The next day, we headed towards the third market, the West Market.
The investigation proceeded just like yesterday. Half of the people answered our questions kindly, while the other half did not.
It seemed like today would end with a smooth investigation as well, but for some reason…
“All you have to do is answer.”
“Just leave! I don’t want to talk to you.”
Right next to me, a strange standoff was happening.
“All you have to do is tell me what you said.”
Bliss kept asking questions, while the merchant kept refusing to answer.
This meaningless exchange had been going on for almost 30 minutes now.
“Bliss, should we just leave?”
“No. Ruina, this person insulted Naias.”
It didn’t seem like this would end easily, so I suggested to Bliss that we leave, but she firmly refused.
Here’s how it all started:
While we were investigating today, we ran into a merchant who intentionally ignored us.
We repeated our questions several times to get an answer, but then, a merchant from the store next door made a comment about us to his customer.
“Those crazy people… that Naias, or whatever her name is, she’s the problem. Because of her, the believers are like this. Ugh, a bunch of lunatics, aren’t they?”
“But the believers have nice faces. Especially that white-haired one… If they offer, maybe it’s worth checking out the Origin Church. Oh, maybe that’s why they’re so popular?”
Something along those lines.
If I had been the only one to hear it, I might have let it go.
But the problem was, those words reached Bliss’s ears.
Unlike me, Bliss wasn’t the type to ignore such comments. She immediately approached the merchant and began pressing him for answers.
The merchant refused to answer and kept denying everything, leading to the current situation.
“Please answer.”
Bliss kept urging the merchant to respond.
I thought he would just deny it again, but instead, he…
“Hah… It looks like words alone won’t work.”
This time, unlike before when he just kept talking, he stood up and walked into his shop.
“Where are you going?”
Bliss called out loudly, but the merchant ignored her. He came back carrying a large bucket.
“Just leave!”
He swung the bucket toward us.
Something splashed out of the bucket.
The moment I saw it, I immediately turned and pulled Reina into my arms.
Then, something cold touched my back.
‘Water?’
It seemed like the merchant had thrown water at us.
“Why is it that you never listen to words?”
I could hear the merchant’s mocking voice from behind.
I quickly checked my condition.
My back felt wet. It seemed like I had been properly drenched.
‘Hah… First salt, now water? What are we even going through?’
At least, it was fortunate that it was just water in the bucket. If it had been used oil or some other dangerous liquid… I didn’t even want to imagine it.
Once I checked my own condition, I immediately turned to check Reina’s.
Reina wasn’t hit by the water. She was clean.
“Ruina, are you okay?”
Reina asked with concern, seeing the sudden situation.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
I smiled to reassure her.
Now, the only one left to check was Bliss.
I was worried about her. While I managed to avoid most of the splash on my back, she had been directly hit with the water.
Wasn’t the front of her soaked?
I turned my head to look at her.
Water droplets were falling from her hair, and her hands were trembling lightly from how tightly she was gripping them.
She wasn’t shaking from the cold, though.
Just looking at her back, I could tell how angry she was.
I moved closer to check her face.
Her face, when I saw it up close, was eerily expressionless.
I cautiously asked, trying not to provoke her.
“Are you okay…?”
Bliss turned to look at me and smiled faintly.
“Ah… yes, I’m fine.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really fine.”
She didn’t look fine at all… Her mouth was smiling, but her eyes were dead…
Bliss wiped her smile away and turned to face the merchant, her face returning to its cold, expressionless demeanor.
“Hah… I knew it.”
Bliss sighed deeply, muttering in a trembling voice.
This was bad. From the way she was acting, it seemed like she was about to do something serious.
What was this strange feeling of unease? I felt like if I didn’t stop Bliss now, something bad was going to happen.
Feeling a rush of anxiety, I quickly called out to her.
“Bliss…”
“Ruina?”
However, it seemed like Bliss wasn’t planning to back down this time.
“Yes?”
“Look around you. What do you see?”
I looked around as she told me. There were people all around us.
People whispering, surrounding us.
Their murmurs and the ruckus they caused filled my ears.
“Do you see those people who dare to mock us? Their own place and position, they don’t know.”
As she said, some of the people were cursing at us.
“Do you see them, Ruina? Look, just like you said, after giving them a couple of chances, they’ve started getting bold.”
“At first, I could tolerate it. But now, I’ve had enough. I can’t stand it anymore. So from now on, just watch.”
Bliss turned her head to smile at me.
“I’ll handle this myself.”
I didn’t stop her from approaching the merchant.
From her expression, it was clear that there was no way I could stop her.
To be honest, it was about time something like this happened. It had been happening more and more recently.
The only reason I had stopped her before was that I didn’t want things to escalate and make more trouble. I hate it when things get messy.
So, I decided to just watch.
“Apologize.”
“What?”
“Apologize.”
“Why should I?”
The merchant sneered and shrugged his shoulders.
Bliss sighed and spoke with a resigned tone.
“Hah. Naias-sama says to forgive mistakes up to twice, so I’ll say it again. Apologize now, and I’ll forgive you.”
“Hah! Naias again? I told you before, I hate you people! I don’t even know why you follow that religion! Oh, wait, is it because Naias is supposed to be such a beautiful god? Are you going to see her face or something?”
The merchant shouted while pointing his finger.
“What did you say?”
“Or maybe you people offer some other services to your believers? If that’s the case, now I get why the Origin Church is so popular! I can see why it’s worth checking out!”
“Say that again.”
“The secret to the popularity of the Origin Church might lie somewhere else. Like this.”
The merchant made a circle with his fingers and repeatedly stuck and pulled out his index finger from it.
Seeing this, Bliss smiled widely.
“I understand now. I see, you’re a heretic,” she declared, condemning him as a heretic.
“You’ll have to come with me to the church. Conveniently, the Inquisitor of Heresy has been dispatched to Birren, so you’ll be able to receive judgment at the church.”
“Why should I? Who are you to tell me this?”
“I am a high priest of the Origin Religion. Only high priests and above have the right to judge and deal with heretics. And based on my judgment, you just insulted Lord Naias, the patron god of the Origin Religion. That is a great sin in our faith.”
“Don’t even think about escaping and trying to avoid the situation. Oh? Judging by your expression, I sense that something doesn’t quite add up. Is there something strange about the situation now?”
The merchant’s face showed disbelief at Bliss’s words.
“Yes! I don’t believe in the Origin Religion…!”
“You’re thinking, ‘Why is this happening to me when I don’t even believe in the Origin Religion?’ right?”
“Yes! You know it well! Damn Origin Religion! Why do you keep bothering me when I’ve said I don’t believe in it? You should be dealing with your own believers, not interfering with people like me who don’t believe in it!”
“It doesn’t matter whether you believe in the Origin Religion or not. The judgment is ours to make. We consider anyone who insults or denies our god a heretic and will deal with them accordingly.”
“Who are you to…?”
“Who are we to do this? Do you know? Since the reign of the first emperor, the national religion of our empire has never changed from the Origin Religion.”
Bliss continued as if teaching a child.
“That’s right. The Origin Religion is one of the cornerstones of the empire, and the imperial family has always supported it. Therefore, the imperial family never interferes in our matters.”
“So what? I don’t believe in the Origin Religion, so what are you going to do about it?”
“Therefore, the action of restraining and punishing you is something even the emperor has allowed. Now, are you going to refuse that as a mere commoner? That would be considered treason. Treason is a crime punishable by death, don’t you know?”
At the word “punishable by death,” the merchant slammed his fist on the table, shouting.
“What kind of nonsense is that?! Either way, I don’t believe in the Origin Religion, so try to do anything to me and see if I’ll stay quiet! Look, everyone! A nun is arresting an innocent man!”
At the merchant’s words, the murmurs of the crowd grew louder, but Bliss didn’t seem to care at all.
“Ha, you still don’t understand, do you? Fine, I’ll take another approach. I didn’t want to use my holy authority for something like this anyway.”
Bliss shook her head and sighed, then spoke in a cold voice that the merchant had never heard before.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Who are you? You’re just some fancy nun, aren’t you? Of course, there’s probably something else special about you!”
The merchant chuckled at Bliss.
“I’m sure you haven’t heard of me in places like this. My name is Bliss Lily. I was born into the Lily family, a noble house, and I currently serve Lord Naias. I was born with blood far different from someone like you.”
Silence.
As soon as Bliss finished speaking, the murmurs that had been growing louder like a flame suddenly died down, as if water had been thrown on them. The reason was simple: it was the single mention of her being nobility.
Now that she had said her family name, the merchant suddenly remembered where he had heard it before.
“Come to think of it, there is a noble family named Lily in the empire.”
First of all, I had no interest in the imperial nobility at all. I don’t know how many nobles there are or who they are. But the Lily family was different. This family is well-known for their fervent devotion to the Origin Religion.
The Lily family is the largest benefactor of the Origin Religion.
They have been devout followers for generations, and I recall that the current head of the house is also a deeply faithful believer.
Because of this, anyone who believes in the Origin Religion is bound to hear about the Lily family at least once, and that’s how I knew about them.
I can’t help but feel strange now that I remember it, but it’s not surprising.
I could barely memorize the prayers of the Origin Religion, let alone the names of every noble family in the empire.
And after all, I’m supposed to be a ruler, right? Normally, I would have someone gather the lists of nobles, but to personally go around investigating them? That’s an attack on my pride. It’s too bothersome.
I thought that when I came here, all I needed to focus on was the movements of the heroes, and I wouldn’t need to deal with nobles much. So I didn’t bother learning their names.
Now, I regret it a little, though.
In any case, what Bliss said about being nobility couldn’t be a lie.
In the Empire, impersonating nobility is a grave crime. If she wasn’t truly a noble, there’s no way she’d speak so confidently.
“Wait, what? What the hell? Why is a noble doing a job like this?”
The merchant seemed taken aback by the mention of her nobility. Bliss smiled slyly at him.
“That’s my personal choice. Would you like me to show you proof? If I do, this whole matter might escalate. Do you think you can handle it?”
The merchant, now angrier, shouted at Bliss.
“I’ve had enough! How dare a young one try to deceive an adult! You’re all the same, those Origin Religion types! Always lying and deceiving us! Look! Look at this! These people are all liars!”
Bliss, unfazed, responded with a playful tone.
“No matter what you say, the fact remains that I was born into the Lily family. If you want, I can even show you proof later. So, what will you do now?”
“Don’t lie, young lady. What will you do if you get punished for this?”
The merchant, seemingly trying to advise Bliss as if she was bluffing, spoke in a trembling voice.
Bliss clapped her hands and replied.
“Oh! Just as you said, impersonating nobility is a crime under imperial law. So, if you want, you could report me to the lord of Birren! How does that sound? Would you like to try?”
The merchant’s face paled as Bliss remained confident despite her threatening words.
Seeing this, Bliss called out brightly.
“By the lack of an answer, I take it you now realize your mistake? You’ve insulted a noble. How dare you, a commoner, insult someone of noble blood! Do you not value your life?”
“Hmm… What punishment is fitting for insulting a noble, I wonder? I can’t quite remember the details.”
Bliss let the sentence hang, a mischievous smile playing at her lips.
“And if the person who instigated this insult is punished, their family can also be punished, right? Do you happen to know the details? I’m sure you were taught this before, but it seems my memory is failing me.”
The merchant didn’t respond. He couldn’t.
“You don’t know? Why the silence?”
Bliss’s mocking tone only grew as the merchant grew more flustered.
“Well, the more I think about it, the angrier I get. How dare a commoner insult someone of nobler blood! What punishment should be given, I wonder? Do you have any suggestions? After all, the punishment will be decided by you.”
“Ah… Ah…”
“Why? Do you have more to say? Go ahead. Why are you staying silent? I told you to speak like you did earlier. You were talking just fine a moment ago, but now you can’t say anything? Oh, do I need to give you a command?”
The merchant did not respond. His face had turned ashen.
“Seeing that you’re still not answering, you must understand now, right? Depending on my decision, you will either live or die.”
“Sorry… sorry…”
“Shut up. I haven’t finished speaking yet.
If it were up to me, I’d pull out your tongue right now, but it’s a shame I can’t do that in front of a noble person like yourself.
What are you doing? Aren’t you going to apologize quickly?
Kneel down and apologize… No, that won’t be enough. Bow your head right now. If you do that, maybe I’ll let it go.”
At her words, the merchant hesitated.
It seemed that, deep down, he still had some doubt about her. If not, it was probably his pride that made him hesitant to bow.
Seeing this, Bliss’s face twisted in displeasure.
“What are you doing? Not doing it quickly? Are you still doubting me? Or is it your pathetic pride? Ha! Fine, keep resisting. Who knows? Maybe if you resist long enough, you won’t have to bow your head. Of course, I can’t say whether your head will still be attached to your neck by that time.”
Bliss’s continued harsh words.
In the end, the merchant could not hold out any longer and slammed his head to the ground.
“Sorry… sorry! I have committed a grave sin! Please, spare my life… at least spare my family!”
Do lowly people always try to hide their lowliness? If they had spoken kindly, none of this would have happened. It’s such a pity.
Bliss clicked her tongue, speaking as if she found him pathetic.
“You have a lot to hear, but right now, I don’t even want to listen to you. For now, go to the church and wait. We’ll decide your punishment after we hear the information you have to share.”
You’d better not even think about running away. If you try, I’ll leave the outcome to your imagination.”
“Th… thank you!”
Hearing the merchant’s response, Bliss turned her attention elsewhere and spoke.
“By the way, there are so many people around here. I heard there are heretics over there too… should I check it out?”
At her words, the people surrounding us started to disappear one by one.
Bliss turned to look at me.
“Wash away the filth. [Clean]”
Then, she began a brief incantation.
As her chant finished, the clothes that had been wet with water were dry once more.
She seemed satisfied, and a smile returned to her face.
“Ah… I feel so refreshed.”
“Good job.”
“Ugh… why do people always make things difficult? If they’d just answered nicely when asked, we wouldn’t have to go through all of this.”
“Yeah, really.”
I could only give Bliss a wry smile as she sighed.
“Let’s stop the investigation here for today.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t feel like investigating anymore after all this today. Also, now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve had a proper rest since we arrived here.”
It was true; I had never seen Bliss take a break.
Bliss continued speaking.
“Until now, I’ve been pushing myself to keep going, but all these strange people have ruined my mood. So… today, I think I’ll just walk around the market to calm my bad mood.”
She walked a few steps forward, then turned back to me.
“I don’t like being alone. Would you mind joining me?”
Bliss smiled at me.
“Of course. I’d be happy to.”
What a surprise.
Not wanting to keep investigating, I nodded at Bliss’s suggestion.
That day, I ended up spending the whole day with her.
“These past few days, walking around here, I’ve been thinking…”
I turned to look at Agnes, who was speaking as she looked around.
“Doesn’t it feel like the scale of this place is enormous?”
“Yeah, it’s strange that the whole outskirts are in a similar situation.”
I agreed with her opinion.
Something definitely felt off about this place.