Banished Villainess

25 : Priest Grace's True Identity.

Magic Crystals are minerals only found in the nests of strong monsters considerably deep within the advanced level dungeons. The sacred stones are refined from these magic crystals.

“Are you being serious? To a dungeon that only those considerably capable can return alive from?”

“But the people staying in this lodging house are trying to conquer that exact dungeon, aren’t they?”

“That’s true. But even if I came back carrying one with me, how are you supposed to make it into a sacred stone? The church would not lend you one of their specialists knowing that you’ll use it for the church of Priest Grace.”

While the three of them stealthily try to discuss things, the mistress suddenly came vigorously clapping her hands.

 “Look, break time is over now. Hurry up and return to your posts.”

 Holding Chloe who was in a hurry to leave the counter, the mistress’ gaze went towards the door leading to the church.

 “Tell me all the details about it in the church after your work. I’ll have that foolish husband of mine tell you everything too– along with the reason why he had been banished from the holy church.”

They kept their voice low, but the mistress heard them nonetheless.  It looks like this is the limit to keeping it secret.

Thus Chloe, Shin, and Locke sat in front of the Grace couple inside the church late at night.  Its dark halls are illuminated by the lamps making it seem like a mass is ongoing, giving the prince an eerie feeling.

Chloe kneels in front of the couple.

“First, Please let me apologize for lying about my identity.  I have committed a crime in the capital and am currently under transportation towards a convent.  I had no choice but to stay until the method to go to my destination is determined. “

“Don’t mind it. I told you that all people who come here have all sorts of circumstances, didn’t I? We don’t pry about those kinds of things. I’m surprised that you’re staying here because of the barrier though.”

“Although there’s no reason for a passing person like me to worry, I was not able overlook it because nobody seemed to notice the faulty sacred stone.”

 Those were the justifications Chloe said to the mistress, but the prince suspects that it’s only her way of delaying her transfer to the convent as much as she can. But having seen today her entire workload for a whole day, the prince thought that perhaps the convent would not be any different.

(…But, Chloe said that the reason she had gotten used to the kitchen was due to the experience she got from the holy church in the capital. That being the case, the convent must be even rougher after all.)

While the prince was pondering his conjectures, Priest Grace, who has always been taciturn, now spoke.

“I am ashamed to admit it, but I was not able to notice the abnormality in the barrier.  I was not blessed with as much divine power even though I was a priest. The faulty sacred stone was an old one that I took with me when I left the holy church.”

“Why did Priest Grace leave the holy church?”

 His banishment from the holy church in the past had been the main reason for their refusal to cooperate but, the priest only let out a sigh, seemingly about to recall something unpleasant.

“When I was still young, the holy church had taken in many orphans to cultivate a saintess. Those who had shown no promise but had good looks were taken in under the pretext of personnel apprentice and…, were driven into literal hell. Many tried to escape losing their lives in the process.”

Everyone was at a loss for words at Priest Graces’ sudden revelation of the dark side of the holy church. The church had a history as deep as the kingdom itself. Due to not attracting as much attention during the times miasma has not thickened yet, some corrupt individuals may have led the church to that. Rather, maybe even now, considering that this is still concealed from the public.  At the very least, not even an aristocrat like Chloe and the saintess Momo who resided in the holy church had known about it.

“I’ve covered up some of them, allowing them to escape.  When that came to light…, the church had pushed all the blame for that to me of all things.  Thankfully, some of the families of those saintess apprentices felt grateful to me and sheltered me, and now I’m living here in a remote place deep in the mountains.”

“By the way, my younger sister was one of those apprentices, and after having sheltered Masrat in our home, we ended up being together.”

 The mistress cheerfully told them how the couple came to be together, but the three, not knowing how to react, just looked at each other’s faces.