Chapter 6.4

“Miss, so your nickname is a cheese name?”

(T/N: Brienne = ‘Brie’ . Brie is a soft, creamy, and mild cheese that originated in the Brie region of France.)

“Yes, that’s right. It’s spelled the same, too.”

Diashi was a charming person.

She knew how to change the subject if the other person seemed uncomfortable, and she was considerate enough never to mention Brienne’s status. Brienne really liked Diashi for that.

Especially the unique way she called her ‘Miss’……

“There’s a reason your face is so cute, after all!”

The way Diashi curled her lips in a sly smile reminded Brienne even more of Garzen, making her feel even closer to her. As they chatted about all sorts of trivial things, Diashi ordered her third beer, and before she knew it, Brienne was holding her fourth mug.

The stories Diashi told about graduating from the Academy were genuinely interesting, and Brienne felt they’d be helpful in the future.

With a relaxed expression, Brienne gazed out over the sea.

As the alcohol took effect, the engine and wave sounds of the ship slicing through the night sea were no longer frightening.

Feeling at ease, she felt as if she’d become part of the school of fish drifting freely in the vast sea. With a strange sense of liberation, Brienne raised her glass to Diashi first.

“That toast you mentioned earlier—let’s do it again.”

“Sure! Cheers!”

Smiling, Diashi clinked glasses with her and raised her eyebrows.

“So, how does it feel to sail the sea for the first time in your life?”

“Um, it’s strange. Being afloat on water is scary, but it makes my heart race, too.”

The sea and sailing, which she’d only read about in books, were far more overwhelming than Brienne had imagined. The sea was endlessly vast, and the world she’d lived in seemed so small.

Standing on the deck of this great sea, she realized how trivial her past worries had been.

Her very existence, and all the worries she’d carried, seemed so tiny and insignificant compared to this boundless ocean.

‘……If Miss Diashi hadn’t helped me, I’d probably still be trembling alone in my room.’

Maybe she’d never have felt these emotions at all.

Brienne felt truly grateful to Diashi for letting her experience these feelings. Staring quietly at Diashi, Brienne smiled shyly.

“I’m really lucky to have met someone as nice as you, Miss Diashi. I was actually really scared, but thanks to you, I’m okay now.”

“Hm? What were you scared of?”

“Well, it’s my first time being alone like this.”

Clutching her beer mug tightly, Brienne smiled awkwardly and changed the subject.

“By the way, how did you end up going to the Academy, Miss Diashi?”

“Me? Hmm……”

Wearing an embarrassed smile, Diashi thought for a moment and set down her mug.

“To tell the truth, I grew up really poor. I always wanted to make a lot of money. So, from the age of eight, I picked up discarded cloth and practiced sewing. That was the only way someone like me, who’d never learned anything, could earn money. But as I got older, I started feeling more and more resentful.”

Diashi glanced around, gesturing towards the people playing cards in the restaurant.

“Why is it that no matter how hard I try, I can’t get rich like those people? Living a life with nothing and no skills……”

But then one day, her magical power began to manifest. Diashi laughed breezily and shrugged.

“Well, it’s not exactly a romantic story. But in Roeta, mages make the most money. You can’t even compare it to the priests who only accept certain clients. That’s why there are fewer and fewer priests every year.”

Diashi clicked her tongue in regret. Listening seriously, Brienne tilted her head in curiosity.

“I see…… I knew mages made a lot of money, but I didn’t know the number of priests was decreasing. But Roeta is a Holy Kingdom, isn’t it?”

“It was a Holy Kingdom! At least, until magic advanced this far.”

For Brienne, who didn’t know much about the Holy Kingdom of Roeta, Diashi explained step by step.

Since the discovery of mana, the lives of Roeta’s people had improved exponentially. Cooling magic made it possible to spend even summer days comfortably, and heating magic meant even harsh winters could be endured, so the number of deaths each year dropped.

But now.

The temple, which once encouraged the construction of the Academy, was now at odds with the Mage Association.

“The temple is wary of magic’s development. They suppress the reckless use of magic, saying it goes against their doctrine. For now, the temple controls the mages by exploiting their imperfect trait of absorbing each other’s mana…… But who knows what will happen in the future?”

The imperfect trait of absorbing each other’s mana.

Brienne had learned about that from Garzen. But she had no idea the temple used that trait as leverage.

“How does the temple control the mages’ trait?”

“Oh, if they use tools imbued with holy power, they can close a mage’s mana circuit. When holy power and magic collide, holy power always wins. So the temple basically holds the mages’ lifeline! Of course, the Academy uses those tools, too.”

‘So that was the pendant that closed Garzen’s mana circuit in prison.’

As Brienne frowned, Diashi looked around and lowered her voice.

“In the end, it’s the Roeta royal family that suffers in the power struggle. His Majesty the King was busy trying to keep the two sides in check, but even as royalty, there wasn’t much he could do. They say there can’t be two suns under one sky, but in Roeta, there are three, so the royal family’s prestige is a joke.”

Thus, to at least protect the image of the Holy Kingdom, the Roeta royal family made an agreement with the temple, imposing a huge tribute and several rules on the Mage Association.

If any of these rules were broken, a mage’s qualifications would be revoked—and that meant the permanent closure of their mana circuit.

The closure of the mana circuit was essentially a mage’s death sentence.

“Mages couldn’t unite without the temple’s power, so they had no choice but to accept the terms. You’ll learn these rules at the Academy anyway, but I’ll tell you in advance!”

With a bright smile, Diashi scooted her chair closer.

“First, holy power must always take precedence over healing magic. So, healing magic can only be used on oneself.”

Diashi raised three fingers and folded them down one by one.

“Second, never research magic that challenges the powers of the gods. That means the creation of life—mainly, necromancy.”

“……What about the third?”

“The third is, never interfere in natural disasters deemed to be the will of the gods.”

“…….”

Brienne was at a loss for words, her brow furrowing slightly.

‘So, all of this was just for the sake of royal and temple pride?’

She’d thought there must be some legitimate reason, but it turned out to be nothing more than a power struggle.

It was a more complicated country than she’d thought.

She found herself worrying even more about Herace, who had broken that last rule.

‘……Then will Herace really have his mana circuit closed, according to the rules?’

‘He’d only wanted to save people……’

No matter how much it went against doctrine, or how much it defied the will of the gods, Brienne couldn’t understand the temple’s terms and punishments.

How could the will of a shapeless god be more important than the life of a person right in front of her?

Sensing Brienne’s feelings, Diashi nodded.

“So, Miss, you think the same as I do?”

“Pardon?”

“The temple folks, you know. Ugh, sometimes when I run into them, I just want to give them a good smack. Not that everyone who believes in the gods thinks that way, of course.”

“A smack… you want to smack them…?”

Brienne was once again surprised that Diashi, who was from Roeta, used such a strong expression about priests. Diashi laughed and replied,

“For the record, I don’t believe in Demekia, the god. Of all the gods in this world, I only believe in myself.”

“What? Yourself, as a god?”

When Brienne asked back with a puzzled look, Diashi shrugged.

“Yes, myself. In the end, the only one who listens to my heart and guides my soul is me.”