Chapter 115

Chapter 115 – At Sarah’s cape

“What do you think, Letty?”

If there were demons involved, the issue could shake every country on the continent. The problem was by no means small. After Gidman left the room, Wynn asked Leticia, who had said nothing and stood there thinking.

“Yes… I don’t think there is any untruth in the story of Steward Gidman. And I think he’s almost right in his assumption.”

“You mean you think it was demons too?”

“Hm… although I don’t know this Conrad Heisenberg fellow because I’m not familiar with the way of magic, what would be the purpose behind demons, which are much more powerful than humans, joining the so-called “apostates” to obtain that man’s legacy?”

“Conrad… Conrad Heisenberg, a former court mage of the Kingdom of Thane, is one of the three people who was present at the Demon King’s descent. And like me, he was a great mage who managed to stand in front of all the Demon King’s destruction, and escape from it.”

“Hou…”

Leticia was a companion of the other three who embarked on a journey against the demons. In other words, there were the “Sword Saint” Raul Orto Lyon, the “Great Sage” Tiara Scyrus Velfa, and the “Saint” Liara Thane. However, in the final phase of the battle against the Demon King, Raul, Tiara and Liara, after paving the way for the Demon King with all their might, were dedicated to supporting Leticia in the rear. The only person who came face to face with the Demon King was her.

The miasma that the Demon King exuded was something that even the most powerful humans, Raul, Tiara and Liara, could not resist. However, there had been another human who could resist the Demon King’s dense miasma. That person was Conrad Heisenberg. Although he lost his left arm and leg, he was able to withstand the impact of the Demon King’s arrival and the enormous amount of miasma that followed. The barriers he quickly erected prevented it from happening, and he even managed to escape by protecting his master’s daughter and her maid from the Demon King’s grasp.

“I didn’t know there was such a person with such capabilities.” Mito let out a sigh of admiration. “If times had been different, he would have been a person who would have left his mark on history. If it’s a legacy left by such a person, it’s no wonder the demons are interested in acquiring it.”

Leticia nodded at Mito’s words.

“But if the demons attacked the old fortress for Conrad Heisenberg’s legacy, they may not have gotten what they came for.”

“Letty, what do you mean?”

“The ultimate goal of Conrad’s research was to summon the God of Destruction and defeat the Demon King.”

“Yes.”

“And Sarah took that legacy and studied it independently. By summoning the God of Destruction, she wanted to end not only the Demon King, but this world once and for all.”

“We already know that.”

“I hadn’t heard it until now.”

“It’s true that the main part of Conrad Heisenberg’s research was conducted in that fortress, but after Sarah completed her own research, she moved the ritual of summoning the God of Destruction to another location. So, the only legacy left in the fortress were the grimoires and magical tools made in the research process, and I doubt there was much left that was necessary to summon the God of Destruction.”

“The demons were targeting those magic tools from the beginning…”

Leticia shook her head slightly.

“I don’t think so, Onii-chan. It’s hard to imagine that the demons, who originally possessed great power, were actively targeting those grimoires and magic tools, although these were created by Conrad Heisenberg, they are undoubtedly powerful, but only if wielded by humans. I think it’s more natural to think that there are trying to steal the method Sarah had perfected to summon the God of Destruction instead Conrad’s.”

(TN: I’m not very sure about that last part)

“So…”

“Yes. I don’t think the marauders have gotten their hands on the all-important legacy yet.”

“Then those demons could show up again where the legacy is.”

Wynn and Leticia nodded at Mito’s words.

“But where is that research finished?”

“I’ll find out, Onii-chan.” Letty said, and turned her attention to the window of the room. It wasn’t visible because of the high walls surrounding the Imperial Palace, but there must have been a sea in front of Letty’s eyes. “A cape near this city of Lyon. A small shrine built on the tip of the cape. That’s the place where Sarah Ferrule met her end.”

◆◇◆◇◆

As they walked westward along the coast from the royal city of Lyon, they came to a steep cliff carved by the waves. At the tip of the cliff, there was a small shrine that had been built since Lyon was a small fishing village, not even a town. The shrine, which also served as a lighthouse for lighting fires at night, had no priest to look after it, and the only visitors were those in charge of lighting the fires at night and the wives who prayed for the safety of their husbands who had gone out to sea to fish.

However, when Lyon grew from a small fishing village to a commercial city, several splendid churches and a large lighthouse on a reef at the end of a promontory were built in the town. As a result, no one bothered to visit the shrine to offer prayers, and the inhabitants of Lyon almost forgot of its existence.

By the time almost a hundred years had passed since the shrine was little visited. A priestess in her old age built a small house next to it, which received no visitors and was left exposed to the sea wind day and night, decaying unseen. The slight changes to the shrine caused people to remember it for the first time in hundreds of years. The name of the priestess who moved to this place was Sarah Ferrule.

Sarah Ferrule was present at the descent of the Demon King in the Kingdom of Thane, and was saved by a famous wizard named Conrad Heisenberg. She then became a priestess and continued to travel the world to save people in distress. Her achievements and the fame that spread among the people were not ignored by the Great Temple of Emerdia, and Sarah received the title of “Saint”.

Normally, the Saint title was bestowed posthumously on high priests or priests of high rank who had achieved great accomplishments, and was rarely bestowed while living. The only exceptions were the first High Priestess who received the first prophecy from Anastasia, the Goddess of Creation, and the High Priestess of the time who built the Great Temple of Emerdia.

Sarah was the third person in history to receive the title of “Saint” while living. She took up residence next to this small shrine and continued to save many suffering people who came to visit her after hearing rumors. She healed the sick, cured the wounded and prayed to the gods with those who prayed for the safety of their families and loved ones who had gone off to war. This was done every day until the time of Sarah’s sudden death.

After Sarah’s death, the many people who mourned her death decided to build a cathedral to worship her. The site where the cathedral would be built was the cape where Sarah’s final resting place was located. The name of the cathedral built would be Sarah Ferrule Cathedral.

“Hee…the reason this place is so lively is because craftsmen gather here to build the cathedral, right?”

When Wynn said that, the owner of the diner, who had been telling Wynn, Leticia and Mito about the origin of the construction of Sarah Ferrule Cathedral, looked at the customers gathered in the diner and said:

“And not just craftsmen! There are also a lot of people like us who want to make a fortune.”

“Sure there are. If there are craftsmen like us, there are those who make a living making and repairing tools. Of course, there are those in the trade associations who deliver the materials. And those who transport them. There are those who do business with them, those who serve food, those who sell household goods, etc.”

“Yes, yes. Everyone is desperate to take advantage of this booming economy. As they say, birds of feather flock together. Old Dwarf, you came here to make a fortune building this cathedral, didn’t you?”

“Yes, something like that.”

“It is said that dwarves are the best at masonry construction. They are sought after by masters everywhere! I’m sure they’ll pay you very well.”

“Hahaha, I suppose so. Are there many of my kin here?”

“Yes, there are. There are a lot of them! After all, it’s Sarah-sama’s cathedral that’s being built. And the person in charge of it is Liara-sama. Some of the crafters have even moved their entire family here.”

“Wow… that’s amazing.”

“You came here on your own? You’re not working for these two, are you?”

“No, I’m on my own. I was living in the Majil Mountains, digging stones, and that’s where I met them. After spending so much time in the mountains, I thought I’d take the opportunity to come here.”

“I see. So, you’ve left the mountains and are enjoying your second youth.”

“Hahaha, that’s right. Although I might be a hindrance to the youngsters.”

“That’s not true. It’s very comforting to be able to travel with you, Mito-san.”

Wynn denied it, but Mito laughed cheekily as he saw Leticia look at Wynn and make a disapproving face.

“Well, in any case. It’s still a chaotic place that can’t be called a town or city. As you can see, it’s a lively place, so you won’t be bored. There are plenty of ways to make money. Although the only thing I could think of that I could do is cook for the artisans and merchants that gather here.”

“And you weren’t wrong, this is very delicious. I think the soup made with this seafood is excellent.”

When Wynn said that, the dining room owner gave him a happy smile.

“It is my husband’s pride and joy. I’m sure it’s as good as the soup served in the fancy restaurants in Lyon. I’m sure even the cooks at the royal palace can’t compete with the soup he makes.”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“I think so too. It’s very delicious.” Leticia added after eating a large scallop that was in the soup.

Then the owner stopped laughing and rolls her eyes.

“…If a lady who seems to come from a good family says so, then I don’t have the slightest doubt anymore.”

“Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to us.”

“That’s fine. If you’re thinking of repaying me somehow… you’re travelers, right? You could advertise our store on your travels. You young lady seem to be from a good family, so you could tell everyone you know!”

“Yes.”

I bet the owner doesn’t think Letty actually thinks so compared to the food at the royal palace. Wynn chuckled as he watched the owner’s back as she walked away from their seats.

Wynn became Cornelia’s squire, which gave him more opportunities to eat at the royal palace. It is true that the dishes prepared by the top chefs use the finest ingredients and looked and tasted top notch. However, both Wynn and Leticia had grown up eating the cuisine of Randall, the owner of the Wandering Bird’s Nest. Like the soup served at this restaurant, they found the thick soup that results from pouring a large number of ingredients into a pot to serve a large number of customers delicious. Moreover, in the royal palace, it was inevitable that the food would get cold as it was brought from the kitchen. It was rare to eat a hot, freshly made meal.

Leticia slowly scooped the soup onto a spoon and sipped it. Ever since she was a child, when she ate something delicious, she would show a happy expression on her face. Wynn was pleased to see Leticia like that. Maybe it was because ever since he was a child, he had been watching her when she ate.

I’ve always wondered if a duke’s daughter’s tongue is as normal as mine. Wynn smiled bitterly at the thought.  Leticia noticed his actions and turned to him, saying, “Is something wrong?” Wynn just smiled at her, as if to say it was nothing. Seeing this, Leticia turned her focus back to the soup.

Wynn looked around. Whenever he came to a dining room like this, Leticia’s exceptional good looks attracted the attention of everyone present. The reason the owner took the trouble to tell them about the origin of Sarah Ferrule Cathedral during the busy lunch hour was probably because she was interested in Leticia, who at a glance showed that she belonged to the upper class, something rarely seen in the city. In fact, the owner seemed to think that Leticia was the daughter of a merchant who had come to deliver materials to the site where the cathedral was to be built.

“Whew, that was a treat. I’m stuffed.”

“Me too. This place is even better than I imagined, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It’s on par with Randall-san’s kitchen.”

“Yes, I think so too. I’d like Randall-san to try some of the soup here.”

“I wonder if Randall-san would prepare this for me if I give him the soup recipe.” Apparently, Leticia had quite liked the soup. She looked at her empty plate regretfully. “What do you think? It’s hard to get fresh seafood in Simurgh… can we get the same taste if we use the dried ingredients?”

“That’s… that’s it! What if we could do something with magic? You could fill a barrel with seawater, put the seafood in while it’s fresh, and make it fly through the air!”

“Oh, there’s magic like that too?” Mito raised his voice in admiration.

If this magic could be used, it would revolutionize transportation. The reason is that it would be possible to get fresh fish that is not dried out, even to places deep in the mountains where it would be unthinkable.

“No, Mito-san. There’s no magic like that. Though I’m sure Letty could do it.” Wynn laughed a little foolishly.

For the daughter of a duke, who should be called a lady, Leticia had had a voracious appetite since she was a child. If she had the time, she could do it. And it seemed she had magic enough.

“Yes. Maybe I can do it. Gotta try.”

“Wait, wait.”

Wynn dissuaded Leticia, who looked like she was about to try. He told her it wouldn’t be a good idea to use her magic, which was said to be comparable to that of a god, just to eat her favorite food.

“What kind of Brave carries fish?”

“Not that I would want to be called Brave. And, even though I get special treatment for being the Brave, but I’m still the same old Letty.” Leticia insisted on this last part a little more forcefully. Not that she wasn’t the Brave, but she was still the same old Letty.

“Oh, yes. I know Letty is Letty, but, still, I don’t know if you should do it.”

“Yeah?”

As a kid, Wynn worked with Leticia and Paul as an adventurer in a group for the first time. Once she even flew through the sky to save Ifelina, an avian they met at that time as well. Besides her, Wynn, Paul and the three veteran adventurers with whom they had formed a temporary group, Oort, Louis and Eliza, also flew together. At that time, Wynn was still too young to understand magic, but now he could understand why Eliza screamed in amazement at Leticia’s incredible use of magic.

“Hahaha. I think it’s okay, I guess. It’s not like I’m going to bother anyone. By the way, is that Randall guy food good?”

“He has an inn and dining room in town, so I don’t think it’s exactly the most sophisticated cuisine.”

“Do you think dwarves like fancy food? As long as the food goes well with good sake, no problem. Even the Brave-dono likes it. I’d like to try his cooking at least once.”

“Yes. I can guarantee it goes well with alcohol. Adventurers and traveling merchants always rave about it.” Wynn smiled proudly when the cuisine of the benefactor who had raised him was mentioned.

“Mmm. I have one more purpose for my journey.”

“Well, then, I guess it’s time to visit the sanctuary. Letty, if you like the food here, let’s come back for more. Anyway, we’re going to stay in this city until we finish the research. If you want, you can come back when the empire is at peace. Wouldn’t you like to go back for a quiet chat with your old partner, His Highness Raul?”

“Yes, we should go back together. But whether I want to talk to Raul or not, I’m sure he will be even busier regardless if the situation in the empire has already been settled.”

“More than that?”

“Yes. Maybe that’s why this country is lending its power to His Highness Alfred. That’s the real reason.” Leticia, who had left after Wynn, who had gotten up to pay, said quietly, perhaps concerned about the customers around her.

Mito watched her face with an interested look.

“The Empire and Lyon have an alliance, and His Highness Alfred has a close relationship with His Highness Raul. In addition to that, there is a desire to maintain control over Petersia, which in recent years has been actively waging war against neighboring countries, with the goal of expanding its territory. That’s what this old man thinks is going on.”

“There’s that, too. But I believe that both the Kingdom of Petersia and the Kingdom of Lyon have other true objectives.”

“Other true objectives?”

“The Demon Territory is shrinking due to the defeat of the Demon King. There is a large area of land in the northern part of the continent that has been left empty.”