Chapter 115
Yesterday, I opened the crepe stall, and today was another day of classes. Since I had gotten somewhat used to school last week, I was able to spend the day calmly.
I’m riding in a carriage with Lucien now, on our way back to the estate.
"Being invited in just two weeks was even sooner than I expected."
"Yeah. Stefan and Martine were both raring to go, so I figured it would be soon. Looks like we’re the first."
"I figured as much. Well, I was looking forward to it too, so I don’t mind."
At today’s study group, Stefan and Martine gave me an invitation to lunch.
They had said they would invite the sons and daughters of nobles, but it was sooner than I expected. Should I bring some kind of gift?
"Do you think we need to bring a gift or something?"
"Since it’s an invitation at the Royal Academy, I don’t think it’s necessary."
It was true that even if I brought a gift, carrying it around until lunchtime would be difficult. I could put it in my Item Box, but I thought it would be better to keep that a secret for now...
"That’s true. I’m looking forward to having lunch together. Come to think of it, is the royal family’s special dining room different from the nobles’ special dining rooms?"
"No, the layout is exactly the same. However, each family provides the furniture and decorations, such as the tables and carpets, so the interiors are probably completely different."
"Really? Even the Duke family’s special dining room?"
"Yes. Those things were prepared by the family."
I see... I had thought special dining rooms had incredibly lavish interiors, but I hadn’t realized the Duke family had provided everything themselves.
Of course it would be lavish.
When we returned to the Duke family’s estate, I was told that Richard-sama wanted to speak with us before dinner. Lucien seemed to be joining us too.
What could he want to discuss...? I hadn’t done anything wrong, had I? I had reported the switches and light orbs, and I had also gotten approval for the stall... I was probably fine.
There was no point worrying about it, so I headed to Richard-sama’s room with Lucien.
I hadn’t done anything that would get me scolded, so it would probably be fine!
Having made up my mind, I entered the room, and Richard-sama welcomed us with his usual expression.
"Sorry for calling you here so suddenly. Have a seat."
"Thank you."
"Excuse us."
Lucien and I sat side by side on the sofa opposite Richard-sama. It didn’t look like either of us was going to be scolded.
Just as I felt relieved, Richard-sama’s expression turned serious. What?! Was I going to be scolded after all?!
I hadn’t done anything wrong, though...
"We don’t have much time before dinner, so I’ll get straight to the point. Do you two know what happened today?"
Huh? It didn’t sound like he was going to scold us.
That was good, but what did he mean by today’s events? I had only attended classes like last week and gone to the study group, right?
"I can’t think of anything that happened..."
"I see. What about you, Lucien?"
"I don’t have anything that comes to mind either, just like Leon."
"I see... So it hasn’t become widely known yet."
What happened?
"Actually, shortly after noon today, a staff member came to inform His Majesty that the goddess statue at Central Church had begun to glow. His Majesty and I went to Central Church ourselves, and it was such a sacred light that we couldn’t help wanting to kneel and pray."
The goddess statue glowed? What did that mean?
You mean it started glowing on its own, rather than someone making it glow?
"Such a thing happened? Could it be an oracle?!"
"No, there was no oracle. However, the goddess statue at Central Church is a divine relic. If it has begun to glow, it must be some kind of message from Goddess-sama."
"I see. That certainly seems like the logical conclusion."
"Yes, but His Majesty and I discussed it, and we still don’t know what message it was. However, one thing is certain: Goddess-sama has not abandoned our country."
"Grandfather... That’s wonderful news."
"That’s right. His Majesty has made a decision. The royal family will support the teachings of Goddess-sama and Apostle-sama. This will naturally mean that the Duke family’s faction has the royal family’s backing."
"Things have progressed that far...? Then I’ll be even more careful around the opposing faction at the Royal Academy from now on."
"Yes. They’ll probably comply outwardly for now, but they might become desperate and try something. Be more vigilant than ever, just in case."
"Understood."
Lucien was amazing. As expected of the eldest son of the Duke family. As expected of a child who had received an elite education since he was little.
I couldn’t grasp the situation at all. Everything was moving far too quickly!
How did this turn into such a complicated matter just because the goddess statue glowed? For that matter, what did it even mean that the goddess statue glowed? Did it sparkle like an illumination display? Did Goddess-sama really make it glow?
This was bad... I understood far too little.
"Um... I’m having a little trouble following this. Could you explain it in more detail?"
When I said that, Lucien gave me a surprised look.
"Leon, you’re always incredibly smart. What happened?"
No, I only seemed smart because of the education I received in Japan; I was hopeless when it came to this world’s gods and nobles!
"I’m a commoner, so I’m still unfamiliar with matters concerning nobles."
"That’s true... It’s easy to forget that Leon is a commoner."
Don’t forget that! It was a pretty important detail!
"I’ll answer your questions."
Lucien said this with a slightly smug look. He was definitely happy to have something he could teach me. I nearly laughed, so I hastily covered my mouth with a hand and played it off.
Lucien looked like a child proudly telling his family about something he had learned in elementary school. Richard-sama was smiling wryly too.
Recently, Lucien had started letting this childish side show. If it meant he had grown comfortable with me, I was happy about it.
"Then first of all, is it common for a goddess statue to glow?"
"You’re starting there?!"
I mean, this world had magic, so maybe goddess statues were supposed to glow too!
I wasn’t familiar with the common sense of this world. Normally, I supposed they didn’t glow, but Japan was what I considered normal, and I tended to think of this world as abnormal in all sorts of ways...
"Of course it isn’t normal for a goddess statue to glow!"
S-so I guess that part wasn’t abnormal after all.
"To add to that, there are no records of the goddess statue ever glowing."
Richard-sama added that. So the goddess statue, which had never glowed before, had suddenly started glowing for some reason?
If I put it in Japanese terms, it would be like a Buddhist statue suddenly shining...
"Isn’t that an extraordinary situation?!"
"That’s what I’ve been saying! You already expressed surprise a moment ago!"
"R-right... I understand now. So why did it glow?"
"I told you, I don’t know! That’s why this is a problem! Weren’t you listening to what I just said?!"
I couldn’t take in anything he said because I hadn’t understood the premise. Sorry, Lucien.
"I’m sorry. In any case, I understand that this is an abnormal situation. But you mentioned that the royal family will support the Duke family’s faction. Why would that follow?"
"Because we learned that Goddess-sama has not yet abandoned this country."
"Leon, back when Apostle-sama was here, Goddess-sama delivered oracles several times. But then hundreds of years passed without a word from her. The fact that the goddess statue glowed this time showed us that Goddess-sama has not yet abandoned this country. So the royal family decided to support the teachings of Goddess-sama and Apostle-sama. Until now, they couldn’t do so because of the risk of civil war, but given what happened this time, the nobles in the opposing faction will probably comply, at least outwardly."
Oh, I see! I finally understood... Somehow, it was awfully complicated.