Seijo ni Narunode Nidoume no Jinsei wa Katte ni Sasetemoraimasu ~Outaihi wa, Zensei de Watashi wo Futta Koibito Deshita~ - Chapter 58

――The chief priest said,

“There is a mirror in the first temple that reflects a person’s true face. It was made by the real saint long ago.”

Liz came looking for it. To expose the identity of the fake saint as well as save the Holy Dragon, who may be kept somewhere in the first temple.

“I’ll put my hand to it!　Be quiet and stay down here!” Liz was violently forced into the end of the room by the armed priest. Close to the ceiling in the small room was a window the size of a picture frame. It’s the only light source in the dim room as those priests guard the outside door.

“Liz.”

Suddenly she was startled by someone calling her from the dark wall. That person slowly approached her. A faint light shone through their face.

“Olivia?”

It’s one of the candidates, Olivia.

“Why are you here?”

“…I was looking for the door to make the final selection and I wandered in the first temple. Candidates aren’t allowed to enter and I was found and got caught.”

Olivia tries to untie the rope on Liz, but it does not come off.

“Wait. I have something.”

When she showed the inner pocket of the skirt, Olivia, with a crestfallen face, searched into Liz’s pocket. In it was a small knife in a leather case. It’s about the size of one’s palm. She kept it hidden for when she goes to look for the mirror and the Holy dragon in the temple.

Olivia was surprised as she broke the rope.

“Thank you… Hey, Olivia. I can’t tell you the details, but in a little while I’ll be able to help you. Let’s get out of here together. I have something to look for, but you have to return to the second temple.”

“What are you looking for?”

“The Holy Dragon must be somewhere and—”

She almost said that the saint is an imposter and that she’s looking for the mirror to expose it. Then she remembered that she has to tell Olivia something at all costs.

“The saint said that I was the one who brought the manastone. But I really don’t know anything, it’s true.” She said seriously.

Olivia stared at Liz and she seemed to have averted black eyes, “…Yes, yes. I know.”

Liz breathed out a sigh of relief.

In a small voice Olivia said, “Rebecca said so, she didn’t think Liz was the criminal.”

“Really?” Rebecca still believed in Liz despite the riot that happened to her worm.

She was feeling better and felt motivation course through her body. Liz started to warm up her body, her shoulders felt stiff. She has to move quickly from now on. Liz suddenly began to exercise.

Olivia was surprised, but she smiled, “Liz is strong.” she said.

“Is that so?”

“You were able to escape from prison once, but was caught again and you were also falsely accused.”

“Well…It’s not the first time I’ve been falsely accused or caught.”

She was falsely accused and arrested in her home village by Emilia, and was lied to that she stole Sheena’s medal in the temple. And what’s more, the manastones since she’s a commoner and doesn’t have any magical powers and is seen as unworthy of a saint candidate.

“Yes, that’s right.” Rather than pity, she was rather impressed and Liz ambiguously smiled.

In the dimly lit room, Olivia turned her eyes away from Liz, who was bending and stretching.

The other day when she was caught by the fake saint, she said, “I’ll catch Liz again. Stay by her side and keep an eye on her. Liz will be less wary of you. Lead her to the room where the mirror is and I’ll make you the next saint.”

With a trembling voice, Olivia asked her, “…What are you going to do to Liz? Who are you?　You’re not the real saint…What happened to her?”

The fake saint smiled, “There are various circumstances. The saint is old and she’s not feeling well. That’s why I was called. I’m an old friend. But now, we are in the process of choosing the next Holy saint, who’s important for the country. If the country finds out that she was replaced, they will be in turmoil. That’s why it’s kept a secret. Of course, you’re also not allowed to talk about it.”

—It was a complete lie that she was called by the saint. However, Olivia doesn’t know that. The fake saint gave her a meaningful smile as she stared at the frightened eyes of Olivia.

“So I have the right to make the decision. If it stays like this, you’ll fall. Even if you try hard to make a miracle, even if you’re second, you won’t be the one to reach the top. Then, it wont make any sense.”

Olivia shrieked out a small voice, “I don’t know. When I find the door to make a final selection I’ll be chosen—!”

“Really? Do you really think so?” The fake saint laughed through her nose.

Olivia chewed on her lip.

The Black Leopard and the Holy Dragon. My penguin. I believe that it’s better than Rebecca’s earthworm, but if it’s not the best, it’s about the same as hers. No, it’s the same as those who failed and were not able to make the selection. There’s no point for them to remain there.

If she doesn’t get chosen as the next saint, everything becomes meaningless. Everything that she had desperately wanted—

The fake saint smiled in satisfaction when Olivia covered her face with  her hands.

“But now you can choose the future. The future is something that you can grasp with your own hands—Like me.”

* * * * *

The penguin ran. It ran as fast as it could, its body swaying from side to side. It’s very slow to the eye when one sees it.

‘Here!’

From the far west was a room, there was a faint smell of a fellow behind the door. It was a magical smell.

There is no guard. However, the doorknob was too high to reach. The penguin leaped up its heavy body, doing its best. Though it was jumping so much that people suspected that it was playing.

It gave up and ran, hitting the door. The door won’t open because it is locked. It tried over and over again, but it was impossible. There’s no response from the Holy dragon, even from the loud sounds it made.

‘What should I do?’ The penguin held his head between its wings.

“Why is the penguin here?” It heard a voice from behind. Its body trembled. You found it!? It gingerly looked back and saw Lloyd. He was confused watching the pengin’s behavior earlier, but that’s not the case.

The penguin pulled the sleeve of his robe and pointed its wing to the door, ‘The Holy dragon is inside.’

Lloyd raised his eyebrows, “Is Liz here?” he asked.

No. However, Lloyd took out a long, thin metallic rod, and inserted it into the keyhole and began to twist it. What’s this? He is a holy priest. What is he doing?

“It’s open.”

Anyway, the penguin pushed Lloyd away and rushed into the room.

At the center of the larger room, the Holy dragon was curled up and its eyes were closed. It has a thick collar connected to the wall by a strong chain. It’s not just an ordinary chain, but a chain with magical power.

The penguin gasped, the Holy dragon lying in the middle of the room seemed small. It gently approached the dragon. Then, a snore broke through its mouth.

“It was not made to sleep, it’s just actually sleeping.”

At Lloyd’s word the penguin turned at him with a straight face and struck his cheek with both of its wings.

“Kyu—!!” The Holy Dragon awoke with a cry. When it saw what was happening, it looked at Lloyd and the penguin and pulled the chain pleadingly.

“Kyu! Kyu!”

I can’t get it! as if it is telling them.

Its white hair fell out the thick collar and its skin is red, covered with blood. It was desperate to take it off. It tried to pull the collar and its claws were half gone.

“Kyu…”  it sadly cried out.

The Penguin, too, hastily stretched out its wings to pull off the chain. At that moment, its body was repelled. It was due to the magic in the chain.

When the penguin landed on the floor, it was stunned. Both its wings were trembling in shock. The Holy dragon’s power isn’t enough. There’s no way the penguin can take it. It couldn’t do anything for its weak self. It wanted to help the holy dragon and Olivia. Its shoulders dropped as its eyes started to accumulate tears.

Lloyd, who was contemplating, pointed to the wall, “Holy Dragon, you can’t break that chain, but can you  break that wall?”

The chain is connected to the wall.

It’s a good idea. The Holy Dragon looked at the penguin, then immediately bursted a white flame towards the wall. Heat waves enclosed the room.

However, the room itself seems to be full of magic and the wall didn’t even crack. There were only traces of black soot.

“Kyu…” the Holy dragon didn’t give up and continued to throw out flames.

The penguin was helping it as it hit the wall, but of course, it doesn’t budge. Helplessness striked and in the end it fell down to the floor.

Lloyd stood before the wall and looked at the Holy Dragon, giving it a sly smile.

The penguin looked up and thought, ‘He’s planning to do something bad.’

Lloyd opened his mouth, “Hey, there’s a white round ball.”

“Kyu?” The moment it looked up and its eyes met Lloyd’s, it seemed to suddenly realize and quickly averted its eyes. It’s like it said, “I’m not the one who responded.”

The penguin thought it looked fun, it looked like a lot of fun.

Lloyd continued, laughing, “It’s you, Holy Dragon. I’m sure you’re aware. When you curled up, you looked round and thought that it’s no longer a Holy dragon. Right now you’re just a Fat dragon—”

“Gyu!!” Suddenly, it looked up. In fact, it probably cares about its body shape And yet it opened his mouth wide, as if salt was applied to its wound.

“Well, don’t make as much noise. Quietly destroy only this part of the wall—” as Lloyd said that, a large flame went towards him. A flame of anger. Neither speed nor firepower is comparable to the previous ones.

Lloyd’s eyes widened and leaped away from the blaze that was going towards him and crashed on the wall. The wall collapsed and made a deafening sound and one end of the chain fell off the wall onto the floor.

I did it! The penguin leaped on his short legs.

Lloyd frowned, “I’m done for! I’m sure.”

“What’s going on!?” There were loud shouts from one of the priests and sounds of footsteps were going towards them.

“I’ll run away for now!”

In response to Lloyd’s voice, both the penguin and the Holy Dragon ran. However, the penguin was slow, and the holy dragon seemed to be unable to fly due to the weight of the chain, and soon fell on the floor.

“What!”

Lloyd had no choice but to run, carrying the Holy Dragon and penguin in his arms.

“Gyu!” (“You said I’m a Fat dragon earlier!”) It angrily kicked Lloyd.

The penguin—went to sleep. When people hold it, it falls asleep. Olivia would be very annoyed and it doesn’t know why. Anyway, it comfortably went to sleep.

It was surprised by Lloyd.

“Penguin, why are you sleeping in this situation? Ouch! Stop it, Holy Dragon!”

“Here, this way! I can hear them!” The sounds of the priests’ footsteps went closer.

The rampaging Holy dragon, the sleeping penguin, and Lloyd stopped at the corner of the corridor. Even though Keefa’s keeping the fake saint in the royal palace. It’d be hard if they were to call her with all the fuss.

“Hey, Holy dragon.”

“Gyu!?” It’s angry because he said bad things about it.

“Sorry. That was a deliberate remark for you to get away from that room. You see?”

“…Gyuw!” The Holy Dragon reluctantly nodded.

“Well then, you’ll have to defeat those priests after you with your flames. Give me a break—go now!’

The moment he turned at the corner, the flames came upon them. With a cry, the priests fell one after another on the floor. They have magic and moreover they are armed. They won’t die.

“Well done—we have to hurry. I must find Liz and the mirror.”

When he saw that they had all fallen, he went ahead, holding both the Holy dragon and the penguin in his arms.

“…Are you alright?”

He noticed that the holy dragon on the arm was limp.

“Is it because of this collar?”

He lifted the heavy chain connected to the collar. He could  see that there’s a spell in it. Is the power of the Holy Dragon being absorbed by it? Lloyd used magic to remove the collar, but it didn’t work.

Suddenly, the dragon slipped away from Lloyd’s grasp to find where that sudden power it felt came from. It flew down the hall, dragging the chain on the floor.

Although it seemed to have difficulty flying, it mindlessly flew and its red eyes glistened as if it was fascinated. It was obviously different from the previous one.

“Hey, What’s the matter!?”

The Holy dragon didn’t turn around. Lloyd had no choice but to raise the sleeping penguin to his back and chase after it. After turning around the corner twice, he finds the Holy dragon in a room.

Panting, his brows furrowed. This is the saint’s room. He’s only visited it a few times when he was young, but he still remembers. Why is the Holy dragon there?

A desk and a counter are lined up by the window in the room. The Holy dragon mindlessly wandered towards the table and opened the top drawer using the tip of its nose.

“…!” The mirror was there. A pattern of flowers were engraved on the back and the handle is silver. It looked like an ordinary mirror, though the magic that came from it wasn’t.

Lloyd gasped. This is it. “A mirror that reflects one’s true image.” that the chief priest said.

“Isn’t it amazing, Holy dragon? How did you know?”

There it is.

However,  the Holy dragon did not respond nor did it even look at Lloyd. It didn’t hear him.

The dragon gazed intently at the mirror with a dazed look as if it was possessed, like it has found what it has been looking for.

“Holy dragon? What’s the matter?” As usual, Lloyd raised his eyebrows as he was holding the sleeping penguin and then he realized.

“Door” and the final selection. What comes out of the sacred fruit shows their “door”—

“Hey…No way, this is Liz’s door!?”

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