Vol 2 Chapter 26: The Grand Priestess

"I know who you are, Grand Priestess," Fiora began with a smile. "And your past."

"Heh," Lunarya replied with a grin. "Everyone already knows that." She then leaned back on her chair, putting her hands at the back of her head. “Go on. I don’t mind.”

“Then, I shall cut the chit chat and go straight to the point,” Fiora continued, her smile disappearing. “Slavery. We both detest that, don’t we? After all, you are a former slave yourself.”

Looking at the expressions of both Helen and Nicole, the two seemed unfazed in the slightest, meaning they already knew about it beforehand. Me though? I was quite surprised. I mean, how did a slave end up holding such a high-ranking job?

“Hmph. Correct.” She now folded her hands under her chest. “I vow never to forget those days. That’s why I never heal this right eye of mine, even though I am very much able to, with my magic.” So that’s why she wore an eyepatch like that. “That cruelty—the way that demon gouged my eyes out, I could never forget it.” Wait, gouged her eyes? Seriously?

“You killed your master, and then you ran away.” Nicole suddenly spoke up. “And by Fate’s blessing, you ended up being taken in by the former Grand Priest of this region. Despite your background, you persevered through your trials, and proved yourself enough that the Saint herself acknowledged your devotion to our faith. Thus she gave you this position, after the person who took you in passed away from old age.”

The beastwoman chuckled. “Who told you all that?” she asked Nicole.

“Lady Miriam spoke highly of you,” she replied with a smile. “She believed you to be the paragon of how a grand priest should be.”

“Ha! Me? A paragon? Don’t make me laugh.”

“You’re strong.” Nicole continued, undeterred. “And you actively defend this place from any strong monsters that might appear. You left because you were off monster hunting again, didn’t you? I know how you would go to the peaks of the Blooming Rose Mountains occasionally, seeing to it that no dangerous monsters would come down and destroy the villages nearby.”

“That just makes me at the same level as those adventurers, no?”

“Not only that, but you also use all the money you get from selling those rare and valuable monster parts to feed the poor and clothe the needy. And you would also open free clinics all through the city, employing your subordinates to man them. And you ran your own orphanage as well. All that combined—I have to agree with Lady Miriam that you are a person I have to look up to, Milady.” Nicole gave a little bow with her head.

Wow, so she’s that nice of a person? Is she the type of woman that’s tough on the outside but soft on the inside? I have to admit—I do have a liking for that type of girl. That’s why female knights are one of my favorite archetypes.

Hmm? Fiora? Ha! That girl doesn’t have enough softness on the inside to count!

How old does that make her though? Looking at her now, she’s probably in her mid or early thirties or so, but she could very well be older than that.

"Well well well, you certainly know how to flatter someone, little girl." She gave a light grin towards Nicole. "You're the aspirant for the high priestess position, aren't you? You think saying those words would make me go easy on you? Think again!"

"I do not wish for something like that," Nicole replied, shaking her head. "Please, give me the same trial as you would give the others." She lowered her head once again.

Lunarya pursed her lips, seemingly examining Nicole closely for a brief second before returning her attention back towards Fiora.

“So, you think you can get my support just because of that?” She crossed her arms.

“Of course, I would also create a prosperous empire that is free from hunger and want,” Fiora continued, unabated. “I would lower the taxes and reduce the lavishness of the nobles. And most importantly, stop their petty squabbles for power. In my empire, only the loyal and capable would be granted influential governing positions.”

And then, the beastwoman laughed.

“Ahahahaha, how naive!” She hit the table with her fist. “You really think you would be able to do all that? You know how many enemies you would make by doing such a thing? The entire nobility and the powerful slave merchants would be all against you, little girl! Even if you became empress, they would never obey you. They would only conspire to backstab you one day and put on their favored puppet instead.” She shook her head. "No, as much as I want to punch those nobles and merchants in the face, your method wouldn't work in the slightest. You would only end up causing chaos, and as a grand priestess, I can't allow that. I am also here to promote stability, as if the empire shows weakness, those magical folks to the south would surely start another war with us."

Of course, she was referring to the Magocracy by that.

Fiora didn't reply immediately. She instead looked away from the grand priestess, to the picture behind her. It was a picture of a female cleric, seemingly leading the way for the line of ragged people behind her through a field of thorns.

That's supposed to be the Saint, isn't it?

"Very well." She finally spoke, a hint of bitterness in her voice. "I suppose I should tell you this secret. As much as I loathe it to use his name, my father, Emperor Sigmund Freya Pendragon, has spoken to me of his desire to see me become empress. Indeed, I was his favorite candidate for the throne.”

Lunarya’s eyes widened in surprise. She did not see that statement coming in the slightest.

“Hoo? That’s a nice lie you just told there,” she replied. “You expect me to believe that with just your word?”

“I wasn’t lying,” Fiora continued, glaring at her. “I do not understand it either. One day, he fetched for me—called me into his room. He then told all his servants and guards to leave us together. And then, with that stupid grin of his, he told me that he wished for me to be the next empress after him.” At this point, she was looking away. I think, judging by the slight softness on her expression, she still has some love towards her father, even after what he did to his mom.

“And so,” she continued, looking up back towards Lunayra. “Even if the nobles and the wealthy merchants aren’t on my side, I would have the Imperial Knights with me.” She looked back down again with a bitter smile. “Or so I hope, seeing how my siblings are making their moves to win them over to their sides.”

Silence. Even the grand priestess needed a few seconds to process this new revelation.

“Even so,” She finally spoke up. “I’m still doubting your ability to lead, little girl. The knights are the sword of the Empire. The only influence they have is in prestige and strength. But to have a functioning government, you would need your subordinates to actually transmit your orders to their own subordinates, and the dukes and marquesses are the ones with that power, as rulers of their own respective territories. They, along with the merchants, are a linchpin of this Empire’s prosperity. If they were to be annihilated, who would step in to fill the void? Unless you have an answer to that question, then no, I can’t lend my support to you.” Suddenly, she smirked. “Really, if you don’t realize that already, then you really aren’t suited to be a ruler. Truly, the rumors were true, that the third princess was nothing like her older siblings. You have no charm nor charisma, and you don’t have their ability to navigate the world of court intrigue either. No. You’d be better off abandoning your dream entirely and becoming a swordswoman instead, since you seem to be already pretty suited for that role, seeing how you’re all about strength, while lacking the brains to—”

CLANG

Her sword unsheathed in a flash, heading straight towards the grand priestess’ neck before the older woman blocked it with her barrier.

“Your Highness!” Helena shouted. Nicole’s mouth was wide open and I was paralyzed with surprise as well. D-did she… did she just attack her?

“Abandoning my dream? Over my dead body,” she said with a murderous glare.

“Then it shall be your grave.” She smiled in return.

That was just bluffing, right? You know, the kind of stuff you often see swordsmen do in manga and stuff, putting their sword right at the opponent’s neck but not actually cutting through?

Looking at her expression, it was the first time I saw her this angry. She was always calm and collected, and at the very most, she would only look annoyed. But now, it was a genuine and cold anger, filling her expression entirely.

No, she can’t actually mean to kill her. That would be so terribly stupid and out of character for her.

But then again, this is already entering stupid territory on its own. Really, provoking the person you need to obtain approval from?

And then, she stood up, still with the cold and angry look, withdrawing her sword but not sheathing it back.

“Very well. I suppose the path of asking nicely for the Church’s backings is off limits as well. That only leaves me with one option.” At this moment, she gave a look towards me, before facing back towards the high priestess. “I will have to take the throne by force.” 

At that moment, she swung her sword to the side. She wasn’t hitting anything but air, but she did it so fast and sharply that I could feel it cutting the air even from all the way here. At the same moment, for some inexplicable reason, I felt chills crawling all throughout my body.

Fear. That was what I felt. I felt as if she was going to chop me into pieces with that sword at any second.

“The Legendary Hero founded this Empire with strength, as he cut through the hordes of demons that plagued the world and built a nation where humans can live in peace. And so I shall do the same. After all,” She gave a bone-chilling smirk. “I am his descendant.”

With that speech, she walked away from the table towards the door, sheathing her sword in the process. “Your Highness!” Helen quickly rose up and followed her as well.

“Girl, you would cut down the soldiers of the Empire? Kill all the Seven Imperial Knights?” The grand priestess half-shouted. To my surprise, instead of an angry expression, she had an amused smile instead. “You know what that means, don’t you?”

Fiora stopped, Turning back slightly, she said to her, “I know.” She smiled. “I might just decide to destroy the Empire altogether.”

And with those ominous words, the two left the room, leaving both Nicole and I completely speechless.

“What an amusing girl,” the beastwoman spoke, resting her chin on her hands. “If she actually ends up making this thousand-year old Empire collapse, well, I say it’s about time. Nothing in this world lasts forever. Even the long-lived high elves would die one day. That is Providence.”

“But—” Nicole protested. “You just said that you don’t want chaos to happen under her rule.” She would’ve apologized profusely for her friend, if not for the fact that the grand priestess now had a cheerful expression on her face, which she honestly didn’t know how to react to.

“True,” she replied, giving a slight smile towards the priestess. “As a grand priestess, I wouldn’t want that to occur. However, as my old self, who despises the order of the world… Well, let’s just say that I was quite similar to her at that age.” She sighed. “'Rebirth through destruction'. The words of our Great Saint Milicis herself. Perhaps if the Empire was to be destroyed, something better could arise from its ashes." Her smile was tinged with bitterness.

Oi oi that kind of talk is usually reserved for a bad guy, you know? Did the Saint seriously say that?

"Is the Empire really that bad?" I spoke up. Slavery and poverty are bad things for sure but they don't warrant complete destruction, do they? Especially when other countries also have them.

"That bad?" The grand priestess smirked towards me. "A lot of things are bad in this world. And the Empire certainly has a fair share of them. Really, I wouldn't call it Holy by any means."

She raised one leg under the table, crossing it over the other one. "However, I have to say that it's gotten worse over the years. The upper nobles only cared about their own petty squabbles, to the point of sending assassins against each other. If the Imperial Knights were to abandon their neutrality, then it would be a full blown civil war. The vassal kingdoms would be dragged into the conflict as well. The Magocracy would also see it as an opportunity to invade, as well as other nations who never had a good relationship with it in the first place. In short, the whole continent would be thrown into chaos."

"Wait, so Fiora wants to—"

"She wants to fix that corruption," Nicole interjected. "By any means necessary."

“So if she wanting to fix it would cause chaos, but no one fixing it will also cause chaos as well, what’s the difference then?”

“Exactly my point.” The grand priestess flashed a wry grin towards my direction. “My main problem with her is really just the way she would do it. By the sword. Not to mention that disrupting the slave market would definitely cause ripples of chaos as well, since many of the prominent merchant companies that exist right now would be on her list as well. If they were to close doors all of a sudden, that would be quite a blow to the Empire’s economy.”

Another curtain of silence fell in the room before Nicole decided to speak.

“‘Thou who walk on the path of justice, forfeit thy comfort if it would only weigh thee down.’ Saint Milicis also uttered those words. And I believe it applies to our current discussion.”

“Hoo, interesting!” The grand priestess spoke. “So you say the people of the Empire should just accept their decline if it means walking on the path of justice and righteousness.”

“Indeed.” She nodded, with a forlorn smile. “‘Thy love for power and gold shall lead to ruin’ was another sentence our Great Saint uttered. So I’m fine with the Empire weakening if it means justice is served.”

“Well well well, it seems we have a model high priestess here already!” Lunarya grinned. “Although, let me tell you that your opinion on slavery isn’t shared by the majority of Church folks. Only a few, such as you and me, believe that keeping it around is not just. The concept of high slaves was born out of our camp compromising with the majority, vying for a better treatment of slaves instead. Although naturally, judging by your expression, I assume it is not enough. Fiora told you of the slave farms they have, didn’t she? That isn’t exactly common knowledge, you know. Most of the people who bought them don’t know, or don’t care. All they want are capable servants, both in daytime and in bed.” She chuckled. “Ah, the perverseness of society. Sometimes I wonder if humans are any better than orcs or incubuses in that category.”

My eyes linked towards hers for a brief second, and I immediately averted them with what possibly could be a guilty expression.

Yeah, I certainly have imagined buying slaves for nighttime purposes, I admit that. But I decided against it in the end, you know, so don’t lump me in with those folks!

Although, if Sherry doesn’t exist, I might end up buying one after all, just because qt slave girls are just something you gotta have if you’re in a fantasy world.

So yeah. I think I belong in those “perverse folks” category that she talked about.

"Anyway, let's just finish this boring meeting." Lunarya spoke. "Nicole, if you want my approval for your pilgrimage, then all I ask is one thing." She smirked. "Make your princess friend apologize to me."

"Apologize?" She replied with surprise.

"Yes. I want her to swallow her pride and apologize. Humility is an important character for a leader to have, and if you can make her apologize, in a genuine fashion, then I would both approve of her bid of power and of you becoming a high priestess. Guiding a hardheaded and prideful person like that to the right path—that's a skill a high priestess should have as well."

"But that's unfair, isn't it?" I spoke up. "I know her. She's not going to apologize to anyone. Ever." Really, making her bow her head down and beg for forgiveness is just plain impossible. Might as well try to ask a mountain to lower its peak.

"Then, you help her as well, boy." Her smirk still remained. "And that maid as well if you want. As her retainers, you are part of her strength as well, so I don’t mind you helping to soften that girl up a little.”

She then stood up from her chair. “Oh, and I’ll give you a time limit. One week from now. After that,” She looked back towards Nicole. “You have to decide whether to continue attending to her or to continue your pilgrimage, as I wouldn’t give my letter of recommendation if you are still with her.”

And with that, she left the room, leaving the two of us looking at each other, speechless.

ForestDweller

Thanks to a discussion I had with Ioshi1505 about the politics of slavery and kingdom-running and all that in the PMs, I decided to bring out the problem with Fiora's plan earlier than I originally have planned. This might just lead to to

Hugo leaving Fiora earlier than I planned as well.

Writing about politics like this is pretty tiring, if I were to be honest. I really want to move on to the "badass Hugo" phase, but this is necessary as a foundation for future plot points. And by that, I mean doing stuff like

defeating an entire army by himself.

Totally not inspired by a manga I just read :p