Civil War – Saint Eris (1)
Saint Eris.
Her real name is Esiliste Liliane de Francia.
The daughter of Cortizan, who was favored by the previous king for her beauty and intelligence and eventually became his concubine.
Little is known about her activities during her time in the capital.
There were rumors that the king and concubine were pampering and protecting him because he was weak, but when the king died suddenly and the clouds of civil war began to hover in the capital, he disappeared along with his concubine.
After that, his whereabouts were unknown, but when a plague began to spread, he appeared in the southern part of the kingdom and risked his life to treat the sick.
Although she is the only royal family who is called a saint and respected by the people for her devotion and outrageous sacred power, she has never called herself a saint or made a fuss about being a royal.
It was revealed that she was a royal family, as the Church of Christ tracked down the princess’s whereabouts and discovered it long after the proposal to make the princess an official saint of the Holy Church and place her within the Church’s sphere of influence was rejected.
After being labeled as a witch in the name of the Church of Light and with the justification of royal blood, the republican government put her to the guillotine after all kinds of instigation and fabrication.
I only heard that she died the day before my execution, but I never met her in person.
So I vaguely expected a benevolent saint or a dignified princess…
“And so the knight’s story became a legend.”
Eris finished her story by strumming her harp and stood up and greeted me like an actor.
Clap-clap-clap- there was a round of applause.
…The blunt Gaston is clapping with tears in his eyes.
The shyness I felt at first when I asked to share my food completely disappeared.
“Whoa, after talking about it, I’m hungry!”
As soon as Eris shouted so energetically, Gaston and Frank quickly cut up a large piece of wild boar meat and handed it to her.
Frank is Eris’s escort. He simply introduced himself as Frank, and although he was a middle-aged man whose attire was no different from that of a traveler, both I and Gaston knew at a glance that he was a knight.
It’s a bit doubtful whether Gaston remembers that fact and is alert, but…
Eris looked at the boar meat offered by the two with wide eyes, then put down her harp and accepted both with both hands, smiling happily. Built.
“thank you!”
…Since when did my guard knight become the princess’ servant?
Whether I frowned or not, Eris puffed on the meat she was holding in both hands and took turns taking a bite at a time.
When he first appeared, his entire body was covered up to the point of suspiciousness, but now he has taken off his veil and gloves, exposing his face and hands.
Her exposed skin was completely white.
This is the case with all noble ladies living at home, but she goes beyond that and looks pale under the moonlight.
…By the way, it tastes good.
No, I eat well seriously.
Although he looks like he’s only in his mid-teens, he seems to have already eaten half of the wild boar by himself.
In between eating, he sang, played the harp, and even danced as a reward for the food, and I couldn’t deny that it was quite enjoyable because he was very talented in whatever he did.
The image I had vaguely pictured in my head of a noble saint or a doomed princess has long since been shattered.
No matter how you look at this, she is more of a gluttonous bard than a saint.
As I was throwing kindling into the bonfire for no reason, Eris spoke to me.
“thank you! I don’t know when was the last time I ate such delicious meat to my heart’s content! Uncle Frank is not very good at hunting…”
“Hmm. Huh.”
I glanced at Frank, who looked embarrassed, and then answered in a snap.
“Hunting is usually a hunter’s job, not a knight’s job.”
“Ahaha, that’s true too.”
“…Why are you avoiding us?”
“I thought you were an errand boy who came to take you to become the nobleman’s exclusive healer. I thought he would come back if I avoided him for a few days, but guess what? “I thought I would faint from hunger first!”
Even when I suggested that it wasn’t the driver’s job, I naturally laughed and passed by.
It’s not like they’re trying to hide what they’ve been avoiding, but they say it cheerfully as if it’s really no big deal, which makes it even more strange to question them.
Conversations with Eris usually went like this.
I can’t tell if he’s saying it innocently or intentionally.
The most surprising thing is that I don’t feel like I really want to question her about this or that.
“I’m sorry I unintentionally caused you trouble.”
Eris smiled brightly as she said that, and without realizing it, I found myself staring at her blankly.
Her long, pure white hair, which sways as she moves, turns red in the light of the campfire and shines silver under the moonlight.
The eyebrows are equally white, but the pupils are purple, alternating between red and blue depending on the viewing angle, giving the illusion that you are looking at a very mysterious creature rather than a person when you look at it.
Just by hanging out together, he naturally attracts people, but it’s hard to tell whether he’s aware of it or not.
Eris herself is still at an age where it would be more appropriate to call her cute rather than beautiful, but this is a completely different feeling from simply being attracted to a beautiful person of the opposite sex.
Including his mysterious appearance, overflowing vitality, and strange words and actions.
Even if she is a saint or a witch, she creates an overwhelming atmosphere that makes you nod your head involuntarily.
“Now that you think about it, isn’t it hard to walk around wrapped up like that?”
“I’ve been weak to sunlight since I was born. “It gets too much attention.”
There was a natural answer to the questionable behavior.
We revealed that we were nobles, and Eris only introduced herself as a traveler.
Nevertheless, it seems so natural that Gaston treats Eris politely that it is natural.
In the first place, it seems that no one would look down on her and believe that she is a commoner, just because of the culture and atmosphere that is naturally evident in her behavior.
I was thinking for a while.
If he found the princess, he had many words prepared to persuade her to take her to the Marquis’ territory.
But looking at Eris in front of me, I don’t think either answer is correct.
I took a deep breath and opened my mouth.
“Miss Eris.”
“Say yes.”
“You can understand that the fact that you approached me first means that you have decided to listen to my story.”
Eris had a very subtle expression and was silent.
It was the first time since she first joined that she looked like she was having trouble speaking, so I threw in one more comment as a joke.
“I don’t think they came because of the smell of a whole roasted wild boar.”
“…That’s true.”
“….”
“No, I’m kidding. I didn’t think he would leave before I heard his story anyway, so I was wondering if it would be better to meet him first. But it also smelled so appetizing…”
In the end, it was the smell of meat that made me lose!
I pressed my forehead with my finger and spoke again to Eris, who was smiling vaguely.
“As I said, I am the minor marquis of Lafayette, and I have come to invite you as a guest of the marquis.”
“Is it because I can cure the plague?”
“I don’t deny it. “Any lord who discovers the power you possess will covet you.”
“Um, what if I refuse?”
When Eris smiled and asked, Frank and Gaston, who had been looking at Eris with happy faces until just now, looked a little nervous.
“What is the reason?”
“There are a lot of sick people here right now.”
“Hmm, is there any reason to give priority to the sick in this area? It seems like you have treated the sick in this area quite a bit. “There are probably sick people in the marquis’ territory.”
“…I heard that the Marquis is in relatively good condition thanks to the Marquis. On the other hand, this area was almost abandoned when I first came here.”
I felt a little embarrassed when others commented on my response, but I didn’t show it and said something else.
“Are you purely trying to help those in need? “If there are a lot of sick people and desperate need for help, I think the northern part would be more urgent.”
“…I think that when I go to the north, I will be captured by people I cannot speak the same language with and I will be forced to act as a war healer. “Whether I want it or not, I will be forced to heal only one of the First or Second Prince’s armies and help them kill their enemies.”
Eris spoke in an extremely calm manner, listing the facts.
Is it really that southern? I was confused by her words and actions, but it seems she wasn’t just completely innocent.
Perhaps the royal family is more reluctant because they have seen her as a child.
“And for the same reason I do not wish to accept the offer of the House of Lafayette, who supports the First Prince. … If only I had the right to veto.”
“Little Marquis…”
Gaston is secretly looking at me, so I guess he thinks I’m wondering whether I should force Eris away.
There may be such a method, but the opponent is a princess. Moreover, even if that is not the case, I know for sure that Eris is not a person who can be controlled in that way.
After much thought, I opened my mouth.
“I think there are probably many families outside of Lafayette that would covet you. There were even people who called her a saint. You know that much, right?”
Eris nodded without hesitation.
“The plague is rampant right now, but it will subside someday. When that time comes, nobles will be chasing you, so will you live as a fugitive? “It looks like you don’t have the talent to fill your stomach.”
“Ugh, normally I make enough to make a living just by singing or playing, right? Right now, there are only people who are so needy that it would be a shame to get a living, and even the Marquis is following them…”
“Yes, if the nobles follow us, we will be running away, starving like we are now.”
Eris finally closed her mouth completely.
Only after making it like this did I feel a little more relaxed because I looked like a girl my age.
“What if I become your sponsor?”
“sponsor?”
“okay. It looks like he has a lot of talent, and it’s not uncommon for nobles to support artists. I will let you stay at the marquis’ residence as an artist, and protect you as the marquis’ guest when you go out. What is it like? “At least I think it will be easier for you to do the activities you want than to run away from the nobles.”
“What about the military?”
“If you want, I guarantee that you will not be required to serve in the military. You are officially an artist I support. Of course, if you do treatment or charity work outside under the protection of the marquis, you will eventually become known, but the number of times nobles will bother you will definitely decrease and the number of things you can do will increase.”
After thinking about it carefully, Eris turned her gaze towards Frank, and Frank slightly bowed his head to her.
“Can I ask you one thing, Marquis de Minor?”
“of course.”
“Just like the Marquis So said, I have the power to heal the sick, but I know that alone is not enough. “It would be perfect for me if, as the Marquis de Sovereign suggested, I would have the freedom to carry out my activities while being protected, and if they would even provide funds for charity activities.”
Eris paused for a moment and then added.
“But what do you want, Marquis So? I don’t think they’re doing this just to make me their exclusive healer. “How does supporting me like that benefit you, Marquis?”
As she asks that question, Eris’s purple eyes are so transparent that you can see inside them, giving you the feeling that no matter what you say, they will see right through.
Should I rather say that she knows that she is a princess? But wouldn’t revealing facts that haven’t been known for years only raise caution?
First of all, I am not a marquis yet. When it is revealed that she is a princess, I cannot yet provide complete protection for her.
In the end, after much deliberation, I brought out only the facts that I could tell right now.
“A wave of change is coming to the kingdom, but only the royal family and nobles are unaware of it. Commoners who have reached their limit will no longer sit quietly and be exploited. And although I am a noble and a lord, you are someone who can receive the support and love of the commoners. So, I think protecting and supporting you will benefit me as well.”
“So are you trying to gain public support through me?”
“Okay, so I have no reason to restrict your freedom. If you accept my offer, it will empower you to do more than you can now. “If you wish, I will help you carry out treatment activities in this area as you wish.”
“You’re blatant.”
“Should I have gone against the saint’s nobility and spoken as if I were someone who would take out everything, including liver and gallbladder?”
“No, if that were the case, it would have been suspicious, right?”
After hearing what I said, Eris smiled and answered and stood up.
As she moved, the sight of her wavy white hair sparkling like silver in the moonlight caught her eye, and she lifted the hem of her robe as if it were a dress and slightly bent her knees.
“I will gladly accept your undeserved offer, Marquis de Lafayette.”
The pure white girl, who greeted me with aristocratic manners, slowly stands up and smiles with her mysterious purple eyes shining.
“Please take care of me in the future, sponsor.”
?
