“A disaster, you say?”
“I can’t provide details. It’s just a small conjecture on my part…”
The high priest fell into deep thought. He then called a priest who was like his right hand.
“First, may I confirm Princess Dorothea’s condition before making a decision?”
“Of course.”
“Let’s have some tea for now.”
After the priest, who acted as the High Priest’s aide, left for the palace, we slowly drank warm tea while waiting for news.
“Why, of all things, are you asking to borrow a relic? The divine power I just sensed…”
The High Priest hesitated before shaking his head and said,
“Dorothea is in trouble. The person with the strongest divine power in the empire now is not Princess Dorothea, but you.”
“Me?”
I opened my eyes wide in surprise at the unexpected statement. The High Priest nodded.
“Not long ago, it was your divine power that enveloped the capital.”
I hesitated, unsure whether to make excuses or deny it.
“I received a letter saying that Princess Dorothea made a small mistake, but now that you are here, Ariadeline, I can see it clearly.”
I lowered my head.
“I apologize for deceiving you.”
“No, it’s better to keep such things hidden. It can cause confusion.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
“However, there is something I’m curious about.”
“What is it?”
The High Priest stroked his chin and asked.
“Is your divine power related to the disappearance of divine power in Anrize?”
Ah, this old man is quicker on the uptake than I expected. I maintained a serious expression to avoid raising suspicion.
“I don’t think there’s absolutely no connection, but I’m not exactly sure.”
“I see.”
Fortunately, it seemed the High Priest accepted my answer.
After all, it would be harder to believe that I found a relic that no one else could locate until now.
As time passed, the priest who had gone to check on Dorothea’s condition returned to the palace.
As soon as the priest entered the high priest’s room, he approached and whispered something in his ear.
It was probably about Dorothea. Upon hearing this, the High Priest let out a sigh with a hardened expression.
“How could that child…?”
His face darkened. It was understandable. Dorothea had grown up in the temple, pure and innocent like no other.
Yet she had collapsed under powerful black magic. She had lived boldly without earning anyone’s resentment.
“…Please help me. I will make sure to awaken Princess Dorothea.”
I looked at the High Priest with a determined expression. He still wore a troubled look.
This was to be expected, as relics are not something one can lend to just anyone. The very idea of lending one is unreasonable.
It’s like asking to borrow an item displayed in a museum for personal use.
“Unfortunately, lending a relic is almost impossible.”
“Ah, I thought so.”
At my sorrowful voice, the High Priest added,
“Officially, that is.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“If I were to lend you the holy relic unofficially, I wonder what you plan to do with it.”
“I…”
I looked at him calmly and said in a firm voice,
“I intend to heal Princess Dorothea and prevent the disaster that is about to occur in the palace.”
“A disaster in the palace?”
“If you promise to believe everything I’m saying, I will explain.”
“…So, it’s something unbelievable.”
“That’s correct.”
The High Priest seemed to be deep in thought. It was understandable.
It’s not like I’m asking to borrow a horse; I’m asking to borrow a relic.
“In that case, it might be better not to listen at all.”
Yet, even as he said this, he soon stood up.
“If it weren’t related to Dorothea, I would never have agreed.”
I also stood up and nodded.
“I understand well.”
That’s it!
If he’s saying that, he’s already on board.
“Follow me.”
I followed him out of the room. The High Priest issued a stern warning for no one to follow and began to lead me through the white corridor.
“How much do you know about relics?”
“I only know that they are objects filled with divine power. They are also very difficult to find.”
“So, you only know what everyone else knows.”
I nodded. The high priest soon reached a staircase. The curved white stairs extended endlessly toward the ceiling.
He stepped onto the stairs, and I followed behind him. As we ascended, the High Priest spoke.
“There are many theories about relics, but there is only one that is widely accepted.”
“What is it?”
“A fragment of the divine power emitted by God.”
“God’s divine power?”
I blinked in surprise.
“That’s why saints or someone like me, a High Priest, are called direct representatives of God.”
“I see.”
“That’s why our voice carries more weight than one might think. However, we refrain from speaking out too much to avoid getting entangled in worldly issues.”
The high priest smiled somewhat sadly.
“That’s why it’s unusual for Dorothea to have fallen in love with the Crown Prince and gone to the palace.”
“Ah…”
“She may have given up her title as a saint, but she is still a saint. Her soul must have been shaped directly by God.”
As I listened to this, I began to feel my calf muscles tightening. Ah, we’re in the middle of a serious conversation. Sigh.
“So, I find you quite fascinating.”
“Me?”
“Those who are chosen by God are predetermined from birth.”
I tilted my head at this unfamiliar statement. Well, if that’s the case, it would make sense for me to feel like an oddity that suddenly emerged.
But I can’t explain this by saying it’s because I swallowed a relic.
“However, since you suddenly appeared, I believe that is also God’s will.”
“God’s will…”
Would God deliberately bestow something upon me if He were in His right mind?
With that, we reached the top of the stairs. The walls, floors, and ceiling were made of pure white marble, and in front of us stood a large door.
The plain white door had no decorations, handles, or gaps, making it impossible to tell how to open it.
But when the High Priest approached the door and placed his hand on it, it opened easily, as if it were a light wooden door. I widened my eyes in surprise.
“What just happened?”
“This place can only be entered by those granted permission by God. So originally, only Dorothea and I could enter…”
He gestured to the door with one arm while looking at me.
“Would you like to come in?”
“Ah, is it really okay for me to enter?”
“If God has permitted it, then you should be able to.”
Hearing that made me a bit nervous. I slowly approached the room. Peeking inside, it looked like a museum with something on display.
“Then, I’ll go in.”
I lightly grasped the hem of my dress and cautiously stepped inside.
Thud.
And without any issues, my foot stepped into the room. I wiggled my feet side to side for a moment before suddenly jumping inside.
“Ah, nothing is happening!”
God might not be in His right mind after all?
“Ho ho.”
The high priest just smiled kindly. So, I can really be here? God has permitted it?
“So, is it because God has allowed me to enter here?”
“That’s right. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to.”
“What does it mean that I wouldn’t be able to enter?”
The High Priest paused for a moment, then explained to me.
“When those who are not permitted try to enter, they end up going back out instead.”
What does that mean?
As I stood there, confused and unable to understand, the High Priest explained directly from the doorway.
“This is how it works.”
He stepped inside.
“You can enter, but those who are not permitted…”
He turned around and stepped back outside.
“The moment they set foot inside, they naturally end up going back outside.”
“Ah.”
I nodded, starting to understand. So, it feels like the dimensions are a bit twisted, similar to modern times.
“Now, come inside.”
The High Priest began to guide me. I followed him, looking at the objects that stretched out on either side.
On the white marble pedestal, the objects wrapped in transparent glass had various shapes; some were small, bizarrely shaped statues, while others were palm-sized gears.
Some resembled decorative items, and others were large, spherical stones.
‘The name “God’s Stone” doesn’t seem to fit these objects.’
As I quietly observed them, I noticed the High Priest gesturing, so I approached him.
“This is what I can lend you.”
I looked inside. There lay a pearl. The pearl, no bigger than a thumbnail, sparkled without a single blemish, captivating me with its light.
“Is it really okay to lend me something like this?”
“Isn’t this appropriate? There’s no worry of being caught.”
“Of course, if you attach it to a pendant or something, it shouldn’t be a problem…”
The High Priest carefully touched the glass lid. Soon, his hand passed through the transparent glass and touched the pearl.
I watched the scene with a surprised expression. It really passed through.
“Here it is.”
The High Priest quickly retrieved the pearl and offered it to me. I accepted it with trembling hands.
“Is this… a divine pearl or something?”
“Ho ho, you’re quick to catch on.”
“Indeed, it’s hard to explain its appearance as anything other than a pearl.”
The name “God’s Stone” was so arbitrary, yet here they had named it so intuitively.
I firmly placed the pearl in my pocket. If I lost this, it would literally be game over.
“This pearl…”
I took a deep breath and met his gaze.
“I will return it after the princess’s birthday celebration.”
In my words, the High Priest’s expression changed slightly. He probably understood.
It was the same as saying something would happen in the palace on the princess’s birthday.
I bowed to the High Priest and left the temple, gripping the pearl tightly in my pocket.
‘I hope this will be of some help.’
I gathered the divine power emanating from the relic and returned to the mansion. There was much to prepare.
