NOVEL NEXT Chapter 16: Saintess (3)
Ray’s face was a picture of astonishment as he ate.
The meat bore no gamey odor, and each bite of the vegetables was sweet.
And the variety of food?
Over twenty different dishes were artfully arranged on the table, so much so that it was challenging to reach them with a fork.
He didn’t exclaim aloud, but inwardly he was continuously marveling.
While Ray was inwardly exclaiming over the various dishes he tasted, the Viscount was observing Ray’s complexion.
Viscount Gaid felt relief upon seeing Ray’s happy expression.
“Fortunately, it seems to suit his taste.”
The Viscount had been concerned about what might happen if the food didn’t agree with Ray, but now he felt relieved.
After satiating his hunger, Ray wiped his mouth with a napkin and said,
“It was truly delicious.”
“I’m glad you’re satisfied.”
“Wow, I can’t recall the last time I had such delicious food. Hahaha.”
The fifteen-year-old patted his stomach as he spoke.
But the Viscount didn’t pay much attention to that.
He felt rather honored.
“Thank you for your kind words. But…”
Viscount Gaid paused for a moment and looked at Ray.
Ray also looked back at Viscount Gaid, and the Viscount spoke up.
“I have something I’d like to ask, if you don’t mind…”
“It’s okay. I got to eat such delicious food… Go ahead and ask. I’ll tell you what I know.”
“Um…”
Viscount Gaid hardened his expression.
The question he was about to ask was a sensitive one, so it was difficult to ask casually.
He cautiously addressed Ray.
“Why aren’t you in the Holy Kingdom…?”
“The Holy Kingdom? Why all of a sudden?”
Ray was also taken aback by Viscount Gaid’s question.
The sensitive topic of the Holy Kingdom in front of a saint was something that she hadn’t even dreamed of.
But Viscount Gaid was quietly waiting for Ray’s answer.
Ray was also surprised by this question.
‘Is he asking why the saint is not in the Holy Kingdom but in this place? In the first place, I’m not a saint.’
Naturally, he didn’t consider himself a saint, but to the people of this world, he was merely an unusually gifted healer.
‘The Holy Kingdom? My home is the most comfortable place.’
For a moment, the words almost escaped his lips, but after swallowing his food, Ray found an alternative phrase.
“The Holy Kingdom isn’t even aware of my existence, is it?”
However, at his words, Viscount Gaid responded as if he was confused.
“The Holy Kingdom has already arrived in the kingdom, intending to take the saint with them…”
“What?”
“Huh?”
Both Ray and the Viscount were taken aback.
Ray was startled by the news that the Holy Kingdom was coming to find him, and Viscount Gaid was surprised that Ray, the saint, was oblivious.
Ray asked again for confirmation,
“The Holy Kingdom is coming to find me? Why?”
“Even if you ask me…”
“Then what should I do!”
“You should go to the Holy Kingdom…?”
At the Viscount’s suggestion, Ray’s mind went blank.
One thought echoed in his head.
‘I have to go to the Holy Kingdom.’
‘I have to go to the Holy Kingdom.’
What was this sudden disruption, like a drum beating during a meal?
The food that had been going down smoothly now felt lodged in his throat.
Numerous thoughts raced through Ray’s mind simultaneously.
‘If the Holy Kingdom is searching for me, it’s only a matter of time before they find me. They’re religious fanatics, so there’s no guarantee they won’t find me even if I hide well.’
But not hiding would mean getting caught even sooner.
‘But how will the Holy Kingdom find me? How do they know about me?’
Why would the Holy Kingdom seek him, who wasn’t a saint to begin with?
When Ray’s thoughts reached this point, he became genuinely curious.
It was a question he could ask because he didn’t know that saints or saintesses were chosen through divine revelation.
Since he couldn’t find an answer no matter how much he pondered, he decided to ask Viscount Gaid.
Viscount Gaid, who had been observing Ray’s reactions closely, spoke immediately when Ray’s mouth twitched.
“Ask me anything.”
“Um, how does the Holy Kingdom identify saints? How do they know where they are?”
It was a strange question for a saint to pose.
However, Viscount Gaid didn’t mind and responded.
“The Holy Kingdom is a nation blessed by God. So, whenever a saint or saintess emerges, God discloses it to us.”
“Revelation? So, you’re implying that God communicates with humans?”
Viscount Gaid was speechless when the saint posed this question to him.
Even he, a saint, had never conversed with God.
He could only share what he knew.
“Perhaps the revelation isn’t necessarily a dialogue with God. It could be signs appearing or having dreams…”
Upon hearing this, Ray felt a chill run down his spine.
Isn’t this akin to modern GPS!
If he fled somewhere, surely the revelation from God would disclose his location to them.
He couldn’t escape or hide.
The only thing he could do was quietly get captured and devote his life to the Holy Kingdom.
A regular person might not reject a life of glory as a saint, but Ray thought differently.
‘I’ve toiled my whole life, and now they’re telling me to labor for the Holy Kingdom like a slave! What nonsense!’
He desired to live as he wished.
Play when he wanted to play, heal the sick when he encountered them.
He wanted to reside in a village he liked, free from the power struggle.
But now that the Holy Kingdom was coming to find him, and even God was attempting to sabotage his future plans, he could no longer see any hope of living that way.
It was a moment when he started to harbor negative feelings about God, whom he had never met.
Lawson, who had led Ray to the Viscount’s house, was also deep in thought as he exited the information guild.
‘That child must be the saint… I don’t know how he resurrected a dead person…’
He had been an information merchant for over ten years.
During that long period of dealing with information, he had never seen a proud noble kneel before an ordinary child.
Furthermore, the timing of the Holy Kingdom’s search for the saint aligned too perfectly.
These two points alone were enough for him to assert that he was a saint.
But since the guild leader dismissed his claim, he had no choice but to sell the information independently.
Navigating through the alley teeming with black market merchants, he ventured deeper and entered an old shop without hesitation.
As he pushed open the creaky old wooden door, a middle-aged man with a pleasant appearance sat inside.
Lawson took a seat across from the middle-aged man and cut straight to the chase.
“Hoo… I have valuable information. Are you interested in buying?”
The middle-aged man laughed heartily at his proposition.
“Seems quite urgent, doesn’t it? Since you’ve come all the way here.”
“We might not offer high prices, but we deal with all kinds of information.”
“Hmm… Let’s hear it then. What’s the information about?”
As the middle-aged man stroked his beard, Lawson hardened his expression and spoke.
“The Saint.”
“The Saint?”
When he asked with curiosity, Lawson tried to negotiate again.
“In my opinion, it’s quite a lucrative piece of information. I was turned away by the guild master, but still.”
As if encouraging him to continue the story, the middle-aged man poured Lawson a drink.
Since the shop also served as a bar, significant stories like these were always accompanied by a drink.
Aware of this, Lawson chuckled.
“Seems quite enticing, doesn’t it?”
“It’s not bad information. The reward the Holy Kingdom has offered is certainly not small, so information about the Saint is definitely top-tier.”
“This is not just top-tier.”
The shop owner, Heid, hardened his expression as he chuckled at his words.
If it was information related to the Saint and it was top-tier, then there could only be one thing.
“Did you find out who the Saint is?”
“Most likely.”
“…….”
Heid paused for a moment before responding.
“But didn’t you mention that the guild master dismissed your information? Can we trust it?”
“I’m certain of its validity. If you doubt it, we don’t need to proceed with the transaction. There are numerous other places I could take it.”
As he said this, he locked eyes with Heid.
Heid, under his intense gaze, smiled and shook his head in a conceding manner.
“Hahaha. It appears you’re not lying. Fine, we’ll purchase your information for our shop.”
“And the cost?”
For an information broker, the importance of the information was crucial, but ultimately, the price of the information was key.
They wouldn’t deal in any confidential information unless it was lucrative.
The information he had brought was indeed lucrative.
Furthermore, the current trending topic about the Saint was already established, so if confirmed, he could earn a substantial sum.
Acquiring information about the Saint’s identity?
If that was the case, he could recover three times his initial investment just by selling the information to the Holy Kingdom.
In addition, his shop would gain an advantage over the massive information guild currently influencing the political landscape.
Of course, this only applied to information about the Saint.
Veteran information broker Lawson was well aware of this.
Having been in the information brokerage business for over a decade, he had honed his ability to identify profitable information.
Despite being thrust into the industry alone, his innate talent had attracted the attention of the guild, enabling him to continue working to this day.
As a result, no one but him could fool him about the value of the information.
Heid took a large sip of his drink before slamming the glass down on the table.
“Ah, excellent. Since you’ve chosen our shop, I should demonstrate some goodwill. How about fifteen platinum coins?”
Seeing Heid’s face twitch slightly, as if he had exceeded his comfort zone, Lawson couldn’t help but grin.
He downed his drink in one go.
“Hahaha. Excellent. I should use this money to build a good house and retire from this business.”
As he spoke, Lawson poured himself another drink.
“Let’s draft the contract then. Do it the usual way.”
“Hahaha. Very well.”
After reviewing the contract, Lawson slowly nodded his head as he read through it meticulously.
Having received five platinum coins as an advance payment, he felt a sense of relief and began to speak.
“I’ve verified it. Now, I’ll share the information.”
“I’ve been waiting. Proceed, tell me.”
With an eagerness akin to a child asking for treats, Heid urged Lawson to continue.
“The saint was a young child. As soon as Viscount Gaid saw the little one, he knelt before him.”
“That Viscount Gaid you’re referring to?”
Just like the guild master, Heid narrowed his eyes and questioned him in a demanding tone.
“Yes. I witnessed it with my own eyes, so there’s no error.”
“Hmm… Continue.”
“The Viscount knelt and addressed him as a saint. But the little one denied being a saint. I didn’t understand at first either, but then Viscount Gaid said this.”
Heid waited for Lawson to proceed.
After taking a sip of his drink as if his throat was parched, Lawson went on.
“If the person who saved his life isn’t a saint, then who is he?”
Lawson paused here, gauging Heid’s reaction.
If Heid responded as he had before, he would be in despair.
Even if he spoke, no one would believe him, and he might even fall ill from frustration.
However, contrary to his concerns, Heid was seriously stroking his beard with his hand, lost in thought.
“Hmm… It’s not an easily believable story, but… The timing of the Holy Kingdom coming to the Kingdom to find the saint is too coincidental.”
“That’s correct!”
Perhaps because someone finally believed his words, Lawson looked as pleased as could be.
“What did the saint look like?”
Whether he was happy or sad, Heid didn’t seem to express much concern.
“He had incredibly white hair and blue eyes. His eyes were so deep that they didn’t seem like a child’s. His clothes resembled old leather patched together…”
“Wait a minute. If his hair is white, then it’s white. What do you mean by incredibly white?”
“Hmm…”
Heid’s question left Lawson momentarily at a loss for words.
“I mean… it’s white, but it’s like a pure white? I didn’t know a person could have such a hair color.”
“There aren’t many people with white hair, but they’re not exactly hard to find, right?”
“No. You’d be able to tell right away. It’s white but not white.”
“… I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“You’ll understand when you see it.”
“If he’s wearing patched-up leather clothes, he must not be well-off.”
“That’s correct. I haven’t seen him in the village, so he must live on the outskirts or outside the village…”
“Hmm… Well, that should be enough for us to find him. We’ve only investigated inside the village so far. We didn’t know.”
“He probably doesn’t live in ‘their’ forest.”
At Lawson’s words, Heid nodded his head.
“If he lived there, he wouldn’t be alive today.”
“Then if we exclude the forest and look around, we should be able to find him soon. I’ve received the advance payment, so I’ll check and… If it’s confirmed, I’ll come back later.”
“Hehehe. It’s been a while since I’ve had such exciting information.”
“It’s not exciting information. It’s information that will make money, so you’re excited.”
Having said this, Lawson rose from his seat and put the pocket with the platinum coins into his inner pocket as he headed for the door.
Heid called out to his back.
“Come drink sometimes!”
“I’ll think about it!”
Creak-
Having been close friends for a long time, they couldn’t meet regularly as Lawson walked the guild’s path, and Heid walked the path of the black market trader.
They walked different yet similar paths, only meeting when there was information to exchange.
Both understood that this was what prolonged their relationship.
Although he was tired of such things, Lawson smiled at his friend’s words as he exited the door.
“I should quit this… It’s time to stop.”