394 - Cody's Perspective: Quebia's Divine Domain 2
It was a vast divine domain, but with the guidance of the monk soldiers, I was able to reach the Herkeles Temple, my destination, without getting lost. The War God Herkeles Temple had the temple of Itsurateru, the goddess of justice, within its grounds. Building temples within the same grounds was a characteristic often seen with married god couples or close brother-sister god pairs. As a temple building, the elder brother god Herkeles Temple was larger, but in the churches built in the cities outside the divine domain, Itsurateru's churches were often larger. In terms of praying for the War God's blessing, it was the same in any country, but the goddess Itsurateru was the goddess who remained on earth until the very end, watching over humanity, at the conclusion of the myth when the gods left the earth. For that reason, she was also the goddess who gathered the most faith from humans among all the gods. That was why the power relationship between the brother and sister gods reversed depending on whether one was inside or outside the divine domain. Inside the divine domain, Herkeles was elevated as the elder brother god and younger sister god, while outside the divine domain, the simply more popular Itsurateru was treated more prominently. It was nothing more than that.
...As expected of a divine domain, the Herkeles Temple was also serious about this.
Each and every one of the myths surrounding Herkeles was vividly depicted as murals. As if the murals alone were insufficient to worship Herkeles, statues of Herkeles gleaming with physical beauty were displayed throughout the corridors, and in the innermost chamber stood a statue of Herkeles in battle garb. The enormous statue carved from stone was not colored like the murals, and only the golden bit adorning its forehead shone. The bit said to have been gifted by Itsurateru should have originally been worn by Herkeles's beloved horse, but there was a myth in which Herkeles transformed into a horse and carried Itsurateru on his back to enjoy hunting. Even if it was horse tack, it might not be that strange for him to wear a gift from his younger sister goddess himself. Like the man hailed as the incarnation of the War God in the Ivizia Kingdom, the mythical Herkeles also doted on his younger sister goddess.
"...What business do you have with me. Calling out a shrine maiden by name, surely you have not mistaken me for the Wemishuvara Temple."
After being guided to a small room by a monk soldier and waiting for a while, the shrine maiden who entered through a different door from the one I had come through narrowed her eyes the moment she saw me. She wore simple shrine maiden clothing, but each of her gestures revealed her original status. Considering the woman's original status, this was probably the natural reaction toward a traveling merchant.
...So this is Claudine-sama, Alfred-sama's younger sister.
Her face was indeed similar to Alfred's. Her golden hair and blue eyes were the same. Though she wore simple garments, she had a refinement that seemed to shine from within. As I found myself absentmindedly captivated by her face, Claudine furrowed her willow-like brows.
"You, first state your name. You called out a shrine maiden who should have abandoned her name, by name. If it is a trivial matter, I will strip your skin and turn you into soap."
...She's beautiful, but the inside is scary. The only thing similar to Alfred-sama is her face... no, Alfred-sama was also quite a frightening person, come to think of it.
It was strange how, by making an easy-to-understand angry face, Claudine actually seemed kinder in comparison. Alfred, whether angry or amused, always smiled and was difficult to read.
"Um... I, not I. I am a traveling merchant named Cody. I came carrying a letter from Leonardo-sama of the Ivizia Kingdom..."
"...Eh."
The moment I said the name Leonardo, the displeased aura surrounding Claudine dissipated like mist. Her face, which had shown anger yet remained almost expressionless, now shifted into a soft smile like that of a maiden in love. Her cheeks slightly flushed, blinking two or three times, Claudine wore a lovely smile like a princess from a story.
"Oh my. Oh my, my. A letter for me, from Leonardo-sama...?"
"Yes. I am carrying a letter from Leonardo-sama to Claudine-sama."
"My, my my my...! If that was the case, you should have said so from the start. What a teasing person you are."
Hehehe, Claudine wore a lovely smile, but the change from just moments ago was too drastic and honestly scary. "Do not be fooled by a woman's smile" was a saying from my grandfather, and this was probably exactly the kind of change he had meant. The phrase "turn one's hand over" fit perfectly.
"So then, this is the letter from Leonardo-sama and..."
"Ah, please. Wait a moment, won't you. My hair is a little disheveled... oh my, and there is a crease here."
Saying that she could not receive a letter from Leonardo with wrinkles in her clothes, Claudine smoothed the creases in her garment with the pads of her fingers. I wanted to finish my business quickly and escape from Claudine, whom I somehow found intimidating, but I found myself frozen in the posture of reaching for my bag to take out the letter. She was no longer a princess now, so I had no need to heed Claudine's restraint. That should have been the case, but whether it was Claudine's inborn royal refinement or my merchant instincts, when told to "wait," my body unconsciously stopped.
"I cannot be so rude as to receive a letter from Leonardo-sama in such an unsightly state."
Saying she would be waiting for a while, Claudine exited through the door she had entered. She had left the room saying she would tidy her appearance in order to face Leonardo's letter. It was an hour later that Claudine returned.
...Girls are troublesome.
Though I thought I should not think such things if she were a business customer. When Claudine returned, the wrinkles in her clothes had been straightened and her hair was neatly combed, but from my perspective there was hardly any difference from an hour ago. I felt a faint pleasant scent, so maybe she had taken a bath and applied fragrant oil. If one considered that a former princess had tidied her appearance, being made to wait an hour could be considered quite short. Still, as a time for a shrine maiden serving at a temple to keep a visitor waiting, it did seem too long.
"Thank you for waiting. Now then, Cody-sama, the letter from Leonardo-sama, if you please."
"Yes. Here it is."
It seemed that even toward a commoner, Claudine would add the honorific "-sama" if the matter involved Leonardo. I thought she was a strange princess, but I decided not to think too deeply about it. The royalty of the Ivizia Kingdom had completely different natures from the royalty of the Saenard Kingdom. It was famous in the Saenard Kingdom that while they were considerate toward commoners, their personalities were extremely eccentric. Perhaps having royalty use honorifics for commoners was not particularly unusual in the Ivizia Kingdom.
Receiving Leonardo's letter with reverent gestures, Claudine first gazed at her own name written as the addressee, then turned the envelope over and found the sender's name written as "Leonardo." She traced Leonardo's name with her finger in the exact manner of a maiden in love, and for just an instant, furrowed her brow at the wax seal's crest.
...What was that.
Before I could tilt my head wondering if something was wrong, Claudine's hand lifted toward me. I vaguely understood what was being asked, so I placed a paper knife into her hand.
With careful movements, she opened the seal and ran her eyes over the white letter paper. I knew the letter's contents because I had been briefed beforehand. It should have been written in Leonardo's handwriting, requesting an investigation into the crest of the west-facing Adorutoru and the fallen kingdom that had borne that crest. I even knew that although the letter was written by Leonardo, the wording had been largely composed by Alfred.
"...I understand everything. If it is a request from Leonardo-sama, I will devote my full effort to meet those expectations."
Saying she would investigate by tomorrow and telling me to visit in the morning, she began to shoo me out of the room, so I hurriedly pressed further. I told her that I was scheduled to stay in Quebia for several days, so she did not need to push herself to investigate in a single night.
"Since this is information needed to find Leonardo-sama's younger sister, he said he wants accurate information without rushing."
"Leonardo-sama's young lady sister... I understand."
Then, using all the time during my stay, she would investigate as much as she could, Claudine accepted with a smile. I asked if there was anything I could help with, but apparently outsiders could not enter the divine domain's archives. I felt like Remihio might be flexible about it if I consulted him, but I backed off, feeling bad about imposing that much. It would be better for me to do what I could.
There was no need to think again about what I could do. I was a traveling merchant, and after this I was scheduled to pass through the Zugarri Empire and head to the Ivizia Kingdom. That being the case, to travel through the Zugarri Empire naturally without arousing suspicion, for now I just needed to procure goods that could be sold within the Empire, as a merchant would.
Leaving the divine domain and moving to Restone, the capital of Quebia, I sold bobbin lace guidebooks and procured non-perishable foodstuffs. By the time I returned to the divine domain, several days had passed, and when I was told that Remihio was calling for me, I was guided not to the Menhishumi Temple but to the Menhishumi Church. The temple apparently wanted to maintain its dignified atmosphere as a temple, so it seemed they kept the buildings separate from the Menhishumi Church, which functioned as a printing workshop.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Cody-san. Please take this to the Zugarri Empire as one of your wares."
"This is, um... a portrait of Remihio-sama, is it not."
"As merchandise," said Remihio, offering a portrait of himself. It was simply a printed matter if one called it that, but what was depicted was the current acting king. It was a valuable item that allowed ordinary people who were not permitted to enter the divine domain, or people who lacked the physical strength or travel funds to journey to the divine domain, to see the acting king's likeness.
"I had myself depicted wearing Aurelian lace and printed it. This is the first time I have printed my portrait for distribution, so it should serve as good advertisement for Aurelian lace."
In the northern part of the Zugarri Empire, which shared a border with Quebia, many devout people lived. If I brought the acting king's portrait there as merchandise, the portraits should sell like wildfire. As a result, even without awareness that this was bobbin lace, the existence of the exquisite lace worn by Remihio in the portrait would become known within the Empire. After that, I just needed to simultaneously advertise that the identity of that exquisite lace was bobbin lace, and spread the word that guidebooks were being produced in the Ivizia Kingdom. Selling the guidebooks in the Zugarri Empire would come after that.
"Remihio-sama, you are surprisingly action-oriented, are you not."
"When it comes to a crisis for Saint Tina, who is deeply beloved by the Divine King, Quebia will not hold back its cooperation."
The images themselves were the same, but two types of portraits were prepared. They differed between those printed only in black ink and those with colors applied to key points. The monochrome portraits were priced lower than cost, affordable for anyone, while conversely the colored portraits were priced above cost. The loss incurred from the monochrome portraits was to be compensated by selling the colored portraits. The acting king's portraits were not meant to generate profit, but to serve as a pillar of support for people's hearts. So that even those from poor households could buy them, the insufficient printing costs should be covered by those with the financial means to purchase the expensive colored portraits.
Figuring that the investigations at the Herkeles Temple should be finished around now, I also stopped by the Herkeles Temple. Claudine seemed to have compiled the research in meticulous detail, and she handed me a thick bundle of reports.
"Cody-sama will be returning to Leonardo-sama's side via the Zugarri Empire after this, correct. In that case, please stop by the three territories of Augun, Slaurum, and Leberan, sneak into their castles a little, and be of service to Leonardo-sama."
"I am nothing but a humble merchant... not I. It is impossible for me to sneak into a castle."
"Oh my, it is simple. Castles are all similar, you see. Just look for escape routes from the castle, like the location of an old dried-up well, or deep in the forest behind the castle."
See, simple, right. Claudine smiled cutely, but no matter how I looked at it, it was not a simple task. Perhaps someone who had been trained in espionage from the start could do it, but I was just a merchant who utilized my traveling to gather a little information, having undergone no such training. I could not sneak into a castle, and even if I did, I would not even be able to figure out where to go and what to investigate. I would be found by castle soldiers while I was still bewildered, and captured at best.
"My, what a timid fellow. In my family line, even my eight-year-old younger sister sneaked into a Staff Peerage residence and stole their secret ledgers, you know."
When I pointed out that she was probably let off as a child's prank, it apparently actually happened that the ledgers taken by the eight-year-old princess led to a Staff Peerage house being reduced to Flower Peerage. The princess herself might have been in a mischievous mood, but the Staff Peer who chased after her to retrieve the ledgers seemed to have been serious. As a result of that overly serious pursuit, the secret ledger theft incident, which should have ended as a princess's prank, became a public affair.
"I understand. I will not ask a merchant to play spy. Well, I want to say that if it were for Leonardo-sama, even a merchant should try playing spy. Rather, I myself want to play spy for Leonardo-sama, but I understand that it would be too cruel to ask that of Cody-sama."
Then at least, she said, even if I could not sneak into the castles, I should investigate their surroundings, adding several more territory names. According to Claudine's explanation, Augun was a land ruled by a family that had escaped execution due to being distant relatives of the fallen kingdom's royalty, and Slaurum was apparently a branch family of that line. Leberan was a territory not in the north of the Empire but on the southern side close to the Ivizia Kingdom, and it apparently had records of a princess marrying in from the fallen kingdom. In any case, it was not that the named territories were suspicious, but rather that the materials were scarce and she wanted me to supplement what she had been unable to investigate satisfactorily. If I reported to Alfred the reports she had compiled and what I actually saw and heard on site, Alfred would then sift through the information, she said.
"It is frustrating, but my elder brother is more capable of serving Leonardo-sama than I am. Since he is useful, I should just make him work like a cart horse for Leonardo-sama's sake to the very end."
To make up for not being at Leonardo's side herself, she would have her elder brother work like a draft horse, Claudine said with a beautiful smile. That they were similar brother and sister, I thought briefly, glancing at Claudine's smile tinged with a mix of jealousy and envy... but that is a secret.
It has been a while since the Eighth Princess last appeared. Claudine-sama is the type who, if a DVD of her favorite came out, would buy copies for viewing, preservation, and proselytization, and when viewing, would take a bath, wash herself from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, put on new underwear, wear formal attire, sit formally in seiza, and hold a solo viewing party.
Will fix typos and errors at a later date.