Book 5: Volume 3 Chapter 7, Greetings

Translator: Kazumi

Editor: Silavin

 

Kokoro was visiting the Three Shrines of Mixen for the first time in her life. It was almost unthinkable for a shrine maiden living in the Central Continent to have never visited, but Kokoro’s unconventional upbringing had made it so.

 

Her Mother, Sylvia, had provided her with all the knowledge she needed for her training. More importantly, she never had any problems with her training, as she was able to meet Living Gods face-to-face at any time and received abundant divine protection and oracles from the Goddesses.

 

Although she had never even entered a traditional shrine, which was supposed to be visited at least once during training, she had continued her studies in the best possible environment and had even become independent.

 

By any standard, Kokoro’s background was quite unusual for a shrine maiden.

 

As for why Kokoro had come to the Three Shrines, it was because she had received an invitation while stationed at the castle as Sylvia’s successor. When Sylvia had been there, the temples had maintained only minimal contact with the castle, but they were planning to use Kokoro’s appointment as an opportunity to strengthen relations.

 

Kokoro had heard about this from Lirica and decided to accept the offer, as it was a rare opportunity. She had also asked Sylvia how she should approach the Three Shrines, but was simply told, “Do as you like.”

 

Of course, Sylvia was not trying to push her away. She had told Kokoro to rely on her if she faced any trouble, but she had completely passed all her authority to her Daughter. Like Floria, she believed that the older generation should only provide support when needed.

 

With Sylvia’s backing, Kokoro headed to the temples to determine her future course of action.

 

“…It’s rather grand.”

 

Kokoro, entering the Elisa Meir Temple in Mixen for the first time, muttered this observation. The words came out almost as a whisper, so they did not reach others, but Lirica, who was standing nearby, clearly heard them.

 

Hearing Kokoro’s muttering, Lirica could not help but suppress her smile.

 

To Kokoro, who had only known the temple on the fifth floor and the prayer room on the Management Floor, the Elisa Meir Temple seemed complexly decorated, to the point of luxury.

 

“This temple receives donations from many believers, so it needs to acknowledge them in a visible way.”

 

“Is that how it works?”

 

Lirica’s subtle explanation was clearly understood by Kokoro, who nodded thoughtfully.

 

What Lirica said might sound rather pragmatic, but Kokoro understood that it was necessary for a temple with many believers and even more substantial donations. Accepting everything without showing it in a visible way would actually be more problematic.

 

This kind of consideration arose precisely because, unlike the temples on the fifth floor, they actively accepted donations from the public.

 

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After entering the temple and speaking with a priest, they were immediately ushered inside. Kokoro’s identification was checked. However, since her Crown Card was enough proof, her verification process was completed easily.

 

This moment demonstrated that the Crown Card had already earned the temple’s complete trust, a fact that surprised Lirica.

 

It seemed they had been informed of Kokoro’s arrival from the beginning, as she was ushered straight to the temple master’s office without any delays. This reaction made it clear how important the temple considered this meeting.

 

However, Kokoro, who had been raised in the castle as Kousuke’s Daughter since birth, was not the type to be overly impressed by such treatment. Given Kokoro’s personality, she would not be arrogant about being treated this way, but she was also not one to become overly deferential.

 

Laurelle was waiting for Kokoro in the temple master’s office. The fact that there was no one else present indicated that this would be a private meeting.

 

“Welcome.”

 

“Thank you for having me. And for the invitation.”

 

“It’s my pleasure.”

 

After exchanging pleasant greetings, Kokoro and Lirica sat down on the sofa at Laurelle’s invitation. After confirming that they were seated comfortably, Laurelle began speaking.

 

“Thank you very much for accepting my invitation.”

 

Laurelle bowed her head politely and looked at Kokoro with a gentle expression.

 

She had already met Lirica several times, along with Sylvia, but this would be her first time meeting Kokoro face-to-face. She had also come to assess what kind of person this young shrine maiden was.

 

For Laurelle, the fact that Kokoro had accepted her invitation was already a more than satisfying achievement.

 

Even as she felt Laurelle’s appraising gaze on her, Kokoro remained composed as she sipped the drink she was offered. Though her expression was calm, Kokoro knew deep in her eyes that she was being evaluated.

 

It was not for nothing that she had been subjected to such stares from adults in the castle, alongside Towa and the others. Kokoro was not Royalty, but as Kousuke’s Daughter, she was still scrutinized by some who understood her situation.

 

Above all, at the academy she always attracted attention as Towa and the others’ Half-Sister.

 

Kokoro had been a bit slow to notice such things when she first joined the academy, but now she had become quite adept at seeing through people’s intentions. Especially since being named Sylvia’s successor, she had been constantly given the same appraising looks, so it was impossible for her not to notice.

 

“No, this is a valuable opportunity. I don’t often get a chance to see the renowned temple master Laurelle up close.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

Kokoro said it without much thought, but Laurelle did not take it that casually. After all, Kokoro was the Daughter of Kousuke and Sylvia. It was natural to assume that the source of Kokoro’s knowledge was from them, that she might have overheard conversations between the temple and her Parents.

 

Looking at Kokoro’s expression, Laurelle could not tell if she was being subtly pointed or genuinely sincere, so she simply nodded in acknowledgment.

 

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After exchanging brief greetings, they concluded with a harmless, pleasant conversation.

 

Leaving the temple master’s office and returning to the main temple, Kokoro spotted ordinary believers in prayer and expressed interest. After asking Lirica for permission to pray for a moment, she spread the cloth she had prepared on the ground and sat in meditation.

 

It was only natural that Laurelle, watching this, remembered Kousuke’s previous visit to the same place over a decade ago. Though neither Kokoro nor Kousuke had discussed it with each other, they had both faithfully inherited the same meditation technique.

 

Laurelle had never expected to see the exact same scene she had witnessed only once so many years ago. As she watched Kokoro meditating, she muttered, “Seems like blood really is thicker than water.”

 

Lirica, who was standing nearby, clearly heard the comment and cast a meaningful glance at Laurelle, but did not say anything. She did not want to disturb Kokoro’s meditation.

 

In the end, though Kokoro had not intended to make any particular impression, she left a strong one on Laurelle and concluded her visit to the temple.