Beneath the lord's manor lay a treasury.
The door to the treasury was a deep gray, its edges worn down by time. It was clearly very old. Marcus unlocked it with a key and pushed it open, the hinges groaning softly with the protest of ancient mechanisms.
Behind the door lay the treasury itself.
It was not particularly spacious, but it was perfectly designed to accommodate rows of display shelves of varying heights along half the wall. On the shelves rested several old volumes, a few exquisitely beautiful weapons, and various bizarre treasures of odd shapes.
Deep inside, against the far wall, sat several wooden chests, which were also filled with numerous treasures.
Marcus stopped and spoke with a touch of pride:
“This is the treasury of my Oswell family, housing the treasures we have collected over the decades. While it cannot compare to the Church of the Morning Light, it is still quite respectable.”
He stepped aside slightly to give Lovene a better view. “Lady Saintess, if anything here catches your eye, please feel free to take it. Consider it a token of our gratitude.”
Lovene's gaze swept across the shelves, lingering briefly on the old volumes and the weapons before moving on.
She lowered her head, choosing her words carefully. “This is far too valuable...”
Damn it, she wanted them all.
But as much as she coveted them, she could not say so out loud. After all, it would completely clash with her persona as the Saintess. Besides, when it came to receiving gifts, one had to politely decline a few times first.
Marcus took half a step forward and said generously:
“It is quite alright. Treasures only serve their true purpose when they are in the hands of someone who can use them. Otherwise, they are just sitting here gathering dust.”
He paused, looking up at Lovene. “Moreover, you saved our entire territory. Compared to that, the value of these treasures is utterly negligible.”
“But...”
“Please, do not decline any further. Otherwise, you would be slighting my hospitality.”
Lovene sighed at his words, speaking as if she were doing so with great reluctance:
“Very well. Since you put it that way, Lord Marcus, I shall not stand on ceremony.”
Her gaze shifted away from a short sword and landed on an item on the middle shelf against the wall.
It was a bracelet, its band woven from delicate silver metal rings. It looked as though it had been polished countless times; there were no visible scratches on its surface, and it gleamed with an enchanting luster under the wall lamps.
At the center of the bracelet hung a thumb-sized pendant shaped like a crescent moon.
“This is...”
Marcus followed her gaze and explained:
“That is the Silver Moon Bracelet. It is said to be an accessory crafted by an imperial princess of the past. It is also a very special magic tool—wearing it allows one to conceal the mana within their body.”
“Conceal the mana within one's body?”
Lovene felt a surge of joy in her heart, her fingertips lightly brushing the edge of the bracelet.
As far as she knew, the Church of the Morning Light had numerous ways to detect mana levels. Thus, as early as when her mana broke through to Rank Two, she had begun to worry about her mana level being exposed.
What was more, she was about to undergo the church's Blood-Bestowal Ceremony. The knights sent to conduct the ceremony were already on their way. If she did not conceal her strength, she would likely expose her mana level during the ritual.
The appearance of this bracelet would not only save those knights' lives but also buy her more time to grow.
After all, once she was discovered to possess mana, she would have to kill those knights to keep her secret. But if no knights returned to the church to report the outcome of the Blood-Bestowal Ceremony, the church would eventually realize something was amiss.
Marcus nodded.
“Indeed. Furthermore, the craftsmanship used to forge it is extraordinary. Unless it is physically destroyed, ordinary mana detection arrays have no way of sensing the wearer's mana level.”
“It sounds wonderful. I shall take this, then.”
Marcus took down the bracelet and handed it to Lovene. Then, looking at another item on the shelf, he asked:
“Will you not choose anything else, Lady Saintess? I have an excellent protective scroll here. It is said that as long as you channel mana into it, it can block any Rank Five magic attack. It is incredibly powerful.”
Lovene shook her head gently, the links of the Silver Moon Bracelet clinking softly in her palm:
“No, thank you. As you know, as the Saintess of the church, I do not possess any mana.”
She looked down at the bracelet in her palm, appearing somewhat despondent.
“I only chose this bracelet because it looks lovely. As for protective talismans and the like, even if you gave them to me, I would not be able to use them.”
“Besides, I already have Holy Knights to protect me. I do not need anything else.”
These were all lies straight from Lovene's heart.
A protective scroll was completely useless to her. With the Heart of the Saintess, she did not fear death at all. In fact, if someone were to assassinate her, she could even use a feigned death to deceive her enemies.
Not to mention, dying was her primary method of harvesting people's emotions.
Marcus seeing how despondent Lovene seemed, he could not help but think of the treatment the Saintess received within the church, and a wave of sorrow washed over him.
Although Lovene was called the Saintess of the church and possessed authority second only to one, she was actually just a fruit cultivated by the church, destined to be offered to the Lord of the Morning Light once she matured.
She was not even allowed to possess mana. How many people in the church truly respected her or were willing to obey her commands? Her infinite glory had always been nothing more than an illusion.
Believing that the treasure he recommended had struck a painful chord with the Saintess, Marcus quickly changed the subject.
“Since you insist, Lady Saintess, then the Silver Moon Bracelet it is. You will surely look beautiful wearing it, I promise.”
Lovene smiled. She put on the bracelet and raised her left hand to examine it under the light. It did indeed possess an indescribable beauty, but her smile remained heartbreakingly forced.
Seeing this, Marcus's words of praise caught in his throat, left unsaid.
Why did he have to mention that protective scroll? Why did he have to remind her of her plight within the church? The Saintess was already so unfortunate, yet he had to reopen her wounds...
He really was a beast.
Marcus, who had given the bracelet as a token of gratitude, was now filled with immense self-reproach.
...
Because she had to wait for the Blood-Bestowal Ceremony, Lovene did not leave the Oswell territory for the next few days.
Before the morning mist had fully dissipated, a long queue had already formed in the square by the side gate of the slums.
In the center of the square, a tabletop made from several old wooden chests pushed together was covered with a piece of washed-out, coarse linen. Freshly baked rye bread was neatly stacked on top, with faint wisps of steam still rising from the edges.
Lovene stood behind the counter, a coarse cloth apron tied over her holy robe. Her sleeves were rolled up to her forearms, revealing a stretch of pale, fair skin. Her movements were practiced and composed as she took the bread from the wooden chests, placed them on clean paper, and handed them to the residents of the slums waiting in line.
As she lowered her head, the morning light caught her eyelashes, highlighting their delicate curves. Seeing this, Mia, who stood beside her, whispered:
“Your Highness, there is no need for you to do such things personally.”
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