Magical Girl

Chapter 11

At the front of the group was an elderly man with hair and beard as white as snow. It was hard to tell whether his hair had turned white from age or if it had always been that way. He was as thin as a candle flickering in the wind, with deeply sunken cheeks, and piercing blue-gray eyes that seemed to look far above anything below his neck. Yet Marlene had a feeling he had glanced at her from the corner of his eye; otherwise, she wouldn’t have felt an involuntary shiver run through her.

Behind him was a plump, middle-aged priest with brown hair. And following these two was Father Vinsen, whom Marlene had met earlier.

As soon as the priests entered, the two boys holding Marlene immediately released her.

Free at last, Marlene quickly said, “Father Vinsen, they destroyed my letter!”

But the plump priest interrupted her at once, “Silence! High Priest Leo has not yet spoken, and you dare to shout like this? Such insolence!”

Marlene glanced over and saw that the boys who had been so brazen just moments ago were now standing quietly with their hands folded at their waists, looking as innocent as possible.

The tall, thin old man finally spoke, “Yanas Eut, explain the situation.”

Yanas responded, “High Priest, the four of us passed by the waiting room and saw this… less than tidy worshiper, and curiosity led us to come in. You know, those who come to see the goddess usually take great care with their appearance and manners. It’s rare to see someone so unkempt… That’s all there is to it. As for a letter? I hadn’t even had a chance to say a word to her, so I’m just as surprised as anyone about these accusations.”

“He’s lying! He took the letter and tried to open it, but then…” Marlene began, but the plump priest cut her off.

“Produce your evidence,” he said.

“I… I can swear that Ash Priest did give me a letter to deliver to the temple, but they stole it…” Marlene stammered.

The plump priest looked at her with disdain. “Without evidence, I cannot doubt the word of a gentleman of noble birth. You, on the other hand, should feel ashamed for slandering someone of high standing.”

Marlene was nearly boiling with anger, pointing at Yanas. “This isn’t fair! From the start, you assumed I was the one lying. You didn’t even let me finish speaking. On what grounds?!”

“You’re being incredibly disrespectful. Do you even know who stands before you? This is High Priest Leo, the highest authority in the Yamanron region, and you’re making a scene in his presence!”

Tears welled in Marlene’s eyes, but she stood her ground. “I swear I am not lying. Make him swear on the goddess as well. Ask him if he dares!”

At this point, the tall, thin old man, the highest authority in the room, finally spoke, “To use the goddess’s oath so frivolously is blasphemy. Leave this place, and do not set foot in the temple again.”

Marlene was escorted out, with the nuns instructing the guards, “From now on, do not let this person near the temple!”

She watched as the grand doors closed in her face, realizing she had made a mess of things.

“You’re such a fool, Marlene,” she muttered to herself. “You’re not a naive girl anymore. Did you really think these priests would give you justice? Such an idea in this place and time is just laughable.”

Marlene took a deep breath, trying to comfort herself—things weren’t so bad, after all. When she left Auderin, her only goal was to escape from the awful Carl and leave that dark, oppressive town, hoping to find a new life in the city. Now, here she was, standing on the streets of Jetugara. Hadn’t she achieved her original purpose?

Trying to escape poverty and reach for the stars on her second day in the city had been unrealistic. Perhaps it was that “future mage” remark that had given her some unfounded confidence, making her feel like she could float above it all. As an adult, she needed to reflect on this and plan more carefully, step by step.

In this barbaric place, in such a backward era, a small town like Auderin didn’t care how smart or capable you were because the skills you possessed simply weren’t needed. But Jetugara was different. A big city would surely have more job opportunities.

Thankfully, she still had one letter left. She had placed the two letters in separate pockets, and the recommendation letter Ash Priest had written on the spot hadn’t been discovered. Marlene had thought about pulling it out, but considering how they had just acted—even if she had shown them the letter, they would likely have favored Yanas anyway. Besides, this second letter didn’t have any magical wax seal, and it was addressed to Wald Priest.

No wonder Ash Priest had specifically told her to deliver the letter directly to Wald Priest, with whom he had a personal connection. He had likely anticipated the kind of reception Marlene might face.

Still, this letter probably wouldn’t do her much good until she could actually find Wald Priest. “Tomorrow morning, I’ll find a job to support myself. I can’t just sit around clinging to this letter. That would be like the farmer who idly waits for rabbits while his fields go to waste.”

With this in mind, Marlene prepared to leave the temple and head back to the inn. She’d have to make do there for one more night. At that moment, her stomach growled loudly.

She wondered if any stores were still open. She was starving, having waited all evening to see the priest. She’d have to buy some bread or something to fill her stomach.

Marlene reached for her pocket, only to freeze in shock.

Her purse was missing! There had been a few coppers inside, but most importantly, it held the most valuable thing she had left: the ring Mirian had given her.

She’d been careful with that little purse, even checking it in the waiting room to make sure it was still there. The only explanation was that it had somehow fallen out during the scuffle in the waiting room.

Marlene knew she needed to look for it immediately. The longer she waited, the less chance there would be of finding it. Temple or not, she had to try.

She rushed back to the temple, but by now it was late, and the main doors were locked. By the side entrance stood a tall, thin figure, just about to close the door.

“Please, wait!” Marlene called out.

Red hair, green eyes—it was the same boy from the night before, Felido. He recognized her and scowled, “You again?”

Marlene, out of breath, blocked his way and said, “I need to get inside.”

“Are you an i***t? I already told you, no one is allowed in or out at this hour.”

“No, I lost something important. I think it fell inside the temple.”

“Even so, you’ll have to come back in the morning.”

“It’s a keepsake from my mother. It might not be worth much, but it’s very important to me!” Marlene pleaded, stepping forward.

Felido, not wanting her to get too close, instinctively took a few steps back. “Fine, I’ll inform one of the nuns to keep an eye out. But you need to leave now.”

Marlene didn’t have much faith in the people here, preferring to search for her belongings herself. If she could force her way in, she would, but that wasn’t an option. This boy was easily two heads taller than her and could toss her aside like a sparrow with one hand.

“Just let me in for fifteen minutes. I only need fifteen minutes to find my ring, and then I’ll leave. I think it fell in the waiting room next to the hall,” she pleaded.

But Felido was impatient. “What does that have to do with me? Come back tomorrow when the doors open.”

“For the goddess’s sake,” Marlene tried again.

“The goddess?” Felido scoffed, “She doesn’t care about small things like this.”

With that, he slammed the door shut.

Felido pulled his hood over his head and quickly crossed the courtyard. If the priests or nuns found him outside the dorms at this hour, he’d be in trouble again.

As he passed through the courtyard, he heard the voices of a group of young men coming from a nearby room. They were noisily discussing the amusing events in the waiting room earlier that evening.

They loudly mocked the naive country girl, using language far too crude for temple apprentices. Normally, Felido would ignore this kind of talk, but tonight, he found himself listening in on bits of their conversation.

With a blank expression, Felido entered the room and placed a perfumed parchment letter on the table.

The boys cheered, “A love letter for Yanas!”

That was why Felido had been by the side door—sometimes they needed someone to keep the door open for them when they came back late, other times to wait for a letter or deliver something. Felido had been playing this role for years, and it hadn’t changed.

Felido thought, how could temple apprentices get involved with girls? Priests were destined to devote their lives to the goddess. Those girls writing love letters to Yanas were wasting their time, and Yanas’ interactions with them were just as pointless.

The lively chatter of the boys belonged to them, and Felido, without saying a word, left them to it. He walked alone towards his quarters, passing by the waiting room’s entrance, where he thought of the girl at the door.

He didn’t know where that girl had come from, but her accent was harsh, and she wore such shabby clothes, with a faint scent of horses lingering around her. Didn’t she realize how important it was to present oneself neatly before the goddess?

At first, he didn’t feel any sympathy for her. Sympathy was often easier to extend to beauty and frailty, and while this girl was clearly fragile, she was far from beautiful.

But he hesitated—“Perhaps that ring really is important to her.”

The nuns wouldn’t clean the waiting room until morning, so it might still be there.

Felido stepped into the waiting room and, in the corner beneath a bench, he spotted a small, unassuming pouch. Its dark gray color blended in so well with the floor that it had gone unnoticed.

The pouch was simply tied with two drawstrings. A quick tug loosened it, revealing a few worn copper coins, a small silver coin, and a tiny gold-plated ring.

The gold plating was nearly worn off, but a small red stone was set in the ring.

Felido recognized it immediately.

“Oh? It’s a red garnet stone.”