suffer too much.’

‘…’

Fleon glanced at me for a moment and then nodded.

‘Thank you.’

Fleon replied briefly, coughed a few times, and looked around at the others again.

‘I will personally share the details with you if you come to me later. For now, I would like to discuss our future tasks.’

As Fleon proposed, everyone nodded in agreement.

I, too, didn’t want to dwell on information I already knew, so I quickly waited for the conversation to move forward.

‘If the person trying to unseal the Demon Dragon is Daniel Crichton, can’t we report him to the Imperial Court?’

A priest who appeared fairly old raised his hand and made the suggestion. He seemed to be around fifteen years old, but it was fascinating to see him present at this gathering.

Well, he wasn’t wrong.

If Daniel Crichton were to unseal the Demon Dragon in the future, it seemed most fitting to restrain him and report him to the Imperial Court.

However, most people present here probably knew it wasn’t that simple.

Even if we all knew what would happen in the future, it was merely our circumstances.

There was no evidence that he intended to awaken the Demon Dragon.

Even if it was a temple that enjoyed the trust of the people, they couldn’t simply take Daniel away without any evidence.

Moreover, Daniel was a nobleman, the younger brother of Duke Crichton, the most influential figure in the Empire. From what I personally witnessed, the relationship between Duke Crichton and Daniel seemed quite close.

If an ordinary person who didn’t attract people’s attention were to meddle with the affectionate younger brother of Duke Crichton, they could face the worst consequences.

That would be the war between the noble family and the temple.

In an empire without a state religion, if such a conflict arose, the Empire wouldn’t be able to take the side of the Duana Temple.

Rather, if they recklessly touched the beloved younger brother of Duke Crichton, it would become a battle between the Empire and the temple.

There were only two choices: to invite another disaster to prevent a calamity or to seek another solution.

“That doesn’t seem like a good approach.”

“Then, what about assassinating him?”

The young priest asked without losing his vigor.

Fleon smiled sadly as he looked at him.

“That’s not possible. The power of the Demon Dragon protects Daniel, making it difficult to harm him by ordinary means.”

Judging from Fleon’s expression, it seemed he had also attempted that. However, it seemed that method had also ended in failure.

“For now, we have no choice but to go by the book.”

“By the book?”

“Yes. We must somehow find evidence that Daniel Crichton intends to unseal the Demon Dragon. We also need to discover where those who serve the Demon Dragon gather, and how they plan to unseal the Crypt of the Demon Dragon.”

In the end, apart from the culprit, they were back to knowing nothing for certain.

“Saintess, I apologize for this, but it would be best to keep your identity a secret until we stop Daniel Crichton.”

Fleon proposed to me.

“If the fact that you are the saint of the Duana Temple is revealed, you will undoubtedly become his target. So, it would be best for both the temple and you to keep your existence hidden until everything is resolved. In fact, my own downfall was because of that.”

Fleon, who had taken a sip of the water in front of him, spoke heavily once again.

“Because I first appeared as a saint, Daniel Crichton became wary of me. If I were just a priestess of the Duana Goddess, he wouldn’t have been so cautious. If that were the case, we might have been able to learn more and stop him.”

Several individuals nodded in agreement at his regretful words. It signified their agreement with Fleon’s statement.

I looked around at them and shrugged my shoulders as I responded.

“It doesn’t matter to me. I never had any desire to be treated as a saint. It’s the same now and will be in the future.”

Baron Archbishop looked at me with an approving gaze. Perhaps it was because I looked like I was not even ten years old that his eyes seemed very affectionate and gentle, as if I were truly a young child.

“If we don’t see a way, we’ll find one step by step. Moreover, we still have plenty of time. As Father Fleon has experienced, Daniel’s occupation of Duke Crichton’s territory will happen fourteen years from now. And the resurrection of the Dragon’s Crypt will be even later than that. Isn’t that right?”

I asked, seeking confirmation, and Fleon nodded in agreement.

“Exactly as you say, Saintess. If Daniel Crichton manages to occupy Duke Crichton’s territory, it will be some fourteen years from now when he tries to unseal the Dragon’s Crypt.”

“So, we have fourteen years left. Of course, there’s a possibility that unforeseen circumstances might shorten the time. However, at the very least, we know it won’t happen this year or the next.”

Others hesitated but eventually acquiesced to my words.

Of course, we couldn’t simply relax just because we had plenty of time.

Variables could arise at any moment.

But it was clear that rushing impatiently would only lead to mistakes.

“So, let’s observe Daniel calmly and quietly. We’ll find our own way while we’re at it. And even if we can’t stop Daniel’s plans, I might personally be able to kill him.”

“But, Saintess, with ordinary power, it’s impossible to harm Daniel, who is protected by the Dragon’s power.”

Fleon advised me.

“Is there really no way? Not even with Lepidro?”

Lepidro, a sword made from the bones of the guardian dragon. When I first saw the sword, Vivre described it as a sword that could stand against those under the control of the Dragon’s Crypt.

If the power protecting Daniel came from the Crypt, it would only be right for him to be defeated by Lepidro.

“If you wield Lepidro, you might be able to counter the power that protects Daniel. However…”

“It would still be difficult to confront the malevolent power surrounding him, even with Lepidro. To shatter the power of the Dragon, you would need the skill to wield Lepidro perfectly.”

As if continuing Vivre’s words, Fleon spoke to me. Even though I was the one wearing the pendant, it was perfectly timed for Fleon, even though he couldn’t hear Vivre’s words.

I hesitated for a moment at Fleon’s words.

If Fleon, who knew me as someone who faced death surrounded by soldiers, thought poorly of me, it wouldn’t be unreasonable.

The skill and experience that would surpass even Daniel’s soldiers would be required to wield Lepidro perfectly.

What level of skill would that be?

It wasn’t difficult to think of individuals stronger than me.

There was my master, Brian, for example.

But it was uncertain whether I could catch up to him.

He had skills, experiences, and accomplishments that I did not possess.

Thinking of people who were on a similar starting point as me, other than Brian, one person came to mind.

“You’re worried because you think my swordsmanship skills are inadequate. But you see, I’m still only nine years old. I can get stronger. I’m making an effort to do so. If I become as strong as the Mercenary King, would you have faith in me?”

A person who was the same age as me but would become stronger than anyone else. And someone who could be a goal for me to strive toward.

“The Mercenary King? Who is that?”

In the present time, there was no one who could be called the Mercenary King, so people looked at me with confusion when I mentioned it.

However, only one person, Fleon, understood my words.

“You’re referring to Jeffrey Coleman. Yes, that level of skill would probably be…”

Fleon nodded positively.

“Then I will strive to reach the level of the Mercenary King. No, even higher.”

I stated with conviction, causing Fleon to awkwardly smile.

“Of course, it would be excellent if the Saintess became stronger. But I hope the Saintess doesn’t burden herself too much. If possible, please consider a way to enlist the help of the Mercenary King as a collaborator.”

Fleon’s cautious words of apology made me take a deep breath and straighten my shoulders.

“Alright, I understand. I’ll consider that too.”

It would be good to get closer to Jeffrey when we meet again.

The fortunate thing was that Jeffrey had done me favors like sharing potatoes and lifting the bounty on me.

Seeing that I agreed, Father Fleon also smiled at me.

Then, Baron Archbishop lightly applauded.

“I agree with the Saintess’s suggestion to take our time and explore the situation. We still have plenty of time. It would be best to conclude the discussion here for now, considering the possibility of making mistakes if we move too hastily, wouldn’t it?”

Baron Archbishop proposed to the priests.

Everyone agreed with his opinion.

Before leaving, the priests approached me.

I was curious about what they were going to do, and the first to approach me, Lionel, kneeled in front of me.

As I looked at him, wondering if he was trying to meet me at eye level, he extended his hands toward me. It seemed as if he wanted me to place my hands on his.

Feeling flustered, I placed my hands on his, and in that moment, Lionel pressed his forehead against the back of my hand.

“May the grace of the Goddess be upon you.”

He whispered those few words and then stood up.

I realized that his actions were reminiscent of the reverence shown toward past saints.

I had witnessed people behaving like this toward Fleon when he was once a saint. Now that I had become a saint, it wasn’t strange for them to do the same to me.

It felt slightly burdensome and awkward, but I didn’t dislike their actions, knowing that they were filled with respect and admiration for me.

As I wondered if it was finally over, other priests approached me.

Like Lionel, they all performed the same reverence and then cautiously left the meeting room.

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Translator Note:

This chapter was translated by Bree.

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