~Chapter 108~
The priest carefully explained what kind of wealth Lady Riden would gain in the future and what things she should be cautious about.
He even answered clearly when she asked if it was okay to invest in a certain place she was curious about.
‘I want to pay that priest money and get my fortune told too!’
Knock, knock!
“Ahhh!”
Kim Si-eom, who had been focused on eavesdropping on the voices in the next room, jumped in fright when Victoria appeared.
“I brought the tea, madam?”
At Victoria’s puzzled look, Madam Kim quickly gulped down the tea while it was still hot and hurriedly left the office.
After sending Nation away, Riden called Victoria.
“The viscountess stayed in the office longer, didn’t she?”
“Yes, just as you said, my lady. She used tea as an excuse to remain a little longer.”
At the expected answer, Riden smiled coldly.
In the original novel, the heroine quickly discovered the identity of the dark villain.
The villain was none other than part of the church itself.
‘The heroine must have crushed the villain without much trouble. That must have come out in part two.’
In all of the author’s novels, the villains or obstacles did exist, but the focus was mostly on the romance between the male and female leads. The villains were always crushed so easily it almost felt unfair.
‘Priest Nation is practically the right hand of the High Priest, who is the villain.’
Riden had used the excuse of wanting to make a donation to lure Nation out, and just as expected of a villain obsessed with money, he gladly came to the Duke’s mansion.
The business investment she asked about was something mentioned in the original novel—it would succeed greatly.
His confident answer that the investment would go well didn’t come from any real spiritual power, but only from his arrogance as a high priest.
But to Madam Kim Si-eom, it must have sounded completely different.
She would, as always, try to buy his favor with money and gifts, just to gain her own profit.
“When the time comes, I’ll drag him down together with the villain.”
Until then, Riden decided to wait.
Until Kim Si-eom walked into the mud on her own feet.
Some time later, at the Florence viscount’s estate.
“It was real!”
Madam Kim Si-eom dropped her newspaper and quickly covered her mouth.
She had secretly invested in the vineyard and winery business she overheard at the Duke’s mansion, and now it had been chosen as a national project, guaranteeing big profits.
‘I should have invested more!’
She crushed the paper in her hands, full of regret.
The priest had been so sure it would be selected, but just in case, she had only invested a small amount.
No, the truth was, she didn’t have enough money to invest more.
Either way, Madam Kim Si-eom now had only one goal.
She had to meet that priest!
‘No matter how much the fee is, I must see him.’
There were mountains of things she wanted to ask.
But how? The last time she visited the church, he wouldn’t even meet her.
Her gaze dropped from the crumpled paper to the garden of the estate, where Lady Hern was walking.
‘Yes, she’s the count’s daughter’s friend.’
After all, Riden had even called her to the Duke’s mansion and asked that she be treated well. That said everything.
And wasn’t that the value of connections?
‘If I go with the count’s daughter’s introduction, it’ll be cheaper and he’ll treat me better.’
Thinking this, Madam Kim Si-eom started walking toward the garden.
To the northeast of the capital, there stood a great wall.
It had been built long ago to remember the painful history when hordes of monsters once pushed dangerously close to the capital itself.
On top of the wall, dozens of archers lined up in perfect order. Today, they would mark the start of the hunting festival.
‘Amazing…’
Standing beneath the wall and looking up, Riden tilted her head back so far it seemed like it might snap.
Her neck should have hurt, but her eyes sparkled as she gazed upward.
The archers’ solemn expressions as they waited for their commander’s order made even the onlookers’ hearts pound.
Ethan, standing beside her, secretly watched her and worried she might fall backward any moment.
Then, the commander’s thunderous command rang out.
“Ready!”
All the archers nocked their arrows at the exact same time, not a beat off.
“Fire!”
In an instant, countless arrows shot into the sky, so many that the daylight darkened.
“Wow…”
A gasp of awe escaped Riden’s lips.
The rain of arrows pouring down on the target beneath the wall looked like a giant eagle made of arrows. It was a magnificent sight.
“Wow, that’s incredible.”
“Is it strange to see?”
Ethan asked, and Riden answered without taking her eyes away.
“Yes. I’m sure the real battlefield is worse, but this feels so real already.”
Their target was a giant monster dummy, made of cloth and cotton.
Arrows pierced the green orc, and cotton poured out of its body like blood.
“In an instant, it became a wreck… The battlefield really is cruel.”
Seeing the once-sturdy dummy collapse into a flat mess, Riden frowned with pity. Ethan chuckled beside her.
“Can you really come along to the hunt if you feel sorry for a dummy? Usually, noble ladies just stay inside the wall.”
At his question, Riden turned her eyes toward the forest beyond.
This place, not far from the eastern empire’s capital, was Travium territory. The hunting festival here was held twice a year—spring and autumn.
Like all hunting festivals, it was an event where a man hoped to receive a lady’s handkerchief, and then proved his love by returning with the greatest catch.
‘And the second relic is here.’
In Act 1, the heroine only got one relic, but the location of the second was revealed.
It was said to be here, in Travium’s “Silver Hunting Grounds,” where the festival was held each year.
Unfortunately, the first part of the story ended with only a mention of it, not the exact location.
But maybe, when she saw it, she’d know right away.
‘I felt something strange too when I got that medical text at the library…’
So she had no intention of just sitting behind the walls.
“I’ll follow along.”
“It won’t be comfortable…”
Ethan tilted his head at her, but Riden pointed to her outfit.
A hunting jacket, trousers, and well-made leather boots.
She had come fully dressed for hunting—yet she was supposed to just sit and watch from behind the wall? True, she had no confidence in actually catching anything.
But whether she waited behind the wall or followed them in, she’d only be watching anyway. Why not watch up close?
“If I don’t follow, the clothes the duchess prepared for me will go to waste. I won’t be any help, but please take care of this baggage, Your Excellency.”
At her playful words, Ethan laughed helplessly.
While she teased him, bowing playfully, the festival continued to move along.
The lord of Travium gave the opening speech, and the hunting teams were being formed.
It had been ages since anyone in the empire had seen real monsters, but the Silver Hunting Grounds were unlike the carefully maintained noble forests.
Wild beasts could appear at any time, so the hunt had to be done in teams, not alone.
Most nobles had already formed their teams in advance and only submitted the list. Those who came alone were placed randomly into groups.
The Duke’s house had its own team, led by Ethan and made up entirely of ducal knights.
Stanley hurried over with their assignment.
“Your Excellency, we’ve been given Zone 7.”
“Where’s Zone 7?”
At Riden’s question, Ethan unfolded the map.
The hunting ground was divided into nine zones. Zone 7 was deeper inside than most.
‘Perfect.’
Riden had already picked out a few places within the Silver Hunting Grounds where the relic might be. Two of them were near Zone 7.
The zones were only a convenience—hunters could move freely between them—but being nearby was better.
They had gotten the best zone she could have hoped for.
“Feels like good luck.”
“The prey in Zone 7 will be lucky. Since you’re coming, fewer will die.”
Even at Ethan’s teasing, Riden wasn’t fazed.
“Then everyone’s lucky.”
Still humming happily, she made him smile faintly.
Just then, the organizers announced the next step: each team should come forward to receive the horns used in the hunt.
Their turn had arrived.
‘The festival’s must-have event—the handkerchief ceremony!’
Every knight in Ethan’s team turned to Riden with expectant eyes.
