I, Ilma, am still confined underground.
I honestly do not know what is happening outside. No one will tell me anything, although I am being taken care of in terms of receiving what I need to survive.
Did the other priests who received the divine message wake up yet? I have heard nothing about it.
There is nothing I can do, but I feel frustrated, wanting to do something.
I finally receive a message from miss Gint.
I do not feel like saying anything about the fact that she is not visiting me herself, and instead quietly listen to what the messenger has to say.
“Miss Alice may not be the miko.”
Says the priest that is here to deliver the message.
“None of the other priests who have received the divine message have recovered yet, but miss Alice’s mother has fallen ill. If… Miss Alice truly is the miko, that should not be possible. According to her father, her mother has always been sickly, and apparently miss Alice has a twin.
It is possible that her twin is the true miko…”
“…Twin… Where is she?”
“…Well, she was abandoned when the temple went to their village to take the miko under our protection. We do not know where she is.”
“The miko was abandoned!?”
It seems they heard this straight from the miko’s parents, but I can hardly believe something as outrageous as abandoning the miko.
Did the mother’s illness return because they abandoned this sister that is presumed to be the real miko?
“…Those two are still the miko’s parents. In addition, we cannot allow the parents of the girl we took in as the miko to be harmed, or die. The mother has collapsed due to illness, but we feel it is safe to assume the miko does not see her as someone important to her. Still, we cannot just expel her.”
Says the messenger, sounding irritated.
I myself also think it is unforgivable that miss Alice’s parents abandoned the girl that seems to be the miko. However, this does not change the fact that they are the miko’s parents. Also, the miko’s parents cannot be unhappy while we supposedly have custody of the miko.
If it is revealed that we have taken in the wrong miko, it would be a huge blunder for us.
“The temple wants to task you with a mission. Find the real miko so we can welcome her here.”
Bring the miko here.
It would be an honor to play this part, but… Is that what’s best for the miko? The temple should strive to walk alongside the miko, but if I do manage to bring her here, would that be the right thing to do for her?
Even if miss Alice is not the miko, they thought she was, and they listened to everything she had to say and tried to educate her in a way that was probably not beneficial to her. Is bringing the miko here the right choice?
“Welcome her…?”
“Yes.”
“And what would happen to miss Alice?”
“That has not been decided.”
“…I see.”
“Our first priority is to take the miko under our protection. A young girl that was abandoned is surely crying out for help, and we have to help her as quickly as possible.”
She says, with purpose in her eyes. If she is miss Alice’s twin sister, then she is indeed a young girl, but would that really happen to someone with the power of a?
…Perhaps she does not want to come here. The messenger in front of me says bringing the miko here is the number one priority, but I wonder…
From the temple’s point of view, there is no doubt that they would want the real miko here, but… What should I do if the temple and the miko do not feel the same way?
I have a lot to think about, and the messenger continues.
“This is a mission from Gint, and she would very much like you to accept it. I was also instructed to present you with this if you do choose to accept it. Miss Gint has performed a special technique on it. Please take it.”
“…Please tell her I humbly accept this mission.”
“Of course.”
I say as I take the bracelet.
A few days later, I set out in search of the miko.
But… Depending on her wishes, I may not bring her back to the temple as they instructed. For now, my only objective is to meet the real miko.
—A priest accepts a mission
(The priest accepts the mission, but does not yet know if he will complete it. His primary objective is to meet her.)
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Ooh another person to join the group
I wonder if they’re going to found a country in the forest eventually?
i like the priest, he’ll prob join the party like Lan did and theyll slowly have a group to travel; maybe gaius can become larunda’s knight!
Yeah, that bracelet is probably bad news.
Yeah, it probably knows his location or something because u dont lock someone up and then think oh they will do what we want now
vhah, so THAT’s how the old monk is getting out of there. nice.
But, bro, the messenger said it herself, the Bracelet is a trap. It may be a tracking spell, or something worse.
Hey priest toss that bracelet into a volcano