Grand Duke's Beloved Granddaughter

The priests followed the order and left the meeting room, leaving only Fleon, Lionel, Archbishop, and me inside.

“Saintess.”

“Yes?”

I turned to Archbishop as he called me. He looked at me with a smiling face and spoke.

“Saintess, I can feel your divine power now. It’s very abundant. You might already know how to use it, but if it’s not impolite, may we teach you how to utilize your divine power?”

I widened my eyes at Archbishop’s words.

After all, the reason I first came to the temple was because of the divine power.

I wanted the power to heal using divine power.

It was a desire to heal my mother, but there were many other uses for the healing power of divine power than I had thought.

I blinked at Archbishop while it felt like a dream.

“Yes. Actually, there’s something else I’d like to ask for. It may seem presumptuous, but can I make a request?”

“Of course. If it helps you use your divine power, we will do our best.”

Archbishop finished speaking and smiled kindly.

“Please come and meet with Lionel every week to learn. Currently, Lionel is the most skilled in handling divine power in our temple. If you learn from him, you will quickly become proficient in using your abilities.”

While I was still surprised, Archbishop spoke to Lionel.

“Lionel, you shall teach the Saintess how to use divine power.”

“Yes, it would be my honor.”

Lionel willingly bowed his head in response to Archbishop’s command.

I looked at his figure and hesitated before opening my mouth.

“Then… if it’s okay with you, Lionel, can we start from today?”

“From today?”

“Yes. If it’s okay with you. There doesn’t seem to be a need to postpone it.”

When I replied with a sparkle in my eyes, Lionel smiled gently.

“Yes, then so be it. It wouldn’t be suitable to do it here in the meeting room, so it’s better to move to another place.”

Lionel extended his hand to me, indicating that we should go together. I took Lionel’s hand.

As I held his hand, Lionel began to lead me somewhere.

When we left the meeting room holding Lionel’s hand, Kalina and Anita, who were waiting for me outside, looked at me with surprise.

“Are you okay?”

Anita asked me. There wasn’t anything that could happen in the Duana Goddess Temple’s meeting room, but I appreciated Anita’s concern, so I let out a bashful smile.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Were you bored waiting for me?”

“No, we’re okay.”

Kalina replied instead of Anita. Judging from Anita’s slightly bored gesture of scratching her cheek, it seemed like she had been a little bored.

I couldn’t hide my smile as I looked at the young Anita, who couldn’t hide her expression.

“But there’s still work to be done. Anita, Kalina, please bear with it a little longer, even if it’s boring.”

“Yes, little miss.”

“Don’t worry about us.”

After hearing their responses, I immediately moved with Lionel.

[If I can control divine power to some extent, I too will become more liberated. I’m looking forward to that.]

“What? Become more liberated?”

I expressed my confusion at Vibru’s casual remark.

If I can use divine power, does that mean I can even break Vibru’s seal as the guardian dragon?

“Like unlocking the seal of the evil dragon Cripso?”

“No, that’s not it. It seems there’s a misunderstanding. When I say I become liberated, it doesn’t mean the seal is broken. It means I can come out of this small pendant and move freely.”

Vibru’s words made me tilt my head.

To me, both interpretations felt the same.

“Coming out and the seal being broken are different?”

“Yes. Strictly speaking, the me inside this pendant is just a spiritual entity. My true body sleeps deep in the essence of the world, not here. So, I cannot be unsealed until you find my true body.”

I finally understood Vibru’s elaborating words.

In other words, it meant that Vibru’s body was not sealed within this pendant.

“If Mirabel becomes proficient in using divine power, you will be able to materialize the spiritual entity within the pendant. Then, there will be no need to converse through the pendant.”

I nodded in response. Whether Vibru within the pendant could witness my nod or not was unknown.

“It would be great if I could indeed materialize with the use of divine power. This pendant seems a bit… childish for me to wear after becoming an adult.”

I raised the pendant in my hand. It was a cute pendant in the shape of a heart with wings on both sides, but it was definitely a design suited for a child.

“But Fleon used to wear the pendant to communicate with you, Vibru, right? Like me?”

Suddenly, I thought of Saint Fleon, who took the form of an old man. He seemed like a grandfather to me, even older than the current Fleon in the temple.

It was hard to imagine him wearing a heart-shaped pendant with wings.

“Since it’s a pendant, it should naturally be worn around the neck, don’t you think? Until I can materialize, there’s no other choice.”

Vibru asked me as if it were strange.

The moment I heard that question, I realized that Fleon had been wearing this pendant necklace all along during his time as a saint.

“Saint wearing such a cute necklace… It doesn’t suit him at all.”

I couldn’t imagine it, and in order to avoid unnecessary imagination, I lightly shook my head. I didn’t want to think about it strangely.

“Why are you acting like that?”

Seeing my strange behavior, Lionel widened his eyes and asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing…”

I shook my head as if it were nothing in response to Lionel’s question.

Lionel led me to the training grounds while holding his hand.

I could see many holy knights and priests training together.

Lionel guided me to a closed area, passing through the training grounds. It was also a training ground, but unlike the open area from before, there was no one there.

“Mirabel will conduct her training here from now on.”

“Here? So, if I come here from now on?”

“Yes. It seems more peaceful here, so it will be easier for you to use divine power.”

I slowly looked around the interior of the training ground while listening to his explanation.

It was a dome-shaped training ground surrounded by an unknown energy.

Stained glass connected the inside and outside, and a statue of the goddess Duana was carved in the center of the training ground, hanging in the air.

“Now, let’s begin. Can you extend your hands forward?”

As Lionel instructed, I stretched out both hands.

“Remember the feeling that touches your fingertips.”

After Lionel finished speaking, he began to infuse energy into my hands. Warm and white divine power emanated from my fingertips.

It was a sensation I had felt before.

When I healed Geoffrey’s wounds, this warm light had radiated from my hands.

“Warm divine power also exists within Mirabel’s body. Once you familiarize yourself with this feeling, you should feel that energy circulating in your body. Finding it from the beginning might not be easy, so take your time and try to feel it.”

I tried my best to search for that energy within my body, but I couldn’t sense it easily. It felt too elusive for me to perceive the divine power within my body, both immediately after returning to the present and now.

However, considering the healing I had done for Geoffrey, it didn’t seem like it would be so difficult to manifest that energy…

“It won’t be difficult. You are a specially chosen being to me, so you will soon be able to discover that feeling.”

While feeling a bit disappointed, Vibru encouraged me.

“Stay strong, little miss!”

“Stay strong!”

Kalina and Anita also cheered me on.

I felt a little embarrassed for no reason. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. It was more of a ticklish feeling in my chest.

I gathered my determination once again and closed my eyes.

Then, I focused my mind in order to find the warm and fuzzy energy circulating within my body.

At first, I didn’t feel anything. It wouldn’t be easy to detect the unfamiliar energy within my body.

It was to be expected.

Then, how could I find the divine power?

“Mirabel, your very existence is chosen by me, the guardian dragon Vibru. Don’t try to find something else within your energy.”

Vibru gave me a small hint, sensing my confusion and hesitation.

I pondered over Vibru’s words for a long time, repeatedly.

“Don’t try to find something else within my energy?”

It was the opposite of what Lionel instructed me to do, which was to find the sensation of divine power within me.

So, what was the correct answer then?

Just as I was feeling puzzled, suddenly the meaning of Vibru’s words struck me in an instant.

My own body itself was emitting a warm and gentle energy. It was only natural that I couldn’t find something else within it when I was trying to search for it.

“I found it.”

I opened my eyes and spoke to Lionel.

To be precise, it would be more accurate to say that I realized it, but nevertheless, it seemed most appropriate to convey it to Lionel using those words.

“Really?”

Looking puzzled, Lionel glanced at me, and I nodded.

“Take a look at this.”

Using both of my hands, I focused my heart. I felt a slight warmth emanating from my fingertips.

“Oh my.”

Then, on my hands which I checked again, there was an even brighter and larger light gathering than the one Lionel showed me.

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Translator Note:

This chapter was translated by Bree.

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