Chapter 2375: Tryst and the Priest’s Whereabouts

Chapter 2375: Chapter 2375: Tryst and the Priest’s Whereabouts

"As far as I know, among Angelina’s many brothers and sisters, there are quite a few useless ones. Lecia and Angelina are the exceptions."

Shard said with a smile:

"Besides, Margaret, you’re not bad yourself."

Although Emilia had her back to them, her ears were pricked the whole time, listening to the conversation, and she thought that Shard really was good at making people happy.

"Oh, Shard, don’t talk me up like that. I know my own level."

Though she said that, the Blonde Princess, who was almost sitting in Shard’s lap, clearly had a smile on her face:

"Teacher Sylvia went to Goethe Grand Hotel to find Teacher Benanis ten minutes before you arrived. She wanted her help to sense the Earth and locate a suitable place in the city to serve as a space node. When she gets back, she’ll definitely regret missing the chance to see you."

"What’s there to regret? I can’t say yet what I’ll be doing this afternoon, but at the very least I’ll definitely be eating lunch here."

Margaret’s eyes curved into little crescent moons with her smile:

"All right then, I’ll have the Maid prepare a feast in a bit. But I’m guessing Earl Belindel has already let you sample plenty of the local cuisine these days."

She stared at Shard with a beaming smile, then gently bit her lip:

"Oh Heroic Northern Knight~ The food in Moon Bay may be delicious, but do you know? The food in Velindale, especially the Royal Family’s desserts, actually tastes quite good too."

Listening to the conversation, Angelina and Emilia almost simultaneously understood what that sentence was implying.

On the sofa, Margaret lay against Shard’s chest and lifted her head, her left hand brushing his cheek. Her eyes were full of feeling as she met his gaze, then she gently lifted herself to kiss him.

Angelina was still at the desk, writing that speech; Emilia was still watering the trees and trimming the extra branches. Of course, with the Elf Girl leaning against the window glass and glowing, she could actually see everything behind her.

So she not only saw yet another Princess take the initiative to kiss Shard, but also saw her friend Angelina’s left hand, hanging down under the desk, clench tight.

But Angelina did not stop the two on the sofa from doing somewhat improper things in broad daylight. After all, if Lecia were here, she could do far more outrageous things. Fortunately, Margaret really was quite reserved; she merely took Shard’s hand and, from the inside, let him feel the texture of her long dress. And of course, she deliberately stayed out of Angelina’s line of sight.

Feeling the warmth of her lover’s roaming hand, she quietly lay in Shard’s arms, listening to his heartbeat, thinking how wonderful it would be if things could stay like this forever.

Angelina and Emilia were only staying at the estate for the day and would be able to return to Belindel Estate tonight, so Shard didn’t need to ask if they were comfortable with their lodgings.

Of course, Shard didn’t really spend the whole morning cuddling with Margaret on the study sofa. Even if he had spare time for that, Margaret didn’t. It might be Sunday, but according to her schedule, she still had to visit an orphanage and see the children there.

Naturally Shard would go with her, but before that he asked a question:

"It’s not the Red Heart Orphanage, is it?"

"Where’s that?"

The Blonde Princess still had a faint blush on her face. As the Maid helped her change into clothes for going out, Shard, sitting on the chair by her desk watching her dress, immediately shook his head:

"Good, then it’s not. I really don’t want to run into Mrs. Jude again anytime soon."

After all, what he’d done that night really had been a bit much.

As a Princess, the orphanage Margaret was visiting to show the Royal Family’s goodwill was, of course, the officially run "Moon Bay City Orphanage" operated by City Hall.

The person from Moon Bay accompanying the visit was the elderly Viscount Silver. Like Miss Belindel, this lady was also a woman, making her very suitable to accompany the Princess for this sort of event.

Viscount Silver came by in advance, then departed together with Princess Margaret. Shard disguised himself as an Attendant and followed behind Margaret.

When their group arrived through the thick fog at the orphanage on the southern edge of Moon Bay City, right next to the Lower District, a large number of reporters were already waiting.

Police and Royal Guards were keeping watch at the junction, and the orphanage interior had already been thoroughly checked in advance for Steam Bombs or other such dangers. After what had happened last Sunday, no one dared relax. Fortunately, at least this time, nothing unexpected happened.

Although most of the funding for this official orphanage came from City Hall, its actual operations were not handled by City Hall but by the charity "Serpent Heart Hospital," a mundane organization under Sister Delphine’s oversight.

Therefore, there were many staff members inside the orphanage dressed like Nuns, and Margaret was even quite interested, asking a few questions.

"It’s not just Serpent Heart Hospital, kind people from Moon Bay City also come here to do volunteer work. A few days ago, there was even an Old Cleric from the Northern Country who was willing to stay here and help; the children all like him very much. He originally wanted to stay at Dawn Chapel, but isn’t the church being renovated recently?"

Miss Jane Salander, the director of Red Heart Orphanage, introduced to the Princess, and so not long after, when the group were walking along the corridor on the second floor, Shard felt something and looked down from the corridor window into the yard below, just in time to meet the gaze of Priest Augustus, whom he hadn’t seen for a week.

The Old Cleric and a fat man in a cook’s uniform emerged from the fog, followed by a large group of children around ten years old. They were preparing to carry baskets of fresh vegetables to the back kitchen. The Priest, of course, recognized Shard, but he only nodded and did not exchange any further glances with Shard. Instead, he asked the cook beside him:

"The visitors today should be only Princess Margaret’s party, right? If things return to normal order here this afternoon, I’m thinking of taking the children to the back garden to pull weeds. Though this summer has been a bit cold, those weeds’ Life Force is truly tenacious."

The fat cook shook his head:

"We haven’t received any notice of other visitors, and who would dare come on the same day as the Princess? But they’re on the second floor now, and it looks like they won’t be coming to the kitchen again. Come on, lads, put your backs into it, hurry and carry these vegetables down to the cellar. And no stealing tomatoes or cucumbers, or you won’t get dinner tonight!"

The Priest nodded, very curious as to what Shard was up to this time.

Because the Lake Goddess had given him a warning, Shard knew there were indeed some Remains of the Death Angel in Moon Bay, so when he actually met Priest Augustus, who had come traveling to Moon Bay, he was in fact somewhat worried.

But that day he ultimately did not meet or speak alone with Priest Augustus; instead, after Margaret finished the visit to the orphanage, he left together with her.

Since the Priest was traveling and relaxing, Shard felt he shouldn’t bother him lightly. And as for the Remains of the Death Angel, even if he tried to block them, whatever was meant to appear by the Priest’s side would still appear.

At most Shard only paid some attention to what was happening here, believing that the Priest himself would make reasonable decisions.

Margaret’s schedule for the morning consisted only of this visit, so she was relatively relaxed on this rare Sunday. After they returned to the estate, Shard made a request to her:

"Can you help me with an Investigation on someone?"

He hesitated for a moment:

"Don’t make direct contact with this person, and above all don’t let him sense that anyone is investigating him. Ptolemy Albert, the Coroner of the Morgue in Spider Alley, in the Lower District of Moon Bay City. In his youth he studied medicine at Saint York Medical Academy in Velindale, and after graduation he became an army doctor and went with the army to the New World. He only returned to Moon Bay about ten years ago."

Mr. Albert only renewed contact with Mr. Benhart eight years ago, when he officially settled in Moon Bay, so in fact he must have arrived in Moon Bay somewhat earlier:

"He has worked many different jobs in Moon Bay, and eventually lost his position because, while teaching at the Academy, he got involved in student riots. He has been a Coroner all the way to the present day. I know the rough outline of his past, but now I want to know more of his life’s trajectory, as well as how his friends and colleagues evaluate him."

Margaret and Shard walked side by side up the estate’s staircase:

"Saint York Medical Academy? That’s the best medical Academy in Carsonrick. A graduate from there is now working as a Coroner in the Lower District of Moon Bay? That is truly interesting."

Her Highness the Princess was somewhat surprised, but still nodded:

"No problem, you want to understand his past indirectly, right? This isn’t troublesome, a few letters will do. But the period studying in Velindale and his time in Moon Bay will be easier to Investigate; his experiences in the New World will probably take longer to uncover. Wait for my good news."

"Investigate what?"

A voice suddenly came from above, and the two of them raised their heads to look up the stairs; Miss Sylvia was already standing at the top, smiling as she waited for them.

At the lunch table, Shard, Margaret, Miss Sylvia, Emilia, and Angelina sat down together, and Miss Sylvia gave Shard a piece of good news:

"They originally wanted to tell you tonight—His Excellency the Speaker has already confirmed the whereabouts of the Star Swordstone. It is no longer in the hands of that small Circle Sorcerer Organization from the Archipelago Kingdom. After multiple rounds of negotiation...still fairly peaceful negotiation, His Excellency the Speaker learned that the Relic is now in Moon Bay."

"Exactly as expected; in that case, the likelihood that it is one of the items required for the Chosen One Ceremony has grown even higher."

Shard nodded, looking at the bowl of seafood and cream mushroom chowder placed before him, unsure how to express that he didn’t really like this flavor.

[It’s dislike.]

"She" laughed, exposing Shard’s thoughts, and Margaret curiously asked:

"Teacher Sylvia, whose hands is that Relic in now?"

"His Excellency the Speaker said that the Volcano Alliance sold that Relic to a very ancient Hermit Society—the Guiding Light Hermitage. In fact, the Council has had contact with them before, but that was many years ago. His Excellency the Speaker is still trying to establish communication, but I think we should have new information very soon."