Part 1: Saintess Candidate Arc

15. The Promised Festival of Flowers (5)

Translated by: S3

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*****

The egg, now inscribed with the pattern of the Flower of Life woven from overlapping circles, trembled in his arms, conveying that it was alive.

It was a gesture so precious to Elliot that it brought tears to his eyes.

「If the light of that pattern does not fade even after two weeks, the effect will last. Also, please talk to the little girl inside every day and ask her to be born soon.」

「Yes. I'll talk to her every day. The... little girl inside?」

His dreamy mood instantly vanished, replaced by the feeling of being hit hard on the head, and his vision swam.

「Oh, was there a problem? Perhaps you didn't want to know the gender until she was born?」

At Elliot's reaction, Lily instinctively covered her mouth with her hand.

During the treatment, a distinctively adorable girl's aura had overflowed from the egg, leaving her with the firm impression of a little sister.

「No. I just thought it would be a younger brother. I see, a little sister. She's strong even before she's born...」

He had shown her nothing but his pathetic side on the journey here.

What if she makes fun of me when she’s born? Elliot's worries were endless.

「Well, the party's in full swing, but let's call it a night.」

Gin occasionally used strange phrases, but since Lily understood the part about 'calling it a night,' she nodded.

「I have to pay Gin. Just a moment.」

「! I-I need to offer some thanks too!」

Elliot turned pale as he said this. He had rushed out in the clothes on his back, so he had no possessions with him.

As if he had been waiting for this, Gin immediately took hold of the sash around Elliot's waist.

「How about this sash?」

「This is a sash made of Dragon Scales, but can I actually pay with this?」

「The Black Market is basically bartering. You can't buy things with foreign currency or anything like that.」

「Is that so?」 Elliot was surprised but relieved he could pay with one of his accessories. He removed the scarf wrapped around his waist and handed it to Lily.

「Um...」

「Hey!」

Startled by the unexpected turn of events, Gin couldn't help but shout at Elliot.

「Oh. I need to give something to Gin too, of course.」

Saying that, he handed over the jewel-studded brooch that fastened the scarf. But Gin frowned, looking unconvinced. He desperately wanted the Dragon Scale sash he was aiming for.

「Hey, Lily. Why don't you pay for your purchase with that sash?」

「...That's fine, but is this enough?」

「It's enough. More than enough! Actually—!」

Gin realized something and groaned, clutching his head with both hands. Not only was it enough, but he didn't have enough change to give back.

(No way, but I want the Dragon Scales! I absolutely want them! I need them no matter what. Think, me!)

It would be easy to cheat the two people in front of him out of the payment, but the village's accounting report wouldn't be so easy.

He didn't know what kind of trouble he would get into if Dragon Scales were found in the inventory.

(It's impossible. But I want it!)

「Lily! Think of it as helping me out, and buy the equivalent value of medicinal herbs with the Dragon Scales!」

「Wha... Wh-whaaat?!」

「Imports from the Eastern country have stopped, so you'll need a lot, right! So it's fine!」

「That might be true, but...」

「Then it's settled! Just lend me that for a second. I'm going to report it and prepare everything now!」

With that, Gin ran off like the wind.

Staring blankly after the sprinting Gin, Elliot, whose business was concluded, began preparations to leave.

「Lily. If it’s not too much trouble, could you tell me your country and how to contact you? I really want to thank you properly after my sister is born. Of course, even if it doesn't work out, I won't resent you.」

Sharing their identities was forbidden in the Black Market, but there was no one here to reprimand them.

Elliot also seemed unaware of the Black Market rules, and if they were going to ensure they met again in two weeks, it was wiser to exchange details.

「I'm Lily. I live in the Holy Aurum Kingdom. But I don't think it's a good idea to come visit me directly.」

「No. If it's the human country, I can go without any problem.」

「Is that so? Well, I usually live at the castle. In the royal capital, you should be able to meet me if you visit the Count Tinam residence.」

Maybe Elliot's race had extensive interactions with humans that Lily didn't know about. If so, she carefully gave her identity so they could meet again.

「Thank you. Now I can see you again. Well, I must take my leave now. I left without a word, so there must be a huge commotion if I don't hurry back.」

Though reluctant, Elliot bid farewell, believing it couldn't be helped.

(I want to go back too, since I also left without a word...)

Crying inside her heart, Lily said goodbye to Elliot. And then she continued to wait anxiously for Gin to return.

****

Noah began searching everywhere, starting from the last place he had been with Lily.

For some reason, Arthur was following him, but he had more pressing matters, so he just maintained minimal politeness and kept searching.

(Emma’s letter said I must, must, must never let go of her hand or leave her alone, because it's dangerous.)

He had held Lily's hand the entire time during the Flower Festival, just as advised. It was his bad luck that he inadvertently let go when he saw Arthur.

「Where did you go, Lily?」

「Should I inform the soldiers and switch to a full search after all?」

Arthur kept urging him to switch to a large-scale search, but Noah was reluctant to disrupt the Flower Festival over a lost relative.

Just as he was agonizing over what to do, clutching his head—

「Cousin Noah, and Prince Arthur! I have a little favor to ask!」

「Lily!」

Relieved that the person he was searching for had appeared, Noah hugged Lily and squeezed her tightly.

「Cousin... I-it hurts... Ugh...」

「I was so worried! Really! Where did you go?」

Even with the question, she couldn't answer because she was being squeezed too tightly. She smacked Noah repeatedly and tried to push her way out with all her strength, but he didn't budge.

「Noah, if you keep this up, you'll crush Lily.」

When Arthur pulled Noah's shoulder, Lily was finally released.

「Phew! That was suffocating.」

「I felt like I was going to die while I was looking for you!」

(Ugh. He's going to be angry. But, but, this is more important than that right now.)

She loudly interrupted Noah, who was about to begin his lecture.

「Cousin Noah, this is no time for that! Please help me!」

「Honestly! You're trying to change the subject!」

「I'll listen properly later. I'll even reflect on it. But right now, every second counts!」

Saying that, Lily thought for a moment and then grabbed Arthur’s hand.

She had a feeling he would be more willing to act than Noah.

「Because this is very, very good news for Your Highness, too!」

「I see. Well, let's go for now.」

If Arthur said he would go, Noah had no choice but to comply. It was a victory for Lily's strategy.

They turned off the main street onto a side road, walked a little, and then crossed a narrow path that was easy to miss.

At the end of it stood a boy wearing a hood.

「Sorry to keep you waiting. I brought some people. I'll take it now!」

「Yeah. I'll leave the cart here. Handing over the whole thing makes the trade even. You can do whatever you want with the rest.」

Saying that, the boy quickly ran off down the path behind him.

「Ah, wait!」

「Lily. Who was that just now?」

「Um. That was the person who sold me this cargo. And, I bought this because I wanted to give it to Prince Arthur.」

A cart the size of one that would be pulled by two horses was piled high with burlap sacks. However, the horses that should have pulled it were nowhere to be seen.

Arthur was trying to figure out how such a large cart was transported here without horses, looking for answers from the boy who had just left and the cart itself.

「Your Highness, these are the medicinal herbs needed for the Magic Affliction Disease. I got them through a connection, so please use them.」

Lily held out the first paper bag she had purchased to Arthur. The contents were filled with medicinal herbs that were currently out of stock in the royal capital.

「...Where did you get this? Is the whole cart also filled with medicinal herbs?」

「Um. Yes. I don't know everything because it was packed full, but I was told that as much of the same herbs in the paper bag as possible were loaded.」

「Lily, how on earth did you get this amount? Where did you go in such a short time?」

「...」

Lily avoided Noah's questioning gaze. She had hoped the medicinal herbs would distract him, but her smart cousin wasn't fooled.

In the meantime, Arthur had reached a conclusion.

「—The Black Market?」

Realizing Arthur had figured it out, Lily resigned herself.

「Yes.」

「It is a market of other races. Entry and trade are supposed to be forbidden.」

「Yes.」

「Did you go knowing that?」

「~~. But...」

「But?」

His voice was intensely cold, and when she turned her face back, she found herself being stared down by an expressionless and somewhat cold-eyed Arthur.

Lily could not understand that face, that expression.

「—Why are you so calm about this?」

「Because I heard the Queen has the Magic Affliction Disease.」

「And that is a reason to break the law?」

「But she's Your Highness's mother, isn't she? You should be happy if you can get the medicinal herbs, right?」

She had thought that if someone important was sick, he would desperately want the cure.

She didn't understand why they were having this conversation.

「...At the Western Fortress, when the supplies distributed by the kingdom were attacked by bandits, we had no choice but to give up on those medicinal herbs. I think that's unavoidable. But for the people fighting the disease with that medicine, and their families, it's not simply 'unavoidable.' And sometimes, more than the regulated amount was needed.」

Even if misfortune was unavoidable, the subsequent loss of human lives was not something that could be dismissed as such.

「I don't think it's a law important enough to protect at the cost of human lives.」

Lily desperately explained.

「It's important that the Queen's disease is cured. It's more important that the sick people are cured. I know the law is an important rule to protect people, but if keeping the rule means people will die, I choose to protect human lives.」

Once people are dead, prohibitions and rules don't matter. The law exists for the living people to lead better lives.

「...The Western Fortress wasn't receiving enough medicinal herbs. So, they were reluctantly dealing with it by procuring from the Black Market. That's how you have a connection?」

「I was the one who made the purchases. The people at the Western Fortress—were not involved.」

She told a small lie. Everyone knew what Lily was doing. They knew and quietly overlooked it. Because everyone needed that medicine.

She didn't think she was wrong, but what would happen if she broke the law? Her spirits suddenly sank, and she drooped.

(Will I be punished? Will this be considered a bad thing I did?)

「It was a blunder not to involve Noah. If you don't navigate things cleverly, even if you achieve a good result, you'll be viewed negatively and undermined. That could even involve innocent relatives.」

He said something frightening. When she slowly looked up, Arthur’s face, however, held a somewhat fearless smile.

「So, how about we make this incident a joint crime between us?」

*****

Note: Wth are you even talking about? It's your country flawed law, fix it!

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