CH 141

[‘The Scales that Judges the Soul’ raises only one corner of her mouth and smiles.]

Ms.Libra’s smile was nothing short of a divine revelation, foreshadowing something sinister. I swallowed dryly, feeling tension and fear for some reason.

“Your Eminence? Aren’t you coming in?”

“G-Going. I’m right behind you.”

As we went inside the building and were about to walk down the long stretched hallway.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

All of a sudden the floor rumbled, the walls rumbled, and the ceiling rumbled.

“Wh-what is this! Is it a dungeon sink!?”

While the Paladins of Grace were making a fuss behind us, I saw a large, beautiful body rapidly approaching on the other side of the hallway.

At this, Edgar and the other vassals shouted in bewilderment.

“What?”

“Yo-Yo-Your Excellency the Duke!”

“You obviously decided to politely wait in your seat……!”

Sure enough, now, Prince Hispenril was running down the hallway, throwing away his social status and dignity!

Thump! Thump! Thump!

“Babyyy! Welcomeeee!”

Grandfather was relentlessly rushing this way with his arms wide open.

“B-Baby? Did he say, Baby?”

“Yo-Your Excellency the Duke?”

The surroundings panicked.

Well, there’s nothing you can do about it.

“Grandpaaaaa!”

I also sprinted and in the moment that I jumped and hugged his pectoralis major muscles that were as wide as a plain.

“Oh, my God.”

“Huk.”

“What.”

Gasps of shock seeped through the hallway.

<Irk, get away from me, old man, the pendant is touching your muscles! >

And Agnes screamed in disgust.

Even a full-grown woman was a baby in front of this towering, bunched-muscled middle-aged man. Grandpa bounced me around for a while before he finally put my feet back on the ground.

“My granddaughter is coming to visit, so this old man was unable to wait! Since I couldn’t stand it I just ran out! Ha, ha, ha!”

“I missed you, Grandpa! Thank you for coming to greet me!”

“Let me take a look at you, my baby! After you became a Saint you got even more prettier. Dear me, you’re dazzling.”

“Ugh, I’m dazzled too. Grandpa’s muscles are shining!”

“Hm, this cutie pie! Oh, come to think of it, you caught a big doggie this time, right?”

“Yes!”

“As expected of our family’s granddaughter. When I was your age, I ripped bosses’ spines with bare hands and your mother split the eyeballs of one with nothing but a hoe and a plow! Bravo! I’m so proud of you!”

“What. I am still a long way off.”

After sharing a lot of joy after the reunion, I looked around. Edgar and Rex, who had blank faces, each said a word.

“So now……Our Duke and……”

“Our Eminence the Chosen One……”

Their questions for clarification came at the same time.

“Are you Grandfather and Granddaughter?!”

“Yes.”

“That’s right.”

Me and Grandpa nodded, clinging to each other. 

“Oh, my lord.”

“The saint that appeared after 500 years……”

“Is the granddaughter of the continent’s strongest man……”

“A-A-d-dreadful family, House Hispenril……”

I’m really satisfied with the way they can’t even finish the words with jaws dropping to the floor.

Oh, I haven’t been able to confirm one person’s reaction yet.

<Thesilid’s face has gone dumb.>

Agnes slapped the world’s most handsome man again. 

In my eyes, Thesilid had become a handsome stone statue.

I felt a little proud because it seems that I gave a fresh shock to his long and boring life of regression. 

He asked in a slightly trembling voice. 

“……Were you the granddaughter of Prince Hispenril?”

“Uh-hum. His Excellency the Duke of Hispenril here is my Grandfather. My mother, whom you met last time, is a princess.”

“……”

“Isn’t my grandfather cool?”

“……”

No, what if there is no answer here?

“Grandpa, Terry is a little freaked out right now, so please look favorably upon him.” 

“I know.”

Huh? Do you know?

Suddenly, Grandpa’s voice became stern. 

“Baby, I heard all the news from your mother in the letter.”

“What?”

When I was somewhat taken aback by the word ‘letter’, Grandpa strode towards Thesilid and then.

“Welcome, Grandson-in-law.” 

“It’s not like that!”

I’m going crazy! 

Then, the dumbfounded Thesilid.

“Ah, yes. I wish you well……”

No, don’t answer here!

He even shook Grandpa’s outstretched hand.

Grandpa tightened his clasped right hand. Then, with his opposite hand, he began to rub Thesilid’s arm and shoulder, starting at the wrist.

<What are you doing, old man!>

“Gran-Grandpa!”

Whether I squealed or not, the look on my Grandfather’s face, as he groped Thesilid, was serious.

“Hmm! I see a young man with dignity in his deltoids, intelligence in his trapezius, and grit in his upright erector spinae, all right, you pass!” 

“Oh, please stop……”

This is not a romance genre.

I don’t have 10 billion in cash.

Covering my face with both hands as if I was about to cry I was thinking that I’ll die from the heat of shame because it was summer.

I didn’t have the confidence to meet the gazes of the Paladins and the Vassals so I pretended to wipe my forehead and covered my eyes. 

“Sigh, let’s go somewhere and talk calmly. I have something to tell you.”

✠

Grandpa and I sat across from each other on the couch in the parlor. Of course, we weren’t alone.

Chief Aide Edgar stood behind my grandfather and Thesilid and Rex stood behind me.

As I drank about three glasses of ice water and my composure seemed to return, I went straight to the point.

“The first reason I came to visit the principality is because I wanted to see my grandfather, but there is another reason as well, and that’s……”

“To introduce me to Sir Thesilid?”

“……”

“Okay, okay. Go ahead and tell me, baby.”

I drank another glass of water and opened my mouth.

“I have a big request for my grandfather.”

“Hm? What would you like to ask?”

“I became a High Saint, but I have no parish. I want to designate Peronsa as my parish and build a church here. I hope you will allow it.”

“Hup!”

“Hick!”

Grandpa and Aide Edgar both breathed in at the same time.

A response came soon.

“Did you hear, Your Excellency?! Our Peronsa welcomes a parish under a High Saint!”

“Oohh! My granddaughter is the Head Vicar of the parish in my land!”

It felt good to be welcomed. 

Edgar said with a face beaming with happiness.

“Peronsa hadn’t been granted a parish designation because of the original small number of believers and the territoriality of the Golden Ivory Tower, but…If the Leader of the parish is a Saint, they won’t be able to say anything about it.” 

“If they harm you, tell this old man!”

“Do not worry. I will take care of them.”

I glanced back at Rex, who was standing behind me.

“The Lord’s permission has fallen. Sir Rex, I would be grateful if you could report to the Minister of Doctrine so that the parish designation could be expedited as soon as possible.”

“Yes. Just leave it to me, Your Eminence.”

It was a decision of my own volition, but I doubt Cardinal Decal would object.

From the Church’s point of view, increasing the number of parishes means expanding its power, and since I am the granddaughter of the Duke, I am the most suitable person for the parish head.

No, actually, to put it a bit bluntly, it didn’t matter even if I didn’t have the approval of the Vatican.

In the end, my purpose is to fulfill the quest. It is the system that needs that recognition. Besides my religion is the World Church, and the highest authority of that church was me, the religious leader.

All I had to do was designate it as a parish.

Seeking the permission of the Order Church is merely a formality.

[‘The Critic who adjusts the balance’ comforts you for having a lot of trouble because of heresy.]

Now that the designation of the parish was settled, it was time to talk about the construction of the church.

“Grandpa, since I can’t stay in the principality for long, can I ask you to build a church?”

“Of course, I’ll build you a nice and fancy one!”

“Thank you. Construction cost is……”

I rummaged in my sleeves with melancholy and pulled things out of my inventory.

Oh, my hands are shaking

“He-here is all my property……I have 30,000 gold…… Is it possible to fill up what is lacking with the materials for transition stones and Rodel’s Pills? I haven’t cashed these yet……”

“Oh, God! There are so many horns of Unisus!” 

“Look at the size!”

While Edgar and Rex exclaimed with their eyes wide open in amazement, Grandpa made a solemn reply.

“Keep them.”

“……Grandpa?”

“Do you think this old man can’t even do this much for his granddaughter?”

“……!”

“Consider the construction costs as my offering.”

“Gr-Grandpa……!”

It was exciting.

[‘The World-building God’ registered ‘Aaron Jake Hispenril’ as the 1st place in the Believer’s Offerings Ranking.]

“Grandpa! Thank you so much.”

I was already struggling with money, so my nose got all cold.

I was putting money, materials, and goods back into my inventory, and Edgar asked me a good question.

“Have you thought about where to build the Church?”

“Yes!”

I pulled out a map of Peronsa with thorough preparation. There was a place circled in advance.

“It was put up for sale a few months ago.”

“It’s a bit out of the way, isn’t it lonely here?” 

“Here is the right place. Can I buy it quickly? Right now if possible.”

“Edgar, did you hear that?”

“Yes, I will buy it right away.”

It was truly a lighting out of the blue sky.

When all discussions were over, Grandpa said while stroking his abs.

“I’ve worked a lot lately, so I think I’m going to lose my muscles.” 

“Come to think of it, it’s lunch. I am hungry too.”

“My granddaughter can’t go hungry! Come on, let’s all move to the banquet hall!”

“Yes!”

As we left the parlor and walked down the hall, Grandpa took an interest in Rex’s muscles. 

Meanwhile, Thesilid clung close to me.

“Eli.”

Looking at his handsome face carved with a soft smile, I couldn’t help but smile at him too.

“Huh? What is it?”

“There are a lot of Unisus horns. Where did you get it from?”