The Regressor and the Blind Saintess - Chapter 76

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Natty

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Regressor and the Blind Saintess ◈

Chapter 76: To the Empire

──────

The next morning, in Dovan’s drawing room.

Rene was seated there, deep in discussion.

They were deciding where Dovan, who would soon be leaving these mountains, should settle.

The original request had been for protection from the Alliance until the masterpiece was complete. However, having come this far, Rene felt it was only right to help to the very end. As she considered the matter alongside them, she wore a troubled expression, unable to find an easy answer.

They could not simply leave without a plan.

Dovan’s leg was not in good condition. And the only one by Dovan’s side was still-young Aisha. It would not be easy for the two of them to leave these mountains and settle elsewhere on their own.

It had to be a place that would not reject them. It also had to be somewhere the Alliance could not casually enter.

After considering it for a long while, Rene suddenly let out an “Ah!” as an idea flashed through her mind.

“How about the Holy Kingdom?”

“Hmm? The Holy Kingdom?”

“Yes! You’re not a priest, so you wouldn’t be able to enter the citadel, but there would be no problem with you staying in a nearby village. And if it’s the Holy Kingdom, we can help you whenever you need it...”

Thinking she had come up with a perfectly clear solution, Rene turned to Vera and asked,

“What do you think, Vera?”

“It is a good idea. If it is land within the Holy Kingdom’s sphere of influence, outsiders would not be able to bring troops in carelessly. There would be no better place to avoid the Alliance.”

“Right?”

Vera’s agreement brought an even brighter smile to Rene’s face.

“If Dovan is all right with it, we’ll guide you to the Holy Kingdom. We don’t have a set destination ourselves, after all.”

For a moment, Dovan’s face brightened at Rene’s words. Then an awkward look appeared as Dovan continued.

“That is a very generous offer, but... are you sure? I heard you set out to travel around the continent. Would that not mean returning the way you came?”

“That’s fine. Um...”

The Revelation had no fixed time limit, so returning the way they came was not a problem.

Rene had been about to agree at once, but as she spoke, she felt sorry for Vera, Norn, and Hella, who would have to take such a long detour. She asked for their opinions instead.

“Would everyone be all right with that?”

Vera considered Rene’s words for a moment.

It would take a little over two weeks by carriage to reach the Holy Kingdom from here. Returning there, arranging a place for Dovan to live, and then leaving for another region would take well over a month.

Time itself was not the issue, but it would certainly be inconvenient.

Was there not a better way?

As Vera pondered that, he recalled Mari, whom they had met in the Great Forest, and made a suggestion to Rene.

“Then what about going to the Empire? I believe it would be a good idea to go there and ask Mari for help.”

“Ah!”

Rene exclaimed.

“That’s right. Mari!”

“Yes. Matters in the Great Forest should be mostly settled by now, so Mari is likely either heading to the Empire or already there.”

Mari had certainly said that once Aidrin was settled, she would go to the Empire and spend time with her family.

It had been ten years since Mari had seen them, so it was unlikely that visit would be brief. If they headed to the Empire now, there was a high chance they would find Mari.

“What do you think, Dovan?”

“I am deeply grateful. I do not know how I could repay you for showing such consideration...”

“You have already repaid us more than enough.”

Vera spoke as he stroked the hilt of the Holy Sword at his waist.

Dovan had gifted him a masterpiece, no less. If he could not even do this much in return, would he not be a beast?

Of course, even if he had not received this, Vera would not have demanded repayment. Yet to ask for something else after receiving a masterpiece would be shameless.

A small smile crossed Vera’s lips at the fleeting thought, and he added,

“Please don’t concern yourself with it. We are merely doing what ought to be done.”

Dovan looked at Vera’s refreshing smile, feeling both gratitude and embarrassment. Then, in a teasing tone, Dovan replied,

“I only rewarded you. The others have received nothing.”

Vera flinched. His fingertips trembled.

It was not because he failed to recognize the joke. Rather, his conscience was pricked because he knew there was nothing wrong with what Dovan had said.

Dovan laughed at Vera’s reaction. Norn and Hella, standing behind them, laughed as well.

Only Rene, worried that Vera might have been hurt, spoke with a flustered expression.

“I-It’s all right! We didn’t do it expecting repayment!”

And so, in a truly peaceful atmosphere, their journey to the Empire was decided.

* * *

That afternoon.

Rene came out into the backyard and passed the time blankly in the sunlight.

Norn and Hella had gone to help Dovan organize the forge. The only ones beside her were Vera and Aisha, who had come out for a short rest.

Rene was feeling peaceful at the thought that everything here had finally ended well when Aisha spoke.

“Lady Rene.”

“Hmm?”

“What is the Empire like?”

Her voice was full of curiosity.

For Aisha, who had wandered the streets as a war orphan before Dovan took her in, it was only natural to wonder.

Rene gave a soft laugh at Aisha’s manner, stroked her hair, and answered,

“Hmm, I’ve never been there either, so I don’t know much. But from what I’ve heard... it’s the most prosperous place on the continent. And we’re going to its capital, the largest city of all.”

“Ooh...”

An exclamation escaped Aisha.

As Rene continued stroking Aisha’s hair, she felt Aisha’s ears perk up beneath her fingertips. She began reciting what she had learned in the Holy Kingdom about the Empire’s capital.

“Since it’s in the center of the continent, I hear the market is enormous. There are specialties from all over the continent, and even artifacts that occasionally make their way in...”

It was fortunate that she had studied.

Thinking that the past three years of learning in the Holy Kingdom had not been wasted, Rene continued enthusiastically for quite some time before asking Vera,

“Come to think of it, do you know anything about the Empire, Vera?”

She asked because she somehow felt that Vera would know more than she did and wanted him to add to her explanation.

Vera replied,

“...Yes. I grew up in the Empire’s capital.”

Rene’s body trembled slightly. Aisha’s gaze turned toward Vera.

Watching their reactions, Vera continued,

“The market is certainly prosperous, but if I were to name its most distinctive culture, it would be the black market auctions.”

“What is a black market?”

“It is a market for illicit dealings. A place where goods that should not be traded are sold in secret.”

“Huh? Then don’t they get arrested?”

“They don’t. The people who ought to arrest them are the ones who use it most eagerly.”

It was something he could say with certainty because he had operated one himself in his previous life.

What more was there to say? The people who frequented black market auction houses most were the Empire’s nobles. It was fair to call it the foulness and ugliness born from wealth passed down through generations.

From simple drug dealings to living beings and forbidden knowledge such as ancient banned books.

Unable to find satisfaction in ordinary stimulation any longer, they had used auction houses more eagerly than anyone to satisfy the desires lurking within them. That was why the black markets of the Empire’s capital had endured for hundreds of years.

“Then they’re bad people, right?”

“Most of them are.”

There were exceptions, of course, but they were few enough to count on one hand.

As Vera continued thinking of the past, he spoke to Aisha.

“Still... shouldn’t you be getting back? I believe you have a great deal left to do.”

It was a roundabout way of telling her to stop slacking off and go.

Aisha pouted and got to her feet.

“I was going even if you didn’t tell me! Lady Rene, I’ll see you later.”

“Ah, all right...”

Rene waved, and Aisha walked away.

After confirming that Aisha’s footsteps had completely faded, Rene spoke to Vera.

“Um, Vera.”

“Yes, Saintess.”

“Um...”

What should she say?

Rene knew well that Vera did not wish to reveal his past.

That was why she had never pressed him about it. She now felt surprised that he had spoken of it first.

Rene felt uneasy, wondering if Vera had only spoken because of her question.

Seeing her expression, Vera realized that Rene was worried because of him and reassured her.

“You have never burdened me, Saintess.”

“...Ah.”

“It is merely a matter of my own mindset, so please set your mind at ease.”

That was right. In the end, it was a matter of mindset.

He said it because he felt that he had to accept even the past he had tried to turn away from as ugly as part of himself.

If it was a shameful past, he had to face it directly so that he would never make the same mistakes again.

Of course, he still had no intention of telling her that he came from the Gutter. More than shame or humiliation, he did not want Rene to pity him.

He had lived a life that did not deserve pity. When he could stand a little prouder before himself, he wished to tell her. With that in mind, Vera added,

“I apologize for not speaking of my hometown until now. If there is anything you are curious about, I will tell you what I can.”

Feeling the calm in Vera’s voice, Rene nodded slightly.

A small smile rested on her lips.

“Later. I can’t think of anything right now, so I’ll ask if I do.”

“Yes, please do.”

A thought suddenly came to her.

Ever since leaving the Holy Kingdom, Vera had continued to change.

Vera had always said that he was chasing the light, and he continued proving that those words were not lies.

‘What about me...?’

What had changed for her?

What was different from before she left the Holy Kingdom?

Suddenly, Rene felt small and ashamed. She still did not properly know what she wanted to do, only chasing after love.